I cannot afford to order glasses at the eye doctor. I want to try Zenni Optical online but I need a PD# which measures the distance between your pupils. I was informed by the two eye doctors near 40/42 that the PD is only part of my eye exam if I buy my glasses from them. Does anyone know of an eye doctor that will include this as part of a paid exam?
I ordered glasses from this site for my daughter and I just used a ruler myself to measure the distance and the glasses came out fine.
Bullcrap. Find another DR. I went to Vision Park Optometry in Raleigh 2 1/2 years ago and told them flat out I wasn't buying their glasses. They didn't have a problem with it. FIL is a glasses sales rep down in TX and that was my B-Day present, new glasses. 870-1880 I know it's way out in N Raleigh, but I lived in Apex (vomit, gag, hurl etc...) at the time.
The PD is only taken usually at the point you have selected glasses from the optical shop in the office. It is used when cutting the lenses so that they are positioned correctly in the frame. It's not part of the eye exam. You could measure it yourself, but if you are not accurate, it could be a problem depending on your prescription. In higher prescriptions, there is more curvature to the lenses and if the PD is off, it can mean you are not looking out of the correct part of the lens. I do have professional experience with this. If you are going to order your glasses online, just be aware that if you have any problems with the prescription, the mail order company is under no obligation to remake them free of charge. At the same time, even if you end up being re-examined and the prescription is changed, your eye doctor is not going to pay the mail order company either. What you may want to consider is purchasing the frames online and then using someone here to do the lenses. I'm certain they would then take your PD before cutting the lenses.
Thank you for the input. I intend to begin with the $8.00 Zenni glasses to see how they work. Clark Howard highly recommends their products. I can get progressive glasses with all the extras (glare, scratch etc) for about $40.00. Last year I spent $160.00 out of pocket (with insurance) for glasses ordered from a local eye doctor. I complained that I couldn't see well out of them but I was told that "I would get used to them". I went back a couple of weeks later to ask a few questions and was treated rudely. After 6 months the paint began to chip off of them. I have to read through these glasses with my head tilted so obviously the PD was wrong anyway. For the price I'll risk ordering online. It just seems to me that paying for an eye exam should include the information on the prescription - which includes a PD. A regular MD gives me all of my medical information related to my exam. It is not contingent on me buying a product from him. I did pay the eye doctor for his time.
Be VERY careful buying progressive lenses online, esp if you have a high or complicated rx. You not only need the PD to be very accurate but also the segment-height (the up and down measurement of where your pupils sit in the frame) can make a difference, so if you're buying a frame without trying it on first just hope that it fits you correctly and doesn't sit too high or low. If the glasses fit a little low on your nose you won't hit your reading rx where you want it (=lifting your head way up to read), or if they sit too high you'll constantly be looking through your computer/intermediate instead of distance(=blurry driving). Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think they basically use your PD and place the seg height where the frame would fit an average person. Best bet is if you pick out a frame, see if you can find somewhere local that has the same one and try it on first, to make sure you are looking through the center of the lens. Most metal frames have nosepads that can be adjusted higher or lower which is easier to compensate with, but most plastic frames don't. Hope that helps!
I wear progressive lenses and I've gotten my last 3 pair of glasses from Zenni. They've all been fine. Have someone else measure from center to center of your pupils. Legally, that is supposed to be part of your complete prescription. It is unethical, at best, for the eye doc to hold your prescription hostage like that. And greedy. As for eye docs, I love Dr Eggleston at the Clayton WalMart. Very thorough and ethical.
I was impressed with Eggleston as well. And having worked in that field years ago, I feel he did a good exam. However, the lady ordering DS's glasses was guarding the PD like it was the key to Fort Knox. Actually covered it with her hand when she saw DH looking at it. However, he was quicker than she was, LOL.
