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Launch HN: JetLenses (YC S18) – Lowest Prices on Contact Lenses

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Re: Launch HN: JetLenses (YC S18) – Lowest Prices on Contact Lenses

#41

Post by dpandya »

6841iam wrote: post #37

I don't think your claim is true. You are not the lowest price. I just purchased Biotrue ONEday 90 pack today from EZContacts today. You say the price is https://imgur.com/a/66wFxvS $69.99 cheapest plan (option 2) But just today I purchased it from EZContacts for $30.79 https://imgur.com/a/3x4ZzTD So you'd be best served to Google for the contact lens of your choice and pay for whats the cheapest. Note: When I tried…

We don't claim to be the cheapest on all products yet - there's some bizdev work to do before we can say that.

Re: Launch HN: JetLenses (YC S18) – Lowest Prices on Contact Lenses

#42

Post by maaaats »

yznovyak wrote: post #36

I'm in Ukraine now and it seems that I can buy most of the lenses for a fraction of US price. Here's one of the online shops I used last time: https://linza.com.ua/ to convert UAH to USD you can divide by 25 (actually 27, but 25 gives good enough approximation and is easier to divide by). The same lenses I bought with VSP in the US for >= $150 cost here $14/month. And the most expensive monthly supply of daily lenses…

Also from Europe. Weird that lenses need a prescription in the US.

Re: Launch HN: JetLenses (YC S18) – Lowest Prices on Contact Lenses

#43

Post by wmab »

benehmke wrote: post #21

FWIW, the biggest pain is the prescription. My doctor only does 1 year prescriptions, my prescription hasn't changed for 15 years. It's important to get your eyes checked, but every year is a bit nuts. I guess we have some federal organization to thank for that. I'd love to see you guys figure that problem out. Maybe you could figure out how to ship from out of the US or something. Hell, I'd pay more if I didn't have…

I use Daysoft [1], they're their own brand of contacts, but by the inventor of the daily disposable, and I've used them for years and have been great. They're UK based so all you're required to do to "prove" prescription is check a box. No need to submit anything for prescription (since this isn't required by UK law, there's nothing to stop you buying contacts from anywhere in the UK). They're also [1] https://www.daysoft.com/

Re: Launch HN: JetLenses (YC S18) – Lowest Prices on Contact Lenses

#44

Post by pravda »

namibj wrote: post #39
1996 wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

no prescription needed?

You need a prescription to buy contact lenses in the US? Pills and such makes sense, but what can you do wrong with contacts, apart from having the wrong strength/astigmatism?

Ophthalmologists need money!

Believe it or not, it used to be illegal (in certain US states) to purchase reading glasses 'over the counter'.

That's right, reading glasses were by prescription only.

Re: Launch HN: JetLenses (YC S18) – Lowest Prices on Contact Lenses

#46

Post by privacypoller »

dpandya wrote: post #13
dirtae wrote: post #8

ContactLensKing.com is substantially cheaper than JetLenses for the contacts I wear, the Bausch & Lomb Ultras. $43 for a 6 pack on JetLenses, $30 on ContactLensKing: https://www.jetlenses.com/Ultra-6PK_p_76.html https://www.contactlensking.com/prodDetail.aspx?ItemGroupCod... Why is there such a discrepancy in the pricing on these?

Basically: scale and supply chain. On some lenses, where we're on an even playing field, we're able to dramatically beat everyone else on price (e.g. Biofinity Toric XR, MyDay Toric, Proclear Toric XR). As we grow and we can add more suppliers, we'll be able to have the best prices across the board.

so, you're basically saying "we're the lowest price, except when we're not because of 'unfair' competition on scale and supply chain, but help us gain these advantages and we'll be competitive"

Are you the lowest price on contacts or not?

Re: Launch HN: JetLenses (YC S18) – Lowest Prices on Contact Lenses

#47

Post by Filligree »

dpandya wrote: post #40
ocdnix wrote: post #35

I'd like to have metadata about the materials used in the lenses, specifically info about wetting agents. My go-to lens is Acuvue Moist, which has the "Lacreon" wetting agent, aka polyvinylpyrrolidone. When my lens store stopped carrying Moist, I had a hard time figuring out which other brand would have an equivalent gradual moisture release effect, given the jungle of proprietary material names. I'm not saying I'd l…

That sounds interesting, but if you've been prescribed the Acuvue Moist, you can only purchase the Acuvue Moist as per law. So, although this info would certainly be interesting (and maybe reduce some customer confusion), it wouldn't actually be actionable.

You're US-only, then?

Here in Europe I can buy any contact lens I'd like, but I'm still short on information as to which ones might be better, or why.

Re: Launch HN: JetLenses (YC S18) – Lowest Prices on Contact Lenses

#48

Post by privacypoller »

dpandya wrote: post #41
6841iam wrote: post #37

I don't think your claim is true. You are not the lowest price. I just purchased Biotrue ONEday 90 pack today from EZContacts today. You say the price is https://imgur.com/a/66wFxvS $69.99 cheapest plan (option 2) But just today I purchased it from EZContacts for $30.79 https://imgur.com/a/3x4ZzTD So you'd be best served to Google for the contact lens of your choice and pay for whats the cheapest. Note: When I tried…

We don't claim to be the cheapest on all products yet - there's some bizdev work to do before we can say that.

the title of this post is literally "Lowest Prices on Contact Lenses"

it's reasonable for someone to interpret that as "cheapest price for the contact lenses I wear".

Re: Launch HN: JetLenses (YC S18) – Lowest Prices on Contact Lenses

#49

Post by privacypoller »

ISL wrote: post #10
soared wrote: post #7

Curious if 10 years ago yc would accept a company that just sold contact lenses online.

An interesting question. This [1] suggests that the contact lens market is ~$10B, which is in the realm of YC aspirations. That market is likely to grow as the purchasing-power of people globally continues to grow. Sounds like YC to me. [1] https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/contact-...

except how is this market captured? Seems to be more supply-chain and scale, or R&D in the actual product. These guys appear to hope for the former, but not sure how they can beat the bigger players other than some vague comments akin to leveraging supplier and customer data. The smaller startups that have built online presence have already focused really well on streamlining the experience, order fulfillment and customer service at low prices; how much margin is left to be the new player and compete on price?

Re: Launch HN: JetLenses (YC S18) – Lowest Prices on Contact Lenses

#50

Post by rsrs »

maaaats wrote: post #42
yznovyak wrote: post #36

I'm in Ukraine now and it seems that I can buy most of the lenses for a fraction of US price. Here's one of the online shops I used last time: https://linza.com.ua/ to convert UAH to USD you can divide by 25 (actually 27, but 25 gives good enough approximation and is easier to divide by). The same lenses I bought with VSP in the US for >= $150 cost here $14/month. And the most expensive monthly supply of daily lenses…

Also from Europe. Weird that lenses need a prescription in the US.

It isn't like prescription for medication, it's just the numbers that were measured. You don't need a doctor signature to get eyeglasses or contacts (although your insurance company might want an optometrist confirmation that your eyesight isn't perfect).
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