Prescription Lens Prices

[Dan Gould]

I'm heading to the local Lenscrafters eye doctor to get my prescription updated this weekend but it dawned on me I'm not obligated to buy the lenses at that store, where they love to upsell you. Plus, I'm very much inclined to have the new prescription put into an old frame, because I absolutely hate the trend in eyewear toward smaller/squared-off frames.

So does anyone have experience with pricing differences between Lenscrafters, Walmart and Sam's Club? Is there another national chain other than Lenscrafters that I might do better at? My corrective needs are definitely more expensive than most, since I switched to bi-focals and the whole "in about an hour" thing isn't an option anymore. So I'm very curious about the pricing at Sam's Club, for one.

As always, thanks in advance.

(Now I'm reminded of the only decent joke Ellen DeGeneres ever said (this was back when she was pretending to be straight):

I had to break up with my boyfriend. He's an optometrist, and every time we'd make love he'd say "better this way? Or better this way? Better this way? Or this way?"

[jazztrain]

Dan,

You might find the following 60 Minutes program rather eye opening (no pun intended): http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7424700n

My recollection is that the program said that most national chains and many independent stores get frames and lenses that trace back to an Italian company (Luxottica).

[Chuck Nessa]

My wife researched this a couple of years ago and decided Sam's was the best deal.

[jlhoots]

My wife researched this a couple of years ago and decided Sam's was the best deal.

Sam's Club for us too.

[Larry Kart]

Based on the way they handle other things and the quality of their house brands, if I had to chose between Sam's Club and Costco, I'd go with Costco. OTOH, if you have a rather complicated prescription, as I do, I'd go with an individual opthomologist and optometrist whom you know and trust. Dealing with a prescription and a pair of glasses that's not right for you is a big pain in the eyeballs.

I got f----- up once by an opthomologist who fiddled with/jumped up my prescription so much that what he prescribed had the effect of overriding my dominant eye, which left me dazed and confused. Fortunately my veteran optometrist caught the problem, though not until he'd made my new glasses and I'd complained about their effects. When I went back to the optholomogist for redress, because I'd now had to pay for another pair of glasses to replace the ones with the too aggressive prescription, he said tough ---t. And he was no bargain- basement opthomologist either, just a jerk.

[Ted O'Reilly]

_{Consumer Reports gives the highest rating to Costco...}

Edited August 2, 2013 by Ted O'Reilly

[JSngry]

I absolutely hate the trend in eyewear toward smaller/squared-off frames.

That makes two of us, I've put off new frames because that shit looks stupid to and on me.

But - the bigger, rounder frames are the cool thing now, but they're probably pricier too, since it's what's hip now. But fuck it, I say. If you want to look good, you gotta look right, and how do you put a price on right (unless you're the manufacturer, in which case, you do it quite easily). But from my end, again, fuck it. I got insurance, I got a job, no reason to wear stupid glasses, not for me there's not.

[jlhoots]

I absolutely hate the trend in eyewear toward smaller/squared-off frames.

That makes two of us, I've put off new frames because that shit looks stupid to and on me.

But - the bigger, rounder frames are the cool thing now, but they're probably pricier too, since it's what's hip now. But fuck it, I say. If you want to look good, you gotta look right, and how do you put a price on right (unless you're the manufacturer, in which case, you do it quite easily). But from my end, again, fuck it. I got insurance, I got a job, no reason to wear stupid glasses, not for me there's not.

So you have those Roy Orbison glasses!?!

[Soulstation1]

Lost a pair of $350-$400 Ray Ban prescription glasses with progressive lens 18 months ago and still haven't recovered

Only glasses I wear are almost 20yo ray ban prescription sunglasses with the side piece broken off

Not much fun with sun glasses in the movie theatre

Then the eye exam / prescription I had for the lost glasses has expired

Edited August 3, 2013 by Soulstation1

[JSngry]

I absolutely hate the trend in eyewear toward smaller/squared-off frames.

That makes two of us, I've put off new frames because that shit looks stupid to and on me.

But - the bigger, rounder frames are the cool thing now, but they're probably pricier too, since it's what's hip now. But fuck it, I say. If you want to look good, you gotta look right, and how do you put a price on right (unless you're the manufacturer, in which case, you do it quite easily). But from my end, again, fuck it. I got insurance, I got a job, no reason to wear stupid glasses, not for me there's not.

So you have those Roy Orbison glasses!?!

No, that's too much of a good thing...and frankly, I'm waiting for them to go out of cutting-edge style so I can pick the exactly right time to be stubbornly yet insistently just enough behind the fashion curve to keep it dry and not too expensive. If I drank martinis, I suppose I'd say the same thing.

That, and I'm too blind to see the optometrist's phone number to set up an appointment, or to call a taxi.

I need an optometrist that makes house calls, that's what I need. I consider it a failure of both personal and community ambition that neither I nor my people do not have one at the ready, not just for me, but for my good friend Dan Gould, and all others in his similar situation and/or predicament. Let us learn from our other Texanian bothers and sisters: http://www.housecalldoctorstexas.com/Referrals-to-Specialists.html

Seriously, all windiness aside, I am not a fan of those narrow-ass glasses and do intend to get some of the newer biggerblacker frames as soon as I can muster the gumption to make an appointment..

[Soulstation1]

Those will go well with your Grady (from Sanford & Son) jacket.....

LMAO

[JSngry]

HA!

I still got that thing. Can't fit into even half of it now, but I still got it. Leaving it to my son in my will.

[Quincy]

I had to get glasses 2 years ago at the height of the little frame fashion which I couldn't stand either. Being the practical sort I wanted more eye protection coverage from bugs when riding the bike, and having grown up in the '70s I gravitated towards metal frames only with the modern strong & light titanium frame (practical again). And I wanted something that just didn't seem fashionable. After having the glasses for a couple of weeks I realized mine were just about a perfect match for what the Walter White teacher-turned-meth-cooker character wears in Breaking Bad. In a DVD extra it was explained that his character wore that style for many of the same reasons I chose them. It's been a long time since chemistry class so I'll leave the meth manufacturing to someone better qualified.

Edited August 3, 2013 by Quincy

[Dan Gould]

Well I'm just glad to hear that the trends have reversed a little and I might be able to find something I like, regardless of where I purchase. When I pulled out my old frames, they didn't look all that great for having sat around for two years. Definitely going to price out Lenscrafters then go to Sam's and perhaps Walmart. Thanks to everybody for the replies.

[Dan Gould]

Maybe this trend away from small/square frames is so incipient that Lenscrafters hasn't gotten the memo yet, but the selection there absolutely sucked. But I'm glad I tried Sam's as the price to get new lenses into old frames at Lenscrafters was $350, and if I had gone that route, it would have been $210 at Sam's. As it was, I found an acceptable frame there and the total was $250. That's 60% of what I had budgeted.

[.:.impossible]

Plenty to choose from here if something should ever happen to your existing frames. I've never had an issue.

The company was started by a few friends at Wharton as an alternate to the overpriced and limited selection of frames at the outlets you mention.

Great service.

http://www.warbyparker.com/eyeglasses/men

[Dan Gould]

Plenty to choose from here if something should ever happen to your existing frames. I've never had an issue.

The company was started by a few friends at Wharton as an alternate to the overpriced and limited selection of frames at the outlets you mention.

Great service.

http://www.warbyparker.com/eyeglasses/men

I was going to mention that there was a banner ad for an eyeglass website at the bottom of the thread - I cannot imagine buying frames online. How can anyone possibly tell what any of those frames look like on themselves? And who wants to pay for a set of frames that may or may not look good and deal with returns/exchanges? I try on a frame, don't quite like it, it goes back.

Beyond that we have different opinions of what constitutes acceptable non-square/non-small frames. I wouldn't pick one of those frames to try on if I saw them at the eyeglass retailer. And a grant total of 12 frame options for "Round"???

Beyond that, I completely disagree that there are plenty to choose from.

[.:.impossible]

They send you up to six pair of trial frames at a time at no charge. The selection changes seasonally. I was only mentioning them as an option. I realize you were the OP, but perhaps someone else might see something there that they like and save themselves a few hundred bucks.

[Dan Gould]

Should have mentioned that operating procedure at the start. Its a little better but I still can't see sitting around waiting for a half a dozen frames to come in the mail so you can make a choice. So I am guessing if there are one or two you like but can't commit to yet, you can send 4 or 5 back and get more to try, while keeping the ones that are in the running?

Their prices must be a lot better to overcome that entire purchase process, not to mention negating the whole "in about an hour" service.

So what is "OP"?

[.:.impossible]

Original Poster