theft/damage/accident protection for prescription glasses?

October 16, 2017 7:36 AM

You'd think the Google would be forthcoming with something on this, but it's really not, and neither my insurance company nor my optical provider strangely have any advice on this. My new prescription is way pricey because of my aging eyes; and I'm not talking about insurance coverage that pays for your frames/lenses - I mean, in case something happens to them. Suggestions? I see a place like Lenscrafters has a sort-of-warranty thing for theirs, but it's not very comprehensive, and I'm already wearing them.

Thank ye as usual, Mefiters of the Universe.

posted by bitterkitten to Work & Money (10 answers total)

You may wish to ask your homeowner's/rental insurance provider if they offer a personal articles policy that you could use for your eyeglasses.
posted by xyzzy at 7:40 AM on October 16, 2017 [3 favorites]

I buy my glasses at the eye doctor's office. Just this past week I got replacement lenses (with my pricey aging-person prescription) for free because one of my lenses was scratched. They're two years old but were still under warranty.
posted by Orlop at 7:54 AM on October 16, 2017

Response by poster: xyzzy - already spoke to them as mentioned above. No dice. : /
posted by bitterkitten at 8:30 AM on October 16, 2017

Have you priced a replacement pair on zenni optical?
posted by humboldt32 at 9:17 AM on October 16, 2017 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: humboldt - I have not, but I have bookmarked them and should I need to replace mine will definitely check it out. : ) Thanks for that tip.
posted by bitterkitten at 9:23 AM on October 16, 2017

Zenni can be very pricey if you need specialty lenses -- my prescription is so strong that glasses from Zenni would've cost me the same as they do at Target, which has this protection plan and have been included on the last several insurance plans I've used.
posted by jabes at 10:27 AM on October 16, 2017

If your insurance can't help, it might be worth finding an insurance company that could. Or at least making a phone call to a local independent broker to hear their thoughts about getting relevant coverage / riders.
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 10:39 AM on October 16, 2017

I don't have aging eyes, just bad ones -- and pay about $350 even after insurance covers its part, so I definitely feel you here! I haven't found specific insurance coverage for this, but I do have a cheap pair of prescription sunglasses from Zenni -- it cost me maybe $60 with no insurance portion. They definitely feel "cheaper" than my expensive regular glasses, but the prescription works perfectly and I have no trouble seeing out of them. That's basically my backup plan in case of losing/destroying my regular pair -- I'd just get a cheap Zenni pair to cover however many months was needed until insurance kicked in again. My insurance covers a new pair every year, so it wouldn't be THAT long of a wait (and chances are, if anything happened, it would hopefully be mid-year rather than right after getting a new pair).

I also think there's just sort of a sense of being careful about glasses because they are an expensive item like a cell phone or laptop or whatever, and training yourself with regard to that. I have had glasses since I was a young kid, and in all the years, have actually never managed to permanently lose or break a pair, because from a young age I got in the habit of knowing that they would be expensive to replace and a burden to my parents if I did. The good thing is, if you have terrible eyes, you're probably wearing your glasses pretty much all of your waking hours, making loss/destruction less likely except in the case of a severe accident involving your face (in which case, you likely have bigger problems than ruined glasses). If you do need to take them off for some reason (for example, when I switch between regular glasses and prescription sunglasses to drive), it really helps to have a designated case and place to put said case that you are very diligent about using and never deviate from. For example, I try to only use my prescription sunglasses in the car, and thus my regular glasses go in the sunglasses case during the car trip, and then right back on my face.
posted by rainbowbrite at 12:34 PM on October 16, 2017 [1 favorite]

I have not bought glasses from Zenni, but I have purchased from Firmoo and Polette. Both ship from China, and Polette is a bit trendier. I have expensive glasses from a local shop ($600 before insurance) and honestly, I prefer to wear the cheap ones. While online glasses retailers are not the best for complex prescriptions or progressives, if you have a stronger prescription and mild astigmatism, I would give it a try. Having a cheap ($40-60 with 1.67 index lenses) backup pair might be a good idea.
posted by ortoLANparty at 8:12 PM on October 16, 2017

Response by poster: Even with my vision insurance paying for some of it, my new lenses - *without the frames* - are very expensive. This is primarily due to medical condition, how different each eye is, and good 'ole aging. I can definitely limp along with some more genericky lens options if I had to in a pinch (for now). That doesn't help me not-pay the same large amount to recreate the glasses if something happens to them, though. I realize that it could be a "well how often does that happen" kind of deal like any insurance you buy, but in this case I feel it would be worth it if the premium is reasonable.
posted by bitterkitten at 8:24 AM on October 17, 2017