American Vision What a ripoff! Avoid them at all costs! Lynbrook New York

If you need contact lenses, *stay away from American Vision.

I took my daughter there a few months ago to get fitted for contact lenses (her first time). I myself go somewhere else, but we were in the Lynbrook area and wanted to get them before her Sweet 16 the following week.

Now, the place I go to (Better Sight & Vision in Flushing -- the best!) will examine and fit you and then give you two boxes of lenses to last you about 2 months -- and all under $100.

American Vision doesn't work that way. First, I was told that the price would be $350 -- which was for the examination and a full year's worth of contact lenses. That's right, they insist that you buy an entire year's worth immediately.

Now, I've *never* bought a full year's of lenses at once. What for? What if my prescription changes throughout that year? Buying a year's worth of contact lenses, to me, is like buying a year's worth of toilet paper. Who needs that much immediately?

They answered that they would gladly exchange any lenses for a changed prescription. So I have to trek back there if there's a change? I wasn't pleased, but since my daughter really wanted the lenses, I went for it.

Next: The doctor we saw could have been new -- he didn't seem to know how to teach my daughter how to put in the lenses. We spent over an hour doing that.

I find out that they have a branch in Bayside, Queens, which is closer to us. We go there to get checked up. What did we find out? *That the original prescription was all wrong*. That's right, the first doctor didn't even fit her right!

They give her a different prescription and we're told to come for a follow-up. We did, and are told that those lenses are fine. However, they don't have the lenses in stock (my place always does) and they have to be ordered.

Fine. I come back (without daughter) -- and am told that not only were the lenses given her *recalled by the company*, but that the new stock is backordered for three months! They tell me to (yet again) bring my daughter in. Right.

I brought her to my guy -- he fit her correctly, she got her lenses immediately, no problems.

American Vision? I got ripped off $250 (since that's all I paid at the time -- I refused to pay the entire thing without getting any lenses). For $250, I got wrong lenses, numerous trips, and no contact lenses.

Stay away from American Vision!

Victoria
Whitestone, New York
U.S.A.