Tricky Optical Shop

[DogNo1]

I hope that writing my experience of today down will make me feel a little better. I recently bought new transitions progressive bifocal lenses frrom an optical shop in the Ratchaprasong area for 18,000. After using them for a couple of days, I found that the width of the bifocals was too narrow to read smaller type well, so I asked the same shop how much they would charge to make a pair of lenses with wider bifocals for another, similar, frame that I have. 32,000 baht was the answer. Two days later, I went into the shop and asked if they could discount the lenses for me. They would have to call the factory, they said. When I went in today, one of the two ladies working in the shop handed me a slip of paper that had 36,000 written at the top and below it after the Thai word for discount (lod) 29,000. Below it a liine was drawn across the paper and below it 18,000 was written. The lady at the counter told me that 36,000 was the list price and 29,000 was the discounted price for the transitions lenses. The 18,000 below the line was the price of the same lenses without transitions. I went and had some coffee and thought about it. The price converted at 35.5 baht to USD came to $816.00 Too expensive still, but I decided to buy them and went back to the shop. I handed over the frames and confirmed that the lady at the counter had the prescription correct. The other lady came over and made out a receipt with the number 36,000 on it. I am very careful and scrutinized the paper before I put it in my wallet. I told the lady at the counter that it should say 29,000, not 36,000. She turned to the other lady questioningly. She was silent. After I told the lady at the counter several that the amount should be 29,000, she said that she had made a mistake on the paper and that 29,000 was the price of the non-transitions lenses while 36,000 was the cost for the transitions lenses. I told her that I wouldn't pay 36,000. She said that I would just have to use another optical shop. So I was nearly scammed. If I had put the slip in my wallet without checking it, I would have found that the price of the lenses when I went to pick them up was actually 36,000, not the 29,000 that I had bargained for. The lady who had written the slip was silent during this exchange. You really must be very careful in Thailand!

[xerostar]

You were prepared to pay that much?

I think I would shop around a lot more.

Even in Australia, those prices sound totaly outrageous! I'm glad you saw the scam.

[DogNo1]

Yes, $816 is much too expensive. It seems to be difficult to get lenses that are made correctly. They were screwed up in California three years ago and again last year by a Thai optical shop. The previous lenses made by the optical shop here ten days ago are quite clear so I was willing to pay the price. It was confusing to be scammed though and at first I thought the other lady had written 36,000 by mistake, especially since they had quoted me a price of 32,000 several times previously and the discounted price written on the slip was 29,000. When she was completely silent and unpleasant-looking it dawned on me that i was being scammed. It's disappointing since I like to have good relationships with the businesses that I patronize. When I return to Japan in May, I can try having lenses made there but optical shops there have screwed up the lenses too. I've been continually shopping for lenses iin Bangkok but the optical shops seem to be united in their overcharging. In the USA, many of the shops which appear to be different brands are actually owned by Luxotica. On a 60-minutes TV program, The Luxotica president was asked why his company charged so much for frames. His answer was "because we can."

[rak sa_ngop]

There are a number of different 'grades' of variable focus/progressive lens available so it is very difficult to compare prices. The cheaper ones are thicker lens with very poor side vision. I always take my old pair in and ask that the new lens are comparable 'quality' thickness. I do not go for the most expensive as they would probably go for about 20,000 baht.

When I was in the UK 3 months ago I needed to have a new frame fitted to my Thai bought lenses. When I asked the price of having new lens made up of same quality the price was comparable to the Thai price. I think this may be more due to prices in the west dropping because of competition in the high street, rather than Thai prices increasing. So maybe I will go back to Betterspecs for my next pair.

[Renrut]

"You really must be very careful in Thailand!"

It would have been more accurate to say "you must be very careful in the shop that I went to!". This is nothing to do with Thailand in general. I don't have to be careful in my optician's shop.

[JaiLai]

"You really must be very careful in Thailand!"

It would have been more accurate to say "you must be very careful in the shop that I went to!". This is nothing to do with Thailand in general. I don't have to be careful in my optician's shop.

His initial statement is accurate, there is countless reports of events similar to this across a whole range of business's.

[coops]

Progressive lenses are not bifocals... and due to the complexity of them, the newer designs can be very expensive.

You would need to have very careful measurements and marks made on the blank lenses while wearing the frames, so the centre and psoition of all the transtions will be where they are designed to be - if the optical shop doesn't bother with this step, whether manual or a computerised/photgraphic type system, you should cancel your order and find a different optician.

[yankee99]

ticket to california is under 816.00..think i would take my chances there at least you get a guarantee.

[lujanit]

I use Zenni Optical. http://www.zennioptical.com Excellent site and there is a video tutorial on how to order,

I have progressive transition lens with anti-reflective and oleophobic coatings in rimless frames. I had ordered two pairs and the cost was about USD175 per pair including delivery. The cost of the frames was about USD45 but you can buy much cheaper frames if you wish. Never had a problem with Customs here.

I use Dr. Paradon at St. Louis hospital for the prescription. He is an ophthalmologist and gives you a complete eye examination as well as the prescription. Cost is 1400 baht.

[DogNo1]

Lujanit: I've thought of using Zenni but there is no information about how wide the bifocals are and the cheap lenses I bought here about ten days ago have a very narrow bifocal which I find difficult to use. I'm well aware of the different quality of bifocals. The opticians have a chart showing the four available widths of the bifocal and the price goes up as the width increases. The thickness of the lenses seems to be 1.5 for the lenses which fit into complete frames and 1.6 for the lenses which fit into the half frames which use nylon cords to hold the lenses in place. All of my frames are half frames. By the way, progressives are actually progressive bifocals. The upper part of the lens is for distance and then from a certain level on your lens the prescription gradually progresses to your reading prescription. The two pertinent numbers are your distance prescription and your reading prescription. The most expensive quality of progressives lists for 48,000 and the cheapest for around 18,000 if you get the transitions color-changing lenses.

Incidentally, I went into a different optical shop in the same building today and was quoted a price of 30,000 for the same quality of lenses that I was scammed on and could probably negootiate the price a little lower. Also, anyone who thinks that you don't have to be very careful in Thailand has either been very lucky or ignorant of the times that he's been scammed or overcharged.

[CaptHaddock]

I buy my glasses from

http://www.39dollarglasses.com/

in the US. The most I have paid was $128.00 for a pair with progressive lenses. I am not aware of the width issue, but the company is a US company that you can call on the phone to ask them about it.

Before I knew what was what about buying glasses in Thailand I made the mistake of going into a Top Charoen shop. I plunked down 50% with the order. When I went to check them the lenses were so wrong I couldn't see out of them. Buying glasses in a Thai store is certainly much riskier than in the US.

[dddave]

Has anyone used Rutnin Eye Institute for an eye exam and eyeglass prescription? I've seen a number of posts in years past on this forum warning about the optical shop there; that it is not Rutnin owned but is a separate concession and poor to deal with.

[Thian]

http://www.eye-net.com/?___store=english&___from_store=default

Have a look here. progressive lenses 229 euro, made in germany i guess.

[lujanit]

Lujanit: I've thought of using Zenni but there is no information about how wide the bifocals are and the cheap lenses I bought here about ten days ago have a very narrow bifocal which I find difficult to use. I'm well aware of the different quality of bifocals. The opticians have a chart showing the four available widths of the bifocal and the price goes up as the width increases. The thickness of the lenses seems to be 1.5 for the lenses which fit into complete frames and 1.6 for the lenses which fit into the half frames which use nylon cords to hold the lenses in place. All of my frames are half frames. By the way, progressives are actually progressive bifocals. The upper part of the lens is for distance and then from a certain level on your lens the prescription gradually progresses to your reading prescription. The two pertinent numbers are your distance prescription and your reading prescription. The most expensive quality of progressives lists for 48,000 and the cheapest for around 18,000 if you get the transitions color-changing lenses.

Incidentally, I went into a different optical shop in the same building today and was quoted a price of 30,000 for the same quality of lenses that I was scammed on and could probably negootiate the price a little lower. Also, anyone who thinks that you don't have to be very careful in Thailand has either been very lucky or ignorant of the times that he's been scammed or overcharged.

You can email them with any questions. I found them to quickly reply with informative details.

I once (7 years ago?) went to a Top Chareon shop in Phuket (Karon) and when I received the glasses I couldn't see out of them. Bad headaches. The script was obviously wrong. The owner wouldn't do a thing for me. Once they have your money that's it as far as they are concerned. I thought I was getting what I needed at a much lower price than in Singapore. When I was in Singapore soon after this f@@@up I went to my normal optician and he said the lenses were completely not what I needed. Never been to any other optician shop in Thailand since.

I highly recommend Dr Paradon though. He is a very thorough professional and he does not try to sell you any glasses, matter of fact he doesn't even have a shop. He works in the hospital. My wife went to see him last year after being stuffed around by an optical shop in Seacon Bangkhae. He told her after the examination that all she needed was +1.50 lenses and she should go to Chinatown and buy 10 pairs so she could leave them all around the house and in the car. Total cost for 10 pairs in Chinatown was 200 baht. Yep 20 baht a pair.

[The Big Mango]

^ are they not just cheap magnifying plastic / glass ?

[lujanit]

^ are they not just cheap magnifying plastic / glass ?

I am sure you are right. The point I was trying to make was that most of these Top Charon type outlets are only interested in separating you from your money regardless of your eye needs. From personal experience and my wife's I can only believe the person who determines the prescription has only had minimal training. My wife paid something in the order of 7k baht for a pair of reading glasses and she said that her old ones were better than the new ones. She made several visits to the shop and the same person re-examined her eyes and told her the script he had given her was correct. She took those glasses to Dr Paradon and he said that those glasses were not right for her eyes. In her case if she had gone to see Dr Paradon first it would have only cost her 1600 baht (exam + 10 pairs). Instead it cost her closer to 8.5k baht.

That is why I would rather pay someone like Dr Paradon 1400 baht for a proper eye examination and get the correct prescription. I am then free to choose who fills that prescription.

[Thian]

^ are they not just cheap magnifying plastic / glass ?

I am sure you are right. The point I was trying to make was that most of these Top Charon type outlets are only interested in separating you from your money regardless of your eye needs. From personal experience and my wife's I can only believe the person who determines the prescription has only had minimal training. My wife paid something in the order of 7k baht for a pair of reading glasses and she said that her old ones were better than the new ones. She made several visits to the shop and the same person re-examined her eyes and told her the script he had given her was correct. She took those glasses to Dr Paradon and he said that those glasses were not right for her eyes. In her case if she had gone to see Dr Paradon first it would have only cost her 1600 baht (exam + 10 pairs). Instead it cost her closer to 8.5k baht.

That is why I would rather pay someone like Dr Paradon 1400 baht for a proper eye examination and get the correct prescription. I am then free to choose who fills that prescription.

Or you go to chinatown and buy a pair of every lenses they have. Then at home you try them all out and go back to buy 10 more of the best ones.

I have never ever seen customers in any of the top charoen shops.

[CaptHaddock]

^ are they not just cheap magnifying plastic / glass ?

I am sure you are right. The point I was trying to make was that most of these Top Charon type outlets are only interested in separating you from your money regardless of your eye needs. From personal experience and my wife's I can only believe the person who determines the prescription has only had minimal training. My wife paid something in the order of 7k baht for a pair of reading glasses and she said that her old ones were better than the new ones. She made several visits to the shop and the same person re-examined her eyes and told her the script he had given her was correct. She took those glasses to Dr Paradon and he said that those glasses were not right for her eyes. In her case if she had gone to see Dr Paradon first it would have only cost her 1600 baht (exam + 10 pairs). Instead it cost her closer to 8.5k baht.

That is why I would rather pay someone like Dr Paradon 1400 baht for a proper eye examination and get the correct prescription. I am then free to choose who fills that prescription.

Or you go to chinatown and buy a pair of every lenses they have. Then at home you try them all out and go back to buy 10 more of the best ones.

I have never ever seen customers in any of the top charoen shops.

Top Charoen is reputed to be a money-laundering operation, not a bona-fide retail business that actually needs customers.

[DogNo1]

Today I went to the new shopping center opposite the Emporium at Prom Phong Station, Emquartier. It's really nice and I found things to be a little cheaper in their gourmet food store to be a little cheaper than my favorite store at Chidlom. Anyway, I went into an optical shop there and was quoted a price of 23,625 for their best quality transitions progressive lenses which will be made by Seiko in Japan so the lead time is three weeks. The shop will guarantee my satisfaction with the lenses for one year and I don't pay until they are delivered. This is competitive with the price that I paid in Japan a few years ago for lenses with the wrong prescription written by my optician in California. With my recent cheap lenses made by Hoya purchased about two weeks ago, my vision is absolutely clear so I know that the prescription is correct. Now I just need a wider bifocal. Incidentally, I have purchased several pairs of lenses from Top Charoen in the past and none of them worked out. Seiko is reputed to be a little higher quality than Hoya and the Seiko transitions are Type VII, the lastest quick-changing model. Now I just need to find some frames since all of the ones in this particular optical shop are too small for me. It's nice to find a shop whose prices are relatively reasonable although the cost is about the same that I would pay in the US or Japan.

[DogNo1]

CaptHaddock: Thanks for the referral. I can't find anywhere to register on the website to obtain a login and password though.

[mascarabertha]

Xxxxxxxxxx

[CaptHaddock]

CaptHaddock: Thanks for the referral. I can't find anywhere to register on the website to obtain a login and password though.

You can checkout a purchase as a "guest" without a login or I think you can create a login during the checkout.

[coops]

Today I went to the new shopping center opposite the Emporium at Prom Phong Station, Emquartier. It's really nice and I found things to be a little cheaper in their gourmet food store to be a little cheaper than my favorite store at Chidlom. Anyway, I went into an optical shop there and was quoted a price of 23,625 for their best quality transitions progressive lenses which will be made by Seiko in Japan so the lead time is three weeks. The shop will guarantee my satisfaction with the lenses for one year and I don't pay until they are delivered. This is competitive with the price that I paid in Japan a few years ago for lenses with the wrong prescription written by my optician in California. With my recent cheap lenses made by Hoya purchased about two weeks ago, my vision is absolutely clear so I know that the prescription is correct. Now I just need a wider bifocal. Incidentally, I have purchased several pairs of lenses from Top Charoen in the past and none of them worked out. Seiko is reputed to be a little higher quality than Hoya and the Seiko transitions are Type VII, the lastest quick-changing model. Now I just need to find some frames since all of the ones in this particular optical shop are too small for me. It's nice to find a shop whose prices are relatively reasonable although the cost is about the same that I would pay in the US or Japan.

Which opticians? I've heard good things about the Seiko Prgoressive lenses, so am interested in which shop supports them.

it's not really a 'bifocal' area in a progressive lens - think the opticians would call it the 'corridor' as to the width of the relatively ideal zone around which thngs will tend to blur - and then vertically thngs will transition from a distance prescription down to the reading ( 'add' ) prescription...

Now someone with good distance vision, can indeed get by with cheapo off the rack readng glasses, but this has nothing to do with someone needing vision correction at all distances...

again, the better and newer designs will usually give a wider reading and intermediate zone... but which really suits an individual come down to something of an art and an experienced optician makes a difference - could search for 'optiboard' which is full of opticians for more info and see how complicated and diverse the whole progressive area is....

Also,,,, you can get computer/reading progressives - these do away with trying to also give you perfect distance vision, so are cheaper and also much mich wider reading and area for computer/office use - worth considering if you spend a lot of time at a desk or for very long spells of reading.

[mikebell]

Thailand is no longer cheap yet you still get cheap service. I was quoted 23,000 for the above lenses. I waited till I went to UK & paid half that with proper eye checks by qualified people at Boots.

[Lucifer]

I buy my glasses from

http://www.39dollarglasses.com/

in the US. The most I have paid was $128.00 for a pair with progressive lenses. I am not aware of the width issue, but the company is a US company that you can call on the phone to ask them about it.

Before I knew what was what about buying glasses in Thailand I made the mistake of going into a Top Charoen shop. I plunked down 50% with the order. When I went to check them the lenses were so wrong I couldn't see out of them. Buying glasses in a Thai store is certainly much riskier than in the US.

Buying anything in Thailand (Asia for that matter), is risky. Once you've handed your money over, all bets (warranty) are off.