What's perplexing you today?

[glatt]

Originally Posted by HungLikeJesus

They're not too expensive for what they do, but for what they are - two little pieces of plastic with some wire to attach them to your face.

I got my glasses the last two times at eyebuydirect.com. They were around $20-$30 with shipping. They work perfectly.

There's this thing where if something doesn't cost a lot, people think it is low quality. That's not rational thinking.

I get eye exams each year, and buy my contacts from 1-800-contacts, and my glasses from the web. To buy either from an eye doctor seems to be doing it wrong. Your doctor sends you to a pharmacy to get a drug prescription. Why should it be different with glasses/contacts?

[Pie]

Originally Posted by glatt

I got my glasses the last two times at eyebuydirect.com. They were around $20-$30 with shipping. They work perfectly.

Seconding eyebuydirect.com. I now own 5 pairs of glasses so I can change them to match my mood. And I got prescription sunglasses. And a "spare" for my husband, who likes to lose his.

ETA: I think I also have a couple of 5% off coupons lying around; if anyone's interested I can go look for 'em.

[Spexxvet]

I think I'm going to buy my next suit on line.

[glatt]

If you have a trusted tailor measure you and then send the measurements off to the on-line suit maker, why not?

[Spexxvet]

Originally Posted by glatt

If you have a trusted tailor measure you and then send the measurements off to the on-line suit maker, why not?

I'm curious. Do you have a trusted Optician who measures you?

[glatt]

I have an optometrist who tests my eyes and gives me a prescription.

An optician to measure my haid? no. I have old glasses that fit well, and a ruler to measure those to get the same sized ones offered on the internet. I can measure the distance between my pupils myself in the mirror.

[Spexxvet]

Here's the issue in my profession. When you buy glasses, some of what you pay for is the Optician's expertise. A good Optician will determine your needs and recommend the best products to meet those needs. S/He will take appropriate, accurate measurements, and when the glasses are made, s/he will ensure their accuracy. Then the Optician will custom fit the eywear to you, and will adjust your glasses if they ever come out of adjustment.

Historically, we have adjusted anyone's glasses, whether they purchased the glasses from us, or not. An Optician somewhere sold those glasses and at some point may adjust glasses that were purchased from me.

Now, people are buying their glasses on line, and we Opticians are being asked to give away our skills, expertise, and our time. If it's just fitting glasses to someone, it's not a big thing, but when we're asked for measurement, for which we can be liable, or to troubleshoot a problem with the glasses, then it becomes costly to us. The worst is when our paying customers have to wait while we try to figure out why an on line purchaser can't see out of their glasses.

For young people like you and Pie, it's not so much of an issue, especially if you don't have a strong prescription. But when you get into multifocals (and you will), you may want to consult with a licensed Optician.

[glatt]

Sounds like a simple policy of "we charge to fit any glasses not sold by us" is in order.

[Pie]

Originally Posted by Spexxvet

Here's the issue in my profession. When you buy glasses, some of what you pay for is the Optician's expertise. A good Optician will determine your needs and recommend the best products to meet those needs. S/He will take appropriate, accurate measurements, and when the glasses are made, s/he will ensure their accuracy. Then the Optician will custom fit the eywear to you, and will adjust your glasses if they ever come out of adjustment.

Historically, we have adjusted anyone's glasses, whether they purchased the glasses from us, or not. An Optician somewhere sold those glasses and at some point may adjust glasses that were purchased from me.

Now, people are buying their glasses on line, and we Opticians are being asked to give away our skills, expertise, and our time. If it's just fitting glasses to someone, it's not a big thing, but when we're asked for measurement, for which we can be liable, or to troubleshoot a problem with the glasses, then it becomes costly to us. The worst is when our paying customers have to wait while we try to figure out why an on line purchaser can't see out of their glasses.

For young people like you and Pie, it's not so much of an issue, especially if you don't have a strong prescription. But when you get into multifocals (and you will), you may want to consult with a licensed Optician.

Hey, I pay an optometrist $60 every year to give me a full eye exam. I get pics of my retinas and everything, since I'm typeIID and work with <Dr.>frikin' lazers</Evil> every day. I refuse to pay a kajillion dollars to some frame manufacturer when I know it should cost $19.95. And I work with precision optics for a living -- we don't pay hundreds of dollars for the stuff we use, and it's a lot more high-tech than my specs. I know my prescription, my IPD, all the various lengths associated with my last specs, and verify that info with my optometrist.

<shrugs> Seems fair to me.

[squirell nutkin]

Originally Posted by Spexxvet

Here's the issue in my profession. When you buy glasses, some of what you pay for is the Optician's expertise. A good Optician will determine your needs and recommend the best products to meet those needs. S/He will take appropriate, accurate measurements, and when the glasses are made, s/he will ensure their accuracy. Then the Optician will custom fit the eywear to you, and will adjust your glasses if they ever come out of adjustment.

Historically, we have adjusted anyone's glasses, whether they purchased the glasses from us, or not. An Optician somewhere sold those glasses and at some point may adjust glasses that were purchased from me.

Now, people are buying their glasses on line, and we Opticians are being asked to give away our skills, expertise, and our time. If it's just fitting glasses to someone, it's not a big thing, but when we're asked for measurement, for which we can be liable, or to troubleshoot a problem with the glasses, then it becomes costly to us. The worst is when our paying customers have to wait while we try to figure out why an on line purchaser can't see out of their glasses.

For young people like you and Pie, it's not so much of an issue, especially if you don't have a strong prescription. But when you get into multifocals (and you will), you may want to consult with a licensed Optician.

Spexx, the party's over. I wonder why photographers didn't do the same thing that doctors did a long time ago: create a guild that prevented others from practicing without a special license. Do you know how many times I hear from people who ought to be using a professional photographer that their nephew or son or whoever is going to take the pictures for them for free? Just because you can buy a hammer, that doesn't make you a carpenter. Same goes for just about every profession and trade. Being in a consumer society we pay the price by having our expertise discounted in order for someone to be able to sell out from under us. Our national values respect consumerism more than expertise.

There was a local paper near here that was always going on an on about "shopping locally" and supporting local businesses. But what does that mean? From my point of view it means:
Don't buy a camera, if you need photos, go to your local photographer and let him make a living (not a killing)
Don't buy a computer for desktop publishing, go to a graphic designer and hire them to make your poster.
Don't run to home depot and buy and arsenal of tools, hire your local carpenter to fix your screen door.
don't buy pepperidge farm cookies or budweiser beer or produce from across the continent. Why don't you have a local bakery or brewery? because they were edged out by economy of scale.

So I say the party's over, because it is just a matter of time before your business is a self serve procedure. Pharmaceutical companies are already marketing directly to consumers.