Lens.com

Lens.com claims to offer contact lenses from a variety of different companies for a fraction of what they would normally cost.

But after receiving a tip from a TINA.org reader, we discovered that these prices come with some large caveats. Here’s what you need to know.

The sketchy rebate

In reality, the prices advertised on the company’s website reflect the cost per box after consumers receive a rebate, meaning you will have to pay a substantial amount more upfront.

Take the Biofinity contact lenses, which are advertised as $10.19 per box. To qualify for the rebate and the advertised “lowest price,” consumers have to purchase four boxes at the regular price of $31.44, according to a pop-up message consumers only see if they click on a small, gray icon next to the advertised price. This brings the total initial cost to $125.76 before any other taxes and fees are added (more on these additional fees to come). Then, according to FAQs buried on the product page, they have to print and mail a form and wait up to 12 weeks to receive their $85 rebate in the form of a prepaid Visa gift card.

But according to consumers, this rebate may never actually come.

In 2023, the BBB issued an alert documenting a pattern of complaints from consumers who reported that they couldn’t obtain Lens.com’s rebate and had trouble getting help from the company’s customer service to resolve the issue. And TINA.org also discovered more recent complaints from consumers on the company’s BBB and Trustpilot pages who reported similar experiences despite mailing the correct forms, sending dozens of emails and/or calling the company (Lens.com has an F rating with the BBB).

Of note, Lens.com’s rebates are handled by a third party called RebateCard.com. This company also has a Trustpilot account, which has 24 reviews – all of them one-star.

Hidden fees

And there’s yet another catch that ensures no consumer will pay the advertised price, even if they do get the rebate.

During checkout, Lens.com sneakily added a whopping $108.96 in “taxes and fees.” Add in the $9.95 shipping and handling charge and our total quickly jumped to $244.67. Even with the rebate, the total was $159.67, or $39.91 per box – nearly four times the advertised price.

If you’re interested in what the “fees” are for, Lens.com doesn’t offer much detail, simply claiming in another pop-up consumers must click on in order to see that they are “compensation for servicing your order.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, consumers on the company’s BBB and Trustpilot pages have complained about this hidden charge.

Of note, there have also been several class actions filed against Lens.com alleging hidden fees.

Money-back guarantee and return policy 

Lastly, on its homepage Lens.com advertises a “100% money-back guarantee” and “hassle free returns.” However, the company’s terms disclose that consumers are only covered by the money-back guarantee if they receive the wrong lenses or a defective product, and are only covered by the return policy if the products are returned within 30 days and are unopened. Importantly, the policies don’t specifically cover what happens if consumers have an issue with the advertised rebate, which may take much longer than 30 days to receive.

Lens.com did not respond to a request for comment.

The bottom line

When shopping online, always make sure to carefully check for hidden fees and to read through all the fine print before trusting a company with your money. Reading consumer reviews on a variety of third-party platforms can also be helpful.

Find more of our coverage on bait and switch schemes.