Post by mountainbike1 on Aug 2, 2014 21:23:40 GMT -5
Rita thanks for pointing out my use of there and their I am so very sorry for the mistake I hope you can forgive me.
In regards to 1800 and the pricing structure you only get it at the lower price if you remember to fill out the rebates which last year collectively had a 9% redemption rate. So yes if you fill it out then you would be very close to the minimum price but still higher.
Again at the end of the day 90 percent of patients pay less.
I'm not trolling I have looked at the boards here for a long time and have had good ideas, the only reason I posted was that this is an area that I know the most about and wanted to share, no more no less.
I'm not trolling I have looked at the boards here for a long time and have had good ideas, the only reason I posted was that this is an area that I know the most about and wanted to share, no more no less.
You are male and have 2 posts, both in this thread.
Post by mountainbike1 on Aug 2, 2014 23:46:46 GMT -5
It's funny just because you post your feelings on a topic that is what you have been involved with over the last 20 years you think it would at least have people look at it from a different perspective. Instead it seems that belittling or calling people liars is what people like to do most. It just gives two sides to every story. I don't want to post on things I don't feel I have extreme knowledge on so I have enjoyed what people have written in other threads but I felt I had to comment on this because it's what I know it well.
I remembered to buy mine (THANK YOU OP). Given that I always use visiondirect.com because it's cheaper, I'm very skeptical that I'll be paying less with this new regulation. But I will keep an open mind until I see the new prices at my optomistrist next year.
Post by mountainbike1 on Aug 3, 2014 0:38:37 GMT -5
If they are not quite a bit cheaper then feel free to let me know. Most are at the floor minimum which is up to $100 less than what they have been selling.
It's funny just because you post your feelings on a topic that is what you have been involved with over the last 20 years you think it would at least have people look at it from a different perspective. Instead it seems that belittling or calling people liars is what people like to do most. It just gives two sides to every story. I don't want to post on things I don't feel I have extreme knowledge on so I have enjoyed what people have written in other threads but I felt I had to comment on this because it's what I know it well.
If you've been lurking "for a long time" then why didn't you chime in when we first started the thread? Why weeks later?
I'm interested in what your favourite posts are here. OOTD? Make-up? Would you eat this? So much interesting stuff for a red blooded American male. Did you find us from the Nest or how?
It's very bizarre of you to lie and say you've lurked here before. Very bizarre.
Rita thanks for pointing out my use of there and their I am so very sorry for the mistake I hope you can forgive me.
In regards to 1800 and the pricing structure you only get it at the lower price if you remember to fill out the rebates which last year collectively had a 9% redemption rate. So yes if you fill it out then you would be very close to the minimum price but still higher.
Again at the end of the day 90 percent of patients pay less.
I'm not trolling I have looked at the boards here for a long time and have had good ideas, the only reason I posted was that this is an area that I know the most about and wanted to share, no more no less.
LOL you're coming to a money board where people are looking for the bottom line price-I can promise you that our rebate redemption rate is FAR higher than 9%.
So let's look at Vision Direct for the same boxes. It comes to $103.96 for a year's supply, per eye. Then I can take 25% off that for a new customer, 14% back through Upromise...so please show me where an optometrist is going to give me that sort of pricing off the bat.
Post by mountainbike1 on Aug 3, 2014 12:55:02 GMT -5
Uncharch, I am not disagreeing with you that far more people than 9% go thru the paperwork, receipts, box tops etc to redeem a rebate on this board. Of course people on money boards will go thru the hoops to get back more money, but for the average public it fluctuates between 8-10% nationally. People that frequent these boards could be 50% or higher, I have no idea.
I work as a distributer which is the middle man/woman for contacts to go to the doctors or to the online companies so we know exactly what cost is because the company I work for knows what the lowest price is for the lenses. This is why I wanted to chime in and give a little background.
We are one of the few people in the industry that know what the internet is doing, what retail is doing and what private practice doctors are doing because they are all our customer.
Rita, to answer your question, yes I am a male but many years ago a female friend of mine told me to read some women's magazines from time to time, to get a feel for what "we" are thinking and not the typical male so I came across this website a while back and it cracks me up. Not in a bad way but makes me look at things from a different perspective and there is nothing wrong with being well rounded is there?
As far as posts that I have read, well there are hundreds that I enjoyed reading, the topics in health and fitness, home and garden, married life, money matters, travel, water cooler and food and entertaining are the boards I look at the most. I have learned a lot from everyone's posts and laughed a lot as well ( in a good way)
The reason for my post was because this is all I do for a living ( sad as it may seem) and just wanted to give some perspective. I didn't realize that a man wasn't supposed to post anything on the boards but I figured having someone post that has a very intimate knowledge would give a different point of view.
I'm still not seeing how this change is helping educated consumers on this board get a good deal on contacts. It's helping manufacturers and taking away a big chunk of the margin that optometrists are seeing on lenses.
Now if optometrists are mostly small business owners they are going to have raise exam prices or take a huge hit to make up the difference. That's not really helping me either.
Post by mountainbike1 on Aug 3, 2014 22:41:41 GMT -5
Love,
I guess my point would be this, if you purchase contacts from your Eye Doctor directly you should end up paying 20-30% less than what you had paid in the past. If you order lenses from the cheapest place online then you may end up paying more but there won't be the difference there once was. I know with 100% certainty that the cost on the lenses went down so overall there will be a decrease. Its just that the companies that are willing to make a $8-16 profit on a year supply of lenses will have to raise them.
So your right, if its strictly about the buck and that's all that matters then you would pay more, but overall and especially if you purchase from your eye doctor then you should pay a lot less.
I guess my point would be this, if you purchase contacts from your Eye Doctor directly you should end up paying 20-30% less than what you had paid in the past. If you order lenses from the cheapest place online then you may end up paying more but there won't be the difference there once was. I know with 100% certainty that the cost on the lenses went down so overall there will be a decrease. Its just that the companies that are willing to make a $8-16 profit on a year supply of lenses will have to raise them.
So your right, if its strictly about the buck and that's all that matters then you would pay more, but overall and especially if you purchase from your eye doctor then you should pay a lot less.
Who actually purchases lenses from an optometrist? You are on MM.
I repeat, none of us on this board would buy lenses at the eye doctor when we find huge savings online.
Post by mountainbike1 on Aug 4, 2014 0:54:42 GMT -5
I guess I'm not following here and why does everyone want to blast me about spelling and punctuation??? I mean I get that it is something to work on but to keep calling it out. Just learn to let it go, my gosh, please let a little of the OCD go away while your reading, people enjoy when you just have nice or not so nice comments about the information vs. the grammar.
With the prices going down so much dramatically in an office it DOES make it a much tougher decision than before. Most eye doctors if you purchase from them give a lot of things to consumers that they can't get from online, for instance if you rip or tear lenses, if your RX changes and you have open boxes. If you just don't like them and want new ones, they will take them back. And most will take back open boxes vs. online not taking back boxes that have been open.
So now at the most because of the national price drop there will be a very small difference in what you pay and the private optometrist will be much much more affordable.
I guess I'm not following here and why does everyone want to blast me about spelling and punctuation??? I mean I get that it is something to work on but to keep calling it out. Just learn to let it go, my gosh, please let a little of the OCD go away while your reading, people enjoy when you just have nice or not so nice comments about the information vs. the grammar.
Because we are adults.
You lack all credibility when you can't figure out what most people have nailed down in 5th grade.
I guess I'm not following here and why does everyone want to blast me about spelling and punctuation??? I mean I get that it is something to work on but to keep calling it out. Just learn to let it go, my gosh, please let a little of the OCD go away while your reading, people enjoy when you just have nice or not so nice comments about the information vs. the grammar.
With the prices going down so much dramatically in an office it DOES make it a much tougher decision than before. Most eye doctors if you purchase from them give a lot of things to consumers that they can't get from online, for instance if you rip or tear lenses, if your RX changes and you have open boxes. If you just don't like them and want new ones, they will take them back. And most will take back open boxes vs. online not taking back boxes that have been open.
So now at the most because of the national price drop there will be a very small difference in what you pay and the private optometrist will be much much more affordable.
Like @wise_rita said, you lack credibility when you can't get basic grammar and punctuation right.
My optometrist tried to change what I knew worked for me last year and gave me a 2 week trial package before writing my prescription. I hated them and asked for my old lenses. I still got my trial pair and in the end ordered online. Maybe I'm not the norm-but if I rip my lens, I wouldn't dream of going back and asking for a new one-I'd expect to have to order a new box. If my prescription changes, I'd either cut my losses or I'd finish out my old boxes.
I seriously don't know anyone IRL who orders from an optometrist. Coming close to the price online =/= beating the online price, so a lot of people will still go with the bottom line cost.
Post by mountainbike1 on Aug 4, 2014 9:04:53 GMT -5
I have no idea why there is such the gang mentality when someone gives their two cents on a subject. You don't lack credibility, it just shows your bully side which is not very becoming of you. Please stop your bullying and have normal conversations, I never attacked you personally I would expect the same in return.
I have no idea why there is such the gang mentality when someone gives their two cents on a subject. You don't lack credibility, it just shows your bully side which is not very becoming of you. Please stop your bullying and have normal conversations, I never attacked you personally I would expect the same in return.
Oh please.
Most people have been on this board for years. When some newb creates an account in a feeble attempt to educate the masses, surely your common sense skills can help you comprehend how that normally works out.
And you're a grown ass man jacking around on a forum for women, so you can put that bully card back in your pocket.
I have no idea why there is such the gang mentality when someone gives their two cents on a subject. You don't lack credibility, it just shows your bully side which is not very becoming of you. Please stop your bullying and have normal conversations, I never attacked you personally I would expect the same in return.
If you've been lurking for a long time, which you claim you have, you would know this is how GBCN works. I stand by my previous statement.
And, I'm pretty offended that you think you understand women based on what you've read in magazines. Just, no.
I have no idea why there is such the gang mentality when someone gives their two cents on a subject. You don't lack credibility, it just shows your bully side which is not very becoming of you. Please stop your bullying and have normal conversations, I never attacked you personally I would expect the same in return.
Let me explain.
A newbie comes in to try to explain something because they're "in the industry". No intro, watches a post for a weeks, then decides to post on how we're all wrong.
The rest of the population side eyes said newbie poster, questions who in the hell they are based on the items above and also grammar (which, if you've lurked around here for awhile, you'd know we're full of grammar snobs-myself included). The population also pokes a bunch of holes in the "hey, you're all wrong!" argument.
If you've lurked around here for awhile, you'd know that we're not overly trusting of people who make red flags fly up faster than we can hit create post. We've had our fair share of vendors, stalkers, and people claiming to be doctors try to throw out some sketchy shit.
If you think we're bullies, then feel free to not come back. It's really quite simple. The first step is to hit that little red X in the upper right hand corner of the window.
Post by mountainbike1 on Aug 4, 2014 18:58:51 GMT -5
Again, the attacking is non-stop. I find it amazing that not one person here has said anything even in the slightest that I may have a point on a few things. All I have heard from everyone is that I'm an idiot, horrible with grammar, stupid to what I am talking about, even more ridiculous that I post on this board because its for women only. The belittling is off of the charts and I guess I will go ahead and give the mob what you want more than anything, to just walk away and not read anything else here again, go back to school, try and never understand how women feel about anything, etc etc etc etc.
I'm fine with that because no matter what I post on here I would be met with negative comments that have very little to do with the subject and only to do with me.
For the record on this subject: I never said......
1) that the price change was good for 100% of everyone, just for people who purchased from there doctor or regular retailers like walmart, target etc.
2) if you purchased them from deep discounters online you would end up paying more
3) I do have 20 years in this particular industry, and I just wanted to express what was going on.
4) I thought that I could actually contribute on the subject
Obviously I was wrong on all accounts. You guys are all right, I am wrong, sorry for even trying and I won't lurk anymore because I don't think the women on this board even want a guy looking at what they write.
Again, I'm sorry for everything, the misspellings, pronunciations, and anything to do with sentence structure. I'm sorry for anything I have done in the past and to the present to make you feel the way you do about me.
Guys I'm in the industry and it couldn't be the furthest thing from the truth.
Most people just see headlines and they take it for face value without knowing the full story. Sure seeing "prices are going up for consumers" sends people into a tizzy and makes them think everyone's getting ripped off, the big man is sticking it to us again, on and on and on.
The vast majority ( 90% of patients) are going to see the price they pay for contacts go DOWN not UP. You always have to look at both sides of anything before going off and saying its automatically bad, since I am in the industry, not a doctor and I don't work for the manufacturer but I do understand it and watched the depositions as well and transcripts and looked at pricing.
Here is the other side.
90% of scripts are purchased at there independent eye doctors and for years they would charge whatever they wanted, they would mark contacts up incredible amounts and know that most people would purchase from the and only the very, very savvy patients would shop them.
So take a lens like Acuvue Oasys ( #1 lens in the industry) doctors would have a cost around $21-24 per box and sell them for $35-50 per box on average, most around $39 per box, so the average consumer was paying $312 for there contacts, some were so high in price that instead of wearing them the way they were supposed to be worn, it almost forced them to wear them twice as long because of the price being so high.
So the company dropped the cost to doctors and online to level the playing field and stop doctors from charging such high prices, and give a better value to the patient . If most doctors see that the industry is going to be around $220 for a year supply and they keep charging $312 then they will loose business fast.
It keeps everyone in check and gives a fair ( much lower profit) profit for resellers but a much more attractive price point to the consumer.
Obviously there is nothing in life, and I mean nothing that can make all people happy all the time. You could give everyone free money and you would have some complain that they didn't earn it, etc etc.
The online retailers that would sell contacts cheaper would put a price up but when you factored in, processing fees, taxes, and shipping the price you see was 98% of the time NOT the price you ended up with.
My point is this, for 90% of the consumers in the USA they are going to be paying a LOT less for there lenses, which is great for consumers, it also keeps the doctors honest. for the other 10% if you truly looked at your net price, if it was much below they new format there is a very strong chance they got there lenses from the "black market" and were not authorized resellers of the lenses in the first place.
Its funny the head of 1800 contacts testified and said how bad this was for consumers, but think about this for a second...
Right now they charge $135.96 for a 24 pack of Oasys, most doctors in the country are going to charge $110 per 24 pack, or a $51.92 LESS than 1800 for a year supply of lenses!!!!!
Anyway go ahead and lamb base me, I don't mind, but there is always two sides to every story and it just bothers me when people don't understand what the company was trying to do.
I don't understand why you think prices will go down. The new UPP pricing system is a MINIMUM price set by the manufacturer, not a set price. If doctors felt their prices were uncompetitive in the past they could have easily lowered their prices but chose not too (I'm not blaming them, they have a much higher overhead than online stores). I see no reason for them to lower their prices now just because the competition subsided a bit, it anything it just bridges the gap in their favor.
So as I see it the average price will go up. The discounters will now be priced higher and the higher end retailers + doctors will simply stay the same.
I just found out about the Unilateral Pricing Policy that started in August 2014. I wish I knew about it so I could stock up!!!
I know I'm a few months late but I read what mountainbike1 wrote and it really pisses me off. If they don't want patients to get ripped off by their optometrists, why don't they set a maximum price? They're setting a minimum price now, and I fail to see how it benefits me. I was able to get the Oasys from Vision Direct for $16.74 per box after discounts. Now it's $110 per 4 boxes ($27.5 per box). The guy talked about factoring in processing fees, taxes, shipping and the price would not be as cheap as it seems. But $16.74 was the price AFTER processing fees ($1.99), shipping (none for vision direct), and taxes (none for me). Hell of a lot cheaper than what I need to pay now. What a bunch of BS.
I saw that I can still get discount for Acuvue 2, which is what I used prior to switching to Oasys. Should I get Acuvue 2 instead? Is it not good to get old stock?