This is a really long review but as a patient, all you need to know is that this place is super…read moredisorganized, has no regard for your time, and unnecessarily expensive. If you're in need of a new optometrist, this is NOT the place to go, as it is the WORST place I've been to in my 25 years of wearing glasses.
After Dr. Putterman suddenly retired, many of us in Roxborough were left scrambling to find a replacement for our beloved optometrist. I ended up at East Falls Eye Associates, which apparently is the WORST place to land on. After several mishaps, I've given up on this place and moving on, even if it's costing me extra money.
First, I made an appointment for both contact and glasses eye exam. I asked if this was possible through my insurance prior to arriving, and the person I spoke on the phone with said yes. When I arrived, I began looking at the glasses (which, by the way, is already difficult in itself in this place because the space is so tight. Every 2 minutes I was asked to move by an employee so they could get around, so I hardly could even try on the glasses. Also, the glasses are SO MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE. I only checked out the cheapest glasses and even with insurance they were coming out to around $175, when in the past I've only had to pay around $50 in other places). Here is where it goes all downhill:
Fail #1) The receptionist informed me after I had finally chosen the (expensive) glasses that since I got a contact lens exam I would have to pay $75 lens fitting fee if I got glasses through my insurance instead of contacts. What? I was never informed of this fee when I made the appointment. So I put the glasses back and decided to order contacts.
Fail #2) After the first receptionist told me of this news, when I went to check out, a different receptionist STILL tried to charge me $75. I ended up having to find the first receptionist to explain what she explained to me, to which she looked utterly confused, and she just responded, "Ok... I have never heard of that."
Fail #3) I ended up ordering glasses online instead, but the glasses was making me dizzy. I called the office to ask if I could get my glasses looked at to see if it was correct, and the receptionist said that since I got my glasses elsewhere that there would be a fee if I wanted them to look at it. So then I asked if could get my eyes re-examined instead, to which the receptionist said yes and confirmed it would be free, and made an appointment. Upon arrival, they asked to see the glasses I had ordered, which I said I didn't bring them because the receptionist said there would be a fee. She informed me that's not true, and that I cannot get my eyes rechecked unless I brought my glasses first! I said I took a half day from work to make this appointment, which ended up being a waste due to the misinformation, as I was literally sent home with no solution except to make another appointment.
Fail #4) After testing out the contact lenses, I called on October 29 to place the order for my lens. The person on the phone said the prescription needed to be approved by the optometrist but should go through by the weekend. After 3 weeks of waiting, I called again to check on the status, and the receptionist CONFIRMED that the order was placed but was likely delayed. I called again 2 weeks after that and left a voice message, to which no one responded. Finally on Dec 8, 5 weeks after I made the original order call, I called again to check the order status of my lenses. The receptionist said that normally it takes only 2 weeks for the order to arrive, but that mine hadn't arrived BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T ORDERED YET. I asked why they weren't ordered, and she stated it was because I hadn't made a payment. I said no one in my three times of calling ever instructed me to make a payment, so I presumed I would make a payment when I went to pick up my order, especially since I was even told the order was already placed and that it was just delayed!
Everyone here was nice about all their mistakes. But at the end of the day, what's the use in being nice when everything is just so wrong and no remediation is made for the numerous errors? I took my business elsewhere; it cost me additional money to go through the whole process again, but at least it was a success. Save yourself the time and money and I'd recommend to start somewhere else.
