Glasses Online

[1948CaseVAI]

I do not know anyone who buy glasses from the optometrist. All my friends who buy glasses get them from the independent optician shops where making lenses and selling glasses is all they do. Just take your written prescription in and they will grind it and put them in frames of your choice for less money than the optometrist. Optometrists sell glasses like old gas station used to sell tires - as a sideline.

 

[Usedtobeiowadave]

I've ordered online a couple of times, happy enough, saved a few bucks. If you do go this route, pretty common for the optometrist to not include the PD# (Pupillary distance?) on the prescription and it's a piece of data you need to enter when ordering online. Just ask your optometrist to include it. He/she will know why your asking!

 

[Hay hay hay]

I'm reading this with a pair of eyebuydirect.com glasses. Nice frame, progressive bi-focal, transitions tint....$150. Very pleased. Will buy again. You definitely must have the PD..pupil distance on your prescription.

 

[Steve@Advance]

Thanks everyone!

I'll get with her, see what she wants to do!

 

[RSF]

I'm an optometrist, and I'll give you my perspective if you like.
I grew up on a grain farm and drove tractors for my dad. We also had a cow-calf operation at a separate farm, which I've been managing since dad passed away in 2006.
I wanted to farm full time, but graduating from college in 1979, my dad saw the looming farm crisis and told me that if I wanted to farm I'd have to buy my own farm--so off to optometry school I went. Needless to say, I was in culture shock in Chicago, and a novelty to the city folks. I borrowed $40,000 to go to school, got a govt. loan for 15 of it, and my wife worked to pay the rest. I borrowed another 40 to buy a building a start my practice.
As far as pricing goes, I double what frames and lenses cost me--mainly so that I can replace a pair of glasses for no charge if necessary without losing money. I charge $79 for single vision lenses, $109 for bifocals, and $228 for progressives. Transition tint is $109 extra. I offer a 20% cash discount, not to avoid taxes but to avoid credit card charges and collections on bad checks (by the way, those credit card cash-back refunds patients get come out of my pocket). I don't try to upsell with expensive add-ons like anti-reflective coatings (although I do recommend them for sunglasses) or for extra scratch coatings (I've worn glasses for 60 years without any major scratch problems). I do offer a scratch coating for $30 that is guaranteed for 12 months, and tell patients to come back in 11 months for a free pair. Superflex frames are the best for the money. I have cheaper ones, but they do not hold up well. I charge. Free lifetime adjustments are included.
My biggest challenge is insurance companies who want a 40% discount. The current trend is for them to offer $50 for an eye exam, and pay $20 to deliver a pair of glasses, plus maintain those glasses for lifetime. I spoke to a young doctor in October who just graduated with $250,000 debt for optometry school. I don't see how she could pay the loan back at 6% interest with those kind of earnings.
I have a good friend, who started the same time I did, and triples the cost of goods to set his prices. He just built a new office that probably cost $500,000. I haven't accumulated enough money to buy a farm, so should I have charged more? Probably, but I was put on this Earth to help people, and that has been reward enough.

 

[RSF]

To answer your question about bifocal height, it's best to sit face to face with the doctor (patent in my case), see how the old bifocal lines up (tip of the lower eyelashes, base of the lower eyelashes, or bottom of the pupil for flat top bifocals; bottom or center of the pupil for progressive lenses) and measure from the bottom of the lens in the new frame to the same spot. Some doctors will dot the lens with a marker and measure the distance in millimeters--you can do that yourself. I usually set the height low so farmers can run a combine without looking through the bifocal. On progressives I cheat by making the reading area one step stronger than indicated by the refraction so that the patient can get to the sweet spot without having to look too far down.
Pd is the distance between the center of the pupils. All the information gathered by an eye exam belongs to the patient when they pay for that eye exam. You don't have to pay extra for the PD measurement, and the doctor has to give it to you.

 

[Hobo,NC]

I needed to renew my drivers license and thought I would never pass the eye exam. Its been 20 years since I had a check up so had that done. I am starting to get cataracts on a scale from 1 to 10 I am a 3. I ordered a cheap set of glasses with standard bifocals and a set of prescription readers.

The glasses are great on the money but the bifocals are not working out nor the readers. I am setting here with Walgrees readers, 2.75 I am happy with them. I want to try another set with bifocals.

Most of the work I do is at full arms length 24 to 30" the prescription bifocals only work good at 12" are closer : (.

Question, Should I go with 2.75 on the bifocals to increase the distance. I assume the 2.50 is the bifocal. BTW I passed the drivers license eye exam today with out glasses.

This post was edited by Hobo,NC on 03/21/2023 at 04:21 pm.