I hear a lot of debate between ECP's regarding AR coatings. Which is the best? What are the warranties? Which one generates the most profit?
My personal opinion is that "premium" AR coatings are over priced. I don't debate that they may be a little more scratch resistant and hydrophobic, but to me they aren't worth three or four times the price of a house brand AR coating.
If you think having a two year warranty on AR is a good thing for your business or for your patient, think again. First of all if you sell a "house brand" AR to your patient for let's say $70 (that's what I charge), and it only cost's you $*** (I can't say the price due to the rules of this forum,but if you would like to know what I pay call FEA @ 1-800-327-2002 and ask for their "web-pricing" on basic AR) let's just say I make a tidy profit. But if you use one of the "premium" AR's how much are you gonna charge? $100, $125??? Which do you think would be easier to sell to the patient? And then there is the issue of how it costs me to get. The profit margin is not that much different.
The whole two year warranty for AR thing is the worst thing that you could offer to a patient. First of all, that say's to a patient that they won't need new lenses for two years. There goes $300, and exam fee's. And if think that you won't have to pay anything for those lenses that are under warranty......think again. You will probably spend $10 in shipping to get credit on those lenses, so any profit that made over the theamount of profit you would have made by selling "house AR" just evaporated.
Bottom line,"premium AR coatings aren't worth the extra money to me or my patients. And if ECP's would just hold off on ordering "premium" AR coatings for a while, the prices would fall.
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