Eyeglasses

Overview

Eyewear shopping sites offer a great and affordable way to buy the glasses you need, to correct vision problems and help you see better.
Their comprehensive virtual catalogs include an extensive selection of frames in countless styles, colors, shapes and sizes and all common lens options (single vision, bifocals, trifocals, and progressive lenses) – for men, women and kids.

As internet technologies continuously improve, the major sites offer innovative virtual try-on tools that enable potential customers to find frames that fit their face shape when they’re buying on the web instead of in a typical physical point of sale.

There are two main types of commercial eyewear websites in this industry.
The first includes online retailers that offer frames and lenses from the world’s most prestigious brands.

It’s a great option for fashion-conscious customers interested in buying a pair of trendy designer eyeglasses made by a famous, recognizable company in the elite fashion market, such as Gucci, Prada, Versace, and so many others.

The second type includes discount companies that provide in-house frame designs.
Traditional eyeglasses retailers, optometrists, and opticians face major competition from these startups, since they offer the most inexpensive method to buy new glasses.
This is a great way to buy a quality product cheaply, without a fancy brand name or a popular celebrity’s endorsement behind it.

Consumer Tips: How to Buy Safely and Avoid Eyeglasses Scams Online

Just like any other field that involves buyers, sellers, and money that switches hands, the eyewear market also has its fair share of scammers, fraudsters and cybercriminals that operate on the internet and look for potential victims.

Some scammers sell cheap counterfeits in place of the authentic designer eyeglasses customers believed they would get.
Other fraudulent websites distribute poor quality products with incorrect prescriptions acquired from questionable sources.

These unscrupulous criminals demonstrate complete disregard for the customer’s health, safety and wellbeing, which may often result in dangerous eye injuries and severe, long-term complications.

Also, some bad businesses offer inferior customer service, unfair store policies or other aspects that lead to an extremely negative shopping experience.
Taking these steps will help you find credible and reliable vendors and complete your purchase in a safe, secure and satisfactory way:

Check the Return Policy

Return policies vary from one store to another.
When you find a website you wish to order from, read their return policy carefully and make sure the terms are something you can live with.

Avoid Too Good to Be True Bargains

Authentic designer glasses do not come cheap.
When you encounter websites that promise to sell “original” top brand frames for unrealistic extremely low prices, it’s usually a scam, and you’re likely to get fake knock-offs instead.

Investigate the Eyewear Shop’s BBB Record

Check the company’s record on the Better Business Bureau’s website.
What you’ll find there, will help you evaluate whether it’s a legitimate business that deserves your money and trust or if you must look elsewhere.

Look for current BBB rating, customer reviews, complaints, warnings and alerts on their business profile.
In addition, learn how long it has been in business – a potential indicator of experience and reputation.

If the website is not even listed with the BBB, this is a very bad sign.
On the other hand, if the online eyeglasses store is certified as a BBB Accredited Business, it’s an important positive signal.

Pay Close Attention to Red Flags

Learn how to protect yourself better when shopping on the internet, to avoid scammers and keep safe in general.
Knowing how to check if a website is legitimate or not is the first line of defense.