Flexon Problem

[rhkennerly]

Three years ago I bought some Flexon 133 frames while on temporary duty attending a Navy school in DC from Puerto Rico. I don't even remember the name of the shop, now.

Anyway, I was standing at the sink the other day cleaning my glasses when they snapped in two at the center of the bridge. This certainly surprised me, particularly considering the advertising claims and premium cost of these frames.

None of the local eyeglass shops would tackle a repair and a specialist at frame soldering says he can't work on stainless steel.

Am I stuck? Any suggestions? I can't find any contact information for the manufacturer. Am I right to be severly disappointed in this product?

[chip anderson]

Not an uncommon problem. Flexon is titanium alloy, not stainless (which is easy to mend. Very few people can weld titanium but Hilco repair service can. Get your optician to send them there or to Jerry Huang if he's in the country at this time. Expect 10 days plus turnaround. Or just get a new frame.

Chip

[Fezz]

Frames break. This should not be a big surprise. I believe the frame model is still current. You should be able to order just a "front" from any reputable, independant optical shop.The front piece should not cost much more than what you may be charged to send in for a solder job. Titanium and titanuim alloys cost much more to solder, but can be done. As Chip mentioned, you can solder this frame. The company name is: Marchon. I believe that you are wrong in being "severely dissapointed". The frame has served you for three years and we do not know how they were used or abused in that time. You mentioned a "premium cost". What is a premium cost to you? I know many people who payed a "premium cost" for Lexuses, Mercedes Benz, BMW who have had to pay for repairs even though the "advertising claims" and "premium price" may have given them the false allusion that the product should last forever, and never need upkeep and general repairs. Find a good Optician, they can direct you. Keep searching...they are out there. Good luck.



Fezz
:cheers:

[rhkennerly]

After I posted my problem some threads mentioning rampant Flexon failures in the same spot and Merchon's shoddy customer service were presented to me here on the list. And these posts were all from industry people, not "civilians".

If I can't get the premium frames fixed at a resonable cost, I'll just keep my replacement $50 frames I got to work in the interim. And if the manufacturer can't be counted on service their products or stand good for their product failures, I'll just keep those frames.

The real money is out of your pocket, as I assume the markup is a lot more than on my $50 pair. I'll just eat my loss and learn from the experience.

[Fezz]

Typical consumer post and reply. This is why I have always supported the banning of consumer posts. This just justifies my stance.

Fezz
:cheers:

[rep]

Three years ago I bought some Flexon 133 frames while on temporary duty attending a Navy school in DC from Puerto Rico. I don't even remember the name of the shop, now.

Anyway, I was standing at the sink the other day cleaning my glasses when they snapped in two at the center of the bridge. This certainly surprised me, particularly considering the advertising claims and premium cost of these frames.

None of the local eyeglass shops would tackle a repair and a specialist at frame soldering says he can't work on stainless steel.

Am I stuck? Any suggestions? I can't find any contact information for the manufacturer. Am I right to be severly disappointed in this product?

You wore the frame daily for three years and it gave you good service. I don't know of any frame made in the world that is warranted for over two years and most are warranted only one year.

It is worn out and you need to replace it. You also need to have another eye examination because after three years your eye health could change or the prescription could have changed. Going longer increases the chances for vision loss due to glaucoma, and other sight threatening conditions.

If you thought otherwise you were misinformed and have way too high an expectation on how long frames should last.

Nothing last forever from daily wear like your eyeglass frames do.

Rep from another company.

[Bill West]

After I posted my problem some threads mentioning rampant Flexon failures in the same spot and Merchon's shoddy customer service were presented to me here on the list. And these posts were all from industry people, not "civilians".

If I can't get the premium frames fixed at a resonable cost, I'll just keep my replacement $50 frames I got to work in the interim. And if the manufacturer can't be counted on service their products or stand good for their product failures, I'll just keep those frames.

The real money is out of your pocket, as I assume the markup is a lot more than on my $50 pair. I'll just eat my loss and learn from the experience.

If you had gotten hit in the face with a lawnmower and the glasses did not break, would you be happy? Get over it! I would'nt even pay $50 for another frame if I were you. Send me a check for $50 and i'll send you 2 really cheap really great frames. People like you need to always go to Wally World. If there ain't no profit in ,I don't want it. By the way we get the real money from real people, not jerks.

[Fezz]

:cheers:





Fezz
:cheers:

[SarahMP584]

I guess I just dont understand why people think their glasses are supposed to last forever. I MAKE SURE to tell every patient that buys a flexon that while a bit more durable, NOTHING is invincible.

The alloy in the bridge, in my experience, tends to get brittle over time, I have seen bridges break on flexons more times than I can remember, but they were all at least two years old if not more.

There is a reason exams have expiration dates on them, maybe glasses should too.

If I get anyone else comes in my store yelling at me because their lenses are falling out of their completley MANGLED frame, and they want a refund on their 5 year old glasses, I might just lose it. :shiner:

[OptiJim]

I wonder how many times that frame had been "Flexed" in the same place it broke over three years of constant wear. We always inform people that flexible metal frames are not a novelty and should be treated just as careful as any other frame. The flexible metal is a sort of "insurance" policy in case the frames are sat on, stepped on, etc.....

Think of it like this: If you paid $500 for these glasses (probably paid alot less) and you wore them for 3 years (1095 days) it only cost you $0.46 per day to have correct vision. Pretty inexpensive I think.

[CME4SPECS]

The frame is repairable. There is very little titanium in the flexon material, it is mostly nickel. I have successfully soldered quite a few of them with silver solder. It will lose it's flexibility, and the solder needs to be built up a little more than normal.

[ottomaddox]

Now this seems more like it.

Think of it like this: If you paid $250 for these glasses and you wore them for 3 years (1095 days) it only cost you $0.23 per day to have correct vision. Pretty inexpensive I think.

[LENNY]

I wonder how long the $50 frame is going to serve you!
Is $50 with lenses or just the frame?

[Fezz]

I wonder how long the $50 frame is going to serve you!
Is $50 with lenses or just the frame?

Hopefully, just long enough to realize how much of a VALUE the Flexon was!


Fezz
:cheers:

[FVCCHRIS]

Typical consumer post and reply. This is why I have always supported the banning of consumer posts. This just justifies my stance.

Fezz
:cheers:

Hey Fezz, I'm afraid I'm beginning to agree with you more and more on this matter. His initial post was fine, yours and other's input were polite, patient and helpful, but when the "consumer" saw that we were not in agreement with his point of view what do you get? Another rant from a "poopy poster" as I am calling them now. As much as we all would like to "help" , I must agree--- ban "em all.. Chris

[Fezz]

FVCCHRIS;

Great minds think alike!!!


Fezz
:cheers:

[Judy Canty]

And if the manufacturer can't be counted on service their products or stand good for their product failures,

The car manufacturer is not going to replace your oil for free, or your tires or belts. They're not going to warranty their products for a lifetime and I'm sure you paid much more for the car than for your eyewear.

Everything wears out...cars, people, shoes, clothes, appliances and yes, even eyeglasses!

Heck, I probably lose $.23 a day in the bottom of my purse.

[Grubendol]

Heck, I probably lose $.23 a day in the bottom of my purse.

So by that count, then (insert purse manufacturer here) owes you a few hundred dollars by now, eh?

[Judy Canty]

So by that count, then (insert purse manufacturer here) owes you a few hundred dollars by now, eh?

I save it to buy another purse! :bbg: ...or maybe a pair of shoes!

[rhkennerly]

I wonder how long the $50 frame is going to serve you!
Is $50 with lenses or just the frame?

Just the frames. I just had a complete round of exams and lens changes. I bought the new frames to fit the lenes.

My last ~$50 frames have lasted nearly 8 years of regular wear and three more of back-up duty.

I make that $0.017 per day for daily wear. Plus those frames seem to be completely repairable.

The car repair annalogy seems off base. After all, I can always have my Toyota repaired by my dealer. However, unlike car dealers, Machon doesn't stand behind their product when it comes to repairs, yet you folks in the business are happy to sell their products to your customers. I'd pay for it if I could get factory repair within a reasonable time.

Well, interesting insight into your little niche of the world. Bottom line for me is that when I buy quality, I expect quality service.

[Judy Canty]

My Mercedes dealer will repair my car, if it breaks down and it's repairable, just not for free. If it needs something replaced and the warranty has expired, it's not free either, nor do I expect it to be.

[Audiyoda]

It's threads like this that just make me go :hammer:

I've never liked the idea of this forum being for professionals only - but just like a screaming, tantruming two year old is a great representation for birth control - this thread is a prime example of why consumers should be well informed on all ends. At the time of dispense as well as here. But the Interent has allowed consumers a great deal of information post-sale, but unfortunatly, they rarely get the correct information pre-sale and during the sale.

I know all us 'professionals' think we're high and mighty, greater than God himself at what we do, but damn...this guy comes here using the World Wide Web for what it is and he's looking for answers. OptiBoard's biggest problem is that as a professional resource we are 0% consumer friendly. Yet we are a consumer-oriented profession.

So...thinking he'll get the answer he wants (because he can use that Search feature) he posts his 'problem'. Now we as professionals know that Marchon can be a real pain to deal with - and I'm sure that by searching the forum, this consumer discovered exactly how some of us feel about that company. So when he doesn't get the answer he wants...he vents and will most likely have a difficult time putting trust into a worth while optical product. So we have done this consumer a great disservice - as did the dispenser that sold him the initial pair by not outlining the warranty terms of what he was buying.

As a profession we (opticians specifically, ECP in general) think so highly of ourselves that we forget about customer service and/or patient care. We forget about the uniqueness of our profession - we are a retailer within a professional medical practice (for the most part at least). And those dispensers that have their own shops without a lane, you are as much to blame if not a bit more - I have been to numerous such shops that the bottom line is $$$ - not customer care. When you go to Best Buy (or any other big box retailer), they have warranties spelled out - to the point that it's almost obnoxious. They inform you twice, hand you warranty details that spell out every possible issue, and remind you three times before you leave what is and is not covered by warranties. How many of us service our customers like that? And then when they come in after having chewed up their glasses under the riding lawmower, we look at them like they are completely deranged on wanting a replacement.:finger:

I was looking over the course offerings at Vision Expo West - there's only one class on customer service. What's even worse, it's offered near the end of the Expo on Saturday when most attendees will be heading home or taking the day to look around the city (which is what usually happens on Saturday at VEW). That is indeed sad - because for the most part, we as a profession have forgotten what that is.

Being that we have such difficulty with consumer activity here, can I suggest that when consumers register they are restricted from accessing certain forums? It's a rather easy feature to enable in vBulletin. That way, cosumers can access forums dedicated to them - and those of us that want to contribute to those forums can do so - leaving the professionals access to 'restricted' forums that are profession-oriented.

[Fezz]

Just the frames. I just had a complete round of exams and lens changes. I bought the new frames to fit the lenes.

My last ~$50 frames have lasted nearly 8 years of regular wear and three more of back-up duty.

I make that $0.017 per day for daily wear. Plus those frames seem to be completely repairable.

The car repair annalogy seems off base. After all, I can always have my Toyota repaired by my dealer. However, unlike car dealers, Machon doesn't stand behind their product when it comes to repairs, yet you folks in the business are happy to sell their products to your customers. I'd pay for it if I could get factory repair within a reasonable time.

Well, interesting insight into your little niche of the world. Bottom line for me is that when I buy quality, I expect quality service.

Does anybody else find it amusing that although this consumer has a new pair of glasses....HE STILL CAN'T SEE!!!!!!


Most people with this attitude and closed mind do stumble thru life blind.


Fezz

:cheers:

[Ory]

I must admit, I still don't understand your point, rh. If something breaks on your car you get it repaired or replaced. These days most problems with cars involve replacement parts, and you were told that the model still is in production so you can get a replacement front.

A repair to a frame (welding) usually doesn't look as nice as the original product.

Now, the car analogy is flawed because there are so many parts on a car and such a difference in price. Even still, most will agree that in general a car has a limited lifespan. So do glasses. Some glasses will last 8 years of day to day abuse, but those are few and far between.

I'm sure rep can correct this but I recall hearing that the average lifespan of eyeglasses is about 2.5 years. This includes those who get bored of them, those who break them, and those who keep them forever. So you're still doing better than average.

Regardless, it has already been stated that no manufacturer anywhere will warranty a frame for more than 2 years. You are past those 2 years and so Marchon has no obligation to you. It sucks that you now have a bad opinion of higher end frames because many of them are quite good, and usually much more stylish than $50 frames...but then, if you keep them for 8 years, you don't care much about style, do you? :)

[Happylady]

I used to work at a place that soldered and I was under the impression that if a bridge snaps in the middle it can't easily be soldered even if the frame is a material that solders easily. In a situation like this the best thing is just to replace the front.

I am glad you were able to find another frame that the lenses fit in well. This is hard to do with a metal frame without resizing it. Even if they can be put into another frame they might not line up correctly with your eyes.

If the new frames work well you are fortunate. I hope you have good luck with your new frames. I agree with the others that you got good service out of the other frame, three years is decent length of time for a frame to last.