YIKES!! A bit of a surprise, today. . .

[Cudedog]

I went in for an eye exam yesterday to an optometrist that I really like, that I have been going to for several years. She does a really good and through exam, takes her time, which I appreciate.

Her office phoned this morning to let me know the cost of the frames and lenses for my new glasses.

. . . I was quoted $500.00 (five-hundred dollars). As are many of you, I am retired and on a fixed income.

I was shocked. I was budgeting about $250 - $300, max (been saving up for a while). I honestly don't think I am being gouged, I really like this optometrist, but I really need new glasses - I haven't had new glasses since 2018, so they tell me. The glasses I got from her in the past were with the insurance I had from my ex-employer.

I am now looking to see if I can order the lenses and frames online, and how much they would cost.

This is a fairly new thing, ordering frames and lenses online, but it is probably the wave of the future.

My question is this: Has anyone here ordered glasses online? If yes, which online service did you use? Were you satisfied with the result? Would you do it again?

I am currently trying to figure out what glasses would cost me if I ordered them from Lenscrafters, as they are one of the few "name brand" places for online glasses.

I am not a "fancy" person - plain, down-to-earth frames are fine.

Thanks.

Anne

[JudyJB]

Do you have any old frames you can reuse? I bought three pair of wire frame, bendable glasses about 16 years ago and just keep putting in new lenses. The ones I am now wearing used to be sunglasses, so I did not wear them often. Took them into Lenscrafters when I had to get glasses for close-up after my cataract surgery.

In any case, if you do order new frames, keep in mind you can use them more than once.

[Cudedog]

Do you have any old frames you can reuse? I bought three pair of wire frame, bendable glasses about 16 years ago and just keep putting in new lenses. The ones I am now wearing used to be sunglasses, so I did not wear them often. Took them into Lenscrafters when I had to get glasses for close-up after my cataract surgery.

In any case, if you do order new frames, keep in mind you can use them more than once.

All of my old frames are toast. . . but this gives me an idea. I can order new frames (only) online for cheap, and then take these frames into my local optometrist for the lenses. . . doesn't help with the cost too much, but every little bit helps.

Not sure my optometrist would agree to this - it may be that they keep the exam price low, and make up for it in the cost of the frames (and lenses).

Anne

[OregonLuvr]

Check out Zenni Optical online. I always ordered my glasses from there. You enter your prescription and then pick out your glasses etc. Always been very happy with them. Think a few others on here order from them too.

[Bethers]

On Karen's recommendation several years ago I got glasses from Zenni and all my glasses since are from Zenni. You need your prescription and pd number.

[MandysMom]

I have known lots of people who order from online, and have been over ten years. I had good coverage so went to Costco, where my most expensive pair, which Dr office wanted $800 COPAY, a Cosco were $125.
Velda

[snowball]

I may be mistaken but I think you can get glasses without belonging to Cosco I know RX's you can but thinking glasses as well
sheila

[dpf]

I've been ordering from Zenni for the last 10 years. Never had a problem. I have never paid more than $90. for frame and progressive lenses. I feel like I can always have two pair of glasses for half the price that I would pay for one pair at the optometrist. Also I bought a cheap pair with just distance correction for $7 or $8 so I can lay in bed and watch TV without having my glasses down on my nose!

[JudyJB]

If you order online, try to read the size of your current glasses on the side of the ear things.

Just tried to read mine, but realized I needed glasses to read the size of my glasses!! Think I will need to get someone with better vision to read mine, but there is a size there, and if you get the ear pieces too long, it will be hard to fit them around your ears.

There is also a width size also, but I can't read that on mine either!!

[Colliemom]

Annie, I just paid a bit more than that for my new ones. I could have gone elsewhere probably and got them cheaper, but because I need a special lens for my left eye where that implant is loose, I stayed with my doctors office on this. Glad I did, because the new lens is causing me some issues, so they are ordering a different one. It has a bifocal in it and the way the lens is designed, it makes things looked bowed either in or out depending on how I look at things, plus the bifocal isn’t necessary, can’t read with it anyway. They are ordering what they call a single vision lens instead. We shall see how that goes.

[gypsyrose1126]

Yes glasses are expensive if you need bifocals or anything extra. I have used my same frames and have had new lenses put in those, however, frames do eventually wear out. I had to get new frames and lenses this year. I have never ordered online, but maybe will try it next time I need glasses.

[Cudedog]

Thanks so very much to all of you for taking the time to respond to my post.

It is still a bit of a "head-scratcher" to me that a single pair of glasses will cost a lot more than your average, mid-grade, well-featured, PC computer.

Having new lenses put into old frames is a good suggestion, but my current frames are four years old, and with wearing them daily they are pretty much shot.

Since so many were kind enough to post about their experiences with Zenni, I have decided to give Zenni a try. I do have a bit of a "complex" perscription (I am pretty sure that mine will not be the first "complex" prescription they have ever dealt with), but what I think I will do is order the glasses with the least expensive frames that they offer, and see how that comes out. If it comes out well, I will have paid a small fraction of what the glasses would have cost me from my optometrist. If they don't turn out well, I won't be out a lot of $$, and maybe can even get most of the cost refunded.

Kinda sounds like a "win-win" kinda thing.

The next step is getting my prescription from my optometrist. I had them email me an itemized copy of my bill yesterday, so I know that they are able to email stuff. I just shot off an email to them requesting my prescription, hoping that they will do this for me.

Since the exam was (relatively) inexpensive, I am sure they make their living with the markup on the lenses and frames, so they may not want to send me the prescription, probably guessing (correctly!) that I will try to have the glasses made somewhere else.

If they refuse to give me the prescription, I'm going to call around and see what it would cost to get another eye exam where they would give me the prescription. I'm hoping they will just give me the prescription, because the optometrist lady has given me really good glasses in the past.

I am actually a bit "torn" about doing this - I'm sure that a business like an optometrist is hurting during the pandemic just like everyone else. But. . . well, business is business. I prefer to keep as much of my money in my pocket as I can.

I welcome your comments on this.

Thank you.

Anne

[Cudedog]

On Edit:

I just discovered that it is illegal for an optometrist to refuse to give you your prescription (as per the FTC - Federal Trade Commission):

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/understanding-your-prescription-rights-glasses-and-contact-lenses

In fact, it looks like it is a requirement for them to give you your prescription at the time of the exam, without your need to ask for it.

Well, well. Interesting learning curve, this.

I'm waiting to see how my optometrist responds.

Anne

[BarbaraRose]

I also use Zenni and have for years. I love their glasses! The frames are well made and I rarely pay over $50 for mine including extras (simple prescription tho). My sunglasses (aviator style) cost me $10 so I get a couple pair of those at a time.

[JudyJB]

Anne, I always have carried a copy of my prescription in case a lens breaks while I am away and have to get a replacement made. I also keep a spare pair of glasses with me anyway, but before my cataract surgery, I could not walk without glasses, let along drive without them. And now, I can drive without glasses, but can't read a map or my cell phone! Without my glasses, I cannot even see my GPS easily.