I pit Luxottica, the eyeglasses monopoly

The BBQ Pit
1

Do you have glasses? If you didn’t get them online, then it’s almost certain that Luxottica was involved. I’ve got a fairly high prescription, and those jerks have been responsible for draining my wallet (and my parents wallets before me) to the tune of 500$+ every year or two.

Here’s part what they own:

  • Lenscrafters
  • Pearl Vision
  • Sears Optical
  • Target Optical
  • Sunglass Hut

Which sounds like insurance companies would complain, except that they also own a bunch of those too.

I’ve switched to an online store - I’m more than willing to pay a bit extra for local businesses and workers to provide me goods and services, but when the price difference meets orders of magnitude, there’s something wrong.

2

So you don’t like their business model and have found a way to bypass it? Cool story, bro.

3

Hmmm. I went to a local independent optometrist, the cost was about $150, and my regular health insurance paid for all of it except a $20 co-pay.

Just not feeling ripped off.

4

This is why God made Lasers.

Burn them corneas then chuck the glasses.

5

I go to an independent optician. Actually, her office is outside the door of Costco; I let my Costco membership lapse but have continued to see her. My insurance pays most of the exam cost.

And I get my glasses from a local independent. My prescription is pretty simple; the glasses are stylish, cheap & ready in a few days.

6

I have a high prescription (-8), and my eyeglasses always cost at least $300 when I lived in the USA.
I am now in China, and I am now wearing the best glasses that I have ever had, bought here in China, and they cost about US$18.
So, yes, I think that Luxottica is a monopoly that is gouging people.

Check out:

7

Your independent optometrist is almost certainly mostly selling Luxottica products.

8

My vision plan lets me get a pair of glasses every year for about a $10 copay, as long as I keep the frames below the $250 allowance. And even if I exceed that allowance, I think they pay like 40% of the amount in excess of $250.

Also, my optometrist has a bunch of really cool posters in his office from Luxottica, I can’t find them on line, though (I think they might have been produced in the 80s).

9

I’m a huge fan of Warby Parker. They make their own lenses and frames to keep costs down. A pair of prescription glasses is $95, sunglasses are $150. All you do is send them a prescription after you pick out your frames. I was able to get a $20 eye exam from a chain and pretend I was coming back later to pick out glasses.

10

I doubt they’re affiliated with Walmart, ForEyes, or America’s Best (all the places I’ve gone to for prescription eyewear) because those places sell perfectly acceptable glasses at affordable prices. Maybe you should shop around before plunking down half a paycheck on glasses?

11

Hell, even if I got laser surgery, I’d STILL need glasses, because the surgery can’t correct my vision all the way. :mad:

12

That’s so weird, I had never heard of that company until just the other day when I met someone who worked for them. Now I can’t for the life of me remember who it was. I remember she seemed nice though.

13

Wal-Mart buys its glasses from a similar but smaller conglomerate called Zyloware.

14

Plus, Warby Parker has a 5 frames for 5 days program. Pick out up to 5 frames and they will ship them to you free to try on at home. Just return them in 5 days.

My only sad with them is that they don’t do bifocal or progressive lenses yet.

15

I was going to look into them, but now I won’t have to.

I was wondering how they could do bifocals/progressives, since I think those require an optician to measure your face to get those aligned properly.

16

Where? I live in China, too, and every time I’ve priced glasses they’re a lot more expensive than in the USA. They’re all high-end brand names that I don’t give a crap about (and no Z87 [safety] frames at that).

I’m on home leave now, and one of my first stops was the local optical shop for some cheap glasses (about $150 each complete).

17

I live near a college campus, and there is a very small shop near it that caters to the students.
They advertise glasses for 100RMB. Mine were extra due to a high prescription, but I still only paid 120RMB including exam, frames, and lenses.

Ask your friends or neighbors where they go. As thrifty as most Chinese people can be I am sure that you know someone that can recommend a shop to you.

18

No love for zenni optical?

I got my last 3 pairs there Have not spent more than $50 yet

19

I buy used frames online because I don’t want to spend $$ on new designer frames (also, vintage frames have more available sizing that fits my unusually narrow face). I go to local, small business optometrists for exams and frame adjustment because I hate corporations. It’s not all that complicated.

20

Zenni is wonderful for those whose needs it can serve. It won’t help everyone. Last time I priced out my Rx on Zenni it came to over $200, but then, I am an outlier. I opted for re-using an old pair of frames I had purchased years ago and Wal-Mart Optical. It cost me $314 including the exam, which I needed, and I also had help with adjustments which is important for someone in my situation. Importantly, since they were my first bifocals, there was also the option to switch to another type at no additional cost if my eyes couldn’t adjust to progressives.

I’m also very rough on frames so having robust frames is important to me. Which I’ve heard great reviews regarding Zenni’s lenses I’ve heard their frames aren’t the sturdiest. I’ll stick with my two pairs of titanium frames for the time being, thanks. I do keep Zenni bookmarked, though in case I want single-vision lenses again for some reason, Rx sunglasses, or some other reason.