Prices for kids' glasses--Did I get a decent deal?

[bamagirl@hrt]

My children do not wear glasses...yet! With my DH & I both myopic, they don't have a fighting chance, I'm afraid. But, anyway, my DH is an optometrist, so I know I am a bit biased to purchasing glasses from your doctor. I know many think that this is too expensive & had rather go a cheaper route. I must say that glasses are just like anything else in life - you get what you pay for. My DH and/or his opticians, check the prescription of every pair of glasses that have been ordered through their office before they are given to the patients. DH has many stories of people coming in, not being able to see out of glasses that they've purchased elsewhere after having their exam from him. Commercial places, such as Sears, LensCrafters, Dr. Bizer's, Wal-Mart, etc... often will not take responsibility for errors. They will blame the doctor, saying the prescription is wrong. So, the patient comes to my DH. He checks the prescription of the glasses & guess what? They were made incorrectly. This is far more common than commercial companies would like you to believe.

I know that private practice offices vary, but my DH offers some packages for children's glasses. I think the most common is $99. This includes the frames, lenses, scratch resistant coating, and a warranty. He deals only with good quality frame companies. Some, like Stride Rite, come with a two year warranty. Others may only be one year. And regardless of the warranty, his opticians will adjust or do minor repairs on glasses purchased their at no cost as long as you wear the glasses.

I know that my post is long. I haven't tried to offend anyone, but I wanted you to hear another side of the issue. My DH is not a money hungry, glasses pushing boar. But his prices are higher because of the attention, quality, and customer service this he is dedicated to provide his patients.

Thanks for reading!

 

[PrincessParty]

I only wish our dd's glasses cost that much! I don't even want to tell you what the lenses alone cost! And we had to special order them b/c most places don't sell glasses for babies or toddlers. Good deal for you!

I'm with you! My DD's glasses cost $300.00, but she can see! I am very happy that her vision is correctable.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

My children do not wear glasses...yet! With my DH & I both myopic, they don't have a fighting chance, I'm afraid. But, anyway, my DH is an optometrist, so I know I am a bit biased to purchasing glasses from your doctor. I know many think that this is too expensive & had rather go a cheaper route. I must say that glasses are just like anything else in life - you get what you pay for. My DH and/or his opticians, check the prescription of every pair of glasses that have been ordered through their office before they are given to the patients. DH has many stories of people coming in, not being able to see out of glasses that they've purchased elsewhere after having their exam from him. Commercial places, such as Sears, LensCrafters, Dr. Bizer's, Wal-Mart, etc... often will not take responsibility for errors. They will blame the doctor, saying the prescription is wrong. So, the patient comes to my DH. He checks the prescription of the glasses & guess what? They were made incorrectly. This is far more common than commercial companies would like you to believe.

I know that private practice offices vary, but my DH offers some packages for children's glasses. I think the most common is $99. This includes the frames, lenses, scratch resistant coating, and a warranty. He deals only with good quality frame companies. Some, like Stride Rite, come with a two year warranty. Others may only be one year. And regardless of the warranty, his opticians will adjust or do minor repairs on glasses purchased their at no cost as long as you wear the glasses.

I know that my post is long. I haven't tried to offend anyone, but I wanted you to hear another side of the issue. My DH is not a money hungry, glasses pushing boar. But his prices are higher because of the attention, quality, and customer service this he is dedicated to provide his patients.

Thanks for reading!

That wasn't an option for us, the office we went to doesn't sell glasses or contacts, you have to take the prescription elsewhere.

 

[gottaluvdis]

I'm with you! My DD's glasses cost $300.00, but she can see! I am very happy that her vision is correctable.

This is pretty much our case too. DD9 began wearing glasses a little over 1 year ago. DH's insurance includes vision (thank God, since DD and I both have corrective lenses). The entire bill (including a thorough exam and OptoMap, glasses, coating, 1 year warranty) was about $350.00. Of that, I paid less than $50 out of pocket. Wouldn't you know, 9 months later her glasses broke. I brought them back to the eye docs office to be repaired, but they were unrepairable and the frames were discontinued, so she was able to choose an entirely new pair (lenses and new frames) for free.

Fast forward to this spring - now DD is in contacts. I also wear them. She swims, plays basketball etc. and the glasses were really getting to her, so I let her try contacts. She absolulely loves them, so it was worth the $$$. I had to buy those out of pocket, but next year the vision plan will pick them up for free for 1 year (the plan allows free lenses every other year for me and DD). She has her glasses as a back-up and they are in good shape (although her prescription has changed slightly since last year, so the glasses are slightly weak). That's something else to take into consideration - DD's eye doc said it's very common for kids prescriptions to change often as they grow. This is easier remedied with disposable contacts than with glasses. DD's eye doc allows kids as young as 6 or 7 try contacts if they really want to - she said some kids are perfectly fine with them at that age, but she also has 18 year olds who can't touch their eyes. It heavily depends on the child.

The OP got a good deal on the glasses.

 

[heartsy77]

I think I got ripped! My 10 year old glasses where 350! Plus 160 for exam! our insurance covered all but 200 so it wasn't so bad! Her frames where Nike brand, which I know is a name brand, but she hasn't had a problem with them. She is rough on everything (ADHD girl), that's why I got Nike thinking they would last, and they have since January! I believe you get what you pay for!

 

[alicenwonder99]

My children do not wear glasses...yet! With my DH & I both myopic, they don't have a fighting chance, I'm afraid. But, anyway, my DH is an optometrist, so I know I am a bit biased to purchasing glasses from your doctor. I know many think that this is too expensive & had rather go a cheaper route. I must say that glasses are just like anything else in life - you get what you pay for. My DH and/or his opticians, check the prescription of every pair of glasses that have been ordered through their office before they are given to the patients. DH has many stories of people coming in, not being able to see out of glasses that they've purchased elsewhere after having their exam from him. Commercial places, such as Sears, LensCrafters, Dr. Bizer's, Wal-Mart, etc... often will not take responsibility for errors. They will blame the doctor, saying the prescription is wrong. So, the patient comes to my DH. He checks the prescription of the glasses & guess what? They were made incorrectly. This is far more common than commercial companies would like you to believe.

I know that private practice offices vary, but my DH offers some packages for children's glasses. I think the most common is $99. This includes the frames, lenses, scratch resistant coating, and a warranty. He deals only with good quality frame companies. Some, like Stride Rite, come with a two year warranty. Others may only be one year. And regardless of the warranty, his opticians will adjust or do minor repairs on glasses purchased their at no cost as long as you wear the glasses.

I know that my post is long. I haven't tried to offend anyone, but I wanted you to hear another side of the issue. My DH is not a money hungry, glasses pushing boar. But his prices are higher because of the attention, quality, and customer service this he is dedicated to provide his patients.

Thanks for reading!

I totally agree!!! You get what you pay for. I tried to save a few bucks last time I had to get new glasses and went to a local Pearl Vision. What a rip off!!! Long story short: I had to take my Pearl Vision glasses back to my regular optometrist office to get lenses that I could actually see out of. I kept the $99 frames, and they are constantly breaking.

The woman at my optometrist office said that she sees it all the time: some people's eyes are just very sensitive. She said many people can get away with the lenses not made properly, but other people like me, get dizzy and can't get used to the poorly made lenses.

I will never go anywhere else for my eyecare now.

Mary

 

[Andrea]

it also depends on what state you are in also.. when i worked for a place in montana the exams were only 45 dollars, come to georgia there around 85 and i heard in new york there up to 175 all just for eye glass exams even more for contact exams.

also so many of these pearle vision, american best, National visions and some of them franchised out, while some our owned by one big company.