Cohen's Fashion Optical Reviews

I wanted more than merely a vision test, more than what only meets the minimal requirements necessary to sell me a pair of glasses. If you are like me and are interested in getting a thorough Medical Eye Healthcare Exam, our choice is much more limited. You see, Chain Store Vision Centers hire “employees” to conduct a superficial “vision test,” that's just enough to meet minimal standards to sell a pair of glasses. They are Corporate Employees who are only working for a paycheck. They have no ownership interest in the practice. The Optometrist has no patients of their own, as the “patient” is the “customer” of the Corporate Chain. So, if you want to be merely a customer, and if you only want a vision test, go to one of the Big Box or Corporate Chain Stores.

And do not think that a Vision Test” is the same as a comprehensive Eye Exam. They are not. A Vision test is performed to help the provider sell you a pair of glasses. The purpose of a comprehensive Eye Exam is to determine the health of your eyes; all the different parts of your entire eye system. As I said, I wanted more. Getting up in years, I wanted a professional, comprehensive, medical eye healthcare examination, not just for my Vision needs, but for the “health” of my entire, complicated, eye system. I checked out different eye care practitioners looking for an affordable, local, highly competent Optometrist in whom I could trust the care of my eyes. That is why I became a “Patient” at the Durante Family Eye Healthcare Center at Cohen Optical.

I started out years ago at the Jensen Beach, Treasure Coast Mall location and now, for the last 2 years, I have been going to the newly opened, ultra modern, Port St. Lucie West office. It’s also closer to me. Dr. **, Sr., OD, who still heads up the Jensen Beach office, has been in practice as a Board Certified primary eye care doctor for over 43 years. His son, Dr. Daniel **, OD and nephew Dr. Justin **, OD, both Board Certified, staff the St. Lucie West office. They are not Corporate employees. Their Cohen Optical locations are Doctor owned, Family owned and operated, eye care centers. As their patient they have a personal interest in me and my health. I am their “patient” not a “customer” of a Corporate entity.

I trust these doctors to look out for all my eye healthcare concerns. Together, these medical professionals and their courteous and highly trained staff, perform comprehensive eye care services not only to correct my vision but, with the use of their state of the art technology, they provide me with a full, in depth examination in order to afford me early diagnosis of any eye infection, disorder or disease, and if necessary, to provide any necessary treatment. Oh yeah, also a Rx for my glasses.

I recently needed to consider the use of specialty contact lenses. These Specialty Lenses can cost over $1500 for each lens and you won’t find healthcare providers at the Big Box or Chain stores that are trained and Board Certified in the fitting and care of these specialty lenses. At Cohen Optical there is Deborah **, Board Certified Optician whose specialty is the care and fitting of these Speciality Contact lenses. Deborah is a highly trained, competent and knowledgeable Optician, with a compassion for her patients that is hard to find these days. All the Doctors and eye care professionals at the ** Family Eye Care Centers of Cohen Optical will never “rush you through” an appointment to get to the next sale, the next customer. They treat you like the medical patient that you are and they take all the time necessary to explain to you, your individual eye health in a way that you can fully understand.

No big medical terms used simply to impress but down to earth, great quality medical care for your eyes, by highly trained eye care professionals who care about you. I only have one pair of eyes and I want to do all that I can to preserve my eye health and my vision. That is why I will continue to entrust the Doctors of the ** Family Eye Care practice to look after my eye healthcare. Obviously, I highly recommend them.

Joseph W. **

St. Lucie County

My first thought was they didnt get paid - serves them right- but then I looked at my bill and realized they collected upfront, from me. I think filing a reimbursement claim for services already paid is insurance fraud!! Both of my insurance plans were verified before my exam so we knew I had frames, exam, lens benefits. I thought my portion of $1000 was high but trusted I was only paying the net amount after insurance. I was wrong. On top of that the prescription has never been right. Shame on them!!!

So I get a call the 11th that the glasses are ready, I then go the next day and pick them up in my vehicle. I get in the store and I'm given the glasses in the case with the original sunglasses lens as well since I got the Clubmasters RayBan. Now since I was Parked in the bus lane I went in and out and forgot to get an itemized recipe and a Certificate of authentication that you would get when you buy an authentic Transition Lenses. Everything looked great at first but then as I'm driving away I'm in my vehicle while the sun is out and nothing is happening to the lenses. When I get home as I'm outside I put the glasses in direct sunlight and the lines barely had a tint (first red flag). I then call the store and explain that I left in a hurry and forgot to get the receipt and the authentication card so I could register the lenses with transition for the warranty. They said they will email it but never did (2nd red flag).

By this time I have seen video comparisons on transition vs generic ones and the one I had was acting like a generic one. So, I go the next day around the time they open and got the itemized receipt which had transitions as one of the items but didn't say which one. I also ask for the certificate and she doesn't even know what I'm talking about (3rd fed flag). I then tell her that I have transition lenses and that they even though they are 4yrs old work better in the sun than the new ones. She tried to brush it off by saying that there is a 1 week curing period (4th red flag) which there is not such thing.

After trying to give all the excuses to take them as is I see that there a transition lenses branded UV light. So I tell her to test the lenses there. She puts them under the light till it shuts off and just like it happened to me at home with the sunlight it barely got a tint. I then showed her the video I saw for comparison. She quickly went to the conclusion that the lenses were defective.

I left the glasses and waiting for the manager to give me a call which took her 4 hr to do. Which buy this time I've already called my CC to have them charge back the transaction. The manager tried telling me that I signed knowing that they don't do returns only store credit and I was like "OK, well you have to deal with my CC" (which AMEX is awesome in dealing with this type of **). I got my money back the very same day when I called Amex and explained them the situation.

In my opinion I feel these guys are not only charging insane amounts of money for "Transition lenses" but they are giving you Generic brands on top of that. I ended up going to Lenscrafters which actually own Rayban/Transition Lenses and got everything I wanted for $287. If you got this far I hope this is a deterrent for you in doing business with these people. Thanks for reading.

A month later her regular pair started to come apart and bend. The optician refused to fix them and tried to get me to buy a new pair. I then took out the progressives and asked him to switch the lenses (same frame different color). He swore they would not fit and again tried to sell another frame. I went to Visionworks (where we went for years) and they switched them for free as they remembered us. I just went today to get mine adjusted and again this rude optician refused and claimed I needed to buy new frames. I just bought these in January and they didn’t even last 6 months. Run from this store as I will be canceling my insurance and never go back there again.