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I've been getting increasingly fed up with the US optical services and the slow feedback loop. For the price of a pair of glasses I could get this [1] and just

I've been getting increasingly fed up with the US optical services and the slow feedback loop. For the price of a pair of glasses I could get this [1] and just choose my prescription however I like! [1] https://www.amazon.com/UCanSee-Optical-Trial-Metal-Aluminum/dp/B077BKPBPX https://www.amazon.com/UCanSee-Optical-Trial-Metal-Aluminum/...

deprecative 3y ago
That's because there's only one or two companies out there that actually have anything to do with our (US) optical health services. "...one of the many powerful functions of names such as Ray-Ban (which is owned by Luxottica) or Vogue (owned by Luxottica) or Prada (whose glasses are made by Luxottica) or Oliver Peoples (owned by Luxottica), or of outlets such as LensCrafters, the largest optical retailer in the U.S. (owned by Luxottica) or Sunglass Hut (owned by Luxottica), is to make the marketplace feel more varied than it actually is."[1] [1] https://theweek.com/articles/784436/secretive-megacompanies-behind-glasses https://theweek.com/articles/784436/secretive-megacompanies-...
mrguyorama 3y ago
The fun part is, Luxotica makes the lenses, and they also run the "insurance" provider for most Eye care stuff, so when they say "These glasses are $1400 but with our insurance you only pay $400!" what they are actually doing is artificially inflating the "sticker" price, so it looks like they are giving such a huge discount, while they charge $400 for five cents worth of plastic and ten cents worth of machine time on a completely automated grinding machine. Keep in mind, when you get those same lenses from like zenny for ten bucks, they're still making a pretty good profit margin. Basically Luxotica is trying to turn the eye health care market into the same system we have in the normal health care market here in the states, and congress has turned a blind eye to them.

deprecative 3y ago

That's because there's only one or two companies out there that actually have anything to do with our (US) optical health services. "...one of the many powerful functions of names such as Ray-Ban (which is owned by Luxottica) or Vogue (owned by Luxottica) or Prada (whose glasses are made by Luxottica) or Oliver Peoples (owned by Luxottica), or of outlets such as LensCrafters, the largest optical retailer in the U.S. (owned by Luxottica) or Sunglass Hut (owned by Luxottica), is to make the marketplace feel more varied than it actually is."[1] [1] https://theweek.com/articles/784436/secretive-megacompanies-behind-glasses https://theweek.com/articles/784436/secretive-megacompanies-...

mrguyorama 3y ago

The fun part is, Luxotica makes the lenses, and they also run the "insurance" provider for most Eye care stuff, so when they say "These glasses are $1400 but with our insurance you only pay $400!" what they are actually doing is artificially inflating the "sticker" price, so it looks like they are giving such a huge discount, while they charge $400 for five cents worth of plastic and ten cents worth of machine time on a completely automated grinding machine. Keep in mind, when you get those same lenses from like zenny for ten bucks, they're still making a pretty good profit margin. Basically Luxotica is trying to turn the eye health care market into the same system we have in the normal health care market here in the states, and congress has turned a blind eye to them.