Shopping Discussion

Urban Eyes Optical (Davie Street) is TO BE AVOIDED.

  • Last Updated:
  • Nov 1st, 2010 3:38 pm
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Deal Addict
May 24, 2008
2799 posts
259 upvotes
Vancouver

Urban Eyes Optical (Davie Street) is TO BE AVOIDED.

So I walked into Urban Eyes Optical and got fitted for a pair of glasses. I find they did a good job in picking the right pair for me.

However, when it got to finding the pricing for the new glasses, they said the frame price of $369.99 included the lenses as well. Of course, it didn't. The glasses ended up being $650.00. I do have a high prescription, but I can easily get lenses anywhere else for that same price or cheaper. So basically their marketing is a big sham in my opinion. The $369.99 was for the glasses and I paid a different price for the lenses as well ($340.00 or what-not).

They sold me on the brand name Essilor lenses, however, according to counterfeit websites they must also give you a certificate of authenticity which they did not, not on my 1st pair or my second and final pair of lenses (the exchanged ones), which makes me believe they ripped me off twice. They did hand me a token Essilor cloth lens cleaner with dust all over it showing it's age, obviously it was new, but not brand new.

So anyways, about 8-16 hours later I left a message on their answering machine saying I wanted to change the plastic lenses I ordered for Polycarbonate, I confirmed this with them before they ordered the plastic lenses as it was only a few work hours later but the next day. I then realized after doing my research that the ABBE Value of Polycarbonate is much lower than any other lens and much lower than the human eye. So I called them within 24 hours, I think it was 16? I canceled the lens order with Lyle my sales person.

About a week later I went to pick up lens/eyeglass order. I went outside with Lyle to try on the glasses after doing so in the store because I noticed my old pair (plastic) had much better clarity and were better glasses/lenses. I did the exchange outside, looking through the new glasses and through the old glasses. My old glasses were MUUCH better like night and day than the new order I just made of Plastic lenses (remember I canceled the Polycarbonate Lens order). I said, "Lyle, this is kind of weird, my old lenses are much better than my new ones. Are you sure these are Plastic and not the Polycarbonate ones I canceled?" He tapped on my new lenses and then the old lenses with his finger and said, "Your old glasses are Polycarbonate.", when in fact they weren't I ordered plastic lenses. I was dumb founded how my new glass order was WAYY worse then my 6 year old glasses which were about to break in half with little ability left to even work. He started acting very worried in the middle of me trying on both pairs. He said put the new ones on and don't do that. You have to keep them on to notice the clarity.

So anyways, I took his word for it even though I knew he had most likely just given me my canceled order instead of re-ordering the lenses.

On my way home, a few minutes later, I started seeing everything behind me on the bus reflected inside my glasses. I basically had 360 degree vision. I knew something was wrong. I went to my other eye doctor who checked my glasses and his co-workers checked my glasses, he popped out a lens and tapped it on metal (or something) and said, "This lens is Polycarbonate." Don't forget that I never told him why I was asking, I just asked him to do it. I also asked him to check to make sure the lenses have UV and Anti-Glare etc, and he checked under some machine. They did, but they also found out that the lenses were WARPED.

I was dumbfounded. I immediately went back to Urban Eyes Optical and talked to them about this. They told me my lenses were plastic and after checking under a machine said they weren't warped. Obviously they lied. My eye doctor's company is highly ethical even going as far as Africa to give free eye exams to thousands of people. Why would they lie to me when if the lenses were warped the lab should exchange them for free? That doesn't make sense.

So anyways, I realized after all this they weren't going to do anything about this matter in giving me a quality medical product or glasses if you would prefer that. I called the College of Optometrists to file a complaint against Lyle and Urban Eyes Optical and found out that no Optician is working at Urban Eyes at that time. Only sales people. This is a huge thing for an eye glass company like Urban Eyes to do, it doesn't make sense. Every company needs a licensed Optician. Dr. Ahmed said they have had their licenses in the past and that they no longer need to re-new them every year because they still have the knowledge of doing the job. This as far as I'm concerned is far from the truth.

How did they not know my lenses were warped if they were licensed previously? How did they not know my lenses were Polycarbonate and not the plastic like when they checked under their machine? Why did a couple of them not know how to heat up the frame to mend into the face to make them fit better?

So anyways, because they have no Opticians working at the store the request was sent to the College of Optometrists...

[To be continued. Stupid forum deleted my final post.]
4 replies
Deal Addict
Jan 19, 2006
4624 posts
1064 upvotes
Vancouver, BC
truth, observations, but no accusations and I think you'll be okay

oh and if you worked there, don't post company secrets if you signed any confidentiality disclosures.
Member
Dec 22, 2007
364 posts
20 upvotes
I got my glasses there.. Was quite happy with the overall experience. Interested to hear what happened to you, though.
Deal Expert
User avatar
Jun 11, 2007
15775 posts
1685 upvotes
Maple Ridge
I missed the post.. at least maybe you can summarize what happened to you? Bad customer service or bad lens?
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Deal Addict
User avatar
Aug 19, 2010
1800 posts
625 upvotes
Vancouver
Did you file with the Better Business Bureau too?

For future reference there is a great Optical store on robson st called Robson Optical.... I have had nothing but great service and products there and prices are very competetive!

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