I've been going to Eye Care Associates but they want to charge me $99 for the yearly exam PLUS another $69 for the contact fitting which they say is required.

any other good but cheaper alternatives?

10/26/2009 5:01:11 PM

i just order them online and only do an exam every 2 or 3 years

10/26/2009 5:03:08 PM

walmart

10/26/2009 5:25:39 PM

^^ Where do you get your contacts online?

[Edited on October 26, 2009 at 6:05 PM. Reason : .]

10/26/2009 6:05:18 PM

^^^ Everywhere I've ever tried to buy contacts won't take a prescription more than 1-year-old.

If you get both a contact and an eyeglass prescription for $168, that's not a bad price... at least when compared to what I've always paid.

10/26/2009 6:13:33 PM

laser eye surgery ~3000 and it pays for itself in ~10-15 years and is completely worth it.

10/26/2009 6:17:46 PM

Quote :

"^^^ Everywhere I've ever tried to buy contacts won't take a prescription more than 1-year-old."

1-800-contacts will go up to 2 years, and if you make up a doctor name so they can't verify they will go as long as you want

10/26/2009 6:25:39 PM

^ 1800 Contacts for the win

I havent had an eye exam in 4 years and I can still order from them.....though I really need to get my eyes checked soon

10/26/2009 7:13:29 PM

so what do they (1800contacts) request when you purchase them? Just a faxed copy of the original Rx?

10/26/2009 7:18:56 PM

no you just type in your stuff into an online form then add your eye doctors name so they can verify, but i've always just made it up because i never have the information at hand and have always gotten my lenses

10/26/2009 9:18:42 PM

great thread. I have the same problem but my doctor wants like $150 and he can't see me for like 5 weeks. Dude is probably on vacation or some shit. I am gonna try the 1800contacts form with a fake name.

10/26/2009 10:42:00 PM

yeah, just take the health of your eyes in your own hands. do you complain at your regular doctor like that?

10/27/2009 6:34:59 AM

Dr. Coward at sam's club on s. saunders. really nice guy, friendly staff. I've gone to him twice in the last 4 years. both times it was $100 for an exam and contact fitting and a free pair. then i just go online and buy 2 year's worth of supply. I will likely go some time in the next 2 weeks because my eyes have gotten noticeably worst.

10/27/2009 7:48:23 AM

^^^^ I second pooljobs' post. I have also done this several times. probably illegal

[Edited on October 27, 2009 at 10:27 AM. Reason : ]

10/27/2009 10:27:21 AM

I'm partial to the Walmart on Glenwood. Dr. Basiri, cool younger guy. Eye exam + contact fitting + free pair = ~120. He gives you both a contact lens prescription and a glasses prescription. The cheapest place I've found online is Contact Lens King, but that may vary depending on what brand you wear.

10/27/2009 3:01:35 PM

^ I go here too. Pretty good compared to other places I have been.

10/27/2009 8:57:15 PM

Quote :

"yeah, just take the health of your eyes in your own hands. do you complain at your regular doctor like that?"

i go get pictures of my retinas done and full checkups every 2 or 3 years, that's plenty and way more than people with good eyesight. i've been wearing contacts since 6th grade, i don't need to pay someone to tell me if they fit.

10/27/2009 9:00:24 PM

i'm supposed to go to the walmart in cary near kildaire/tryon tomorrow...$100 total.....but i'm tempted to go this 1800contacts expired prescription route if it really works.....since my last exam was just done on May 2008..slightly over a year

does this scheme method really work?

10/27/2009 10:45:52 PM

People fucking around with their eyes are stupid

Get a check up

10/27/2009 10:48:59 PM

^lol

10/27/2009 11:07:39 PM

i liked jennifer murphy @ sears in crabtree

10/27/2009 11:11:51 PM

Holy shit its only 150 bucks?

I may go get contacts tomorrow, lol.

10/28/2009 12:09:46 AM

I went to Eye Care Associates after my military dependency privileges wore off. I figure there had to be something cheaper, too. Good info about 1800 contacts. Usually I get a prescription and order a year's worth right before the prescription expires from them, but I may have to try the fake name route.

10/28/2009 9:39:44 AM

Some of the eye places give a discount for students, AAA, etc... You might want to see if the place you are going offers these!

10/29/2009 3:49:25 PM

ok got my contact exam done...they recommended me air optix monthly...i have no idea which monthly disposables are good they all seem about the same in quality but the price can vary alot

so i started doing some online shopping since i thought 800-contacts was the cheapest but they seem to be the most expensive.....any suggestions what monthly disposables to get and where to buy it from?

Air Optix
$30/box: http://www.1800getlens.com/contacts/lens-554.asp
$42/box: http://www.1800contacts.com/lens/air-optix-aqua.htm

Focus Monthly
$19/box: http://www.1800getlens.com/contacts/lens-148.asp
$39/box: http://www.1800contacts.com/lens/focus-monthly.htm

11/9/2009 4:27:42 PM

You do not get to choose which brand of contacts you want just because they are cheaper. Contacts are made out of different materials, have different oxygen permeability, different curves, etc etc etc. Each and every contact is different and will fit each and every person differently. Just as when you have some medical condition and are prescribed a medication, you don't go to the pharmacy and say umm, lets see I would like RX B instead of A because its cheaper.

11/9/2009 5:14:29 PM

^ is correct. I used to work at a optometry office. I would stick with the air optix if I were you, they are a much more comfortable lens for most people. Try searching good for cheap CLs.

11/9/2009 5:36:14 PM

I got a new prescription 2 weeks ago and got a set of air optix to try. Been wearing it for 2 weeks now and not very happy with it. Every review i've read says they are great but they aren't working out for me. They dont form to my eyes right away, usually takes a few minutes. those first few minutes are annoying as crap since ive used acuvue oasys and Avaira in the past and never had this problem.

I'm going back tomorrow to get a prescription for avaira.

^^^I dont recommend just buying the cheapest pair...I would go to your dr and ask to try different sets and look for the ones most comfortable. even if one brand cost $20 more a box it could last easily 6 months with proper cleaning so really it's not that much more money

11/9/2009 5:53:04 PM

^^except that its a matter of comfort not a matter of effects of medicine. eye doctors will swap you between brands abritrarily to figure out what fits, they start with the one that makes them the most money till you complain. its arbitrary and you don't need to spend $100 for that advice.

11/9/2009 5:53:41 PM

Quote :

"^^except that its a matter of comfort not a matter of effects of medicine. eye doctors will swap you between brands abritrarily to figure out what fits, they start with the one that makes them the most money till you complain. its arbitrary and you don't need to spend $100 for that advice."

Yes, thats exactly what they do. Put the most expensive lens on everyone. Dumb optometrists. Monkeys could do that. duh.

11/9/2009 7:43:19 PM

$80 for a contact lens exam at costco.

11/10/2009 12:34:26 AM

that's exactly why i am hesitating to get air optix since i noticed the doctor did try to put one of the more expensive ones on me..........

i'm not trying to go against doctor's orders, it's just i've seen 3 different optometrists in the past 5 years and they have all recommended a different brand of contacts and i haven't had trouble with any

11/10/2009 12:41:09 AM

yea yall are all pretty much right. Alot of them have deals with the reps yada yada. Plenty of people can wear any brand on the market but if you happen to be one of those who can't you can seriously mess your eyes up. Thats only my 2 cents.

11/10/2009 1:38:38 AM

i just got back from getting another set of contacts from the guys at sam's club. they've given me 3 sets now and put in an order for PureVision so I can try those next week. I will say these guys are really nice.

The only downfall to this place is they are only open on Tuesdays and Saturdays. But i highly recommend them if anyone needs a place for contacts.

11/10/2009 2:37:05 PM

which sams club sells contact lenses?

i just called Eye Care Associates, they want $62.50/box for air optix and walmart wants $51.
ha when i can get them online for $25-$40.
looks like online it is

[Edited on November 10, 2009 at 2:56 PM. Reason : k]

11/10/2009 2:54:21 PM

the one i went to to get the exam is on s. saunders. I don't buy mine in the stores. I just go online and find the cheapest place.

11/10/2009 2:55:42 PM

what's the cheapest places online....i need some pointers...800contacts seems to be the most expensive....justlenses.com seems the cheapest

and then there are tons of in between online storefronts..not sure how trusty they are

11/10/2009 2:57:36 PM

Quote :

" Thank you for choosing 1-800 CONTACTS. In order to insure that your order is correct, we attempt to verify your prescription with your eye-care provider. It appears that there is a problem with the name or phone number of the eye-care provider listed on your account. Unfortunately this means that we must cancel your order until the information can be corrected. We have refunded the charge made to your credit card. Those funds should be posted to your account within 3-10 business days. We would be very happy to place another order for you if you could provide us with the name and phone number of the eye care practitioner that prescribed your contact lenses. Please call us toll-free at 1-800 CONTACTS (1-800-266-8228) or e-mail us at info@1800contacts.com at your earliest convenience to update your account. We apologize for any inconvenience that you have experienced. We appreciate your business and look forward to hearing from you today, so that your order can ship immediately. "

11/23/2009 11:12:27 AM