Buying glasses online - Is it for you?

I now have two pairs of new glasses. One I ordered online, the other I got from a local optical shop. I hate one and love the other.

I love everything about the glasses from the local shop, even though they cost 3X as much as the online pair. As for the online pair, they are sub-par in every respect.

Why? and How?
Well - buying glasses online is one of the new things. Apparently one of the many waves of the future. And one of the businesses that just a short time ago people said would never migrate online.
So - if you're thinking about this new avenue, there is some homework you'll have to do and some issues to be aware of if you want to navigate this process successfully.

My experience (in all its gory detail - complete with website addresses) :

It all started when I moved to the desert. It's not so much the sun from above, but the reflection off the nearly white ground that makes the glare so unbearable. The only other places I've experienced anything similar is sitting on a beach at noon, and skiing.

You see, I've worn contacts for years. So you'd think I could just put a pair of sunglasses on and be done with it. But no - I had to complicate things. Here's why :

The desert is dry and dusty, and I simply found my glasses more comfortable. Until I went outside, that is. And here's where the rub began -- they were standard clear lenses. And since I didn't want to be constantly changing back and forth from prescription sunglasses to I decided it was time to get some photochromic (lens that get darker in the sun - or as I call them Clear-in, Dark-out) glasses again.

I'd had them years before and been very happy with them. Go in - all clear. Go out - sunglass feature kicks in. Very nice. But I'd had to give them up when I entered a very conservative corporate environment. (I was helping the salesmen and even the slight tint was considered shady.)

Now -back in the desert- Clear-in, Dark-out lens were again beckoning me. I just had to get a pair. So - a shopping I went. La da di di.....
But a quick trip to my local optical shop soon revealed it was going to be a major investment.
One of the local shops quoted me over US$200 just for the lens. Then frames were going to cost another few hundred. OUCH!

Wow.
There had to be a better way.
So - as I often do - off to the Internet I went.

EUREKA!

There I discovered that buying glasses online was one of the new waves. The rational , supposedly, is that local optical shops were riddled with waste and inefficiency. And therefore, like so many other things, buying online provided vastly more options at factory direct prices. Cutting out the hated and useless middle-man.

You could now get high quality, stylish glasses at a fraction of the normal cost. Or so the phenomenon was touted.

OK. I'm curious.

At first it looked promising. I could get the lens I wanted -- in fact even a better lens that I'd been looking at locally for about $130 dollars, plus shipping.

And then it occurred to me, I could save the cost of frames by using a pair of sunglasses I had. (There are a number of sites on the Internet that will let you send in your old frames and have new lens put in.)

Hmmmmm. This sounded promising. So, I dug out the old pair of almost unused sunglasses and I began doing my homework.
The first order of business was to figure out what my prescription was.

I went to several local shops while on summer holiday. They were nice enough to do the eye-exam free of charge. The problem was each gave me a different reading. Out of 5, two said I didn't need any change at all. One said I needed significantly more powerful glasses --even though I was still using the old ones without major discomfort. And still two more suggested slight changes. But even their recommendations didn't align.

By shear default, I decided to stay with my prescription as it was since. Even though truth be known, I could sense that maybe there was some small adjustment that might be necessary. But not being an optician, I couldn't exactly put my finger on it.

Then there was the matter of Pupilary Distance.
I know. It was Greek to me the first time I read it too. That is the distance in millimeters between the center of one eye to the center of the other. This is a measurement opticians need so they can let your eyes look out the center of the lens.

Back to my prescription. I had two different readings from the five. Two places hadn't taken this measurement, two had it at 67, and one at 68. So again, since the glasses I was wearing were 67, I decided to go with that reading.

Alright - so I have prescription, pupilary distance, and frames. Let's order.
Not so fast.
At least that's what I said to myself. Something about getting those sunglasses turned into Clear-in, Dark out glasses didn't feel right. I don't know. Maybe it was the idea of buying such expensive lenses and putting them into such basic (read cheap frames).
Or maybe I was concerned about the fit or fashion. I mean just because something works as a sunglasss...
They are big and round. Great for outdoors, but not quite what you want in a professional environment. After all - the glasses you wear do create an impression of you.

Other problems [things I didn't feel good about] began to emerge.

And this is important when you're doing something new for the first time. That sense of confidence. I remember my first ever online purchase back in 1996. It was from Amazon.com. And even though it was all strange and foreign, they layed out the process so there were no questions, including little phrases along the way like : 'You will have a chance to review and cancel this if there are any mistakes'.

This kind of thing let you know that you were not locked into the deal yet. Then, of course, there was their insurance policy : If anything happened to your books and they didn't arrive for any reason, you'd be refunded...

But with these sites offering glasses, there is always something missing. Something that for a rank first-timer made me wonder.

One site wanted to charge me $30 for shipping (because I live outside America), when I emailed them they told me the package would not even be trackable.
http://www.simplyeyeglasses.com/


Hmmm.... I just didn't like that.
And that was even after I copied the evidence showing them that one of their competitors could do the same shipping for $8.95.

So, even thought the site was easy to understand, they seemed to have good lens with lots of little extras thrown in, and the option to send in my own frames - I just didn't feel right.

Then there was another site that looked good, but I had some questions so I decided to call.
http://www.eyeglassdirect.com/

As I started asking about different things, I very quickly got the feeling my questions were a bother because the answers were short and dismissive. The lady even cut me off at one point and told me she was the only one on the phones that day and had other calls...

Oh...sorry...

I wanted to tell her and the people who run that site : Come on, folks, this might be all old-hat to you, but for me there are a lot of unknowns and I'm trying to narrow those down a bit. I need you to have the patience to help me though this process.

So, I looked and researched and tried getting answers on my own.
But that's not all. This same site also wanted extra surcharges for high powered prescriptions. Guess what? I fell in that area.
Ouch. $20 bucks because I have a high prescription. I don't know, but it didn't feel good. Like I was being punished again for having bad eyes...

As a result I decided to put this project on hold. At this point I had already invested 20+ hours.

But I needed something badly. I mean the sun wasn't getting any dimmer, so finally I began looking at some other sites that didn't allow me to send in my frames.

There was one I felt really good about.
http://www.eyebuydirect.com/

It reminded me of Amazon.
Everything seemed to be ready for the first-timer.
The site was easy to understand. I quickly found some frames I thought would work, they seemed to have the lenses I needed and the guarantee was great.


http://www.eyebuydirect.com/eyeglasses-refund-policy.php

Here's part of what it said :
"In the event you are not completely satisfied with your eyeglasses you may return them to us and get FULL refund (shipping costs NOT included) or a NEW pair- NO QUESTIONS ASKED!!!
But why stop there??

• Frames are too big or small - 100% Refund
• Colors don’t suit you- 100% Refund
• Wife doesn’t like the frame- 100% Refund
• Neighbor just bought same design- 100% Refund
• New collection just came out – 100% Refund
• Your dog chewed on your new frames – 100% Refund"

I really like this. I was just about ready to buy, but something about the lens description made me wonder ---that and the price. They cost about half as much as the Transitions at the other two places. Anyway - all this made if it was the real Transitions lens. I mean would these get dark enough.

So - as so many times before and after I wrote email.
Their response was very professional and quick. And it DID take asking the same question twice before I finally got them to admit that 'No - these are a generic brand which will only get about half as dark as a normal pair of sunglasses.'

Awww. Snap!
Deal breaker.
Back to the drawing board.


While this was semi-boiling in the background, I visited many more sites. Some in Britain and Europe, but never found anything which seemed to have what I wanted/needed for a reasonable price and where I could feel comfortable.

Again - I put it on the back burner.
But eventually found myself searching again. This time though, I began looking to see if there was some other kind of high quality Clear-in, Dark-out lens.

Maybe there was something I had somehow over looked. Because I'm of the belief that there are always alternatives, if I'm just willing to look for them.

And that's when I happened on a site I'd visited before that talked of Sunsenors, originally developed by Corning. These were another brand of Clear-in, Dark-out lens that were reputed to be even better than Transitions.

So I went looking for Sunsensors. It didn't take long when I suddenly found this place that seemed to have all the pieces of the puzzle. They advertised Sunsensors, you could customize the size of your lenses (on rimless frames), their price was on par with eyebuydirect, there was no punishment - I mean extra payment - for having bad eyes. And the postage was reasonable.

So - I finally took the plunge, but I will never do business with this site again - ever.
http://www.myopticalshop.com/

The first sign that all was not well, came with the email order confirmation.
The return address was in TAIWAN.

Hmmmmm.
Back to the site. There was no mention of that.
Right. There it is. That is a fax number in the USA.

I've been to Taiwan and I've lived in China. I've seen some world-class operations there. So -
OK. A bit of a surprise, I thought, but as long as they do it right and don't cheat me I don't care where they're located.

Now I know that thought was a mistake.
But it gnawed on me. Why have a fax number in the USA?
Why lead people to believe you're located in the U.S. when you're in fact half-way around the world?

http://www.myopticalshop.com/help.php?section=contactus&mode=update

Here is the verbage in question :

"Contact us in the following ways:
- Use contact us form below
- Fax: 1-866-414-4469
- Email: contact@myopticalshop.com"

For those taking notes, this should have been the first red flag. I missed it in my excitement at having finally found (I thought) what I was looking for.

Later - returning to this page, I recognised several more glaring red flags :
When you I went to the 'Contact Us' link, it only gave you a form to email them (and the fax number I mentioned above.)
There is no physical address or telephone number. Giant red flags I'd ignored in my haste and excitement.

Things didn't get any better from there.

When I hadn't heard anything over a week after ordering, I contacted them to ask when they expected to ship my glasses...
You see - they had not contacted me since my order to give me any more information or follow up.
Unfortunately, the answer I got was not inspiring. They said they'd had a national holiday and were behind in production.
No apology. The tone was one "why are you being so unreasonable. We'll ship them - alright?"
Tell me honestly. Do I care if they have a holiday?
OK.. Not off to a good start, but I was still hopeful.

I wrote a couple more emails over the next couple of weeks. Finally they informed me shipment had been made, but there was no apology for the delay.
So - again I wrote asking for a tracking number.
They sent an email with a list of websites for various countries postal services I could check. But there was no tracking number and no answer as to why it was missing or how to use that list of websites.
Because at this point, I was not even sure where they might have sent it from. And Taiwan's postal system was not on the list.

Long story short. I did my homework and still there was no way to track this elusive package.
So I waited and got on with life.

Finally after another 2+ weeks, it finally showed up one day.
Excited, but by now I was almost resentful this little package that had already been the cause of so much fuss.
Anyway - I opened it up and put them on.
Well - they fit so so... OK I'll have to get them adjusted. To be expected.

In the meantime, I decided to start getting used to them.

I immediately took them and out into the midday Saudi sun. They began to darken, so I waited...
Hmmm. They don't feel that dark, I thought.

I took them off to look at them. Not so dark...Yet.
OK we'll stay a bit longer. Maybe this takes a while especially the first time.
After about 5 minutes in the noon sun of the desert, I realised that not only was I still squinting, but the glasses weren't getting any darker.

I took them off again and looked at them straight on. They were about as dark as a tinted lens, or about half as dark as a regular pair of sunglasses.

To be a bit more exact - I have another pair of Oakley Sunglasses. It has 5 different lens in varying shades of darkness. The first is a just tinted a lens you could wear inside. The next darker would be good on a overcast day. The 3rd lens is a mild pair of sunglasses - good for an early spring morning.
The 4th and 5th shades get serious. Number four is a standard pair of sunglasses. Good for most summer days. And the last one, the only one that has mirror coating is what you wear on the beach, skiing or in the desert.

These new glasses that I'd spent so much time and effort researching and now waiting for - were only as dark as the second lens in my Oakley set.

OK... I try to hold back judgement. Let's give it some time. These are new glasses. Maybe they need time to start getting darker I thought.
So I wore them for about a week.
Still no change.


So I wrote to tell the place I wanted my money back. They told me they'd give me my money back if I returned glasses.
They said this was their guarantee policy.

By the way - this was yet another red flag I missed : They do not share this policy anywhere on their site. In fact when you click on the Terms and Conditions page, or the Site Map page, you get this error message :

"Page not found!

The requested page does not exist or you are not allowed to access it!"

Now - under normal circumstances I'd think their policy was more than fair. OK, I'm out some postage, so what. I'll return them and get on with life.

But this was different. I went back to their website to look again. YEP. It clearly says their glasses get "as dark as normal sunglasses", see below. AND it uses both the Sunsensor and Transitions names to describe their lens.

http://www.myopticalshop.com/pages.php?pageid=2

Here's the relevant paragraph :

"Photochromic (sun-sensor) 1.56 index lens

• High index 1.56
• 4 times faster than most other brands
• Also called transition, sun-sensor lens, this type of lens changes color from clear indoor to dark outdoor
• Darkness is as dark as sunglasses outdoor under strong UV light (my emphasis)
  
• Many colors to choose from
• High quality plastic lens
• Premium lens treatment with anti-reflective, anti-glare, anti-scracth, water resistant, UV400 coating"

OK....To be fair, this was another red flag I missed. Sunsenor and Transitions were NOT capitalized, nor did they have the Trademark symbol after them, but the implication was clear. And if that wasn't enough, they had promised Sunglass Darkness.

Later - in their emails, they even admitted that their glasses were not as dark as some....and that they were a generic lens - NOT one of the two brand names.

Yet they still refused to pay the postage as well.

After more emails, they finally told me their policy allowed them to let me keep the glasses and they'd give me 25% off the original offer to take them back, but then I was out the postage BOTH ways.

Since I didn't want to be out $30-40 for postage and still have nothing to show for it, I decided to keep them as a cheap pair of back up glasses.
To be fair they DO work inside.

But there was still more bad news I was going to find out about in a couple days...

During this whole time negotiating with this website about their false claims, I went back to one of the sites I had almost bought from before.
http://www.eyeglassdirect.com/


I spend several days looking yet again. Checking, measuring, calculating... These real Transitions lenses with frame, punishment charges, and shipping were going to run me $235.

I kept wanting to push the button and order them, but something still kept stopping me. I don't know why, but I decided to wait and at least get the glasses I already had adjusted first.

That's where I got yet another shock.
The titanium these frames were made of (which I thought was supposed to make them really strong) makes them nearly impossible to adjust.
That's because the nose pads are not held by a normal U-shaped wire, but a nearly straight one.

And then because I couldn't actually see the frames on my face, actually see how they'd FEEL and FIT like you'd do if you went and actually tried frames on. Because I'd gotten them online, I could really only measure carefully and GUESS how they'd fit. They are too small for my face.

Result? : the frames sit too high on my face. That means every time I want to look down there's this gaping space where I have no lens. And there's nothing I can do.
But I had already agreed to keep them, so now I was stuck.

You can guess what I did. I went home and immediately checked the frames I was THINKING about getting. Were they the same type? Sure enough they were the same kind impossible to adjust frame.

So, next time I was at the mall, I decided to just take a look at one of the local glasses shops.
I was just curious.

It didn't take more than 5 minutes before, with the help of the optician, I found several pairs of glasses that fit me and complimented my features.

One in particular was perfect.
Ooooh. It was $300 for the frames. But with 30% off, it was just over $200. Still pricey so I kept looking.

Yet - I kept coming back to that one pair. It was like they'd been made for my face. My wife said they were the best fit and style too.

Still I wasn't giving up on the virtues of online shopping. So I noted all the relevant information and went home to do research yet again.

Alas, I couldn't find those frames I like so well online. And as I was searching, it began to dawn on me that the local optometrist DID provide value.

I mean, I'd had every intention of using this kind gentleman to get the information I needed, then go home and find it online for a fraction of the price he was asking.

But what became apparent was that in less than 15 minutes, this gentle, knowledgeable man had helped me find just what I needed.

It was at this point, I began to shift my thinking as I realised there was definite value in having an optometrist help you find the frames that were the right size and shape for your features.

Because I'd tried the glasses on, I could be perfectly confident they'd fit, look good, and be practical and professional-looking indoor and out. Not so when shopping online. There is always the Doubt-Factor.

But there was still the problem of the cost of the lenses and how that compared to online. The thought even passed through my mind that I might just get the frames locally and send them away to get the lenses online.

So I actually began to ask what it would cost if I bought the whole thing locally? Since I'd done my home work, I new that the price he was asking for the Transitions was only $20 more than the place online. The postage alone do it online would be at least $20. So it was a wash.
($200 for frames and $150 for lenses.)

So what was the total price? And how did THAT compare?

Well, if you'll remember the glasses (with frames that may have turned out NOT to fit me) was $233.

That was the online price all inclusive. But if there were any problems, this place only allows EXCHANGE. No Refunds - period. So - IF the frames didn't fit for some reason or there were any other problem, this price would start going up.

Not to mention the waiting, hassle and possible headaches.

So what would it come to IF i got everything locally?

About $350

Hmmm?

As you can guess by now, on my next trip back to that shop, and I bought that pair of glasses and have no regrets.

In the end, I paid 3X what I paid online, but the difference is immense.

Instead of substandard, generic half-dark lens in a frame that doesn't fit me, I have a pair of beautiful glasses with lenses that I can wear anywhere -- inside or out in the desert.

Don't get me wrong. I take full responsibility for the online frames not fitting me well. But the lenses not being what they were advertised to be. Well - That was fraud.

I guess there are some things that you still need to do the old-fashioned way. And maybe the optometrists who work in those glasses shops are not as useless as I might have thought.


Conclusion :

So does that mean buying glasses online is a bad idea?

No.

I think if you have a very low-powered prescription, you don't need progressives/bifocals, have astigmatism or any other complicating factors, and you are happy with a generic, common pair of frames or have your own, shopping online may be a great way to save a few dollars.

But, there is a significant amount of information you need to gather and verify.

And if things don't go right for any reason [your error or theirs] very few places can or will put it right without it costing you more money.


Epilogue :

Oh - and one more thing. At the local optometrist - I was finally able to get the correct prescription too. It was just a minor adjustment, but it makes all the difference.

P.s. For anybody who is interested in the actually email exchanges, or if you have other questions about my experience, welcome to drop me a line through this blog.

P.p.s. Over one year after writing the posting above, I am still happy with the locally bought glasses. The others? They are tucked away in a drawer - just in case. 

Taiwan - A Dream Job for some. An Insult for others

Taiwan - A Dream Job for some. An Insult for others

As ESL is one of the main employers of foreigners, I'm going to focus my comments on this area.

If you go to any of the big forums, you'll see all kinds of posts for and against coming to this tiny sub-tropical island nation, as well as an array of recruiters stealth advertising [telling you about the great pay, benefits and lifestyle. 'Come one-come all, seems to be the message'].

But if it really is an island paradise - why isn't everyone flocking to get there, and why the need for so much advertising?

Alright. To be fair - every country trots out its Sunday Best to attract whatever talent they are in need of. Some better than others. [Just 5 short years ago, China was pathetic, but they've learned quickly. That's a subject for another posting.]

So the question really becomes - Who IS Taiwan right for? In other words - since it's not all bad. And it isn't paradise - what kind of person will profit most from a stint or even a career there?

Whenever you contact a school directly or a recruiter, one of the first questions you'll hear is : "Are you a
certified teacher?"
What about experience?
Very few schools seem concerned - being more than happy to take someone fresh out of university.

With this in mind - let's consider the situation back home (In America since many of the schools specifically advertise for Americans).

If you've just graduated with a degree in Education or only have a year or two experience, you may not even have a full-time time job. Many people have to make due with substitute teaching for quite some time. And the pay and conditions even if you land that first job - well - will not likely be peachy. Add to that the high tax-rate in the US [Federal, state, local, welfare and sales tax etc...], rent, the need for a car, paying back student loans...

For such a person - teaching for a year or two in Taiwan could be the perfect job for a variety of reasons.
A credentialed teacher is almost guaranteed a full-time job earning roughly US$2,000/month. Of course it helps if you're camera-friendly, as many of the positions openly solicit the stereotypical white North American.

Even on the surface -- that is not a bad deal. But when you begin to consider the low cost of living [an generous size one-room apartment can be had for US$200-300] and the low tax rate, [lowest tax rate starts at 6%], you won't need a car, because you can get around on a scooter or good public transit. You can begin to see - it becomes quite a winning proposition economically. Especially some who might have student loans to pay back, want to buy a home or just want to save.

Not to sound like a shameless advertisement, because the bad news is coming.

But on top of that, Taiwan has a world-class medical system that many say is better than back home, and universal, cheap insurance. Lastly - don't forget you'll have a box seat to the most dynamic economy in the world just across the straits in China and the opportunity to learn Mandarin and you begin to get an idea of how a move to Taiwan could be just your ticket.

BUT -- and there's always a but -- isn't there?

Here's the downside :

Taiwan is actually quite a mature ESL market, with the vast majority of work focusing on teaching young learners.

If that's not what you're looking for - you may want to reconsider.

What Taiwan seems to have opted for is a sort of bilingual education. More and more schools seem to be competing by promising the parents an American style education right along side their Chinese traditional formation.

This means - that most schools are really NOT looking for an ESL professional. Ie. It really is not someone with years of experience or an MA in Applied Linguistics, but a kindergarten or primary school teacher from the home country who is willing to be transplanted into a Taiwanese school for a year or two.

And as with many (but not all) ESL markets, the majority of teachers in Taiwan tend to be young and inexperienced. Translation : Many are either incompetent, irresponsible or both.

Employers for their part ---remember the inscrutable Chinese?--- have responded by creating contracts and working conditions similar to that of the very primary schools they operate. Clock in clock out. You pay is docked for tardiness to class. A portion of you pay is held back as insurance against teachers suddenly fleeing the country.

Does that sound like the way a professional is treated?

Of course - no one can really say whether the chicken or the egg came first. Did the employers respond? Or did their policies attract only the bottom of the barrel?

Whichever - it really doesn't matter.
The bottom line : You won't find many people with high credentials and years experience working at these schools.

A couple more things - someone considering Taiwan should consider.

Good : Schools will usually help you find an apartment near your school, so commute times are quite low.
Social life : There is a large expat community in almost any city of any size. There is Western food everywhere and Chinese food is very easy for westerners to develop a liking for as a general rule.

As mentioned above, because the cost of living is low, many people are able to live on half their pay and bank the other half.

On the downside :

Many schools have a formal age discrimination policy of not hiring any one over 32 or 35. Many people complain about the pollution in Taiwan. [To be fair - it is many times better than China, but worse than Japan or many places in North America.]

You have to pay for your flights, transportation in country, visa processing and all expenses related to apartment.
[The reason I mention these as bad points is because there are other countries that WILL pay for all or part of these thing in order to attract teachers. Namely the Middle East. But that is another whole ball of wax.]

Now - I also must make special mention of another thing which most people don't talk about, but which I found to be a real minus. Most Westerners can just show up in Taiwan and tour around for 30 days or less - visa-free. But - if you want to stay longer than that - OR [and here's the kicker] get a working visa, you have to enter Taiwan with a special longer term Visit Visa. And to get this - you have to make special arrangements with the Taiwan consulate nearest you. But remember - since Taiwan is not recognised by most countries in the world, it may not be conveniently located.
Translation : Extra trouble, expense and time needed.

And that's not all of it. Once you get to Taiwan - IF your school is not forthright and quick about assembling the necessary paperwork before your Visit Visa runs out - you may have to leave the country on what's called a Visa-run to say, Hong Kong, get you passport stamped and return.

Guess who pays for that?
YOU.

And then there is always the little detail of paying two months rent as a deposit in addition to the current month.

Why is this important?

Because you need to have a certain amount of cash in order to get established.

This is another criteria I will be considering in these posts. What are the Start-Up costs? How much is the initial outlay before you can start earning money. And after you get established, how much can you expect to bank each month after expenses?

And lastly - we need to return to tax talk.
If you work less than six months in Taiwan, or arrive after June, you get to pay 20% tax until Dec 31.

So - let's add this all up.
Plane ticket : 1000US + 3 months rent 750US + money for visa run 750US, money to survive your first 2 months ,2000US since your school may withhold most of your first months pay AND if you arrive in September as is common, you pay 20% tax.

You do the math.
That's the situation in Taiwan as I see it.

In coming posts, we'll be considering China, Japan, Korea and the Middle East. IS one better, worse? For who and why?