Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jlee83]

Just got some new glasses. Paid 100,000won for the frame (originally 120,000, but asked for and got a discount) and 100,000won for the lenses.

One of my friends paid 300,000won, so I did think I was getting a good deal at the time. But I now, I'm not so sure; the frame, which is very light and bendable, seems quite cheap in make and material. It's a very generic black (not plastic, since it's quite malleable, but definitely not metal) frame. I just don't see how this can be worth 100,000..

Now I've heard the rumor that glasses were really cheap in Korea but I don't know.. 200,000won for a no-name brand glasses doesn't seem cheap at all. Granted, I'd probably pay $250-300 back in the 'States so I guess I can't really complain.

What do you guys think? Fair deal or a rip off?

[milspecs]

I paid 80 or so for everything

[tefain]

Unless the frames were a designer brand, they were definitely overpriced.

Even with high quality lenses, regular glasses shouldn't be more than 120,000.

[jlee83]

Thanks for the input guys! I hate this "getting ripped off" feeling. Oh well, live and learn, I suppose.....

Guess a bit of the overpricing also has to do with the location. Rent in Gangnam ain't pretty.

[jzrossef]

[nfld_chingu]

I've gotten frames in Daegu for as cheap as 10,000 won.

[eamo]

Sorry. Don't know. I'm not an expert on un-named, unidentified glasses frames.

[kiknkorea]

I paid 150000 for mine. Decent frames with good quality lenses.

Doesn't sound like you got a good deal, but as long as they work and last a good while, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

[carpetdope]

http://www.cracked.com/article_18845_6-secret-monopolies-you-didnt-know-run-world_p1.html

Remember back when you watched The Matrix for the first time and ran down to the store to buy sunglasses and a trench coat? There were so many sunglass brands to choose from: Oakley, Ray-Ban, Revo, Vogue, DKNY, and if you must have only the best, $500 designer glasses from Prada and BVLGARI (which has that V-instead-of-a-U thing, so you know it's classy like ancient Rome).

The thing is, all of those are made by one manufacturer -- Luxottica. Starting off as a tiny Italian glasses company, Luxottica caught the 1980s fever (see Wall Street) and started buying every glasses-related company it could get its hands on, as well as talking pretty much every fashion designer into letting them make their sunglasses line.

Well, at least you get to pick between stores, right? If the people at the LensCrafters are being dicks while selling you different glasses all made by Luxottica, you can show them what you think of that by taking your business across the mall to the Pearle Vision. Or maybe the Sears or Target optical departments. Except that they are also all owned by Luxottica. Just for the sake of argument let's say that you're not a squinty-eyed nerd, so you pass by the prescription shops and go right to the Sunglass Hut. You guessed it. Luxottica.

This is of course why they can charge you $200 for a piece of plastic with two hinges -- because most of the "competition" isn't actually competing with them. They are them. It also means that if anyone came up with a mind control chip you could put into glasses, they could have the whole world enslaved within months.

Keep Earth free! Get your glasses from Costco!