Save your eyes, save some cash, and save yourself hassles at Lensworld
Written: Jul 15 '05 (Updated Jan 01 '07)
| Ease of Ordering: |
 |
|
| Customer Service: |
|
|
| Selection: |
|
|
| On-Time Delivery: |
 |
|
|
| Full Review |
Update January 1, 2007: Below is my experience with Lensworld in 2005. Since, I have heard many complaints about the site and it seems like things have changed. I have not been back so I can't say whether my experience remains typical but I encourage you to read other, more current reviews and then decide whether you want to do business with this site.
I have crazy eyes. They seem to change a lot and I have trouble getting the right prescription for my astigmatism. Recently, my doctor and I decided to try something called “mono vision”. That is where I have one pair of contacts that do the work of two. One lens works on the distance part and the other on the reading and near part. It’s amazing how great I can see now.
My lens of choice is the Bausch & Lomb Soflens 66's. I took my prescription home and searched the web for the best prices because why not save a few bucks if I can? I looked through a lot of contact lens websites and then I found Lensworld.
The prices were much lower for the exact product than anywhere else so I investigated this site to be sure it was reliable and accurate. Here’s what I found out.
The Official Word
Since 1997, our goal at Lensworld has been to make it as easy as possible for you to purchase your contacts. We offer four easy ways to order - by phone, Internet, mail or fax. Our trained customer service agents ready to provide live help 6 days a week, Lensworld is your number one destination when it comes to replacing your contact lenses.
Navigation
Navigation is simple. You pick the type of lens you need or the name brand. Then you choose the exact style your doctor wants you to have. They carry most major brands and have a wide selection of lenses for all types of vision correction. Nothing complicated at all navigating this site.
Variety
As I mentioned, Lensworld carries all the major brands in clear and color as well as special effect lenses for those who don’t need correction but want to look like wolves or…vampires or…whatever.
Ease of Use
This site is a no nonsense, no frills ones. There aren’t a lot of annoying upselling tactics and buying contacts is fast and easy.
I found my lenses in a minute and plugged my prescription numbers into the slots from a drop down box. I filled in my name and clicked to continue. I was prompted to sign in (If I was a returning customer) or enter my personal info (For first time customers) then moved onto actually purchasing my lenses.
Before the purchase, I was asked my doctor’s name and phone number to verify my prescription. That was fine with me. Eyes are way too important to make a mistake with and knowing they are verifying what I am ordering is comforting. My doctor chicken scratches so, if I entered a wrong number, I could end up with the wrong prescription. I like that they double-check to be sure the prescriptions is valid and correct.
Once I entered my info, I was good to go and the deal was done. I used my debit card but they take major credit cards as well. I could have chosen to pay by phone or mail a money order to them but I do everything over the net to save time and effort on my part.
They have free shipping on orders over $89.00. I am not sure if that is all the time or a special but it did not indicate it was a limited offer. Since my order was just over the $89 amount, I wasn’t charged anything for shipping which is a big plus.
I got a verification letter immediately and then, within a week, my lenses arrived. They were the precise prescription and came in good shape.
It was all so simple and I saved quite a bit between the lower cost of the lenses and the free shipping.
Extras
They have a “Live Help” on the site. You can click to talk to a customer service rep or leave a message for one and they will get back to you as soon as they can. I did not need to use this feature but it’s nice to know it’s there.
They sell only lenses cases as extras. Many sites offer all sort of contact lens accessories (solutions and the like) but this site focuses on what’s important.
Shipping costs
Although I got free shipping, their FAQ page sites the following costs for shipping:
Destination -- Cost -- Shipping Time
US Standard
$6.95
5-7 Business Days
US Express
$12.95
3-5 Business Days
Canada Standard
$9.95
6-9 Business Days
Canada Express
$18.95
4-7 Business Days
International Shipping
$24.95
7-10 Business Days
Return Policy
All unopened contact lens boxes or vials unless specifically indicated, as "non-returnable" will be fully credited if returned within 15 days of receipt. They do not provide refunds for open lenses. Shipping and handling charges are non-refundable.
You can cancel your order at anytime before the order has been shipped. Orders already shipped will be taken care as outlined above.
Contact Info
By Email:
Customer Service: CS@lensworld.com
Marketing: marketing@lensworld.com
Administration: administration@lensworld.com
By Phone:
1-877-777-LENS (Toll-free in North America)
By Fax:
1-201-435-7331
By Mail:
LensWorld.com
PO Box 286
Jersey City, NJ 07302
Customer Service Hours
MON - FRI: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM EST
SAT: 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM EST
Conclusion
This is a simple to use site that carries most major brand contact lenses at the lowest prices I have seen when doing comparisons. They are professional and ship quickly. My lenses fit like a dream and I am loving that I don’t have to ever wear glasses for near or far now. One pair of lenses does it all. I would not hesitate to return to Lensworld for more lenses when the time comes. This isn’t the biggest site on the net and it doesn’t bog you down with a bunch of extra stuff you could get just as easily at the drugstore. It sells contact lenses (and cases). And it sells them at a savings that is hard to beat. Shipping is quick and I have not had one problem with this site at all. I highly recommend that you check the prices at Lensworld against the prices you pay now. You may find you can save a bundle by getting your lenses there. I did and will continue to do so.
The only minor “con” I can see on this site is that they don’t show you the colors of lenses if you are buying color lenses. Many sites have photos of what colored lenses look like (although they vary greatly in each person’s eyes depending on their original eye color). If you are in the market for colored contacts, many sites have a color chart and you may want to take a look at that THEN buy at Lensworld. If they had a color chart and pictures of the special effect lenses on the site, this would be the perfect one stop contact lens site. I didn’t get colored lenses or special effects, so none of that mattered to me. However, I do have colored lenses and it was a big decision at the time and I needed the visual to make up my mind.
Because of this one very minor flaw, I am giving the site four stars. I would like to give it four and a half but we don’t have half stars so I went with the lower of the two choices.
This is my first choice for contact lenses and will be where I go to replenish my lenses when I need to. Shop with confidence here. They’re as professional as they come.
Recommended:
Yes
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? Bausch & Lomb Soflens 66 Toric Contact Lenses
|
|
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2010 Shopping.com, Inc.