For those of you that buy your contacts online

[TLHB70]

which company/website do you use?
I just got my new prescription yesterday, and the eye doctor is wanting to charge $50 a box! I have found them as cheap as $18 a box on a few web sites. There are other sites that I have found them $23 a box. With the price varying so much, I want to make sure that I am going to a reliable source. I have used a couple of different places in the past, and I have never had any trouble.
The cheapest place right now is contactlens.com. the second cheapest place is contactsamerica.com . Have any of you used them before? Have you been happy with their service? 1800contacts is just about as expensive as the eye doctor!

 

[glitterkittyy]

The cheapest prices I found, believe it or not, was Wal-mart. You can take your prescription to their eye care center and get them pretty darned cheap. Plus, you get them that day with no shipping fees.

 

[TLHB70]

The cheapest prices I found, believe it or not, was Wal-mart. You can take your prescription to their eye care center and get them pretty darned cheap. Plus, you get them that day with no shipping fees.

Wow! I didn't realize that I could do that! Any Walmart will do that? Do I need to call them first or do I just walk in?

 

[Mom23Disneybelievers]

I wish I had known this! We just ordered contacts last night from 1800contacts. (They are cheaper through them, than our eye doctor....but we never checked other websites or Walmart.

 

[TLHB70]

I did order from 1800 one year, and they were the cheapest. It is weird. I have found that every time I go to order I have to shop around. It seems that each time has a different site that is cheapest. I have used AC lens and 1800contact. I have not used the places I mentioned above. We have to go out tonight to run errands so I will just check Walmart while I am out.
Mom23Disneybelievers, I do recommend checking prices online at all of the various sites each time you get a prescription. It is completely crazy how the prices can vary so much!

 

[glitterkittyy]

Wow! I didn't realize that I could do that! Any Walmart will do that? Do I need to call them first or do I just walk in?

Any walmart that has the eye care center, yes.

I just walk in, but you could call them to make sure they have your brand and prescription in stock and get a price quote.

 

[swanmom]

I use Costco. Very reliable and prices were great. Since three people in our family wear lenses, we've saved a lot of $$$ !!!

 

[VickiVM]

If you're a member, check w/Costco. Also, ask your eye dr. if they have a rebate - I got my daughter's lenses through my eye dr and they were offering a $70 rebate on 4 boxes for her particular brand.

 

[SydneyBristow]

My sister uses contactlensking.com and they beat Walmart's prices by a lot. She's had no problems with them.

 

[Hedy]

I've used vision direct for years without any trouble.

 

[TLHB70]

If you're a member, check w/Costco. Also, ask your eye dr. if they have a rebate - I got my daughter's lenses through my eye dr and they were offering a $70 rebate on 4 boxes for her particular brand.

I did ask about any rebates. They didn't offer any.
I do not have a membership with Costco, but I am a member at Sam's. I didn't think about checking there also.

So I will check Walmart, Sam's, Contaclensking, and Visiondirect. Contactlensking and Visiondirect are not websites I have looked at yet.


Thanks everyone!

 

[TLHB70]

I just wanted to update everyone.
I checked with VisionDirect and Contactlensking. I also called Walmart and Sam's Club.
Walmart told me that they use 1800contacts pricing so that was not much cheaper than the eye doctor. VisionDirect and Lensking was lower, but not lower than the cheapest places I found. Sam's was about the same price as Contactlensking. However, I got a better price than that! I got a coupon code for ACLens for 10% off! When I get the discount, plus the free shipping offer, I came out cheaper than any other offer! So if anyone is about to purchase contacts online, check out ACLens and use the code March09! By the way, I have used ACLens before for my daughters' swim goggles and had reliable service with them so I felt comfortable using them.
Thanks for the help everyone!

 

[TaraPA]

Question for you all - I've been wearing contacts for almost 25 years & have always just gotten them through my eye doctor (I have coverage for $100 per year for contacts)....but now he's switched me to a newer kind that are $60 a box (6 lenses per box) - ouch! They do wear for 4 weeks at a time, but I need a new 6-month supply soon. That's $120. My question is - do I need his written rx for them to order online or can I just tell them what's currently on my box? Or do they call to confirm?

 

[creativeamanda]

I think they contact your doctor to confirm, but you do not have to get your contacts from him, and he should give out the info if it's been less than a year since your last visit.

I use Walmart for my lenses, and have not found a place cheaper. I will say that the cost is also dependent on the type of lenses you need as well. A site may be cheaper for one brand, but not cheaper for another.

 

[jam217]

I order mine from Walgreens. Shipping is super quick.

 

[TLHB70]

Question for you all - I've been wearing contacts for almost 25 years & have always just gotten them through my eye doctor (I have coverage for $100 per year for contacts)....but now he's switched me to a newer kind that are $60 a box (6 lenses per box) - ouch! They do wear for 4 weeks at a time, but I need a new 6-month supply soon. That's $120. My question is - do I need his written rx for them to order online or can I just tell them what's currently on my box? Or do they call to confirm?

The places that I have ordered from ask for all of contact information (sphere, cylinder, and axis). They also ask for the doctor's name and phone number. ACLens had me fax the prescription to them. I cannot remember if the other places did that or not. As long as your prescription is under a year old, you can order. If your prescription was written over a year ago, you will have to see the doctor for a new prescription. You do not have to order from the eye doctor. Most of them try to manipulate you and make you think you have to order from them, but you do not. I have found that eye doctors are generally WAY more expensive than ordering them online!

I agree with creativeamanda. The cost depends on the brand, type, etc. of contact. I have to wear a toric lens so mine is a little more expensive than regular lenses. However, it is still much cheaper online than at the eye doctor's office. Also, as I said in an earlier post, it pays off to shop around each time you get a new prescription. I have found different places to be cheaper at different times.
I just saved about $200 by buying online instead of at the eye doctor's office!

ETA: I also have some coverage. My insurance will pay $100 towards the contacts. I can NEVER get a year's supply of contacts for under $100. So the cheaper I get the cost, the less we have to pay out of pocket for the remaining charge.

 

[Gina]

Sam's Club all the way. They're even cheaper than Walmart by $5 a box for Acuvue Oasys.

 

[monorailsilver]

I used AC Lens when I ordered my last pair.

I have a hard to find lens so I had to order where ever I could find it which was still cheaper then the eye doctor.

 

[disney1990]

Another vote for getting contacts at Sams Club.

 

[TLHB70]

Another vote for getting contacts at Sams Club.

The deal that I got at AC Lens, with the 10% code, was $7 cheaper than Sam's. I couldn't believe it! Plus, with AC Lens, they are shipped to my house. With Sam's I would have to pick them up at the store when they came in. Sam's would have been cheaper if I didn't have the 10% code, though.
I know that $7 isn't a huge amount, but every little bit helps.