Contact lenses/ UPDATE about appointment in post 26!

[CookiePie]

Where is the cheapest place to get contacts? Anyone know? TIA!

[EricaDoula]

I get mine at lens.com but also check out 1800contacts.com depending on what type you need, some are cheaper at one or the other

[leavemealone]

The best price I have found for my prescription is at Costco.

[mommy2maya]

when I was just looking to buy, all the online prices were about the same for mine, I wear focus dailies. The biggest discount though is when you buy a large quantity.

[Leta]

Smartview Optical. It's Canadian. (I'm American.)

5+ years ago, I bought $100 worth of my hard to find brand. I still have some (I use the every-two-weeks kind as daily wear.) I got 5 or 6 boxes, so 30-36 pairs, so that works out to ~$1.50 per contact, ppd.

[Chicky2]

http://www.contactlensking.com/index.aspx

[CookiePie]

Thanks Mamas! My teenaged dd has an eye exam coming up. She has not been wearing her glasses in public but wears them around the house (they are broken look too small on her now) I think that she really wants to get contacts. I think I'm ready to let her. My sister wears them & started around her age. I just called the office & they are ordering her a sample pair to try. If she has no problems wearing them can I just take the perscription whereever I want? Or will they expect me to purchase through them?

Will I also need to get her a new pair of glasses as back up? Where can I get those cheap, because he will charge me $100 for the cheapest frames. Can I get them cheaper?

[leavemealone]

You should be able to take the prescription anywhere to be filled, but I think it can vary by state. I think some states have tighter restrictions that others. In my state, the eye examiner cannot withhold a valid prescription - it must be released to the patient even if the patient does not buy from the place where they had their eyes examined.

You can definitely find frames at a lower price, especially if they are only for backup. The frames I have for backup are not that great quality, but they'll work for what I need them for. Again, I suggest Costco, but that would only help if you have one nearby. Otherwise, Wal-mart would probably have a good price on basic frames.

[lakeruby]

Great resources! I've never tried ordering lenses before. I've always gotten them from my optomitrist's office, and they are very expensive (which is one reason I've been considering Lasik...) I'm bookmarking this for the next time I run out.

[Chicky2]

Originally Posted by sandcastle

You should be able to take the prescription anywhere to be filled, but I think it can vary by state. I think some states have tighter restrictions that others. In my state, the eye examiner cannot withhold a valid prescription - it must be released to the patient even if the patient does not buy from the place where they had their eyes examined.

You can definitely find frames at a lower price, especially if they are only for backup. The frames I have for backup are not that great quality, but they'll work for what I need them for. Again, I suggest Costco, but that would only help if you have one nearby. Otherwise, Wal-mart would probably have a good price on basic frames.

Wmart does have a good warranty on their frames. 1 yr, I believe.

I also wanted to say that I've gotten some lenses w/a bubble in them before from Contact Lens King. They do not MAKE the lenses, fwiw. They had wonderful customer service and handled my problem to my satisfaction and beyond. They jumped on getting me some replacements (although it did take a few wks to get them to me, I already had several good pair).

[Stayseeliz]

Originally Posted by Chicky2

http://www.contactlensking.com/index.aspx

This is who I use!!

[SophieAnn]

In Canada, I buy contacts online at: www.clearlycontacts.ca

Look around for the best online prices, and also check Costco and Walmart.

If you have a prescription written out you can buy your glasses or contacts anywhere you want. Just make sure you or your daughter get a written copy of the prescription. My optometrist doesn't write it out unless I ask (but it's no charge of course)... maybe because they're hoping I'll buy my glasses/contacts from the office.

[ShwarmaQueen]

I order from 1800contacts and try to catch rebates. I also use a pair of contacts for months, as opposed to throwing it away after 2 wks.

Cheapest glasses (and pretty decent quality) I've ever found is http://www.zennioptical.com/cart/home.php . They're comparable to what you'd buy at Walmart or Lenscrafters but super cheap!

[pumpkin]

Originally Posted by ShwarmaQueen

I order from 1800contacts and try to catch rebates. I also use a pair of contacts for months, as opposed to throwing it away after 2 wks.

I also order online. Just look around for the best price on the particular kind.

Please don't encourage your DD to wear the lenses longer. Some people can get away with it, but it can be a really bad idea. I actually can't even wear monthlies for more than to weeks because I am a buildup generator. I finally switched to dailies.

[Satori]

When I wear them I get them from 1800contacts for about 1/3 the cost my eye dr charges.

[CookiePie]

Thanks for all the advice! Her appointment is in a month, I'm thinking that the daily use ones might be a good start for her, so there is very little upkeep, but we will see what the doctor recommends. My conversation with the office was a little strange & my sister is encouraging me to take her elsewhere, I dunno I need further advice. I have gone to this doctor for many years The lady told me that they would order he a trial pair in her current prescription & it would be there at her appointment to try. She said that they used to charge $300 for a contact lens fitting, but they no longer do them. She asked if there was anyone that could show dd how to take them in & out. I said yes, my sister can help her. So I asked what they would charge, she said that they would just charge the exam out to insurance & not to worry about it, they don't normally do it, but since she we've been patients there & she is young they will. She said that I might have to bring her in a couple of times, but wouldn't incur any further charge, other than the contacts themselves. My sister is worried that she said that they are ordering her a trial pair when she has not been properly fitted. She said that every year when she has her exam she must be re-fitted before they will give her her new prescription. She is making me worry. So I called her provider & was told that I would pay my copay plus $100 for the fitting, which might take a few appointments to get just right before the doctor orders the lenses. She said that all those appointments fall under the $100 fee, but that fee is $40 subsequent years, because a fitting is required at each yearly exam. So I'm out $100 even if she can't get the darn things in her eyes......Do you think that my current office is going to do a proper fitting on my dd? Do you think that the woman I spoke just didn't explain good? It was the doctors wife/office manager so I think she should know that you can't order a trial pair without first fitting her. I'm happy that they weren't going to charge me for the fitting, but he won't let her walk around with ill-fitting contacts will he? Maybe the trial pair was more to see if she can get them in & out then he will fit her & order them for us? Since both offices said it might take a few visits I'm felling like those are for the proper fitting & I'm felling like I'll be fine sticking with my regular doctor & save $100 in the process. Ya think?

[mommy2maya]

Part of the contact exam is the diameter of the eye. IMO, the fitting is a colossal waste of money. It is never covered by insurance- because it is not medical procedure- it is someone that says, ok, put these in, then ok, how do they feel. RIP OFF. Seriously. I just went for an exam a few months ago, and wanted to try a new brand of contacts, which they were more than happy to oblige. Well, unbeknownst to me, it was a $75 fee, because they had to assess the fit of the contacts, IE ask me how they felt.

[CookiePie]

Ok that does make me feel better. So if the measur the diameter then why all the trying on? I think I'll stick with our doc since it sounds like he isn't charging us for this. Espescially when I don't even know if she will like wearing them & taking care of them, yk?

[leavemealone]

The most I have ever paid for a contact exam is about $80 (including the fitting), almost never covered by insurance b/c we don't have vision insurance (which I think is a waste of money). I've been offered the pupil dilation but have never done it. Also, when I first started wearing contacts about 17 years ago, they spent as much time as needed with me to show me how to put them in. Even now, when I get a new exam, they give me a trial pair and ask me to put them in and then recheck to make sure they fit right. It's part of the exam and I even go to Wal-mart for an exam, not a fancy eye drs office. It seems odd that they'd ever charge $300 for a fitting, that they wouldn't help her learn to put the contacts in/out and check her afterward. Every place I have been has had most prescriptions on hand (even when I wore a toric lens, they had it on hand). I know they can't keep every single prescription on hand, but unless it's a specialty lens, they should have the most common ones on hand. You probably would have to pay even if the contacts didn't work for her, b/c the eye dr has done the service. However, every place I have been has also included a glasses prescription along with the contact prescription so it's not a total waste of money. Unless she has an unusual eye condition, she can probably get an eye exam at another place and be just fine.

[Alyantavid]

I don't get fitted for my contacts. My doc's awesome though and writes a prescription and has told me to take it elsewhere to get them cheaper. I use www.1800contacts.com for my lenses and usually get a 6 month supply for around $100. They usually have free shipping regularly and I get emails about special deals all the time.

I just ordered some glasses from www.zennioptical.com and they are great! For $8, I was really expecting totally cheap, flimsy frames, but they're actually not bad. Especially for the price.