"Donate your used glasses" pitches are everywhere, e.g., corporate Goodwill and Lions Clubs, et al, in the US. But if you call, there's no place that you can go to get a pair. Allegedly they're all going overseas to the needy — which doesn't seem even remotely economically viable to me, so I conclude that the real ulterior goal is protecting an entrenched "prescription eye-exam" scam-racket from a viable used market.
Anyway, near-sighted in Minneapolis.
Where can you try & BUY used glasses?
byu/BezzleBedeviled inFrugal
Posted by BezzleBedeviled
10 Comments
I’m saving up for a new pair personally. They have places where you can get a pair for cheap online just got to get the prescription. I go to Walmart haven’t personally tried the online stores.
Ever since my wife convinced me to get LASIK(over 10 yrs ago and it cost 3200 for both eyes), all I’ve needed are readers and I can find them, sometimes, at thrift shops.
I’ve purchased used frames from ebay.
I still had to get an eye exam and get the place to replace the lenses. Not all offices will replaces lenses with frames you already have.
The frames that are donated are what are reused. The people they are donated to still get exams and the nonprofits have lenses cut out and installed on those frames.
There’s no getting around having to get an exam. It seems like a bad idea to try to diagnose yourself, then screwing up your eyes by wearing the wrong lenses that you bought secondhand.
I wouldn’t want my glasses after 2 years of wearing them. My sweat etches them.
With cheap glasses available now, I don’t see the used market taking off.
I paid $1200 for my last set. Was told they’re durable, I can use them again for my next prescription. They’ve broken twice in the last 6 months. First time they replaced on warranty. Second time, 48 hours after receiving them, they broke again, told me tough luck.
Never again will I buy expensive glasses. I’m getting Dresden next pair. Cheap and 10 year warranty.
They are sent overseas and given away, not sold in places of extreme poverty
I buy new from Zenni. You will need your PD, other than that everything you need should be on the Rx. I have a really bad prescription and mine are still pretty affordable, and I go for all sorts of bells and whistles on mine. If you buy regular glasses and don’t go for high index lenses the price comes way down
Regarding the PD (pupillary distance) as an adult it doesn’t change so if measured correctly once just keep that number written down. Kids need to have theirs checked every year because as they grow their PD will change.
I’ve bought lovely frames from eBay. Then I just pay for the lenses to be put in.
Just buy them online?
Eyebuydirect is cheap and reliable, and takes FSA if you have it
Try new eyes for the needy in NJ. Or post on your local nextdoor site.
Go to zenni. Best and cheapest i have gotten 4 pairs from them. All pairs were between 8-30 bucks