Affordable Acuvue Online Store – Bare Bones But Acceptable Service For Acuvue Lens Wearers
Written: Oct 24 '03
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A few months ago I stared looking for a new contact lens vendor since I wasn’t happy with the company I was using. I was getting far too many defective lenses and when I would complain about it, I got the run around or had to wait several weeks for a replacement. I could see if I wore the lenses for a week or so and they ripped but these were straight from the package and the ends were folded over – essentially fusing the edges together. Half the time I could rub them and they would come apart and the other half the lens would rip or tear – making it completely useless. After my last order I swore I wouldn’t use them anymore, two lenses out of twelve were defective and when I called about them I was told that I had returned a lot of defective lenses and that I should go to an optometrist for some contact lens care classes since I was obviously handling them incorrectly. That was the last straw and I started looking on Google for alternatives as well as asking other Epinion members where they purchased theirs.
Products
The site sells contact lenses, that’s it. No cases, solutions, drops or accessories – just lenses. Some of the Acuvue versions they carry include Acuvue, Acuvue II, One Day Disposables, Toric, Bifocal and Surevue. You can set up an account and have them automatically ship you lenses based on which kind you wear [daily, weekly etc] but I opted to pass on this since I alternate between wearing my glasses and wearing contacts. The site mentions that you can purchase gift certificate however there isn’t a word mentioned about them outside of the main page – you have to call them to get details. If you aren’t an Acuvue wearer or wear a style that isn’t listed, call them to get a price quote but be sure to ask if you will be receiving the order from them or a third party. If it is from a third party make sure to ask what the shipping and handling fees are – you might end up getting gouged.
Prices
These are some of the lowest prices I have seen on the disposable and Surevue lenses and I was pretty satisfied with the shipping fees as well. There aren’t any minimums required for ordering so if you want to test out the site, you can order one box [I have the same prescription for each eye so I can get away with ordering one box]. The only exception to this is the one day disposables where you need to purchase six boxes. The Acuvue, Acuvue II and Surevue are all priced at $16.95 per box of six lenses – one of the best prices I have seen outside of the old Wal-Mart prices that recently increased.
Site Navigation
The site is pretty hard to get around, when you hit the main page you can’t access any information about the site, where they are located, feedback, return policy, online customer service etc. To me this is a real drawback and if I weren’t so dissatisfied with other online vendors, I might have bypassed this site for one that offers me more information about what they are selling. When you click the “order now” button you have to fill out the information about your prescription [base curve, size, power] then select the number of boxes you want to purchase. From there you log into the site [either created a new account or accessing an established one]. You have to really pay attention to the quantity you are ordering but you do have the option to edit your cart once you get through the initial process of setting up an account.
Return Policy
There is no return policy listed at the site, if it is, I certainly couldn’t find it after looking around for ten or so minutes. As with almost all sites that sell contact lenses, once you open the box, there are no returns allowed. You can cry, whine, scream, swear and threaten, but you won’t get your money back or an even exchange. The only way to get an exchange is if the lens is defective. Even then you have to contact customer service and tell them that you are returning a lens, in some cases they will send you a case and a prepaid mailing label, other times you will have to find a case and return it.
Contact Information
Affordable Acuvue A/K/A
Outlook Optical A/K/A
Vision World
975 A Central Ave.
[Central Park Avenue]
Scarsdale, NY 10583
[800] 523-9554
[914] 723-7392
[914] 723-1004 – fax
www.affordableacuvue.com
Payment Options
You don’t get to this part of the process until you create an account or log in to your account and I never saw any information about the site being on a secure server so I was a little hesitant about using my credit card. After checking the online statement I found that I was only charged once and no one else tried to use it – yes, I am paranoid about that. The site only accepts MasterCard, Visa and American Express so if you have a Discover Card or want to pay by check or money order I suggest that you call the toll free number to see if you can make some type of alternative payment arrangement. My order wasn’t billed to my card until it was shipping out and it was the exact amount quoted at the site during the check out process.
Shipping Fees
I ordered one box of lenses and was charged $5.95 for two day delivery, something that I found really refreshing since the other company I ordered from charged me $7.95 for ground delivery that usually took about a week [sometimes longer] to arrive. My second order was two boxes and I was charged the same price for shipping [$5.95] and received them about four days later – something that I didn’t hold against them since I ordered late in the day. When you look at the price of the lenses and the shipping fees, trying to bet the bottom line is a tough thing to do – a total order of 12 lenses [2 boxes six lenses per box] cost me $39.85 - $33.90 for the lenses and $5.95 for shipping.
The Bottom Line
If you are an Acuvue wearer and are looking for a good site to order from, this is worth checking out. The site is extremely bare bones but they do deliver your order. There are some negative points about the site like the lack of information about lenses, customer service information and site policies but if you know what you are looking for and have been properly fitted for lenses – that shouldn’t make too much of a difference. If you have any questions or concerns, call their toll free number and speak with someone before you order. If you like sites that have all the bells and whistles, you might be let down with Affordable Acuvue but for those who are looking for low cost replacement Acuvue lenses, this site has the lowest prices and best shipping fees.
Thanks for the visit!
~^V^~ Freak ~^V^~
© 2003 Freak369
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Recommended:
Yes
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? Contact lenses
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