Took my father in law to get new glasses and their customer service was great at fairmont location!

A month-long saga ended today. Went to Target Optical for my annual exam and I needed to update my 2-year-old pair. They didn't have anything I liked that day, so I went to America's Best. After an hour of trying on glasses in half the store, I settled on a pair. I thought getting the order for them would be painless. It wasn't. The staff member handed me off to the manager, which struck me odd. It's glasses, not a car dealership. She was a bit off-putting with an attitude, which I found unnecessary and not very encouraging.

The manager was going through the options and wrote me up for the most expensive progressive they have for $385 without tax, not including the frame. I told her flat out I don't need anti-glare or transition lenses nor do I care about thin lenses (my current pair aren't thin and I don't care). I literally had to haggle them down to a reasonable price even with insurance. Total cost of $209. I paid for the pair and immediately had a sinking feeling, but couldn't put my finger on why.

5 days later my glasses were in despite being told 10 days was the turnaround time (which was typical for past pairs). I went to pick them up and tried them on. I was handed a laminated card with various policies written on it in differing sizes and font colors. I found the glasses to be painful to my eyes. I equated this from wearing my current glasses all day. I sat there looking and pondering because these were hard to see out of. I told the staff member, I don't know if they were good or not, so I will test them out for a couple of days to see if they work for me.

I got home and put them on again. I looked out the back window to see how clearly I saw the house number across the street that I could see with my current pair. I couldn't see jack **. The new pair had only one good spot to see out of and the rest of the lenses had a fish-eye effect. It was virtually unusable. I couldn't even see the minute details of the floorboards from across the room nor see the computer screen properly. Not to mention the eye pain was crippling in my left eye, so I put on my old pair and put away the new pair.

It's the first time I've ever had a garbage progressive pair of glasses. I thought they screwed them up. I tried wearing them a few times, but could not stand wearing them for more than 5 minutes. I went back to Target Optical where I did my exam to a) get the new pair measured and b) replace the frame of my current pair because I screwed up the arm.

They assured me the script in the America's Best pair were correct, but mentioned the lenses were convex and that it could be the position of the glasses on my face that is causing issues. They tried adjusting them. They suggested I go back to America's Best to get them remade and if they will not help me or refund me, Target will work a solution. At least I had a backup.

I remembered I have a 30-day return window. I went back last Wednesday and met with the staff member who first gave me the glasses when I picked them up. I explained my predicament and she thought maybe it was a differing material causing the issue. I told her the lenses were oddly convex versus the flatter profile of my old pair. I thought the convex was causing the severe distortion. I told her that I had Target measure the pair to check that the prescription was correct (it was), but that I could not see out of them and it was painful. She was curious to see what material was used on my Target pair. I went home to locate my old packet from 2020 for my current glasses. I didn't have it and Target didn't keep that on file, only the prescription.

I go back to America's Best the day after and I have to deal with the manager again. I explained again the issues and she copped an attitude. She insisted that if I'm having problems it's the script my optometrist wrote and not the fact they were made wrong. She claimed when she measured both pairs that the right axis was 140 on the new versus 120 on the old and the left eye had axis subtracted. She wanted me to get re-examined and I balked. Instead of making it right, she said, "We will only remake them using the script that are in your current [Target] pair. In order to do that, I need the 2-year-old script rewritten." I reluctantly agreed and went away.

I went to Target Optical and met with the same lady who helped me on my last three visits now. She was perplexed by America's Best asking for the old script, but she ended up giving it to me anyway and assured me they will help me if this place won't. She also mentioned it was pointless to remake a new pair when my current pair was still good. A coworker offered to me the material they use on the standard progressives and mentioned "if you have a frame you'd like to use, we are happy to make your glasses. You don't have to buy the frames here".

Why didn't someone tell me 4 weeks ago?! I would have stuck with Target instead I went to America's Best. Damn! Now that I had that vital nugget of info, I went back to America's Best after work and was glad to see the immovable manager was not in, but the staff member who helped me twice before. She picked up the conversation where we left off on Wednesday. The manager never said to her that I came by on Friday. She asked did I find out the material on the old pair. I told her "no". I don't have it and Target doesn't retain it beyond a year.

I advised her that I returned on Friday and her manager would only remake them with the current prescription I'm using (my Target pair). I said that I wish to return the pair that was made because it makes no sense to remake them with the script I'm wearing and with a replaced frame at that. She didn't argue with me. She wasn't thrilled either, but she refunded me my $209 for the entire cost of the pair out of pocket. I gave a star back on this review because she did the right thing. If her manager was there, I'm dead certain I would be denied a refund.

Needless to say, I learned my lesson. Aftee reading tons of nightmare reviews, I count myself grateful that I was able to get a refund. I can use Target irrespective of where I get my frames. Target's standard progressive lenses are far superior to anything I've worn in the past 19 years and they have not a single scratch or scuff on them after 2 years of nonstop use. Now, let's just hope that the claim with VSP under America's Best is reversed and my benefits restored for this benefit year. Despite the out of pocket cost refunded, I'll be screwed out of my glasses for the year under VSP.