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Thread: Costa screws the RX customer financially with new RX program!

  1. #1
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    Redhot Jumper Costa screws the RX customer financially with new RX program!

    I just had a client who bought an authentic Costa RX in SV last summer and he wants a progressive in that frame. POF is not listed on the new price list and after waiting on hold for 4 minutes was told the client can get a $40.00 retail credit off the $729.00 glasses for using his own frame that is less than 7 months old.
    I emailed the person in charge of the program and he confirmed the madness; the patient might want to donate his old pair to charity instead of the lousy $40.00.

    I am all for selling new frames and charging top prices, but this is crazy and arrogant to me! They gave this crazy lifetime warranty, now they will **** off the folks who spent the most money.

    This just means we will put everyone of these jobs in another lens and Costa will not get paid for this one and the client will never buy a Costa RX again. We can use a Costa frame and be able to get lenses changed out at a fair price of only $600.00.

    I actually get to look like a hero and make more money on every order, but that is not the point! Costa does not tell you this until it happens to your customer.

    Craig

  2. #2
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    Blue Jumper

    Quote Originally Posted by Craig View Post

    I just had a client who bought an authentic Costa RX in SV last summer and he wants a progressive in that frame. POF is not listed on the new price list and after waiting on hold for 4 minutes was told the client can get a $40.00 retail credit off the $729.00 glasses for using his own frame that is less than 7 months old.
    I emailed the person in charge of the program and he confirmed the madness; the patient might want to donate his old pair to charity instead of the lousy $40.00.

    I am all for selling new frames and charging top prices, but this is crazy and arrogant to me! They gave this crazy lifetime warranty, now they will **** off the folks who spent the most money.

    This just means we will put everyone of these jobs in another lens and Costa will not get paid for this one and the client will never buy a Costa RX again. We can use a Costa frame and be able to get lenses changed out at a fair price of only $600.00.

    I actually get to look like a hero and make more money on every order, but that is not the point! Costa does not tell you this until it happens to your customer.

    Craig
    Lifetime Warranty
    Because we monitor the quality of every pair of sunglasses we build, we back them with a lifetime warranty.
    If a pair of Costas needs to be fixed, they get sent back to the shop where they were made and the experts who built them will bring them back to 'like-new' standards.

    What prevents your customer from having an accident with them glasses and make the claim.........and then take it from there.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Ryser View Post
    Lifetime Warranty
    Because we monitor the quality of every pair of sunglasses we build, we back them with a lifetime warranty.
    If a pair of Costas needs to be fixed, they get sent back to the shop where they were made and the experts who built them will bring them back to 'like-new' standards.

    What prevents your customer from having an accident with them glasses and make the claim.........and then take it from there.
    (1) Honesty
    (2) They would be remade as SV, not PAL.

  4. #4
    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Silver Supporter Java99's Avatar
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    That's just wrong.

  5. #5
    OptiBoardaholic a1vo's Avatar
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    I would tell the customer that it's Costa (not you, the ECP) only price their 7-month old Rx sunglasses for $40. Also give them Costa contact information to the customer and encourage them to file complaint directly. Direct consumer complaint has more weight then ECP's.

    Of course, be a hero offer them non-Costa lenses with better pricing/value.


    Oh, also get rid of their merchandise and stop doing business with them.
    Paul @ Silicon Valley California

  6. #6
    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Silver Supporter Barry Santini's Avatar
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    I remember when Costa's slogan was:
    "How to tell quality sunglasses from high-priced junk!"

    Words to live by.

    B
    Last edited by Barry Santini; 03-24-2012 at 08:37 AM.

  7. #7
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    Ask them about this at Expo. and see what they say.

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    Something else to keep in mind... as I have been told by costa: The lifetime warranty does not apply to rx'ed costas, it becomes a simple 1 year warranty. Also they made it very clear with us that we must use their lab exclusively or we may lose our costa 'license.' I'm pretty ****** about it, but I make it VERY clear to patients that the pricing is all Costa mandated pricing and we aren't allowed to vary from it. On a completely related note, I've seen a little bit of this, and I suspect a lot more as summer approaches, but I've already rx'ed more Wiley X than I have costa (very abnormal).

  9. #9
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    That's crazy. I had mentioned them to my higher up, because I've had a few patients mention them, but that's ridiculous. At least Maui Jim will allow you to send a POF and put new lenses in for a lenses only price.

    I'm so over 'name' brand sun anyways. Sell them a frame you can put any lens you feel is best for the patient. Not the two choices these "high end performance" companies allow you to have.

  10. #10
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    There is so much more on them... The frames were made in Japan, now made in Taiwan. The lenses use to be available in a nice looking grey plano cr39, now they are 20 bucks more in an awful blue poly. And the frame colors have changed slightly too.

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