America's Best Contacts And Eyeglasses ripoff bait and switch long and repeated delays Thank you Ripoff Report for this site Greenville South Carolina

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.

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.

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.