I originally visited America's Best on May 15 for a comprehensive eye exam for both eyeglasses and…read morecontact lenses. Before making any purchases, I specifically told the representative helping me that my main priority was getting contact lenses. I even asked if using my insurance toward glasses first would affect my ability to use my contact lens benefits because, if it would, I didn't want to purchase glasses. He assured me it would not be an issue.
I was told I would receive a call when my glasses and contact lens trial lenses were ready. After hearing nothing for over a month, I returned on June 17 to check on my order. I picked up my glasses but was then told I couldn't receive my contact lens trials without a contact lens fitting. I don't understand why that couldn't have been done the same day, especially since there was no one else waiting. Instead, I had to make another trip back.
To make matters worse, I was immediately unhappy with my glasses. They have a constant glare or hazy appearance, almost as if the lenses are scratched. When I brought up my concerns, the representative brushed them off and told me it was because I didn't purchase the upgraded lens coatings and that these were simply the "cheap plastic" lenses. There was very little empathy or effort to address my concerns, and I left feeling dismissed.
I returned on June 18 for my contact lens fitting, only to be told that I couldn't use my insurance for contacts because it had already been used toward my glasses--the exact situation I had specifically asked about before purchasing them. Had I been given the correct information on May 15, I would have made a completely different decision. Instead, I was told someone would call me back within a few days after they worked on resolving the issue.
A month passed, and once again, I heard absolutely nothing. I had to return to the store myself, only to be told that the issue was related to how my insurance had been processed. While the assistant manager did make an effort to help, it felt very minimal. As soon as she realized what had happened, she pointed me to my insurance company's phone number and told me to call to have my benefits re-authorized instead of taking the initiative to make the call herself. Considering the issue stemmed from how everything had been handled at their location--not because of anything I did--I felt the responsibility to resolve it should not have fallen on me.
My vision insurance covers the eye exam separately and provides an allowance toward either contacts or glasses, so being told the exam was the reason I couldn't use my contact lens benefits made no sense. I ultimately had to spend my own time trying to fix a problem that resulted from incorrect information and how my benefits were originally processed.
By this point, I had already spent almost two months trying to get my contact lenses. The assistant manager offered a discount of around $40-$50 for the inconvenience, which I appreciated, but it didn't solve the real problem. I explained that I had completely run out of contact lenses and had nothing left to wear while waiting for my order, making this much more than just an inconvenience. Because of that, I asked if my contacts could be expedited and was told they would arrive within 4-5 business days, not including the weekend.
Instead, I later received two separate emails showing an estimated delivery date of August 19, meaning it will have taken three months from my original appointment just to receive my contact lenses. I now have no contact lenses to wear while waiting because of delays and mistakes that were completely outside of my control.
This entire experience has been filled with misinformation, poor communication, and a lack of accountability. I was given incorrect information from the very beginning, my concerns about my glasses were dismissed, I repeatedly had to follow up because no one ever called me as promised, and I was left fixing problems that were not my responsibility.
This was my first and last visit to this location. I expected knowledgeable staff who understood vision insurance, communicated with their patients, and took ownership when mistakes were made. Unfortunately, that was not my experience, and I will be taking my business elsewhere.
