My daughter, aged 23 and college educated, needed to renew her contact lens prescription. I told…read moreher to just call around and find out a place that has a good price on a contact lens exam and go see them. I knew that a contact lens exam costs more than just an eyeglass exam so I told her to make sure she was specific. She called me back surprised and said "Schaeffer Eye center has the best rate --it starts at $75. And I'll automatically have an eyeglass prescription, too." I was surprised because my sister has used them for years and spends a fortune there, but, hey, they have a stellar reputation, why would they lie?? I told her to be careful about ordering any additional procedures and sent her off. So my daughter goes in, asks specifically for a contact lens exam and when she goes to pay it is (wait for it....) $220. The optometrist and assistant (Christine Hodge) both said they were real sorry since they had BOTH told her it was only going to be $75, but she had to have toric lenses and an eye health exam so they did her a favor and marked off a mandatory followup appointment charge of $49 --so I guess I'm lucky she didn't walk out of there paying $269.' That evening I called and spoke to employee Christine Hodge, who had apologetically checked her out. Christine told me that Schaeffer eye center will not give a contacts exam unless you've already had a $90+ "eye health exam." And then, there was $60 upcharge for toric lenses. And then a mandatory appointment $49 follow-up fee for I don't even know what. My husband and I have been glasses wearers for over 30 years and this kind of price gouging is NOT standard practice--not at LensCrafters, Pearle, Eye Care Associates of Cahaba Heights, Sears, Sam's, Costco or Walmart, where all optometrists are fully trained and licensed and where we have always received excellent vision care. If anything, other eye care offices err on the side of caution ("okay, we recommend that you have this test done and it's going to cost an extra $25--please sign here if you want us to do it..") Any follow up appointments are included in the exam cost--they make sure that by the time you are through, you've got the exactly perfect prescription for your needs. Incidentally, I've had torics for almost 8 years with no up charges whatsoever. I know there are plenty of folks out there who don't mind paying Schaeffer a king's ransom for their eye care. But heads up, folks: If someone calls in to check on the price, guess what they're interested in? THE PRICE! Incidentally,during her visit, my daughter gave at least three indications of her concern for the cost of the exam. First, she said "I want a contact lens exam. It's $75, right?" When they asked her to sign a form, she pointed out a $25 dilation fee, which they crossed out and told her "that doesn't apply any more." Finally, when the technician, David King, asked her if she wanted an "Optimat" (sp??) test and she said "no" because it sounded like it might cost more money. Oh, and did I mention she still doesn't have her prescription?? After all that, they were trying to get her to make a fitting appointment. By that time, my daughter said "they had taken all my money and I just wanted to get out of there." She's scared to go back and I don't blame her. If someone had told me that for thorough, honorable, professional, eye care, your best bet is WalMart??? I would have thought they were a little bit nuts. But I know better now. Forget boiling crawfish, Dr.Schaeffer, it's your pricing practices that need sterilizing.

I will never wear glasses again, and the amazing thing is that I don't need them, thanks to…read moreSchaeffer Eye Center (I just have to write this note of appreciation). I'm taking mine today to Dr. Williams at Schaeffer Eye Center, because each year he goes on a mission to Peru -- both at a clinic they set up, and to homes -- to help people with their sight, and soon these will be doing wonderful things. For me, I never thought I would be able to live without glasses or contacts. My acuity was something like 20/1000-1200 before, plus I had astigmatism. I could not get out of bed without glasses. I even swam with glasses on. In November, I went to Schaeffer Eye Center at the Colonnade and Dr. Woolfson (he is *the* go-to Lasik doctor in Atlanta) was there to perform my LASIK. It took maybe...not sure...ten minutes tops? Very little discomfort -- and I'm very sensitive about pain, it really didn't hurt -- and only a couple or three days later I was able to drive without any aid for the first time, ever. Every single person at Schaeffer that has helped me has been amazing: incredibly professional, super-friendly, very attuned to anything I wanted to talk about or ask. Last week, I had my latest post-op visit and I have 20/20 and 20/15(!!!) vision. It's wonderful to sleep, swim, exercise, and not worry about broken glasses, fogged-up glasses, lost glasses, torn contacts, dry eyes, foggy contacts, do-I-have-plenty-of-contacts-and-solution, and all the money spent on those things. I just need a regular appointment to check the health of my eyes from now on, just as people who have great vision all their lives. I really appreciate when I see others post about the experiences they have had with local doctors, businesses, etc so here's mine. And I love that my doctor at Schaeffer does wonderful things for people in other parts of the world, and I love supporting Dr. Schaeffer and everyone at SEC because of what they do for our community (like CityFest and the money that's been raised for Camp Smile-A-Mile and many other charities). I'm so glad I did it, and am appreciative for everyone at Schaeffer for helping me achieve something I never thought I would have.

Vicky was amazing! I had scratched my fairly new progressive lenses and was mad at myself for being…read morecareless by not keeping them in my lens case. Vicky took great care in getting the lenses replaced for me. The price was amazing and the customer service was everything I could have wanted - and more! She even threw in a pretty new lens case!

Very warm and inviting. The whole staff check in, eye tech, Dr Tyner and Lydia were awesome! Even…read morefor my 5 year old that has never wore glasses before they made the exam and picking glasses a breeze.

My husband and I usually visit the other location in Birmingham for our eyeglass needs, but with…read morethe kids in tow, we wanted some place with easy parking to get in/out with them. So we came to the Summit location. Along with everyone else in the city. On a Monday afternoon. They had a waiting list, but they did not abide by it, and tended to customers that came in after us. Super frustrating when dealing with two littles. Will visit the downtown location from now on.

Very mixed feelings about this place Staff excellent and…read morevery helpful. Problems occurred when I received the totally wrong pair of glasses with wrong prescription that I could not use or see out of. Thus began long customer service phone call to correct the process with the claim that I had to pay extra to receive the new correct prescription. So very disappointed! ! there is a huge disconnect between customer care in the store and the manufacturing. Presently i am on hold with a very polite customer service rep who is trying to find the EXPERT team to help her give me a new pair. I would very much like to talk to a CUSTOMER Service rep. I find it very disappointing that Tamara and DR. Drew worked so hard on their end but experts are pitiful. ELITE SUPPORT IS SO VERY

I have been seeing Dr. Epstein for about 20 years and during this time she has kept me seeing close…read moreto 20/20 despite having a very high refraction (~-11) and astigmatism. Highly reccomended.

Attentive and personalized care. Variable hours so easy to work appointments around work. Nice…read morefacility with plenty of parking. Wonderful team who each help with whatever you need!

Dr. Hill is a great doctor, the appointment went very well…read more They have huge selections of frames

Went to my appointment 15 minutes early to fill out paperwork. They had already printed my…read moreinsurance information on the forms. while I was filling everything out they said they couldnt verify my insurance was active because the insurance website was down. I either had to pay out of pocket or come back another time. My issue is that they didn't even try to call to verify instead or already have that information verified before the appointment. I had to find a sitter for this appointment (which didnt happen). Awful customer service.

Unique, top designer quality drama and lenses. Pricey but impaired to Ray Ban and other top…read moredesigners. Moscot was the brand that fit my pleasure.

If you don't want to feed the Luxottica monster (my friend G told me that they dominate the the…read moremarket, as well as own LensCrafters and Sunglass Hut), iiis is a perfect way to rebel. The design of the shop is quite funky and artsy (be careful not to fall into the pit!) and has all of the frames out so you can try them on as you like. I hate when all the frames are under lock and key; it really hinders the trying-on process. I checked out a couple of eyeglasses places in Birmingham and found myself drawn to the more obscure and unique frames at iiis. No Ray-Ban, Prada, or Vogue here. The ladies are all very nice and are very helpful and patient if you take hours to decide on your frames (ahem, me). Low pressure sales tactics. They are happy to help to find frames or if you want to browse solo, that's okay too. Plus they will even write down the glasses you're considering, both in their book and on a little card for you to take home. I'm not crazy about the location of Five Points but at least it's centrally located. iis is a little more expensive than what you might pay at other places but rest easy in the knowledge that you've got a very special pair of frames and are supporting a locally-owned shop. I did consider buying eyeglasses online but you just can't get personalized service like this online. This is great if you need adjustments later on. I'm very happy with my handcrafted-in-the-USA hipster specs!

I just moved to the area and went to Vestavia Eye Care for the first time today. I was seen by…read moreTaylor and Dr. Essinger and they were both amazing! They were both warm and knowledgeable, making it a great experience. I highly recommend this office and will be back!

Let me start by saying I was prescribed glasses for the first time in fourth grade. Needless to…read moresay, for the past 19 years, I have been in optometrist's offices 1-4 times per year. Dr. Essinger is hands down the best optometrist I have ever seen. The staff at Vestavia Eye Care was friendly and helpful from the moment I reached the front counter. The initial tests and evaluations were thorough, especially when I told them some recurring issues I was having. (Note: make sure you have at least an hour for your exam if you have an issue.) When I told Dr. Essinger the issues I had been having for two years that were unsolved mysteries for every doctor I saw, he was the first to care. He ran texts on me I had never seen and he came up with two theories for me to test. In fact, he was so concerned that he told me to text him as soon as I had progress. His caring concern brought tears to my eyes! Birmingham- We are so fortunate to have this office here! If you need a reliable optometrist for your family, look no further! I was also told they have a pediatric optometrist on staff for those of you with little ones.