I would like to get some opinions on these 2 questions.
1. What's your feeling about ordering prescription glasses online?
2. There are several brands of 1.67 to 1.70 high index lenses available. What's your experience with any of them & the various AR coatings?
Thanks.
How do you feel about bootleg movies?
Being a filmmaker, I'm not a fan of bootleg movies b/c they hurt my industry & are usually of low quality.
I'm sorry, however, that I don't get your correlation between ordering glases online & bootleg movies being that bootleg movies can be downloaded for free while you still have to pay a good chunk of change for quality glasses online. Please elaborate.
His point was that he is one of many optical professionals, most believe they are the ones that are hurt by online sales without full service.I'm sorry, however, that I don't get your correlation between ordering glases online & bootleg movies being that bootleg movies can be downloaded for free while you still have to pay a good chunk of change for quality glasses online. Please elaborate.
I believe the service of an Optician is very valuable since and needs to be hands on. The only exception I could see is if you or someone else needed the same prescription fit into the same frame with a very low power single vision prescription. Other than this you could get yourself into trouble for a very small savings.
Why are you considering online ordering? vs going to see an eyecare professional. Is it just price? If so make sure you compare apples to apples, which for a professional is sometimes hard to do much less a non professional.
You will get what you deserve on line.
I'm not a fan. . .
of online glasses because they hurt my industry and are usually of low quality! :finger:
I recently had a couple of patients ask me about ordering online. I asked them who they were going to get to verify the rx and service their purchase.
When you go to an optician, you aren't only paying for the materials, you are paying for their knowledge and service.
Who will take your pupilary distance?
How about Optical Centers?
How about adjustments?
Maintenance on the frames?
Troubleshooting if you are having issues?
Guiding you through the material and coating maze?
Selecting the best frame for based upon your script and your facial features and coloring?
Have actual frames for you to try on?
What happens if they break?
Many of thes online places state that you can get someone to provide these services for free...but that isn't right and times are changing.
Do you provide consulative services free of charge? Do you think it is right to get tax advice from an accountant or legal advice from a lawyer without paying them for their knowldege base? Why should opticians provide their services and not get compensated?
Is it that much of a savings if you have to pay your optician for their time to solve the issues related to your purchase made elsewhere. Or you end up paying for something you did not need or could not use?
Cassandra
Last edited by Jubilee; 03-28-2006 at 06:55 AM.
"Some believe in destiny, and some believe in fate. But I believe that happiness is something we create."-Something More by Sugarland
Well said Cassandra.
Cassandra ~
That was beautifully said ... :cheers:
"I just love the smell of Optidirt in the morning.
Smells like------Victory." -- Uncle Fester :p
If you substitute the words bootleg movies with online spectacles you will understand why we on this board are hostile to online spectacles.Originally Posted by dwrecktor
how can you judge the quality of a frame by a photograph? how do you know you are getting quality Pentax,Nikon, Essilor, Seiko or Zeiss lenses, along with the warranty that goes with them.
I could open an optical business similiar to an online, i could have premises filled with frame catalogues and lens catalogues, you could hand your rx to a hole in the wall,then i would guess your PD,and return the finished article asking you to pop into your local optician to have them adjusted "free".
I would have no investment in stock or staff.
But like you i take my profession seriously, and have too much respect for my clients to offer them such an inferior service.
After some searching on the board, I can see this is a touchy subject. Sorry to have brought it up. FWIW, I will say this:
My consideration for buying online came about in this fashion. After visiting & calling several stores (big chain & small shops) I couldn't get the frames, lenses or a combination of both, that I wanted. I considered just buying the frames online & paying the store to install them. But this is the part that really gets me. Of the people I dealt with (half a dozen or so) some couldn't tell me the exact index rating on their lenses they're selling, some tried selling me polycarb knowing my prescription is -6.25, etc.
My point is this: having educated myself as much as possible from sites like this one, I found that the people selling me glasses didn't know (or didn't let me know) that they knew their stuff. To a customer like myself, that's important, even more important than, say, adjusting my frames. And thus I felt that w/ a proper RX, proper PD measurements, a reputable online site, & my credit card (buyer protection), I could safely get what I wanted. And even save a big chunk of change. Had I encountered more knowledgeable sales people, I probably wouldn't be writing this post. Surely the people I've encountered don't represent the majority of this industry, but nevertheless it happened.
Secondly, there seems to be a big difference in price between online & in-store that it's attractive to people on a budget. And I'm not talking about $40, $50, but $150 or more. For example:
A frame I'm wanting is $200 in-store. High index 1.60 SV lenses were $320-$380 (Seiko lenses, the salesperson assumed it was this brand). Now online, I can get the same frame for $135 shipped to my door or to the lab where I can get a set of Essilor Thin&Lite 1.67 Crizal Alize lenses for $220. $520 vs. $355. Obviously I'm not accounting for the expertise of an optician, but I'm just demonstrating what a customer sees.
As for online sites selling you junk, fakes, etc., that's just not completely true. There are bad sites and good sites, bad stores and good stores, bad opticians and good opticians. I've bought diamonds, electronic, books, you name it, online and haven't had any problems. I've return things w/ the same amount of ease. I'm sure many here buy online as well. And save some $$.
And lastly, about bootleg movies. If I could go online, clip a few buttons and in a few hours, a pair of specs showed up at my door free of charge, that would be the equivalent bootleg movies in the film industry. Now I definitely understand that certain changes in the industry affects my business just as online CL & eyewear affects yours. I mean, nowadays, any kid & and his grandma can make a movie w/ a $400 camera & MovieMaker, but that doesn't concern me...good for them. I'm concern w/ making the best film, or video, or podcast, or whatever I can and that will keep me in the industry, or not. The world changes everyday. Today, I'm producing reality shows (and don't get me started about reality tv). Tomorrow, hopefully I finish my script & chase my Hollywood dream, or maybe some young kid out of college will take my job :D.
Thanks for reading this long post. Good luck to you all.
Buh-bye...
Proud OptiBoarder since 1995!
This sounds a lot like "I can buy pistons and cylinders from so and so, and a fantastic exhaust system at reduced cost from somewhere else, and a mechanic down the road that owes me a beer will put it all together ... and I'll have a great engine."
It just doesn't work like that!
If you place more value on your eyes than you do on your $$$ you would find a good optician and let the professionals do the professional work. Find one and tell them what frame you want and what lenses you want and I'm sure you can come to a reasonable agreement :)
There are 10 kinds of people, those that understand binary, and those that don't!
[QUOTE=mirage2k2]This sounds a lot like "I can buy pistons and cylinders from so and so, and a fantastic exhaust system at reduced cost from somewhere else, and a mechanic down the road that owes me a beer will put it all together ... and I'll have a great engine."
It just doesn't work like that!
Actually, I have modified my car (when I was younger) as have my friends who is now a pro drag racer, and we use parts from different manufacturer, as well as parts not designed for our particular cars and had pretty fast cars w/ powerful engines.
But I get your point.
I'm sorry we showed so poorly. . .!!
You're not the first consumer that's come here because of bad experiences. Our business isn't what it used to be, but there is an Optician in your area, that will talk to you in person about lens materials and designs. I punched up optical retail in your area and got 117 hits. The sheer numbers tell me that they're there.
Will you have to look for them?? Yeah, but don't you have to search for everything that's quality service?? Would you let some hack shoot your dream script or would you look for a qualified person? Would you let some butcher cut your hair or would you look for someone you trusted? Believe me, a bad haircut is nothing compared to a bad pair of glasses.
You want to buy your frame online, fine. Since most of us present lenses first and frames second, you must have settled on a lens material. Keeping that in mind, do you know what frame dimensions will best compliment that lens material? If your answer is yes, then if your movie career doesn't work out I'm always looking for a dispenser. If your answer is no then please seek the help of a qualified professional.
Now, are they going to be as cheap as the online company?? I doubt it. What happens if your frame should break? My customer I pull another one off the board, I order a replacement on a rush or I call my rep and get the one out of their bag. 48 to 72 hours max. You send your frame back to your online retailer, you might have your glasses in 7 to 10 working days if you're living right. If not it could be 4 to 6 weeks. At -6.25 I don't think you want to be risking that. Did you give the Optician the opportunity to price match on the frame? If I read your numbers right there's about $175.00 difference, $75.00 of which is in the frame.
I know there are people that'll buy ill fitting shoes just because they're cheap, but you don't strike me as one of those people. If you're like most consumers you change your glasses every 2 years. You spend more time in your glasses than anything else you wear. So that $175.00 works out to be about $7.30 a month for 2 years. You're telling me, that $7.30 a month is not worth the peace of mind, knowing that if something happens to your glasses you're going to be taken care of quickly and in a professional manner?
If that's the case, then God bless you. You and I both know you spend more than $7.30 on a meal, so I'm having a hard time seeing your point.
The $175 difference is a great deal of money. Will a good optical retailer match the online price? I doubt it very much. Will they bend some? probably. If can to me and I was the retail optical store and you said I can get them online for $175 less, I would ask you to prove this point via a print out from an e-mail or web site. I would then ask you what would you be willing to pay for the same product that you know is first quality. Let's assume you say you reply with $400.00. I can then point out to you that by ordering the frame from the online frame seller and shipping it to the lab, that there is not edging charge in this paper work. The price quoted here includes edging which could be $25 to $35. I could also tell you that I will adjust the frames to fit you face when they arrive. I will check the pantoscopic angle of the frame, (which I doubt the online retailer mentions). I will verify the prescription to confirm it is what is prescibed for you. If you have any problems, such as the prescription not being inserted into the frame properly, I will have the lab remake the job for you. If you go the online store and the lenses are not put in the frame correctly then you will suffer with less than optimal vision from your $355.00 purchase. All of the above will only cost you an another $50.00 now and if you need a follow up adjustment we will charge you extra for each of those. This way you can save some money and pay as you go with after service.
Or you could just accept the fact that good quality products combined with good quality service will cost you good money. You can save the dollars online, but with a medical device such as prescription eyewear, you will potentially give up something that you may never know you did not get and that is better vision. I would sum this up in this manner. For a savings of maybe $175.00, (we don't know what charges will come up at online checkout do we?), So for a 30% discount you maybe giving up about 30% of the performance of your new glasses. Its your call but why take the risk. I hope you don't need bypass surgery soon, will you look for a heat surgon who has been fired for too many deaths and is offering the bypass surgery for 30% less than the going rate by a top notch Doctor. I am sure you see this senerio in a much different way than the glasses, or if you ordered online maybe you can't see the difference in any of this.
First of all 320-380.0 for 1.60 sv lenses????? Did I read that right? Or are we talking progressive lenses?
Wait, I looked back, that is right. With or without ar on it?
I'm sorry that your experience shopping in Dallas has been terrible. I do find it unusual that you didn't find anyone in a private office or smaller shop who couldn't help you. There are great opticians in Texas and Dallas and I'm sure that they would gladly speak up if you ask:bbg:
christina
Consumers are allowed to post on the Board, as long as the posts concern general eyecare related topics. However please be aware that any questions that involve diagnosing specific eyecare and eyewear problems are not appropriate for an online discussion forum. These kinds of questions should be discussed with a qualified eyecare professional who has examined you and is familiar with your situation. Posts asking for diagnostic help will be closed or removed.
There are many fine ECPs in the DFW area who should be happy to provide you with advice and fair prices. Looking for prices here is quite subjective. We're from all over the world and our expenses(rent, utilities, wages, advertising,etc.) differ dramatically. Sort of like living in Dallas and trying to market a screenplay in LA. LA's an expensive place to live, Dallas is probably a good bit less.
Proud OptiBoarder since 1995!
dwrector: I'd give you my honest and sincere opinion on this but Steve and others wouldn't allow it. The FTC probably wouldn't allow it and concidering what they allow on various E. Mails sites and solicitations you can guess what my honest and sincere opinion would be.
Chip
If you go to my original post, you will see that I only ask 2 questions about eyecare, neither of which has anything to do w/ diagnosis or price. Obviously question 1 has been well answered while question 2 has been overshadowed by all the emotions caused by question 1.
As I have stated earlier, I'm sorry to have brought up such a touchy subject around here. To all those whose responded w/ valid points, I thank you & will make my decision w/ those points in mind.
You should continue to shop for a local ECP. I have had many people call my practice looking for a specific brand and or style of frame. Then once, they get to the practice, they find something they like even better than what they were asking for.
I hope you aren't rulling out great opticians just because they don't have the one style you like in. They might have something even better!
Shop for lenses first, and make sure they know their stuff. I get a bit leary when I read the "think they are Seiko" because when I order, I can specify not only the material, but the manufacturer/style to make it what I believe will be best for you.
Cassandra
"Some believe in destiny, and some believe in fate. But I believe that happiness is something we create."-Something More by Sugarland
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