Another good experience with Costco Optical, and a defect that appeared after purchase.

Just got two new pairs about a month ago, both with progressive lenses, one pair polarized sunglasses.

About a week ago I noticed I really couldn't focus on small text, and blurriness in the center of my right eye's vision with the regular pair.

Turns out there is distortion in the middle of the lenses, much worse on the right. (clear rippling, seems to be in the middle of the lens, not on the surface) Thought it might have been carb cleaner, or bug spray that might ove gotten on them.

Went back to Costco yesterday, optical lady asked if I'd left them on the dash in the sun, or someplace very hot. She said the high index lenses are susceptible to heat damage, and they have seen it frequently in the last few months. She ordered me a new set of lenses at no cost, (said one time only), and they will be in next week.

All in all, I'm satisfied with the Costco product and service. Second time I've had their exams, different providers each time, and both times the new prescription has seemed great. Started getting the green tint transitions lenses, and it seems to sharpen my outdoor/in the woods clarity. Morel mushrooms in particular seem to be much easier to see.

YMMV.

I'm going to stick with Zenni, they mostly eliminate the people with machines, and machines don't screw up.

I go to LC. Find the frame I like. Go home. Order off internet. Take new frame to Costco. They will put lenses in my own frames for $10 or $20 extra. I get the best of both worlds.
Lineman

quote:

Originally posted by Lineman101:

I go to LC. Find the frame I like. Go home. Order off internet. Take new frame to Costco. They will put lenses in my own frames for $10 or $20 extra. I get the best of both worlds.
Lineman

Last time I checked, Costco added an $18.00 upcharge to use your own frame instead of one of theirs.

It turns out Indiana does not require licensing of Opticians so anyone can be hired at a store and given on the job training. The surrounding states require licenses (Illinois and Ohio at least).

The lab manager at the local LC happens to be licensed, can talk technical stuff, and spent an hour or more with me yesterday. They marked up the current lenses again and saw the misalignment with my eyes. So she (lab manager) refitted the frames, squared them up and redid the measurements. Segment height in each eye is now about the same, but she had to move the frames laterally to better fit my face and crooked nose. So now the PD is different in each eye relative to the frame (about 2 mm difference). But the "view master" thing with the blue dot still says my eyes are equally spaced apart.

So it all depends on the reference point. Apparently the higher bridge of my nose where it meets by forehead is centered between my eyes, but the rest of my nose is a bit slanted to one side with a bump on the other side near where the nosepad sits. Takes someone who knows what they are doing to fit the frame right, get it level at the right height, and then find the best compromise on lateral position.

For the eye center, I was told the correct point is where a bright light reflects off your retina and shows through the pupil, not necessarily the center of the pupil because it can be offset from the optical center of the retina. Interesting.

Anyway, the new complete pair should arrive in a few days and the lab manager can adjust them to match the frames I have now and it might all work out. If not, I will get a refund and go somewhere else, either an independent nearby or make the 30 mile drive to a Costco.

So they called this Monday to say they got the first remake in - the ones ordered week and a half ago based on the original measurements the day after I found the problems with the first pair.

They didn't cancel that order or put it on hold as we redid all the measurements like I thought they would. They said I could try them as I wait for the "final" order to arrive.

The frame was new this time, but one lens is too big for the frame leaving a gap at the screw point (but that's within tolerance!). The arms were uneven too with the whole pair twisted (but they sit more evenly on my face that way!). And now I find the other lens is slightly loose, not as bad as the first set but not acceptable either.

Lenses fitted to new frames at Oakley? Looks more like another set of lenses dropped into new frames ordered separately. This time there was supposed to be no accident or incorrect order, they assured me many times it would be as they promised and both the store manager and the lab manager were involved. Can't believe lenses this nice (they are) could be fitted to new frames this poorly by Oakley.

Now the "final" pair is 14 days away from the order date last Friday due to "back to school" rush. More like a game to push me up against the 30 day return policy from the original order.

Can't believe this can get screwed up so many times.

quote:

Now the "final" pair is 14 days away from the order date last Friday due to "back to school" rush. More like a game to push me up against the 30 day return policy from the original order.

If I were the customer in this instance I would tell them that their only choices are

• define the 30 day return policy to start when they notify me that the glasses are in the store and ready for pick-up, or
  
  
• cancel the order right now and refund anything (everything) that I have paid.

No other options are acceptable.

If you really, REALLY, want Oakley, I'll bet that LensCrafters is not the only optometry store. I know that my local independent (family owned) store will order anything I want, at a pretty competitive price.

Sunglass style is a personal choice. I like American Optical. You can order non-prescription glasses directly from them, or for prescription, you can order the frame only and have your local optician supply the lenses.

I like this style:

V-Tail,

This is for clear progressive lenses, not sunglasses.

Yes there are other options, but I don't have any confidence in VisionWorks, Eyeglass World, or "My Eye Doctor". WalMart and Target Optical don't seem so great either and aren't cheap. One of the larger indpendents charges a fortune, but at least is open on weekends. The smaller indpendents are all bankers hours.

This LC store did the single vision lenses I've worn since 2012 fitted into a set of frames from 2001 (flexi Titanium lasts forever). They also provided prescription Oakley Sunglasses with Oakley lenses (I liked the frame and they said I had to get Oakley lenses due to the curvature or rake of the frames) and they've been fine.

So I had no reason to go elsewhere until this whole ordeal started, they had done fine in years past. Now it's turning into the frog being boiled alive by slowly heating the water. Each step they say it will be done right, but a new way to screw up is created each time.

I decided to get Oakley lenses and frames because they are supposed to be manufactured as complete pairs at Oakley (I was told more than once this is the only way you can get Oakley lenses), therefore taking the back room store lab out of the equation. But they seem to be right in the middle of it no matter what I am being told.

Cutting and running before the 30 days is up is probably the only option now.

^^^^^ My wife used to work for Doctors Vision Center in Rocky Mount NC, they got bought out byMyeyedoctor.
They fired staff, sold off machinery, and ran off good staff and doctors.
MrsMike wouldn’t go to them after the buyout, I went to the same office and doctor I had been seeing after the buyout and received great care because of the history.

Fast forward to our move to Texas and now I need glasses. So I have found I need a bifocal. It took me three times to the local eye doctor( recommendation from a friend) since I’ve never had glasses before I know nothing.

First set were off....and I am non adaptive for progressives...yay
Second set wound up developing “stress fractures” in both lenses and the bifocal....
now I’m on the third set of lenses since getting glasses. I feel like I’ve been given the run around but I don’t know enough about glasses to know if I’ve been jerked around. So fret not, it might just not be Lens Crafters. But I can guarantee this, if anything else happens I will spend the money elsewhere, get a second opinion and make it my works life to burn them down. GLASSES are expensive and I hate to waste money.

The Punchline:

The final remake arrived today. First thing I noticed, another loose left lens. WTH? Right lens does fit better though and frame are not otherwise twisted or damaged that I can see. Lab manager said the loose lens is OK, it won't come out, and too tight is not good. Seriously? Too tight can be bad on high index lenses, but with polycarbonate it doesn't matter. And the previous set had a right lens too big for the frame so much that there was a gap at the screw joint.

I put them on and they sat way high, exactly like the ones the store manager jacked up the nosepieces on and I put back on the rack almost a month ago. That's awfully coincidental because this model of Oakley frames fits quite well with little adjustment when they are factory new.

Either Oakley simply cannot fit lenses to frames properly or these store clowns are just mixing and matching separately ordered lenses with frames in the store and continuing to lie about it. Why they would do this I have no idea, other than to save money somehow. But I simply cannot believe the "factory" would consistently screw up the lens fit to the frames, and keep sending "bad" pairs to see if I will take them.

Three strikes, and they are out. I decided already I was done with LC for good, and would return everything and go somewhere else. Today they surprised me with a call around lunchtime saying the new pair arrived, so I gave it one last chance, maybe it would be OK. But no, same crap different day. What a waste of time.

Now it'll have to be an independent or a Costco 45 minutes away...

Edited to add: Stopped in on the way home from work Tuesday and returned for full refund. Only the manger was there along and someone else I hadn't dealt with and she was polite, apologetic, can gave me no attitude. Took her a couple tries to process the refund to my HSA debit card though...

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Lefty Sig,