I ended up going back to my optometrist for the next set (got progressives, pretty complicated prescription - the Costco glasses scratched easily and even ended up getting a small crack).

I am not covered by insurance for glasses...pretty painful price, no matter what!

My sister gets her lenses at Walmart but she buys upscale frames at thrift shops for a few bucks so doesn't spend much. Of course, she just needs reading glasses, no bifocals, progressives, or anything fancy.

Because of my history of wearing glasses since I was five and a few injuries to my eyes, I've always gone to ophthalmologists and gotten my glasses at the optometrist associated with them. Our old insurance let us go to a clinic that had everything and we got great service, excellent quality and good prices. The new insurance will not cover an ophthalmologist unless we have a medical problem, there are only a very few of the optometrists they will cover and the providers for filling the prescriptions are just the two.

Walmart right now is advertising 2 for 1 deals and guarantee for a year. While I really don't like going there, I don't mind too much when it is a loss leader that they won't make money on. Just because I go once, doesn't mean I will become a regular client.

If my husband retires this year, I will look into purchasing vision insurance on our own. VSP, which is what we had until this year, has bee advertising individual plans. With both of us wearing glasses, coverage would probably pay off.

I learned of this site from Clark Howard and purchased a pair of bifocals.

Exam, frames, lenses, about half of what I paid a local optometrist. I have graduated lens. I'm satisfied with the quality and the price.
I'll go back for my next pair.

I think we'll go by Walmart to see what they have in stock and what they offer, then stop by Costco to compare. Or maybe the other way around. We both have old frames and need new lenses in them, so that may be a test of what they offer for service.

I would much rather my money go to Costco but if the value in time and money isn't there, I can't afford to pay more. And I really like the guarantee that WalMart has been advertising. My last pair of new glasses I scratched right after getting them but there was no guarantee and I couldn't afford to buy new lenses. So I've been using the computer with a scratch right across the viewing area for a year.

I'm surprised you don't have headaches.

Walmart has a decent selection and will replace lenses and frames if something happens to them.

They charge $25 extra for providing your own frames.

I have been having some headaches - maybe that's why!

I do tend to scratch my glasses. That's why having a guarantee is important to me - the place where I got my other glasses didn't tell me they offered a replacement plan for a small fee until after the darned things were scratched. And they wouldn't sell the plan unless I replaced both lenses at my cost first. It would have cost me $450 to do that - special prescription, bi-focal, extra stuff.

on glasses and in general. Most of what is evil about Walmart is the opposite at Costco. Employees are treated well.

WalMart is advertising a great deal while the guy I talked to at Costco was not very sure what they could offer for our insurance, and did not seem too enthusiastic about answering my questions.

And I bet neither place will be too happy with just replacing the lenses without making a profit on frames. I think the best bet is to go in with our old frames and prescriptions and see what kind of deal we can get from each place. Unless Costco is a lot higher or can't do the work we need, I'll buy from them.

contracts the eyeglass business out to another company, if that helps. I got glasses there once for my daughter. I liked having the one year insurance policy. Glasses quality was fine. I like buying glasses from Zenni Optical too.

My husband has problems getting the center of his progressive lenses correct. I can't stand progressive but need my bifocals for working at the computer custom adjusted. Both of those are fussy adjustments that are best measured in person. Plus, I'm real picky about the fit of my frames - I'm not sure I could deal with long distance fittings!

I think most places contract out their lens production. I know with our other insurance, they had to send the frames off even though our old opticians could do the lenses in house. If we'd been paying out of pocket, it was a 1-2 day turn around. With the insurance it was more like 2-3 weeks. But their opticians are top notch and know how to measure the placement for the center of the lenses just so.

Our insurance doesn't cover Zenni or any internet/mail order places at all.

wear out. There is no crap from the Costco employees about it, however they are Costco frames originally. I seem to recall some concern that they can reuse old Costco frames.

I have two frames for my computer bifocals I want to re-use. Most of our frames we re-use until they fall apart - I have an old pair with 10x magnifying lenses in them for needlework I can't re-use anymore. The nose pads keep falling off and can't be replaced anymore.

That's the one thing - some of the more recent frames were so badly made, I only get one lens use out of them. The hinges broke and they don't stay on now - mostly it's those awful spring hinges.

they may be able to do the fine detail work.

And they were the plastic pads set off from the metal frames, so I'm not sure a jeweler could do anything with them. Now I can't find those old frames. I may have turned them in to the Lion's Club collection so someone can use the lenses.

Those frames were at least twenty years old, so I got my money's worth out of them.

it isn't too crowded, if you can.

The quote I got was from the optician in the same office probably owned by the optometrist. My husband didn't have the frames with him to get a quote there, so I don't know what his cost there will be.

Both Walmart and Costco opticians are open tomorrow, so we may try to go to get competitive pricing. Then Monday we can place our orders, depending on which we decide to use.

They're like 1/3 the cost if I got them from my eye doctor.

The Costco pair I still use even though it's over 10 years old. The WalMart pair gives me headaches and has since been replaced by one from Lenscrafters.

Like anywhere, the quality of service depends on the employee waiting on you. Most of the time Costco has been very friendly and extremely helpful. The wait can be long if it's busy, so try to time it around peak hours. No problems w/ quality.

$300 to replace two sets of lenses in my old frames. Bifocal, no other fancy stuff.

I got done there at 4:45 so decided to go another day to price the same at Walmart and Costco. Besides, my husband forgot his other frames so he couldn't price his fancy lenses (progressive, transitions, and a bunch more).

No complaints. I got what I wanted. I've also stopped several times over the last few years for adjustments-- I mean, I'm in the store, so why not?-- and they've always been happy to tighten, bend, or whatever to fix anything that needs fixing. Never any charge for that.

The local Costco told me they only have a 30 day satisfaction guarantee, then a 1 year manufacturer's warranty. I'm not sure if that holds true if they only replace the lenses in my old frames.

Walmart is advertising a one year guarantee - but I have the same worry.

The $300 from the private office optician includes a 2 year guarantee, so it may be worth it.

I'll have to get the facts and figures to make my decision.

Both service and quality were great for me and my wifes three sets of glasses.
I refuse to set foot in a Walmart, the cost is to great.

Are those prescription glasses?

Shaws is a local supermarket chain.

And the right one is so bad off the shelf doesn't come strong enough!

Very straightforward, no sudden strange charges. Lots of help. I've been getting my glasses there for nearly 20 years.

I think it will depend on how good the local opticians are and how competent the vision insurance's lab is, no matter where I go.

If you know what size frame and style looks good on you, online is a cheap way to get good glasses. You can get all the designer frames also. I've tried on frames at the store and then put the model number and size in online and compared prices.

So far, I have bought 3 pairs online and they are all fine.

Good luck!