Mail Order Prescription Glasses???

[melensdad]

My local, high quality eyeglass joint sells me eyeglasses for roughly $400 to $500 per pair. They have a beautiful luxurious office. They have all the fancy designer frames. They have the best eye exams that I've ever encountered, very complete and detailed. But I don't really care if I get designer frames.

So I started looking around the internet.

I can buy the same designer frames for a bit less.

OR

I can buy some knock off and no-name frames for pennies on the dollar. Progressive lenses for 1/3rd the price I normally pay, etc.

Basically I can go to my local guy, pay $400 to $500 for a really nice pair of designer frames . . . or I can type in my prescription on a website and get a pair of NON-designer NO-name frames, with my prescription lenses for about $100, some a bit less, some a bit more. Or I can buy 4 or 5 pairs of glasses for the price I pay for 1 pair!!!

Anyone try any of the mail order glasses companies?

Going in Tuesday for my annual exam. Thinking of buying glasses, if I need them, from here => Buy Prescription Eyeglasses Online | EyeBuyDirect.com

 

[chezuki]

My local, high quality eyeglass joint sells me eyeglasses for roughly $400 to $500 per pair. They have a beautiful luxurious office. They have all the fancy designer frames. They have the best eye exams that I've ever encountered, very complete and detailed. But I don't really care if I get designer frames.

So I started looking around the internet.

I can buy the same designer frames for a bit less.

OR

I can buy some knock off and no-name frames for pennies on the dollar. Progressive lenses for 1/3rd the price I normally pay, etc.

Basically I can go to my local guy, pay $400 to $500 for a really nice pair of designer frames . . . or I can type in my prescription on a website and get a pair of NON-designer NO-name frames, with my prescription lenses for about $100, some a bit less, some a bit more. Or I can buy 4 or 5 pairs of glasses for the price I pay for 1 pair!!!

Anyone try any of the mail order glasses companies?

Going in Tuesday for my annual exam. Thinking of buying glasses, if I need them, from here => Buy Prescription Eyeglasses Online | EyeBuyDirect.com

I haven't used online companies, but when it came time to update my glasses (I primarily wear contacts, so my glasses had become a few prescriptions old and in disrepair), I found my self in a situation similar to you. I ended up taking my prescription from my preferred optometrist in to Walmart Optical and had a new pair of glasses I really liked in just a couple days for under $100.

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

M'lady complains about my current frames. They're about 13 years old, and I've taken pretty good care of them. I did use some fishing line to fix them on one side. The previous ones got to the point of being held together by scotch tape. That was after about 15 years. If I keep it up, maybe I'll have one more pair in my life. I think I'm doing pretty well.

 

[hornadylnl]

Support your Local Glasses Shop.

 

[melensdad]

Typically I take my OLD glasses and have the lenses dyed dark grey and turn them into prescription sun glasses. They charge me about $15 to do that. I get new frames every other year. So I end up with new prescription sun glasses every other year.

I'm also planning to look into COSTCO, SAMS and WAL MART. I'm a member of both COSTCO and SAMS clubs and both offer discount eyewear.

My insurance company pays a pretty good portion of my lenses (new lenses every year) plus pays for a good portion of my frames (new frames every-OTHER-year). But it still will cost me more than 2.5 pairs of mail order glasses for 1 pair of designer frame glasses from my favorite eye care provider. I was at their shop last month when my daughter had an appointment, while I was in there I picked out a frame that I liked, just the frames were well over $300.00. Lenses usually run me about $130. If my insurance company pays 50% for the glasses, and they cost me $430, my out of pocket cost is $230. I could use a mail order outlet, get the first pair at 50% (with the other 50% paid by the insurance) and then get 2 more pairs, for a total of 3 pairs for the same price as 1 pair from my local shop.

Support your Local Glasses Shop.

Why? I have been for 30 years. Pretty loyal customer. But at the prices they charge, and since I know they have an indoor pool in their home at the country club, I'm not sure why it benefits me to support them by buying over priced frames from them.

 

[pudly]

Anyone try any of the mail order glasses companies?

My first eyeglass purchase was at EyeGlass World and it was a horrible experience. I've had good luck with Zenni Optical and have been using them for the last five years. The main thing different is to ask your optometrist to measure your pupilary distance (distince between the center of your pupils in millimeters). That measurement normally isn't on your prescription. I get progressive bifocals with all of the add-ons for under $100. You are correct, that it is easy to get additional pairs if desired for whatever reason.

 

[chezuki]

 

[hornadylnl]

Typically I take my OLD glasses and have the lenses dyed dark grey and turn them into prescription sun glasses. They charge me about $15 to do that. I get new frames every other year. So I end up with new prescription sun glasses every other year.

I'm also planning to look into COSTCO, SAMS and WAL MART. I'm a member of both COSTCO and SAMS clubs and both offer discount eyewear.

My insurance company pays a pretty good portion of my lenses (new lenses every year) plus pays for a good portion of my frames (new frames every-OTHER-year). But it still will cost me more than 2.5 pairs of mail order glasses for 1 pair of designer frame glasses from my favorite eye care provider. I was at their shop last month when my daughter had an appointment, while I was in there I picked out a frame that I liked, just the frames were well over $300.00. Lenses usually run me about $130. If my insurance company pays 50% for the glasses, and they cost me $430, my out of pocket cost is $230. I could use a mail order outlet, get the first pair at 50% (with the other 50% paid by the insurance) and then get 2 more pairs, for a total of 3 pairs for the same price as 1 pair from my local shop.




Why? I have been for 30 years. Pretty loyal customer. But at the prices they charge, and since I know they have an indoor pool in their home at the country club, I'm not sure why it benefits me to support them by buying over priced frames from them.

You owe your Local Glasses Shop the same loyalty as your Local Gun Shop or any other local business. None. It's your money, get the best value for you. Sometimes I buy local, sometimes I don't. I'm going to be buying an Epson projector. I can ebay one for $1000 or get it at Best Buy for $1100 plus tax. I may pay nearly $200 more for the same item for customer service. If something is wrong, I should have a better chance to get it remedied at a brick and mortar store. If Best Buy thinks they owe me nothing for the Extra $200 (yes, I realize Best Buy doesn't get the tax but it's still money out of my pocket none the less), I'll buy it off ebay.

 

[mrjarrell]

My wife has used Zenni Optical before and she was very happy with the results. Great price, good frames and good lenses.
Eyeglasses Online - Buy Prescription Glasses & Eyeglass Frames | Zenni Optical

The last time I changed mine I got them at Walmart for a very good price on the frames and lenses. I'll likely go elsewhere this next time, as I haven't seen any frames I like there. Might even go with Zenni, if they have a frame I like.

 

[Lebowski]

I'm about to go through this ordeal myself. I'm going to Wal-Mart to get my new prescription, and I am ordering the glasses online.

Check out https://www.warbyparker.com/ if you want some designer frames without the designer cost. They do RX sun glasses as well. Otherwise, check out Eyeglasses Online - Buy Prescription Glasses & Eyeglass Frames | Zenni Optical for cheaper stuff as well.

If I am paying $500 for a pair of glasses, I better get a happy ending from a sexy optometrist lady. These $20 Wal-Mart frames and $60 lenses (I did get mid-range lenses at the time instead of the cheap cheap) have lasted me a good 4 years now. Glasses are still in good shape, but my eyes are getting progressively worse.

I'll be getting a pair of RX Sunglasses and RX regular glasses soon. I may do a thread on my experience as I may order them from two different online retailers. Also looking for RX computer glasses, since I stare at screens all day which is likely the cause of my decreasing vision.

Good luck in your quest. Update us.

 

[rw02kr43]

I used coastal.com when they were having their FIRSTPAIRFREE promotion. I sent them my prescription and chose a set of frames and options. I also got some clip on sunglasses. Total was $30 something. I've had them for 2 years and they are great.

Jason

 

[melensdad]

I'm about to go through this ordeal myself. I'm going to Wal-Mart to get my new prescription, and I am ordering the glasses online.

Check out https://www.warbyparker.com/ if you want some designer frames without the designer cost. They do RX sun glasses as well. Otherwise, check out Eyeglasses Online - Buy Prescription Glasses & Eyeglass Frames | Zenni Optical for cheaper stuff as well...

I looked at the Warby Parker website before I posted this thread. I picked out a frame, checked the price. $95 with standard lens. But I need progressive lenses and they charge and extra $200 for that. So the mail order Warby Parkers ended up costing $295, which is not a bargain. I didn't think they offered anything substantially different than the Zenni or the EyeBuyDirect websites, all have reasonably similar items. The big downside to the Zenni website is that it is more difficult to navigate, filter, etc.

Warby Parker had a nicely laid out website, easy to see the frames, but I didn't think the prices were any better than buying from my local optometrist shop when looking for a NO-name frame.

IF I end up getting new glasses then I'll probably buy from EyeBuyDirect.com just because I found a few frames there that looked good and they had a MUCH better price on progressive lenses than WarbyParker.com.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Just be sure that when you get your Rx from your eye doc that it's "complete".

You'll need pupil distances included in the Rx - not just the power numbers.

it's indeed more and more common for folks to want their Rx for shopping like this, but still need to be careful that you get the whole she-bang.

-J-

 

[melensdad]

Mail order 'no-name' frames, with the transition type lenses, progressive focus, etc. List price without insurance, $151

Optometrist's really expensive PRADA frames, with transition lenses, tri-focals (my preferred option), etc, after insurance $208

So here is what I figured out, I could probably get the mail order stuff, with insurance, for just barely under $100 because the insurance would have covered 100% of the mail order frame, and would have shaved off 20% of the progressive focus (they don't offer tri-focals, which insurance covers at 100%). So the end price would have been right under $100. BUT how do I know, when I order on-line, if they feel good on my face? If they are light or heavy on the bridge of my nose? If they pinch my nose? Or squeeze my head? I tried on 30 or 40 different frames (hell maybe 50) in the showroom, thought that I liked brown, found out that I look better in blue, grey, gunmetal . . . goes with the grey hair!!! So what I thought I liked didn't look good. And while I had 3 pairs that were nearly identical from 3 different fancy designers, they didn't feel anything close to the same on my face.

So I'm not sure if the mail order way is the right way, it might work really well for many people, but I chose to pay $208 instead of right about $100 and get a sure thing that I know fits, from a source that will fix them if the screws fall out, etc.

 

[squidvt]

I have used EyeBuyDirect.com for several years for my glasses. They have worked great for me!

 

[Leo]

One place where I worked mandated that prescription safety glasses be ordered out of a book. You were to fax in your prescription and you got them in a couple weeks. Their frame design set the lenses too close to my eyes and my eye lashes hit the lenses. They told me to have my wife cut my eye lashes off. The focal centers of the lenses were not proper for my face. The company had the "just deal with it and wear them" attitude. I went to a proper eyeglass place and bought optically and physically correct safety glass with my own money.

 

[melensdad]

I priced some glasses with my prescription. I wear multi-focal/progressive lenses.

Many of the places, like ZENNI, charge an absurd premium for those lenses, like over $200!

EyeBuyDirect charges $39 or $49 premium for the same lenses (depending upon the option you choose)

WarbyParker also charges a big premium for the same lenses.

So, from what I can tell, if you have single focus lenses then any of these types of places will probably get you glasses for about $100, maybe a reasonable amount less. But if you have multi-focal lenses then the EyeBuyDirect price will be about $130 to $155 depending upon the frames but the other sources like ZENNI and Warby-Parker were running between $285 and $350 depending on the frames chosen. I found a few places that were over $500.

Just because I wanted a knock around pair for fencing practice, I ordered a pair from EyeBuyDirect, chose one of the most expensive frames they offered, with real wood sides, they were $49 for the frames. Total price was $151, including impact resistant, light changing (auto darkening) lenses with anti-reflective/anti-scratch coating.

 

[MAJB Retired]

I pay $322.14 a year for my insurance plane for me and my wife. My insurance plan covers the entire cost of an exam, lenses and frames less a $20 co-pay. I saw the costs added up, and it was over $700 that the independent office charged for the lenses and frames. So, it costs be about $180 a year for an exam and glasses (trifocal, scratch resistance coating, ultra-lightweight, and transition lenses). Some of my kids get theirs on line for pretty cheap, not sure of the site.

 

[Lectric102002]

I use LensCrafters for my glasses which have been changing every 3-4 years. Just got progressive lenses, scratch-resistant, Transitions with Armani frames for $423.00. They had a 1/2 off coupon which beat my insurance.

 

[Icemancometh]

I have bought glasses online many years ago. Dont recall the name of the company but they were based in Hidalgo, Texas, IIRC. I had good results. My wife just got her replacement glasses from Walmart. A pair of regular glasses and a pair of sunglasses. Regulars were fine, sunglasses were kinda hinky. Walmart gladly offered to remake them or refund her money. She chose the refund.