Some more about On Line Opticals.....................................

**Chris Ryser** · 10-11-2010, 12:36 AM

Wow -- the Eyewear Industry Is an Incredible Ripoff, But There Are Alternatives

What makes glasses so expensive? Oblong plastic lenses? Plastic and metal frames? We're getting screwed.
August 31, 2010 |

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Those of us who need prescription eyewear need prescription eyewear. Are you wearing yours to read this? Imagine if you weren't. Imagine life without your glasses for a year, a week, an hour. Yet many health insurance plans, especially for the unemployed or self-employed, don't cover them.

Mine doesn't.

Last year, I went shopping for no-line progressive bifocals in small oval metal frames. Name brands mean nothing to me. Price does. My high astigmatism and need for bifocals disqualify me from those buy-one-get-one-free deals, which almost always involve only single-vision specs.

In store after store, megachains and optical boutiques alike, small oval metal frames fitted with lenses matching my prescription started at $300. One popular shop quoted me $582 for the lenses alone.

I bought a pair of no-line progressive bifocals in small oval metal frames for $44 online. I'm wearing them right now.

Perhaps because prescription glasses are where medicine meets fashion, they're among the world's most overpriced merchandise. Imperfect eyesight isn't your fault: You can't make yourself nearsighted by eating too much fudge. Yet if your health plan excludes vision care, you've spent years at the mercy of a $64 billion industry characterized by 500-percent markups.

This has begun to change over the last few years. A knowledge-is-power, power-to-the-people, Web-driven DIY wave is rocking the optical industry's very foundations. Dozens of companies now sell prescription glasses online, frames and lenses included, for as little as $7.95.

It works like this: Google "cheap glasses" to find a frame you like at a price you like at a site you like. (Among the most popular are 39DollarGlasses, ZenniOptical — where I bought mine — and Goggles4U.) Use the virtual fitting mechanism to "try it on." Type in your prescription (obtained from an actual eye doctor), pupillary distance (aka PD, derived by measuring the space between your pupils with a ruler), address and payment information. Send.

It's a virtual myopian/hyperopian/presbyopian Tea Party, led largely by Minnesota software engineer Ira Mitchell, who launched his revolutionary GlassyEyes blog (its motto is "Saving the World from Overpriced Glasses!") in 2006. Packed with forums, product reviews, discount deals, and tips for buying specs online, it's the vision-impaired version of Yelp.

Continue Reading: http://www.alternet.org/story/148024...es?page=entire

**Barry Santini** · 10-11-2010, 06:56 AM

Barry's Law:
The overall satisfaction with Rx eyewear is inversely related to the price paid.

Yeah Vision Council. Keep working on education about "understanding your face shape."

While ignoring the growing din revealing the public's lack understanding of hierarchy in eyewear quality.

They understand this cars, cameras and other consumer goods. But not Rx eyewear.

"Glasses are glasses."

Right?

B

**Mizikal** · 10-11-2010, 08:26 AM

$582 is a lot of money to spend on anything. However can you think of anything you will buy that you will use more? Get up in the morning at 6 am put your glasses on. Then you come home do house or yard work , eat dinner , watch television and then you sit in bed read and then you fall asleep with them on (just kidding) by 11 pm. They get 15 hours of usage a day and I am sure it is more or less for some people. 365 days a year for I would say most people keep the same pair for what 2-3 years. so lets do the math if you wear the same pair for 2 years you will pay roughly $25.00 a month. My cable bill is higher then that! There is nothing you will buy this year that you will use more then glasses. The only thing that comes near that is your mattress and that will get eight hours of usage a night if you are lucky. Glasses are expensive don't get me wrong. I have to pay for specialty contact lenses that are custom made and are not cheap.However they allow me to lead functioning life. Because without them I could not drive, read,watch TV or even see my wife's face. I didn't ask for my eye problem but hey there it is. I go to my eye Dr every couple of years and shell out over $400.00 on an exam and a new pair of contacts because it lets me see. I think $400.00 so I can see for the next two years not to shabby. If I had been born say 50 years ago I would have been up a creek and to blind to find a paddle.

**NCspecs** · 10-11-2010, 12:05 PM

I think it is interesting that people think a custom made medical device should be a couple of bucks like it's from Oriental trading company. Where is the outrage over hearing aids which run well into the thousands? The purpose of designer eyewear is to lessen the stigma of wearing spectacles. Nobody said you had to wear Prada. Getting angry at having to wear glasses is like being in a fit of rage because you are short. You are, you deal with it, you move on. I don't understand the powerlessness either. If a pt doesn't have the money/ or doesn't want to spend the money on a progressive lens they don't have to, they can have two pair of glasses from a 99 dollar special. It's your perogative as a consumer. I'm happy that my pt's are mostly well educated and logical, they know their options (mostly because I explain them) and are usually able make intelligent decisions based on their budget.

**Barry Santini** · 10-11-2010, 12:05 PM

$400 to see for the next 2 years is NOT the point.

Being able to see "just as well"(?) for $44.00 for the "same" ol' glasses is the point.

Only those who've had something unsatisfactory know the difference.

It's definitely NOT about harm-to-your-vison either.

Barry

**optilady1** · 10-11-2010, 01:34 PM

People don't know what they are missing until they've had the good, then get the bad. I have so many patients come to me saying, "well, i thought I'd try xyz optical to save a few bucks, but I'll never do that again."
As for people's perception of the pricing, it does boggle the mind. medication can be expensive. An anti-nausia med while i was pregnant with insurance was $50 a pill. My grandmother had a mastectomy, and the prostetic she wore was $500. To stuff her bra.

I'm not sure what the answer is, except to vigilantly fight the good fight, one patient at a time. There's not point arguing with folks, you'll never change their mind. We can only educate them, and hope for the best.

**drk** · 10-11-2010, 01:39 PM

Sadly, all it's going to take is a good attorney that will point out that his client was killed by a person with do-it-yourself glasses.

**uncut** · 10-11-2010, 01:56 PM

It will be interesting to see roadside sobriety and vision tests being done!

**Mizikal** · 10-11-2010, 02:54 PM

Originally Posted by Barry Santini

$400 to see for the next 2 years is NOT the point.

Being able to see "just as well"(?) for $44.00 for the "same" ol' glasses is the point.

Barry

I agree! Trust me if I could pay less I would . However ,I already know the level of quality and service I get for the money I pay and I would have to pay considerable less to get me to change to another Doctor's office.

**eyeguy21** · 10-11-2010, 03:05 PM

I see a couple of things from the article. #1 the writer mistakenly thinks Polycarb is an all around 'higher-quality' upgrade. #2 there's also a referrence talking about the middle-vision band in a bifocal. Of course there is no midrange in a bifocal. These are things a true optician would be able to help with.

Also I'm not sure what kind of progressives you get for $44 when I just checked in a pair of Zeiss individuals (lenses only) that my cost after discount was more than four times that. "There is no appreciable functional or material difference" between prescription eyewear bought online and bought in brick-and-mortar stores? I'll be the judge of that.

I think given some of the authors names on these articles they may simply just be used to inferior products and therefore on-line products might actually have "no appreciable difference."

**Diopterman** · 10-11-2010, 03:09 PM

Originally Posted by eyeguy21

I think given some of the authors names on these articles they may simply just be used to inferior products and therefore on-line products might actually have "no appreciable difference."

How did you determine this just by the author's names?

**eyeguy21** · 10-11-2010, 03:10 PM

Originally Posted by Barry Santini

$400 to see for the next 2 years is NOT the point.

Being able to see "just as well"(?) for $44.00 for the "same" ol' glasses is the point.

Only those who've had something unsatisfactory know the difference.

It's definitely NOT about harm-to-your-vison either.

Barry

A set of blinders are "not about to harm your eyes either" unless your behind the wheel of a car.

**eyeguy21** · 10-11-2010, 03:12 PM

Originally Posted by Diopterman

How did you determine this just by the author's names?

Simply a guess on this one but if you look around some of the articles (even those supplied within optiboard) you'll find some others but again I said "I think" not "I know" so that's my out here.

**eyeguy21** · 10-11-2010, 03:16 PM

Alright Diopterman. I know your fingers are typing as fast as you can. I checked into Anneli Rufus and she's on the west coast. My mistake. :shiner:

**JG43** · 10-11-2010, 03:27 PM

WOW!! Sounds like the typical liberal propaganda this guy and based on the negative slant coming from that website's articles I am pretty sure that is exactly what and who they are! Absolulty amazing! He takes half truths and expounds on them and twists them into making the whole industry nothing more than scum! I would like to see this guys face to face! Sorry, I had to blow off steam!!

**Barry Santini** · 10-11-2010, 03:28 PM

Everyone in America has the right to vote...

"I see dumb people..."

B

**Chris Ryser** · 10-11-2010, 09:23 PM

Originally Posted by JG43

WOW!! Sounds like the typical liberal propaganda this guy and based on the negative slant coming from that website's articles I am pretty sure that is exactly what and who they are! Absolulty amazing! He takes half truths and expounds on them and twists them into making the whole industry nothing more than scum! I would like to see this guys face to face! Sorry, I had to blow off steam!!

How come none of you real life opticians have taken to the web and brought up some valid and real defense to such articles?

**Fezz** · 10-11-2010, 09:33 PM

Originally Posted by Chris Ryser

How come none of you real life opticians have taken to the web and brought up some valid and real defense to such articles?

You can't argue with stupid! I refuse to be brought down to that level!

**Barry Santini** · 10-11-2010, 10:12 PM

Originally Posted by eyeguy21

A set of blinders are "not about to harm your eyes either" unless your behind the wheel of a car.

Gee, you wouldn't be referring to any of those cocoons or fitovers, would you?
B

**gmc** · 10-12-2010, 09:59 PM

Barry, I see you've been promoted to OD by 20/20 in the article about online glasses in the October edition. Congratulations.

**Johns** · 10-12-2010, 10:32 PM

Originally Posted by gmc

Barry, I see you've been promoted to OD by 20/20 in the article about online glasses in the October edition. Congratulations.

Ewww! That pay cut is going to sting!:bbg:

**gmc** · 10-12-2010, 10:43 PM

Originally Posted by Johns

Ewww! That pay cut is going to sting!:bbg:

You're right John, what was I thinking? I could have included the link. Here it is.

http://mydigimag.rrd.com/publication/?i=48308&p=85

**Barry Santini** · 10-13-2010, 05:00 AM

Gee, didn't see this.
Thanks for the heads-up!
Now get back to work.
B

**Fezz** · 10-13-2010, 07:06 AM

Calling Dr. Barry, Dr. Barry!

LOL!!! That is some funny stuff!

Barry,

Are you sure that you do not want to share something with us? Have you been taking night classes? Have you decided to rise from the ashes of opticianry like a mystical optical phoenix?

**DragonLensmanWV** · 10-14-2010, 02:52 PM

Originally Posted by JG43

WOW!! Sounds like the typical liberal propaganda this guy and based on the negative slant coming from that website's articles I am pretty sure that is exactly what and who they are! Absolulty amazing! He takes half truths and expounds on them and twists them into making the whole industry nothing more than scum! I would like to see this guys face to face! Sorry, I had to blow off steam!!

How do you get liberals from that? Or is that just the word you use to describe everyone but you?