In a world where we even purchase food online, it is no surprise that we can also buy our contact lenses online. Since the introduction of the contact lens, the lenses were only available through our Optometrist, but something needed to be done because there were so many people paying so much for contact lenses and then there were those who wanted to wear them but couldn't because of the price. Hence, buying contacts online was made available as the internet evolved into the one-stop-shop of the world.

It is common for an Optometrist to discourage buying contact lenses online, especially after the company you are buying from calls your doctor's office and verifies your prescription. By law the seller is required to do this, but it is also required by law that the doctor's office respond to the online seller within 8 business hours. However, there are instances in which the online store will ship the contacts anyway if they haven't heard from the doctor's office within those 8 hours.

This isn't to say that the doctor shouldn't be concerned. There are some risks with buying contact lenses online. That is why it is important to look over the website and make sure that it is a credible one. There should be a customer service number that you can call and they should have their own inventory or a very fast way to access inventory so that you can have your contact lenses as soon as possible. See if they take phone orders and have a return policy. These are two more indicators that they are a credible service.

So is it cheaper?

Buying contacts online is definitely cheaper than buying them from the doctor's office. This is because online sellers buy large amounts of the contact lenses, therefore their costs are cheaper. They do not have to pay as much to have the lenses in their inventory because they order so many from the manufacturers. This means their savings rolls down to the consumer and the consumer can actually save money on their contact lenses. You may also be able to save more money if you order more contacts. Instead of buying two boxes, buy six and you will see that your overall cost will be less than if you bought two boxes on three different occasions.

Convenience

How is buying contacts online more convenient? Well, look at it this way: You can order your contact lenses from the comfort of your home. You do not have to call your doctor's office and tell them that you need more and you don't have to leave your home to go pick them up when they arrive. All you do is sit at your computer, order the number of boxes you need with your prescription, the online seller calls the doctor's office and verifies the prescription for you, and then they mail them within 8 hours of contacting the doctor's office for your prescription information.

As far as security and how you pay. You should not worry about paying by credit card when purchasing from a credible company. The ordering process is most likely a secure one. A way to tell is to look in the address bar and see if the letters https:// are there instead of http://. This is a sure indicator that you are safe while entering your credit card information. So with that said, you should be able to place your order and have your contacts in no time. You may be surprised at how cheap and convenient it is to continue seeing your world the way you enjoy seeing it.