A Warning to our Patients Concerning the Dangers and Risks of Purchasing Online Prescription Eyeglasses

Following up on some of our patients' requests and complaints, we have been investigating and reviewing the current technologies that allow a shopper to purchase complete pairs of eyeglasses over the internet. While websites may be able to offer frames and lenses to online customers, the reality of the situation is that eyeglasses have to be accurately adjusted and precisely measured on the patient's face before the order is submitted to the fabricating laboratory to insure that the prescription power, as measured by the doctor during the eye examination, is in the exact place on the lens and that the lens is in the exact place on your face.   

 Palmer Eyecare Center Online Eyeglass Measurement Policy 

While we discourage ordering eyeglasses, especially bifocals, progressives and high powers, online, we realize that some patients will still want to purchase their eyewear that way. The Palmer Eyecare Center will take the critical measurements and adjust your frame for a fee of $69. This fee is built in to every pair of eyeglasses that we dispense ourselves. Keep in mind that adjusting an ophthalmic frame can result in it breaking if done incorrectly or if the frame has quality problems of its own. We cannot be responsible for the quality (or lack of quality) of your online frame. Should it break, you will have to return it to the online supplier for repair or replacement. Our suggestion is to be absolutely sure that you have a money back guarantee so that you may return the eyeglasses if they don't perform as you expect.

If your eyeglasses don't work and are returned to the online vendor, we will credit the $69 that you paid our office toward a new pair of fully warranted eyeglasses from us.

   What About Online Contact Lens Purchases?

Online contact lenses come in sealed boxes from the manufacturer that are virtually the same regardless of the supplier. Except for one highly publicized case of counterfeit contact lenses packaged in contaminated solution coming into the country because a large internet contact lens marketer purchased the lenses on the grey market from unauthorized distributors in Asia, online contact lens purchases are generally safe and there is little reason to be concerned that the lenses will not perform as expected. Always confirm that the prescription on the box matches the doctor's written prescription and check the expiration dates on the boxes. To protect the public, the FDA has set up strict guidelines concerning the online sale and delivery of contact lenses. There are no such guidelines or protections in place for eyeglasses at the state or federal level. In fact, the largest online eyeglass sites are located outside of the United States.

 What Can Go Wrong?

Eyeglasses, on the other hand, have so many variables that it is virtually impossible to be sure that the prescription will work when ordered sight unseen from an unknown website. Even under optimum conditions in a doctor's office, a small percentage of eyeglasses will not perform as prescribed. Imagine the likelihood of eyeglasses not working when the frame is not correctly adjusted to your face and the measurements, usually measured with a device that can be monocularly accurate to 0.5mm (1/64 of an inch), are simply guessed at.

The stronger your prescription, whether you are farsighted, nearsighted, have astigmatism and especially if you need a bifocal, the more likely the eyeglasses will not work as prescribed and your vision will be compromised. Prescriptions for the more complex bifocals and progressive lenses have even more critical tolerances than standard single vision lenses.

 A recent research article into the accuracy of online eyeglasses was published in the Journal of the American Optometric Asociation in 2011. The results of the study were rather shocking. Almost 50% of the 200 pairs of glasses purchased online for the study "did not meet either the optical requirements of the patient's visual needs or the physical requirements for the patient's safety." This means that quality control and lens precision were compromised in a way that could compromise the wearer's vision and eye safety. These glasses would be illegal to sell in our office, but since the internet has no safeguards and the consumer has no idea what is right or wrong with the glasses, no one seems to care unless a wearer is blinded by a broken lens or a consumer realizes that the low price meant poor quality materials. And even then, there is no recourse. The pdf link to the complete research article is at the bottom of this page.  

What Would I Notice if the Eyeglasses Aren't Working Correctly or if the Prescription is Wrong?

First cover each eye and compare the two images. They should be the same. Next look far away and then up close. Does everything look clear? Some of the lens fabrication and frame misadjustment errors will make you feel a pulling sensation the longer you wear the eyeglasses. After a day of wearing incorrect lenses, it is not unusual to have eyestrain, a little dizziness or a headache, usually located right behind your eyes. Some readers notice that reading makes them very tired and they lose their place often. Some computer users complain that the monitor is not in focus and that the width of the reading area is very narrow. All of these symptoms can be eliminated if the eyeglasses are made correctly, the prescription is verified by the doctor's office and the frame is precisely adjusted to fit your face. Unfortunately, because the tolerances are so critical, if the lenses are fabricated to the wrong measurements, there is no amount of frame adjusting that will fix the problem and alleviate the symptoms.

Our Guarantee - Your Peace of Mind

Probably the best reason to get your eyeglasses from the Palmer Eyecare Center is the peace of mind of knowing that we've been doing this right for over 65 years. Our brand name designer frame lines come with 2-year guarantees which means that if there is a quality problem with a frame, you get a new replacement at no charge for two years from the date you picked them up. No online website offers that protection. As a comparison, Lenscrafters, the largest retailer of eyeglasses in the country, offers no replacement guarantee. They only offer to replace your broken glasses at half price for 12 months. Why do we offer such a terrific guarantee? It's just the way we've been doing things since 1946 when Dr. George Palmer opened his first office.

Our lenses, which are the most critical part of your eyeglasses, are from the top laboratories in the country that also guarantee the precision and optical quality of the lenses. We stand behind our products unequivocally. Ask an internet site if they have a money back guarantee if the glasses don't work correctly. You may be surprised, or shocked, by the answer, if you speak that language.

The Palmer Eyecare Center offers a one-stop, turnkey solution for eyeglasses. Our doctors, our prescriptions, our products, our guarantees; your peace of mind and the knowledge that you will be able to see clearly out of your eyeglasses and the comfort in knowing that we will always be there to help you should you ever need us.

In the Media

A recent article in the New York Times describes the terrible experiences of some online purchasers with just one online eyeglass website. There is no way of knowing if any online site is reputable or not or, as in the case below, was the home of an online predator. As detailed in the following article, thousands of buyers got ripped off.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/28/business/28borker.html?src=me&ref=business
The NBC Today Show also reported on this predatory online eyeglass retailer.
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/40430545#40430545 .

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