Optical Shops

In a shop, one will find someone who can assist you, provided you don't visit when most other people have time, i.e. after work or during the weekend, when shops tend to be busy.

Hopefully you find a capable and motivated store assistant, who can find all the information you need.

Visio-Rx.com

All information you could possibly ask for is at your fingertips, no need to ask anyone. Just click and view a video, or read our articles. And help is just a click on a chat button away.

Optical Shops

Trying on frames can be done with the actual frame in hand (the one that a hundred other people have had on their noses already).

But what if you cannot see well up close without your glasses?

More and more shops are installing an "advanced" tool called a Virtual Mirror, so a picture of the customer can be taken and then the frames appear on their faces. Thus the customer can see how he/she will look with the frame.

How long do you feel comfortable staying in a shop without making a decision? 10 minutes, 15 minutes? Especially with other people waiting for the shop staff.

Visio-Rx.com

On our website you find the same virtual mirror, but much more powerful than anything you will find in a shop.

You can upload your picture and try on as many frames as you want, and spend as much time as you want, without feeling any pressure from shop staff or fellow shoppers.

Optical Shops

There is so much choice in the shop. In a typical shop, you will find between 500 and 800 different frames to choose from.

Visio-Rx.com

On our web site you will find more than 1,600 different frames – how’s that for choice?

Optical Shops

Ever noticed how poor the selection for kids and youth frames is in most shops?

Visio-Rx.com

Just visit our website and see for yourself how much choice we have for the young ones. They deserve fashionable eyewear as well.

Optical Shops

When shopping for clothes, we often take our friends or loved ones with us. But how often does one go shopping for a pair of glasses with friends?

Visio-Rx.com

You can select the frames that you feel will look good on you. Put them on your face. Then send a message to your friends, or use the Facebook voting function, and ask for their opinion.

With our simple and convenient voting system, your friends will love providing input on your new looks.

Optical Shops

“In a shop they can give me all information regarding the frames.”

Well, maybe. How often have you had any meaningful answers from a shop assistant regarding materials or quality of a frame that you liked? And on their websites there is very little (if any) information of this type.

Visio-Rx.com

Select a frame, click on "details", and you’ll be amazed at how much information we have available on each frame.

Optical Shops

“But lenses are really a shop’s strong point. They will be able to provide all information I request.”

Theoretically yes. But remember that in a shop 90%+ of all lenses sold are standard fare. In most shops you will not get much meaningful information on the lens choices. Expect a rather patronizing "trust me, your optician knows best" attitude.

Ever receive an exact comparison of lens weights and thicknesses for the different lens choices (other than "well, on average this lens is approximately 20% thinner")?

Visio-Rx.com

Anything you will want to know about the difference between lenses is at your disposal. Just click and learn. Spend half an hour on our website and go to any shop. You will be amazed at how much you know and what questions you can ask that become difficult for the shop assistant to answer.

With a few clicks you will know exactly the difference in weight and thickness of the lens options for your chosen frame, thanks to our 3D lens viewer.

Optical Shops

“My eye doctor did not note my PD on my prescription and said that the shop will do this.”

True. Without an accurate PD, your lenses cannot be fitted correctly in your frame. And you do not want a pair of glasses based on a wrong PD number.

In certain cases, this is a bit of a sneaky way in which eye doctors and shops can collude. Without a PD, the customer cannot buy on the internet. Both the eye doctor (when tied to a shop) and the optician have a stake in not giving out the PD value if a customer does not buy there. 

Visio-Rx.com

We regret this practice as much as you do.

To address this, we have invested significantly in an easy to use online PD measuring tool. By following a few easy instructions, you can take a picture and upload this. Then you can accurately measure your PD in 30 seconds.

Optical Shops

“In a shop the optician can accurately measure the vertical placement of my lenses. The optical center needs to be in front of my pupil. Since the optician can look at my pupil while I have the frame on my face, he can accurately mark the exact location of my pupil.”

Visio-Rx.com

Very true. And this is the big shortcoming of almost all websites that sell prescription eyewear (and which is therefore not mentioned by any of those sites). Glasses with an incorrect vertical position of the lenses should not be delivered to a customer.

Visio-Rx has invested significantly in on an online tool to allow accurate measurements of the vertical fitting height of the lenses. By taking a few simple pictures and uploading these during check out, our lab will be able to accurately determine your vertical fitting height. 

Optical Shops

With all of their propaganda, one would think shops are a nirvana for finding good deals.

Have you ever been disappointed when visiting a shop after seeing one of those great promotions? How come it seems that you can never leave an optical shop without spending much more than the promotion promised?

Easy answer: the promotions are meant to get you into the shop to apply the "bait and switch" on you.

Visio-Rx.com

You will not find promotions on our website. Just good ol' everyday low prices. All of our lens prices include all premium coatings. There are no unpleasant surprises at the check out counter.

Only one pleasant effect: on average you´ll pay 82% less than for similar glasses in a shop.

Optical Shops

“In a shop everything is clearly priced, so I know exactly how much it costs. “

Really? In a supermarket, yes. But if you ever left an optical store dizzy because of the unpleasant surprises after the sheet with lens upgrades and prices was pulled from beneath the counter – you are not alone.

Why can you never find this information on the websites of the optical shops? It's not difficult to do. Or would the shop prefer you did not know before they hit you with this?

Visio-Rx.com

All prices are there for anyone to see. Nothing to hide. We are so proud of our business model that we want the whole world to see what they will pay when buying from us.

And we have a 125% lowest price guarantee.

Optical Shops

“In any case, the quality of the frames must be much better when buying from a shop. Most of the frames say "made in Italy", so that will be a guarantee for superb quality.”

Well, yes and no. The main frame suppliers have huge factories in China. It is difficult to look into their supply chains. But in their annual reports, they openly admit to significant manufacturing in China of many parts for their glasses.

Visio-Rx.com

Our frames come from suppliers in China – we do not make a secret of this, and are proud of the quality products they provide us.

The bulk of optical frames nowadays come from China  - which probably includes many of the frames in your neighborhood optical shop (either entirely, or a significant part of the frame parts).

Optical Shops

“Shops have good quality lenses. They will not do anything to compromise their reputation.”

Absolutely!

But do expect to pay very high surcharges when you want a thinner lens.

Visio-Rx.com

There is an enormous number of lens suppliers from North America, Europe and offshore. We take extreme care to offer only quality lenses that conform to the strict norms applied to lenses in the USA.

We invite any customer to take eyewear bought from Visio-Rx to an optical shop and have them independently measure our lenses.

Upgrades to thinner lenses are very affordable.

Optical Shops

“At a shop I can buy special lens treatments.”

Yes, but it will cost you an arm and a leg. And lenses without treatment (coatings) are inferior, so you don't want that either.

Most shops will offer lenses that have as upgrades a hard coating and an anti-reflection layer. This are often referred to as "HMC". But if you want an additional hydrophobic coating, UV coating or EMI coating, plan on forking over even more money.

Visio-Rx.com

Simplicity is a concept we have embraced. All our lenses come with our Cristiline® Armorcoat Advanced coating package:

•   Hard coating
•   Anti-reflection coating
•   Basic hydrophobic coating
•   UV protection

And all without any add-on price.

For discerning users, additional super-hydrophobic/anti-dust coating is offered for a nominal fee.

Optical Shops

“From past experience I know that I have a difficult prescription, or that I’m a difficult customer because I always seem to have problems with my vision and glasses.”

You are a perfect customer for an optical shop. You need personal attention.

Visio-Rx.com

Our website focuses on the 90% of people who wear glasses and have no problems with their eyewear. We cannot be all things to all people. There is a place for a web based sales channel.

Some customers will not be happy with the fact that they cannot see an optician in person. In such cases, our recommendation is to buy your glasses in a shop.

Optical Shops

“Since shops are around the corner, their delivery times must be superfast.”

Well, that depends. An optical chain store will have to send the frame to their central lab. Then the job will be planned, executed and sent back.

For independent shops, it depends on whether they do lens mounting in the shop, or send it out to an independent lab.

Count on an average delivery time of 10 days for most orders of eyewear, sometimes longer if special lenses are ordered.

Visio-Rx.com

Our average delivery time is 14 days. A little bit longer than the average shop, but given the savings, probably worth waiting a few more days.

Optical Shops

“Now that I received the glasses, the frame doesn’t fit perfectly. The shop can help me here and now.”

True.

On the other hand, this article is a bit of an eye-opener regarding what can realistically be expected.

Visio-Rx.com

Nobody likes to take a new pair of eyewear to an optical shop where the glasses were not purchased.

At Visio-Rx, we offer our customers the option to upload a few pictures. With these, we have a simple way to adjust your glasses such that 90% of our customers are happy with the fit upon arrival of the glasses.

And you will find short instruction videos to easily do basic adjustment yourself.

Optical Shops

Visio-Rx.com

It is not our decision to make, but possibly you would be better served buying these from a reputable company that truly understands reading glasses. When factoring in the lens coatings and the free case and cleaning cloth, you'll not be paying much more than at the supermarket counter, and you will get a much better product, which is specifically made for you and not by the container load.

We stand behind all of our glasses.

Optical Shops

“Most shops will offer a 1 year warranty on eyewear. And many will apply a level of flexibility in honoring warranty claims for up to 2 years.”

They want you back, next time you plan to fork over a high amount for a new pair of glasses.

Visio-Rx.com

Our standard warranty is 1 year against any material or workmanship defects.

And we offer a 100% refund policy upon receiving your glasses.

In combination with our 125% lowest price guarantee, our guarantee/warranty package is difficult to beat.