Hi. A bit overblown on the article. I'm an optometrist in Dallas. It's a federal law to release a glasses prescription if one has been determined. The need for "being firm" sounds like "be prepared for battle/reluctance". Maybe you frequent high pressure offices with people trying to "sell" you stuff you don't need but that's not my experience with most opticals. Getting the wrong prescription, with few exceptions, won't damage your eyes or cause your eyes to physically change. Symptoms, sure. Head ache, eye strain , blur. Get the correct glasses and you'll be fine. I check online (as do my paients) also. All of the designer lines have discontinueds which will sell for considerably less. Even if they're still listed in the master listing of available frames, certain lines will soon be unavailable (technically not discontiued but soon to be). We don't carry those due to issues with warranty part availablity. All frame don't come dirt cheap from china. That was funny. The best frames ae generally from Italy, Gernany, and Japan. France and Denamark have some nice lines. Other places also

We carry some from China and they are cheaper, but we refuse to carry the cheapest due to poor performance over time. Two frames can seem very similar at first but after on/off/bang around for 6months or even two years, the better frame still looks and performs great. Non glare/antireflective lenses are important and quality matters. How to tell the difference? Ask about the warranty. 30 or 60 days for scratches or the life of the lenses warranty. Two years later they're scratched, replace them (same frame/Rx) that's not bcause they're so cheap to replace it's just that they're not remotely comparable in terms of quality. Just the cost of the best antireflective coatings from my labs is more than the cost of the entire pair of glasses the author was talking about. That's just the line item lab cost. I'm not saying you can't get some descent glasses on line, but but the article was overstating it. The author was also talking about single vision lenses. The newest digitaly fabricated progressives are impressive, both in performance and price. I'm sure you'll then expect your local optical to verify and help keep your new glasses adjusted for you. Just go buy the $1.99 screw kit for eyeglasses at Walgreen's. Oh. Those screws don't fit. Well your optical probably has an inventory of screws and someone knowledgable to help you with that. The replacement screws are often better than the junk screws that come in cheap glasses and can be surprisingly expensive for a little screw (self threading, coated to prevent backing out good metal that won't break/corrode)

If you've actually read this far, thanks for letting me educate/ vent a bit.

Ya'll enjoy the holiday weekend,

Clint

But if it's true that my $50 glasses won't last as long as the $400 glasses, can't I just buy 4 of them over two years? This way I get four different pairs!

Clint,

I am willing to pay my optometrist to supply screws, adjust my glasses and do exams. I don't think it would be fair for me to ask him to do it for free if I buy my glasses elsewhere. And you are probably right that there are consumers who need specialized glasses that are best done in American labs. That being said I am wearing a pair of glasses I got from Zenni right now. No coatings, no progressive lenses needed. I paid around $15 including S&H is there a good reason I should have paid ten times that amount at the optometrist?

clint1:

Hi. A bit overblown on the article. I'm an optometrist in Dallas. It's a federal law to release a glasses prescription if one has been determined. The need for "being firm" sounds like "be prepared for battle/reluctance". Maybe you frequent high pressure offices with people trying to "sell" you stuff you don't need but that's not my experience with most opticals.

I've had issues getting my prescription released from the optometrist. I know others who have too.

Hi. You shouldn't have to pay 10 times the amount for the same pair of glasses. These are the galsses that sell for 2 for $88 dollars here in Dallas. So I guess you would have a 3 times savings, which is still good. Premium anti-reflective for $5? Premium is a marketing phrase. It's not premium. The no refund statement, any issues after 4 weeks it's tough beans all attest not to the acuracy of the work but to the quality of the frames and lenses. The better products start to compare their scratch resistance to glass. These frames are purchased in bulk which is one of the reason for decreased cost and the "if parts are available" warranty. At that price though, just get some more specs. With all that said I can see where this would defiantely fill a market need. Each to his own.

Hi. I think that the optometrists or ophthalmologists that make it difficult or even a bit challenging for a patient to get their glasses prescription are making a mistake. I appreciate it when someone chooses our office. In Dallas they probably have to drive by 3 or 4 other opticals/vision centers to get to us. Some get checked elsewhere and purchase glasses here, others get checked here and purchase glasses elswhere, it all works out. Why put stress on folks. If you really like the doc and his/her exam, the next time you're in mention that you had gotten a bit of resistance when asking for your prescription. They may not even be aware of that. It seems normal to me that some people would want to shop a bit. I do that.

Thanks for your perspective, Clint. I'm also an optometrist. Or should I say former optometrist since I don't practice anymore? Anyway, I won't tout the party line since both perspectives have merit. The eyeglass business is similar to others: Bottom line is you generally get what you pay for. Mass-produced lenses from China may not be of the same quality as a Zeiss or a Nikon; many of the same companies that manufacture quality camera optics also produce ophthalmic lenses. Some people are satisfied with a cheap point-and-shoot while others may spring for the Leica. When I practiced optometry, I was often amazed to see people drop $200 on a haircut without flinching yet couldn't bring themselves to pay the same amount for a pair of glasses (every few years).

Point number two: there's more to fitting glasses than the prescription and inter-pupillary distance. Bifocals need to be height-adjusted, and the height will change with the type of lens, the style and size of the frame, and is often different between the eyes. The local optician will measure bifocal height specifically to the frame, something that can't be done by your PC. Other complicated prescriptions (astigmatism, anisometropia, prisms) often require special care when fitting glasses. Frames need to be adjusted, bent and tweaked, to fit everyone's unique facial structure. You can do it yourself (which would be fine in many cases) or you can let the pros handle it.

Just like a hollywood smile costs more than the procelain in your mouth, the fee for a pair of glasses incorporates everything from brick-and-mortar expenses to the (free) specialized service provided by trained opticians who can spend an hour with a given patient. Online vendors are completely absolved of this fundamental responsibility to their customers.

KB01:

clint1:

Hi. A bit overblown on the article. I'm an optometrist in Dallas. It's a federal law to release a glasses prescription if one has been determined. The need for "being firm" sounds like "be prepared for battle/reluctance". Maybe you frequent high pressure offices with people trying to "sell" you stuff you don't need but that's not my experience with most opticals.

I've had issues getting my prescription released from the optometrist. I know others who have too.

Should have absolutely no problem getting your Rx released, it's Federal Law, they don't release, report them. However you do need to be careful with this article, yes I believe there is a market for this type of thing, but remember glasses are a medical device first, commodity second. While you wont permanently damage your eyes, Clint1 has it right you will be symptomatic. You are getting what you pay for so to speak, not only that but you are taking money out of local business men, just as Walmart is destroying Main street america. And if you think Optometrist are high paid Doctors with fat wallets you would be wrong. Yes the make a good living, but no where compared to other Doctors.

Who do I report them to? I just had the issue a couple of months ago.

First, thank you for the information, as well as sharing your insight (no pun intended) from a professional viewpoint.

As for buying glasses on the cheap, I have found that it is very true that you do indeed get what you pay for.

I have worn either glasses or contacts for almost 30yrs now. Over the years, I have went to top-notch optometrists, and I have went to the cheapest places I could find... all depending on my financial and insurance standpoint at that particular time.

Currently, I am wearing/using a pair of glasses that I purchased from America's Best, which always runs a house special "Two pairs of glasses (single vision), including the eye exam, for only $69.00".

Did I actually get out the door with two pairs of prescription glasses for $69.00+tax? Yep, sure did.

Did they try and sell me up to a lot higher pair? Yep. Did they try and sell me all kinds of extras? Yep, and I said no.

But, do I feel that the optometrist did a good job on creating my prescription? Nope, not at all.

From the moment I was first seen, I knew that this was going to be a low-budget eye exam. She rushed thru the inital set up of the machine, and I couldn't see a thing. Then, when it started to get where I could barely make out the shapes of the objects she asked me to identify, she proclaimed that she was finished. Only after I refused to get up out of the chair, and told her that my vision was nowhere near as clear as it could be/ should be, did she slow down and dial my vision in correctly... I left with slightly better than 20/20

Now, as for the quality of the glasses themselves. They actually aren't that bad. I chose one pair with a wire frame, and another that is all plastic. My intention was to have a "work pair" and a "dress pair". In that, I feel I suceeded. Will they hold up as long as my last pair, that survived intact for 8yrs, and had went thru 4 sets of new prescription lenses as my eyes changed? Probably not, But I didn't pay $480 for them either...

As for getting my prescription, I asked about that after reading this.. I was told "It is not the policy of our company to release prescription information to any individual, due to our prescriptions being prescribed solely for our particular lenses." I am intending to check with the state board of optometry to see if there is a law that would require them to release it.

This whole discussion has been quite interesting. I'm sure you get what you pay for. The question is whether all the services are necessary in all cases. I usually buy my glasses from a brick & mortar store, and in fact just bought some prescription sunglasses there, but I'm planning to buy some extra pairs online for me & for my child.

For one thing, we bought a scratch guarantee from the b&m store for my kid's glasses, but the only way to get the lenses replaced is to give up the glasses for 3 weeks. Not a realistic option. But we can't afford to buy another $300 "spare." The online specs should tide us over until the expensive pair comes back.

For another, I paid close attn when getting my own glasses the last time and the optician service was negligible. No help choosing frames that fit my face. She didn't even look at them on my face, she just took them from my hands to get the model number for her order form. When the glasses came in, she noticed that they were too big and she put them in the heat box to bend the earpieces. That's about it. So much for the special treatment required for astigmatism.

I really liked the optometrist at this place, they optician was friendly, they released my prescription and pd w/no problem, they work w/my insurance, and I like being able to go in for adjustments (tho I rarely do). Probably I'll continue to buy some pairs at the b&m store and some online to get extra choices & spares. It doesn't have to be all or nothing.