Contact Lenses Discussion Area

System

Just taken a look at this site and it does seem cheap . How much would you have to pay for duty and tax though? Also for free delivery , you have to spend $99 , so I can't see it being much cheaper  :-/

Hi

If you enter via their UK portal then there is no tax or duty to pay. Free shipping for orders over $99 does appear to be a limited offer but it has been free for over 4 months now. $99 dollars is around £56.00 A "cheap" price for Acuvue daily wear lenses is around £17per box in the Uk. Some have special offers for a minimum order of £99 for 90 pair (6 boxes) which = £15 per box. So the one off £11.00 per box still represents a saving of around £4.00 per box which spread over a year is around £96.00 still a pretty good deal.

However the main point I tried to make was I prefered to stay with my optician, who to stay competitive had put together a price match package which includes aftercare. It's worth checking with others, you may find that they have also put a deal like this together.

System

I still do not understand why prices for contacts (even when discounted) run into tens or hundreds of pounds per year. These are small peices of plastic injected moulded (okay into a very precise mould no doubt costing thousands), but if you bash out thousands per run then the cost of manufacture is going to be around a penny or a few pennies at most! I accept the high street venders have expenses, but these discounters are still laughing all the way to the bank. Or have I missed something?

MSE_Martin

Funnily enough reading through the threads - all the above named companies are ones I included in my survey. I also included CoastalContacts - but as the note in my article states - i discounted non-UK discounters due to import issues, it is useful to hear if anyone has actually tried that route how successful they were.

As for the optomotrist who posted - thank you for the clarification, I did in fact contact the optomotrists trade body whilst writing the piece to check out both the legal side, and to double check there was nothing in it that could lead to damage to peoples eyes (e.g. it specifically asked that i note how important after care was), but it is very good to have you hear clarifying the law.

Martin

System

Not for everyone, but if you are a member, then CostCo is by far the cheapest I have found. I get 3 months supply of BioMedics (apparently the best, and I have only praise for them) for £16.

Be very careful about this next bit, but I have heard many people say that monthly disposables are the same products as 3 monthly disposables, hence you can make a big saving by wearing your cheaper monthly's for 3 months.

Personally, I normally keep mine in for 2 months to be safer, and I have done this for about 2 years now and I have never had the 'tired eyes syndrome' I used to get with other lenses when the lens was nearing the end of its life.

I would also confirm that I have sometimes used my monthlly disposables for up to five months.
I clean them every two weeks, and have the six monthy check up when notified. But to be safe I try to change every three months , when I remember.

System

I pay £30/month at boots for monthly lenses I put in at the begining of the month and dispose of at the end.
I sleep with the lenses in. I don't use any solutions.
I get regular aftercare and additional if required. I get regular free site tests.

System

i order focus dailies from ok vision. Did some reserach and at £64 for 3 month supply pretty good. (that price was quoted before) but these come with 5 extra free pairs plus some free solution :-*

http://www.okvision.co.uk/products/ciba_vision_focus_dailies_contact_lenses.htm

This is my first addition to this great site! Got the sky plus deal off here; changed my life!!!

Bambi_Blou

Does anyone know who does the best deal for coloured lenses?

Also, does anyone know if there are any lenses available that can be used underwater (i.e. scuba-diving)? I'm presuming not, but don't really know.

I just visited https://www.coastalcontacts.com and they were advertising 100% rebate on contact lenses. In other words, spend over 99$ and get free sunglasses (worth 19$) and a full rebate for every penny (dime) you spend if you order before 15th April. All you have to do to qualify is answer some kind of questionnaire after receiving your order and again 24 months later. Unfortunately it doesn't appear to be available when you enter the UK site, but whether you're able to order from the US site and pay in dollars I don't know. Certainly the extra cost of shipping and exchange rates would be worth it if you're getting a full refund.

BB

System

I use extended wear lenses and pay £29.95 per month from Vision express. The great thing is that all after care is included, they will replace any lost or damaged lenses free of charge and every year when I have a full sight test (for free) they give me a free pair of glasses up to the value of £79. These could even be non-prescription sun glasses. This, I feel is a great deal.

System

I pay £14.99 a month for a pair of contacts & the solutions to be delivered to my door every month from D & A & have done for a few years & have yet to have any problems.

System

I require toric lenses as I have astigmatism and have found that https://www.lens-net.com are very competitive. I buy Ciba Vision's Focus Toric Dailies which are £50 for 90 lenses. Toric lenses are not standard and usually cost a lot more, particularly on the high street.

I am continuing to search for a better deal on the net, but would appreciate any suggestions from others about cheaper prices than the Lens Net ones above.