The thing about getting a good deal on something? It only feels special if it’s limited in some way — whether that means only a certain set of customers has access to it, or it’s only available for a window in time. To that end, some LensCrafters customers claim proffered discounts on prescription eyewear are bogus, accusing the chain of faking a regular/original price and then offering a so-called discount. [More]
eyeglasses
Online Eyeglass Vendor Who Threatened Customers Arrested Again For Running Another Bogus Store
By 5.26.17
You may remember the bizarre tale of Vitaly Borker, the man who served three years in prison for trying to boost his Google search ranking by harassing his customers online. Federal prosecutors say he’s back at it, once again selling eyewear on the internet, and allegedly bullying customers who dare to ask for refunds. [More]
No More Wearing Glasses To Look Smart In Your Passport Photo
By 10.14.16
Some folks wear glasses so frequently that they look like a different person when they aren’t bespectacled, so it would seem to make sense that they should be wearing eyeglasses when getting their passport photos taken. Not so, says the State Department, which is reminding people that come Nov. 1, your specs are probably not welcome in new passport pics. [More]
Government Warns Eye Doctors: Provide Prescriptions After Eye Exams Or Else
By 5.13.16
It’s really easy to find eyeglass stores that also offer eye exams. You get your eyes checked, pick out the frames, and get the final product all from the same place, so you might not notice that you didn’t get a copy of your prescription after the exam. That’s against the law, and one federal agency is reminding eye doctors of the costly penalty for failing to provide prescriptions. [More]
Google Glass Prepping To Be More Than Geeky Headgear
By 11.22.13
Maybe you want to buy Google’s wearable Google Glass device when it hits the market, but don’t want to look like you’re dressed as Tech Engineer #3 from some episode of a late ’90s sci-fi movie? The company is reportedly talking with at least one eyewear company to come up with designs for Google Glass that would integrate prescription lenses and make the wearer slightly less conspicuous. [More]
Walmart: Sorry Your Glasses Got Scratched During Repair, But It’s Not Our Problem
By 7.26.13
Ronald’s wife needed to get her glasses repaired, so she took them to Walmart. Walmart is convenient and has an optical department, after all. Even though she just came in to have a screw replaced, she left with a large scratch on her glasses. Unfortunately for her, the store manager insists that they’re not responsible for any damage that might happen to your glasses while they’re being fixed. [More]
Stanton Optical Makes Blurry Glasses For Undercover TV Producer, Blames Doctor
By 11.15.12
Ace consumer reporter Kurtis Ming in Sacramento, California has received a lot of complaints from readers about glasses from Stanton Optical, a growing national chain. Customers reported blurry lenses that caused poor vision and pain. One customer said that looking through them was like “looking through a glass of water.” Another claims that they’ve had Stanton remake their glasses fourteen times, and they’re still blurry. So what did the consumer advocates of CBS Sacramento do? They got eye exams and took their eyeballs undercover. [More]
Here is The Eye Exam Appointment You Didn't Ask For
By 7.13.11
Terry got an eye exam last year from the handy in-house doctor at a local Pearle vision, but decided not to buy the overpriced glasses that they had to offer. He had no intention of going back, so he was annoyed when they took the liberty of scheduling an appointment for him this year, and notified him of the date by e-mail. Except…well, the local store claims that they never did any such thing. [More]
Costco Rated Top Store To Buy Your Eyeglasses
By 11.3.10
Costco isn’t just a place to buy enough toilet paper or cereal to supply a small army; it’s also the place where you’ll find the best deals on eyeglasses, says a new study from our fitter and trimmer siblings at Consumer Reports Health. [More]
Lenscrafters Breaks Your Glasses, Offers 50% Off New Pair
By 11.3.10
Be wary when someone offers to clean your glasses for free. Two different readers on opposite sides of the country wrote to us in one 24-hour span with Lenscrafters horror stories. They describe perfectly good glasses ruined after an offer of a nice cleaning from the eyewear giant. [More]
BJ's Charges For "Free" Replacement Glasses, Then Loses Them
By 5.27.10
Keith’s daughter wears glasses, and recently a pretty mundane thing happened–her glasses broke during gym class. No problem, though: he bought the glasses at BJ’s Optical, where replacement insurance is included on childrens’ glasses. Except the “free” replacements somehow cost $39 under this insurance plan. And BJ’s took several weeks to lose the frames on their way to or from the site where the glasses are actually made, then start the whole process over again. Keith is not satisfied. [More]
By 6.1.09
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More cheap online eyeglass sources for the focus-challenged among us: Optical4less and Goggles4U. Yeah, they sound like scam sites, but Kevin Kelly vouches for them. [Cool Tools]
Club Monaco Will Not Let Anyone Discover The Truth Behind Its Eyeglasses
By 4.23.09
Beaverly saw some eyeglass frames she really liked on some Club Monaco in-store signage. No matter what she does, however, she can’t find out if they really exist and whether or not she can purchase the same frames for herself. They’ve gone so far as to make Russell, the sales guy who was trying to help her, “disappear.”
America’s Best Makes Four-Eyes See A Blurry Kind of Red
By 7.5.06
With our retinas conjoined by the royal ‘Consumerist’ we, Ben and I from a grotesque octo-occulus. That is to say: we’re both four-eyes…es. But while Ben dashes off to network interviews clad in dashing Gucci frames, my glasses have two different ear pieces and sit crookedly upon my face. One ear piece is superglued to the joint; the other floppily waggles back and forth on the left side of my cranium. A mere nod sends them rocketing off of my face at high velocity to maim innocent by-standers around me.
