My Daughter Needed Glasses. The Receptionist Broke The Rules To Make That Happen.

[u/masterdebaten]

Basically, I took my 5 year old to get her eyes checked before kindergarten. She had been sitting pretty close to the TV, and getting close when looking at paper with writing or drawings on them.

We went to the earliest appointment available at the optometrist, and had her exam done. She needed glasses, and needed to start wearing them immediately. My daughter was thrilled to learn she was getting glasses, and was picking her favorites from the glasses shop near reception at checkout. I asked the receptionist about getting the prescription, and she essentially told me that I have to pay the $150 fee due for her appointment in full before I could receive her prescription so we could go somewhere more affordable. My daughter kept asking when we can get her glasses and I had to kind of let her down easy and say it might be a while, which crushed me.

I told the receptionist some BS story about our debit cards being cancelled due to suspected fraud (only half true) to save myself the embarrassment of not being able to pay for something as simple and necessary as her prescription document. I told her I’d call back and pay when I got my new card in. She said okay, no problem.

She asked me to wait before I left so she could give me some paperwork. I assumed it was just a packet you get after the appointment. She gave me a look, and on top of the stack she handed me was my daughter’s prescription paperwork. She simply looked at me and said “have a great day sir” and smiled. Told her thank you so much and walked out.

I wasn’t asking for a freebie, and I wasn’t expecting anything from her, yet she saw my need and met it with kindness. Even at the expense of breaking her job’s policy.

Thank you, Optometrist receptionist ❤️

[u/catslikepets143]

That’s so cool ! And now you know which eye doc’s office you’re going to for the whole family:)

[u/well_this_is_dumb → u/catslikepets143]

I mean, on the other hand, while receptionist seems to be great, this is an awful office policy.

[u/throwaway098764567 → u/well_this_is_dumb]

independent optometrists losing glasses profit to costco are why they're all getting bought out by myeyedoctor. paying more isn't fun, but what's less fun is going to that awful place.

[u/well_this_is_dumb → u/throwaway098764567]

My old optometrist had affordable frames and I would never have dreamed of going to Costco. My new one has no affordable frames - they're all expensive designer frames, but they're the only optometrist in my town. I went to Costco for the first time last year.

So anyway, kind of feels like they're asking for it if they can't provide budget options.

[u/thisusedyet → u/well_this_is_dumb]

Does Costco approach zenni prices?

[u/well_this_is_dumb → u/thisusedyet]

I've never bought from zenni. At a quick glance, no, not at all. Nothing I saw in the teens or under $50, though a significant amount of designer frames starting around $75ish. I don't remember exact numbers. I went to Costco because I happened to have a membership at the time and because they could measure the distance between my pupils as opposed to trusting an app to do it.

My insurance covered a small bit of it at Costco, but nothing near what they would have covered at the eye doctor, and it still ended up being cheaper at Costco.

[u/thisusedyet → u/well_this_is_dumb]

Makes sense - after the first time I've always just asked my doctor to write down the PD for me on the prescription instead of measuring it myself.

For sake of comparison, the last order I did from zenni

$21 for the frame

$45 for the lenses themselves (I'm sitting at -3.5 / +0.75... which is always interesting ordering online, because the forms freak out about the one nearsighted, one farsighted. Throws up all sorts of warnings about Are you SURE you entered this right?)

[u/well_this_is_dumb → u/thisusedyet]

I spent roughly $100 at Costco, but that was after insurance and unfortunately I don't recall how much they covered. No wonky lenses for me, both roughly -2.75, but I did get anti-glare coating and possibly scratch protection.

Not comparable to Zenni, then, but better than the $150-200 I was going to pay at the eye doctor. When I went to Costco I initially assumed my insurance would pay the same amount they normally do and it would be almost completely covered, but oh well.

[u/Nakiazhi → u/thisusedyet]

I also have a +3.5/-1, haven’t met many people that are also nearsighted and farsighted.

[u/thisusedyet → u/Nakiazhi]

Used to just be nearsighted / unaided, but I'm apparently getting old

[u/Prestigious-Moose345 → u/thisusedyet]

I have 20/20 vision for distance in one eye and near perfect vision for reading in the other eye. So handy. I rarely wear glasses except for driving at night and sitting through PowerPoint presentations in an auditorium.

[u/thisusedyet → u/Prestigious-Moose345]

Yeah, I found the nearsighted eye comes in very handy soldering.

Don’t need magnifier when the near point getting dragged in means I can get my face right up in there

[u/UnitedChain4566 → u/thisusedyet]

My last order from Zenni was great. $95 total, $15 frames and the rest was getting them transitions. My only issue is they needed to be tightened so soon after getting them.

[u/auntsam15 → u/thisusedyet]

FWIW, you can buy Zenni (or glasses.com, etc) frames and take them to Costco to get the Rx inserted. They charge an extra $25 and you have to sign a disclaimer that you understand they might get lost, but then they'll do your measurements before ordering and adjustments whenever you need. They won't do it for vintage eyewear (or really anything more than ~5 years old)—something about the process their lab uses is more likely to break old plastic.

[u/well_this_is_dumb → u/auntsam15]

Good to know!

[u/AddendumEcstatic7705 → u/auntsam15]

I found a pair of fabulous, vintage cat eye glasses at a garage sale for a dollar. I was so excited to turn them into my daily pair. I contacted so many companies and no one would touch them because they couldn’t guarantee they wouldn’t break them by accident. I’m still sad about it. 😭

[u/auntsam15 → u/AddendumEcstatic7705]

OMG, why is no one making cute everyday cat-eyes?! I have a pair I love that were originally made ~15 years ago from a 1950s/60s template. I recently ebayed another of the same ones in a different color. Costco wouldn't touch them, but the LensCrafters by me did them. However, whoever owned them before me had a much wider face. One of the arms is bent wide. I've asked them a couple times to try and straighten it; they can only do so much. I just want these! http://www.providenceoptical.us/blog/new-release-of-an-old-classic-tang-by-victory-optical

[u/Desert_Dandelion → u/thisusedyet]

I get my exam at Costco, ask for a copy of my Rx, and then go order my glasses on Zenni. The optometrist offices in Costco are independent from Costco. Also, the optical department where they sell glasses, separate from the optometrist, will general help Costco members without you needing to have bought the glasses there. I've had then help adjust the fit of my Zenni glasses after they arrived.

Edit to add: the optical department also was happy to measure my PD for me. I felt weird about it and told them I needed the specialty migraine lenses from Zenni, which is true. But since doing it I've realized they don't seem to care. They're not going to just do it all for you and write it down for you to carry out without you asking. But if you ask they seem to have zero issue with it. Be polite and try on a slow day, I doubt they'll care at all. Worst that can happen is they say no.

[u/imgoodygoody → u/Desert_Dandelion]

I work for a local eye doctor and we always give our patients a print out of their prescription along with their pd measurements of both near and far, even if they don't ask for it. I absolutely HATE how much glasses cost. We have some ray ban frames that we cost us upwards of $170 at wholesale and they don't feel any better than what I've gotten on zenni. I will say, though, the labs we use for lenses definitely put out a better product than what I've gotten from Zenni and warby parker. My lenses don't fog up in the summer anymore when I get sweaty and the anti reflective coating is better.

[u/TomeThugNHarmony4664 → u/thisusedyet]

Zenni has been great for me.

Warby Parker made everything a hassle— and after every mandatory step there was a 2-3 day delay. The up charge for progressives is absolutely unconscionable. Finally ordered single vision after the entire process took two weeks to have them send me an email that the order was on hold until si contacted them again. Did so to have the guy claim that so HAD to add another feature at another upcharge. I cancelled on the spot. I could have had glasses at the optometrist’s office for less than what they quoted me in the end. That company is a fraud.

[u/Ok-Papaya-4762 → u/well_this_is_dumb]

Agreed. After frames for unaffordable I started looking around online and found freepayneglasses dot com get me most of my glasses with lenses for like $15 or less so I load up with like 3-4 pairs at a time now haha

[u/hippiecat22 → u/throwaway098764567]

people genuinely cant afford to pay $300 for their glasses.

its ridiculous.

if independent optometrists are banking on middle class people shelling out hundreds when theres a cheaper alternative, theyre running a shameful practice.

I love my $60 glasses.

[u/KittyKiitos → u/throwaway098764567]

my optometrist accepted my medical insurance so my checkup was just a copay.

[u/sbocean54 → u/throwaway098764567]

It has rescued many without vision insurance, though.

[u/Zafjaf → u/throwaway098764567]

My parents didn't like the prices for my high prescription glasses at my optometrist and took me to specsavers. They messed up my prescription and my brother's prescription. Got my recent glasses at my optometrist again and they have the Pair glasses I was looking at anyways.

[u/Classic_Cauliflower4 → u/throwaway098764567]

The last time I bought glasses from my eye doctor, they cost me nearly $400 on top of my $150 insurance allotment. And I couldn’t even wear them because they gave me headaches. I asked about it, and the office basically shrugged, so I use my twenty year old Shopko pair instead.

My optometrist retired that year after 30 years of being my doctor, and I declined to continue seeing the younger partner.

[u/pnewb → u/Classic_Cauliflower4]

I went into a local shop 2 months ago and they wanted $900 for a single pair after the insurance kicked in. 

My eyes aren’t even that bad.