Complaint Review: Americas Best Contacts & Eyeglasses - Duluth Georgia

I worked at an America's Best for 6 months, and I loved it, except for customers like this. Everywhere I have lived, lots of people have had to drive a good distance (30+ minutes) occasionally for shopping. They accept it.

When I was an employee there, we always told the patient during the FIRST visit that they would need to come back for the trials, and for a follow up exam, and then for the contacts. They all accepted it. The price really was great, I mean FREE EXAMS, who else does that for 3+ years? No one. Now I completely understand about the lost file thing, when running off of paper files, it's very easy to misplace them. And sometimes, people don't look hard enough.

Do you know why they made you go through this process? It's like the first rebuttal stated, for the HEALTH of your eyes. Because when left unchecked, patients will use the same contacts for months and months, and then take a 3 year old box to Sam's Club or go online to buy cheap contacts from someone who doesn't care about their eye health. Every single person at my store cared first about the patient's health and second about making money. I'm sorry you took your experience the wrong way, hopefully you can learn from it.

Comments on Chris: As an employee & fellow Rx wearer, the Eye Care Club is an excellent choice for contact patients. Not only are you eye exams free, but if you have any problems (infections, red eyes, accidents) you can see the doctor at no charge (normally a $25 fee per visit). Comments on Ashley: First, I'd like to say that what kind of nails someone has does not have any bearing on how well they do their job. I've taught MANY classes on how to put contacts in (and my nails had no bearing on the matter). Most of them took less than 30 minutes. A small amount of people have a hard time learning how to put them in. (A few classes took 2+ hours, but not many) Some people are scared to touch their eyes. When they are learning, if they are scared or frustrated it is a little more difficult. Also, not everyone teaches the same way. We all have our tips and tricks. Second, we don't PRESS the Sofmed Aspheric lenses on you. The doctor recommends the lens s/he thinks will work best for you as far as size, diameter and material. The Sofmed contacts are actually Biomedic brand contacts. Walmart sells them as Ultraflex. You CAN have problems like blood vessels rising to the surface of your eyes IF YOU DONT GET ENOUGH OXYGEN TO YOUR EYES. THIS HAPPENS WHEN YOU OVERWEAR YOUR CONTACTS. But if you wear them as they are prescribed by your doctor, you shouldn't have any problems. The Sofmed contacts do not have the level of oxygen permiability(sp?) that the FDA has for sleeping in. So the recommended time is up to 16 hours a day. So far, all contacts except for 2 brands fall below the FDA recommendation. If you don't wear one of those 2 brands, you shouldn't overwear (sleep) your contacts. Also, If they doctor asks you to give it a while, try them for a week or two and GO IN FOR A FOLLOW UP VISIT. At that point say that you have tried the lenses and that you want to switch to a different brand. BE FIRM. If you are in pain, go back to your doctor. explain the situation. If you honestly give the contacts a chance and come in for a follow up visit, doctors are very accomadating(sp?). We carry Acuvue 2 and Sofmed Aspheric in stock. Personally I prefer Sofmed over the Acuvue 2 any day. As do many of our patients. Doctors want to put you in the contacts that will work best with your eyes. Most of those are very expensive. Then we would get complaints that the doctors are prescribing lenses that patients can't afford. So, when you have your annual exam, be clear on what you want and the price range you have. Do a little bit of research on what contacts you want for your eyes. Contacts with all the extras like the advertised hydraclear or overnight wear are going to be more expensive. Period. You can get them cheaper if you buy a higher quantity or use a rebate. But be prepared to pay more. You should take care of your eyes. Wear your contacts no more than the recommended time by your doctor. S/he has gone to school for this particular field. Work WITH your doctor. If they recommend something, its for a good reason. Go in for your follow ups. Discuss any results and ask any questions you have. That is what they are there for.

My step-mom first took me to the Glendale, AZ location when I was 14. The employees were rude and the doctor didn't seem like he was certified. I got the exam, and some lady with fake press on nails was trying to teach me how to put the lenses in my eyes. 2 hours later of uneventful trying, she sent in about 3 other people to help. I finally got the lenses in and they sent me on my way. Well I didn't know the lenses would be crap, their Sofmed55's they try to press on people every time. So anyways, I go there for the next three years with the same results, bad service and terrible contacts. I tried telling the doctor the contacts were irritating and I hated them but he said just give it awhile. So now, I have blood vessels in my " sclara " that shouldn't be there. I just got back from there an hour ago, they automatically gave me the cheap lenses, when I really want -----. Now I'm stuck with the pain. sorry, allowing you to give a competitors name would instigate others to just file against their competition, to only come back later to suggest their company your comments on this policy are welcome! CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

Wake up people. God only gave you two eyes and taking care of them is your responsibility. Contact lenses are deemed MEDICAL devices. You cant just walk into any store and buy them. You are required to have a VALID prescription. In most States a prescription is valid for only 1 year. I deal with people everyday that come into my optical store and get angry because their prescription is expired or otherwise invalid. As Doc stated, you cant walk into a pharmacy after 2 years and ask for a refill on an old prescription. It requires going back to your doctor if you need a refill. If any of you saw the abuses we see everyday from contact lens wearers you would seriously think twice before wearing contact lenses. And as for the gentlemen or lady from Duluth, Most States require doctors(including chain stores) to keep files for 5 years. Losing files is just plain incompetence! Not only do I keep paper files but its all backed up on our computers as well(and those computer files are backed up as well). Here is a bit of information you can pass along to Americas Best. They are REQUIRED by law to release your contact lens prescription. Its called the Fairness to contact lens act. Report them to the FTC.

I never thought I'd be defending America's Best or any other poorly-run vision chain, but Diane has her info wrong and the company deserves to have it straightened out. The $99 club that her son's father joined was for no-cost eye exams for the following 3 years and is indeed a good deal (if you're willing to put up with imperfect customer service described above). By law you contacts prescription is only good one year. (Contacts make your eye shape change, and they have other potential side effects that need to be monitored.) If you need a new exam each year that can run you $60 - $120 depending on whether you wear torics, etc. Any way you cut it, the $99 club is a deal, because if you just get the anual exams you end up paying just $33 each. But they say you can get "unlimited" exams, and recommend every 6 months, so that cuts the price to $16.50 per exam. Not too shabby, especially if -- like me -- you wear toric lenses and usually need $100+ exams. They ALSO offer a 10% discount on lenses that you buy through them, but you're under no obligation to take that offer. I usually buy through walmart.com, which has deeply discounted lenses from some makers. Hope this helps to clarify the $99 club. I'm sure the company has a lot of flaws, but this isn't one of them.

I never thought I'd be defending America's Best or any other poorly-run vision chain, but Diane has her info wrong and the company deserves to have it straightened out. The $99 club that her son's father joined was for no-cost eye exams for the following 3 years and is indeed a good deal (if you're willing to put up with imperfect customer service described above). By law you contacts prescription is only good one year. (Contacts make your eye shape change, and they have other potential side effects that need to be monitored.) If you need a new exam each year that can run you $60 - $120 depending on whether you wear torics, etc. Any way you cut it, the $99 club is a deal, because if you just get the anual exams you end up paying just $33 each. But they say you can get "unlimited" exams, and recommend every 6 months, so that cuts the price to $16.50 per exam. Not too shabby, especially if -- like me -- you wear toric lenses and usually need $100+ exams. They ALSO offer a 10% discount on lenses that you buy through them, but you're under no obligation to take that offer. I usually buy through walmart.com, which has deeply discounted lenses from some makers. Hope this helps to clarify the $99 club. I'm sure the company has a lot of flaws, but this isn't one of them.

I never thought I'd be defending America's Best or any other poorly-run vision chain, but Diane has her info wrong and the company deserves to have it straightened out. The $99 club that her son's father joined was for no-cost eye exams for the following 3 years and is indeed a good deal (if you're willing to put up with imperfect customer service described above). By law you contacts prescription is only good one year. (Contacts make your eye shape change, and they have other potential side effects that need to be monitored.) If you need a new exam each year that can run you $60 - $120 depending on whether you wear torics, etc. Any way you cut it, the $99 club is a deal, because if you just get the anual exams you end up paying just $33 each. But they say you can get "unlimited" exams, and recommend every 6 months, so that cuts the price to $16.50 per exam. Not too shabby, especially if -- like me -- you wear toric lenses and usually need $100+ exams. They ALSO offer a 10% discount on lenses that you buy through them, but you're under no obligation to take that offer. I usually buy through walmart.com, which has deeply discounted lenses from some makers. Hope this helps to clarify the $99 club. I'm sure the company has a lot of flaws, but this isn't one of them.

My son's father took him for contacts. They told him that if he paid $99.00, and join some club, he will receive his contacts free every three months. when the time came, we called to pick up his contacts. First of all, they had me on hold for about twenty minutes,without even coming back to the phone. i called back, they put me on hold again! Then after waiting about another 15 minutes, another person came on the phone and informed his father and I (we were on three way) that the $99.00 was to get a discount from future purchases. His father became very angry and stated that's not what you said. I asked her why would i pay $99.00 to get a discount when there are other places you can go.i told the lady that didn't make sense. She just stated that i would have to call myself to order the contacts and pay $60.00 plus shipping and handling. No I'm sorry or nothing. Even the manager was a jerk. Basically, they robbed us of $99.00. The employees are very incompetent. And they do lose files, because when i first called, it took them awhile to find his file. they kept putting me on hold. The other consumer is also right, they had us to keep calling and coming back. We haven't replaced my son's contacts, but, he still has his glasses we got from Italy OPtical in Georgia. Cheaper is not always better! I have a Sam's card and I will definately go with them. I want to see the hassle I will get for them to fax me a copy of his prescription. I think they should be put out of business for mis-leading the public with false advertisement. consumers!! don't go to americas best! The "best" you can do is go to Sam's Club or another reputable establishment. I am glad i came on the website to get the number to call for his prescrition and saw the comments from the other consumers. because i was able to file my own complaint!! At the end of our conversation, of course we lost our arguement and we got off the phone feeling like America's Least!

My son's father took him for contacts. They told him that if he paid $99.00, and join some club, he will receive his contacts free every three months. when the time came, we called to pick up his contacts. First of all, they had me on hold for about twenty minutes,without even coming back to the phone. i called back, they put me on hold again! Then after waiting about another 15 minutes, another person came on the phone and informed his father and I (we were on three way) that the $99.00 was to get a discount from future purchases. His father became very angry and stated that's not what you said. I asked her why would i pay $99.00 to get a discount when there are other places you can go.i told the lady that didn't make sense. She just stated that i would have to call myself to order the contacts and pay $60.00 plus shipping and handling. No I'm sorry or nothing. Even the manager was a jerk. Basically, they robbed us of $99.00. The employees are very incompetent. And they do lose files, because when i first called, it took them awhile to find his file. they kept putting me on hold. The other consumer is also right, they had us to keep calling and coming back. We haven't replaced my son's contacts, but, he still has his glasses we got from Italy OPtical in Georgia. Cheaper is not always better! I have a Sam's card and I will definately go with them. I want to see the hassle I will get for them to fax me a copy of his prescription. I think they should be put out of business for mis-leading the public with false advertisement. consumers!! don't go to americas best! The "best" you can do is go to Sam's Club or another reputable establishment. I am glad i came on the website to get the number to call for his prescrition and saw the comments from the other consumers. because i was able to file my own complaint!! At the end of our conversation, of course we lost our arguement and we got off the phone feeling like America's Least!

My son's father took him for contacts. They told him that if he paid $99.00, and join some club, he will receive his contacts free every three months. when the time came, we called to pick up his contacts. First of all, they had me on hold for about twenty minutes,without even coming back to the phone. i called back, they put me on hold again! Then after waiting about another 15 minutes, another person came on the phone and informed his father and I (we were on three way) that the $99.00 was to get a discount from future purchases. His father became very angry and stated that's not what you said. I asked her why would i pay $99.00 to get a discount when there are other places you can go.i told the lady that didn't make sense. She just stated that i would have to call myself to order the contacts and pay $60.00 plus shipping and handling. No I'm sorry or nothing. Even the manager was a jerk. Basically, they robbed us of $99.00. The employees are very incompetent. And they do lose files, because when i first called, it took them awhile to find his file. they kept putting me on hold. The other consumer is also right, they had us to keep calling and coming back. We haven't replaced my son's contacts, but, he still has his glasses we got from Italy OPtical in Georgia. Cheaper is not always better! I have a Sam's card and I will definately go with them. I want to see the hassle I will get for them to fax me a copy of his prescription. I think they should be put out of business for mis-leading the public with false advertisement. consumers!! don't go to americas best! The "best" you can do is go to Sam's Club or another reputable establishment. I am glad i came on the website to get the number to call for his prescrition and saw the comments from the other consumers. because i was able to file my own complaint!! At the end of our conversation, of course we lost our arguement and we got off the phone feeling like America's Least!

Sorry to affirm, but the first rebuttal-er is correct. I brought the original bottles my lenses were in, to Sams Club to try to order new contacts without the hassles I have had in the past with Americas Best and was told that I needed an actual perscription in order to purchase contacts. Or I could have an eye exam for $80 from their Dr. and then get my contacts. That makes $60 for 5 years worth of free exams, and $35 per set of contacts at Americas Best VS. $50 - $80 per year for exams somewhere else plus the cost of the lenses. Cheap and hassles or costly and efficient? I guess it's our choice.

Sorry to affirm, but the first rebuttal-er is correct. I brought the original bottles my lenses were in, to Sams Club to try to order new contacts without the hassles I have had in the past with Americas Best and was told that I needed an actual perscription in order to purchase contacts. Or I could have an eye exam for $80 from their Dr. and then get my contacts. That makes $60 for 5 years worth of free exams, and $35 per set of contacts at Americas Best VS. $50 - $80 per year for exams somewhere else plus the cost of the lenses. Cheap and hassles or costly and efficient? I guess it's our choice.

Sorry to affirm, but the first rebuttal-er is correct. I brought the original bottles my lenses were in, to Sams Club to try to order new contacts without the hassles I have had in the past with Americas Best and was told that I needed an actual perscription in order to purchase contacts. Or I could have an eye exam for $80 from their Dr. and then get my contacts. That makes $60 for 5 years worth of free exams, and $35 per set of contacts at Americas Best VS. $50 - $80 per year for exams somewhere else plus the cost of the lenses. Cheap and hassles or costly and efficient? I guess it's our choice.

They filed the following rebuttal to the above Rip-Off Report:

Their email: [email protected]
Their name: Doc

Their relationship to the company: Consumer Suggestion

Rebuttal:
I briefly worked for America's Best in another state. One of the biggest problems they have is losing files. Their system is horrible and unfair to the patients. Not to mention, they hire morons to staff their offices.

However, this is no excuse for you to violate the law. It is illegal for a person to get contacts, or other prescribed devices, without the actual prescription or doctor's approval. I would suggest you see the Sam's Club doc (if they have one) or another optometrist and get a valid prescription.

If Sam's Club, or another supplier, is providing you contacts without a valid prescription, then they are also breaking the law. Imagine if you ended up with an infection that caused you to lose some of your sight from contacts you should not have been given in the first place. Who would be to blame? YOU! Because, you were not smart enough to have an educated and qualified optometrist (who knows a hell of a lot more than you do
about your eyes) make sure you wear your contacts in a healthy and sensible manner.

I'm sure people would like to take their old bottles of Codeine, or other narcotics, and get refills whenever they pleased. Fortunately, the pharmacist is usually smart enough to deny a refill from an old bottle or label. It shouldn't be any different with contacts. But, that pimpled-faced teenie bopper standing at the cash register isn't going to be bright enough to know any better.

So, if you want to cry about how crappie America's Best is, then I know a lot of people who are doing the same. But, don't be as much of a moron as those America's Best employees, get a prescription before you get your contacts.