Ordering glasses online -- opinions?

**bigtymer** · 08-05-2006, 09:28 PM

Hi optiboard, I am looking for a new pair of glasses and I was looking at the Sillouhette line in a few local shops, since some family and friends all swear by them. The cheapest price near me for one set of frames and lenses was $349. I've dealt with this shop before so I know they are good, but that is still much more than I've ever spent on glasses. It really kills me to spend that much for something that is probably relatively inexpensive to produce and likely has a fairly high markup.

So I decided to look around on Google for some Silouhette clones that may carry the look/feel but not the hefty price tag. I found a couple of sites that are selling rimless titanium glasses that are extremely similar (identical?) to the Sillouhette frame and have even MORE lens shape options and many more colors of frame available. In my case, I want a matte black color frame but the local shop only has a glossy black available.

One site I am looking at is based in Hong Kong and charges $84 for a single frame with the lens. That's quite a drop in price from $349, and if I order two pairs of frames from this site the price goes down to $65 a pair. I am not a bifocals wearer, just Single Vision.

The business seems legitimate, website w/ recent updates, there are testimonials, and I did some digging and found out that they used to sell on eBay with over 700 positive feedback. There are other sites with comparable prices for similar (identical?) products. So I fully believe that I would get the frames, my question is simply what are the drawbacks to getting the glasses online as opposed to my local eyeglass shop?

I have considered that they may not be quite as durable, but I'd be able to get two pairs for much less than HALF of the cost of one Sillouhette pair, so if I sacrifice a bit of durability, it would still leave me with a backup pair and money for more glasses if need be.

My only major concern is that since I am not getting fitted at an eyeglass shop that the focal point could be incorrect for my face and over time, wearing the frames could slowly make my vision worse.

My dad brought this up when he mentioned to me that when he got his glasses they measured his face, but on the other side of the coin, the last pair of glasses I bought from the local eyeglass shop (RX sunglasses), I didn't have anything of the sort done and they seem to work just fine.

I have a slightly bigger than average head so picking out a pair of hinged glasses that fit my head in the shop was a bit of a challenge, but since the glasses I am looking at online are hingless and extremely flexible, I am guessing they should fit just about anyone's head.

So I'm looking for your opinions, could wearing discount frames bought online lead to poorer vision if they aren't quite perfect for my face? Do I really need to be "fitted" for the glasses or is something like this kind of a universal fit? It seems like there are lots of places offering eyeglasses online, is this really a bad idea or something that might just be feasible?

But even if there is a problem with the glasses fitting me incorrectly, couldn't I take them to a local shop and get them adjusted for a small fee?

Thanks for your valuable input!

**chip anderson** · 08-05-2006, 09:46 PM

Everyone on Optiboards has made their opinions of on line purchases of eyewear quite clear. No need to subject yourself to such ridicule and criticism, find another group to pester with such foolishness.

**LENNY** · 08-05-2006, 10:11 PM

I love you Chip!

**striker22** · 08-05-2006, 10:44 PM

Oh, looks like you incurred the wrath of the board big tyme. I like you too Chip. Good work on the ball.

Bigtymer, like I said in another post, we do not have much tolerance for online retailers and people who support them. To us, these retailers do the same job as sweeping their floors at home and dumping the dirt in front of our houses... and no, we don't appreciate helping them to clear the mess. Also, please do not assume that every shop will adjust your pair for free or a small fee. We are professionals with qualifications and should be treated as such. To me bringing in a pair of poorly fitted glasses not bought from the shop makes as much sense as bringing a piece of burnt chicken from KFC and then complaining about it and asking for a resolution at Wendy's.

Before I start sounding to sound like an advocate for some sort of protectionist policy, I have to say that I've known countless customers who bought online only to come back to me only to gladly. Some people may be able to tolerate inaccuracies in RX and axis fitted by our online counterparts and come to accept them as normal but once they get a new pair that's perfect a few years down the line, they're screwed because they got so used to their maladjusted pair, they cannot go back to wearing normal pairs anytime soon. Also, you don't really know what lenses specifically you're getting. Online shops are notorious in terms of answering your queries vaguely or ignoring it at all especially after the sale.

If the shop doesn't have the one you want, by all means get the frame elsewhere but go back to the usual place for the RX lens. (You've already said they were good). I'm sure they are more than happy to help fit your lenses and talk to you in depth on the lens choices.

**Cindy K** · 08-05-2006, 11:37 PM

If price is your only concern, go ahead and buy wherever and whatever your 'lil heart desires. You'll find that the vast majority of Optiboard members are Opticians, and you'll find that us Opticians do not hold online eyeglass purchasing in high regard. You could compare asking us this question to asking a highly skilled, licensed automotive technician if you should take your car to Mr. JoeBackYardUnlicensedMonkeyWrencher. Whaddaya think they're gonna say to you?

**RGC_man** · 08-06-2006, 01:12 PM

Don't worry about the only eyes you will ever have. Save some money via the Internet.

I know a man in India who will buy one of your kidneys. After all you will probably not need both, and think of the money.

**Chris Ryser** · 08-06-2006, 01:32 PM

Go buy online.................and you will get everything you deserve :D :D

**apaul** · 08-06-2006, 05:37 PM

I have yet too see a rimless frame that is as good as quality as sillouette
I saw a guy the other day he had bought a silhouette frame real cheap from Singapore only for me to tell him it was a copy!
It was awful!!
Why is it people hate to spend money on something that is so important!!
I wear hearing aids that cost over £2000 (about $5000)

Fed up!

Alan

ps sorry!

**Jacqui** · 08-06-2006, 07:56 PM

Ditto what everyone else has said.

**snowmonster** · 08-06-2006, 08:07 PM

You'll probably find out how nice your Silhouette copycat glasses are when an automobile's air bag goes off in your face.

Hopefully, the lab will at least use a good lens material.

-Steve

**CuriousCat** · 08-07-2006, 08:15 AM

Well said Chip!

**LKahn** · 08-08-2006, 10:58 AM

Just an observation, This is do it yourself medicine. How do you get the glasses to fit correctly? I understand ordering an empy frame. I guess I am not the target market or for that matter a vendor of do it yourself.

Sounds like a great way to make money. Charging to fix these customers mistakes.

**chm2023** · 08-08-2006, 11:28 AM

Just curious: does anyone have any sense of how prevalent the buying of eyewear on-line is? My instinct says it's quite negligible, but would like to know what others think.

Thanks

**OptiJim** · 08-08-2006, 12:25 PM

Ummm.....Yeah.

I wonder when we will be able to buy dentures online. :hammer:

**JBee** · 08-08-2006, 01:39 PM

I am a consumer, not an advocate of on-line glasses or a purchaser of them myself..........BUT my sister decided to try one of these companies out and make an order. She decided to give it a try as a) she's been a successful full time contact wearer for a long time so the glasses would only be for occasional/back up use and b) she could afford to get another pair if they were really no good. She ordered on line because she's never been happy with any glasses she's got from an optician and didn't feel she would do much worse; the glasses she's had have always either been sliding down her nose all the time or caused discomfort from pressing against her temples despite having adjustments made. Her rx is around -6 with around -1 cyl. She ordered a 1.67 lens in a frame that was the same size of some sunglasses that fitted her well. She knew her PD from a previous visit to an optician.

The result? She's apparently got the only pair of glasses that she's ever hads that actually fit properly and are comfortable to wear. And apparently she sees just fine with them. I think she was just lucky and wouldn't do this myself (my rx is too high even if I wanted to). I think the moral of story is that there are some opticians out there that don't do a really good job fitting glasses. While ever this is true it's not too surprising people consider buying on-line.

**loncoa** · 08-08-2006, 02:45 PM

Even a stopped clock is right twice a day. I hope you can see her experience as the fluke that it is. If not, well...there's a Yiddish saying which goes, "Gai cocknif en yom." I guarantee you can get the answer to that online.