Zenni Optical Review - Cheapest Eyeglasses

Getting the best value for your money when it comes to eyeglasses, sunglasses, eye exams, and contact lenses.

Postby george » Wed Sep 23, 2009 3:25 pm

This review of Zenni Optical is part of my search for finding the best place to buy cheap eyeglasses.

It doesn't take much searching around the web for cheap eyeglasses to come across Zenni Optical, with their super low price of $8 for a complete pair of glasses!

The tagline on their website is: "Global Price and Volume leader in Very Affordable yet high quality & stylish prescription eyeglasses". They have a very plain website, but it is fairly straightforward to navigate.

As for their prices:
Complete Single Vision Eyeglasses starting at $8.00
Complete Bi-Focal Eyeglasses Starting at $25.00
Complete Progressive Eyeglasses starting at $37.00
Anti Scratch coating Free
UV protection Free
Lens Edge polishing and Beveling Free

Upgrades
Premium Photochromic lenses (Clear indoors, darkens outdoors in sunlight ) for $39.00
Upgrade to 1.61 index lenses for $17.00
Upgrade to 1.67 index lenses for $37.00
Premium anti reflective coating $4.95
Sunglass color tint coating (7 available) $4.95

All of their Eyeglass Orders Including their $8.00 Eyeglasses Have:
High quality stylish frame
Thin and Light 1.57 index lens
Anti Scratch Coating
Full UV Protection
Lens edge polishing and beveling
Quality Hard Eyeglass case
Microfiber Lens Cleaning Cloth
Full Guarantee

Their Shipping and Handling Charge is $4.95 per order, no matter how many glasses in the order.

Here's a compilation of major review sites on the web when it comes to Zenni:

Resellerratings: 6.93/10 based on 35 reviews in the past 6 months. 6.73/10 based on 105 reviews since they started tracking Zenni. As with many online reviews sites, the results are very polarized when it comes to Zenni. As you probably know, people tend to leave reviews when they either really hate a place or really love it. In this case there is a lot of both but not much in between. The positive reviews focus on the good quality (decent frames but not what you would expect from your local store that charges $100 and up for the frames) and amazing prices. Even the positive reviews frequently say that the delivery takes a long time, but that you need to expect that. The negative reviews almost entirely focus on the long delivery time and the poor customer service with getting an answer. The website says most single vision glasses are shipped within 2 weeks of placing the order. From reading online reviews, it appears that over the past year, the delivery time has increased significantly where it is taking many people 4-6 weeks to get what seem to be standard orders. On Resellerratings, a few people reported delivery taking 2 months or more. It seems the additional frustration people had was that it was very difficult to get a straight answer from the Zenni staff. People frequently got an answering machine, and when they did get through they'd get a stock answer such as "You will receive your glasses in the next day or two" or most commonly sited was, "your order is stuck in customs and there is nothing we can do to expedite the delivery". So, based on all of these comments, it seems that if you are aware of the long delivery time and the poor customer service if you need more information on your order, you probably won't be disappointed with the actual product once it arrives.

Epinions: 3.5/5 based on 162 reviews. The reviews on epinions are much more detailed. Similar to resellerratings above, the reviews were very polarized. As the rating shows, the positives were more frequent than the negatives; however, the negatives were for more than just slow delivery times. More details were given saying that the quality of the frames was on the cheap side. They said the frames looked decent, but fell apart easily in some cases, especially if you try to make adjustments and aren't very careful. People reported hinges not holding up and screws not staying tight. The negative reviews here are far more concerning. The bottom line is that while most people are happy, many people are not. Based on these reviews, purchasing at Zenni is a gamble.

So, figuring the gamble was only going to be around $13 shipped I decided to ante up.

Navigating the website is straightforward. It is NOT a fancy website. You have the choices of many different frame options. I couldn't really figure out the differences between the different price categories, but I assume it is having more designer looks as they get pricier. I don't know if they are better quality as you pay more money. As I viewed this as a gamble, I decided to stay with the cheapest pair that looks decent. I found a pair in the $8 range that I liked. They have all different measurements to describe the glasses. The measurements are usually listed as something like 54-18-140. The 54 is the width in mm of each lens. The 18 is the width of the bridge section. The 140 is the length of the arms from the glasses to the temple at the end. Luckily on my current glasses which seem to fit fine, the measurements are shown on the inside of the left arm. I wasn't able to find a pair on Zenni that had the exact same measurements, but I am hoping that if the numbers are close the glasses should still fit with minor adjustments. I am a bit concerned about making adjustments based on people's reviews saying the glasses were fragile when making adjustments, but I've also read that local optometrists will make adjustments for a nominal fee. I'm expecting I'll make a trip over to Costco once I get the glasses to make any necessary adjustments.

So, I selected frames that were $8. Then they ask you to enter in your prescription. I had recently had an eye exam at Lenscrafters. The prices for glasses with anti-reflective lenses was outrageous and my insurance will only pay for new glasses every 2 years (I got new glasses last year). They do give you a handwritten paper with your prescription details, which I was able to use to place the order on Zenni's website. Unfortunately, they don't write down your pupil distance, which you need to place an order online. They give instructions on Zenni's website how to do it. I just used a piece of paper in front of the mirror and marked the centers of my pupils. I then measured the distance between the two lines I marked. It took a bit of fumbling around, but I think I got a pretty accurate number. The pupil distance does change slightly whether you are reading things close-by or looking far off into the horizon, so I'm guessing with single focal lenses there has to be a slight margin for error.

Zenni reports their lenses are a 1.57 high index polycarbonate composite. As I've described in other reviews, plastic lenses are the cheapest (and what I purchased last year and am satisfied) but polycarbonate is much more common as it is stronger, thinner, and lighter. The index for basic plastic (also called CR39) is 1.49. Polycarbonate lenses are typically 1.59 index. You can also purchase higher index lenses at a higher price if you have a strong prescription that would other require very thick lenses. Higher index lenses are thinner. With Zenni saying their lenses are a polycarbonate composite with an index 1.57 I'm curious what exactly their lens is. Most likely it is some combination of polycarbonate composite with plastic. Zenni does also offer 1.61 and 1.67 high index options, but only for single focal options and for more money. I fortunately have a very weak prescription so don't even need to consider the higher index options. All multi-focal options at Zenni are only offered with 1.57 index lenses.

You do also have options of adding tints and polychromatic lenses. As these are not sunglasses, I just got the standard lenses. I had considered the polychromatic lenses (get darker when in direct sunlight) based on reading people liked them, but I've also read that they don't darken much when behind glass as most glass filters out much of the UV light. As I'd mainly be wanting them as sunglasses while driving into the sun, this option won't work that well for me. I've seen some places now offer polychromatic lenses that do darken even behind glass (they adjust based on light, not just UV), but these newer lenses also always have a slight tint to them - in the yellowish hue if I remember correctly. I really don't want to be walking around all day wearing yellow tinted lenses - and Zenni didn't offer those anyway (I don't think).

You also have the option for their premium anti-reflective coating for a mere $4.95. As I mentioned in my article on anti-reflective coatings, this is the one option the optometrist recommended at Lenscrafters. After doing a lot of reading, it does sound like an option that most people really like. The question is whether the $4.95 version from Zenni is really any good. I've read people's comments saying it does work, but it's not as good as the premium anti-reflective coatings offered elsewhere. I'm not sure what to expect for $4.95, but it is probably better than having no coating like my plastic lenses now. I have also read that with high index lenses, anti-reflective coatings become much more important as high index lenses reflect more light. Of course, I opted for the $4.95 coating.

The other interesting option is the $3.95 sunglass clips. They say they come in multiple sizes and they select the one that best fits the frames you order, but it won't be an exact fit. The majority of reviews I've read on these say to take a pass on the Zenni clip-ons. They say they don't fit right and some people say they also are way too dark - basically being a very dark piece of plastic that just clips on. I figured for the low price I could at least see what it is for myself. One person did say they fit his glasses perfectly - so maybe I'll get lucky and have picked frames that match one of the sizes of clips they offer. And maybe the clip on will be just what I want to use on the rare occasions when I'm driving into the sun.

The shipping on the glasses is the $4.95 flat rate advertised, no matter how many pairs of glasses you order. I only had the one pair in my order. I entered my credit card information (they take all credit cards as best I could tell) and completed my transaction for a whopping $21.85.

I did receive a confirmation email right away (some people reported not getting one). The email says most basic orders are shipped within 2 weeks, but if you add options such as bifocals, progressives, tints, or extra strong prescriptions, you should expect an additional 3-6 days. They say the glasses are made with 48 hours of the order being placed so if you made a mistake you need to contact them right away.

Other points of interest I came across - the glasses are made in a factory in Hong Kong and then for US orders are first sent to the California office, from which they are then mailed out. For international orders, they seem to come direct from the Hong Kong factory.

I'll be sure to post an update and review once I receive the glasses. If other people have comments and suggestions, I'll be glad to hear them.
george
 
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Joined: Fri Apr 11, 2008 8:23 pm

Postby george » Wed Sep 30, 2009 8:41 pm

So far, I may be in the lucky side of those who have ordered from Zenni. Tonight, exactly 1 week after placing my order, I got a shipment tracking email with a USPS delivery confirmation ID. At this time, the US Postal Service doesn't have any info on the tracking number, but it probably means the package will get registered in the next day or two and probably will be to me within the next few days thereafter.

As I think I said in my original message, I ordered their standard single focal lenses with anti-reflective coating. I selected one of the $8 frames and I have a weak prescription. Obviously none of the things I had ordered are the types of things to cause delays.

I'll update once I have my glasses.
george
 
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Postby george » Mon Oct 05, 2009 8:30 pm

I got the glasses today. I have to say that's MUCH faster than I was expecting. I placed the order on September 23, 2009 and got the glasses today, 12 days later.

They came packaged in a bubble envelope. Inside was a translucent white plastic case. Inside the plastic case were my glasses wrapped in a small lint-free cloth and the clip-on sunglasses.

The frames were lighter and thinner than I had expected, but are exactly what is picture. I hadn't realized that my old frames were as thick and heavy as they are. The glasses fit my head perfectly, although the lenses are smaller than what I am used to. I knew the lenses would be smaller so this was fine. So far, the smaller lenses haven't been an issue other than when I ate dinner and noticed the food on my plate was right where the bottom edge of the glasses are making it a bit different getting food onto the silverware. Nothing that will be a big difference once I get used to the change.

The prescription is probably exactly on - as my vision is at least as good as with my old glasses, and probably a little bit better. This makes sense as the eye doctor said my prescription changed slightly from last year (saying my eyes were a little better now than last year, which actually makes me think they overdid my prescription last year). I must have gotten my pupil distance right.

The glasses didn't need any adjustments to fit. The arms are very thin and flexible, and angled to be snug, which they are but comfortably so. The nose pieces fit just fine and are comfortable. I was worried that the cheap plastic nose pieces wouldn't be comfortable compared to the silicone nose-pieces on my old frames. It turns out it's not an issue at all, possibly helped because the frames are so light.

When I first looked in the mirror, I noticed the anti-reflective coatings make things noticeably cleaner. There is still a very slight reflection on some things, but definitely less than what I had on my old plastic lenses without the coatings. As to my question in this thread about anti-reflective coatings and cost, I'd have to say there is no doubt it is worth the $5 that Zenni charges. On my plastic lenses, I would not pay the $150 to upgrade them to Featherwate Complete lenses from Lenscrafters (or whatever the extra charge would be). Next year when I buy some higher quality glasses (as my insurance will pay for a new pair next year), I'd probably be willing to pay the extra cost at a place like Costco or Walmart. I'm getting off-topic. I'll post more thought on the anti-reflective lenses in the above reference thread.

One thing I noticed is that when bright lights hit the lenses at the right angle, I get a green reflection of the light into my eyes. It is not a strong reflection, but it is noticeable and different from what I've experienced in the past. Also, the left nose-piece was positioned at such an angle with the sun reflecting off of it that I got a nice green circle right in the corner of my vision. Obviously that changed as the sun set, but again, this was something different enough that I looked up to see if others have reported the same thing. It turns out that a green reflection is normal for most anti-reflective coatings. It's definitely fainter than the white light reflection I get with the old plastic lenses.

So, overall, I'm impressed with the glasses. We'll have to see how durable the frames are, as light as they are. Given the cost, I'd have to say that Zenni is an absolutely amazing option - as long as you are one of the people who has a good experience.
george
 
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Joined: Fri Apr 11, 2008 8:23 pm

Postby LisaCT » Wed Nov 16, 2011 1:28 pm

I've heard about Zenni a lot. How do you know how they look or how they fit when you buy online??
LisaCT
 

Postby george » Wed Nov 16, 2011 11:29 pm

LisaCT,

One of the drawbacks of ordering online is that you can't see the glasses in person or try them on in advance. What I did was looked at my current glasses to see what the measurements were. On most glasses, you'll find some dimensions on the arm or bridge. The measurements are typically three numbers. The first number will be the lens width, the second number the bridge width and the third number is the arm length. For example, my glasses from Costco say on the inside of the left arm "52 20 140". I am then able to look on Zenni's website and look for glasses that have similar measurements to find what is likely to fit.

I found the glasses I've ordered from Zenni had very flexible arms that fit snugly and were comfortable, and would likely fit most head sizes. Obviously you are going to be less sure how they will actually look until you receive them. They do have the virtual "try on" option on the website, but I didn't find that particularly useful.

I haven't had time yet, but I plan on writing a review on a recent Zenni purchase soon. One thing to be aware of is that I've found many of the glasses at Zenni have a small lens height. You won't find those numbers printed on your glasses, but Zenni does provide detailed measurements when you click on the frames. I'd suggest you measure your current glasses to compare with what you see on Zenni's site.

The gamble is somewhat lower because of the very cheap prices. I'd be more concerned about look and fit if I were paying more money. It still is a bummer when the glasses don't come out quite how you expected.
george
 
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Joined: Fri Apr 11, 2008 8:23 pm

Postby george » Sun Jan 29, 2012 11:52 pm

I just posted a very detailed review of Zenni's photochromic lenses as well as some updates on their website.
george
 
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Postby george » Tue Mar 13, 2012 10:17 pm

On my eyeglasses I purchased around November, I just had a nosepad fall off. It turns out it cracked where it attaches to the eyeglasses. According to their website, Zenni says they will provide replacement nosepads and screws in reasonable quantities. I just sent them an email, and I'll see how their customer service handles it. I posted a little more info about how I handled replacing the nosepad for now in another thread.
george
 
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Postby george » Tue Apr 03, 2012 9:18 pm

As an update - I received the replacement nose pads this past week. I originally sent them an email but didn't get an immediate response, so I sent a second email the next day just confirming they received the first email. They then replied saying that replacements would be sent out to me. I got no further communication and then the package just arrived in the mail.

They came shipped in the same packaging as the eyeglasses originally came in. There was an eyeglass case and inside was a set of nose pads that matched the originals. Also included was a nice tool that included a small phillips screwdriver, a small standard screwdriver, and a few heads that looked like they fit small hex headed screws. While it did take a bit of time to get the replacements, it is a nice service that they provide given how inexpensive their glasses are.
george
 
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Postby help please » Fri Apr 13, 2012 12:48 am

Hi everyone I am a first time online glasses buyer and I am little concerned about shifting away from the brick and mortar stores. But you can't beat the online prices.

on zenni website they ask for Bridge

Lens Width

Frame Width

Temple Length

Lens Height

Frame Weight

how do you differentiate what these numbers mean?

I have a pair of glasses now and my numbers read 55/16/140. How do my number relate to the measurements required by zenni?

Thanks for the support.
help please
 

Postby george » Fri Apr 13, 2012 8:39 am

When you look at the three numbers on your glasses, typically stamped on the arm or bridge, the first number is the width of each lens. The second number is the bridge width. The third number is the length of the arm from the front of the glasses to the back where it ends behind your ear.

So, the first number is lens width. The second is bridge width or distance between lenses, and the third is the temple length. The measurements are all in millimeters. You can also use a ruler to get the other measurements of your current glasses, like lens height and frame width. Sometimes the total frame width will be greater than adding the two lenses plus bridge width because of a thick frame on the outer edges.
george
 
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Postby Mango » Sun Mar 24, 2013 10:09 pm

I bought my latest pair of glasses from Zenni Optical because they're one of the few places to get high-strength prescriptions in mid-index lenses. (ClearlyContacts.ca stopped making CR-39 some time ago.) MNSHO is that the slightly thinner lens plus the side effect of everything looking tiny is not worth the cost of high-index lenses. So I decided to look further south and give Zenni Optical a try. (I wrote that before I received my glasses. It would be more accurate to say "further west". My Zenni glasses shipped from Hong Kong.)

The price comparison is a little tricky, because ClearlyContacts.ca's prices fluctuate a lot with various specials, another thing I find mildly irritating. Here are some prices compared at the time of this writing. Obviously there are many lens, frame, and coating options to choose from. I've configured these to be as similar as possible - similar frames, single vision lens, all the coatings, and shipping to Canada.
ClearlyContacts.ca - $118.90 (1.67-index lens)
ClearlyContacts.ca - $62.95 (1.59-index lens for comparison, but not in my prescription)
ClearlyContacts.ca - $30.04 (CR-39 lens in 2011, no longer available)
Zenni Optical - $52.90 (1.57-index lens)

I placed my order on March 6 and received the glasses on March 22. The verdict: ClearlyContacts.ca's anti-scratch coating didn't work. I hadn't noticed the gradual change, but comparing the two side by side is like night and day. I didn't notice things looked "foggy" all the time, but they certainly don't any more.

I don't have access to a lens meter at the moment but as far as I'm able to detect visually, my Zenni glasses are made properly. The nose pads required adjusting, but that is to be expected. My new technique for this is I place a microfibre cloth over my needle-nose pliers and make extremely gentle adjustments that way. I made minor adjustments to the temples. I found the acetate quite flexible - such that I didn't bother with the hair dryer trick.

I've never had a polycarbonate composite lens before (as far as I remember). I read that polycarbonate is subject to the most chromatic aberration but I haven't noticed this yet. The lenses however "feel" different to the touch. I mentioned in my ClearlyContacts.ca review that my CC lenses have a barely perceptible brown tint. (They've been like this since Day 1 - this is unrelated to the scratches.) My Zenni lenses do not have any tint - they are "crystal clear". I'm not sure if this is the difference between CR-39 and polycarbonate composite or the difference between Zenni and CC.

I decided to go for Zenni's $14.95 anti-reflective coating. I have no way of comparing this with their other less expensive coatings but I can compare it to CC's AR coating - as far as reducing reflections, they both perform very well. I think the Zenni lenses might be a bit better at repelling dust.

tl;dr: If Zenni's anti-scratch coating performs better than ClearlyContacts', I'll likely purchase my next set from Zenni. Otherwise it'll be a toss-up and probably depend on prices/choice of frames next spring.

If you've had the patience to get this far, thanks for reading. :mrgreen:
Mango
 
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Postby Mango » Mon Jul 01, 2013 11:59 am

Mango wrote:I don't have access to a lens meter at the moment but as far as I'm able to detect visually, my Zenni glasses are made properly.


I never miss an opportunity to say I was right, so here is an update. I saw my ophthalmologist this week. Good news: my cataracts are just fine and I don't need to go back there any more. Better news: they measured my Zenni glasses and declared them to have been made perfectly. So far I'm just as thrilled with my glasses as I was when I first got them.

I think it's a good time to take advantage of their free sunglass tint promotion. I'm going to give the $4.95 AR coating a try.
Mango
 
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Postby Mango » Mon Jul 22, 2013 9:08 am

I received my sunglasses today. They were scheduled to take 16 days, just like my normal glasses, but Canada Post got them here a day early. This time they were shipped from Mississauga, I guess from an SCI Logistics warehouse. It was nice that they were delivered directly to my mailbox instead of to the post office like last time.

Much like my last experience, the glasses are awesome. There was no "adjustment period" because I ordered the exact same prescription and the exact same lens. The frame is pretty impressive, especially because it is one of the $6.95 ones - I can't discern any difference in quality between it and the $200+ frames (lenses excluded!) at my local optician's. I can't tell the difference between the $14.95 AR coating and the $4.95 AR coating - either in optical quality, fingerprint resistance, or ease of cleaning. I spent a total of US $30.85 which included the $9.00 extra strength charge required for my prescription.

I've never been this excited about accessories before. I must be a little bit gay.
Mango
 
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Postby cabrie » Tue Sep 03, 2013 9:40 am

I've bought 2 pairs of glasses from Zenni (actually 3, the last pair was a buy one get one free, so I got two for one). Based on my experience I'd rate them excellent on price, fair to poor on frames, average to fair on lenses and fair to poor on customer service. As far as price, obviously no US based brick and mortar optician can beat them, they make their glasses in China for very low cost and ship them here. The cost of production in China is much lower then in the US, and from what I understand they aren't subject to the same ANSI safety standards as glasses fabricated in the US.

On frames, I bought metal frames, and on the first pair the metal coating (whatever it was) quickly (within 6 months of use) deteriorated and flakes began falling off. In fact after awhile I noticed the color of the metal frames had deposited on to my nose so I had a brown stain where the glasses sat on my nose. I hope it was just a harmless coating but since they are made in China where safety standards are quite lax, I'm not confident I wasn't exposed to something I'd of been better off avoiding. Anyway, because of that I figured I'd order a second pair, but this time upgrade the frame selection. And as it turns out the new frames I got haven't so far (after a year) exhibited any flaking of the metal coating, so I think I'm ok here. However the issue with the new frames is the plastic caps that go over the end of the stems are both loose, resulting in the glasses slipping out of them and moving down my nose when doing anything but sitting in a chair. I'm not sure how these plastic caps are normally held on, maybe glue or maybe heat shrinking, but whatever is normally done isn't or wasn't done on my last order. In fact this was the buy one get one free order, and neither of the two glasses I got have the plastic stem tips properly secured. Thus I rate the frames fair to poor.

The lenses I bought were high index for a strong (+10) prescription. Yes, I'm virtually blind without glasses, and such strong prescriptions require high fabrication accuracy in order to work correctly. I also have an astigmatism in one lens that also factors into the equation. When I got my first pair from Zenni, the lens with the astigmatism was perfect, I could see exactly the same as the glasses I was currently using (I was ordering the same prescription since my old glasses were just fine visually, just getting old and beat up from years of use). However my other lens was a problem, the correction was obviously wrong and didn't match my old glasses. After contacting Zenni I returned the glasses so they could measure them. Seems like they forgot I sent them glasses, hadn't heard anything after an entire month. I called them and inquired and was told they just finished looking at them (wow, what a coincidence), and they found the lenses to be correct (did they really just now, after a month, test them good just in time for my call??!!). I was skeptical they really measured anything so I explained to them that the glasses I ordered were the very same prescription as the ones I was currently wearing and which had perfect vision in both lenses, so something must be wrong with the glasses they sent me. They offered to give me a 50% refund, but that would basically leave me with no glasses and a $30 loss, so I just told them to send them back. These were the glasses that eventually had the flaky frame metal coating, so I stopped wearing them after about half a year. After checking around a few places on price and seeing how expensive new glasses would be, I reluctantly decided to give Zenni another try and ordered a new pair from them (I suppose it was the 2 for 1 offer that really convinced me). Anyway, in the new pair my vision in both lenses was better than the first pair, and even though the one eye still wasn't quite right, it was closer then the first pair and not too bad. My conclusion to this is that Zenni probably has some trouble fabricating strong prescriptions in the high index material, and it is probably likely that fitment becomes more of an issue with such prescriptions, and so for folks like me it would probably be better to just bite the bullet and purchase from a brick and mortar optician where they can get the lenses and fitment just right.
cabrie
 

Postby btuval » Thu Sep 05, 2013 3:05 pm

I ordered my glasses and they were OK by eye.
When I happen to be in optometrist half a year after, he checked the glasses and said:
"this is not what I prescribed" Indeed, the glasses were 0.5 diopter off.
Zenni did want to fix the error claiming that they responsible for the glasses only for 30 days.
Check your glasses right away guys !
btuval
 

Postby RayMay » Sat Jan 04, 2014 1:54 pm

Bad company to buy from. Quality is not as good as Coastal.com. I have tried eyebuydirect, Zenni and Coastal. Coastal was the best in terms of quality and service, eyebuydirect was second and Zenni was last. Zenni Optical was very rude when my glasses broke. I sent them in because of their warranty and they never sent me a pair back even after charging me. Then I disputed the transaction payment of $15 for shipping the glasses back to me and they fought the dispute claiming the terms and conditions state they can are not obligated to replace it. Their terms and conditions changed all of a sudden to fight the dispute. I had a copy of the terms and conditions that I had made screen shots of and provided the credit card company. In the end, I lost the money, the glasses and was called a liar by a very rude associate in Zenni. Never will I give this scam company my business!
RayMay
 

Postby george » Mon Jan 06, 2014 11:13 am

RayMay,

I'm sorry to hear about your bad experience. When I contacted customer service, they were polite with me and very reasonable with me regarding glasses I returned for a credit. I outlined the experience within my review on the photochromic lenses I ordered. In hindsight, I think the haziness issue I had with those glasses was not a defect on their part but actually the result of not having the anti-reflective coating I was used to. For whatever reason, I am now very sensitive to noticing the reflection of my own eyes in glasses without anti-reflective coatings.

What broke on your glasses and what part of their terms and conditions did they change? If you had screen captures of the terms and conditions I'm surprised your credit card company wasn't able to get the charges reversed. On the few occasions where I had to contest charges through my credit card company, I've never had a problem. If there is more information you can and want to share, I think the experience would be helpful for future potential customers.
george
 
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Postby Lori » Sun Aug 03, 2014 6:53 pm

I was so excited to order from Zenni, love the styles and the prices. However, when I got my progressive lens glasses and my sunglasses, the prescription did not fit at all. I couldn't wear them more than a few seconds, they made me nauseous, see double, and everything was blurry - far off or close up. I called customer service and had to pay to return the glasses to see if they were made according to the prescription. They wrote back to say they were remaking the glasses, but sent me an invoice that showed they only intended to remake one of the two pairs. I got them back and if they made a change to them at all it was imperceptible to me. I was trying them on and turned to speak to a co-worker, I nearly fell because just turning my head made me that dizzy. No, I'm not exaggerating. I contacted customer service again and said that I didn't see the point in paying shipping to have the glasses made a 3rd time, and asked for a refund. They wrote back: As for your case, we advise you to confirm the prescription with your eye doctor and make sure the prescription you used is correct. Thank you for selecting Zenni Optical for your vision needs. I've been wearing glasses for 54 years and I've never had a doctor get the prescription wrong. I will take them to the doctor this week, but at this point I am tired of the poor customer service and just want my $100 back.
Lori
 

Postby Mango » Sun Aug 03, 2014 11:06 pm

Sorry to hear of your bad experience.

If you get the chance, please post your prescription, and what your doctor measures your glasses to be. You may also want to take your invoice along with you so that your doctor can verify what Zenni received was correct.
Mango
 
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Postby ihtakihtak » Mon Mar 16, 2015 9:07 pm

I like the frames from Zenni, the prescription was totally wrong on two pair of glasses.
ihtakihtak
 

Postby george » Tue Mar 17, 2015 10:00 pm

ihtakihtak,

It seems they usually get the prescription correct. Did you get single vision or progressive lenses? Are you sure you entered the prescription and pupil distance correctly? If the lenses were not made the prescription you entered, they will replace them.

Let us know how they respond to your problems.
george
 
Posts: 264
Joined: Fri Apr 11, 2008 8:23 pm

Postby Alan » Tue Aug 04, 2015 5:13 pm

I ordered progressive lenses with antiglare coating on 7/26/2015 and received them on 8/4/2015. Very happy. They are clearer than my store bought glasses at nearly $300! Haven't yet seen how the antiglare coating works.
Alan
 

Postby george » Tue Aug 04, 2015 9:49 pm

Alan,

That is great that you got your glasses so quickly. When you say "clearer" than your store bought glasses, can you be more specific what you mean? Were the store bought glasses also progressive lenses, and if so, which ones and what kind of anti-reflective coating did they have if you know?

How do you find the progressive lenses for reading, computer use, and distance? Do you find that you have to adjust where you are looking to get them in focus for near and intermediate viewing?
george
 
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Joined: Fri Apr 11, 2008 8:23 pm

Postby Nearsightedness » Sat Aug 22, 2015 4:05 pm

I have purchased two pairs of prescription eyeglasses from Zenni; a pair of progressive 10% tinted eyeglasses, and a pair of sunglasses. The tinted glasses with the base AR coating seems like the tint is way too dark for 10%. Distance items are not as clear as they should be and I have a mild prescription. Both Zenni pairs are ok for backups only in my opinion. For whatever reason, I do not see distance with them as well as I do with Costco lenses. I've found buying frames on eBay and installing Costco lensses costs more but my vision is much better with them. I think Costco is a better all around value.
Nearsightedness
 

Postby JerryM » Sat Aug 29, 2015 12:32 pm

In 2014, after cataract surgery in one eye in November 2013, I purchased six pairs of prescription glasses from Zenni
The first pair was progressive lens to see if I liked them. I had worn trifocals for years. I found that I did not like the progressives as well. I had them examined by two opticians, who confirmed that they were the correct prescription, and both said they were well done, and fit was correct. One of them said he got most of his glasses from Zenni and had no complaints.

I then purchased a pair of computer glasses for which Zenni had figured the correct prescription using my normal prescription. The third pair was 50% green bifocals to use when I was going back and forth from inside to outside. The 50% green is ideal for that, and I can use them inside OK.

The other three pairs were single vision glasses for driving. One set was clear with clip on sunglasses from Zenni in gray, and amber. Although they work, I do not like the clip on from Zenni as they are flip up type. The fifth pair was single vision gradient green that I find ideal for most driving. The sixth pair was amber single vision. I do not like amber and prefer yellow for dull days.

Total cost of the 6 pair was $181.85 including shipping.

I have talked to four others who have glasses from Zenni. All were pleased except one lady who was used to progressives, but ordered bifocals, and could not seem to get used to them. Two of the other three had progressives and were pleased with them
Overall I have been very pleased with the glasses from Zenni. As retired military I do get some from the military and VA, but for additional glasses I go to Zenni.

I always recommend Zenni to anyone I encounter who wears glassses.
Jerry
JerryM
 
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Joined: Mon Jan 27, 2014 7:58 pm

Postby allbenatt » Thu Dec 28, 2017 4:42 am

It has been around 5-6 years now since I bought eyeglasses from Zenni. I was really nervous about it but can state confidently that the experience was really good. The glasses corrected my vision at least as well as any glasses I have ever purchased from an optometrist in a brick-and-mortar location. I was generally pleased with the frames I selected. They don't have the high quality feel of a really high-end frame and the frame's finish began to peel a bit after about a year. Having stated that negative, they definitely were good value for the money.

Since then I have purchased eyeglasses twice - from two different brick-and-mortar chains. In both cases I had to go the trouble and inconvenience of returning the lenses to the lab twice due to poor vision. The last time around, while returning the lenses for a third time, the owner of the franchise overheard the conversation I was having with his employee. He told me that the lens lab used by Davis Vision - the optical insurance company on my policy - has labs that do a poor job. He allowed me to choose any frame in the store at no extra cost, sent the order to his other lab and they came back just fine. I won't use Davis Vision again for glasses - only contact lenses - you can read about lots of sour experiences on the web. Their customer service was absolutely horrible.

I may go back to Zenni again next time around. It just might be an inconvenience to have to replace the glasses once a year due to frame peeling or dulling.
allbenatt
 

Postby Satisfied Zenni Cust » Tue Dec 22, 2020 10:25 pm

Over the last few years I’ve ordered several pairs of Zenni prescription glasses and a few pair with tint to use as sunglasses and I couldn’t be more satisfied! I have ordered $7 pairs all the way up to $40 pairs and like I said I’ve been very pleased. I am very hard on glasses so getting 4 or 5 pairs(including sunglasses) for less than $100 you can’t go wrong. I have ordered some pink frames, bright thick white frames, and about 5 or 6 funky colors and/or different shapes just to try out and like I have said a few times already...very satisfied! I keep a pair of sunglasses in each vehicle, a pair on my night stand, a pair on my fridge & countertop in case I didn’t grab the ones I wore the night before in case I abruptly wake up late on school mornings. Last time I’m saying this, very satisfied
Satisfied Zenni Cust
 



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