Independent Opticians and Risky Business

OK, as an OD 99% of my optical work is seamless integrated with my optometric care (yea, it's indivisible, but that's another thread).


But I'm not stupid...if I get an outside Rx, I'll fill it. But filler beware! (caveat filleror)

Case in point:

Customer:
"Hey, I have been referred to your optical because I hear you filled an Rx for my friend. This is my Rx from my OD. I want to get <brand V> progressives and a new frame. (self-pay) But here's the deal: I have been prescribed a 'special tint' by a therapist (not her OD) and I want to send these glasses to her. You will have to sign a paper that says these lenses are tintable."

Me:
"What the hell. (Let's make money)"

So we fill the boring Rx in the requested PAL in CR39, and properly dispense them, and wish her well. I'm counting the money.

Five days later:
Customer:
"My glasses were ruined in the tinting process. I will need you to make new lenses for me."

Us:
"Uh, we would like to talk to the tint therapy person."

What happens: my optician gets in contact (somehow) with the tinting people (not the therapist, mind you, who we have not heard from, yet). Tinting guy says "yeah, sometimes you get a bad batch of lenses and the tinting turned out splotchy. Don't worry, <mega lens-manufacturer> will be happy to cover this under their warranty."

Well, we didn't order blanks from the manufacturer, of course. We used a wholesale lab, who, when we were honest about the situation, said: "Uh, if some outside agency tints our lenses, the warranty is null and void".

So, what would you do?
In a greater sense, as an indy optician, how to you manage such risk?

I think I'd offer to remake the lenses for a 50% charge and tell the people who tinted it to send you a check in advance. They took on a job. Some you win, some you lose.

"I apologize that you find yourself in this situation. The lens type we dispensed was indeed tintable, and produces nice results, if done correctly. However, the people who did the tinting did so incorrectly, and destroyed the lenses. Unfortunately, modifying the lenses in any material way voids any and all warranty that the lenses had from the lab we ordered them from, and this was confirmed by the lab when we relayed the situation with the current lenses. We can make you new lenses, but beyond a discount on new lenses, there is nothing more we can do for you given the situation at hand."

Is this a hypothetical or actually is happening/has happened?

It's real.
I offered the 50% remake offer, and asked her to talk to:
1. the therapist, who, I'm sure, took a cut
2. the therapist's tint lab, if needed

We'll see.

I think what I've learned on this one, is that "any further 'aftermarket' modification of frames or lenses voids our warranty".

This has just never come up before.

I'm opposite of you, independent optician so all I do is fill outside Rx's.... I've never come across a situation like this so I don't feel it's necessary to have a set 'plan' for such a situation or a 'disclaimer'. If it were me, I'd have a look at the lenses and if it were an honest to goodness tint problem (which are exceedingly rare in CR39) I'd warranty for them ONE TIME and explain that tinting done after purchase is at their own risk.

And I'll skip my rant on 'theraputic' tints 'prescribed' by someone.

I also have a client who takes her lenses to have magic tints put on. I have not had this issue yet, but after 3 years of magic tints she is starting to think that maybe they charge too much money. In my opinion if they ruin the lenses they should have to pay for them, no where on the form I filled out said anything about me being responsible for their issues.

Just give them uncoated cr39, thats what I do for her now.

I had one of these come in a few years ago for some crazy magic tint with the form and a page of detailed instructions. I politely declined. Not worth the headache for me. Far too many things out of my control that the patient can think is somehow my fault.

OK, I'm reconsidering having an ongoing relationship with the Irlen Lens Tint prescriber, for a couple of reasons. I'm probably going to regret this.


Here's what I should know, and people have told me, but I need help again:

A. With free-form PALs, most of them have spherical fronts with a factory scratch coating, right? There's probably no such creature as a "naked PAL".

B. Ordering single-vision lenses UNCOATED, while it may be difficult to obtain, would eliminate any potential for the tint team to terrorize. Right?

(C. Not that I would do this, but does anyone do any such thing as a "dip" scratch coat? Like: naked-->tint-->dip?.)

(This post is strangely titillating.)

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(This post is strangely titillating.)

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What, with all this talk about naked lenses taking a dip and whatnot? I couldn't [insert sarcasm font here] possibly imagine why.

As for answering your questions, yeah, I've got nothing.

My best suggestion is to reconsider your reconsideration.

The entire sphere of "Irlen" is just not something one really wants to get involved with in anyway unless they want to be involved in controversy.

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Originally Posted by drk

A. With free-form PALs, most of them have spherical fronts with a factory scratch coating, right? There's probably no such creature as a "naked PAL".

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CR-39 should be easily available "naked", since those free-forms are using SV blanks.

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Originally Posted by drk

B. Ordering single-vision lenses UNCOATED, while it may be difficult to obtain, would eliminate any potential for the tint team to terrorize. Right?

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Yup uncoated CR-39 (or 1.56, 1.60, 1.67) will tint easily.

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Originally Posted by drk

C. Not that I would do this, but does anyone do any such thing as a "dip" scratch coat? Like: naked-->tint-->dip?.)

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Absolutely the dip coats are the best, way better than spin coat. TD2, EX3, Foundation (does Zeiss still call it that?) are all dip hardcoats. Trouble is the process of dipping and curing can affect the tint density so it's hard to 100% predict the tint outcome after hardcoating.

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Originally Posted by Quig

I'm opposite of you, independent optician so all I do is fill outside Rx's.... I've never come across a situation like this so I don't feel it's necessary to have a set 'plan' for such a situation or a 'disclaimer'. If it were me, I'd have a look at the lenses and if it were an honest to goodness tint problem (which are exceedingly rare in CR39) I'd warranty for them ONE TIME and explain that tinting done after purchase is at their own risk.

And I'll skip my rant on 'theraputic' tints 'prescribed' by someone.

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Don't be like that, I for one, enjoy a nice rant.