Paging Dr. Bradley.....

Carol Reed

In Memoriam
Messages
5,533
Location
Coolidge, AZ
OK. I tripped over my flat feet today and took a face plant on the sidewalk. Worst damage was severely scratching one lens of my glasses. So went to Lenscrafter where I original got them (and paid too much). They will not order the one lens. Gave me a bunch of mogglygoop that made absolutely no sense. Had I been under warranty (Varilux lens), no problem. And they want $800 for two lens! What!?! If I am to be raped, could we at least have a nice mattress?

Current lens prescription from an Arizona eye doc. Prescription about 18 month old. I need a North county, (preferably Escondido) eye doc. If I have to get both lens, then I may as well get a new prescription. Want to stay with Verilux. Had the best luck with them over 40 years.

Your guidance, kind doctor, is muchly coveted. Any other options other than Lenscrafters? You can call. I'll even take you out to lunch for your advise.

The rest of you can commiserate with me.
 
My BIL had and used many sayings, one of which is in very common use and my comments come under the heading, "That's one darn fools opinion." That bit about not replacing only one lens is a hoot. We did it in my office. What they are saying is that their opticians are not good enough to give you a second lens that will match the old lens. Now that I have said that, I will add that it is safer to get lenses by the pair since most opticians today are really sales people not really optical people (even though they think they are). They have had some optical education. However, selling optical, explaining features and benefits of certain lenses and frames is what they read about in the journals and the classes they attend at conventions.

There are several companies that manufacture top quality, no-line, lenses. There are lots and lots of companies that manufacture lenses that are OK and lots and lots more that manufacture bottom end quality. Varilux was one of the top companies when I was in practice; beware because it has been lots and lots of years since I had any say about lens design in general, or for specific types of activities so my info is obsolete.

"In my day" good lens blanks were molded on one surface; the "personal" part of the Rx was ground into the other surface (there were also poor lenses made this way). The really, really good no-line lenses were made with lasers. The use of lasers instead of molding and/or grinding allows for vastly superior lenses if they are fit correctly to the patient's eye position...in relationship to the eyes (how far off of level are the eyes, how far from where the frame fits the nose is each eye) and a bunch of etc.s. The laser cut lenses compensate for what the eyes do when they look to the sides, up and down. All ground and polished lenses are optimum when you look through the "optical centers."

Please understand that an "optician" who has not had classes and studied the properties of these lenses can take these excellent, expensive, lenses and make them function like ordinary lenses. I have not paid any attention to eye pathology, examination techniques for optical devices, lens manufacturing techniques, etc. since I retired. At that time I could legally hire you to be my optician and start you working today with no optical training and no supervision. In other words you could be a carpenter this morning and an optician this afternoon; it was much more difficult to become a hair stylist.

Give me a call at your convenience. If you lost my number, PM me.

Enjoy,
JimB
 
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if you are a member carol, check out your local costco. got my wife's :blah: prescription after the exam at the local lenscrafters, and got a free shock paddles demo when they told me the price of the lenses and frames, well over $400 for them. while at costco, got both lenses and frames for about $175.
 
It doesn't cease to amaze me the difference in prices among things between US and Spain. Here at the most you would pay about 100-120 for the lenses, frames vary from 50 to 500 depending on brand, material and design. If you get the frame and lenses together there are always offers that leave the whole thing for about 200.
 
Key word here is Varilux.

It is my understanding that they are not ground. They are a laser cut technology. I could be wrong.

I have Varilux and yes they are excruciatingly expensive. Mine are generally around 400-600 for a pair of lenses, and I put them in $200 frames. Once you get them you don't want to go back. Carol - I fully comprehend that you want to stay with the Varilux, so do I.

To just get a lower price on - just - "glasses" (not varilux) - sure - that is really easy.

How to find a better price, on Varilux - I have no idea.

I feel your pain.
 
Glasses are (were) very expensive! I was nearsighted with an astigmatism, prescription was around -8.00 both eyes. I say was because I got these: http://staar.com/products/visian-icl/ . I absolutely LOVE them, it's the best investment I've made ever! No more glasses, no more contacts, no more blind guy!!! I'll still have to use reading glasses more and more as the ole' age advances but 20/15 at a distance is great!

I was very skeptical of anyone poking holes in my eyes but did my research on the facility and doctor and couldn't be more pleased. Other vision corrective surgeries were not an option or had bad side effects for people with such strong prescriptions. This is a lens they can take out if needed.

I used America's Best Contacts and Eyeglasses for years before having this done and the prices and service were always pretty good but I always understood that I was seeing an optometrist and not an opthamologist. Good luck finding a solution and if you ever consider corrective surgery, I'll vote for Visian ICLs and can tell you all about my experience with them. :)
 
@ Leo. Yeah, I expected $200 for one lens, not $800 for two. I've had Verilux for 40 years or more. Tried something different once. Did not work out well.

The hunt begins tomorrow.
 
I seriously don't really believe the laser cut deal, but that is what I was told by a optical technician that had a tour of a place that makes the Varicut lenses for the place. I am a manufacturing engineer and I make stuff on CNC machines, but I cut metal at work and other materials at home. I also program, operates and train people on grinding machines.

I do not know the capabilities of laser cutting, though I do know a tiny little bit.

I have doubts, even the Costco comment does not convince me.

The only way I would really know - is to see it.

Still love the Varilux lenses no matter how they are made.
 
This may be a bit dry for some, but it floats my boat.

Essilor is the provider of Varilux lenses.

List is a video of their process.

I saw some turning, grinding, polishing, but not a word or sight of laser. Still not enough info for me.

It is interesting though about how the varilux lense is make.


 
Stuff happens....I hope you can find the help you are looking for.
My lovely, but kinda klutzy (face planting is her specialty) wife did a four stitch face plant in a parking lot earlier this year and totaled both of her Varilux lenses and the fancy "unbreakable" titanium frame that held them. We got lucky. They were still under warranty and replaced at no charge. She is no longer under warranty and has yet to learn not to multi-task while walking.
 
It doesn't cease to amaze me the difference in prices among things between US and Spain. Here at the most you would pay about 100-120 for the lenses, frames vary from 50 to 500 depending on brand, material and design. If you get the frame and lenses together there are always offers that leave the whole thing for about 200.

Toni,
This information is several years old, so take with a grain of salt, but when I was in the international shipping business (spent 40 years there),
one of the companies I worked for was a customs house broker... I was in export so this is again second hand, but one of the brokers mentioned one day that one of his clients was an importer of eyeglass frames... most of the good ones are made in Europe (or were then) and the imported price of a standard gold frame was in the range of US$3.00 to US$12.00 plus duties and shipping which added about $1-$2 to the imported cost... even back then a good pair of glasses on gold wire frames was over $150. My son's first pair of glasses was US$175 that we got through one of the local optometrist offices in my area... similar to the Lenscrafter Carol is talking about -- and may have been Lenscrafter.. forgotten who now.
 
Glasses are (were) very expensive! I was nearsighted with an astigmatism, prescription was around -8.00 both eyes. I say was because I got these: http://staar.com/products/visian-icl/ . I absolutely LOVE them, it's the best investment I've made ever! No more glasses, no more contacts, no more blind guy!!! I'll still have to use reading glasses more and more as the ole' age advances but 20/15 at a distance is great!

I was very skeptical of anyone poking holes in my eyes but did my research on the facility and doctor and couldn't be more pleased. Other vision corrective surgeries were not an option or had bad side effects for people with such strong prescriptions. This is a lens they can take out if needed.

I used America's Best Contacts and Eyeglasses for years before having this done and the prices and service were always pretty good but I always understood that I was seeing an optometrist and not an opthamologist. Good luck finding a solution and if you ever consider corrective surgery, I'll vote for Visian ICLs and can tell you all about my experience with them. :)

Robert,
Interesting note, when I first started wearing glasses, I was nearsighted too... just after I got out of the Navy - don't think I ever got an eye exam while enlisted - I discovered I couldn't read the street signs on the streets from across the street, so I got glasses and wore them for 50 odd years... I could see up close fine, but needed glasses to drive... now that I've past the 73 years mark, seems my eyes are changing and I can now see off in the distance, but need reading glasses for close work... never had any surgery, just changing with age... I still have a pair of glasses I wear for driving, but don't really need them, just feel more comfortable with them, plus I keep my clip-on sunglasses on them.

My 43 year old son had lasik's surgery just after he got out of the army at about 25... he loves it, no problem with vision at all. At 15 his glasses were a full 1/4 inch thick... I used to say "he needed his glasses to find the floor in the mornings"... actually was surprised the army allowed him to enlist... with his eye sight and flat feet.
 
Carol,
Didn't mean to hi-jack your post with my "war" stories... I'm sorry for your problems... just glad the fall was no worse than it was... I don't have any advice but wish you good luck in your search for reason.
 
http://www.variluxusa.com/

On their website, they have a find a provider by your zip code.
Also I would consider contacting Lenscrafter corporate and ask about buying a single lens and their policy. With that information, then you could choose to go back to the store, or not, etc. That said, the only reason I would think they wouldn't want to make just one, would be if you wanted to take out the insurance on just the one (insurance on the right side, flip glasses over and that is the right).
 
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