Rx Sunglasses
February 23, 2016 9:10 AM Subscribe
Got prescription sunglasses? I have questions.
I just got new glasses, including a pair of (prescription) sunglasses, from Costco. I am not happy with the sunglasses. First off, I picked frames I don't like. I like my old frames much better. My fault, but I'd like to right it. Secondly, there's some distortion in the lenses, with the right lens being the worse of the two. Picture here. When I move my head so that I'm looking through the distorted parts of the lenses, it hurts my eyes and I actually get a little dizzy and queasy.
So, there's obviously a problem with the lenses. They've tried to tell me that with a strong prescription (-3.75,-4.75) and such large lenses (because of the type of frame), there will always be some distortion, even with high-index lenses. (These are high-index.) I don't buy that, simply because the right lens is so much worse than the left. To me, it seems like they obviously screwed something up, possibly in the tinting/polarizing?
This is the second time I've had problems with prescription sunglasses from Costco. With my previous pair, I had to send them back a couple times, but I did finally end up with glasses that worked. I don't want to go through that again because it was a big, annoying time suck.
My actual questions: 1) There's a problem with the lenses, and I don't like the frames. I don't think Costco's generous return policy extends to glasses, but if you have returned glasses at Costco, or tried to, please share your experience. 2) If you have prescription sunglasses, have you experienced the weirdness shown in the picture I linked to? Is it, like they're telling me, sort of a universal problem? Is there something specific they're doing wrong that I can point out to them when trying to get the problem corrected? 3) Have you had any success ordering prescription sunglasses online and sending in your own frames? That's my plan B if I can't get the lenses and frames I want through Costco, but it seems like there is much room for error and I wouldn't know which service to use.
Thanks for any advice.
I just got new glasses, including a pair of (prescription) sunglasses, from Costco. I am not happy with the sunglasses. First off, I picked frames I don't like. I like my old frames much better. My fault, but I'd like to right it. Secondly, there's some distortion in the lenses, with the right lens being the worse of the two. Picture here. When I move my head so that I'm looking through the distorted parts of the lenses, it hurts my eyes and I actually get a little dizzy and queasy.
So, there's obviously a problem with the lenses. They've tried to tell me that with a strong prescription (-3.75,-4.75) and such large lenses (because of the type of frame), there will always be some distortion, even with high-index lenses. (These are high-index.) I don't buy that, simply because the right lens is so much worse than the left. To me, it seems like they obviously screwed something up, possibly in the tinting/polarizing?
This is the second time I've had problems with prescription sunglasses from Costco. With my previous pair, I had to send them back a couple times, but I did finally end up with glasses that worked. I don't want to go through that again because it was a big, annoying time suck.
My actual questions: 1) There's a problem with the lenses, and I don't like the frames. I don't think Costco's generous return policy extends to glasses, but if you have returned glasses at Costco, or tried to, please share your experience. 2) If you have prescription sunglasses, have you experienced the weirdness shown in the picture I linked to? Is it, like they're telling me, sort of a universal problem? Is there something specific they're doing wrong that I can point out to them when trying to get the problem corrected? 3) Have you had any success ordering prescription sunglasses online and sending in your own frames? That's my plan B if I can't get the lenses and frames I want through Costco, but it seems like there is much room for error and I wouldn't know which service to use.
Thanks for any advice.
To answer your second question, I've had prescription sunglasses for a couple of years and I've never noticed that sort of distortion when wearing them. I got mine from my eye doctor rather than through a place like Costco, so that may or may not make a difference.
posted by Roger Pittman at 9:25 AM on February 23, 2016
posted by Roger Pittman at 9:25 AM on February 23, 2016
I've had many pairs of prescription sunglasses over the decades and I have never had any distortion like that. I've never had any notable distortion at all, in fact. My script is a lot stronger than yours, too.
The rainbow effect makes me think it's likely an issue with the polarisation.
posted by goo at 9:25 AM on February 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
The rainbow effect makes me think it's likely an issue with the polarisation.
posted by goo at 9:25 AM on February 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
They've tried to tell me that with a strong prescription (-3.75,-4.75)
Wait, they're claiming that's a strong prescription? Snort. (-10, -10.5 here.)
The distortion you're seeing is because the lenses are polarized, as is common with sunglasses. It does look as though it's not done quite right. However, LCD screens like the one you're holding the glasses in front of use polarization to turn the pixels on and off, and sunglasses always work weird with that. Do you see that same distortion in normal light? If not, there's not actually a problem, since you won't be using the sunglasses with a computer screen.
As to whether Costco will refund your money, you could answer that much faster by calling Costco than by asking us. But you should certainly try for it.
posted by kindall at 9:32 AM on February 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
Wait, they're claiming that's a strong prescription? Snort. (-10, -10.5 here.)
The distortion you're seeing is because the lenses are polarized, as is common with sunglasses. It does look as though it's not done quite right. However, LCD screens like the one you're holding the glasses in front of use polarization to turn the pixels on and off, and sunglasses always work weird with that. Do you see that same distortion in normal light? If not, there's not actually a problem, since you won't be using the sunglasses with a computer screen.
As to whether Costco will refund your money, you could answer that much faster by calling Costco than by asking us. But you should certainly try for it.
posted by kindall at 9:32 AM on February 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: However, LCD screens like the one you're holding the glasses in front of use polarization to turn the pixels on and off, and sunglasses always work weird with that.
Yes, it's visible in natural light. That was just the easiest way to take a picture at the moment.
posted by mudpuppie at 9:34 AM on February 23, 2016
Yes, it's visible in natural light. That was just the easiest way to take a picture at the moment.
posted by mudpuppie at 9:34 AM on February 23, 2016
Yeah they seem defective and that problem is not universal. I have no issues with my prescription sunglasses. I got mine from a doctors office though and don't know much about Costcos operation.
posted by FireFountain at 9:59 AM on February 23, 2016
posted by FireFountain at 9:59 AM on February 23, 2016
My vision is worse than yours (-6.0, -3.75) and I have high index prescription sunglasses (from Zenni) and I definitely don't have that problem with the lens.
posted by Julnyes at 10:12 AM on February 23, 2016
posted by Julnyes at 10:12 AM on February 23, 2016
I've had a lot of experience with Costco Optical. And with their sunglasses. If you are calm and polite, they are usually very accommodating. Try to go on a weekday when they aren't busy and you can have their full attention. Tell them exactly what problem you're having and what you'd like them to look at. While you can't return the glasses, you can take them back and have them measured again for correctness of precription and any other flaws, if they find any or if your optometrist tweaks your prescription, they will redo the lenses. You can also pay just to have the lenses redone in the frames you've already purchased there, or if you really love your old frames, they charge $30 to put their lenses in your non-Costco purchased frames. At the very least, you can also have them adjust the frames again, to see if that helps. If you do get them remade, whoever pays, ask them to put "no tolerance" on the order.
Also, the brown lenses are way better than the grey lenses, IMO. In either one, the non-optional polarization takes a bit of getting used to. My meager correction is mostly astigmatism and any new glasses feel wrong, even when just switching to sunglasses of the same prescription on any given day. If I'd saved all of the lenses they've replaced for me over the years, well, I'd have a lot of lenses.
posted by monopas at 10:23 AM on February 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
Also, the brown lenses are way better than the grey lenses, IMO. In either one, the non-optional polarization takes a bit of getting used to. My meager correction is mostly astigmatism and any new glasses feel wrong, even when just switching to sunglasses of the same prescription on any given day. If I'd saved all of the lenses they've replaced for me over the years, well, I'd have a lot of lenses.
posted by monopas at 10:23 AM on February 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
I got my prescription sunglasses online (from zenni optical) and has no distrosion like you decribed.
posted by WizKid at 11:50 AM on February 23, 2016
posted by WizKid at 11:50 AM on February 23, 2016
If you have returned glasses at Costco, or tried to, please share your experience.
I said "I would like to return these, they're not working out for me" and they said "okay" and gave me back my money.
posted by The corpse in the library at 2:10 PM on February 23, 2016
I said "I would like to return these, they're not working out for me" and they said "okay" and gave me back my money.
posted by The corpse in the library at 2:10 PM on February 23, 2016
That distortion you're seeing is from a poorly-done polarization, which sent me straight back to the super-expensive opposite-of-Costco boutique I got mine done. FWIW you should have seen how badly mine were puckered. Yours don't look anywhere near as bad as mine did.
Anyway: in my case instead of having the lab remake the lenses with a better job of polarization, they just remade them without polarization ("maybe you're just not a good candidate for polarized lenses," they said). And indeed the replacement lenses are much better, by which I mean I can actually wear them without the dark spots and distortions making it hard to, well, move (oh my $diety, just walking down the street was bad, and driving was the worst). Also the cost of a remake is built into the price of lenses, so they should offer to remake them for you with no complaints (if that's what you want).
Frame-wise, I had mine put into a pair of Ray-Bans I've owned since high school (so they're B&L-era, not Luxottica-era). They gave me back the original lenses in case I ever felt like swapping them back. So if you have frames you like you could get Costco to remake the lenses and put them in other frames and just refund you for the frames you don't like. But that's between you and your Costco.
posted by fedward at 6:13 PM on February 23, 2016
Anyway: in my case instead of having the lab remake the lenses with a better job of polarization, they just remade them without polarization ("maybe you're just not a good candidate for polarized lenses," they said). And indeed the replacement lenses are much better, by which I mean I can actually wear them without the dark spots and distortions making it hard to, well, move (oh my $diety, just walking down the street was bad, and driving was the worst). Also the cost of a remake is built into the price of lenses, so they should offer to remake them for you with no complaints (if that's what you want).
Frame-wise, I had mine put into a pair of Ray-Bans I've owned since high school (so they're B&L-era, not Luxottica-era). They gave me back the original lenses in case I ever felt like swapping them back. So if you have frames you like you could get Costco to remake the lenses and put them in other frames and just refund you for the frames you don't like. But that's between you and your Costco.
posted by fedward at 6:13 PM on February 23, 2016
If your vision is bad enough, so I was once told by a wise optometrist, you have to get flat frames only. Any curvature in the frames/lenses is going to lead to distortion. That means you have pretty limited choices on frames. But still some good stuff out there! Just has to have a totally straight line, a thick frame, and large lense areas.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 6:21 PM on February 23, 2016
posted by Potomac Avenue at 6:21 PM on February 23, 2016
I've returned glasses at Costco. I'm not sure if you can get your money back, but they definitely do exchanges. Mine were bifocals and the measurement of where the two lenses blend was severely wrong. I described this over the phone, got in to see the doctor so he could double-check the prescription, and then brought the glasses back. Got new lenses in a couple of weeks.
There was no charge for re-doing the lenses and even the followup visit to the doctor was free (although I think the doctors are independent, so YMMV). The new ones are much better.
posted by mmoncur at 7:15 PM on February 24, 2016
There was no charge for re-doing the lenses and even the followup visit to the doctor was free (although I think the doctors are independent, so YMMV). The new ones are much better.
posted by mmoncur at 7:15 PM on February 24, 2016
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