Any experience with Walmart $9 glasses?

[ajk912]

My middle daughter goes to the opthalmologist in 3 days for her annual checkup. She failed the doctor's office eye exam in May (they said she had 20/70) so I am thinking she may need glasses. I am usually an accessories snob (my logic..your accessories get seen more than anything else, so don't skimp on those!) BUT right now money is really tight. So I am thinking, if needed, to just buy her a pair of the Walmart $9 glasses (it seems like they are about $40 out the door, right?) and then get her a nice pair of glasses a few months later when money isn't so tight.

OR..do they nickel and dime you A LOT? If so, I might as well not waste my time, pull the money out of savings, and just get her a nice pair of glasses now. My favorite brand is the Silhouette brand, and we'll probably buy her a pair of those. That's what my son has, and we love it. On another note..anyone ever find budget friendly Silhouette glasses? Ok, I know they are pricey glasses. Any knockoffs that AREN'T from a mail order company (no offense, I just don't want to do that route).

Thanks!!!!

 

[JoiseyMom]

I took DD13 there yesterday and she found 2 frames she liked. With the lenses, no extras the cost was 38.00 for each pair. 9.00 for frame and 29 for lenses. Not sure what they are charging for lenses this week though. I know it was 9 and 29 last week.

The puppy go to her several months old glasses the other day, so I had no choice in the matter!! My insurance only covers the one pair, and well chewed glasses are not broken, so we were outta luck. She really liked the 2 she picked from Walmart.

 

[ma2jr]

I think the Mary- Kate and Ashely collection at walmart are great... fashionable, work well and well made.

 

[ajk912]

Thanks! They are on the front page of this week's Walmart flyer too (that I just got in the newspaper today) so it looks like the prices are still the same through Saturday.

 

[phins_jazy]

I got a pair of fancy schmancy (expensive) glasses at the eye dr for my oldest dd. I then got her a pair of cheapy walmart glasses as backups. She loves her cheapy ones and wears them all the time! They've held up real well. She's a BMX rider so she's had her share of tumbles and nothing at all has happened to the glasses. I'll gladly go back to walmart and get their glasses over going to the eye dr place and getting them.

 

[mum4jenn]

Some areas did not have the sale last week at all.
Our area has them on sale this week.

 

[AnastasiaTremaine]

I wish I could get you to do the 'mail order' route, because I have had terrific luck with a website I heard about on Clark Howard.

www.zennioptical.com

They sell *tons* of cute, trendy frames at prices that I cannot comprehend. They start at $7, and that's prescription included. Shocking, but true. I had just lost my totally beautiful $200 pair when I found out about the site and figured 'why not try?'...over a year later and I am still wearing one of the two pairs I ordered (my son broke the other pair!) - that combined were under $40, with shipping.

SO worth a try, IMHO.

 

[thebeesknees]

Just got my son a pair yesterday from Walmart and it was $38 out the door for frames and lenses. Very low-key, no pressure. I loved it. I had his prescription from the pair he got at another place earlier this year, so after he picked out his frames, we were on our way in less than 5 minutes. The doctor on duty said that their regular price for an exam is $45, much less than even what I had to pay when I had insurance, and that kids' frames usually start at $19-$29, adults frames start at $18. Now that we don't have vision coverage any more, I'll definitely be back there when we have to go for exams next year. For their prices, I could get my active 7-year-old a couple of pair and not stress when he inevitably bends them.

Just so you know, though, not every Walmart is participating. I called ahead to verify and discovered that the closest Walmart to me has an independently-owned optical place inside, so they are not participating, although their back to school price was $49 total, so still not bad. They referred me to another Walmart a little farther away that is participating in the promotion. And the promotion runs through October, so no need to rush over today.

 

[daileyad]

Does wal-mart sell the transition lenses that change darker when outside? I was wondering about getting some of those for my daughter but I wondered how much it adds to the cost.

 

[mum4jenn]

They have them but I have no idea of the cost.

 

[thebeesknees]

Does wal-mart sell the transition lenses that change darker when outside? I was wondering about getting some of those for my daughter but I wondered how much it adds to the cost.

Yes, I was told that they would be $79 total to get the transition lenses with the frames. Still a great deal. Since this was my son's backup pair I didn't get them but when I get his new pair next year, I will.

 

[1bandaid]

If your child breaks their glasses they will replace them free for 1 year. At least they did last year, and I have had to replace one of my daughters glasses a few times. She is really hard on them, -- basketball to the face.

 

[mum4jenn]

If your child breaks their glasses they will replace them free for 1 year. At least they did last year, and I have had to replace one of my daughters glasses a few times. She is really hard on them, -- basketball to the face.

We picked out discontinued frames and we were told there is no warranty on those.

 

[LIFERBABE]

Took both boys yesterday

I thought they would offer some ugly frames that my boys would not like but figured I would get them a back up pair at that price. Well we walked in and both of them found a pair they liked off the $9 rack! Metal frames too!
So $78 for both otd in less than 30 minutes.

I dropped our vision insurance because the participating Doctors were ripping us off! One charged us for a "eye wellness" exam and billed us as a specialist and our medical insurance too.
We paid $30 a month for family vision and then a co pay for the exam and a copay for materials. The cheapest covered frames and lenses were always over 100 dollars, always above what the insurance covered so we would have to pay the diff. Last year we spent over 1k on vision insurance payments, materials and copays.

This year, our medical insurance gives us $5 copay for exams and we will buy our materials and lenses at Wal Mart and Costco. Will cost $300 for a family of four paying cash without insurance.

 

[brandydandy]

We bought our daughter and extra pair today. No muss no fuss... out the door $38.00.

 

[PinkRhombus]

Sam's Club has the same price on lenses for the kids.

I think I'm going to get my daughter a pair of those flex frame ones.

We got the $39 glasses last year and had to get another pair a month later because she bent the heck out of them a couple of times and the optomitrist there said the frame would probably be pretty weak and might snap if it happened another time or two....so no 1 year breakage thing.

 

[disneylove69]

If your child breaks their glasses they will replace them free for 1 year. At least they did last year, and I have had to replace one of my daughters glasses a few times. She is really hard on them, -- basketball to the face.

Their commercial states that the special that is going on includes 1 yr insurrance.

 

[asoko]

Any clue as to how long the sale goes? DD4 appt is 8/17. She'll probably need a new script or at least update her frames since she's had the same style since she was 1.

Also, does anyone know if they have Fisher Price brand? They are the only ones I've seen with the soft ear wraparounds

Thanks

 

[JoiseyMom]

Does wal-mart sell the transition lenses that change darker when outside? I was wondering about getting some of those for my daughter but I wondered how much it adds to the cost.

I was told it would be an extra $30.00.

 

[ajk912]

Any clue as to how long the sale goes? DD4 appt is 8/17. She'll probably need a new script or at least update her frames since she's had the same style since she was 1.

Also, does anyone know if they have Fisher Price brand? They are the only ones I've seen with the soft ear wraparounds

Thanks

I did not see the fisher price brand at all. But I honed in on the $9 rack and tried not to look at anything else. If I remember right, there was two pink pairs, a metal pink pair (we picked this one) and a plastic pink pair. A blue metal pair (almost picked these, they were cute with dd's blue eyes), a blue plastic pair, a few unisex brown metal pairs...ugh..maybe 12 pairs total to choose from?

I did look at the Hannah Montana $68 frames to compare, and the $9 ones weren't much different. Not for my budget right now, it wasn't worth paying the extra $60.

I was so excited to get them for $38 out the door!!!! Can't wait to pick them up next week.