Order prescription glasses online?

raintyger

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Has anyone ever done this? Were you happy with the results, and did you get something simple like single vision lenses or a complex order like progressives?
 

goholistic

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Yes, I have done this! But it was many years ago. I would go to a local eyeglasses store, try a bunch on, write down the brand, size, and model number of the ones I like, and then go online to purchase. When I lived with my parents and had money to just throw away, I bought a lot of prescription eyeglasses. I have at least 30 pairs. I have purchased from Go-Optic.com, but again, it was a long time ago. I vaguely remember purchasing a few on eBay, but the product and experience was not great. I remember browsing on FramesDirect.com, but I never purchased there.

The problem with purchasing online is that you do not get a custom fitting so that they are not sliding off your nose or too tight behind your ears. I found this to be troublesome when it came to comfort. You could try to take them in to a local store for a fitting, but they might decline if you didn't purchase them there.

Prior to purchasing online, I bought a pair from LensCrafters. They were not cheap. But guess what? They are the same ones I wear day in and day out for almost 10 years (my prescription hasn't changed much). They fit on my face perfectly and are very comfortable. They have been dropped, sat on, stepped on, slept with, etc.

If I wanted to get another pair that I wanted to wear daily, I would probably spend the extra money and go back to a place like LensCrafters. I do occasionally drag out one of my online purchases for a special occasion, but the comfort isn't there to wear regularly.



P.S. My lenses are simple. Single vision with scratch-resistant coating.
 
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raintyger

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Thanks for the detailed reply! I was expecting only a few sentences, but your assessment helps a lot.
 

swampwitch

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I haven't ordered lenses online, but did get progressives for the first time 15 months ago from a business in town. I've been back there about 10 times since for adjustments (and an exchange) so I'm not sure how well it would work to get progressives online.

I rejected the first pair (too heavy and didn't fit my face as they should - which means I couldn't see well with them) and they were replaced, included in the original price, by another pair I chose (with new lenses). Even that pair took several trips to get adjusted so I could both see distance and reading. I go back every few months, when I'm in the area, to get them re-adjusted because they gradually loosen as I wear them, and I'm always surprised how well I can see again when the lenses are lined up to my eyes just right.

I'd guess single-vision lenses would be okay to order online - you can always take them to an eyeglass place and offer to pay to have the frame adjusted to your face. Good places will just adjust them for your for free, even if you didn't buy there, in hopes of having your business in the future. 
 
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raintyger

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I haven't ordered lenses online, but did get progressives for the first time 15 months ago from a business in town. I've been back there about 10 times since for adjustments (and an exchange) so I'm not sure how well it would work to get progressives online.

I rejected the first pair (too heavy and didn't fit my face as they should - which means I couldn't see well with them) and they were replaced, included in the original price, by another pair I chose (with new lenses). Even that pair took several trips to get adjusted so I could both see distance and reading. I go back every few months, when I'm in the area, to get them re-adjusted because they gradually loosen as I wear them, and I'm always surprised how well I can see again when the lenses are lined up to my eyes just right.

I'd guess single-vision lenses would be okay to order online - you can always take them to an eyeglass place and offer to pay to have the frame adjusted to your face. Good places will just adjust them for your for free, even if you didn't buy there, in hopes of having your business in the future. 
If you've been there that many times for adjustments I don't know if I'd be back for another pair. I just got my first pair of glasses ever. They are progressives and I am having a really hard time with the company. The glasses are so ill-fitting they cover up my eyebrows and my eyelashes touch the lens. I cannot easily find the intermediate zone. Because I suspected problems due to some error in how the glasses were made, I started looking up internet information. I now know 80% of the time difficulty with progressives is due to error in fitting. So I suspect your glasses may not fit well. While I haven't ever had glasses, I don't hear from my friends either that they're going back every once in a while for an adjustment.
 
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raintyger

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Well, I just found out why I'm having trouble with my glasses. They took a near-vision only prescription and made progressive lenses from it, including distance vision. I still think there's more errors in the fitting--I mean eyelashes shouldn't touch the lenses, and the glasses are so far up my nose they always slide down.

The lead person in the optical dept. made a big deal about how absolutely nothing was wrong with the glasses and no I could not get the lenses redone. I went back to them 5 or 6 times to get them to correct it, and the last time she basically tried to bully me into admitting I was wrong. I am writing everything that happened down and will simply go over her head next week so she can't cover it up.
 

swampwitch

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If you've been there that many times for adjustments I don't know if I'd be back for another pair. I just got my first pair of glasses ever. They are progressives and I am having a really hard time with the company. The glasses are so ill-fitting they cover up my eyebrows and my eyelashes touch the lens. I cannot easily find the intermediate zone. Because I suspected problems due to some error in how the glasses were made, I started looking up internet information. I now know 80% of the time difficulty with progressives is due to error in fitting. So I suspect your glasses may not fit well. While I haven't ever had glasses, I don't hear from my friends either that they're going back every once in a while for an adjustment.
I am not going back to this particular place when I get replacement glases. They were recommended by my eye doctor because they have a policy that if you don't like progressives, they will change you back to new regular glasses "for free." (The total bill was just over $1K.)

My particular frames are metal - I stay away from plastic as much as possible -  and they have lots of parts held together with tiny screws that gradually work their way loose. It's pretty annoying, but it's not a big deal to drop in the store for a few minutes every now and then when I'm in the area.

Most of my visits were in the beginning, trying to fit the first pair, then fittings for the second pair. (My friends don't know I go back to get them refitted now and then, either, but it's not uncommon for glasses to get out of shape and need adjusting.)

If your eyelashes are hitting the lenses, the frames do no fit correctly, that's for sure. Hope you get it worked out!
 
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natalie_ca

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I've been pretty lucky when it comes to getting glasses. I've only had 2 problems in the past with single vision lenses. 

The first had to do with plastic lenses and lens coatings. I had wanted glass lenses without any coating because coatings end up scratched. However the place I went to convinced me that the coatings were much better than before so I ended up getting plastic with 2 types of coating, one was antiglare.  Within 6 months my lenses were scratched and light was arcing from the scratches. It was very annoying.  The company wouldn't do anything about it because I didn't purchase their extended warranty.  I didn't have any benefits where I was working at that time, so I couldn't afford to just go and buy another pair of the same prescription. So I lived with scratched lenses for about 2or 3  years.

The next problem was when I went and got my next pair of glasses. I went somewhere else; a 1 hour eye glass place.  I insisted on glass lenses without a coating. That wasn't a problem.  I got my glasses and ended up bumping into all kinds of things.  I can't explain it but when I looked in my glasses everything looked "wonky", not right.  Things were clear, but still off. And I was getting headaches.  I went back to that place 3 different times and they told me there was nothing wrong and that it must be the prescription. I went back to my eye doctor who told me that my prescription was fine after he checked my eyes again.  I finally went back and spoke to the manager and told him that if he didn't do something about my problem, I was going to scream loudly to the BBB and the media.  He examined the lenses and found that the focal points were all off for my eyes.

It seems my eyes don't focus straight. The left one does, but the right one focuses up and a bit towards the right.  I got a replacement pair of glasses with the focal point corrected and I ended up having those glasses for about 6 years.  Granted their were heavy because the lenses were glass, but they didn't scratch!!!

The one good thing about that last experience is that I learned my focal points aren't the same. So now when I go to a place to get glasses, I tell them so they can check for that.

My recent pair that I have on order is from a company called Pearl Vision. The place I went to for my last pair are still in business, and there wasn't a problem with them; but my insurance company sent me a letter saying that they no longer provide coverage for glasses from that particular company.  Not sure what they did but it must have been something major for an insurance company to stop doing business with them.  Pearl Vision has been around for years and I was very pleased with the service I got.  She measured my PD a few times, and checked my focal points a few different times too just to make sure that everything was in order.

I should be getting my new glasses sometime this week, I am so excited.

Once you get your issue straightened out, don't go back there for another pair. Sounds like they aren't very good.
 

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My wife and I each got two pair from Warby Parker last year. We'll continue to use them going forward.

They'll send up to 5 pair of frames to you at no charge for you to try on and see if you like them.

They're inexpensive, too. The only drawbacks: no bifocals, no transitional lenses.
 
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raintyger

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Thanks for everyone's input/advice! Sounds like I should only try ordering online if I get single vision lenses, and they should be glasses that I don't intend to use all the time. I'm thinking maybe order online for distance vision glasses that I'll use for night driving. I only drive at night about 6 times a year.
Once you get your issue straightened out, don't go back there for another pair. Sounds like they aren't very good.
Yeah, I think they must have a grading system for their personnel which includes how many times lenses had to be done due to fitting error. They said I could get a refund, have the glasses redone as computer glasses, or get computer glasses at a $30 discount. Any of these options the dept. manager can just explain away, saying that it's the customer's fault, they decided afterwards that progressives weren't for them, etc. Fitting error would create a black mark against the dept. manager, indicating they don't train their staff properly.

I found this article about ordering glasses online useful:

http://www.xojane.com/diy/how-to-order-prescription-eyeglasses-online
 

Kat0121

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I bought my daughter a pair of prescription sunglasses from here: www.glassesusa.com    There's a link on the left for first time users that if you sign up you get 50% off your first pair plus free shipping. That's what I did. I got a great deal and the shipping was very fast!
 

monogodo

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Thanks for everyone's input/advice! Sounds like I should only try ordering online if I get single vision lenses, and they should be glasses that I don't intend to use all the time. I'm thinking maybe order online for distance vision glasses that I'll use for night driving. I only drive at night about 6 times a year.
My wife and I wear our Warby Parker glasses daily, and have no problems with them at all.
 

bigperm20

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I don't remember which company I ordered from, but back in '06 I bought a pair online. It was a fiasco, to say the least.

My prescription is not too complex. I wear single vision lenses. My issue is with regards to PD and OC. I'm very nearsighted so if the lenses aren't lined up correctly, I feel all the muscles in my eyes being pulled.

It usually takes at least 3 tries in a face to face transaction. Needless to say, I can't buy online.
 

natalie_ca

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Thanks for everyone's input/advice! Sounds like I should only try ordering online if I get single vision lenses, and they should be glasses that I don't intend to use all the time.
I know people with progressive lenses that order their glasses from http://www.zennioptical.com/?gclid=...-ZYp5P5pQL_davvcZ0tdbVjCi2sHTeY7X-D-dtzvD_BwE  and don't have any issues with them, which is why I'm ordering my next pairs from them.

I ordered from a local company this time because I wanted a more fancy frame than Zennie offers, plus I wanted my PD to be accurately measured.  But my next progressive lenses/frames are coming from Zennie.

Also, at Zennie, you can upload your picture and "try on" frames to see what looks good on your face.
 
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bigperm20

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Where I went wrong was using LensCrafters for my glasses when I first started wearing them. They measure PD of course, but they also center your eyes in the lenses using OC. I don't remember what the acronym stands for, but it's the vertical measurement of your pupil in the lens. PD is the horizontal measurement.

It's been my experience that no one, even other companies under the LensCrafters umbrella, use this.

My eyes are used to this type of lens so it's a big hassle buying glasses. Like I said before, the last 2 times I bought glasses they each had to be remade 3 or 4 times. Anyone else had this issue?
 

goholistic

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They measure PD of course, but they also center your eyes in the lenses using OC. I don't remember what the acronym stands for, but it's the vertical measurement of your pupil in the lens. PD is the horizontal measurement.
PD = Pupillary Distance

OC = Ocular Center

I don't remember how LenCrafters measured my eyeglasses. It was so long ago. But I basically sleep in these things. 
 

natalie_ca

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Well, I just found out why I'm having trouble with my glasses. They took a near-vision only prescription and made progressive lenses from it, including distance vision. I still think there's more errors in the fitting--I mean eyelashes shouldn't touch the lenses, and the glasses are so far up my nose they always slide down.

The lead person in the optical dept. made a big deal about how absolutely nothing was wrong with the glasses and no I could not get the lenses redone. I went back to them 5 or 6 times to get them to correct it, and the last time she basically tried to bully me into admitting I was wrong. I am writing everything that happened down and will simply go over her head next week so she can't cover it up.
My glasses arrived today. My friend took me there this afternoon to pick them up.  Unfortunately they have to redo them. I put them on and all I can say is that everything looked "wonky", and unfocused, not blurry, but more like bad 3D,

He redid the measurements and did some markings on the lenses and discovered that the horizontal pupil line is about 1/2 cm too low, so when I'm looking out through the lenses I'm looking at the wrong focal distance. In order for me to see things about computer distance away, clearly, I had to tilt my head backwards and look through the bottom portion of the lenses, or sit sideways and roll my eyes to the side and look out the side of the lenses.

He tried to get me to take them and try them out, and I told him no, that I wasn't going to sit at my computer at work with my head tilted backwards and my eyes looking downward while I tried to work.

So he redid all of the measurements and it will be another 10 days before I get them back.  Hopefully when they come back the next time, they will be right.
 

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That's pretty much the deal with progressives, you have to tilt your head back and look down at the computer.  Which is why I finally broke down and got computer glasses.  They are the opposite; if you want to see distance, you have to tilt your head down and look up.

I have never tried getting glasses online, especially with progressives.  I get my glasses (which I wear all the time, one pair or other) from a local place where you have your eyes examined and they have optician on staff.  I have had great luck there, rarely have had any issues other than normal adjustment from time to time.  I tried getting progressives from a chain type place because they were cheaper and had all sorts of problems with them.

I have been thinking about trying to get sunglasses with maybe just distance vision from a cheaper place.  Anyone every try wearing just distance lenses when you are used to progressives?  Any issues?
 
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