Is Buying Glasses Online a Good Idea?

Not according to Liz Defranco who makes the following comments:

“…you need to consider certain issues when you buy glasses online, because every pair of glasses is a custom-made item. Not only are there different designs and materials of both frames and lenses and different lens treatments, but everybody's head and eyes are different, too. So you or an optician must make various measurements for a proper fit. An advantage of going to a traditional optical store is that an optician can walk you through the process. Sometimes, he or she will do this so smoothly that you're not even aware of all the choices. When you order online, you have to make each decision on your own, and it can seem overwhelming.”

Hmmm...she has a point.  But hang on, what if you knew that Liz was commenting out of self-interest? That she's an instructor in an opticianry program in New York City and is a regular contributor to eyecare trade periodicals, covering spectacle lenses and eyewear retailing.

You might question Liz's motives.  It might be that she's trying to install some fear in you that if you don't buy glasses from your optician and instead buy online you won't get the best service/advice/deal.

Granted, you can't really try your online glasses on.  You'll have to wait for them to come in the post.  We understand that dilemma - which is why focalise.com.au offers a no-questions-asked-money-back-guarantee.

And yes you may get more direct interaction in person.  But you could also get the hard sell. 

And the one thing Liz doesn't own up to is the true cost of glasses. The massive savings buying online are a worthwhile trade-off for some.

So what if your online glasses need a bit of adjusting?  First we recommend that you choose frames of similar dimension to your current pair (or go into an opticians and try some on to get an idea of what fits you best). Still not quite right?  Then visit your optician.  For a small fee they should be able to solve any minor issues.

And what if you can't decide what you need online?  Look at the FAQ and if you can't find the answer there, email, phone or fax us and we'll get right back to you!

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