One of the main problems with glasses is their inflated cost. By ruthlessly eliminating all competition, Big Eyewear has been able to charge what they like.
And same as all the other Bigs, the eyewear industry likes to charge a lot, with markups of 1000%. I do believe we call that gouging.
That is fine if you have private health insurance that covers glasses, like I did when I was a teacher, although you still have to pay your premiums.
As a teacher, my insurance entitled me (and Linda) to a new pair of glasses every 2 or 3 years. For us that was excessive because we didn't feel it necessary to replace our glasses that often.
The pairs each of us are currently wearing are much, much older than 2 or 3 years. Closer to 10, I think. Maybe older...
We had our eyes checked before the pandemic, and decided to get new glasses. But not at the optician in the Drs. office.
Online opticians have been disrupting the industry in recent years. It is a bit of a pain to not be able to have your glasses fitted properly when you get them by mail, but for some pairs that is less important than for others.
For the second time we bought our glasses online. The price was a fraction of what we would pay in a conventional bricks and mortar place (although still too much in my opinion), and we did not need to go out to get them.
My mom said that when she was driving me home after getting my first pair of black horned rim beauties, I looked out the car window and said,
"Wow, the trees have individual leaves."
I have been wearing glasses every single day of my life since then. And every single day I have been thankful that I have them.
But why do glasses have to cost so damn much?
Because the monopolistic eyewear industry is one of the biggest consumer rip offs in a world of consumer rip offs.
One way to fight back is to make your glasses last for as long as possible.
Eyewear industry?
Thanks. See ya in 10 years.
You suck more than having to wear glasses.
The frames I am wearing right now, my only pair, were bought in 1998. I really like them and cannot find another pair like them. I dropped my glasses and walked all over them as I looked for them in a gravel driveway. The Optometrist refused to straighten the hinge because she might break them and she could not get to a screw that she had to loosen. So, I took the frames to a jeweler and gave him permission to straighten them even if he broke them. That was four years ago...lol. I suppose my glasses will have to break before I do anything if I cannot find frames I like. I asked the jeweler if he could repair them if I broke them in the future. He assured me he could.
ReplyDeleteI have been told by people selling glasses that my gold frame rims are not in style, that I should get some black frames. I really don't care if they are in style or not, the suit me and my face.
I totally agree with you that online glasses companies offer glasses for cheaper. My husband was able to purchase RX sunglasses at a really affordable price. I will say that I change my glasses frames about once every 6 years but because of the nature of my vision I have to change the lens in the glasses almost every 2 years. I invested in one really good durable pair that I purchased from my local ophthalmologist at a higher price than if I purchased online (he does employ a person from our town and has a brick and mortar office in our town so he has higher costs and tends to carry handmade frames that are made by artisans so the increased cost makes sense to me). In fact, I purchased a pair of handmade glasses that are inlaid with leaves and the frames are compostable! Also I like the reassurance that when/if I have a malfunction (glasses need readjustment/tightening/or heaven forbid they are broken- like the time my then toddler daughter ripped them off my face in glee and sat on them, hahah;)) that he is just a walk around the corner and can fix me up right away. I cannot drive or bike safely or do pretty much anything like read or see the expressions on people’s faces without my glasses. My eye doctor office certainly costs more but, for me, it is worth it given the importance of my vision and glasses for my ability to live a good life!
ReplyDeleteI was a preemie twin and in an incubator for about 6 weeks which caused legal blindness, so glasses have been my friend all y life. So much so that I fret about third world countries where children cannot get glasses. When I was helping my sister pack up her house we found 6 pair of nice glasses and frames. I was tempted to keep one pair for the frames but then felt guilty and they all went to the lions club who takes them and distributes them throughout these countries so people can see clearly for the first time. Sight is such a gift.
ReplyDelete