Don't buy a lemon unless you're planning on making lemonade!

Most people when buying a car look only at certain things: cost, miles per gallon, 4-door vs. 2-door, standard or automatic, does it come in the color I want, etc.  Some of you, like me, go so far as to ask our mechanic's opinion.  Actually, I wouldn't dream of buying a car without first consulting my preferred mechanic, Dan.  In fact, Dan buys the cars for me... but that's another story.

Why do I do this?  Well, honestly, it's because I've had bad luck in servicing cars that I thought were my dream only to cost me a small fortune because it didn't work the way I thought it would.

Let's switch now and talk about vision plans.  The time to find out your vision plan - or, for that matter, any insurance - doesn't work as you thought is NOT when you're at the doctor's office!  And the best way to find out if you're spending your money wisely is to ask your DOCTOR questions (they WILL welcome the discussion).

It really works... before buying health insurance, I consulted with my kid's pediatrician to see if (a) they accepted that plan, and (b) what they thought about the plan.  I do the same with dental insurance.  Why?  Because if my medical provider doesn't like the plan, I'm fairly certain I'm not going to like it when I get bills for unpaid balances or be limited to certain materials/benefits! 

So I thought I'd give you a little food for thought by drawing an analogy to buying a car... understanding, of course, that we're talking about two completely different price points (it just may feel like you're buying a car when you pay for medical care and services!).

Questions to ask the mechanic when buying a car and the analogy to buying a benefit plan/insurance:

• What has your experience been with this car?  I want to know if the doctor's office has experience with the benefit plan I'm looking to purchase and - more often than not - they have experience... sometimes good, sometimes bad.

• How difficult will it be to service the car?  Let's talk about when the doctor's office has bad experience with a benefit plan.  Was it difficult for them to file a claim?  Did they get paid in a timely manner?  Is it hard to get a live human on the phone when they had questions?

• Are we restricted to using specific replacement parts?  Did you know that certain benefit plans tell the doctor what materials can be used?  OR they say something is included (i.e. $20 copay for standard progressive lenses) and then limit the product to 3-4 specific lenses?  When specific parts/products must be used, ask the doctor's office if they recommend using that product!  One very popular vision plan has progressive lenses included in their plan, but the lens that MUST be used is not one recommended by any doctor I have visited with.

Bottom line - and this is one I've said over and over - be a good consumer and know what you're buying.  Although price is oftentimes a factor, you get what you pay for (remember the Yugo?).

Internet glasses... yes or no?

I've committed a blogging no-no... I haven't posted in a couple of months.  Quite frankly, I just haven't had a burning desire on a particular message.  That is, until today.  The question about buying glasses on the internet has come up several times over the past week and I've been asked whether or not it's a good idea... so I thought it would be a splendid topic to share my point of view.

Let me start by saying that I have no personal experience in purchasing glasses over the internet, but I still have an opinion.  Buying glasses through a website is very enticing... wide range of frames and such low prices that you can buy multiple pairs.  I get it, really I do... particularly since I'm a consumer as well.

When I'm spending my hard-earned money, especially in an investment as costly as glasses, I want to know that I'm purchasing the product that is best for me.  We tend to forget that glasses and contact lenses are medical devices... and as such, our vision is far too important to not take seriously by simply buying the cheapest product we can find.  They're medical devices, folks... not socks.

From working in the industry I know there are hundreds of different lenses, frames, and product add-on's ranging from high to low in both QUALITY and PRICE.

• I've had cheap lenses (read my blog for more on that) from a retail store's "special" that made me ill... headaches, nausea, neck strain.  
• I've seen scratch and anti-reflective coatings that peel off.  
• I've heard stories about people buying frames on-line only to discover they were close-out models with no replacement parts when they broke (so they had to buy a whole new pair).

Because of this, I want to work with an expert to help me decide the best bang for my buck and protect my health (and my investment)... to me, that means working with an educated optician at the doctor's office.  But, that's just my opinion.

You may have had a terrific experience buying your glasses through the internet and, if you have, then I applaud you.  For me, however, I'm not willing to risk it.  I want the experience of trying on various frames.  I want to be able to ask questions about product add-ons to determine what will work best for my eyes.  I want to have someplace I can turn to in case something goes wrong, and know they'll take care of me.

For me, personally, I just don't get that warm, fuzzy feeling from the internet; I'd rather deal with a professional.  Again, it's just my opinion.