Complaint Review: Americas Best Eyeglasses And Contact Lenses

These guys are screwing people left and right. I went to the Kaiser branch because of the commercial 2 pairs for $69 and thats the only reason I went but after my exam was over they decided to tell me that the $69 deal wasnt going to work for my prescription so there is lie #1 they told me I couldnt get it in plastic (ok fine but they did a pre screen and the guy got my prescrip off the glasses I was wearing before the exam) so they could have told me before the exam that it wasnt going to work. Now then I am not in the "EYE GLASS" field and dont know anything about it so its YOUR job to inform me the "CUSTOMER" not my job to ask (cause I wouldnt know to ask) Your Advertisement should clearly state this deal does not apply to people with bad eyes!! I will also be reporting this to the better better business bureau. So in the end I drove round trip 70 miles to get my 2 pair for $69 and walked away paying $45 and got nothing. So in my opinion they are a RIP OFF. I will paste this on every message board, craigslist ect... so how does it feel America's Best to be screwed? You will lose more business from posting then if you would have just gave me back my money

Gee you know you really must be so proud of your self to try and put people down because, they didn't anwser the question how you would like it to be answered or can spell 100% like you. FYI I have been with America's Best for the last 2 1/2 years and love my job. Just because you hate your self and a job that you use to be a part of doesn't mean everybody else does. So by the way the starting pay is more then $8. an hour and what in the world does somebody spelling haft to do with how they sale a product to a customer. That doesn't make sence no matter how you put it. P.S. So did I spell everything right for you this time if not get over it cause I did.

I have been going to America's Best for the past three years, and have taken advantage of the so called "rip off" every year. The glasses that I get have never been "out of style" or low quality, and I have NEVER had to pay more than what the commercial advertised (aside from tax). As a consumer, it is your job to decide just how "complicated" your ailment is.

If I needed anything more than just plain old glasses for my slightly less than perfect eyesight, then I would make it a point to go to a top of the line doctor that is payed almost too much to spend as much time with me as I would like. The doctors that I have encountered at America's Best have been younger (read: just beginning their careers), and let's face it, we all have to start somewhere. But, they ARE qualified for their job, they DO their job and in my experience, they do it well. As a patient needing bifocals, you should always be prepared to pay A LOT more than what another customer with nothing more than a little far sightedness pays.

P.S. I asked at my last appointment and an employee told me that they are only allowed 7 minutes per each appointment for the actual exam. At a huge chain like this, I would expect that. If you want "private practice" treatment, then you have to pay "private practice" prices!

The original poster, and a few others in this thread went to America's Best, a discount chain optical company.

I worked for this company for a brief period. While the training and organization in some stores is excellent, others are disorganized and lack customer service.

When you go to any optical store in response to a "too good to be true" offer, such as 2 for $69 expect to get what you pay for. Most offer basic lenses and phased out or low, low quality frames with this package. The offer is essentially a loss leader.

The opticians are expected to upsell the lenses and lens packages and the frames available under the offer are generally so abhorrently ugly that they upsell themselves. Frame displays are often placed in ascending order of price with the most fashionable and better featured frames of course costing the most.

If you choose to use a discount optical retail shop you will get what you pay for, both in customer service and product.

Comments on Millie's complaint:

Yes, you can do 2 pairs for $69.95. Many people do that every day but it is for single vision only with no coatings. Unfortunatly (sp?) she did not specify what kind of bifocal she got or how high her prescription was. It sounds like she got a progressive "no-line bifocal" lens which ARE more expensive. Two pairs usually start at $288.95 with your coatings and warranty included. (Lined bifocals start at $165.95) BUT if you have a high prescription, you'll want to go into thinner & lighter weight lens which will add $30-75 depending on which type of lens it is. Also if you choose a more expensive frame that will also increase the cost. As well as adding transitions (they get darker in the sunlight), polarized sunglasses or adding the anti-reflective coating.

As far as the quick exam goes, the doctor does the required steps (varies by state) for a standard exam. If you have specific problems, you need to go to an opthamologist. If you want MORE than a standard exam, go to a private doctor.


Comments for Tim:

Yes, ABC was bought out by another company and they do not plan on closing any of the stores. If fact they are opening more. I don't think its a "shoddy organization". I actually enjoy where I work. I try to provide good customer service and to be pleasant to every person that comes through the door. My entire store is the same way. Everyone has a bad day once in a while but with the attiude I am getting with your response is that you weren't so pleasant to deal with while you were working there.

Here's a clue. Don't buy your eyeglasses from a place that has dancing heads on their commercial. Here's another, even when responding to a complaint, the employee doesn't even listen to the patient's concern. Then when she blatantly insults him/her she can't even spell correctly. ABC & E pays opticians an average of $8 per hour. The snot nosed kid flipping your burger makes more than that, and probably knows how to spell 'burger flipper' when he fills out a job application. I wonder if the previous respondent actually requested the position of 'VA Tect' on her application.

Don't worry, to all of you who've been screwed around by this shoddy organization, they've been sold to a competitor, so most of their stores will be closed within a few years anyway.

I would just like to say that the 2 pair for $69.00 and a free eye exam is correct. but it only goes with SINGLE LINE VISION GLASSES. You as the customer should of had enough senice to ask or atlest read the fine print. What most likely happened was your persciption was stronger and that is why or you picked up a pair of glasses that state on the ticket the price as marked.