For Eyes 5
September 9th, 2008 by ComputerBob
Several days ago, I told you that I had liked JC Penney’s third attempt at making my new glasses. But I didn’t tell you that after wearing them for a few days, I discovered that my eyes and brain were still unable to adjust to them. Even though I had paid extra to get lenses that have a wider field of focus than the standard lenses, I was still experiencing an extremely tiny area of focus, both at a distance and close-up.
So I ended up taking that third attempt back to Penneys again.
And the optical department manager re-measured my eyes again.
And I chose a different pair of frames — with a shape that would make it easier for the lens makers to correctly grind progressive lenses to my prescription.
And I waited another week for them to be made again.
I’m happy to report that after spending hours driving back and forth to JC Penneys many times in the past several weeks, and spending several more hours having my eyes measured and remeasured, to give that store several opportunities to make my new glasses correctly, my long saga finally ended yesterday when I went back to try their fourth attempt.
My distance prescription was perfect.
In my left lens, I could turn my head several degrees and still see distant objects in focus. Unfortunately, as I patiently explained to the frustrated manager, in my right lens, the area of distance focus abruptly ended just a few millimeters to the right of straight ahead — giving me almost no right peripheral vision. To help her troubleshoot the problem, I carefully marked the spot on the lens with a water-based marker. She held up my new glasses and studied them carefully, but was unable to see any imperfections.
I went on to explain to her that when I looked at things up-close, I had to choose whether to look straight ahead and see them in perfect focus through my right eye, while my left eye’s vision was completely blurry, or turn my head slightly to the left to see them in perfect focus through my left eye, while my right eye’s vision was completely blurry. No matter what distance I held things away from my eyes, the new glasses didn’t give me any option to focus through both lenses at the same time.
Sincerely trying to make them work, she spent several minutes bending the frames to change the height of the right lens, and then to make the outsides of the lenses curve inward toward my head. When those adjustments didn’t help, she tried bending the frames the other way, to make the lenses go straight across, with their outside edges further from my head. That didn’t help either.
I remained patient the whole time, stoically reporting what I was seeing — and not seeing — through the new glasses.
When her numerous frame adjustments proved to be unsuccessful, she spent several minutes measuring my eyes for what was probably the 8th or 9th time, doing all kinds of calculations in her head, mumbling to herself and scribbling sets of numbers onto a small notepad.
Then, she walked over to a different desk, took out a larger notepad, and started to write a description of the current problems, with an order to send my new glasses back to the lab to have them try to make them correctly a fifth time.
In the middle of that process, I was very pleasantly surprised when she suddenly stopped writing and said, “You know, I really should just give you your money back. I don’t know what’s wrong, but I don’t think I’m going to be able to get them right for you.”
I calmly agreed, knowing that she was the same woman who had told me a few pairs of glasses ago that they don’t give any refunds.
So she rang up my refund, I signed the electronic signature pad, and she handed me a new credit card receipt showing that my money — which had been held hostage throughout the entire several-weeks-long ordeal — had finally been released back into my account.
I thanked her.
And I left, wearing my old, reliable glasses.
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Consumer Info, Funny, Personal
September 9th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
I read with a great interest your recent entries on all the problems you had to get eye glasses.
A few weeks ago, I looked for new eye glasses, here, in Quebec city, having my prescription from an optometrist after an eyes exam.
The best prices in Quebec city were in Wal Mart stores. I could have bought a pair for 350,00 $CAD (328.00 US$). At this price there was no UV protection, no anti-scratch coating and no anti-reflection coating. In addition, the choice of frames was very limited and those that they had did not please me at all. For an extra 75,00 $CAD (70.00 US$) amount, the choice was larger but there was nothing better than what we found in one dollar stores.
In other places, such eye glasses would have cost beetween 800 $CAN (750 US$) and 1000 $CAN (935 US$).
I decided to order my eye glasses on Internet. I had seen a TV program where they gave information to consumers. According to the moderator and a specialist, the prices of eye glasses were very low when ordered on Internet and following the fact that they had ordered and tested some pairs, they could certify that the quality was excellent.
So, for 98.00 US$, all included, delivered at home, I got a pair of nice eye glasses having these characteristics:
Stainless Steel Half Rim Frame
High-index (1.57) polycarbonate composite, photochromic and progressive lens
UV protection
anti-scratch coating
anti-reflection coating
I received my eye glasses today and up to now, I am plenty satisfied.
URL where I ordered the eye glasses: https://zennioptical.com/cart/home.php
URL of the model that I chose: https://zennioptical.com/cart/product.php?productid=829&cat=14&page=1
P.S. When we order the glasses, we have to give the information that is on the prescription.
In addition, we must give the bridge width, the frame width, the temple arm length and the pupillary distance. For the first three values, it is recommended to use our old pair of glasses and take the measures. Information is also given on how to measure the pupillary distance but we can also get this information where we bought our last glasses (or ask the doctor to write it on the prescription). Note that if you are not sure of some details, you can begin by ordering a very cheap pair of glasses (prices start at 8 $US a pair) to see what will fit with you.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
Thank you very much, my friend! That is excellent information that I’m sure a lot of people are going to appreciate!
September 13th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Here’s another online site for glasses that looks like it might be worth checking out:
http://www.39dollarglasses.com/