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  03/25/24  I need new prescription eyeglasses. The myriad local optical shops' prices seem high to me.
Anyone have a recommendation for an optical shop? What about the online shops?

Thanks for any advice.

Alan
   

    -@alan279

I don't know how it is in your part of Bahia, but here in Centro there are a lot of little one and two room óticas in the "galerias" that contain a lot of little shops of various types.   We get our prescriptions from the ophthalmologists at our health plan and bring them to one of those places, and get a better price, although we may have to wait a week for the lenses to come from São Paulo.

I got my prescription from my ophthalmologist. i checked a tiny little shop I had used once before. $300 and I didn’t like any of the few frames they had.

Alan

Zenni Optical just informed me that they are now shipping to Brazil. I bought from them ten years ago and was happy with my purchase.

Alan

   03/25/24 Zenni Optical just informed me that they are now shipping to Brazil. I bought from them ten years ago and was happy with my purchase.Alan        -@alan279

That's great.   Just make sure to understand any Customs costs and delays before you order. 😉  A quick look at reading glasses on Amazon reveals that shipping and taxes run about 150%; that may or may not be the case with prescription.

@abthree  Checking on the Customs costs now. Ten years ago the eyeglasses cost less than $50. 😳

Alan

If you know your prescription, and need the glasses for use rather than vanity, just buy some cheap pairs from Mercado Livre, and replace them regularly... That's what we do and it saves a fortune

03/25/24    @abthree  Checking on the Customs costs now. Ten years ago the eyeglasses cost less than $50. 😳Alan       -@alan279

We may have discussed this before.  For anyone who orders items regularly -- or even sporadically -- from abroad, it's useful to set up a free account at "Minhas Importações" on the Correios site.  Ideally you should have the shipper put your CPF on the shipping label, but if all you have is a tracking number, you can still link it to your CPF in Minhas Importações, download the boleto for the charges, and pay it:  the goods are then on their way to you. 

Except for shipments from companies like Amazon who charge you upfront for the taxes and take care of them behind the scenes, everything shipped in by air halts at the Customs Warehouse at Viracopos Airport in Campinas and sits there, until the requestor does something to release it; you may or may not be informed, or you may be informed long after it arrives.  Minhas Importações is what lets you find it and unlock it.

@Peter Itamaraca  How do I find prescription eyeglasses on Mercado Livre?

Alan

@abthree Zenni Optical has no information on Brazil Customs.

Alan

03/25/24    @abthree Zenni Optical has no information on Brazil Customs.
Alan
   

    -@alan279

That means that you're going to be responsible for any charges.  You can address them through Minhas Importações. 

    @Peter Itamaraca  How do I find prescription eyeglasses on Mercado Livre?
Alan
   

    -@alan279

For reading glasses, enter the Mercado Livre website and search Óculos Leitura, then enter your prescription. There are many options once you are in the right area...

    I need new prescription eyeglasses. The myriad local optical shops' prices seem high to me. Anyone have a recommendation for an optical shop? What about the online shops?Thanks for any advice.Alan        -@alan279

Over the years, I have had to buy two pairs of eyeglasses in Brazil. I was astounded at how expensive they are here. I paid more for my last pair in SP than I would have at my US optometrist and places like Costco in the USA are far less expensive. I truly feel for the locals on their earnings. Now, when I am traveling to the US, I call and make an eye appointment in advance, and just make it a matter of routine to get a new prescription and glasses at Costco and bring a spare pair to Brazil with me.

For anyone not knowing, you do not need to be a Costco member to get an eye exam, or buy eyeglasses.

@Peter Itamaraca  Unfortunately, I need bifocals.

Thanks.

Alan

@alan279

I just got my new pair since the last ones lasted 6 years and my vision has changed. I just went to an ophthalmologist who wrote me a prescription.

I shopped for lenses because of the frame I bought from the USA. I went to 3 shops and compared prices. I knew what kind of lenses I wanted because vision is important. What I choose is not cheap but I am taking into account I will stay with this new pair for several years.

Since I paid with a US card, the conversion rate 4.8 for the dollar helps me. By the way, most of what I buy is on my US card which I pay off with my checking account.

My lenses were Varilux, Crizal Prevencia . Top of the line with all possible coatings. They have a warranty and authenticity certificate.  They were R$ 1.600 real or S 333 dollars.   Cheaper than buying in the USA.

Stella

I agree it's not very competitive here, but I had to get glasses in Sao Paulo and paid around $150.00, including a free vision check & prescription, the glasses and the blue light lenses.

No idea if the shop I've been was on the cheapest side (Chili Bean Optics) but you might just want to shop around for a better deal. I found they have a good service too, like you can stop by any of their branches for cleaning and basic maintenance, no receipts asked.

    @alan279
They were R$ 1.600 real or S 333 dollars.   Cheaper than buying in the USA.
Stella
   
    -@StarMaris

For what it's worth, I just bought two pairs of glasses at Costco, Medford Oregon, USA, Varilux, bifocal, auto-darkening, all the coatings, with fancy frames, etc. $350 US dollars for both pair

Eyeglasses are not competitive anywhere. EssilorLuxottica has a monopoly on the eyeglass market.

@rraypo Sounds like a very good deal. Almost worth a trip to the US.

Alan

Unfortunately, glasses in Brasil are more expensive than in many other countries. I usually get prescriptions here and buy my glasses at Costco when I travel to Canada. I supply a translation sheet for the differences in prescription wording and abbreviations , which has always satisfied the Costco optical department. I have purchased glasses in Brasil a couple if times and have been shocked by the prices.

@abthree Good morning. You can contact ***

***

He is a tax law practitioner at andersen ballao law firm in Curitiba, Paraná

He lived in Canada before and speaks English (first language) and French. He does my tax return and is very good at answering any questions I may have in a timely manner.

Strongly recommend

@Soliloquy20203

Hello, thank you for your recommendations however contact details should be shared in private by clicking on the member's avatar.

Feel free to recommend the services of this professional in the Brazil business directory.

All the best

Bhavna

@alan279 Good Luck, the frames on my Brazilian Pair went south just as I left for the USA.  Warby Parker was able to help me fit the lenses in the frames in the U.S.A.  The only thing I remember was it was not cheap in Brazil; it took a while, and the frames did not last long. Good Luck.

They were originally bifocals.

Roddie in Retirement

I received a quote of R$10.000 for new eyeglasses at the Zeiss store in Ilhéus. Progressive lenses with tint and all the coatings, and titanium frames.

I ordered single vision eyeglasses from Zenni for $25 as a test. Probably not the best (Zeiss) but not $2,000. Delivery from China in 3 weeks.

I got a pair last year, from a shop named Oticas Sucesso. I’m about 30 minutes south of Salvador, I don’t know if it was an independent shop or a chain, and I also forgot the price, but I think it was around 800 Reais. Not cheap, but not expensive either, at least compared to the prices I’m used to. The frame is pretty sturdy, the lenses are fine. Nothing to write home about, i probably won’t get another pair here. An American that I met here recommended the Chinese app Vooglam, I think I’m gonna give it a try soon.

Edit: Forgot to add that they didn’t get it quite like I wanted: I’m very sensitive to light, that’s why I wanted prescription sunglasses. Instead, I got a pair of normal glasses with cheap plastic clip-on tinted lenses. Which means they’re almost useless …

Where I live, they're all more or less the same.  Show up, make an appointment for a "free" exam, and afterward select your frames and lens type.  They'll range from R$700 - R$1500 for single focus, and up to R$1900 for bifocal or varilux.  Anything beyond that and they're actively trying to rip you off.

Expect about the same quality as any online shop in the US - all the frames are chinese imports, and you will literally find the same identical frames sold with nonprescription reading glasses at any varejista.

My frames broke while I was here and I decided to get a frame and lens and o boy, was I not shocked at the prices I was quoted.

I needed a lens that is negative 4, blocks blue light, and is photochromic and polycarbonate material. I was quoted for 1900 reais and they said it's transition lens.

I eventually shopped around and found an oticas digimax lojas paraiso in SP and I was able to get it for 500 reais.

The frames were average Chinese imports.

I am yet to received the finished product. Will update here when I do.