Earlier in the week, I got prescription glasses from Wal-Mart because other places are high and I don't have vision insurance. While the optometrist was nice, it's the sales help I have a problem with. My prescription is strong and I needed thin lenses to match the frames chosen. I don't go to an outside office, just school and a few social events so I don't need paper-thin lenses. The clerk kept pushing those Nikon lenses. which cost almost $100 per lens. I told her no and chose the next option. Not only was I charged for the lenses but charged for a care kit also. She didn't tell me this but I discovered this when I got home.
Sorry you had to deal with that, you could always take them back and explain that they were not what you expected to pay or just don't go back to that Walmart for glasses. I personally like to stick with stores like Pearl Vision or America's best where they are more known for not having issues, which I haven't with them.
You should go back, return them and complain. You told her that you didn't want the expensive lenses, so she gets her commission by adding on a care kit? Did she actually give you the care kit or just charge you for it? You should return that care kit and say that you didn't ask for it.
Something similar happened to me at the Sears optical depart. I first contacted my state's attorney general's office. Back they they advised me to write to the customer service department at Sears. You should call the Walmart Credit department to voice a complaint. Then tell them you demand a resolution to your complaint. Then I would suggest that you follow up with a letter. Detailing how the interaction with the sales help should be written in your letter. I would send that letter to the Walmart customer service department. I would also explain that I am sending a copy to my state's attorney general's office as well. Recently, I have used the optical department at Macy's and have never encountered any problems.
I don't believe in paying for something I either did not ask for or did not get. If you were charged for lenses that you did not get you should take them back. If you were charged for a kit that you did not ask for or get you should go back to the store and get a refund. It is your money you decide how you spend it not a clerk in the store. And you should also seriously consider writing a letter of complaint about the quality of service you received. This type of behavior on the part of the employees cost the company to lose customers.
I am sorry that you had such a bad experience at the Walmart Optical department. I hope that you took the glasses back and got what you ordered. No one should have to pay for something that they did not order. The last time I got my contact lenses through them, they ordered the wrong prescription for the left lens. I noticed it when I got home, and I went back. The sales girl was very nice and apologetic and she ordered the correct prescription for me and gave me an extra pair for free. I really think that it depends on the salesperson.
My experience is that the customer service varies a lot between locations. I always get my contacts at Wal-Mart, but my glasses somewhere else (I don't like the frames they offer and since my prescription is super strong I don't get much benefit by going with cheap frames). My first time going to the Wal-Mart (let's call this one A) optic was a pretty good experience, the customer service was really nice. But the contacts I got weren't so comfortable despite being "measured" by the doctor. I assumed the slight discomfort was because I was new at wearing contacts and since I don't wear them every day I used my six months boxes in about a year. Next time I went to another Wal-mart location (B) and and the place was full. I waited over an hour and started to notice some people that got there before me where being attended sooner than me and the employee greeted them like he knew them. The people waiting got angry and a discussion started between the people and 2 employees and I just left. So a couple of days later I go to another location (C) and the experience was as good as the first one. Not only that but the doctor told me I needed a lens with less curve for my eyes and measured me in some lenses that were really comfortable. For the next time I went back to the first location (A) and got a different doctor. Everything went smoothly, he asked me which brand I wear and I told him the brand and that it was the one with the lesser curve and he gave me the same as my last ones. But then next year I went to the same place as my first one again and got another different doctor. He was really pushing me to switched brands which I didn't want to. He insisted and I held my ground about wanting to stay with my brand. I told him about what the other 2 doctors mentioned about the curve of my eyes and he said "the brand you want only comes in one curve" I asked if he was sure and he said yes, then he gave me a sample, fitted it and it felt ok. He said it looked like a nice fit so I payed to order my boxes. But then when I got my boxes the contacts where uncomfortable. I searched them online and I was right about the brand having 2 base curves. Wal-Mart refused to refund me because the boxes where the same as the prescription. I think the doctor fitted me in the correct curve but then prescribed the incorrect one. So really the Wal-Mart optic is a gamble, it really depends on the employees. I would go again. I think that my last time I made a mistake in trusting the doctor too much, I should have walked out of there as soon as he started pushing me to switch brands, but I didn't because I was in a bit of a rush to get my contacts and my mom was driving me, and I didn't want to make her drive 30 minutes to the next Wal-Mart. So overall I've had 1 good, 1 ok and 1 bad experience in Wal-Mart A, one horrible one in Wal-Mart B, and a good one in Wal-Mart C.
I've only been to the Walmart Optics like...2 times. They weren't terrible but it's not like they were fantastic either. The doctors were great and nice and all but I've definitely had better service. Plus not to mention their cost of contacts and glasses as well as the service actually turned out to be more expensive than what is offered at Costco. If you can and have a Costco membership, I would go to Costco. They're way better than Walmart for sure.
I have never cared to get any optical care done at any Wal-Mart office. I have found that the service is never what it needs to be. A thorough eye exam should be done before enforcing glasses and/or contacts. I have also noticed that the glasses are of much cheaper material then say, going to a regular eye doctor.
I don't have any reason to dislike walmart Optical, but I've never really trusted them. my mom got a deal through them a few years ago and my grandma use to use them, but I've always been a person who looks for the buy one get one free specials since I have a strong prescription as well those are night to have. Sorry that you had some issues with them, but I can't say I'm surprised.
There is alot of hate on this thread for Walmart's Optical Department so I have to chime in with my own experience and opinion. The staff and optometrist at my local Wal-Mart are FANTASTIC! Not only have I received the best care there but the doctor and staff are just so friendly! Just because it's Walmart doesn't instantly mean it's garbage. I went to a very good optometrist beforehand and my Walmart experience was very similar. The equipment and other stuff available were very great. I wouldn't buy my glasses there as much better deals can be had online, the same also goes for contacts.
Ugh that's very irritating. I go to my optometrist for my glasses and they still try to push super fancy lenses on me every single time. If I were you I'd take them back, tell them that you'll never be back again and get your glasses elsewhere. I'm sorry this happened to you. Hope you figure it out and get your money back.
Surprised you didn't aim for something online as you would have saved a bundle. Mind you, sometimes it's difficult when you have to do a bit of guesswork in terms of what you think would fit / look good on you, but usually they let you return things hassle free. In any case, when it comes to Walmart I'd likely just complain. Usually big box stores find it's better in the long term for them to simply appease the customer rather than try to rip them off and leave them jaded. Sorry you had to experience that though.
I wear contacts also and the irony of being an adult "four eyes' (I've been in glasses since I was 7, and am now in my 40s) is that my contact lens person not only costs less but for the past 20 years, has been drama-free. However, there are two disadvantages of dealing with the cl dr. The first is that they now pretty much work as opticians only. If you had a prescription back when there was an on-site optometrist, they would use that to replace lenses. The other is that they have irregular hours. For years, they operate two hours here and five hours there and I lost their schedule and phone number so I saw this as a sign to go back to being four eyes. I also have astigmatism and paid less than $100 for two pairs of B&L lenses which I like. But the Wal-Mart optometrist said that one of my eyes would no longer benefit from wearing lenses.
I was telling my mother that this experience was better than the last time I bought glasses. It was through my then-employer and turns out that I still had to pay. Though the exam was free, the people at Kaiser Permanente optical were rude and I reported one person because she made me physically uncomfortable. Apparently, this made the rounds and when it came time to pick up my glasses, I got a very icy reception.
I don't buy my contacts online as being from PR means I never get free shipping and it would end up being more expensive than Wal-Mart. I have to admit my experience getting my eye exam at Wal-Mart has also varied depending on the doctor but they use the same equipments as any other optic I've been to.
Sounds like a rogue employee. I've used Walmart Optical a few times and never had a similar experience. I'm sure these things happen, and you should immediately contact the corporate office for Walmart. You're probably not going to get anywhere by complaining to the store itself. Corporate has more power to remedy the situation, and you'll probably get a more agreeable resolution.
Update: I just picked up my glasses and the first thing I wanted to confirm is which lenses were used. When I explained to the optician that these were not the lenses I selected she just said that those were the lenses chosen for my prescription. I've been getting glasses long enough to know that an optician can made suggestions but cannot force anyone to get something that does not fit in their budget. I also told her that I did not know I was being charged for a kit (which should have included repair tools) but her attitude was like "So." I realize not every Wal-Mart is the same but this one is in L.A.County where attitudes are just different because of the demographics. Anyway, I also created the post to let people know that they are really pushing the Nikon brand. Maybe they get a commission or other incentive but it is really unfair to force people to spend more than what they have budgeted. Though I hate Facebook, I will use it to open a Yelp account and report those involved as well as report to the head office.
I had my eyes checked at an optical center there and it was alright. I had my eyes checked out at a different office six months later (not a walmart one) and they told me my prescription walmart optical had given me was both too strong and the astigmatism lens was unnecessary. I don't think walmart did it on purpose but I was paying a much higher price for my contacts due to their mistake. The cost of walmart's exam isn't much cheaper than other eye doctor offices where I live. Based on my experience I'd recommend going elsewhere.
The optical department at my Wal-Mart was pretty great. They helped me to save about $10 on my contact order with a special offer to 1-800-CONTACTS. I also got a very reasonably priced pair of glasses there. I'm not a fan of Wal-Mart's practices in general, but I could not afford anyone else and don't think I sacrificed much quality.
