I'm Ordering Some PALS On Line

**rbaker** · 01-02-2009, 09:52 PM

I am getting a refraction in a few days and have decided to order three pairs of PAL's from on line vendors. I will supply PD's and Seg. Hgts. I will fill you all in on the results. It should be an interesting experiment as my RX is in the neighborhood of:

OD +2.75 -3.25 X 85
OS +3.25 -3.00 X 72

ADD +3.25

I will crap my skivvies if the eyewear meets first quality standards but I have never seen anyone on Optiboard actually put these on-line peoples feet to the fire. I will also be happy to sent the eyewear to any of you to evaluate yourselves as I don't wear PALS and will make up my last pair of glass Panoptic Trifocals

**For-Life** · 01-02-2009, 10:35 PM

seg height? What is a seg height? I say that, because those sites do not ask for it.

**rbaker** · 01-02-2009, 11:54 PM

I will provide them with whatever they request.

**Chris Ryser** · 01-03-2009, 02:52 AM

Originally Posted by rbaker

I will also be happy to sent the eyewear to any of you to evaluate yourselves as I don't wear PALS and will make up my last pair of glass Panoptic Trifocals

Fantastic ............................best idea of the year, three days into it.

**HarryChiling** · 01-03-2009, 08:01 AM

Originally Posted by rbaker

I will provide them with whatever they request.

Will you have a layman take the measures for a more accurate scenario?

**icare** · 01-03-2009, 11:51 AM

How about we set up a website and get the collective expertise of licensed opticians to continuously review on-line provider order quality? We post the results on an ongoing basis and get the domain name way out front so that consumers will invariably be directed toward the site before purchase.

We can add consumer awareness information for buyers whose quest for cheap solutions might cause them to accept substandard eyewear.

I'm not sure if permitting consumers to post their own reviews is sensible because the vendors themselves will always impact the results.

Ad funding will pay the fees.

We can call it:
www.OnlineEyeGlassesReviews.com
or
www.FramesDirectReviews.com

**AdmiralKnight** · 01-03-2009, 12:03 PM

Double edged sword. What standards do we use? There's bound to be situations where the online places do a "decent" job. -1.00 ou with a 60 pd is kinda hard to make wrong. If you're going to do a review site, it will have to be honest, and at some point, there will be a good review. I don't think any ECP should even remotely reccomend online eyewear, and with a site like that, eventually you'll have to.

**icare** · 01-03-2009, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by AdmiralKnight

Double edged sword. What standards do we use? There's bound to be situations where the online places do a "decent" job. -1.00 ou with a 60 pd is kinda hard to make wrong. If you're going to do a review site, it will have to be honest, and at some point, there will be a good review. I don't think any ECP should even remotely reccomend online eyewear, and with a site like that, eventually you'll have to.

Your reply is thoughtful with good points. Best to let that idea rest...

**HarryChiling** · 01-03-2009, 01:39 PM

Originally Posted by icare

Your reply is thoughtful with good points. Best to let that idea rest...

But the idea is not all bad a PR campaign against online vendors would be a good thing and a thorough breakdown of what entails a professional ECP would benefit all professions as well as consumers.

**For-Life** · 01-03-2009, 02:34 PM

WOW

I just went to frames direct and priced out a pair of Prada's, GT2, 1.67, Teflon, with transitions. It came to $605.

These guys are charging not much less than us, and you will not even be able to see out of them (because there is no seg height). The funny thing is it asked if I wanted Varilux Ellipse for smaller frames. How would I know what a smaller frame is? If it does not ask for a seg height, then how do I know the tolerance?

**rbaker** · 01-03-2009, 02:34 PM

Originally Posted by icare

How about we set up a website and get the collective expertise of licensed opticians to continuously review on-line provider order quality? We post the results on an ongoing basis and get the domain name way out front so that consumers will invariably be directed toward the site before purchase.

We can add consumer awareness information for buyers whose quest for cheap solutions might cause them to accept substandard eyewear.

I'm not sure if permitting consumers to post their own reviews is sensible because the vendors themselves will always impact the results.

Ad funding will pay the fees.

We can call it:
www.OnlineEyeGlassesReviews.com
or
www.FramesDirectReviews.com

Since all of you practicing opticians have a dog in the fight I'm afraid that your reviews and opinions would be somewhat slanted. Since I am retired from the eyecare business, on-line eyewear does not effect me in any personal way. I just want to determine for myself the quality of the on-line merchant.

I will order the stuff, check it out and let the chips fall where they may.

**For-Life** · 01-03-2009, 03:52 PM

Originally Posted by rbaker

Since all of you practicing opticians have a dog in the fight I'm afraid that your reviews and opinions would be somewhat slanted. Since I am retired from the eyecare business, on-line eyewear does not effect me in any personal way. I just want to determine for myself the quality of the on-line merchant.

I will order the stuff, check it out and let the chips fall where they may.

Agree, but even so, some people will use your former career against me. I want to speak out, but considering that my family is still in the business, it is a pure conflict of interest.

**hcjilson** · 01-03-2009, 09:25 PM

To put it in another context, Who here has ever seen a pair of spectacles purposely made wrong? I've been doing this for 49 1/2 years and I've never seen a pair of glasses made wrong on purpose. (Not to say I haven't seen them made wrong, but made wrong on purpose) Of course any provider will do the best job they can.This by definition will almost guarantee a positive review.

**For-Life** · 01-03-2009, 09:30 PM

Originally Posted by hcjilson

To put it in another context, Who here has ever seen a pair of spectacles purposely made wrong? I've been doing this for 49 1/2 years and I've never seen a pair of glasses made wrong on purpose. (Not to say I haven't seen them made wrong, but made wrong on purpose) Of course any provider will do the best job they can.This by definition will almost guarantee a positive review.

Harry, there is a problem here. These guys guarantee that they will make the glasses exactly to the requirements set forth to them.

Well who cannot? I am sure if I went to you and said make me up a pair of Varilux Panamics, Transitions, Avance, 1.5, -1.00 OU with a +2.00 Add, PD 60, you would have no trouble. It would come out identical. These guys can do the same.

The problem lies in if the PD is accurate AND, with the absense of a seg height, it will just not work.

I mean how many of us have made up a perfect set of glasses to the requirements, but the refraction was incorrect? Not our fault. We made them to specifications. Still does not make the glasses any bit of use.