ShadesEmporium Reviews 5

I was super nervous about this. I placed my order for a pair of Seraphin glasses that I have wanted for eight years but could never afford to get. When I found them on FramesEmporium (same company)...I was a little thoughtless in my eagerness. I paid and was startled that it didn't go through Paypal; my red flags went up. I was genuinely so nervous and reading reviews didn't help. Everything pointed to a scam. I called my credit card company and was on high alert. At the very end of my "processing order" time frame, I used their "Live Chat" option to speak with a FramesEmporium rep. She was courteous but I was still on edge. Then, miraculously, I got a notification-- it was being shipped! Then it arrived! And they are THE glasses-- the glasses I've been dreaming of for years! Excellent quality, legit....just standard lenses now until I go to my doc this week for an updated rx. But I am SO happy...so, even though I was stressed due to all the bad reviews, I am very very satisfied! These are the real deal, AND I saved about $100 from what the frames would cost in-store. In love! Thanks guys!

Date of experience: July 06, 2017

I have been a delighted client of FramesEmporium for many years. Thank you for making shopping for eye wear a unique and enjoyable experience FramesEmporium!

Date of experience: November 27, 2014

DO NOT trust this company or its website.
I went to this site because of attractive pricing and generous return policy. However, after placing the order I was asked to furnish 2 measurements, one of which is specific to the frame and cannot be obtained without having the frame first. When I told them I was unable to provide the information, they siad they would make the glasses, but then they would be NON RETURANABLE. This is in direct conflict with their online policy.

When I told them to cancel the order they hadn't even shipped, they said it would be a $35 cancellation policy.

DO NOT TRUST THIS COMPANY OR ITS SITE.

Date of experience: October 10, 2013

After seeing such great reviews online for Frames Emporium, I decided to take a chance and order from them. The results? I'm very disappointed and unsatisfied with Frames Emporium. The frames I received were defective. The connection linking the temples to the lenses made noises and made it hard to open and close. The more I opened and closed the arms, the louder the noises got...they sounded like they were going to break. I tried loosening the screws a bit to see if they were overtightened and thought maybe that was the cause of the noises. Nope. That wasn't it. The arms of the glasses were simply not opening/closing smoothly and it seemed to be because a piece of the metal on the hinges were rubbing against itself. This was clearly a defect in the manufacturing process.

When I contacted customer support for a return shipping label due to this defect, they simply said that this wasn't a defect and that the glasses were making noises because they were "a new pair of glasses." ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I've worn glasses since I was a child and I'm now in my 20s—I've purchased many pairs of glasses and NEVER have I had "new" glasses have these issues. The frame I ordered wasn't a cheap generic one either—they were supposedly Prada, and I'd expect Prada quality.

Rather than admit that they sold me defective merchandise and issue me a return label, I had to pay for return shipping, and was charged a 20% restocking fee. If I had decided to exchange it for another pair of glasses, I wouldn't have been charged the restocking fee, but I still would have had to pay for shipping for the exchanged pair. Did I want to take another chance and order another pair? Absolutely not. I'm now down $40 from this debacle.

You might get lucky and not get a pair of defective glasses. But if you do get defective frames, GOOD LUCK in trying to get your money back. Stay away from this place. You've been warned.

Date of experience: October 31, 2011

Watch out for hidden fees.

Shades Emporium / Frames Emporium had a great deal on some eyeglasses frames. Ordered basic lenses with AR coating, scratch protection for $70 total. At checkout was shocked to see "High Cylinder Surcharge Fee" of $40 added on to the order.

I ordered them anyway, since it was still a decent deal. Then the next day I received an email saying there was an additional $90 fee for my order, but they would knock it down to $60.

I told them it was BS and cancelled my order. They cancelled the order with no major hassles, and never charged my credit card.

The bottom line: seems like they're making up for cheap frames with expensive options. Frames emporium was okay to deal with, and in the future I might buy frames from them and get lenses put in somewhere else. This time I found a better deal on the frames on Amazon!

Date of experience: October 15, 2011