Silhouette Style Frames

[docandk]

Hi,

I am looking for a substitute "look-alike" to the Silhouette titan drill mount frame. With no rep for months and no service from the last rep, I don't feel like I'm getting my money's worth.

Anyone know of a good copy?

Thanks

[For-Life]

Hi,

I am looking for a substitute "look-alike" to the Silhouette titan drill mount frame. With no rep for months and no service from the last rep, I don't feel like I'm getting my money's worth.

Anyone know of a good copy?

Thanks

Optiq's Minimize

[Uni-Clip]

Call Acuity Optical USA, Inc. in Tempe, Arizona, (480)784-9797. See their product web site:

www.freeformeyewear.com

[jeffsoptical]

[QUOTE=docandk]Hi,

I am looking for a substitute "look-alike" to the Silhouette titan drill mount frame. With no rep for months and no service from the last rep, I don't feel like I'm getting my money's worth.

Anyone know of a good copy?

Thanks


I was thinking of starting to carry the Silhouette line in my shop, but I've heard a lot of bad remarks about their service and warranty problems. I know that their product is very good but from what I've found out I'm reconsidering.

Jeff

[beertv]

I am shocked that you feel that Silhouette's are not giving you your money's worth! I don't care if you have a bad rep that doesn't come around often, that is not a reason to not sell them. I would say we sell an average of 50 a month, some times more some times a little less. There IS NO SUBSTITUTE. If your trying to find a less expensive frame that has the look of a Silhouette, well there are plenty of them. But take it from some one who has been selling them for more then 7 years now; don't sell any 3 piece mount except Silhouette. We have folks who drive more than 20 miles just to come to our office because we carry the full line of Silhouettes. Most places don't, they just have a small selection. It is an investment there is no question, but they are the most comfortable, highest quality you will find bar none. They are not fragile, and we have NO problems returning anything ever. Even things that have been out of warranty they still replaced at no charge. They are one of the highest profit items we sell. We also sell more AR and high-end lenses due to patients wanting the best lenses to go with such a nice frame. The idea after all is to make the glasses comfortable and invisible. Silhouettes do that. I have never sold any frame in the last 16 years that I get so many patients coming back with family and friends telling them that they just have to get a frame like they have. They just rave over them. We make all our Silhouettes in house, and we also do custom shapes and mixing of temples and bridges per the customers taste.

If your rep is not giving you the service you want, you should call and talk to the regional sales manager.

As for quality, Silhouettes are hand made and each part is inspected at every stage. These are welded by hand, shaped by hand and inspected by hand, it is a rare thing to have a defect in a Silhouette. The secret, in my opinion, is that the quality of the metal is the best of any frame I have ever seen in a 3 piece mount. They are very strong and take an amazing amount of abuse. Yes you can break them, but fixing them normally is just replacing the bushings. We have kids wearing them, and so far I have not had one that I couldn't fix with a bushing and a bit of adjusting.

That's my ten cents.

Don

[docandk]

Don,


I've talked to the regional manager twice. She's still in the hiring process and wants me to wait for a new rep. The last rep she had never came by after we spent $3,000 on her product. We were told we could swap out frames that we didn't want later, but she never showed. Then, she quit. Now, the regional manager has interviewed everyone (and I do mean everyone) and still doesn't have a rep. She can't seem to make up her mind. Two reps that were hired, quit after days of taking the job. In December, it will have been TWO years. That's way more than enough time for them to get it right. I have never even seen any of their new product. Did I mention I have frames that I don't like, can't sell just sitting there because I can't exchange them?

I don't usually pay full price (minus their pitiful discount) for anything! When I do pay full price, I expect full customer service. Not gettting it. Not even close.

When I looked on their website, they say that their minimal art collection is one of the most copied frame line around. Who's got it? I want it. Especially at a much less price.

[okoart]

Viva la Silhouettes!:cheers:



We receive about 20 – 40 pieces a day

[HarryChiling]

It is not a copy, but a similar rimless.


The Safilo Design rimless line is a great quality and uses the same mountings as the silhouettes. They are italian made and made from titanium. I hav had no problems with them. The silhouettes are a great product, but I think the marketing is better.

[Dave Nelson]

I agree with beertv. We have tried subs, and they do not work like sillhouette. We now use sillhouette 4 points exclusively.

[CAopticianmgr]

Although I will have to agree Silhouette is a nice product, but I have witnessed recently they are a lot more selective in returns and the reps are more interested in telling education instead of showing the product. I do still have Silhouette, but I also have Lindberg, of which I absolutely love.... The Lindberg line is a lot more expensive, but they do have a 3 year warranty. They have no screws and they are mounted through the lens. Anyway, that is my 2 cents..lol

[890890]

Hi,

I am looking for a substitute "look-alike" to the Silhouette titan drill mount frame. With no rep for months and no service from the last rep, I don't feel like I'm getting my money's worth.

Anyone know of a good copy?

Thanks

There're some optical wholesalers carry silhouette-like style frame, the price is just 1/3 compare to silhouette, quality is very good. you have interest?

[Chris Ryser]

As for quality, Silhouettes are hand made and each part is inspected at every stage. These are welded by hand, shaped by hand and inspected by hand, it is a rare thing to have a defect in a Silhouette.

You better start learning about frame manufacturing. The hand made argument on your statement does not work any more these days because it is from the past. These days machines do a better and more accurate job in this field.

Otherwise you have done a good job praising Silhoutte and they might send you a free box full of frames to give away.
:bbg:

[optigrrl]

Our 2 best selling rimless lines are silhouette and Minima. Minima has a 10 yr warranty and I quite honestly don't know silhouette's because on the rare occaision (twice in 3 yrs) that I have had to replace a part I have never been questioned.


From what I understand, they ARE having a hard time filling the San Diego territory because once the rep gets hired and finds out that they expect them to spend all their time doing reports and not seeing the customer, they quit or take another job offer. So I see your point about service. They will have to learn the hard way.

But for the record - I had a patient bring in a Silhouette minimal art frame for adjusting that had been through a lawnmower on a public golf course. I was able to put it back into working shape without breaking it and we put new lenses into the chassis with no problem.

However - Minima is a great product, more color variety, easy to drill etc....and you can see them on their website:

www.minima.fr

They do have distributorship in the US: 1800-987-0735

minima runs $10-$30 more than silhouettes

[Judy Canty]

I wear a Minima 3 and I love it!

[optigrrl]

I know, I love them too! I started selling them like 6 yrs ago before they had a US distributor. Bought them for my dad because he is the WORST with glasses and he still has them!

(bent all to heck, of course - he thinks he can adjust his own)

[Audiyoda]

For me, it's all about the service. I get better service from Safilo and Marchon at a much better price point. And with our ME-1000 edger, shapes are of no issue so I don't care that Safilo and Marchon offer fewer shapes.

Where I worked before the Silhouette rep came in maybe once a year - returns were a major pain, and he cared more about selling us more product than dealing with some of our complaints. Now once we purchased the Swarovski line from them we'd seem him all the time. Which only says to me that he's more concerned about commissions and quotas than servicing accounts properly. So when I moved on to where I am now, I already knew in my mind I wasn't even going to consider Silhouette.

Silhouette makes a very good product - but it's honetly no better than what Safilo and Marchon are offering. I've seen more defects from Silhouette than either Safilo and Marchon. And now that Safilo has softened up their compression fittings a bit, they are easier to put together but still stiff enough to hold better than the ulra soft ones that Silhouette offers.

[Cindy K]

We are so very fortunate to have a gem of a rep for silhouette. This is a good thing, 'cause we sell them exclusively as our only rimless offering. I've worn them since /98 and as I've extolled their virtues in other threads I won't go into detail here other than to say that I really hope that I have a pair of them for the rest of my life. I sell scads of them. I'm really quite brutal in the treatment I give my eyewear and in the 8 years I've worn them have only ONCE had an irrepairable incident (I slammed a door full force into the side of my head and cracked a lens between the drill holes; had one terrible headache and egg on my temple from that one).

As David stated in a previous post, we've tried near to every lower priced alternative available to us with no success with any. We've even had to replace some of these products to clients with the real McCoy so that their $600-700 pairs of lenses aren't wasted, or worse, ruined by the flawed design of the post attachments.

Its true that the cost of these mountings is prohibitive to many folks, but I have one after another happy customers wearing these. One who pops into my mind is a gal who's had the same mounting for at least 6 years and every couple years when its time to get new lenses changes her look by changing her lens shape to whatever custom shape I happen to be wearing at the time. Now, that's cost efficiency.

I find our Canadian distributor very fair in warranty issues when they do arise; perhaps its different in the US. I'm responsible for all the returns at my office and I don't believe I have yet to have an incidence where we were denied credit. In the whole scheme of things, considering all the Sil rimless we dispense, the incidence of breakage is significantly lower than other non-rimless product.

[For-Life]

I carried the Optiq line and worked for a lady who carried the Silhouette line. From the hingeless frames I never, ever had a problem that was not identical to that in of the Silhouette line. Of course once and a while the hinge would snap, but same with the Silhouette.

Also, the Optiq line had screws (which in the hingeless frame never backed up), which meant that the point never got pulled out and never snapped off. Actually, as long as it is a good screw design, I prefer the screws over the plugs any day of the week.

[chip anderson]

Canadian socialzed healthcare will pay $600.00~$700.00 for lenses?

Can I rent your lobbist for our medicare~Medicaid committee?

[For-Life]

Canadian socialzed healthcare will pay $600.00~$700.00 for lenses?

Can I rent your lobbist for our medicare~Medicaid committee?

Chip, Chip, Chip

Canadian's great health care system, that I am very proud of, does not pay for glasses.

[docandk]

There're some optical wholesalers carry silhouette-like style frame, the price is just 1/3 compare to silhouette, quality is very good. you have interest?

Yes, who is it? Will they be at the trade show in Las Vegas?

[Chris Ryser]

Canadian socialzed healthcare will pay $600.00~$700.00 for lenses?

Can I rent your lobbist for our medicare~Medicaid committee?

I would just like to add.............that in Canada even visual eye exams are now exempted from the medicare system.

Private and company carried group insurances that cover medications will pay $ 150.0 to 200.00 towards glasses as a refund, directly to patient.

Also in Canada being more of a socialist type country the taxes for the middle income class runs to about 70% to 75% (all taxes included).

If you need medical services fast.................you have to pay private clinics and labs out of your pocket.

[Cindy K]

If you need medical services fast.................you have to pay private clinics and labs out of your pocket.

John Blaylock, a well known ophthalmologist, has recently opened a general surgery facility.

http://lasereyesurgeryfactsblog.blog...ens-doors.html

This facility does much more than eyes! Is this where we in Canada are headed??? :finger:

[Uni-Clip]

Yes, who is it? Will they be at the trade show in Las Vegas?

Acuity Optical USA, Inc.

www.freeformeyewear.com

High quality, titanium rimless collection(compression mount) at incredible Factory Direct prices. Vision Expo West, Las Vegas, booth # ET4104.

[LENNY]

Global optique has a very nice colection of titanium rimless frames.

They are in Long Island City,NY