Wasted my time coming in to find out they don't take Principal Eye insurance for exams. Receptionist said only United?

Went in and the employee stated she called our insurance and they didn't approve. We called and it was covered and provided an authorization number. The women then couldn't be found so another person helped. We got notified that the glasses were ready. On arrival and pickup one of the lenses had a visible scratch. A third employee said it would be another week. No apologies given. We won't be going to this optical location again. Terrible experience read more

I'm really disappointed with the quality and the customer service during my last visit. March 8, 2022 I purchased two top tier glasses (Givenchy and Ferragamo) . Sometimes what seems to good to be true is just that! March 11, 2023 I'm back with both sets of glasses asking if they could be repaired. I was told no. Although I was within the one year time period for repair they weren't salvageable . I could, however, purchase a new set of frames if they had it. Fat chance of that happening since it's a wholesale joint. I also felt like I was guilty of a crime for having broken glasses. Not handled well by the customer service person. I purchased two pair to switch off and have two different styles. They are absolute garbage. So, I'm out of two pairs of glasses. Both of which were the first two pairs that ever broke in the past 30+ years I've been wearing glasses. And now, I'm back to wearing the glasses I purchased three years ago. I highly recommend avoiding this place for glasses. Again, a bargain is not a bargain. Since I have to replace them - they'll wind up costing me more. I recommend avoiding this place for quality. read more

Costco Optical - Caution broken within 1-year of purchase! - Optometrists Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Don't go for family member if they are not Costco members they will do eye exam but refuse to sell you eye glasses

First time having an eye exam at Costco optical at their White Marsh,Md location.From the check in to the exam,everything was professionally done. I reall appreciat the wonderful customer service. read more

I came early to avoid the crowd and was rewarded with quick service. I presented my optical prescription after learning that they could fill it with two pairs of glasses, one for computer work. One pair of glasses was ready the next day and the second pair of glasses was ready in 4 days. Not too bad. The prices were fair and reasonable and the quality was top notch. The staff assisting the transaction was patient and kind, helping with frame selection that was compatible with the prescription. The selection of frames while not extensive, was adequate for my needs. Will definitely return in the future. read more

I've read the other reviews and they either talk about the glasses counter in cosco (separate from sound eye care) or about optometrists/receptionists who are no longer at Sound eye care. I have been seeing Dr Bell for over 3 years now. Her level of service is Above and Beyond - exceptional. I had forgotten what we said in my last appointment about needing 2 pairs of glasses for different activities, so I made another appointment. The appointment started on time, the receptionists were lovely. The equipment is top of the line. Dr Bell spent 40 mins going over everything about my eye care in great detail so that I fully understand how to take care of my eyes. She meticulously checked my glasses and prescription again and offered me a comprehensive plan going forward. She even gave me measurements for the glasses I'm going to order online so that I can input the right data on there and save some money on that pair. She was kind, patient and very thorough. I've been seeing optometrists for decades and she is the best. read more

Costco optical is only good if you're getting contacts. If you need glasses, go somewhere else. It's frustratingly slow and plan on taking a number for a long wait. Then, plan on getting bad advice for sizing, and types of lenses. Just plan on the worst possible scenarios. Also, Costco has frames made for the size of elephant heads of you're not careful and pick it by accident. One can go on forever. read more

Dr. Li gave me an excellent prescription! I used to go to the best eye doctor in King County because I have a difficult prescription, but he retired. I looked around for a various eye doctors after that and the best one was Dr.Li in Lynnwood Costco of all places! Thank you so much! I can't tell you how happy you have made me with a good prescription. read more

The Optometrist staff seem as good as usual. i seem to get a good correction Used to be great but something happened there at the eye glasses counter, which is apparently a separate entity. There seems to be one guy who knows what he's doing. A woman there sized me for glasses and got it just wrong enough to make the glasses a little off focus. She seemed a little careless. Glasses almost work but give me a headache. The guy who knows what he's doing checked them another time and confirmed it was off a bit. Seems to be a lot more expensive then before too. I brought mom there and another guy at the counter seemed a bit lost and slow. I ended up leaving after a long wait. read more

I would like to tell Maryanne THANK YOU! Please get this to her. She works at the Shoreline location. I had been in last week, saw cargo pants but was unsure of a size so did not purchase them. Went back yesterday and couldn't find them. I asked her (Maryanne) where they were and she told me they didn't have cargo pants, she asked another worker and in a rather rude way (the other worker) walked away and said "not here at this store, never had them". Maryanne stuck with me and I said yes you do and it was just last week. She walked over to another pile and "THERE THEY WERE". She laughed and said it never dawned on her they were cargo pants she just tidied up the stacks. Ok now I again wasn't sure of the size so Maryanne tells me about the "around you neck trick", that you wrap the waist band around your neck and if it goes around and connects then that is the size you get...So I put the size 12 around me neck and the 14 around my neck. The 14 felt a little loose so did the 12 again and walked away with 2 pair of cargo pants in a size 12......WELL MARYANNE.....YOU ARE A GEM AND IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL FIT. I told you I'd let you know if it worked and IT DID!! Give there girl a raise for sticking with me and helping me with the correct size....Life is Good!! read more

Very great service in the Optical department!staff knowledgeable and friendly long wait though

I made an appointment a week in advance and when arriving at the clinic I was told that they do not have me on schedule. This is the phone number I called 206-542-1261. Unfriendly staff at the clinic. The people outside the clinic where the glasses are very friendly. read more

Dr. Bell and Associates is horrible. Well the person that answers the phone. She is rude and lacks customer service. It is a good thing she is leaving for college soon because this place needs someone that has a heart. read more

Definitely hit or miss. One or two very nice & thorough. Some opticians seem downright disinterested & unhappy, unlike other Costco Depts. They evaluate & fit way too quickly. Styles are generally so so. The optometrists jokes in an impersonal way, moves way too fast too. Sadly probably the nature of big box stores. read more

I agree with the others here that customer service isn't their top priority when it comes to answering phones. I guess since they're inside a Costco it's easy business for them. I called numerous times and phone goes into voicemail constantly. Then I decided to get to the receptionist and put on hold and then transfer and hold again. Basically no way to make an appointment over the phone. Whenever I do visit the location there are very few customers being helped so I do not see why they couldn't provide a quick service to do scheduling. read more

I procrastinate. So when I realised it was the end of my insurance benefit year and I needed an eye appointment, I scurried around trying to find an opening. And I got one... on the 31st of December! I was placed on the schedule and was seen within ten minutes of my arrival. I have since seen Dr Elizabeth Bell several times this year for conjunctivitis. Dr Bell showed such care to my poor angry eye and exhibited such attentiveness that I made the decision that she was going to be my new eye doctor! The front office staff can run hot and cold but have never been rude. The equipment and room was spotless. Parking is plentiful unless you go during a peak time at Costco. I recommend this office for your optical needs and think that you'll be satisfied after your first visit! read more

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I called today at 12:45pm to schedule an eye test, and the receptionist was extremely obtuse and rude. I asked when's the soonest appointment they can give me, she said, "12:45pm". I was confused and tried to clarify, "you mean 12:45pm today??" She answered, "Yes". I responded, "But it's already 12:45pm. She answered again and said, "Yes". I was wondering why she was offering a 12:45pm time slot when it's already 12:45pm & I would obviously missed it. Having worked in customer service, I was patient enough to ask her, "Do you have anything later than 12:45pm since I'm obviously going to miss it?" She answered, "You can come at 1pm". It's already 12:52pm at this point and since I'm about 10-15mins away from Costco, I took the appointment. I got there at 1pm, and got stuck in a jam at the parking lot. I got stopped by the employee in the entrance but I told him that I had an eye appointment so he decided to let me go anyway. I arrived at the clinic at 1:12pm, and the receptionist was like, "What are you here for?". I answered, "I'm here for my 1pm appointment. I just spoke to you earlier". She was quiet for a bit and I sensed something was wrong. I asked, "Should I reschedule??!" She was like, "Yes, because you already missed your appointment and we only allow a 10minute grace period" I was confused, and said "But I just spoke to you earlier, you..." She then said rudely, "But you were 15minutes late to your appointment. You should've arrived 15-30minutes early". At this point, I'm pissed off and said "you offered me a 12:45pm appointment at 12:45pm. I asked for 1pm...". I didn't finish my sentence, I rescheduled my appointment on Sunday since I really need new glasses. She then said rudely , "you should be be here 15-30mins early" I'm even more pissed off now and felt compelled to write this review. I'm forwarding this to their corporate. Maybe they'll train their employees on proper customer service and critical thinking skills. Number 1, why would you offer a 12:45pm appointment at 12:45pm same day when you expect your customer to arrive 15-30minutes early! Why would you offer a 1pm appointment at 12:45pm if you expect me to be there at be there 15-30mins early and there's a 10minute grace period. What are you expecting that I teleport to your location???! Number 2, why would you not tell the customer complete information like "you need to be here 15-30minutes early, and you only allow 10minute grace period if you're late". Number 3, how dare you be rude to me? I inquired nicely & you failed to provide complete information. You could've made clear that the soonest appointment you have is at 1pm but there's a 10minute grace period if I'm late or you could just not offer the 1pm time slot at all since you expect people to be 15-30minutes early. This is my first time dealing with this clinic. I recommend going to this location only for your grocery since I've always received great from other departments in this Costco, but I don't ever recommend people to visit their eye clinic ever! read more

Super inefficient, unfriendly staff, and staff do not comprehend questions well. Picked up waiting number asked if contact lens pickup had to wait in queue. Staff, not looking very bothered, responded I had to wait. When my turn came up, they almost scolded me why I waited since pickups can just pick up without waiting in queue. I informed them I had asked but was informed to wait in queue. The staff member who I asked initially didn't even bother apologizing. Where is the common sense and basic customer service? read more

I've been very happy with these guys- it's a new ophthalmologist each time but all I'm looking for is to confirm my rx. They've always been professional, it's easy to get an apt and insurance covers (though I have to submit myself) read more

The optometrist office is a small and not very decorative, but they seem to have all the standard equipment, and they were very efficient and friendly. I was most impressed with Dr. Elizabeth Bell (I guess there are two doctor Bells at this office) and she was extremely positive, helpful, and did a great job checking with me to make a plan to find the best contacts possible for me. She told me up front about pricing on the contacts I will be trying, and let me know that follow up visits with her during the next three months will not be assessed a fee since they will be part of the same service. And of course I appreciate that there's absolutely no pressure from the doctor or staff at this clinic to purchase glasses or contacts through Costco since they are independent from the store. Dr. E Bell was great, and I'll be reccomending her to friends! read more

I will start this review by saying that I have never gone out of my way to write a poor review, but I was so appalled by the service that I felt I should share my experience. I work in the healthcare industry (currently finishing my doctorate) and I value patient centered care. I walked in and the doctor did not ask anything about my eye history. He jumped into what he assumed my history was based on the prescription of my glasses. I did not get a word in edgewise throughout the entire appointment. He spent the whole time trying to impress me with jargon on how much he knew. I would have been far more impressed had he taken the time to find out about my history and to assess my current needs. I felt like I was talking to a car salesman rather than a doctor of optometry. I was appalled to see that they had the list of patients for the day hung on the cabinet in plain sight. They is a HUGE HIPAA violation and I am still considering calling to speak with the manager/owner. As someone who works in healthcare I am very cautious to protect my patients' right to privacy. Having that information displayed in a public area is against the law. I will say that the woman at the glasses counter was friendly and I ordered sunglasses, but I would NEVER have another eye exam at Costco. It is not worth it to me to receive significantly poorer care than a private practice so that I can save $40. read more

I was there yesterday for a optical appointment (excellent,see that review), and decided to make a detailed report on what is available in the optical department. They have over 400 pairs of frames with the average prices between $60 and $100. I saw some house branded frames, and big names like Hugo Boss, Gefferey Beene, Armani and Coach. They have cabinets full of different brands of contacts. You do have to have a membership. They do get really busy, but they do have a take a number system so everyone gets a turn. I have never felt rushed there and the customer service has been great. They were even gracious when I brought back a pair of glasses that I got in April. They check the prescription in the lenses against the prescription, and then checked my previous prescriptions, and found that the new lenses were weaker than would be expected. That is my ophthalmologist's fault. In April I got out of there with a new pair of glasses, with all the bells and whistles ( progressive bifocals, Transitions lenses, anti-glare, roll and polish, frames, etc) for about $250 cash price, no insurance-- a steal! read more

This applies to the eye exam clinic, Sound Eye Care, not the area nearby where Costco customers buy glasses and may have to take a number. I have rarely been so impressed by a combination of efficiency, quality, and excellence. I needed an eye exam for new contacts, and spotted Sound Eye Care while in Costco. Within 19 minutes I had completed paperwork, finished a preliminary screening for serious eye conditions, and completed my visit with Dr. Matthew Bell, who besides being funny and pleasant was thorough and fast without sacrificing detail. He performed all the steps I remember from past eye exams, but more efficiently. I walked out less than 20 minutes after I walked in. I had a new prescription, a pair of new contacts in my eyes, and a pair of alternative contacts to try after a week -- all for the cost of the exam. I have not seen so clearly in years and wonder why other optometrists could not have given me this vision years ago. When I decide which pair of lenses suits me best, I just have to return and place my order for more, or just order lenses online. Excellent! If you need a lens prescription and want to be in and out quickly with a minimum of fuss and a maximum of care, give Sound Eye Care a look. Note: You do not have to be a Costco member to use this clinic, but to get into Costco, where the clinic is located, you will need to be with somebody who is a member. read more

I wanted to get a second pair of glasses, and was on a very tight budget. I went to a different place to get my first pair, and they were pretty pricey. At Costco, I found some pretty awesome frames for $34.99! The staff was so very helpful and friendly -- answering my questions in a non-condescending way. I had to get progressive lenses -- trifocal, please, and I opted for all the sides, including transitions. I love my glasses - they were such a great deal, and the overall experience was amazing. I do have to say one word of advice -- they are Costco, so they do get very busy. Just grab a number and try on some frames for grins, and they will take care of any questions you may have! I totally recommend Costco! read more

Without the aid of modern optometry I would be legally blind! That said, I have been going to optometrists for most of my life and have been wearing glasses since I was 9yrs old. So I have alot of experience here! The independant Optometrist, Elizabeth Bell, located in this Costco, is the best one I've experienced! She is knowledgeable, translates things into laymans terms and doesn't treat me like a 5yr old and scold me relentlessly for my contact abuse! Instead she actually gets it! She understands how hard it is to wake up and not be able to see so works around that issue with me by ensuring I have the best, most breatheable contacts out there. Then kindly works out a plan for me in which to encourage me to wear my glasses at times to help my eyes breathe. In addition, I can just get a vision exam here, and don't have to go through dialation or other tests which is a huge bonus! The total exam only costs around $95. Then I simply go over to the Costco side, only a wall separates the two, and easily place my order for my new prescription. The process takes a total of 10 minutes to order and the staff there are very friendly and helpful. I end up paying far less than I used to for contacts and they arrive within a short few days. The glasses I just ordered were only $150 vs the $350-$500 I used to pay at my previous Group Health Preferred Optometrist! Lastly, Dr. Bell gave me the unfortunate news that I am now in need of readers. I only need a +.75 which is not a very common prescription however instead of recommending that I order them through Costco and spend $60, she told me where I could attain some for a mere $15! Seriously, if you are looking for a pleasant optical experience and for prices that don't make you reel, this is the place to go. read more

Great prices, and I happily saw the doctor and ordered glasses from them for several years. My last experience was really poor though. I wear progressive lenses and have for years. This time, the doctor really badly missed on my prescription. I went back for a correction and still ended up with a bad Rx. I don't think it's the fault of the glasses manufacturer - I have to tilt my head a bit to read clearly, and my distance vision is worse than not wearing glasses at all. I won't be back. read more

I was stopping in to pick up a pair of glasses for my son. They have a place set up for contact pick up so I stood there waiting. I was Completely ignored and a lady named Martha asked for the next number and I said I was picking up glasses. She was SO RUDE! She said I had to take a number for that! I asked what the difference was between her going in the drawer to give me contacts or glasses??? She did pull the glasses out and handed them to me which took all of 15 seconds but yet she said I needed a number an would have had to wait for a long time. That is poor customer service and she had a scowl on her face the whole time. People like Martha make me want to go elsewhere. read more

Made the mistake of going to Costco Optical..... AFTER I went to another optometrist! There, I paid a ridiculous amount of money ($X) for a pair of nice, name-brand glasses. 3 weeks later I wanted a 2nd pair of glasses for work, and I went to Costco Optical. WOW! I had the pleasure of working with Mindi (Vision Manager). She went above and beyond helping me with my purchase, and I actually got TWO (2) pairs of name-brand glasses for about 2/3 of what I had paid for 1 pair, at the other optometrist. Taking this forward about 8 months. My new glasses were no longer getting the job done (too weak and scratched), so I went back to Costco Optical for help. Was lucky enough to work with Mindi again, and she even remembered me from my previous visit! She gave me EXCELLENT customer service, kept my cost for new lenses to a VERY bare minimum, and is going to have the process expedited so that I have my new glasses before I leave on a 2 week vacation. GREAT JOB, and thank you Mindi and Costco Optical!!! read more

Dr was surprisingly way better than my past optician who was in their own practice and fancy building and all. These guys are straight to the point but we're willing to actually answer my questions instead of "oh that's normal" responses. Will go here again when I need to. Don't expect a golden experience here people, come on its Costco, but for what it is and the convenience of it, it was great. Thanks guys! read more

I have to commend the staff of Costco optical. I took two kids in with me to choose glasses on a busy Saturday afternoon. We only had to wait a few minutes before our number was called. The employee did a great job of helping me find frames that I liked. My son really liked the frames he already had and she immediately found frames almost identical for him. The process to place all three orders was painless and she applied a coupon that I hadn't known about. She told us it could be 7-10 days. Tuesday, I got the call that mine were in. Wednesday I got the call that both kids' glasses were in. Talk about fast! The ladies that helped us at pick-up really took the time to make sure the glasses fit correctly, even changing out the nose pads for smaller ones for my 10 year old. It took time but it was worth it. They took great care of us. read more

I had gotten glasses at Costco before, and was pretty satisfied. I went someplace else this time around, thinking they may be more affordable for me as my medical doesn't cover optical. In short, I returned those glasses in less than a week and went straight over to Costco with my prescription. It wasn't too busy that evening. I found a cute frame, but it fit me a little funny, so I wasn't sure. "Daniel" adjusted the nose pads for me, had me try them again...I was sold. He had my old lens history in the computer as to poly, trans, anti glare... asked me if I wanted those options again, I said yes. Everything said and done, he said I would get an automated call in about a week or two when they came in. 3 days later, my glasses came in. I received a nice case and a microfiber cloth...I've gotten decent cases with glasses before, but never gotten a mircofiber cloth, even when I got glasses at costco long time ago...much be new...but I appreciate it! The gal that helped me seemed to enjoy making sure they were comfortable for me. Picked up right away that I had my contacts in and told me, that if the prescription didn't seem right when I finally wore them, to come back and they'll get it taken care of. I don't know why I strayed from Costco for glasses....they are super affordable, contacts are affordable, if you have a problem, you just come back and they'll take care of it with no attitude. Staff has never been rude to me. I'll be back in two years for my next exam and pair of glasses! read more

I have always had a great experience getting glasses at this location. Ordering contacts here is a steal! However, I am bummed that they only have a few wide frames. I was redirected to order a pair online and they will add the lenses. They won't add lenses to my current glasses because they they're too old. :/ ugh. read more

Great customer service! Awesome price for contact lenses! And they take VSP insurance! Dawn pleasantly helped get my insurance to pay for my contact lenses even though it was almost closing time! Hans was courteous and nice! Thank you guys! I appreciate your friendliness! I love the staff here! I'll only come here for my contact lenses, and vision exam next time too. read more

Sadly, age has caught up with me. Age and three years in seminary where I spent my days and nights either reading a book or staring at a computer screen. All of this adds up to me needing my first pair of prescription glasses...sigh. At the recommendation of my in-laws I went to Costco for my eye exam. Granted I am new to eye exams, but as far as I can tell they did a great job. The Dr. answered all my questions, like "Why does that machine need to blow air into my eye?" She interacted with me like a friend I had not seen in a while, which made me feel very comfortable. And the price was good, $65 for the exam. After walking into LensCrafters for frames and then immediately walking out (prices there are waaaaaaaaaay overpriced). My wife and I went back to Costco to check out their frames. I found a great pair for $40, and with the lenses my total only came to about $120 (a similar pair of glasses at LensCrafters would have been around $350)! read more

An optometrist in Costco? Kind of sketchy, right? But actually it was probably one of the best experiences I have had with a medical professional. The office staff was extremely friendly when I phoned in. They offered me an appointment the next day. The office itself is pretty basic. The waiting area is right outside a sliding glass door. It's nothing ritzy, but you're not there to sit in waiting room chairs anyway. Dr Bell was extremely professional, answered all of my questions, and made sure I knew that all my appointments with her for the next 3 months would be included in my first visit price. Sometimes I feel like optometrists like to skimp out on the follow up visits, but Dr Bell was very adamant about me coming back. I'll have to follow up after I'm completely done, but after the initial visit, I'm glad I took the advice of a fellow Yelper to try her office out. Contact exams are $95, basic is $65. You have to pay more for some other tests ($10). read more

I had a good experience today. Was quick and the people in there had good senses of humor.

I have purchased great glasses there on three occasions. The prices are right and the quality is good. I however am consistently poor service by one person in particular and next time there I will certainly get her name. When my number was called and I saw it was her I cringed because last time she left me feeling very frustrated with her lack of customer service skills and overall knowledge. This time I asked her to take a lens out of a pair of glasses purchased there (the wearer had cataract surgery in one eye and that is what the Dr recommended). She practically threw the loose lens and glassframe at me when she was done. I had to ask for an envelope or something to put it in. I swear next time I will wait for the next person to take care of me, I will return there but I don't want to deal with her anymore. read more

I usually don't write bad reviews. But I had to do that in this case. I just think Costco Optical in Shoreline has horrible customer service quality. They are agitated, rude, not helpful, & ignoring. Maybe Costco workers are over working or they don't have a good customer service training or both. They almost act like bureaucrats. After getting poor rude customer service a few times I decided not to go there anymore. Even if it's reasonable price, it's not worth it if those rude workers make your day miserable leaving negative energy. So, I buy eye wears somewhere else. read more

I just called Coscto to *hopefully* order a few boxes of contacts and the man on the phone was so nice, I was just super happy. He was so friendly and mentioned that if I bought 4 boxes, I'd get $10 off because they have a coupon currently. I was so happy just to hear somebody in such a good mood, he was so friendly. I loved it. He called me by name and went to look for my contacts. When he found 4 boxes for me, he said he'd hold them behind the counter and that they're open till 8:30 today. How helpful is he!? I love it. So nice. I like this place and they have cheap contacts. Order them from here! read more