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Nebahat Safak
Sep 11, 2026
I went to LensCrafters eye doctors in San Francisco for many years and was always extremely happy with them. So when I moved to Scottsdale, started having some discomfort with my eyes, and needed new glasses, I naturally made an appointment with LensCrafters again. Unfortunately, my experience in Scottsdale was completely different.
During my first appointment, I repeatedly told the doctor that the lens being used during the exam seemed dirty or blurry and that I could not see clearly through it. The doctor tried to clean it. My eyes were then dilated and I was asked to wait. At the beginning of the appointment, I had clearly told both the doctor and the staff that I needed to leave by a certain time because my six-year-old son would be arriving home on his school bus. I had allowed approximately two hours for this appointment.
When enough time had passed for the dilation and I expected the doctor to call me back, the doctor took another patient instead. After waiting about another 15 minutes, I had no choice but to leave because my son was about to arrive. My eyes were still dilated and I could barely see properly. In my rush, I even left behind the dark protective glasses they had given me after dilation. I was trying to get home with my vision still blurred, practically using my hands to help find my way.
After that experience, I asked to see another doctor who I hoped would be more attentive and responsible. At first, the second appointment seemed to be going better. The doctor said the prescription was finished, but I told the doctor, “But I still can’t see clearly.” The lens was immediately changed again, and a different prescription was then issued.
When I went to choose the frame I liked and order my glasses, I was initially given the doctor’s first prescription. I told the staff that this was not the correct one. The doctor had already moved on to other patients, and the staff were trying to figure out which prescription was actually the final one. Once again, I ran out of time and had to leave. The prescription was later emailed to me.
When I saw it, I was very concerned by what appeared to be a significant change in my vision and a very large difference between my two eyes. I have had regular eye exams for about 10 years and had never seen results like this. I decided not to order glasses until I could have another eye examination elsewhere.
Later, someone from LensCrafters contacted me and told me there had been a problem with the lenses used during the examination and that this could have been the reason for the blurriness I had repeatedly mentioned. I then made an appointment at another LensCrafters location, but that appointment was canceled because I was told their doctors were part of the same group.
Finally, I went back to the eye doctors I have trusted for years and had another complete examination. My results were very close to my previous prescriptions, and the difference between my two eyes was also nowhere near as large as what I had been given in Scottsdale.
I have nothing against LensCrafters as a brand. In fact, I had wonderful experiences with LensCrafters doctors in San Francisco for years, which is exactly why my Scottsdale experience was so disappointing.
As a mother with very limited time, I ended up spending three days dealing with appointments, waiting, confusing prescriptions, and repeat examinations for what should have been a straightforward eye exam and new pair of glasses. In the end, with an experienced doctor and professional team I trusted, my examination, correct prescription, and everything I needed were completed in about 30 minutes.
For me, this was not simply one bad appointment. It became an unnecessarily long, stressful, exhausting, and truly frustrating process. The saddest part was realizing afterward how quickly and easily everything could have been handled with an experienced and professional doctor and team.