Eyeglasses-Wallmart vs Boutique Eye Doc

[FleurdeLise]

My teenage son wants a new style of eye glasses. Priced frames at Wallmart's optomitrist-Exam & glasses comes to $150.

His last visit and glasses from an independant optomitrist was $300!!!!


Anyone used Wallmart's Optomitrist (s) before?

 

[p-nut]

Just last week. Very good Doctor. Very thorough. I was quite impressed. A fellow co-worker recomended him, I was a little leary at first but was not impressed with my last eye doctor. I really liked the one at walmart. He even had me come back a week later to make sure my contacts were o.k. when I had told him I was having problems with my right eye on my old ones.

 

[mum4jenn]

Yes. The Dr here used to have his own practice. Never used him whenhe did and I have used him a few times at Walmart. I used to work at Publix and they were in the same center. I only got the contacts though. The times I was there though there were quite a few people bringing their glasses back because they were falling apart. One person brought them bach several times and they told her to pick out another design. Thankfull my dh has vision ins at work so we save quite a bit by being able to use that. There is only one practice you can use and I do like them.

A couple of years ago my eyes went through a dramatis change way before it was time for my regular appt so I went to another place that advertises buy one get one. Man...did I get taken for a ride!! I had to only pick from the designer frames and grand total for the glasses and the "free" pair was $667. And that did not include the exam. The exam was another $120.Never again!!

I would go for the Walmart ones though. They do have a guarantee on the frames.

 

[Steve H.]

Sure, we go to WalMart's optical department all the time -- that's where I got my last pair of glasses and it's where DW gets all her contacts.

 

[glo]

I didn't use the optomitrist there, but I had a pair of sunglasses made from my prescription made there. They did an great job. I got very nice frames, polarized front and back of lenses, scratch resistant lenses, in brown tint for about $126 I priced them at my optomitrist and they were close to $200. I saved the money and spent it at WDW.

 

[BethR]

We have used Wal-Mart for all of our glasses and contacts (4 out of the 6 here wear one or the other or both) and I would readily recommend them.

Two things though. One - each of the eye doctors at the Wal-Marts is an independent Dr. of Optometry. They are are completely qualified and you are screened for all kinds of eye problems and diseases. But just like all doctors, you may find that one doctor's personality "fits" you better than another. So ask around.

Two - each Wal-Mart Vision Center is managed differently. At one Wal-Mart that we went to, waits were most often INCREDIBLY long to get assistance. We tried another Wal-Mart and the Doctor and the Opticians were great. So that is where we get our eye examined and get our glasses.

Good Luck!

 

[Cindy B]

We've used them for many years.. DH's glasses are in the $300 range.. but were only barely $200 when he purchased them at Walmart.

First we went to a boutique, and got style, shape, color questions. We got thier recommendation, and went to Walmart.. found very similiar frames, at a substantial savings.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

I should hit the back button, but I won't.

DH is an optometrist in private practice. I believe the quality of frames he supplies to his customers is probably a situation of you get what you pay for.

And CindyB. How nice that you use the private optometrist's time and expertise then spend your money elsewhere. This is why we can't get ahead.

 

[Mattsmom]

We have vision care insurance. We go to the private optometrist required for an exam. I buy the glasses at Walmart.

When we got them at the private optometrist's, it would take a week to get them repaired. Not good when my DS needs them for school. Walmart fixes them on the spot. It actually cost me more to get them at Walmart, but the service makes it worth it.

Before we had the insurance, we went to the optometrist at Walmart. We never had a problem.

 

[Cindy B]

I'm sorry you feel that way Carol.. but again, its a tough economy. Anyone that has the lower price wins ultimately.

Do I feel bad? No, I don't. This boutique would have customers if they didn't price frames out of this world. In fact, there were no other customers hardly ever in this store. That is why we went in and asked him. DH did ask him many times why he justified a $400 price tag on frames alone. ... the optometrist answer "style".

Now, we don't walk off the model runway, so we know to pay that much for "style".. not the best use of our income. If he had said quality or construction, or guarantee, we would have understood the concept. .. But to pay more to look good, and be stylish is outlandish to me.

 

[sharbear]

I tried to use a mass market place to get my eyeglasses this year. It was a big mess. I have to say that I have a very hard perscription to fill because it is so high. I used a place at the mall that advertises on the TV all the time. We got new vision insurance this year and it only covers certain places. First the mall store took three weeks for my glasses to come in. Because one of the lenses kept coming in at the wrong strength. When I finally got them I couldn't see. So I returned them they said that they would try to make them fit if the optometrist changes the perscription.

I went to the pricey boutique that I have been getting my glasses at for the last 10 years. They spent over an hour measuring me for my glasses. I did spend twice as much as the place that advertises in the mall but I am very happy with these glasses.

I'm just saying that sometimes if you need extra help the boutique is more customer service friendly and knowledgable.

My optomestrist does not dispense glasses. She just gives exams.

I got my kids glasses at Target. We have been very happy with them and we had no trouble with them. I just have a funny perscription.

 

[mrsmom]

Let me tell youwhat happen to us, My dh and my son went in at walmart to get exam and my dh wore glasses and contacts they changed his prescribtion and my son was just getting his eyes tested for the year, they gave my than 8 yr old son glasses, one eye of the glasses very strong lens, my dh complained he wasn't seeing right, they said he would get use to it.
Six months later my dh and son went to a ophthalmogist.
My dh had the wrong prescribtion for his eyes and my son didn't need glasses.
I was so upset but there wasn't anything i could do but i will never go back to a place like that.
Just my opinion.and ordeal.
Kim

 

[Keli]

Our optomitrist has her practice inside a Walmart. We (Ashli and I) both love her. She's very good, my prescription always seems perfect for my eyes. Also Ashli had some trouble with an eye ulcer one time and she handled that very well (and lectured Ashli appropriately about contact usage, which she needed, she was an irresponsible 15 yr. old at the time)
We don't usually buy our glasses at Walmart though, just our contacts. We search every eyeglass place in town until Ashli finds the frames she wants (or I do) and buy the glasses there.

 

[Cinders]

DH works for a small family business so I've found WalMart Vision center to be a great money saver for us. I too went to a optometrists office to check out frames and price out what our total would be before deciding to go with WalMart. That to me isnt hurting the other place thats just using common sense and not spending money for overpriced things. Its the same as buying a Disney item or a glo item locally then giving it to the kids when we are in Disney. I dont buy name brand food when the storebrand is just as good so why should I pay for designer frames when the WalMart ones will suffice? As for the care we got they did a great job with DS who at the time was 11 and he wanted contacts. They told him he could have them if I thought he was responsible enough and if he could put them in by himself with one hour and if after his 1 week check up I still felt he was responsible enough. They did insist that he pick out glasses too so he has a backup.

 

[NancyIL]

We get our eyes checked by the Optometrist affiliated with our HMO. He writes the prescription for glasses or contacts (oldest daughter), and we get our glasses or contacts from Wal-Mart. We've been very happy with their products and prices.

 

[Towncrier]

My opthamologist does not sell eyeglasses as part of his practice. When I was first prescribed progressive bifocals, he suggested that I not use Wal-Mart as they might not have the expertese to make them correctly and that it is very difficult to determine after the fact whether or not progressives are made correctly.

So I pay dearly for my glasses. The funny thing is that the place that I've been going to for years to make my glasses screwed up the intra-ocular distance on the last pair of progressives that they made for me. Instead of 34mm, they entered 37mm. This put the center of the progressive lenses way too far apart. It took me a couple of weeks of not being able to read with my new glasses to realize what had happened. When I went in to complain, they discovered the error.

Since I now wear Varilux Panamic progressive lenses, I'm not certain that Wal-Mart would be able to provide that type of lens for me. Since I bought two pair of Flexon frames a few years back, I haven't had to replace the frames. That's one way I keep the price of my eyeglasses down.

As far as contacts go, I buy them at 1-800-CONTACTS. I rarely wear them. In fact, the two month supply that I bought back in 2000 is probably going to expire before I use them all. I bought them so that I could snorkle at Castaway Cay and still be able to see.

 

[bambii]

I will never get a pair of glasses or go to the doctor at walmart. My son age 9 went there and the doctor said he didnt need glasses but if we wanted to get him a pair they would need to have bifocols. We desided to wait.

Then a month later I went i and took the test and he said I need bifocals. (at 30) So I picked out my glasses and that was it they just marked where the lens for the bifocals to be and that was it no measuring like to see were your pupils were at, or any think like that.

I went in a week later to pick them up, I tried them on they asked how they fit (the place i went before they help you check). i told them they were big by the ears and all the did was bend them down(so the look like an L) they didnt even try to curve it around the ears.

I can olny get my glasses changed every 16 months and my vision test every year. insurance.


I wore the bifocals for 10 days and told them to change them to regular glasses, the told me to wait 10 more days and I said i dont think so


and for the last couple of week the nose pieces come of. I have had them change like 6 times in three month.

My husband who has perfect vision went to him and he said my husband also need bifocals.

I will go to the person I went to before walmart even though he is 80 miles away..

 

[AirForceRocks]

I too went to a optometrists office to check out frames and price out what our total would be before deciding to go with WalMart.

I'm somewhat confused by this whole concept - if you have no intention of buying the glasses at the optometrist, why even go there in the first place? Why not just go to Wal-Mart and peruse the frame selection there? If you find something you like at the boutique that isn't at Walmart, you aren't going to buy it anyway, so why bother.

I dont buy name brand food when the storebrand is just as good so why should I pay for designer frames when the WalMart ones will suffice?

Do you go to one grocery store and price out the cost of Green Giant then go to another store and buy white label? If the Wal-Mart frames will suffice, why even bother the people at the boutique when you have no intention of buying their product?

 

[gepetto]

Walmart is great for kids' glasses. They guarantee them for 12 months...and will replace them free no matter how they get broken.