Bad experience with eye doctor

Mistake Not...

Mistake Not...

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Mistake Not...
bluf: I didn't get the right lens prescription, but I don't know what to do about it.

I go in to get glasses. I probably won't pass the next medical without them (getting old). So, multiple times, I mention I'm a pilot and I need to be able to see both the panel and out the window. The doctor discusses some options, and I say that bifocals should be fine. I don't need correction for close up stuff, just some astigmatism at infinity. "No problem".

I mention I'm a pilot to the girl who fits me for the frames. I'm doing this on purpose, because I want them to remember that I need to be able to see both.

Sure enough... I get the eye glasses (two pair.. tinted and clear), and both are for distance only. The panel is a blur. Lift the glasses up, I can see the panel fine. The prescription is great for distance... really improved that. But it's a nogo for close up.

They email me to ask how it went, and I mention the problem. In the email, the assistant mentions "yeah, he was hoping the single lens would work for both", and that it'll be $368 (I'm assuming -per pair-) for progressives.

So I get to pay for their mistake?

I get mad every time I put the glasses on. Not sure how to proceed.
 
They made the mistake not you. They should take these back and get you what you wanted in the first place and only charge the difference. Hope you haven't payed them yet. Don
 
Just go back. I've never seen an optometrist not fix it if it isn't right.

Ophthalmologists will usually get it right the first time. For future reference...
 
Yeah, take them back and have the lenses re-made.

I lucked out, I guess, my eye guy is also a pilot.

Single lenses and progressives are two different things. Maybe they got the prescription wrong or the lenses were made wrong, or some combination of both.
 
OK, this is the geek in me speaking.

Buy a set of trial lenses on ebay, tweek your prescription as needed and then buy your glasses from zennioptical.com.

Works for me.
 
Hopefully you can work this out with the eye doctor. Some are more willing to give great customer service, refunds, etc. than others. If there was a higher charge for the Progressive lenses, or what I wear, bifocals, then the difference in cost might be appropriate for you to pay.
 
Mistake Not... said:
bluf: I didn't get the right lens prescription, but I don't know what to do about it.

I go in to get glasses. I probably won't pass the next medical without them (getting old). So, multiple times, I mention I'm a pilot and I need to be able to see both the panel and out the window. The doctor discusses some options, and I say that bifocals should be fine. I don't need correction for close up stuff, just some astigmatism at infinity. "No problem".

I mention I'm a pilot to the girl who fits me for the frames. I'm doing this on purpose, because I want them to remember that I need to be able to see both.

Sure enough... I get the eye glasses (two pair.. tinted and clear), and both are for distance only. The panel is a blur. Lift the glasses up, I can see the panel fine. The prescription is great for distance... really improved that. But it's a nogo for close up.

They email me to ask how it went, and I mention the problem. In the email, the assistant mentions "yeah, he was hoping the single lens would work for both", and that it'll be $368 (I'm assuming -per pair-) for progressives.

So I get to pay for their mistake?

I get mad every time I put the glasses on. Not sure how to proceed.
Click to expand...
This is confusing. Single lens and progressives should be mutually exclusive. What was the prescription you were handed after the eye exam? What was the prescription they used to make the lens? You might need to get the lenses checked to see exactly what they used to make them.
 
You don't need an eye doctor yet. Get a pair of bifocal reading glasses for a few bucks. I spend $80. They are clear on top and the magnification on the bottom. Perfect for getting old. I have been using them (and passing medicals) for 5 years.

http://www.readingglasses.com/
 
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:dunno:
Geico266 said:
You don't need an eye doctor yet. Get a pair of bifocal reading glasses for a few bucks. They are clear on top and the magnification on the bottom. Perfect for getting old. I have been using them (and passing medicals) for 5 years.
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Hard to say without seeing his prescription. How old is he?
 
Geico266 said:
Oops! My bad. :redface:

I thought I read where he could not see the panel but could see outside okay. :redface:

Maybe I need to clean my glasses! :rolleyes:
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I am so nearsighted I can see up close great without glasses (I'm 57 y/o). When I wear distance correction glasses I lose my near vision. I can't see the panel well unless I am wearing progressive bifocals.
 
I'm nearsighted, too, although age is finally making enough of a difference that I passed my medical and again passed the driving test with no glasses required. I wear smaller lenses, which makes it easy to see the panel under them. For the top row, I often do the bifocal head tilt, and look underneath the lenses and everything is fine. Or briefly lift them.

Can't read nothing through them, but boy do they work well at a distance (across the room, or spotting traffic at several miles).
 
Like many other businesses, there are some that are greedy and just in it for the money. I ran across one a few years ago that started off asking how much insurance and flex money I had. Part of a regional chain of shops, he was one of the owners. Ended up with an overly expensive solution and required sunglasses (on the script), with a bill of nearly $500 after insurance. All upsell.

I have since used an independent doc that is great. Other than copay, the insurance covers everything except progressive lenses, which I gladly pay for (about $100 over lined bifocals).
 
Every now and then you'll get lenses made with a different material. For some reason the refractive index on my safety glasses lenses, polycarbonate, is different enough from my everyday plastics that even a good prescription doesn't work that well.
 
Mistake Not... said:
So, multiple times, I mention I'm a pilot and I need to be able to see both the panel and out the window. The doctor discusses some options, and I say that bifocals should be fine. I don't need correction for close up stuff, just some astigmatism at infinity. "No problem".
Click to expand...

I don't understand. You said that bifocals should be fine, but you don't need correction for close up stuff. (If you don't need correction for close up stuff, then you don't need bifocals.)

Now you're unhappy because the glasses don't correct for close up stuff. (So why did you tell the doc you don't need correction for close up stuff?)

I'm lost. Maybe the doc was, too.
 
What he needs are uncorrected in the bi focal. I am just the opposite. I am slightly far sighted and can pass the eye test without glasses but need correction for close up. Since I need to wear eye protection when I work I just have progressive lenses with very little correction for distance and mid range and close up correction. I use an Optomatrist friend and have a local lab that makes my glasses. A good Optomatrist can do a better job on figuring out a R/X as that is all they do. Notice I said GOOD Optomatrist not the production line guys at the big chains. I have had eye exams by Opthamologists and never got a good result. I used to be very nearsighted before I had my cataracts done and have worn glasses all of my life. Don
 
Also, have a serious discussion over the progressives. You may prefer the classic bifocal with a line if your distance correction is good for middle and far distances.

Progressives, even after you adapt, do not offer (in my experience) the sort of clear off-axis viewing I used to get with single-vision lenses.
 
Jim_R said:
I don't understand. You said that bifocals should be fine, but you don't need correction for close up stuff. (If you don't need correction for close up stuff, then you don't need bifocals.)

Now you're unhappy because the glasses don't correct for close up stuff. (So why did you tell the doc you don't need correction for close up stuff?)

I'm lost. Maybe the doc was, too.
Click to expand...

I am not lost. I think (based on OP's description) that he has mild myopia, with reduced accommodation ability (which is normal for age 40+). Therefore, like most people with that condition, without correction he is able to read OK but his distance vision is marginal (probably depending on lighting), which is why he went to get glasses. A bifocal or progressive solution would work in this case, but getting a single focus correction for distant vision would correct for "infinity" but would also make reading more difficult, as it would move the near focus farther away. The astigmatism is likely affecting both near and far fields, but most noticeable for the latter, and this also was corrected by the prescription he got.
 
Take them back. In my office (dental) if something isn't right for whatever reason that I just completed, the patient isn't satisfied and I know I can improve on it, I redo it at no further fee. Thankfully it doesn't happen very often.

I once got new glasses and they had placed the correction for my left eye in the right lens, and that for the right eye in the left lens. Didn't work very well!
 
painless said:
Take them back. In my office (dental) if something isn't right for whatever reason that I just completed, the patient isn't satisfied and I know I can improve on it, I redo it at no further fee. Thankfully it doesn't happen very often.

I once got new glasses and they had placed the correction for my left eye in the right lens, and that for the right eye in the left lens. Didn't work very well!
Click to expand...

You could have just worn them upside down. I am the same way in my Dental lab. If something isn't right I redo it for no charge no questions asked. Don
 
painless said:
Take them back. In my office (dental) if something isn't right for whatever reason that I just completed, the patient isn't satisfied and I know I can improve on it, I redo it at no further fee. Thankfully it doesn't happen very often.

I once got new glasses and they had placed the correction for my left eye in the right lens, and that for the right eye in the left lens. Didn't work very well!
Click to expand...
Agree. A reputable optical shop will fix the problem even if it means getting new lenses. Someone should not spend hundreds of bucks for worthless glasses.
 
RotorDude said:
I am not lost. I think (based on OP's description) that he has mild myopia, with reduced accommodation ability (which is normal for age 40+). Therefore, like most people with that condition, without correction he is able to read OK but his distance vision is marginal (probably depending on lighting), which is why he went to get glasses. A bifocal or progressive solution would work in this case, but getting a single focus correction for distant vision would correct for "infinity" but would also make reading more difficult, as it would move the near focus farther away. The astigmatism is likely affecting both near and far fields, but most noticeable for the latter, and this also was corrected by the prescription he got.
Click to expand...

Ah--thanks. Completely didn't snap to me that some bifocals have "plain glass" in the near vision portion of the lens. Thanks for the explanation.
 
painless said:
Take them back. In my office (dental) if something isn't right for whatever reason that I just completed, the patient isn't satisfied and I know I can improve on it, I redo it at no further fee. Thankfully it doesn't happen very often.

I once got new glasses and they had placed the correction for my left eye in the right lens, and that for the right eye in the left lens. Didn't work very well!
Click to expand...

I hope you figured out the problem before you worked on patients... :rofl:
 
Geico266 said:
You don't need an eye doctor yet. Get a pair of bifocal reading glasses for a few bucks. I spend $80. They are clear on top and the magnification on the bottom. Perfect for getting old. I have been using them (and passing medicals) for 5 years.

http://www.readingglasses.com/
Click to expand...

Another option is to find the correct strength reading glasses. SavALot has them for $1.

Then it's possible to buy stick-on bifocals to stick on the prescription glasses you got - assuming that near vision is the problem. About $20 or less.

Something like:

http://www.amazon.com/OPTX-20-Stick-On-Bifocals-2-00/dp/B000W7HQCQ
 
Jim_R said:
I don't understand. You said that bifocals should be fine, but you don't need correction for close up stuff. (If you don't need correction for close up stuff, then you don't need bifocals.)

Now you're unhappy because the glasses don't correct for close up stuff. (So why did you tell the doc you don't need correction for close up stuff?)

I'm lost. Maybe the doc was, too.
Click to expand...

Not unusual...I'm actually in need of trifocals - distance, reading & the computer. Three different focal lengths. Bifocal is usually distance & reading but can be any combination of two focal lengths.

I go with distance & reading bifocals and keep the computer prescription in a 2nd pair of glasses, since I don't need them unless I'm working on the computer.
 
TMetzinger said:
Also, have a serious discussion over the progressives. You may prefer the classic bifocal with a line if your distance correction is good for middle and far distances.

Progressives, even after you adapt, do not offer (in my experience) the sort of clear off-axis viewing I used to get with single-vision lenses.
Click to expand...

The progressive "close up" area is a tear drop shape. It really depends on the person. I found that I couldn't tolerate the "distortion" to the sides of the progressive area, and had to turn my head all the time when reading side-to-side a book, a paper, anything. For me, the progressives lasted a week and I went to the line bifocal.
 
murphey said:
Not unusual...I'm actually in need of trifocals - distance, reading & the computer. Three different focal lengths. Bifocal is usually distance & reading but can be any combination of two focal lengths.

I go with distance & reading bifocals and keep the computer prescription in a 2nd pair of glasses, since I don't need them unless I'm working on the computer.
Click to expand...
It's possible to get a prescription for single vision glasses at the intermediate trifocal range for computer work or reading music from 18-24 inches.
 
Jim_R said:
Ah--thanks. Completely didn't snap to me that some bifocals have "plain glass" in the near vision portion of the lens. Thanks for the explanation.
Click to expand...

Welcome.
Of course as the lack of accommodation increases with age, the OP might eventually need trifocals or progressives anyway, for intermediate field issues. But certainly just a single correction like the one he got is insufficient for flying, though it might be good enough for driving or other activities where near vision is not critical.
 
Gary F said:
It's possible to get a prescription for single vision glasses at the intermediate trifocal range for computer work or reading music from 18-24 inches.
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And that's exactly what I have, a second pair with inly the intermediate focal length.
 
yakdriver said:
You could have just worn them upside down. I am the same way in my Dental lab. If something isn't right I redo it for no charge no questions asked. Don
Click to expand...

Funny you mention that. We had a family photo professionally taken one year. The photog had me remove my lenses to eliminate reflection. I had met my wife and kids at the shoot site, so we had two cars there. After we were done, my wife left with the kids while I struggled with getting my lenses back in. By the way... There's a reason that I have glasses in the first place. Blind as a bat without them.

So after messing with those lenses for a considerable amount of time and frustration, I fianally got them back in. You probably know where this is going. I Had installed them with the lenses reversed! Not wanting to continue struggling with them and knowing I had extra pairs at home to see what I was doing better, I wore them upside down on the drive home, hoping all the way that I wouldn't get pulled over for whatever reason. "But honest, officer....." :redface:
 
I had to get computer glasses this year. I joke that I now have VFR and IFR glasses. It may turn out not to be a joke.

The IFR glasses also help when shooting and concentrating on front sight drills. It's a lot easier to ignore the target when you *can't* get it into sharp focus. An excellent way to force the issue and learn to love that front sight and the sight picture more than the target.
 
If I had to guess, the prescription was probably correct but there was a miscommunication with the optician on which kind of glasses were to be made. From a Rx that specifies distance and the 'adder' for near, the optician can make a set of readers, distance only or bifocals/progressives.

Unless the store is owned by the optometrist, your problem is not with the doc, but with the manager for the optical store. There will be additional expense to make the progressives, but at the very least they should give you full credit for the charge on the single strength lenses.
 
As an aside...

I'm a bit fuzzy about the finer points of ophthalmic dispensing (hyuk hyuk), but I don't think this should be an issue for your medical. If you don't need the near-vision correction, it seems pretty clear to me (another hyuk!) that you could just take the glasses off for that part of the exam.

Actually flying the aircraft would be another story, of course.

Rich
 
RJM62 said:
As an aside...

I'm a bit fuzzy about the finer points of ophthalmic dispensing (hyuk hyuk), but I don't think this should be an issue for your medical. If you don't need the near-vision correction, it seems pretty clear to me (another hyuk!) that you could just take the glasses off for that part of the exam.

Actually flying the aircraft would be another story, of course.

Rich
Click to expand...
Agree, I have passed the medical with progressives one time, and the next time with just contacts for far and intermediate, and contacts + drug store cheaters for near. They only care if you can read the appropriate line.
 
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