Well, it started when Christine roller over in bed, and onto my ‘new’ glasses! I had recently bought them and had fallen asleep with them beside me on the bed! Big mistake. Christine rolled over, and boom the lens and frame leg were broken. So I had to take them to the optician and get them repaired. The frame turned out to be repairable, but the lens: well, that was broken in several pieces, and because both lenses were done a while ago, I had to have both redone. Cost: NT$1300 or so. That’s nearly US$50 to get them repaired. Were it the only time that my eyeglasses had been broken, I wouldn’t have worried.
But it was the umpteenth. Each time cost a fair bundle. There were small compensations: I now have three pairs of glasses so that I’m no longer blind should one pair suffer an unfortunate ending or accident. So I was pleased to come across a website called Zenni Optical, which offers really economical glasses in a wide variety of frames, styles and lenses.
The prices are really keen and shipping seems to be fast. I’m not exactly sure how the frames can be so cheap, especially since frames in Taiwan can cost a lot. A typical pair of glasses here costs approx. NT$3500 or more. I did a test order to check pricing, and came up with an order for about US$70.00 which is quite reasonable, though not as apparently as cheap as first looks.
Would I use this site?
Well, not immediately. I’d have to spend some time going over my own prescription to make sure I understood the terms on the prescription, and I’d be inclined to check several times, perhaps even getting a professional opinion on some chosen specs. But somehow being able to order specs in my underwear at any time of day or night is quite a compelling challenge. Who knows? We used to buy books in Bookstores (whatever that is), I might be persuaded to buy specs online.
This post was envisaged by Zenni Optical.