ULPT - Got a glasses presc but they won’t give contacts without $200

Posted by Swimming-Junket-1828@reddit | UnethicalLifeProTips | View on Reddit | 34 comments

The lady said it was 200 bucks to do the calculations to get the contracts prescription from the exam and then show him how to put it in his eye.

Feels like a scam.

How do I get around this? I can show my kid how to use contact lenses and no way it should cost that much to get the calculations.

Help?

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RiptideEberron@reddit

In the future, get a contacts exam and ask for the glasses prescription.

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Swimming-Junket-1828@reddit (OP)

I did that…but then afterwards they told me I had to do the other party and how much it was. It was always planned to be a contracts exam

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I had a place do this too. I made an appointment for contact lens’s prescription. Self-pay, no insurance. They insisted I had to come back and pay more for a contact prescription. I didn’t need a glasses prescription, I already had one. Very frustrating and felt scammy.

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clockworkedpiece@reddit

I feel like it was insurance that reamed you. The local eyeglass places to me are charging 180 for perscription frames, not even contacts. And then the things your lenses need to have on them like UV coat and saftey are 10 each. They sprayed that shit on there in ribbons.

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FishyKeebs@reddit

Former optician chiming in (we make your glasses and do the mathmatics to make them work): $200 for contact exam is a shity optometrist or you passed him off. Should be $30-35 with a regular exam.

Eye glass and contact prescriptions differe. And can be fairly different depending on your eyes. One sits on your face the other on your eye balls. The vertex distance, material index, base curve, etc all differ.

Do not just go randomly buy contact lenses. There is a base curve that matches the curve of your eyeball. If the base curve is not a good fit you will not see well, they will fall out, scratch your corneas, etc.

Prescriptions expire because you're eyes vary over time (age, pregnancy, diabetes, etc.). Wearing the wrong prescription might leave you with slightly blurry vision, or make you dizzy, debilitating headaches, etc.

You should have an annual eye exam even if you do not need glasses. An optometrist can catch diabetes before it shows up on n blood work, catch cateracts and other diseases. Cataracts usually appear in the elderly but anyone is vulnerable for them. Annual eye exams are especially important for children and young adults still maturing, pregnant women, and those who hit age milestones. 25% of school children need eye glasses but do not know it. Infants and toddlers need to be examined. If they can not see clearly hand-eye-brain coordination, learning, and recognition is hindered.

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Monarc73@reddit

This is a scam. The prescription is IDENTICAL, they just need to off-set the contacts machine by a known and consistent value. (If I knew what it was, I would def tell you.)

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vttroy@reddit

I refused to pay the fee for the contact exam. I asked what was involved, and they said they would let me try on a pair and then check my vision again. There was no way I was paying $200 for that. I went online and found a place overseas that does not need prescriptions for shipment to the US. It seems like there are two possible sizes of contacts, and most brands offer just one size. I ordered a few at my glasses prescription power, and they work fine. It’s nice to be able to select brands because US prescriptions are specific to the brand and power.

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MrHankRutherfordHill@reddit

Hey can you DM the place to me?

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tiempo@reddit

https://www.interlenses.com/ out of Portugal is one. No prescription needed. Prices used to be lower before the tariff increase.

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MrHankRutherfordHill@reddit

Thanks!

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leyline@reddit

If you have a simple vision correction this may work out, some people have astigmatism or other issues that might warrant a proper exam and fitting.

My son went through 4 brands until he found one that worked well for him, we only paid $20 more than the “glasses only” exam and we visited 5-6 times and the doctor gave a couple new samples each time.

When he was happy with his choice, the doctor asked him to read the chart - Found out my kid was a perfectionist and actually got himself to 20/10 and 20/15 by honing in on the brand that worked best for him.

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jueidu@reddit

Absolutely 100% a scam. Wow.

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B_McGuire@reddit

Contact script measures the shape of your cornea in a way the glasses script doesn't. Can't just convert glasses script. Then they want to teach you to do it cause if you don't know how you can scratch your eyes out kid, or get them infected. Sucks but there you are.

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LOUDPACK_MASTERCHEF@reddit

this might be true for some cases, but in many (probably most) countries, generically sized and shaped contacts are available OTC and anyone can buy them if they know their prescription. Like the way you can buy reading classes in the US. The shit about contacts needing prescription is 100% American bullshit they made up just to rip you off

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sfdsquid@reddit

I'm in the US and it makes me angry that prescriptions expire after 2 years. I'm not a wealthy person. If I break my glasses and haven't seen an optometrist in over 2 years I cannot get new ones. That's bullshit. Wouldn't it be better to be able to see not-quite-perfectly rather than badly enough that I can't drive? I'm so annoyed about it. Such bullshit.

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B_McGuire@reddit

Cool I'm Canadian living in NZ and it's the same both these places. The damn US optometry mafia already established so many fronts worldwide

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Swimming-Junket-1828@reddit (OP)

I’ve worn contacts for years…i don’t need them showing me how

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B_McGuire@reddit

Sorry meant your kid wrong verbiage.

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swirlysleepydog@reddit

In the US you are entitled to a hard copy of your prescription. You may have to pay for the exam but you don’t have to purchase contacts or glasses from the same place to get your prescription.

A good optometrist will give you samples to try if they’re a new brand or strength. Mine does and then texts me a week later to see how I’m doing with them.

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bacardipirate13@reddit

It's not about need. Do you want it?

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BadBunnyGoodTrouble@reddit

my eye doc (SC, USA) also charges extra for a contact prescription. i HATE it, but spent some time googling a year or so ago and they're allowed to do that. apparently it's because so many of us get our contact prescriptions filled at costco/online where it's much, much cheaper than the eye doc.

once you have a contact prescription, if your eyes aren't changing much you can use the one from last year, especially online, and tell the doc that this year you don't need a new script...but i haven't found a workaround yet for the other.

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Suicyco71@reddit

Just get the glasses script and order off 1-800-contacts. Not even unethical, just how it’s done.

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Swimming-Junket-1828@reddit (OP)

But isn’t there a difference in the prescriptions? Like isn’t something more on the contact lens one?

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twystedmyst@reddit

If you've with contacts for years, just use the script on the boxes. Each eye has a strength from like -10 (very nearsighted) to about +10 ( very farsighted). Then you have a diameter measured in mm and a base curve with which somewhere around 8.0. I think mine are 8.4, but I have weird eyes.

Just look at your old box and put that in at 1800 contacts. They'll try to contact your prescribe, but if they don't answer, they assume approval and send your order.

Less unethical, you can get a contacts exam online for like $20 with 1800 contacts.

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Undrwtrbsktwvr@reddit

No membership needed to use the eye doctor at a big box club.

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MundaneDimension@reddit

For real?? That’s amazing damn I never knew that

Awesome deal

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