X-Ray - BS 20 - Brown NA

Good Customer Service for my Second Pair

ByonMarch 27, 19

This is my second pair of specs from GlassesUSA. I picked this modern take on the retro Clark Kent look because I wanted something sturdy with style. GlassesUSA was running a deal to buy one pair and get the second pair free, and this was my second choice. When they first arrived, they looked great. They have the traditional wayfarer temple, and that very characteristic pantoscopic tilt we associate with wayfarers. I love the wavy/stripey pattern of the frames which they achieved by putting the darker color on the back side of the frame and leaving the front part relatively clear. It reminds me of some Robert Marc and Oliver Peoples styles. Also, this is probably more incidental, but when I tried them on, they fit perfectly--no slippage and no adjustments needed (sometimes that's a challenge if there are no nose pads since plastic frames are less adjustable than metal or mixed-material frames). Note that I am a woman with a big head (I'm not allowed to borrow my husband's hats because I will stretch them out), so be sure to try on frames at an actual store that has acetate frames with the same measurements to ensure proper fit and temple length. I would also recommended trying on the wayfarer style. Some people find the tilt and shape to be unflattering. I personally can't wear the style as sunglasses because I look like I have a fat face. I can only wear them with clear optical lenses. I had one issue with this second pair: something was wrong with the left lens. This review is really about how easy and efficient the returns and exchange process was. When I began the returns process, I followed online instructions first. However, it seemed so easy that I wanted to be sure that I did everything correctly, so I called, too. Everyone from the customer service department was very helpful. It took a few days for them to investigate and decide that I should return the glasses and use my one-time, limited-offer free trade-in for the correction. I was not 100 percent excited about this for two reasons: 1) I had to pay for shipping to return them. 2) I thought this shouldn't have used up my trade-in since it was their mistake. Maybe they would have decided that it was definitively their mistake if I had gone to my doctor to check the Rx in those specs; but I felt uncomfortable doing this because I did not get my glasses from my doctor's office. Traditionally, optometrists in the States have paid for their ridiculously expensive education by charging an outrageous markup on glasses. Because I've worked in the industry, I feel guilty buying my glasses online. I can't afford to pay for my OD's office/education right now by purchasing a $400-and-up pair of glasses, but I don't want to rub these factors in my OD's nose. We're in a kind of gray area right now with the future of the optical industry. The other odd thing was that when I returned the glasses, I sent it to a New York location with only the glasses case, lens cleaning cloth, and glasses in the box; then a week or so later, received my corrected specs from a Fairfield, New Jersey location. The DHL guy said the origin was from the UK and pointed out the BBX code at the top. If you are trying to get a pair of glasses sourced entirely from the US to diminish your carbon footprint and provide jobs solely for Americans, this does not appear to be the place to accomplish that goal. They do make the exchange process very easy for the consumer, though (not as good as Zappos, but Zappos only does retail and no manufacturing; I haven't found a glasses store with a "Zappos-style" return policy). They have a keep-it-simple-stupid platform for the front end of their business. There is no guesswork involved for its clients. Additionally, the quality, craftsmanship, and customer service is superb compared with what I've heard about other online glasses stores. I've seen (in person) the craftsmanship of glasses where friends purchased them through some of GlassesUSA's competitors. I think mine are better quality. The weight of them feels better. I know appearance is subjective, but I think mine look better, too. A lot of this company's competitors' specs may be cheaper in price, but they look and feel cheaper, too. Ultimately, when my glasses were shipped to me a second time, the Rx was corrected. I have a -2.00 cyl, so it's really easy to notice when the axis is off. I think that, combined with the Rx strength in the OS is what was wrong the first time. I'm fairly certain it had nothing to do with my PD, but since I mention this, there is another thing I like about GlassesUSA compared with other online stores: they give you the option of providing your monocular PD, which is helpful if your mono PD is not an even split, and you want to avoid any possibility for unintended prism in your lens, which can mess up your vision. The only other two details to note are that they do not edge polish the lenses, and you might want to spring for the thinner lenses. Edge polish gets rid of that frosty look on the edge of the lenses and makes them appear thinner. If your lenses are edge polished, they should kind of sparkle if you angle the edge in the light. This was not really an issue for me with this pair of glasses since the frames are a thick plastic and disguise my stronger Rx. I can't remember if when I ordered them, they had the claim that says, "this eyeglasses package contains: . . . polished lens edges". Maybe this is something they added this month since I commented on it in my review about my XRay 21's. I also have "tiny-eye syndrome" because I only chose the 1.61 lenses instead of the 1.67 or 1.74, which not only provide for a thinner lens but also help to diminish the false appearance of small eyes if you have a higher myopic correction or "googly-eyes" if you have a bigger hyperopic correction. Select at least the 1.67 if you've got anything higher than a +/- 3.00 sphere, especially if you've got some astigmatism correction in there, too (astigmatism refers to your cyl measurement on your Rx). All in all, if my Rx changes next year, or if I'm just in the mood for a different style; I will be getting my specs from GlassesUSA....Read More