UPDATE: Free Glasses From CoastalContacts.com

I actually received my glasses a while ago, but I've been putting off this post because, in all honesty, I don't love how the frames look on my face. It's hard to complain about FREE though, so I'm stuck with these for the next year.

Sorry if you went blind the instant this photo loaded.

I really respect CoastalContacts.com as a company though. I don't know how they can afford to give away 10,000 pairs of free glasses every week for the past half year (still ongoing!), but I'm soooooo happy that they ran this promotion! I tend to get new glasses about every 3 years; that's 200% longer than is recommended oops! But it takes me that long to save enough money for the new eye exam, frames, lenses, and lens coatings. And then there's contacts, ugh. So thank you thank you THANK YOU CoastalContacts.com for allowing me the gift of 20/20 vision this year! :)

Now onto the details of my order. I bought these Vera Wang 166 frames with prescription lenses. I did upgrade to a thinner 1.61 index lens with anti-reflective, UV protective, and scratch-resistant coatings, so I paid almost $60 when all was said and done... but that's still nothing compared to the $500 I used to spend! I actually had to send back the original order though because one of the lenses wasn't secure in the frame. When I called and explained the situation, the customer service representative immediately ordered a replacement, no questions asked and without having to wait for the return to arrive! Now I wouldn't necessarily say he was friendly (or unfriendly), just very curt and monotone. But I was probably on the phone for no more than 10 minutes, including hold time, so I'd say it was a pretty painless experience. It took exactly 1 week for the original order to get to me, and then exactly 1 week for the replacement to get to me. Considering the route is from west coast Washington all the way to Ohio, I'm VERY pleased with that kind of turn-around!
 
      Brief Overview of CoastalContacts.com

      Pros:
      -Great communication
      -Great customer service
      -Great return/exchange policy
      -Quick shipping and delivery
      -Accepts Paypal
      -Frequent promotions and coupon codes
      -Excellent quality of eyeglass lenses and coatings

      Cons:
      -Not the best selection of merchandise
      -Not the most secure packaging
      -Cannot return/exchange online (only by phone)

Unfortunately I am really disappointed with my choice of frames. They feel and sound like cheap, flimsy plastic. What I thought was tiny decorative silver pearls on the arms, are actually tiny decorative pewter studs. The frames are rather masculine, and at a height of 31mm they look really odd on my face. Epic fail, Vera Wang, epic fail.

Fugly studs. Yuck.

Is it bad that I already can't wait for next year, so I can get a new pair of glasses? :P