1-800 Contacts Review: What You Should Know Before Buying
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Ordering contacts from 1-800 Contacts may be less expensive than purchasing through an eye doctor or brick-and-mortar eyewear retailer. But you must have a prescription from an eye doctor in order to place your order.
If you’re in need of contacts but have a strong aversion to paying retail prices, you may have gone the route of ordering your own batch online. It certainly is convenient, as all you need is a prescription from your eye doctor to summon your desired haul from an online supply store.
The problem isn’t a shortage of people wanting to be doctors, but rather, too few opportunities for training. Medical schools have increased class sizes by 30% since 2002, but federal funding for residency training – an essential step in the process of becoming a practicing physician – has not increased since 1997, according to Inside Higher Ed.
And since there are many online options to choose from these days, it’s natural to assume 1-800 Contacts is pretty much the same as the rest. Well, we gave it a whirl just to see how this service stacks up.
Keep reading for an in-depth look at what 1-800 Contacts provides, what other customers say, and what you should know if you’re considering becoming a customer, too.
Pros of buying from 1-800 Contacts
- Like other direct-to-consumer companies, 1-800 Contacts may be less expensive than buying your contacts through an eye doctor or brick-and-mortar eyewear retailer.
- The company offers a generous return policy that includes defective or torn lenses and lenses you don’t need because of changes in your prescription.
- They have 20 years of experience providing customer service, which is a long time compared with some competitors.
- Customers love that a person takes their phone call and handles their orders if they need help.
Cons of ordering from 1-800 Contacts
- Online retailers like 1-800 Contacts don’t provide services the way an eye doctor does. If you want help figuring out how to put your contacts in and care for them, there are videos online. If you’re having issues with comfort, reach out to an eye doctor.
- As with any items from any retailer, back orders can happen sometimes. Once you’ve put in your order, if that ends up being the case, you’ll just have to wait.
- Lenses you return because your prescription changed will earn you store credit, not your money back.
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In terms of the telehealth boom that sprung up over the last couple of years, 1-800 Contacts was way ahead of the curve. The company was founded in 1995, which makes them the oldest prescription-by-mail optical company that’s still operating.
Before ordering things online was a way of life, 1-800 Contacts allowed you to place a phone call with the supplier and create an order, which was then delivered directly to your home.
The number you called to place the order? 1-800-266-8228, which is still the company’s customer service phone number today. On the phone keypad, that spells out 1-800-CONTACT, hence their name.
1-800 Contacts isn’t an optometrist or ophthalmologist service, but the products they sell require a prescription, by law, in the United States.
You can get a copy of your prescription from your eye doctor and send it to 1-800 Contacts. If you don’t have an official copy of that information, you can simply share your doctor’s contact information with 1-800 Contacts and they’ll take care of it for you.
If you don’t have a current prescription and need to renew it, you can try the 1-800 Contacts online eye exam. This service costs $20. Experts say this type of exam isn’t a replacement for an in-office exam.
As a new customer in early 2020, Austra Health senior editor Megan Severs found their services helpful.
She noted, “The contacts arrive really quickly and they send follow-ups when it’s time for a new pair. They also offer to work with my eye doctor to get my updated prescription information, and, given COVID, gave me the option of doing a virtual exam. The virtual exam was really easy and meant that I was able to get new contacts without needing to wait for my eye doctor to reopen. I really appreciated that they found a solution for this.”
1-800 Contacts sells:
- Disposable contacts. These are meant to be replaced every day, every 2 weeks, and every month. They sell brands by four major manufacturers: Bausch + Lomb, Johnson and Johnson, CooperVision, and Alcon.
- Colored contacts. Color-tinted contacts contain a colorful lens that covers the iris of your eye but not your pupil. Even if you’re only interested in purchasing colored contacts for cosmetic reasons, you’ll still need a prescription.
- Contact solution. 1-800 Contacts carries several brands of contact solution on its website.
1-800 Contacts doesn’t sell glasses on their main site. However, the company does own Liingo Eyewear, which primarily sells glasses.
20% off your first order
The cost will depend on what type of contacts you need, as well as whether you have vision insurance.
If you wear contacts most days of the week, while switching to glasses for maybe one or two days, ordering 2 boxes of 90-day disposable daily contacts should typically last you about 3 months.
We got a hold of a $10 coupon online, which brought our 2-box order to $96. That’s just about standard for that you might pay with other contact lens suppliers.
Paying over $100 for contacts 4 times a year may not sound ideal, but when you do the math, $1.06 per day for prescription contacts that won’t dry your eyes out from daily use could turn out to be a bargain.
Notes on free shipping
1-800 Contacts offers ground shipping (which takes 5 to 7 days) for free. Note that this is pretty standard for companies that ship contacts.
If you want your contacts to come earlier, you can pay for one of their faster shipping options. You’ll get a delivery estimate as soon as you place your order. But, the contacts may even come a day or two sooner than expected.
What if I need new contacts right now?
If you really need a set of contacts ASAP, you can contact your eye doctor’s office and ask if they have any in stock. You can also pay 1-800 Contacts $15 extra for overnight shipping.
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You can place your order online or you can still call the number 1-800-CONTACT.
What you’ll need before ordering
The first time you place an order with 1-800 Contacts, you’ll need:
- a copy of your prescription or your doctor’s contact information
- your payment information (credit card or PayPal)
- a copy of your insurance card, if you have vision insurance
For subsequent orders, 1-800 Contacts will save your prescription information in your account.
The ordering process itself is pretty simple. You’ll select the contact lens brand that you typically use, and enter the prescription numbers listed as your OS (left eye) and OD (right eye). You may also need to note in your order if you have astigmatism.
Then, you’ll enter in your doctor’s information and place your order. Once you’ve ordered, 1-800 Contacts will confirm your prescription and process your order for shipment. If you have a copy of your prescription, you can submit a photo of it along with your order using the website’s automated system.
If you have vision insurance, you’ll need to enter in that information, too. 1-800 Contacts accepts most major forms of vision insurance.
If you’re going to submit to a health savings account (HSA) or flexible spending account (FSA) for reimbursement, make sure to print off a copy of your receipt.
20% off new orders
Severs said, “Ordering is straightforward. Assuming your prescription is still valid, you either need to have a copy of your prescription or give them your eye doctor’s info so that they can retrieve it, but they’ll work with your doctor to get it if you don’t have a physical copy of it.”
