Factory Optical

I have been a customer since day one (back in 1974) at the original store on East Hastings. Why do you think I keep going back? Great people.

They broke my frames, which happens. I understand. But I had to call three times throughout the week before they told me what happened. They even gave me a phoney excuse the first time. The glasses were supposed to be ready the next day, but it ended up taking a week and a half. Yes, I got new frames. But I received no apology, no discount, nothing. And they refused to return my old frames. Very poor customer service.

Great store. Friendly staff and they have excellent knowledge. I love the low key sales and it’s good to give business to an independent store.

I have been buying my glasses here for over 10 years and never once have I had an issue with quality or workmanship either, in fact, the first time I visited them was due to a broken pair or glasses that I had bought at another place and they fixed them for me no problem. Good deals on frames and with friendly knowledgeable staff, it makes shopping for new frames a breeze. Plus they don’t give you any pressure to buy. Shop here for glasses you won’t regret it!

I had a great experience here! It was recommended by my ophthalmologist as the place to get my glasses fixed. They are frameless and the bridge kept separating from the lens. They fixed the glasses in about 5 minutes and then wouldn’t let me pay even though I did not buy them there! They have a large selection of frames too.

I got my first pair of glasses here 14 years ago and loved them. I just got a new pair and had a great experience again. The woman was very helpful assisting with finding something that suited my face and my style. She was also very experienced, knowledgeable and went above and beyond what most places would do in terms of fine-​tuning just for me.
Great glasses, great service, great prices. I’m a fan.

I’m surprised to read the bad reviews. Mine is based on over 20 years service with more than 25 visits. Mainly for my daughter who is very hard on her glasses. They are repaired for her in minutes and often at no cost. Lots of free nosepads when she loses them.
I also have bought 4 pairs of sunglasses and 2 pairs of glasses for myself from them. They order my Raybans and other kinds of special frames and lenses. Their designer frames are super cheap compared to stores. Twice I did buy frames elsewhere because I loved them, and Factory Optical filled the lenses in a day at half the cost the original store quoted me.
I can’t imagine why more people don’t use them. This is the place all the OTHER stores send their glasses for repair (and make you wait a week to get them back). If you spend a lot of time getting glasses or want instant repairs for your family, I recommend going right to the source.

I have always been very pleased with the friendly, excellent service that I receive from Factory Optical. I work in the building next door to them, which makes it very handy for me to browse through their inventory for eyeglasses and prescription sunglasses on my lunch break. They have always been willing to repair my sunglasses, due to my carelessness, at no cost! I think one should consider shopping there first, before anywhere else, given their excellent service and reasonable cost of eyewear, too.

Have VERY low expectations, you‘ll be a happy customer here. Workmanship: The lens should not fall out of the frame, ok? And as it dropped, it got scratched too. I was promised a replacement, but I got the same lenses back. A month later the lens fell out again. Another trip, another promise to replace, another fail to deliver. And you know what, the same lens came loose a third time, that needed a third trip.
To mount a lens, it should be ground accurately to fit the shape of the frame. If it is too big, the screw thread will fail in normal use. Bending the frame to an ill-​fitted lens does not fix the problem. Now I have a scratched lens with a butchered asymetrical frame and a stripped thread in the frame that features a glued-​in oversized screw.
So, take the flashy certificates off the wall, put them in a box, and re-​train the technicians untill they can fit a lens in a frame like a normal human being.

Since I live in the area, I originally wanted to check this place out to compare the selection against the shops along Broadway & Granville. I don’t mind no frills as long as there is good service and selection. This place has both.
When you walk in, you can either browse or take a number to see an optician. The selection for men, at least, is pretty good. They have a nice mix of brand name and brands I hadn’t even heard of.
I think one of the best things about these guys is since they’re a «factory», they can order in frames and lenses if you don’t see it on display. I had visited a Bay Optical (bleh) a week ago and had them write the model of frames I was interested in. I showed the card to one of the opticians here and they said they can order it in and it would have been $ 75 cheaper than what I would have paid at The Bay.
Since their equipment is literally just on the other side of the wall, repairs and tweaks to your glasses are generally made on the spot or with minimal waiting time.
Fast & friendly with a good price point? What’s not to like?