1-800 Contacts Review: What You Should Know Before Buying (2024)

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Ordering contacts from 1-800 Contacts may be less expensive than purchasing through an eye doctor or brick-and-mortar eyewear retailer. But you must have a prescription from an eye doctor in order to place your order.

If you’re in need of contacts but have a strong aversion to paying retail prices, you may have gone the route of ordering your own batch online. It certainly is convenient, as all you need is a prescription from your eye doctor to summon your desired haul from an online supply store.

And since there are many online options to choose from these days, it’s natural to assume 1-800 Contacts is pretty much the same as the rest. Well, we gave it a whirl just to see how this service stacks up.

Keep reading for an in-depth look at what 1-800 Contacts provides, what other customers say, and what you should know if you’re considering becoming a customer, too.

In terms of the telehealth boom that sprung up over the last couple of years, 1-800 Contacts was way ahead of the curve. The company was founded in 1995, which makes them the oldest prescription-by-mail optical company that’s still operating.

Before ordering things online was a way of life, 1-800 Contacts allowed you to place a phone call with the supplier and create an order, which was then delivered directly to your home.

The number you called to place the order? 1-800-266-8228, which is still the company’s customer service phone number today. On the phone keypad, that spells out 1-800-CONTACT, hence their name.

1-800 Contacts isn’t an optometrist or ophthalmologist service, but the products they sell require a prescription, by law, in the United States.

You can get a copy of your prescription from your eye doctor and send it to 1-800 Contacts. If you don’t have an official copy of that information, you can simply share your doctor’s contact information with 1-800 Contacts and they’ll take care of it for you.

If you don’t have a current prescription and need to renew it, you can try the 1-800 Contacts online eye exam. This service costs $20. Experts say this type of exam isn’t a replacement for an in-office exam.

As a new customer in early 2020, Healthline senior editor Megan Severs found their services helpful.

She noted, “The contacts arrive really quickly and they send follow-ups when it’s time for a new pair. They also offer to work with my eye doctor to get my updated prescription information, and, given COVID, gave me the option of doing a virtual exam. The virtual exam was really easy and meant that I was able to get new contacts without needing to wait for my eye doctor to reopen. I really appreciated that they found a solution for this.”

1-800 Contacts sells:

• Disposable contacts. These are meant to be replaced every day, every 2 weeks, and every month. They sell brands by four major manufacturers: Bausch + Lomb, Johnson & Johnson, CooperVision, and Alcon.
• Colored contacts. Color-tinted contacts contain a colorful lens that covers the iris of your eye but not your pupil. Even if you’re only interested in purchasing colored contacts for cosmetic reasons, you’ll still need a prescription.
• Contact solution. 1-800 Contacts carries several brands of contact solution on its website.

1-800 Contacts doesn’t sell glasses on their main site. However, the company does own Liingo Eyewear, which primarily sells glasses.

20% off your first order

The cost will depend on what type of contacts you need, as well as whether you have vision insurance.

If you wear contacts most days of the week, while switching to glasses for maybe one or two days, ordering 2 boxes of 90-day disposable daily contacts should typically last you about 3 months.

We got a hold of a $10 coupon online, which brought our 2-box order to $96. That’s just about standard for that you might pay with other contact lens suppliers.

Paying over $100 for contacts 4 times a year may not sound ideal, but when you do the math, $1.06 per day for prescription contacts that won’t dry your eyes out from daily use could turn out to be a bargain.

Notes on free shipping

1-800 Contacts offers ground shipping (which takes 5 to 7 days) for free. Note that this is pretty standard for companies that ship contacts.

If you want your contacts to come earlier, you can pay for one of their faster shipping options. You’ll get a delivery estimate as soon as you place your order. But, the contacts may even come a day or two sooner than expected.

You can place your order online or you can still call the number 1-800-CONTACT.

What you’ll need before ordering

The first time you place an order with 1-800 Contacts, you’ll need:

• a copy of your prescription or your doctor’s contact information
• your payment information (credit card or PayPal)
• a copy of your insurance card, if you have vision insurance

For subsequent orders, 1-800 Contacts will save your prescription information in your account.

The ordering process itself is pretty simple. You’ll select the contact lens brand that you typically use, and enter the prescription numbers listed as your OS (left eye) and OD (right eye). You may also need to note in your order if you have astigmatism.

Then, you’ll enter in your doctor’s information and place your order. Once you’ve ordered, 1-800 Contacts will confirm your prescription and process your order for shipment. If you have a copy of your prescription, you can submit a photo of it along with your order using the website’s automated system.

If you have vision insurance, you’ll need to enter in that information, too. 1-800 Contacts accepts most major forms of vision insurance.

If you’re going to submit to a health savings account (HSA) or flexible spending account (FSA) for reimbursem*nt, make sure to print off a copy of your receipt.

20% off new orders

1-800 Contacts has a generous return policy.

• You can return any unopened contacts to 1-800 Contacts for a full refund.
• Sometimes, even high-quality contacts break apart while you’re putting them in your eye. 1-800 Contacts offers torn lens replacement for when this happens.
• If your prescription changes before you use all the contacts in your order, you can return the unopened contacts for store credit.

To initiate a return, you can use 1-800 Contacts live chat app or call their customer service hotline. A representative will walk you through the return process.

1-800 Contacts is best for people who have had a recent eye exam, up-to-date prescription, and are looking for affordable contacts shipped directly to their door.

You may be a good fit for 1-800 Contacts if you:

• have experience wearing contacts and haven’t had any problems with wearing them
• have a stable prescription for contacts that doesn’t require frequent check-ins with your eye doctor to make sure the prescription is still accurate
• prefer to have your eyewear shipped directly to your house several times a year instead of picking it up from a retailer

On Trustpilot, 1-800 Contacts has a little more than 200 reviews with a 3-star average. Ratings are split pretty evenly between poor and great, giving it 2.6 stars out of 5. This brand reputation is certainly not as good as it could be.

1-800 Contacts is an accredited company with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). They have an A+ rating from the BBB based on their commitment to customer service. There are about 30 customer complaints on the BBB site, all of which 1-800 Contacts has responded to.

In 2016, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a complaint against the company alleging anti-competitive practices that reduced the ability of competitors to bid on or win advertising space online for like products and services.

According to the BBB, in 2018 the FTC ordered 1-800 Contacts to stop unfair practices outlined in the complaint.

You can also order contacts through your eye doctor when you get your prescription. These contacts can typically be delivered to you via mail, too.

Ordering online is a great option, but that doesn’t mean that you should skip the eye doctor You should see an optometrist annually if you wear contact lenses.

Get to your eye doctor if you experience any of the following symptoms:

• redness, colored discharge, or other possible signs of an eye infection
• if you suspect that you’ve lost a contact lens in your eye
• if you’re experiencing blurry vision
• new onset of dry eye
• any difficulties with your vision

Is 1-800 Contacts legit?

1-800 Contacts is a legitimate, direct-to-consumer online retailer that was founded in 1995. It’s accredited by the Better Business Bureau and has hundreds of reviews on consumer experience websites. If you order from 1-800 Contacts and you run into a problem, there will be customer service reps to assist you.

Is 1-800 Contacts owned by Walmart?

1-800 Contacts is not owned by Walmart. In 2008, 1-800 Contacts began a partnership with Walmart that paired in-person eye exams at Walmart and Sam’s Club stores with the 1-800 Contacts phone and online ordering model. That partnership ended in 2013 and was not renewed.

How much are contacts from 1-800 Contacts?

The cost of contacts from 1-800 Contacts depends on your prescription and the products that you use. 1-800 Contacts price matches with the lowest price you can find online for the same product. Ordering from them will likely cost about the same, or a little bit less, than ordering from your optometrist’s office.

Does 1-800 Contacts call your doctor?

1-800 Contacts will call your eye doctor to verify your contact lens prescription if needed and they’ll only do it with your express permission. If you include an up-to-date copy of your contact lens prescription when you order, this step won’t be necessary.

What happens if 1-800 Contacts can’t verify your prescription?

If 1-800 Contacts cannot verify your prescription, it will “bounce back” and the order will be cancelled. 1-800 Contacts will contact you to let you know your order could not be processed. Your prescription will not be filled and you will be not be charged for your order.

1-800 Contacts is one of several direct-to-consumer retailers that mails contacts right to your house. Since most of these online retailers offer basically the same products, companies can only stand out by offering the best prices and best-in-class customer service.

Overall, 1-800 Contacts offers responsive customer service and convenience and has been doing so for more than 20 years.

But if you’re new to wearing contacts, you might consider ordering through your doctor the first few times. You can also speak with them about any contacts you use just to make sure everything is going smoothly.

In general, ordering from 1-800 Contacts may be worth the price if you’re a seasoned contact lens wearer.

Kathryn Watson is a freelance writer covering everything from sleep hygiene to moral philosophy. Her recent bylines include Healthline, Christianity Today, LitHub, and Curbed. She lives in New York City with her husband and two children, and her website is kathrynswatson.com.