Zenni Optical ripoff confused disorganized uncommunicative $19 eyeglasses San Rafael California

Needing a new pair of reading glasses I opted to find an online provider, but...silly me...did not do my homework by hunting down blogs or checking with the BBB. No, I just visited their website and thought $19 was a GREAT price for eyeglasses. And.. it WOULD be, if they were ever manufactured and delivered. Maybe.

Are my expectations out of line? It's only been, what?, five weeks since I placed the order online. Initially the problem was a mismatch between my eyeglass specs and their frames... my PD (pupillary distance) was incompatible with the frames I'd selected. It took them a while to inform me of this, however... probably because their lab is in China somewhere and communications are a bit slow.... and I pointed out to them that a very minor calculation on their web pages could have avoided the situation easily. Suggestions are often not greeted with the enthusiasm you might Think they engender, even when such would undoubtedly render their system a bit more goof-proof.

Now we're into week two or so. They recommended other frames, I found a totally different set that would work and they OK'd my choice via telephone. Great! but no. One fellow says: ok, your lenses are ready and being shipped. Another female employee in sales doesn't know anything about it and will call me right back but gee she's on a call right now.

THEN we had: oh, uh, the manager (who speaks Mandarin Chinese and Can communicate with the lab) is out sick since . But it's OK, he'll call just as soon as he gets back!! OK?! Bye!

Meanwhile, to their credit they Did refund $10 because the frames changed. But it's not important that I'd been waiting over a month, eh, and had a recital (I'm a violin student..) coming up very soon... and wearing a half-pair of glasses just doesn't LOOK very good when you're on stage; at least I don't Think so.

So my question is: is Zenni-thing done correctly at this place?
I wonder. I also wonder if they have other $19 eyeglass websites.

Moral of the story: Do your Homework! Go find a site like BadBusinessBureau and check out that internet store beFORE you buy. Find a blog or two or three that talks about whatever it is you want to purchase and pick a webmerchant that has received good press.

And, please, if timing is important, make sure their warehouse is here in the US or Canada, eh?

Caveat Webtor.

Terry
Chicago, Illinois
U.S.A.