Last Updated on April 24, 2023 by amy
Being able to buy online eyeglasses is a blessing of the 21st century. Or is it? We like to think it’s a great privilege to be able to buy online eyeglasses and virtually everything else online. Some might ask, “What happened to the old days when you used to go into an actual store to buy things?” Of course, going into a physical shop to get your glasses is not terrible, but buying online eyeglasses makes life a little bit easier.
Despite what some might call online eyeglasses a “convenience,” many people still doubt the authenticity and reliability of getting a pair of frames from what seems like an impersonal, mechanical, capitalistic online merchant. And with this doubt are a string of myths and misconceptions that have become rather prevalent.
You can probably list your go-to online retail stores off the top of your head, which are reliable and established operators in the online realm. Then you might consider a less well-known online eyeglasses merchant and think there’s no way you’ll get your glasses there. But contrary to popular belief, online eyeglasses merchants have become highly dependable. We will look at some of the top misconceptions about online eyeglasses to understand why you might want to give buying online eyeglasses a chance or even a second chance.
Buying online eyeglasses is just as expensive as going to a store.
Cross that one off your list of why you don’t buy online eyeglasses. The truth of the matter is that online eyeglasses are most definitely not as expensive as going to a store. If you look through most online vendors, they offer much cheaper and more affordable glasses. This isn’t to say that online eyeglasses can’t be as expensive as or more expensive than glasses you purchase in a regular store because they can be. But most, if not all, online glasses vendors provide you with more savings than you would get in a physical store as they have more promotional and discounted prices.
It’s safe to say that a new pair of frames will be anywhere from $100 to $150, and the lenses will be another $150 to $200, based on your prescription. So on account of everything, an average pair of new glasses at a store will usually cost anywhere from $150 to $350. Conversely, online eyeglasses usually range from $95 to $125 when getting new frames and lenses that fit your prescription. Just from these price differences, it’s evident that the idea that online eyeglasses are just as expensive as those in a store is a huge misconception.
Buying online eyeglasses means you’re getting cheaper quality glasses.
Now that we’ve established that online eyeglasses can be more affordable than regular pairs of glasses you might get at a physical vendor, you might be thinking that online eyeglasses are made from cheaper materials, hence explaining the lower price. At first glance, this might seem like a logical train of thought, but it just isn’t the case.
Most, if not all, online eyeglasses use the same materials that a typical retail store will use: they will either be of the same or sometimes (but rarely) of better quality than glasses in retail stores. Getting brand-name glasses does not imply that they are of higher quality. Of course, there is a possibility that certain brands use higher quality materials, but generally speaking, most merchants make use of similar components. Following this logic, getting your glasses online does not necessarily mean they will be lower quality.
Maybe you’re questioning how that’s even a possibility and considering such an idea as being absurd. But what makes it possible for online merchants to price their glasses at a lower rate is that they essentially cut out the middleman in the whole distribution process.
If you’re not exactly sure what’s going on with the “middleman,” think about it this way: your friends bought some watches, and you realize that selling watches might be a profitable business venture. Someone (the middle man) hears that you (the third party) want to get into the watch-selling business, so he comes up to you and makes a proposition. He knows some people who specialize in manufacturing watches (factories). He will get you the specific models you requested, and you have to sell them—but he will take a cut of the profit since he connected you to the manufacturers. But let’s say you cut out the man who mediates between you and the manufacturers. Instead, you deal with the factories directly—there’s no extra person you need to pay. Cut out the middle man, and it’s how online merchants can charge more affordable prices for their online eyeglasses without compromising quality.
You can’t be sure of how the online eyeglasses will look.
If you’ve tried online clothes shopping, you might have this same fear: sometimes you need to try something on before you buy it. But this is a common misconception with online glasses because many people tend to apply the same logic to online clothes shopping to getting online eyeglasses.
First, ask yourself whether this online vendor has a virtual try-on software? If they do, then great – you can try the glasses right on the spot and in the comfort of your home. With a virtual try-on program, you can see how the glasses look on you before you buy them—that way, you won’t have to worry about returning them if you don’t like them.
Buying online eyeglasses is risky.
Anything dealing with online purchases exposes you to a certain level of risk. You might come across an unreliable website. But this risk manifests itself depending on where you go and how you purchase something online.
Buying online can be risky, but it doesn’t mean the process is unreliable. The common misconception with many online eyeglasses merchants is that if you’ve never heard of them, they must be illegitimate. Check the website contact information. Do they have an address? An email you can reach them at? Perhaps a phone number you can call? If everything checks out, there’s no reason that you can’t purchase their products. See if they have any return policies to ensure you can send something back if you don’t like it.
Of course, always examine the online eyeglasses vendor you’re looking at. Search reviews on their products and website; most of the time, you can determine if the site is legitimate.
Trying to buy glasses without the help of an optometrist or specialist makes the process long and difficult.
Buying online eyeglasses might be difficult just from the sheer fact that it’s a relatively new process. After all, for centuries, people have visited specialists for glasses. To change all that might feel a bit abrupt and unnatural. At a glance, most people find taking the first step of trying to buy online eyeglasses too complicated and opt out of it.
So what do you need an optometrist for? Your prescription, but most of us already have that. And the process of inputting your prescription on an online eyeglasses website is pretty straightforward as long as you have your prescription handy—you need to fill out the boxes corresponding to the ones on your prescription.
With the prescription part out of the way leaves us with which style of glasses to choose from. As we discussed, some websites offer virtual try-on programs, so utilizing such services to your advantage makes buying online eyeglasses simple, even in picking a style. If, even at this point, choosing a pair of online eyeglasses proves to be a struggle, online vendors usually have online assistants or specialists who can help you immediately.
Even all the misconceptions we’ve discussed may not have covered all the kinks and inconveniences of online eyeglasses shopping. However, from what was covered, it’s safe to say that online merchants take the time to make the process as simple and fluid as possible while delivering the best quality goods at an affordable and reasonable price.
