In recent years, the community of contact lens wearers has been inundated with advertisements from online contact lens vendors, touting low prices and the convenience of home delivery. These online sellers attempt to persuade patients to choose their services over the traditional approach of ordering through a trusted eye doctor. Despite the compelling pitches made by these online platforms, there are several valuable advantages to purchasing from your trusted family optometrist, advantages that are often sacrificed when opting for online purchases due to the online stores’ limitations or unwillingness to provide the same level of service. Here at Richmond Hill Eye Clinic we will offer some highlights of some of the key benefits of ordering through your optometrist:
1. The Power of Rebates
Online contact lens retailers heavily promote their low prices and attractive deals, suggesting that you can’t obtain similar cost savings when ordering from your optometrist. While the initial prices on some online sites may appear lower, the final costs often exceed those of ordering from your eye doctor’s office. Many eye doctors have the capability to apply special rebates for their patients, effectively reducing costs. Online services are often unaware of these rebates or require customers to handle the redemption process themselves. This lack of awareness can lead to people missing out on potential savings that they could have enjoyed by buying from their optometrist.
2. Personal Relationships and Expertise
Arguably the most significant distinction between buying online and purchasing in-office centers around the role of your optometrist compared to that of an online vendor, as well as how each regards your well-being.
Your eye doctor’s primary responsibility is to help you achieve the best possible vision while safeguarding your overall eye health and comfort in the most effective and comfortable manner. A substantial part of fulfilling this role involves establishing one-on-one relationships with each patient and maintaining personal connections that encourage ongoing discussions about their needs and long-term visual health.
In contrast, you are unlikely to establish any personal relationship with the anonymous customer service representative at an online contact lens retailer. Furthermore, these representatives are often not adequately trained to understand your critical visual health needs in relation to your contact lenses. Your eye doctor prioritizes a relationship centered on your overall visual health, whereas an online contact lens retailer prioritizes a relationship focused on your wallet, without assuming any responsibility for your overall eye health.
When it comes to addressing eye infections or dry eyes caused by your contact lenses, speaking with a professionally trained and educated eye doctor with whom you have a personal relationship is more likely to lead to successful solutions. This stands in stark contrast to communicating with a customer service agent you’ve never met and likely never will, whose sole role is to process orders, leaving little room for addressing your specific eye health concerns.
Buying your contact lenses from Richmond Hill Eye Clinic is the safest option.