topic Re: Eyeglass frames in Community Chat

Eyeglass frames

hoosieroriginal — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 18:36:18 GMT

I found several eyeglass frames I really liked at Sam's Club today - all under $100 and many under $70. Just in case someone is looking for some nice frames. I need new glasses and am picky about my frames. I have been looking at some frames on Amazon, but of course when you look at them, they raise the prices. So forget that. And I found out the price for an eye exam is cheaper than at Lenscrafters. I think I will be getting my checkup and glasses at Sam's!

Re: Eyeglass frames

Mz iMac — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 18:43:48 GMT

What I found interesting is that it's the rx lens that are expensive.

For me, I do not want the expense of purchasing rx glasses then another expense of purchasing rx sun glasses. So I go w/the Transition lens.

It's expensive to kill 2 birds w/one stone.

Re: Eyeglass frames

eddyandme — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 18:43:49 GMT

@hoosieroriginal

I need new glasses, too. Do you have to belong to Sam's Club in order to purchase the glasses and do they give eye exams there, too? I don't belong to those bulk clubs 'cause. though prices are cheaper, I'd be throwing out tons of food: not worthwhile for one person, but would like to check out the optical dept.

Re: Eyeglass frames

boyzs — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 18:59:46 GMT

@hoosieroriginal thank you for posting the information. i think that was very nice & considerate of you. although it doesn't help me, albeit there's quite a few people who will benefit from your thoughtfulness. i hope you have a pleasant weekend.

Re: Eyeglass frames

DiAnne — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 19:00:12 GMT

@eddyandme

I have belonged to Costco for years and you just have to be selective what you buy. I seldom purchase food there anymore (except their fabulous rotisserie chickens) now that I live alone. I do purchase dog food, laundry detergent, medications, supplements, toilet paper, paper towels, plants in the spring, potting soil, batteries, etc. I have many friends who get their glasses there and when I need them I will definitely use them.

Re: Eyeglass frames

hoosieroriginal — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 19:35:16 GMT

@eddyandme wrote:
@hoosieroriginal

I need new glasses, too. Do you have to belong to Sam's Club in order to purchase the glasses and do they give eye exams there, too? I don't belong to those bulk clubs 'cause. though prices are cheaper, I'd be throwing out tons of food: not worthwhile for one person, but would like to check out the optical dept.

@eddyandme - you don't have to be a member for pharmacy, so I don't believe you have to be a member for glasses - but you can call and check.

Re: Eyeglass frames

Moonchilde — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 19:36:47 GMT

I don't know about Sam's, but I have had lenses & frames from Costco that I was satisfied with. Much depends on your prescription and technical needs.

Some things I've learned in the past few years:

If your prescription is in any way complicated or other than basic, Lenscrafters is a rip-off.

Eye Med vision insurance, offered by many employers, is owned by the same company that owns Lenscrafters - Luxottica. They own EyeMed, Lenscrafters, Pearle Vision, Sears Optical, Sunglass Hut, Target Optical, BJs Optical, and JC Penny's Optical.

Everything about all of these companies is extremely marked up, and *with* the insurance, if you want anything more than the cheapest lenses in the cheapest frames, you're automatically in the hundreds.

Wikipedia - A 60 Minutes segment focused on whether the company's extensive holdings in the industry were used to keep prices high. Luxottica owns not only a large portfolio of brands such as Ray-Ban and Oakley, but also retailers like Sunglass Hut and Oliver Peoples, as well as the optical departments at Target and Sears. In addition, by owning the vision insurance company EyeMed, it controlled a portion of the buyers' side of the market as well.

Costco and Walmart are free agents.

It was a real eye-opener for me when my work insurance switched from EyeMed to VSP. For my prescription, I went from paying $850 (yes, *with* insurance) to $125 - the difference between EyeMed's and VSP's benefits. And I got bells & whistles included for the $125. VSP also sells private individual vision insurance.

Lenscrafters encourages their customers to believe that both Costco and Walmart produce inferior eye products because...they are Costco and Walmart. And of course, competition for the Lenscrafters conglomerate. Now that I know what I know, I doubt there is anything inferior about Costco or Walmart glasses, it's likely a smear campaign fed into by unsuspecting customers.

Just something to think about.

Re: Eyeglass frames

hoosieroriginal — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 19:37:28 GMT

@Mz iMac wrote:
What I found interesting is that it's the rx lens that are expensive.

For me, I do not want the expense of purchasing rx glasses then another expense of purchasing rx sun glasses. So I go w/the Transition lens.
It's expensive to kill 2 birds w/one stone.

@Mz iMac - I reallly like the idea of Transition lenses - I may have to check on the price. They are much better than they used to be.

Re: Eyeglass frames

AKgirl2 — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 19:43:17 GMT

@hoosieroriginal wrote:
I found several eyeglass frames I really liked at Sam's Club today - all under $100 and many under $70. Just in case someone is looking for some nice frames. I need new glasses and am picky about my frames. I have been looking at some frames on Amazon, but of course when you look at them, they raise the prices. So forget that. And I found out the price for an eye exam is cheaper than at Lenscrafters. I think I will be getting my checkup and glasses at Sam's!

The selection of frames at Costco and Sams Club are great...good variety and various prices. I've had eye exams done at Costco which were good as well, along with great service from sales staff.

Glasses took about a week to pick up. I wear no-line bifocals (progressive lenses) and between eye exam, frames and lenses the cost is around $400. I don't buy new frames every year, and that helps to save between $100-150.

Re: Eyeglass frames

gardenman — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 19:45:21 GMT

I used Zenni optical online for my last glasses and they're great. The price was amazingly low, the quality is great, and the selection is enormous. The only negative was the three weeks they took to get here. I highly recommend them.

Re: Eyeglass frames

Moonchilde — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 20:06:14 GMT

@hoosieroriginal wrote:
@Mz iMac wrote:
What I found interesting is that it's the rx lens that are expensive.

For me, I do not want the expense of purchasing rx glasses then another expense of purchasing rx sun glasses. So I go w/the Transition lens.
It's expensive to kill 2 birds w/one stone.
@Mz iMac - I reallly like the idea of Transition lenses - I may have to check on the price. They are much better than they used to be.

I have an appt with the optometrist next week and will most likely opt for Transitions. I knew people who got them when the technology was new and from what I heard then I didn't want them.

Now, I hear people say they're much improved, and I have family members who like theirs. My eyes have always been very sensitive to light & glare (light blue eyes), and any Fit-Overs I have had are not very dark and I find myself squinting against glare while driving. I'm hoping the *combination* of Transitions & Fit-Overs will work better for me.

Re: Eyeglass frames

willdob3 — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 20:12:21 GMT

I got my glasses at WalMart. I'd had my eyes examined elsewhere but the frames I liked there combined with the lenses I needed were around $700.

I found that WalMart carried a newer, improved version of the lenses I would have gotten at my eye doctor's office & I found a great frame, too. I got better glasses, the latest and best lenses for my eyes, and paid hundreds less.

Re: Eyeglass frames

DiAnne — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 20:18:54 GMT

My eye doctor does not sell glasses. I think that is part of the reason he has told me not to waste my money and just stick with drugstore readers for now.

Re: Eyeglass frames

chrystaltree — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 20:19:31 GMT

I never thought of Amazon for eyeglass frames. I recently bought new glasses and the frame were outrageous....and I didn't buy the most expensive ones. As for Amazon, no they do raise prices on things we look at....that's just silly. In fact I just ordered a rolling book bag that I've been looking at for about 3 weeks (for my laptop and reference books when I go into the office) and it's the same price it's always been.

Re: Eyeglass frames

hoosieroriginal — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 20:53:48 GMT

@chrystaltree wrote:
I never thought of Amazon for eyeglass frames. I recently bought new glasses and the frame were outrageous....and I didn't buy the most expensive ones. As for Amazon, no they do raise prices on things we look at....that's just silly. In fact I just ordered a rolling book bag that I've been looking at for about 3 weeks (for my laptop and reference books when I go into the office) and it's the same price it's always been.

@chrystaltree - yes Amazon does raise the price after you look at something on certain items - the glass frames I was looking at were $89 - now they are $125 - I had them in my "hold till later" and the price has now risen. It has happened to me several times - on drapes I was looking at - originally $47 pr now $58. When they raise the price, I don't purchase from them.

Re: Eyeglass frames

hoosieroriginal — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 20:56:45 GMT

@AKgirl2 wrote:
@hoosieroriginal wrote:
I found several eyeglass frames I really liked at Sam's Club today - all under $100 and many under $70. Just in case someone is looking for some nice frames. I need new glasses and am picky about my frames. I have been looking at some frames on Amazon, but of course when you look at them, they raise the prices. So forget that. And I found out the price for an eye exam is cheaper than at Lenscrafters. I think I will be getting my checkup and glasses at Sam's!
The selection of frames at Costco and Sams Club are great...good variety and various prices. I've had eye exams done at Costco which were good as well, along with great service from sales staff.
Glasses took about a week to pick up. I wear no-line bifocals (progressive lenses) and between eye exam, frames and lenses the cost is around $400. I don't buy new frames every year, and that helps to save between $100-150.

@AKgirl2 - I had a pair of Dolce and Gabbana frames I got at Lenscrafters on sale which I just LOVED - I stepped on them one day and broke the frames. Now can't find them anywhere. So now I'm using an old pair of glasses that I know the prescription isn't correct for my eyes now.

Re: Eyeglass frames

eddyandme — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 21:09:30 GMT

@hoosieroriginal wrote:
@eddyandme wrote:
@hoosieroriginal

I need new glasses, too. Do you have to belong to Sam's Club in order to purchase the glasses and do they give eye exams there, too? I don't belong to those bulk clubs 'cause. though prices are cheaper, I'd be throwing out tons of food: not worthwhile for one person, but would like to check out the optical dept.
@eddyandme - you don't have to be a member for pharmacy, so I don't believe you have to be a member for glasses - but you can call and check.

@hoosieroriginal

Thanks!

Re: Eyeglass frames

pinkcrystal — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 21:27:13 GMT

Zenni is for sure the way to go! I have bought multple pairs from them and now have a veritable eyeglass wardrobe! The most I've paid for progressive lenses with frames was about 70 dollars a pair.

Re: Eyeglass frames

AKgirl2 — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 21:35:34 GMT

"Where" did you find progressive lenses for $70? I get the anti glare coating and scratch proof coating. Is that included in the $70? You mentioned Zenni...is that an online site for glasses?

Re: Eyeglass frames

AKgirl2 — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 21:39:42 GMT

@hoosieroriginal wrote:
@AKgirl2 wrote:
@hoosieroriginal wrote:
I found several eyeglass frames I really liked at Sam's Club today - all under $100 and many under $70. Just in case someone is looking for some nice frames. I need new glasses and am picky about my frames. I have been looking at some frames on Amazon, but of course when you look at them, they raise the prices. So forget that. And I found out the price for an eye exam is cheaper than at Lenscrafters. I think I will be getting my checkup and glasses at Sam's!
The selection of frames at Costco and Sams Club are great...good variety and various prices. I've had eye exams done at Costco which were good as well, along with great service from sales staff.
Glasses took about a week to pick up. I wear no-line bifocals (progressive lenses) and between eye exam, frames and lenses the cost is around $400. I don't buy new frames every year, and that helps to save between $100-150.
@AKgirl2 - I had a pair of Dolce and Gabbana frames I got at Lenscrafters on sale which I just LOVED - I stepped on them one day and broke the frames. Now can't find them anywhere. So now I'm using an old pair of glasses that I know the prescription isn't correct for my eyes now.

Costco, Sams, Target and Walmart had some great looking frames. I only can vouch for purchasing at Costco and Walmart though. Don't know what the other stores charge for exam, lenses and how long it takes for you to get your glasses.