"my own"???? No way, Jose. We are nowhere near alike. I only do specialized Rx's in specialized filter materials. I don't *do* normal Rx work (anymore - I did for a short time, but not any longer).
Haha, kind of funny.
"but we definitely do not use Chinese prescription lenses. Hope this helps."
then
"we do source lenses from around the globe, but that does sometimes may include China."
I was talking about the facebook thread or post, Mike seems to be a regular and is on the attack. I just don't understand where a line is drawn in the sand. Sometimes Ok to sell online, certain jobs Ok to sell online, etc. I know eople like grey areas so the black or white of eitehr you sell online or you don't doesn't apply to most peoples way of thinking but isn't the whole internet side of the business predicated off the there existing too much grey area in the field?
My question is an attempt to see what mind set differentiates Mike and his online business from another?
After reading the Facebook posts, I have the following thoughts to share with you:
For patients or customers: You have been using the lenses from China for many years, though those dishonest merchants cheat you that they are sourcing lenses around the globe, but I can say 99% are from China, especially for cheap ones from Coastal, no matter these lenses are under the name such as Hoya and even other big names or not, etc. So take it easy. I like those honest players, they told their customers that the lenses are from China.
For merchants like Coastal: Why should you cheat final users of eyeglasses that You never buy prescription lenses from China? You are cheating yourself either. Most of the stock lenses are from China for sure, and even very large percentage of custom lenses are from China too. Coastal's case is too clear, they take customers' orders online and fit the lenses in China using frames and lenses totally made in China.
Due to the severe competition, Chinese manufacturers are using lower index material to make higher power RX lenses, causing the optical center part of the lenses very thin, thus fails to pass the impact tests. It is also common sense at the manufacturing side. If the middle part is thick enough to pass the impact test, then the lens edge will be too thick, affecting the aesthetic look. It is all about money and profit.
A regular? Nope. Just posted through my existing facebook account.
And the reason for my posts? Consumer awareness, nothing more, nothing less. I have a number of friends who raved about their Coastal glasses until they found out they most likely came from China. My glassworking customer base is 99% home-based businesses, with a huge distaste for Chinese-made products.
I totally support the local homegrown optician with posts like this on my FB page:
Do you like or buy from Coastal Optical? Are you aware that their lenses are made in China? When purchasing your eyewear, please consider buying from your local optical store (and not any of the chains like Walmart or Lenscrafters). Buy from your local INDEPENDENT optical dispenser.
Frames, yes. Unfortunately, a very large percentage of frames sold are made in China.
Lenses, no. I make nothing but glass here, and the raw glass is manufactured and molded in Germany. I use a re-molder located in the United States for lenses that have to be formed out of strip glass. My polishing material (I don't use cerium any longer) comes from the US. The polishing pads are made in the US. My packaging materials are made here in Minnesota from plastics made in the US. My boxes are made in the US.
There are suppliers of plastic lenses, like X-Cel optical that cast their own lenses, with resins made either in the US or in Europe. They may re-sell products that are made in China, but those are scrupulously tested to ensure that they meet US standards before being sold.
The Facebook repiles, state that one women is NOW worried because she bought Coastal eyeglasses ONLINE for here (3) three year old child. What parent in their right mind would do this. Does she not have a clue the necessity of accuracy, fitting, Rx precison and proper adjustments necessary to HELP her child.
Thanks Mike. Although our governments work slowly, they will eventually act against these types of operations.Coastal.com Hi Matt,
This alert pertains to more than just our company, this is for all companies that ship glasses from out of the country (in our case, Canada). We source our lenses from all over the world, but we definitely do not use Chinese prescription lenses. Hope this helps.
JV
October 30 at 3:43pm
Science is a way of trying not to fool yourself. - Richard P. Feynman
Experience is the hardest teacher. She gives the test before the lesson.
The mom should not worry more just because the glasses are shipped from China, no matter where the glasses are made, mom should not buy from online, and online optical should not sell to kids. Even the glasses are made by the ECPs here in OptiBoard, Ecps here can also not guarantee to provide perfect fitting without face to face adjustment. The mom should worry the same even the glasses are made in Coastal's Vancouver facilities. Shipping from China does not worsen the matter by any %.
Judy,
It is very difficult to explain to patients who walk in and before they even sit in the chair tell me they want the Rx because they can get glasses online for $20 or at Wally World for $40.
These patients won't listen to anything we say other than "here's your prescription, have a nice day".
A lack of planning on your part DOES NOT constitute an emergency on mine!
When these same patients arrive at said retail store, they don't want to listen to anything the opticians there have to say either. You just lost someone who will haggle over every nickel and dime, and who will never be happy with the transaction. Remember that saying about 20% of the people taking 80% of the time?
Last edited by Wes; 11-24-2012 at 01:29 AM.
Wesley S. Scott, MBA, MIS, ABOM, NCLE-AC, LDO - SC & GA
“As our circle of knowledge expands, so does the circumference of darkness surrounding it.” -Albert Einstein
If you lost someone in busines who tickled your commercial nerves..................he is gone forever, and will not return unless the reason to go somewhere else has turned into a disaster.
Millions of people as the reports and statistics tell you, are living on nickel and dimes, and only the rich are getting richer. So the "someone"
may not be the majority but they are a sizable piece of the cake that promotes on-line sales which hammer away with their advertising to side track your customers..
Furthermore, I have invested a lot of time in my business during spring and summer with somebody haggling nickels and dimes and only found out after two months, that I was negotiating with one of the largest optical labs worldwide. Today I can be thankful to have been patient.
This thread brings to mind a question bouncing around in my head for a while: Are the major labs (Hoya, "E", etc). getting their product from overseas as well?
Don't we all use Chinese, Mexican, Taiwanese and other foreign crap lenses ? Even if we use American companies, are they "fabricating" the lenses here in the US ?
As I mentioned earlier, X-Cel Optical casts its own lenses in Sauk Rapids, MN, and those it imports and relabels, are all tested to ensure compliance with applicable standards. X-Cel would not have lasted this long in the business if they sold crap.
Aire-O-Lite in Georgia also casts its own lenses in the United States.
Both of these companies, btw, make their own molds in-house as well.
These are two companies that I positively KNOW FOR SURE are casting/fabricating in the US.
Vision-Ease, I believe, is still fabricating poly and maybe some of its plastic down the road in Ramsey Minnesota.
Thank you, Mike. That's the kind of info I was looking for. Otherwise, I really have no idea where anything is REALLY made.
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