I just went for a dreaded eye exam. The glasses were still doing the job, but I noticed that my current prescription for contact lenses was not adequate. Wearing them for the entire day was a strain on my vision.
After going through the various tests the eye doctor concluded I had astigmatism. My first reaction was I had some type of serious vision defect and this was going to be expensive.
Actually astigmatism is a common vision problem, but few people know what it is. Astigmatism is when the cornea is shaped more like an oblong football than a spherical baseball, which is the normal shape. In most cases astigmatism is hereditary and your vision may get worse over time.
The solution to astigmatism is toric contact lenses. There are a number of name brands that carry toric lenses.
The doctor took me into the fitting room and he fitted me with a test pair. The results were nothing less than amazing. Previously, my other contact lenses were so inadequate, I only used them for running.
It talked to the eye doctor about buying my contact lenses through the Internet. He agreed that there was considerable savings and there was no reason why I shouldn’t
When I got home I started doing my homework. I wanted to be certain I bought them from a reputable Internet retailer. After some research I found that 1800contacts.com, Visiondirect.com, and Costalcontacts.com were the names that kept appearing in searches and paid advertising.
Having chosen one, the process of buying online was quite simple. It easily located the lenses the doctor recommended, filled in my prescription, and gave my credit card info. There was one final step – I had the choice of faxing a copy of my prescription to the retailer or send it by email. By law they must verify the prescription with the eye doctor.
Being an email addict, I simply scanned the prescription and attached it to an email. What was impressive was within 15 minutes I received a verification that the eye doctor was contacted and the prescription was confirmed.
The contacts arrived in 4 business days. And they included a free pair of sunglasses. What more could you ask for.
If you are going to buy contact lenses on the Internet here are several advantages you can expect:
You get a 20%-30% savings. When you buy higher priced specialty lenses like toric or bifocals, that can really add up.
You do not pay sales tax. Once again another nice savings.
Free shipping. Generally you have to buy over $100 worth of contact lenses.
Shopping from the convenience of your home. To me that is worth considerable money. I don’t have to fight traffic and wait to be served at a retail store.
Some people have the misconception that the quality of the lenses are compromised when you buy online. That is completely false. The contact lenses you purchase through the Internet are exactly what you would get from your eye doctor.
Next time you need to replace your contact lenses check out the prices on the Internet. The savings can add up to a nice dinner out on the town.
Fred Waters is the author of 888-Contact-Lens.com where you can compare prices on popular Color and Toric Contact Lenses.