Last month, I found myself at my go-to coffee shop, squinting at the menu board in frustration. I had invested a decent amount in a new pair of glasses with gorgeous Cat Eye frames—specifically, the Leopard Clear Eyewear for women. Yet the lenses turned everything into a hazy, cheap watercolor painting.
In an attempt to save money, I searched to buy prescription glasses near me without breaking the bank. What seemed like a great online deal quickly turned into a disappointing ordeal.
Learn from my errors. Here’s what I discovered:
When my first pair arrived, the vision was blurry. I reached out to customer service, and they apologized, presenting two options: a full refund or 110% store credit. That extra 10% sounded appealing, didn’t it?
I opted for the credit. That decision was my gravest error.
Using that credit, I ordered a second pair, which was also blurry. After a quick return, I tried a third pair, paying additional money since the frames were pricier. To my dismay, the third pair was blurry as well.
After the third failure, I attempted to secure a full refund. That’s when the customer service policy shifted. They informed me that store credit is non-refundable. Because I had applied the credit to the second and third orders, I was trapped. I had shelled out over $200 for three pairs of unusable, blurry glasses.
They also mentioned they only process returns twice per order. It didn’t matter that the lenses were incorrect every time—I was left without recourse and out of pocket.
Action Step: If your initial online glasses order is faulty, accept the cash refund right away. DO NOT choose store credit, even if it seems like a better deal. It ties you to a system meant to retain your funds.
Eventually, I abandoned the large online retailer. I brought my beautiful Leopard frames to a reputable local optical shop and asked them to inspect the lenses. The optician tested my prescription on their equipment and shook his head.
He clarified, "The prescription is completely inaccurate. It’s not even in the ballpark of what you require."
I had to spend another $200 for new lenses to be fitted into the frames. In total, I paid $400 for one pair of glasses—far more than if I had chosen a quality provider from the start.