What is Costco's warranty or guarantee on glasses?

[plum]

After reading some posts on this board about Costco, I called a local Costco optical department today and asked their policy on returns. She was kind of vague and said they try very hard not to refund. For 30 days they will work with you and try to make things right.

So will they refund or not? If you are just unhappy within the 30 days?

I was reading some good things on this board about Essilor Ovation lenses for progressive glasses. I wondered if it was worth trying them from Costco. Do they make them fairly quickly, or do you have to wait weeks? A 30 day guarantee isn't much good if it takes 2 weeks to get the glasses. I asked this because I think somebody mentioned waiting 3 weeks.

Are the Ovations from Costco the very same ones you get at Lenscrafters?

[Audiyoda]

This is a sticky issue at Costco clubs. Costco's policy is to retain the customer - they offer a very liberal return policy on everything in the store - even produce. I've heard of people returning big screen TV's 5 years after purchase and walking out with a new (and much better) unit.

But their optical dept runs a bit differently if make your return there. 30 days from the date of pick up for a remake if you're not happy, but no returns.

In my opinion, eyeglasses are unique medical devices are should not be applicable to a 'refund' - remake into something else is another thing, but an all out return is a lose-lose. When I was in school I worked for LensCrafters and couldn't believe the return mentality some people had - I recall one lady that was going out on the town and she told us she'd be returning her glasses the next day. She only needed them that night to look good for her friends.

And yes, the Ovation they use is the same Ovation any of us (including LensCrafter) can get.

[plum]

Thank you. I very much appreciate the information.

I called the local Costco and she said it takes about a week and a half for glasses. Someone on this board mentioned he waited 3 weeks. If you get a pair and it isn't correct, and they re-make them, does your 30 day guarantee start on the day you pick up the re-makes?

I was also curious about where the lenses are actually made. Since they take a week and a half, I'm assuming they don't make them on the premises? Are they ordered from a central location and then the local opticians cut the lenses and put them in your frames?

If the Ovation lenses are the same from Lenscrafters and Costco, is there any reason why I shouldn't just get them at Costco? Assuming I liked the frames there? And as long as the person fitting you is a board certified optician? It seems like the price is about $150 less (or more).

[LENNY]

Ever heard of private optical stores?
99.9% of my patients are happy from the first try!

[akeroptical]

THANK YOU LENNY!

Listening to a customer shop based on the stores redo policy is absurd.

:drop:

[plum]

reason

There is an optician next to my eye doctor. I think he rents space from the eye doctor. When I was waiting for my husband to get his eye exam, I wandered into the optician's room. I told him that both my husband and I were going to be buying glasses. He was not very pleasant nor helpful. He got a personal phone call (that didn't sound very important) and he proceeded to spend most of my visit chatting with his friend. I asked about transition lenses and he said he'd put a pair outside so I could see how dark they get. I waited and then a little later asked about them. He forgot. He went out and got them and showed me. Here was a customer for two pair of progressive lenses and he barely gave me the time of day.

He is the only private optician I have had contact with and I was extremely unimpressed. I would never go there. If I purchased glasses there and there was a problem, I don't think he'd be very helpful. That's why I thought if I went to a large store or chain, at least if there was a problem, they'd do something about it.

[LENNY]

People are so brainwashed by large corporations!

[For-Life]

There is an optician next to my eye doctor. I think he rents space from the eye doctor. When I was waiting for my husband to get his eye exam, I wandered into the optician's room. I told him that both my husband and I were going to be buying glasses. He was not very pleasant nor helpful. He got a personal phone call (that didn't sound very important) and he proceeded to spend most of my visit chatting with his friend. I asked about transition lenses and he said he'd put a pair outside so I could see how dark they get. I waited and then a little later asked about them. He forgot. He went out and got them and showed me. Here was a customer for two pair of progressive lenses and he barely gave me the time of day.

He is the only private optician I have had contact with and I was extremely unimpressed. I would never go there. If I purchased glasses there and there was a problem, I don't think he'd be very helpful. That's why I thought if I went to a large store or chain, at least if there was a problem, they'd do something about it.

No offence, but you had one bad experience with a private optician and now it seems like you have given up on private opticians. But then when you have had a bad experience with a corporation you look at other corporations?

[Johns]

No offence, but you had one bad experience with a private optician and now it seems like you have given up on private opticians. But then when you have had a bad experience with a corporation you look at other corporations?

Let them go...

Why bother with someone when there are so many others out there ?

It's not worth the breath it takes to argue with them.

[markssunwear]

Money........

I worked for costco for ten years in the lab in 1989 when I started we were
doing 300-400 jobs daily, when I left there in 1999 we were at 3000-3500
daily.YES I did not put a extra 0 on the end.A good friend of mine is still there and thats the numbers they do daily.I was runing 4 HORIZON edgers
all day long,non stop,now all surface/finish is robotic,all they need is mounter's. world wide they have 400-500 store's just think 10 jobs per store and you can imagine what kind of MONEY there makeing.
KIRKLAND frames.own lenes,ect.Take the average cost RETAIL of each pair
of glasses and see what # you come up with..

Thank you. I very much appreciate the information.

I called the local Costco and she said it takes about a week and a half for glasses. Someone on this board mentioned he waited 3 weeks. If you get a pair and it isn't correct, and they re-make them, does your 30 day guarantee start on the day you pick up the re-makes?

I was also curious about where the lenses are actually made. Since they take a week and a half, I'm assuming they don't make them on the premises? Are they ordered from a central location and then the local opticians cut the lenses and put them in your frames?

If the Ovation lenses are the same from Lenscrafters and Costco, is there any reason why I shouldn't just get them at Costco? Assuming I liked the frames there? And as long as the person fitting you is a board certified optician? It seems like the price is about $150 less (or more).

[plum]

??

markssunwear, That is interesting. But I'm not sure how to interpret the information. Yes, it looks like they are making bundles of money. Is that bad? Are you saying that they do so much business the quality suffers? Or that they do such a volume business that they can afford to price much lower?

[snowmonster]

Plum - here's the problem. The perception that the general public has is that large companies (like Lens Crafters, Costco, etc) has the latest and greatest stuff and that they are more advanced than your independent opticians, as well as OD and MD offices.

The reality is that because they are a large corporation:

• There is absolutely zero variety amongst the stores
• They are all limited to 1 or 2 brands of progressive lenses because of contractual obligations and pricing. I think Lens Crafters only offers the Ovation and no other progressive. Also, I don't believe you can get anything over a 1.67 index, meaning you can't benefit from the 1.70 or 1.74 (very thin) lenses there.
• They don't offer the latest progressives that allow you to have a shorter frame (from top to bottom)
• They will likely take longer to do your job, depending on how slow their central lab is

These stores work for the masses, but if you need something a little out of the norm, you can't get it there.

Did you even actually buy glasses from Costco or are you just thinking that you're going to have a problem?

-Steve

[plum]

Steve,

Thanks for the reply. No, I didn't buy glasses there. I have a friend who did, and he loves his. His wife didn't buy there because she didn't like the choice of frames. She bought at Lenscrafters.

She went eyeglass shopping with me and we went to four different eyeglass places in the mall and ended up finding nice frames at LC. I purchased some Varilux panamics there. I told them I'd heard Varilux was better than their "store brand" (which I have now found out is Ovation), so she sold me Panamics. At the time I didn't know that Varilux had different lenses. In fact, I knew nothing. Turns out that Panamic is the only Varilux they sell.

In these glasses, I have a reading width of 2.5". Very, very narrow. Nobody else I've talked to has this narrow of a reading width in their progressives (any brand). I found out that Panamics do tend to have one of the narrowest reading areas, and the person suggested the old Varilux Comfort. I'm sort of "stuck" with LC for the moment. They don't have Varilux comfort. They said the PD is off on these glasses they made and they are remaking them. If they turn out exactly the same, my other choice would be the Ovations from LC. I figured if I was getting Ovations, I might as well get them from Costco.

I spend a lot of time on the computer and reading, and I can do neither with these current glasses. On the computer screen, I have a tiny round area I can see. When I read a book, I have to turn my head to three places just to read across a 5" page.

I've learned a lot about different lenses this past week, so I'm just trying to figure out my options if these don't work out. And Costco is an option.

I don't mind paying extra to go to an independent optician. But the experience I had with that one I talked with was not good. I'm sure there are great opticians and crummy ones. I wouldn't know how to tell the difference. And it seemed like he had a very small assortment of frames to choose from.

[snowmonster]

So you're not aware that the Ovation is made by Essilor, which is the parent company of Varilux, huh?

If you have a short frame (top to bottom), you would likely get more reading area from a totally different brand of lens.

-Steve

[plum]

Steve,

Yes, I think I had figured out the same company made them. I figured maybe Ovation was the "bargain Lens" of the Essilor family. But it sounds like many people love them.

Is there a brand that gives you a good reading area without sacrificing much in the mid and distance range?