...and it includes my complete refusal to pay utterly insane prices for eyeglasses and frames ever again.

Why did this take me so long? I'm embarrassed about how long I've willingly subsidized the scammers who take my insurance company's money and then my money on top of that to give me the same product I can have for a fraction of the cost by buying online.

Does that shock you?

Hey, it shocked me, too, the first time my son mentioned the possibility. Because yes, I've been brainwashed by the same demons that had my mom believing during the 50's and 60's that if you didn't buy your kids' shoes at the place that takes 22 measurements and an xray before fitting, you'd be deforming their little feet for life. Now we don't think twice about buying kids' shoes at Wal-mart. Well, until they get old enough to care what their friends think.

So now it's high time to smash the sacred cow (read: scam) of glasses.

Background: Our eye insurance plan pays $105 toward frames. One pair a year. Normally the frames I or the kids would choose run right around $200 in the optometrist's office, or even at Target or Pearle Vision. So our portion is around $100. By the time we pay for the lenses and the bifocals and all the extras they say I HAVE to have to avoid the likelihood of getting eye cancer or having my glasses run over by a speeding locomotive, I'm writing a check for $225. And that's on top of what they're getting from my insurance company.

Who knew you could submit your prescription, choose your frames and options and get them shipped straight to your house from an online eyeglass lab? And for just a sliver of the cost? Certainly not me, the Stride-Rite girl! But when my son came in and told me about an online company that his friends have been using and are very happy with, I did a little investigating and found that thousands of customers have been happy with this company (and several other similar companies). So I overcame my squeamishness and ordered myself a pair, using the prescription from my latest eye exam. I figured that if mine turned out okay, I'd then place a mass order for all my kids who also need glasses. But I wasn't expecting much.

After all...really I just wasn't paying enough. My order, for the frames I really wanted, the lenses, bifocals (which was a 17.95 charge by itself), a little clip-on sunshade, a case, AND shipping, came to.....are you ready?.......$35.85. TOTAL. Do you realize, then, that without the bifocals it would have been just half that?

Well, I've resisted the urge to get on here and brag about my discovery until today, just in case I put them on and thought I was underwater or something. But today, my glasses arrived. And they are great! They are just what I would have expected for $225 or more, and both the distance and the reading portions are perfect!

The downside is that you have to wait about three weeks from the day your order until they hit your mailbox. Now, someone from the optometrist lobby will probably hop on here and claim that there's something dangerous about this, or whine about who will I get to adjust the earpieces and let me look in the mirror to make sure they're just right. But they'll die out as surely as the children's shoe charlatans did once people realize they don't want to pay $200 for fast service or for someone to bend the earpieces!

Hey, if you have one ear that's an inch higher than another or if you have an eye disease, you might want to stick with the eyeglass racket shop. But otherwise, do yourself a favor and at least TRY the online option. Let's strike a blow for sanity and put these places out of business if they can't do without a 10,000% markup.

Just make sure that when you get your eye exam you get a copy of your prescription. They'd really rather keep it with them so you'll have to come back and get your glasses there, so you might need to ask. But you've paid for that prescription, and they have to give you a copy. If you've left without it, as we did, call and tell them you're coming in to pick it up so you can have a copy for your records or whatever. It's yours.

Even though they haven't asked me to, I'm going to put in a plug for the company I used, Zenni Optical, but I have no evidence that they're any better than their competitors online. I'll just say I was very happy with my experience and plan to order several more pairs. Maybe one in every color. Give it a look. You'll be amazed at the thousands of choices in frames and options. Most of all, you'll love the price.

Now if I can just manage to find my root canals online.

hat tip: Nathan :-)

Labels: Good Stuff