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There's an easy hack for the contact lens (and maybe glasses?) situation. There is a consumer protection law meant to ensure eye doctors can't stop you from usi
by hunter2_ 2y ago
There's an easy hack for the contact lens (and maybe glasses?) situation. There is a consumer protection law meant to ensure eye doctors can't stop you from using any retailer you want (otherwise they'd essentially make themselves your retailer), and it works like this:
You place an order with the retailer (online retailers typically allow you to simply type in your prescription values when adding lenses to your online cart; you don't need to show an official written prescription) and specify your doctor's name and phone number. Upon receiving your order, the retailer must call the doctor to see whether the doctor objects (invalid prescription). The retailer is to ship the order only if there is no objection (including no response at all) within 8 business hours. So just give the retailer the name and number of someone who won't immediately object, which is quite easy (e.g. a permanently closed office).
Of course, you need a refraction to know your prescription values. But once that's done, if your vision doesn't change over time, this allows you to ignore the expiration date of the prescription.
- Xcelerate 2y agoOh wow... I'm totally going to try this next time just to see if it works
- SOLAR_FIELDS 2y agoYeah my beef isn’t around the actual requirement of determining your prescription. Obviously you should wear eyeglasses/contacts that match your vision requirements. I think this is especially relevant when we are talking about usage with a drivers license. The ridiculous part is the arbitrary 1 year renewal. As you imply it is really only necessary to recheck that often when your vision is changing a lot which is usually not something that happens after some period in your 20’s. Neat trick though. I got lasik a few years ago but I would do this if I hadnt
- cruffle_duffle 2y agoThis sounds too good to be true. Having to get a prescription to get contacts is insane…
- labcomputer 2y agoBut how would you know what to order if you don’t have a prescription? Trial and error? I guess that might work if you have a simple correction (no astigmatism).
- hunter2_ 2y agoGetting a prescription when you don't know what you need makes sense. Getting one just because your last one has expired (1 year) is the off-putting aspect.
- aledalgrande 2y agoExactly. Mine hasn't changed for years, but I still need to pay this tax.
- kevin_thibedeau 2y agoUS based online contact vendors reject orders without a signed prescription. The doctors intentionally don't sign them. The workaround is to order them from Canada
- hunter2_ 2y agoI couldn't find a Canadian (or any foreign) retailer that would ship to the US, but I found tons of US retailers that allow self-entry (as an alternative to uploading a signed prescription) as I described.
- kevin_thibedeau 2y agoContactsExpress ships to the US. There is at least one other that escapes me.
- refurb 2y ago1-800 contacts will write a prescription for you with a $20 online eye exam. Optomitrist asks if your current prescription is ok, asks you to stand 20ft back and read a few letters and you’ve got a script you can use wherever.
- hunter2_ 2y agoAs will several other retailers, but only in some states. As someone in an excluded state, I considered whether enabling Mock Location on my phone would get me past that check (I think they require you to use a native mobile app, so I assume they use location from that?) but then thought of the method I mentioned earlier instead.
- TeMPOraL 2y agoReading all that, I'm happy my part of Europe is a bit behind the tech curve here. I mean holy fuck, "native mobile app" and "getting contacts" do not belong in the same sentence in any sane universe.
- renewiltord 2y agoThere's an even bigger hack: use photoshop to modify the prescription. My wife has been doing it for years. This is helpful since sometimes the prescription is over-specific and points to contacts you don't like.
- hunter2_ 2y agoI considered that of course, but something about the signature on it (as opposed to self entry which has no signature) made me very uneasy. And doesn't the verification phone call (which fails unsafe, luckily) happen either way? Maybe not.
- renewiltord 2y agoThey must not be making this verification call since we've been doing this for years. Yes, it's straightforward forgery, so your unease is warranted. But I have no problem breaking pointless laws.
- pavel_lishin 2y agoI purchase my glasses from Zenni, and I don't believe I've ever had to give them the name of my doctor. On the other hand, maybe I typed that in when I was first signing up two decades ago, and the optometrist I gave them has long since gone out of business?
- glitcher 2y agoI also order from Zenni and have never had to provide my doctor's info. They happily create lenses with whatever prescription I type in, and for me personally it usually takes a couple years for it to change enough to warrant new glasses. (I still get an exam annually)
- Nemi 2y agoMy first thought is - how do you get the contact information for a closed office? My current hack, which is not as great as yours, is to put a reminder on my calendar for a few days before my 1 year prescription ends. If I order new contacts in the one year period for another year’s worth of contacts (even if I am not out yet), I essentially get to go 2 years between visits. I will try your hack next if I can figure out a good way to get contact info for an office that won’t object.
- hunter2_ 2y agoGoogle it. When places like this go out of business, local news articles get written. Or just pick randomly among ones still in business, worst case your order gets canceled?