It is time to have my vision checked again. I went online to see what I needed to get to process a prescription through Zenni Optical. I saw that I needed to provide my Pupillary Distance and I wondered what it was and why it was necessary, to I decided to educate myself via an online search. I found a website that bills itself as the Premier Online Community For Eye Care Professionals, and started reading a thread about my chosen subject. Within seconds I was appalled and steam was coming out of my ears and fogging up my glasses.
When you or I or anybody else orders our eyeglasses online, we are getting a great discount. That discount is made available because the eyeglass builders do not have to pay for prime mall retail space or the other bills associated with high overhead (receptionists, decorators, switchboard operator, etc.) When we buy our eyeglasses online it also means that our local eye doctor — the person who provided the prescription — isn’t making an eye glass sale and isn’t reaping the rewards of a 200% price mark up.
Apparently — according to the Premier Online Community For Eye Care Professionals discussion boards, there are (ahem) professional eye care providers advocating giving their patients incorrect pupillary distance numbers to ensure that they will get a bad pair of glasses and have a bad online purchase experience. I don’t know about you, but I am horrified at the practice.
To be fair, not all eye care professionals have opted for practice deceit. On the same board other eye care professionals are admitting that they simply refuse to provide their patients with that piece of information, or charge extra for those numbers. I have sympathy with those who charge extra. They need to make money, too. However, I find myself hoping that those who knowingly provide inaccurate information reap the consequences of their unprofessional behavior. Now, before I ever make an appointment for an eye exam, I will be asking the doctor how s/he feels about providing that piece of information.
Quilly is the pseudonym of Charlene L. Amsden, who lives in the Pacific Northwest. When she is not doing book reviews or creating curriculum literature units, she is working on writing the next great American novel. You may visit her writing blog at http://charlene-amsden.com. Quilly is the pseudonym of Charlene L. Amsden, who lives in the Pacific Northwest. When she is not doing book reviews or creating curriculum literature units, she is working on writing the next great American novel. You may visit her writing blog at http://charlene-amsden.com. 
Though this doesn’t justify deceitful practices, the optometrists are caught between a rock and a hard place. The “do not disclose” or “charge for the data” options won’t last long, as word gets out that anyone with access to binoculars or a binocular microscope can obtain an accurate pupilary distance measurement in seconds. So long as the online businesses can avoid being caught in charlatanry, they will advance, and the Lenscrafters of the world will decline. Moral: before investing in expensive university degree programs (or business opportunies), know exactly what you are doing.
My opthomologist knows we are military and can get really low prices on base, so she offers to save me the drive and matches those prices (for contact lenses).
We all need to support reputable doctors, and get the low-lifes pushed into another field of business!
I wouldn’t mind being charged a small fee, if the optometrist depended on a glasses order from me. Better still, I’d like to buy a *reasonably priced* pair of glasses from my optometrist, and then buy my second pair online with the numbers. But their idea of a reasonable price and mine are often different!
I like Kelley’s doctor — perhaps next time I’ll just ask for a price match or reduction instead, and see what happens.
I went to the eye doctor recently. My perscription is -6.75 (I’m near blind without contacts) I should get some glasses as well one day to give my eyes a break from the contacts.
A good way to take care of your eyes is to take lots of vitamin-A and also some good eye rest.,*”