My family has been going to Dr.Alton for vision care for many years. He has always provided excellent care and never been pushy about buying glasses or contacts. My husband has diabetes and he does a very thorough exam looking for retinopathy after dilating his eyes and showing us on the computer how his retina compares to the older images. He also checks for glaucoma and cataracts. He has a new imaging device that looks at the structure of the cornea in great , microscopic detail. We feel he is not just providing prescriptions, but taking great care to diagnose eye disease early enough to treat and prevent blindness. I am quite pleased with his diligent care. read more

I've been going to Dr. Alton for years. I think he's the best eye doctor out there. My family went to him too.

I came in for an update to my glasses subscription. When I got my glasses prescription it didn't include a PD (pupillary distance). I asked for it on a later visit and they refused to provide it unless I purchased glasses from them. That's not something I was going to do because their frame selection is underwhelming and expensive, and because they offered no information about lens options and I don't trust them to not immediately upsell me to a material and index I don't need. They tried to sell me daily contacts from day one, but I wasn't interested due to the cost. I eventually relented to a contact fitting in order to trial the Air Optix Night & Day, which sounded like something I'd be willing to use. I found them uncomfortable after a few hours of use and the blurriness from lens movement after each blink annoyed me. Dr. Alton immediately pushed me to try other brands I wasn't interested in. The next visit involved me trying some new Bausch & Lomb standard monthly lens which must be cutting them a sizable commission check (there were ads and rebates for the brand posted all over the office). The last visit, when he refused to provide my PD, had me finally relenting to try the daily lenses with no intention of coming back to buy more. There were no genuine attempts to correct any of my misgivings about the contacts. Any complaints I raised or suggestions I offered were met with a nod, a hand wave, and a new brand with the same problems. None of the contacts offered even correct the slight astigmatism I have in my right eye. This was a compromise I was willing to make for the potential convenience of the Night & Day lenses, but not for standard monthlies or expensive dailies. When I questioned the astigmatism I was just told it isn't worth correcting. Thankfully (?) after insurance I'm only out $10 for an incomplete prescription, $40 for an unhelpful contact fitting, and a month of time I could have been enjoying new glasses. I'll have to measure my own PD now since I don't think my insurance will cover a 2nd exam from a more helpful doctor. I recommend looking elsewhere if you want an optometrist who is interested in helping you find the right product than pushing product for commission. read more

I was born and raised in Oberlin Ohio, and moved back a few years ago after being in Boston Mass for 25 years. During my experience of living in Oberlin, both when I was young and now as a middle aged adult, is that people in the stores and businesses are friendly, nothing over the top, but cordial and nice. But sadly the other day I was not siked on my experience with the receptionist. For some background regarding my sensitivity levels, the way she acted would've been normal in Boston, so its not like I can't handle when people get rude. And we all have bad days and life ain't easy, and maybe she was having one.... but I asked around town if anyone else has had an unsavory experience, and I got enough yeses that I felt I should write this review. I hope Ottica reads this review, because they need to know. So, I've been walking by the window and hankering for a pair of frames recently put on display. They were the coolest, and I made a choice to buy them, and I was excited to support a local business in my home town. Now, I've been wearing glasses since I was 8, so that's 37 years. While in Boston, I made sure to find out from glasses wearing friends, the nicest and most professional eye doctors. The first doctor had his own practice and also taught at the New England Eye Institute, and after he moved away from Boston, I found a 2nd doctor with his own practice who also owed several retail stores in town. They were pros. Both of them incredibly nice and trustworthy. Now, I like a weak glasses prescription. I HATE getting a new pair of glasses that seem like wearing magnifying lenses and they give me a headache. I HATE how my eyes then have to adjust to the strong prescription and render my older glasses useless. I have hated this for 20 years. So when I'm "interviewing" my potentially new eye doctor, I always had to have a talk with them about if they understand what I prefer. So I go in, and the doctor isn't there to ask, but I try to ask the receptionist if she thinks the doctor understands the kind of prescription I want. But before I can really explain anything, she inquires about my insurance. I've never had insurance that covered eye care or glasses, so I surprised she was asking, plus I hadn't even made an appt yet. When I told her I don't have insurance, she continued to talk about what companies they take and I should've just piped up and said "I'm paying for this myself", but I was a little stunted because I was wondering if she was being rude and judgmental to me about my insurance standing. But let me quickly point out an odd thing about me, I look YOUNG. I talk young, I act young. I have people guess that I'm in my 20s, and I'm 45. So, maybe she thought I was a dumb young person. When we get to my main question, she acted like what I'm asking for is nuts. She says eye doctors don't ever give weak prescriptions and that it would be MALPRACTICE. Now, my former eye doctor who taught at the New England Eye Institute was incredibly kind, honest and professional, and I'm fairly confident that he would not have provided a weak prescription if it constituted malpractice. Like, they are my eyes, and I want the prescription that works best for me. And I know I'm not the only person who asks for and gets a weaker prescription from their eye doctor. Anyways, I left feeling like I was treated as though I'm dumb or crazy and unwelcome. My greatest disappointment though overall, was finding out that the current eyeglass store in my hometown, is a business that I can't support. I wanted to, but they made it impossible. read more

I went to have glasses I purchased elsewhere adjusted because they slid down my face. The woman there scratched my lenses and left the pair clearly crooked. The frames were loose at a joint (they weren't when I came in) and when I pointed it out, the lady there sniggered at me. They of course offered to alter their work within 48 hours to readjust them, but given the damages their adjustments caused I wont be doing that. I have since had to go to another eye care professional to have the damage Ottica Eyecare did to my glasses fixed. I discourage anyone from seeking their services. read more

Ottica is the best! Dr. Alton is a superb doctor and Stephanie is on top of it in every way! Need a good eye doctor? This is the place.

I have been seeing Dr. Alton for my eye care needs for many years at both the Lorain office and the Oberlin office. I always have excellent care and am dumbfounded at the below reviews. He has run the billing through the insurance with no problem whatsoever. I have needed glasses since I was 12 years old -that's 45 years of glasses-and when I was in there two months ago he helped me pick out the best frames I have ever had. I receive compliments very frequently (round and tortoise shell-so cute!!!). There is a great selection of styles-the reviewer below could not be more wrong! I also get my contacts through his office and needing bifocals he had the idea to wear one long distance and one "reading " lens. It works great! I am on the computer all day and this adjustment works so well, much better than glasses or nothing. So this review is coming from someone with decades of experience wearing glasses and contacts and dealing with insurance companies and I can truthfully say that there is nowhere I would rather go for my vision care than Dr. Alton. read more

I would not recommend going to Ottica Eyecare or his other practice Lorain Family Vision Center. I had been going to Dr. Alton for about 4 years. Shelby and Stephanie were absolutely the best and I never had one complaint. I sent my husband to Ottica for an eye appt. While making the appt., the girl mentioned to me that she was new. It took a little longer than usual to make my appt. and my husbands, but that is ok because she is just learning. My husband had his appt last month. He came home after the appt and was very happy. He gave me the bill and I looked it over. I was a little confused on the billing. Believe me, if you want to see a confusing bill, look at one from Ottica. I didn't understand why he paid for glasses. Our insurance pays for one free pair a year. Well - I asked if I could pick up my husband's glasses and the girl was polite on the phone and had no issue at all. When I got there, she gave me the glasses and I asked if I could talk about the charges. I was only trying to understand. INSTANTLY, there was an attitude and aggressiveness towards me. Telling me how my husband picked out a $299.00 pair of lenses. He knew what he was doing, it was all explained, yada yada yada. She offered to call insurance for me and ask. Well she did, and then embarrassed me by making me feel dumb for even asking. As I was talking to the insurance company, she was holding up a contract, motioning to me, talking at me. I told the insurance company I would call back. I could not take her being so rude to me. I gave her the phone and walked out. I said no further comment to her. Guess what - she wasn't done. She proceeds to call my husband (out of the blue) and badger him and make him feel dumb. He didn't even know I was there, didn't know I questioned the bill, and had nothing to do with this. She kept repeating about the contract and you know what you have and how much was all explained. He really doesn't feel that way. The last straw, she told him: "if you aren't smart enough to pick out your glasses on your own, maybe you should have your wife come in with you next time". You can guess how my husband reacted. Not very nicely. I tried calling the Dr. to let him know who he has working for him. No answer on the Monday after. I decided I would give him the story at my appt. Obviously, I wasn't going to stay a patient, but I thought I owed him this for being so fantastic to me for the last several years. The day before, Dr. Alton called me, told me I was no longer his patient and would no longer like me to come back to the office. He was not happy on how my husband talked to his office manager (btw, she was not the girl that was at my husbands appt. but she sure knows everything about what was explained to him). I was shocked and wanted to offer him my story so that he understood. He only listened partly and was not, in my opinion, interested in what the patient had to say. After I told him the story, he said, "I guess you are looking for an apology from me". I said, "no, I just want to let you know what has happened. That is when he started talking down to me about my husband picking out the $299.00 glass, signing the contract, me spending more than what I had claimed on glasses. Ok - I was done at this point. I hung up the phone. I could not believe someone I trusted as my eye doctor would talk down to me in that manner. read more