Hi,

I read the information about doing a MS for a major MSC and it states that you must have bifocals. Then, you get the glasses as they state and then you MUST mail them in. You don't get to keep the glasses. So, what happens to all of the glasses that are created and paid for, reimbursed, of course. It takes 6 weeks to get paid. I wonder what about the narrative. I have worked for this company before and all was well. But, it would be my husband doing the shop, if awarded it. Narratives are not his thing!

What can anyone tell me about this MS, report, etc?

I believe they are checking the accuracy of the lenses. I have no idea what happens past that but it is a shame that we can't keep them. Years ago I got all of my glasses close to free but unfortunately haven't seen those shops for awhile.

Liz

It is a lot of time involved for that one, the eye exam and picking frames etc. IMO not worth it.

Is this the one for About Face? Yeah, I don't get it either. Seems like a lot of work for not much pay. And what happens if the bifocals get lost in the mail?

I have done the one for About Face with the lenses that automatically change. I can tell you that you do not have to wait six weeks for payment. As soon as the receive the glasses from you they issue payment so if I remember correctly I was paid in under 10 days. I believe it is to make sure the brand name lens is actually used to make the glasses.

And I did not have to get an eye exam. I have my eyes examined once a year, wear progressive lenses and always get a copy of my prescription. Thus no eye exam is needed - again shortening the time to do the shop.

Plmccut is correct.

I've done this shop three times and found it worthwhile. It's usually a $40 fee.

About Face has been great about cutting a check and getting it to you very quickly, usually within a week or so. They bundle the reimbursement and the fee in the same check.

It is involved as you have to shop for the lenses, pick them up and then mail them off. It's a pretty good shop if you're in the market for new glasses anyway, and the shops are close.

You send in the glasses and they're checked for authenticity. I wish I could keep those glasses, though.

Best part about it for me is it racks up a lot of points on my credit card.

I did one of the first Transitions eyewear shops. Pay was $25. Had to send in the glasses but they would send them back and I would get to keep the glasses. Glasses turned out to cost over $400! Got the $25 plus reimbursement for the shipping and the glasses.

Then I got an email from the MSC, the glasses I received weren't Transitions, so they would not be returning them. The store had cheated me and put in lenses from a competing (and cheaper) company! (Actually, the store showed me the cheaper lenses - they were about $100 less than Transitions. I was supposed to object that I wanted the real thing.)

Since I wasn't getting to keep the glasses, the MSC sent me a check for $400. This was on top of the reimbursement for what I paid for the glasses and the shipping.

After Transitions paid out all that money they revamped the shop. Now no one gets to keep the glasses.

What happens to the glasses that are sent back? The frames can be resold - just pop out the lenses. Many places use stock lenses and if they aren't ground down too much to fit the frame, they can be reused. For anything that can't be resold, they can donate them to places like Lions Club or Feed the Children and take full writeoffs for their donations. These organizations take used glasses and can use a machine to figure out the prescription. Then they send them to third-world countries and they are matched up to people who can't afford glasses.

I'm in the eye biz. Like niteowl says , they want to be sure you're being sold the real deal. They do not return the frames to be resold. If they are not disposed of, they're donated. Transitions is now owned 100% by Essilor, the largest producer of lenses in the world. They desire to crush like a bug any competition out there, antitrust be damned. Of course it is noble to purchase Transitions and get what you pay for.