Purchasing Contact Lenses Online

Main Category: Eye Health / Blindness
Also Included In: Medical Devices / Diagnostics
Article Date: 02 Jan 2009 - 0:00 PDT

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When purchasing lenses you obviously want to get the best deal possible and it has shown over and over again that the Internet is where the best prices are. However, with that said we also have to mention that purchasing contact lenses online comes with some downsides. To clarify all the important points that this topic sustains we created this guide with the pros, cons, online safety and other important dos and don'ts.

Different Types of Contact Lenses

The type of lenses that you should get is determined after consulting an eye care professional. This is a must as you will need a prescription to purchase any type of contact lens. When you've received your fitting, it's time to decide, with the help of your doctor, between a wide variety of lenses. Some of the alternatives are daily contacts, monthly contacts, extended wear contacts, gas permeable contact lenses and bifocal contact lenses.

If you wish to change the look of your eyes, it's colored contact lenses or special effect contacts that you want to be looking at. Colored contacts can change the eye color entirely (opaque lenses) or just enhance the color you have now (tinted lenses). Special effect contact lenses are also known as crazy contacts and are often used in movies or as part of a Halloween costume. Both colored contacts and special effect contacts can have vision-correcting power, but most come with zero corrective power (plano lenses).

Purchasing Securely

When purchasing products online it's important that the seller offers secure payment alternatives to their clients. Buying with credit cards online should be done through Verified by Visa (VISA) or SecureCode (Mastercard). None of your credit card information should be stored on the site but directed to a partner handling payments. The other option is to select payment through an invoice. This way you won't have to pay for your contact lenses until you've received them in your mail.

Buying Online - The Pros

Purchasing contacts online is becoming increasingly popular and it has its advantages. Listed below are the three main reasons.

Price

This is perhaps the most obvious reason to the popularity of buying contact lenses online - they are almost always cheaper than in regular stores. Online resellers have a very large volume and no expensive store costs which leads to competitive prices. Price guides on the Internet have also lead to lowered costs for the consumer.

Assortment

The different types of contact lenses on the market have exploded in the recent years. The number of manufacturers is extensive and lenses come in all sorts, sizes, colors and shapes. Finding your preferred contact lens at a local retailer is easier said than done. When buying online it's easier to find what you want since you easily can visit multiple sites in a matter of minutes.

Convenience

If it's a matter of convenience buying lenses online is unbeatable. Simply visit an online reseller, add your personal info and put in your prescription as well as the name of the eye doctor who made the prescription. In a couple of days you should have your lenses in the mail.

Buying Online - The Cons

As mentioned is it not all positive when buying contact lenses online. The following points are some of the downsides.

Unreliable Online Sellers

Unfortunately, as the case is with most popular businesses - there will be some unreliable resellers on the market. Make sure that the seller is legitimate since you don't want to charge your credit card at a site that doesn't deliver what they've promised or that risk going out of business soon. If you only visit the major online lens sellers there will be nothing to worry about and in doing a little research you'll soon find out which ones that are reputable. Make sure that you only shop via a secure server.

Waiting for Prescription

Some online sellers will store your prescription on a file but that doesn't mean that you will be able reorder lenses right away. A prescription will usually only be good for a year. When it has expired you'll have to get a new and re-file the information.

Personal service

For all its conveniences, online resellers are no substitute for a face-to-face consultation with an eye care professional. So, if you have problems with your eyes, consulting websites for information is not a bad idea, but do not draw your own medical conclusions based on this. Go see your eye doctor!

Written by Marcus De Vries
http://www.lensshopper.com