The trouble started because I needed new glasses the same day. I was working in Beijing, my old pair had broken, and without a replacement I could not do my job. I took leave and went through several optical chain stores, but none could deliver finished glasses that day. Eventually I found a state-owned optical center that promised same-day service.
Because my head is on the wide side, only one or two frames in the store actually fit me. They were imported frames priced at more than 1,000 yuan. After the eye exam, my prescription was around 500 to 600 degrees with some astigmatism, and the lenses were not cheap either. I chose Zeiss lenses with a 1.67 refractive index. Even after the discount, the total came to more than 3,000 yuan.
I assumed that pair would last a long time. Two years later, the temples began to crack and warp. I am careful with my glasses and never take them off with one hand, so I still do not know why it happened. When I went back to the optical center, the store had been demolished. A notice said it had moved upstairs to an eye hospital.
I looked up the ownership information. The hospital was 49% state-owned, with capital from a well-known hospital, and 51% privately held, with the private side holding the larger share. Since a state hospital was backing it, I thought it should be fine. Inside, the walls were covered with photos and CVs of retired ophthalmologists from that hospital. The optical center occupied one office. I explained what had happened, and they told me it would be difficult to deal with. The only option was to buy a new pair.
Fine. I would buy a new pair, as long as the price did not differ too much. I spent a long time choosing a frame that fit, and it cost more than 2,000 yuan. I thought maybe the lenses would be cheaper. Before choosing lenses, though, I had to have another eye exam.
A doctor took me to the exam room, did a quick and rough check, and told me my prescription had gone up by more than 100 degrees. Then she sternly informed me that I had to wear lenses that corrected my vision to the full prescription, or my eyesight would deteriorate faster. I said that my daily work mostly involved looking at things close up, especially a computer screen, and that I rarely needed distance vision. A full correction would make my eyes tired, I said. She scolded me and insisted that if I did not use the full prescription, my eyesight would get worse.
After the glasses were made, I was told to wear them for a while to adjust. Within five minutes I had a headache, dizziness, and a burning, red, sore feeling in my eyes. When I told the doctor, she scolded me again. In the end she reluctantly reduced the prescription by 25 degrees, saying otherwise it would create a vicious cycle. The soreness eased a little, but the discomfort was still strong.
Then came the lens selection. A doctor told me that Zeiss anti-blue-light lenses, with my prescription and astigmatism, started at 1,999 yuan. Because my prescription was high, I needed a high refractive index, or the lenses would be very thick. A 1.74 refractive index would cost more than 6,000 yuan, and the maximum discount was 10%.
I said: what? My previous pair also had Zeiss anti-blue-light lenses, also bought in this store, for more than 1,000 yuan, with a 1.67 refractive index. She said that was only an anti-blue-light coating, not an anti-blue-light lens, and that it was useless. She also told me it would take at least a week to get the new glasses.
So was this deception? I set that aside for the moment and asked her: a friend of mine got new glasses last week at another store. The prescription was more than 1,000 degrees, the lenses were 1.74 refractive index and anti-blue-light, also Zeiss, and with the frame the total was just over 3,000 yuan. Here, with a frame, you are quoting 7,000 to 8,000? The doctor's expression changed immediately. She looked suspiciously at my friend's glasses for a long time and muttered, 'Is this genuine?' After examining them, she stopped talking. She knew they were genuine. Then she awkwardly told me that they could not give me that price, that prices were unified, and that I should look elsewhere.
Since that was the answer, there was no point staying. I went downstairs and crossed the street to a large optical chain.
To avoid wasting time and ending up with another price problem, I asked the optometrist upfront: how much are Zeiss anti-blue-light lenses for a prescription around 600 to 700 degrees? He brought out a thick book with lenses from 1.67 to 1.74. Lenses and frames were discounted by 50 yuan for every 200 yuan spent, which worked out to 25% off. A 1.74 lens came to just over 3,000 yuan. Frames ranged from a few hundred to several thousand yuan. It was still on the expensive side, but far better than the place across the street.
Before the exam, the optometrist asked whether I had specific vision data. I said no, and the state-owned center had not given me any either. He pointed to a price list on the wall. The eye exam was charged separately? There were seven or eight packages, from tens of yuan to several hundred, nearly 1,000.
I asked which one people usually chose. He recommended a package that cost several hundred yuan. I asked why it was so expensive and what services it included. He mentioned things like a fundus examination. I said I did not need that, because I had had an eye checkup last month and everything was normal. He looked slightly disappointed and told me I could choose the ordinary exam for 50 yuan or the 7+1 exam for 100 yuan. I asked the difference. He said the basic 50-yuan exam was enough, but the 100-yuan one was more detailed, including a detailed astigmatism check, which would help with making the glasses. After some hesitation, I chose the 100-yuan package.
After a very detailed and very long examination, they finally told me that the actual prescription for the glasses should be slightly lower than the measured reading. Otherwise, eye fatigue would cause my vision to worsen. They also considered my daily computer use and viewing distance, measured a suitable prescription, and suggested I use that for the glasses.
The chain had many frame styles, so I had more choices that actually fit my head. In the end I chose a frame for 899 yuan. With the lenses and the exam fee, the total came to more than 4,000 yuan, plus a few dozen. They entered all my detailed measurements into my member account, which I could view through WeChat, and told me the glasses could be ready in as little as four days.
From the 7,000 to 8,000 yuan quoted at the hospital optical center, to just over 4,000 yuan at the chain store, to my friend's other store where the total was over 3,000, close to 4,000, the eyewear business has huge margins and is extremely expensive. But there is no way around it.
Some people say frames are cheap online, but in my case the lenses are the expensive part. Others say you can get glasses made online very cheaply. First, that suits people with low prescriptions and no special astigmatism, and it does not include an eye exam. Glasses also need precise measurements and fitting adjustments. If they are not made on-site, there will be problems. Some low-priced online products cannot guarantee quality or authenticity, and if something goes wrong, after-sales service is poor.
Some people say I should go back to my hometown to get glasses. Since middle and high school, glasses in my family have already cost more than 1,000 yuan. More than ten years later, the price is certainly higher. A round trip home costs nearly 1,000 yuan. Even if I ignore the fare, I would need three days of leave: one day to travel back, one day to get glasses, and one day to return. What about the wages for those three days? The total cost would be even higher.
So I still have to earn more money, protect my eyes, and protect my glasses. There is no way around it. When demand is strong, you are at the mercy of the seller.