- Report: #47876
Complaint Review: America's Best Contacts And Eyeglasses - Greenville South Carolina
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America's Best Contacts And Eyeglasses
Haywood Rd Greenville, South Carolina, U.S.A.
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America's Best Contacts And Eyeglasses ripoff bait and switch long and repeated delays Thank you Ripoff Report for this site Greenville South Carolina
I really want to thank you for having this site---My son had seen their ad on tv and I came on-line to schedule an appt. for him, when I saw your site immediately below it!!!
I have personally bought from them twice (I guess I am a slow learner) and had actually thought that I just had pushy sales people-- I am now better informed---both times I was pressured into frames that I didn't want (much higher priced than the ad) and extras that I "had to have"---
Both times I had to return to Greenville (over an hours ride, each way) TWICE before I got the right glasses. Both times I paid over $200 for my glasses!!! And, stupid me, I was going to let my son go there anyway!!!
Thank you very much for this site---apparently, it is the ENTIRE company's policy to bait-and-switch and keep you waiting for hours, before and after your scheduled appointment, and to FORCE unneccessary PACKAGES on unsuspecting customers, while they smile all the way to the bank!!!
Linda
Blacksburg, South Carolina
U.S.A.
I have personally bought from them twice (I guess I am a slow learner) and had actually thought that I just had pushy sales people-- I am now better informed---both times I was pressured into frames that I didn't want (much higher priced than the ad) and extras that I "had to have"---
Both times I had to return to Greenville (over an hours ride, each way) TWICE before I got the right glasses. Both times I paid over $200 for my glasses!!! And, stupid me, I was going to let my son go there anyway!!!
Thank you very much for this site---apparently, it is the ENTIRE company's policy to bait-and-switch and keep you waiting for hours, before and after your scheduled appointment, and to FORCE unneccessary PACKAGES on unsuspecting customers, while they smile all the way to the bank!!!
Linda
Blacksburg, South Carolina
U.S.A.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
livoptix
Scottsdale,Arizona,
United States of America
Your lawyer told you that did he?
#2General Comment
Fri, November 19, 2010
Ok their are several points to your rebuttal that I could argue but I just don't care enough. One thing jumped out at me that I couldn't ignore though. It *IS* a federal law called "The 1994 fairness to contact lens consumers act" that states that it is a seperate SERVICE from the eye exam which includes additional measurement, trial contacts and free follow ups for a set period of time. It is also part of the law that a prescription will not be finalized and released to the patient until the Dr finalizes the prescription (typically after a follow up). They are liable and can lose their license and their career if you get a corneal ulcer, lose vision and blame the Dr and they didn't do their due diligance to prevent it. It is also part of the law that contact lens prescriptions are ALWAYS only valid for 1 year. I am an optician and I am tired of people taking their ignorant frustration out on me. Instead, if your so disgusted (opticians didn't write the law) why don't you contact the Optometry Board in your state OR the Dispensing Opticians Board OR the attorneys general if you truely feel an injustice has been dealt to you. I have worked for several opticals and some are worse than others but ALL try to maximize the sale because the SALES associates are paid on commission! Including your precious Lenscrafters. I don't like that the ENTIRE INDUSTRY is set up this way but people/individuals are making an INDIVIDUAL choice on how to offer you your options... it's not a good system but we live in a capitalist society. Maybe some regulation is in order... why don't you work on that... Oh and tell your "Lawyer" they are misinformed.
Kevin
Van Nuys,California,
U.S.A.
And how, pray tell, does one get "informed" outside of working for them?
#3Consumer Comment
Sun, January 03, 2010
How can we be "informed consumers" when the professionals that we trust intentionally lie to us and obscure the final cost at every turn? Frankly, the sheer volume of complaints about the America's Best bait-and-switch scam should tell you something. You don't see this volume of complaints for For Eyes. You don't see it for LensCrafters. Are consumers somehow made dumber by walking into an America's Best, and then magically "informed" when walking into LensCrafters/For Eyes? Why, oh why, would only one company be singled out? It's a mystery, I'll tell ya.
If they were upfront about their pricing, like virtually every one of their competitors, there wouldn't be a problem. But they're not. In my first and last experience with these scammers, they told me that my exam results meant they were legally required to sell me only the top-tier package... when I offered to call my attorney for clarification, it suddenly became "one of my options." From that point on, I didn't hear a single word out of anybody working there. Apparently I was a little too "informed" for their tastes.
Oh yeah, and requiring a second exam for contact lenses is not the law, either. It's just their policy of exploiting those patients who don't know any better. That's one lie that I did run by my attorney.
America's Best is a company built on lying to their own customers. It's time they paid for it.
Erica
Phoenix,Arizona,
U.S.A.
be an educated consumer
#4UPDATE Employee
Thu, June 03, 2004
Our prices are not bait and switch, each and every customer has the ability to leave the store with the two pair advertised special. It is our job as the eye care professionals to inform the customer of their OPTIONS. We don't force packages if the customer doesn't want them. Here is Az, uv filters and tints are a must just to get by (unless you really want to damage your retinas). I just think its funny that when people go to their family practioners, they will adhear to the advice their practioner recomends, however when you go to the eye doctor, you dont think what he suggests is just as important. After working for Americas Best for almost 3 years, I now know what harmful things can be done to my eyes and the "forced-to-have" packages are accutally a good thing. Yes, you can get by with standard plastic lenses, but no uv coating can be very harmful.
