5
Nov/09
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Discount Eye Frames

While this isn’t directly related to BanditDeals, it does relate to finding good bargains online. Over the summer I lost my only pair of glasses to the bottom of a river that I frequently paddled. Ordering some contacts were the first course of action, but then came the long and tortuous journey of finding a new pair of glasses.

The previous pair had lasted me more than a decade and I knew I was looking for a change. However, every pair of frames I liked came with a stiff price tag. Yes, I know you invest in some things because you use them often and for a long time. Glasses are definitely in that category. However, it’s hard to plunk down hundreds of dollars on a frame that carries a certain “fashion” with it. I certainly can’t justify buying three pairs of glasses because I need different pairs for different activities, etc. So, pressed with this budget constraint, I typically settled for minimal, or plain glasses that could be used for a variety of situations without drawing a lot of attention to themselves. Trouble was, those didn’t really feel like glasses I wanted to spend money for.

The months rolled by and I visited with some friends who were talking about the latest pair of glasses they ordered online and how they only cost $50. Sure, I scoffed at the idea of buying something so cheap. I mean, if you’re going to use something as much as you used glasses, shouldn’t you spend some serious money on a pair? Well, the more I thought about it, the more I thought it might be justifiable to buy cheap glasses because if they didn’t last, all you would have to do is order another pair right? Still, some things in life are worth spending money on to get quality. I wasn’t convinced.

I did some investigation and I found a couple of websites that offer discount frames. One of them was the website that my friends had used.

After researching the companies, reading countless reviews, and educating myself on the make and manufacture of frames, I came to the reluctant conclusion that it just might be possible to offer quality frames at $50 a frame. I located a pair of titanium frames from EyeBuyDirect.com that I liked and I plan on ordering them tomorrow.

It will probably be two weeks before they arrive, but I will post my initial impressions of them when they arrive. In the meantime, I wanted to pass along these two (seemingly) great online resources for frames.

Comments (2) Trackbacks (0)
  1. boris
    3:23 am on November 6th, 2009

    Hi, thanks for this great article.
    yes i agree…and EYEBUYDIRECT.COM has really wonderful products and the best costumer service of those kind of online websites…

    have a nice week,
    B.

    p.s- eyebuydirect have 2 more days to their 1+1 sale! you buy one pair of glasses and get one for FREE!

  2. K Turner
    8:28 am on November 29th, 2009

    Well, I ended up buying from an online frame store that I hadn’t listed in the previous article – Zenni Optical. The previous online stores were fine, but with one, EyeBuyDirect, I couldn’t find a pair of frames that I really liked, otherwise, I would have bought from them. With GlassesShop, the prices seemed reasonable, but too much for buying something online that I couldn’t try on.

    I think that is the major reason I went with Zenni. They offered 1.57 index lenses standard with the frames and the frames tended to be cheaper. Zenni had been around for a while and I saw numerous posts from other customers that reassured me to take a chance with them. Yes, Zenni’s website is horrible.

    Well, the frames arrived about a week ago. I spent $39 total. The frames were a bit big on my face for my taste, not that they were too big to fit. All in all though, they frames look like they are well made.

    I think the thing to remember is that you are taking a chance when buying online that the frames might not be exactly what you envision them being when they are actually sitting on your face.

    If you’re buying online, I’d also say you HAVE TO know the frame size you’re looking for. Use an old pair of frames as a guide. Still, once you get to shopping around for frames, it’s very easy to get tempted to buy something in a slightly larger or smaller frame size than what you know is ideal, partly because there are sooo many frames to choose from. That was my temptation. I’d find a handful of frames I liked and easily half of them would have to be rejected because they would not have fit my face.

    Lastly, I think price is important when buying online. It’s not that you’re getting a good deal – the lower price is almost required because you are taking a chance by buying something sight unseen. You can’t afford to spend too much to “try on” a pair of glasses.

    So, in the end I could see the online frames market appealing to a few people:

    1 – People who wear contacts and just need a cheap backup pair for emergencies.
    2 – People who want multiple frames for fashion.
    3 – People who know the exact frame dimensions, style, etc. that they want.
    4 – People who only care about getting the lowest price.

    Would I buy online again? Yes.

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