Over the past few years, the contact lens wearing community has been bombarded with advertising promising low prices and convenient “to your door shipping” from online vendors of contact lenses trying to convince patients to buy their contacts online rather than the tried and true method of ordering through your trusted eye doctor. Despite the sometimes convincing pitches these sites make, there are a number of advantages to buying from your trusted family optometrist that you give up when buying online, because these online stores are either unwilling or unable to deliver the same level of service. Below, we outline some of the major advantages of ordering through your optometrist:
The Power of Rebates
One of the mainstays of advertising for online contact lens retailers is the promise of low prices and great deals. The claim is that you are unable to get the same low prices if you order from your optometrist. The offer sounds great, for sure, but ultimately proves to be quite false. The truth is, while the original price on some online sites may give the appearance of lower prices, the bottom-line often ends up costing you more than ordering from your eye doctor’s office would have. Many eye doctors have the ability to redeem special rebates for their patients, allowing eye doctors to cut costs for you at the bottom-line. Online services are often unaware of these rebates or will ask their customers to redeem these rebates on their own. Many people will not know where or how to redeem these rebates, losing money they would have been able to save by buying in-office.
Open Box Policy
Prescriptions change, and quite often at that. That’s simply how it is. However, for those unfortunate enough to have ordered their contact lenses online, if they have already opened the box, they are now stuck with these lenses, even though the contact lenses are no longer the correct prescription. Options at that point are either to continue with contacts that don’t provide proper vision (which can sometimes be dangerous for purposes such as driving), or pay for brand new contact lenses all over again to fill the new prescription. And then just hope that their prescription doesn’t change again.
On the other hand, most, if not all, optometric offices will have an “open box policy” on contact lenses bought from them. This means that if your prescription changes, you simply come to your eye doctor’s office and exchange the old prescription for your updated one, for free, even if the box is already open.
Personal Relationships and Expertise
Perhaps the most important difference between buying online and buying in-office comes down to what your optometrist’s role is, compared to the online vendor’s, and how each sees you.
The role of your eye doctor is mainly to help you see your best and to help you safeguard your overall eye health and visual comfort, in the best and most comfortable way possible. A big part of fulfilling this role is getting to know each and every patient one on one and maintaining that personal connection in a way that encourages an ongoing dialogue about the patient’s needs and long term visual health. In contrast, you are unlikely to have any personal relationship at all with the anonymous customer service representative at an online contact lens retailer, and said customer service rep is almost certainly without the proper training to understand your vital visual health needs as they relate to your contact lenses.
Your eye doctor maintains a relationship centered on your overall visual health, while an online contact lens retailer maintains a relationship centered around your wallet and takes no responsibility for your overall eye health.
Eye infection or dry eyes that result from your contact lenses are more likely to be addressed successfully by speaking to a professional, trained and educated eye doctor with whom you have a personal relationship, rather than by speaking to a customer service agent whom you have never, and likely will never, meet, and who is there solely to fill orders and nothing more.
For more information, contact your eye doctor today.
Call Five Points Eye Care at 706-222-3540 to schedule an eye exam with our Athens optometrist. Alternatively, book an appointment online here CLICK FOR AN APPOINTMENT
FAQs
With online stores, you have no way of knowing the storage conditions of their inventory. Contact lenses are often recalled due to safety concerns. When you buy on the internet, you may receive a recalled product – and you'll have no optometrist to verify its safety.
Should I buy contacts from an optometrist? ›
Optometrists have extensive knowledge and experience in contact lens fitting. They are skilled in evaluating the health of the eyes, determining the appropriate type of contact lenses, and ensuring a proper fit.
Is it cheaper to get contacts at an eye doctor? ›
The Power of Rebates
The truth is, while the original price on some online sites may give the appearance of lower prices, the bottom-line often ends up costing you more than ordering from your eye doctor's office would have.
Does it matter where you buy contact lenses? ›
No matter which vision insurance you have chosen, you'll get the most by using the contact lens retailers that are in network for your plan. If you have insurance through VSP, you can make the most out of your coverage by getting contacts through your VSP network doctor or shop contacts online at Eyeconic.
Why do eye doctors charge more for contacts? ›
Simply put, a Contact Lens Exam is a Routine Eye Exam on steroids, therefore, it is of an additional cost. If you wear contacts, you are required to have an annual Contact Lens Exam in order to maintain your prescription (even if your prescription isn't changing).
Why is there a processing fee for contact lenses? ›
Handling fees or processing fees
Online retailers don't usually have physical locations, so they charge certain fees to process your order and prepare your contact lenses for shipping.
Is 1-800 Contacts cheaper than Walmart? ›
Is 1-800 Contacts cheaper than Walmart? 1-800 Contacts tops our list for best overall online contact retailer but that doesn't mean they're always the cheapest. You may find lower prices at Walmart. That said, price differences between the two usually aren't that dramatic.
How much should a pair of contacts cost? ›
Table of Contents. Generally, they cost between $20 and $30 a box. Most people with average prescriptions should be able to get a year's worth of contact lenses for $200 to $500. The price range for contacts can feel broad, but they have a highly variable price tag depending on a lot of factors.
How much are prescription contacts out of pocket? ›
Type of Contact Lens
| Type of Contact Lens | Cost Per Month | Cost Per Year |
|---|
| Daily Use | $50-$75 | $600-$900 |
| Biweekly Use | $20-$35 | $270-$360 |
| Monthly Use | $15-$25 | $180-$300 |
| Extended-Wear | $30-$40 | $360-$450 |
Jan 1, 2024
This exam is more expensive than comprehensive eye exams because more testing is needed to fit you for contacts. If you are concerned about the cost of the contact lens exam, we highly recommend becoming an Eyecare Club member.
Let your eye doctor know in advance that you'll need a contact lens prescription since these are very different from eyeglass prescriptions. Ask them to prescribe your contacts for a national brand. This will give you more freedom to choose from a variety of brand names online.
Can I just walk in and buy contact lenses? ›
A prescription ensures that the lenses fit your eyes properly, reducing the risk of complications such as corneal abrasions, infections, or discomfort. Never purchase contact lenses without a valid prescription or from unauthorized sources to protect your vision and eye health.
Is it okay to buy cheap contact lenses? ›
Cheaply made contact lenses can create a host of problems in your eyes, including being a host for bacteria and other foreign bodies that could cause irreparable damage to your vision. When it comes to your eyesight and your health, don't compromise them both to save yourself a little money.
What is the markup on contact lenses? ›
The average eyewear sale produces a 61 percent gross profit percentage, or $138 gross profit. Typical contact lens transactions involve two-box sales, generating $80 in revenue, a 47 percent gross profit percentage, and $38 gross profit.
Do contacts cost more without insurance? ›
How much do contacts cost with and without insurance? Vision insurance won't change the cost of your contacts, but it will affect how much you pay out of pocket. If you don't have insurance, you pay 100% of the price. If you do have insurance, contact your provider to see how much is covered with your plan.
Is it better to use eye insurance for glasses or contacts? ›
Most plans, including VSP insurance, provide a higher benefit for glasses, allowing for the cost of both frames and lenses and usually amounting to almost double to what is given for contact lenses.
Is it safe to buy contact lenses online? ›
You may end up with way more than you bargained for. The risks are high when buying online contact lenses from dubious or unknown sources without consulting optometrists or contact lens practitioners. Buying and using these unreliable items can lead to eye infections, corneal ulcers, or even blindness.
Are contacts cheaper online or in store? ›
Myth #1: Ordering contact lenses online is cheaper
Fact: Ordering contacts through your eye doctor is actually cheaper in many cases. As mentioned, your local eye doctor will actually tend to offer better rates than online providers. In addition, the higher rebates account for even better deals.
Over the past few years, the contact lens wearing community has been bombarded with advertising promising low prices and convenient “to your door shipping” from online vendors of contact lenses trying to convince patients to buy their contacts online rather than the tried and true method of ordering through your trusted eye doctor. Despite the sometimes convincing pitches these sites make, there are a number of advantages to buying from your trusted family optometrist that you give up when buying online, because these online stores are either unwilling or unable to deliver the same level of service. Below, we outline some of the major advantages of ordering through your optometrist: