Cohen’s Fashion Optical

Just left after being ignored repeatedly. Twice we tried to talk to the clerks and they walked away from us. It was very rude and we left frustrated and angry. Will never return.

I came in with a seriously high prescription and they were able to find a pair that fit exactly what I needed and well within budget. In the past, I’ve had places sell me glasses that couldn’t handle the thickness of my lenses so at this location I appreciated them finding options that would work for me… not just what I am used to buying. All round, great experience!

I came here to use my Union’s vision optical voucher and the woman at the front tried to scam me into buying $ 800 of contacts as well as trying to charge me for the vision exam which should’ve been free.
She asked me if I’d like to get an exam for both my contacts and glasses prescription without telling me that it would be $ 160. Later on, she told me that she asked if i’d like the exam so I was liable to pay the extra money. Then she asked if I wanted a year’s worth of contacts with the exam for $ 800. After I said that I wouldn’t want that, she said she can price match the price of the contacts with 1800-​contacts online. Then the price was lowered to $ 600. Later on, she continued to tell me the price of my eye exam was $ 160 until she called my union to clarify that NO I do not have to pay for the exam at all. At that point, I tried to leave without paying for anything since this woman was obviously trying to scam me. She also condescendingly said «No you are not understanding ME» when I continued to question her prices.
Do not come here.

It’s been a week since I came to the store to get two pairs of glasses. My emails have been ignored for the past couple of days as I made follow up
On the status of a refund for a year supply of contacts and also my glasses. I’ll write a more thorough review after I hear from you guys but so far it has been a very Disappointing experience.
I finally got the refund a couple of days ago.
But to be honest I will not return to this place nor recommend it to my husband who happens to be also a loyal customer. It was just really a bad experience as a whole. I came in there saw a man storming out yelling he was being ripped off. That was supposed to be the cue for me to gtfo, but I didn’t. Having done business with them in the past gave me confidence they would respect me as a client and not pressure me into getting deals I wasn’t interested in, but sadly I was just really disappointed.
I was willing to pay 400 plus dollars for a pair of nice glasses and even the lens but somehow they had to strong arm me to get a year supply of contacts. Common sense will tell you if I have two pairs of glasses what gave them the impression I will wear contacts everyday for a year? To make matters worse not once did the manager apologize for the confusion and inconvenience I experienced. I received
A not so friendly email from them after I pointed out that There is no way that the glasses were on sale or was discounted because of the additional contacts because I’ve seen those glasses elsewhere and they are more than a hundred dollars less. Online they’re
Even less than half of the supposed «discounted» price at Cohen’s. He went on to claim what I’ve seen may have
Been fake. Oh really so LensCrafters sells fake glasses huh? Anyway I asked him to send me the original paperwork I signed and when he did that’s when he realized where the confusion was. He said he would’ve been confused too because the original handwritten receipt does show the «discounted» price of the glasses.
So to make the story short I got the original price of the glasses, a free pair with the mandatory expensive light lenses which all rang up to over a thousand dollars. I wasn’t able to use my insurance which sadly I only found out after they already rang up the price and said the promo doesn’t allow use of insurance which is stupid. I didn’t get a vision plan to not be able to use at a time like this.
They also didn’t call me when the glasses wre ready. I had to do the follow up myself. Also they have this 99 deal for contacts where
I never actually got anything but just paid for
The fitting fee and a trial
Pair. This is the worst company I’ve ever dealt with considering how much money they charged me for a bogo promotion. I will not come back and although I promised I will edit my review I certainly did and that was to tell the truth. Sorry guys but you don’t know how to treat customers right. Not only was it a rip off, your service sucks. I wish I can take down that one star too.

I was consciously deceived by this place. They told me that I would be reimbursed for all but 10% of my cost by my insurance – which I found hard to believe because the price they quoted was so outrageous – but once they checked and doublechecked with my insurance (or so they said) and reassured me several times, I decided to go ahead with my purchase, which ended up costing me $ 1,350! Although the price included prescription sunglasses, the second pair of frames were free, so the cost of one frame and two pairs of lenses was still way, way outside the norm, more than double what I used to pay at my old vision center (which I only left because I got insurance, thinking it would bring down my costs!). When I eventually called my insurance to find out why I hadn’t received my reimbursement, they were surprised by my question, and explained that they don’t ask patients to pay up front for anything and then later get reimbursed. I had recently changed insurance companies and didn’t know this, but when I checked their handbook saw it was true.
This is how I know that Cohen’s deceived me on purpose – since they regularly work with my insurance, they already know that they don’t reimburse patients, and a crafty saleswoman eager for a big commission put on a friendly act and tricked me into paying for something she knew I wouldn’t be paid back for by my insurance, and left me holding the bill – which I only discovered a couple of months later, when I called to find out why I hadn’t gotten my check (Cohen’s had said it could take more than a month). I couldn’t return custom-​made glasses and get a refund, so I was stuck with an outrageously expensive pair.
Although the eye exam was efficient and I received helpful information, the doctor herself was very cold and judgmental – why had I gone so long without an exam (a couple of years), how could I risk permanently damaging my eyes by wearing old contacts, etc. I’ve never been so roundly scolded by someone 15 years younger than me.
They may not deceive and mistreat all their clients, but I wouldn’t take a chance if I were you.

I recently went back for an adjustment, hoping to get something fixed that was slightly off about my glasses. The optician seemed to think it was either a manufacturer’s defect or something that would happen either way as the frames are adjusted. I felt disappointed, because that was the extent of their help. It just seemed like they didn’t care. Prior adjustments made by the staff here have resulted in a lot of visual discomfort, and it really seemed like they didn’t know what they were doing.
At wit’s end, I will endeavor to just take this experience as a lesson in accepting imperfection. I am loathe to do this, but I’ve already sunk enough money and time into this venture and don’t want to use up any more.

I wandered in here to find out how much an eye exam would cost. Turns out that my health insurance (Aetna) has a vision discount. Here, that discount means an eye exam is freeeeee! Yay!
It was really easy to get an appointment and the optician was efficient and nice. Also, their eye exams are good for two years (which, for someone who has a very low prescription and very stable eyes, means you don’t have to have unnecessary additional exams if you want a new pair of glasses = great!)
They don’t have the most fabulous selection of glasses in the world and I happened to come in on a hot day when the A/​C was broken so it wasn’t the most comfortable. I’m not sure I would use them for other things, but I was there for one reason and they delivered. Thanks!

I would like to write about my visit to this office on Sunday, April 26^th, 2015. This was my first time to see this doctor and visit this office. The office was fairly busy and I was greeted immediately by friendly and helpful staff members. I was seen quickly by the doctor for a contact lens/​glasses exam and the doctor was very thorough and knowledgeable. She was able to recommend contact lenses for me that are better for my eyes than the ones I had been using.
Michael was a great salesman and he helped me pick out frames that were perfect for me. He shipped everything to my house very quickly, I had them by the end of the week! The contact lenses I purchased are the BEST lenses I have ever worn and I have been getting many compliments on my glasses. I will definitely return to this office in the future for my eye care needs.

I thankfully never needed glasses in the past but I recently started having trouble with viewing things up close.
I was passing by this Cohen’s location on April 17, 2015 and stopped in to ask if they accepted my insurance. Once they confirmed that they did I agreed to have my eyes examined because they stated that they could take me right away. I also asked up front what glasses were covered by my form of insurance and I was guided to a display case in back and told that these would be fully covered. Normally before trying a new business I always try to check reviews and with friends who have had past experiences. But this time I just wanted to get this out of the way. Big mistake!
After going through the eye exam the doctor who examined my eyes spoke with me briefly and explained that I definitely needed reading glasses. She also explained that sometime in the future I would need glasses for distance. After the exam I felt that the doctor provided a clear and honest explanation for me but unfortunately once I left her office the level of customer service went downhill from there.
At this point I was passed on to a salesperson who encouraged me to pick a frame that I liked. I replied that I like «free» and immediately walked over to the case I was shown initially BUT now I was told that only some of the frames were covered by my insurance. At this point, I felt the urge to leave but picked out frames anyway. So once I picked out the frames I wanted the saleswoman started adding up a bill and quickly gave an explanation about anti — glare and started adding it to my bill? At this point I asked that she provide more clarification and even stepped aside to call several glass wearers who all stated that they did not get this on their glasses. But again I went against my gut feeling and allowed the saleswoman to add on this feature because she insisted it was a good thing and would help to prevent further deterioration of my eye. Which made no sense to me because as I get older my eyes will naturally deteriorate anyway?
So I complete the purchase of my glasses and inquire when they would be ready. I was told that they would not be ready that same day so I ask if I could pick the glasses up at a location closer to my home. I was told yes and was asked to pick a location which I did.
Fast forward to May 1, 2015 when I call the location I purchased the glasses from and inquire about why I never received any follow up in regards to my glasses. A person who identified himself as Michael answered the phone and explained that «numerous» calls were made to me and they could not get in contact with me on what to do with my glasses so they remained at the store. At this point I am confused because I did make a request that I wanted my glasses forwarded to a store closer to me. I go back and forth with Michael for awhile to the point that he becomes irritating and is offering no resolution to my issues. He just wants to insist that I was contacted «many times». I am no celebrity and do not have anyone else answering my phone so if I was contacted «many times» I think I would know. Regardless, I wanted the issue dealt with now and reiterated that I had asked that they be shipped to one of there Brooklyn stores. He asks for the address again and I provide it. He then tells me that it is not a corporate store — blah, blah, blah — why wasn’t this brought up when I was in the store? The call is ended with him agreeing to forward the glasses to the store anyway. Less than 10 minutes later I am contacted by phone by the original saleswoman — Iris– who gives another version of why I don’t have my glasses. At this point I don’t care what the issue was and voice this to her so she offers to mail them directly to me. Exhausting!
They definitely won’t get repeat business from me SMH,

After I updated my review, the business updated their generic comment to one stating, «we have no record of you responding to our outreach on file. If you could please email …»
Granted my Unilocal profile does not have my birth name, but I emailed them immediately with reference to this review.
So it would appear they are either pathological liars or pathologically disorganized. In either case, I find it galling that I would be asked to invest more time helping them provide customer service that should have been done on site.
It is almost impressive that they have managed to make my impression of this enterprise sink even lower. I would no longer polish off one star for the top of this review: it is an utterly starless night on Broadway.

Worse customer service I ever experienced.
Went to the one on 8^th & 37^th in the city.
Had insurance that covered the eye exam, lenses and $ 150 towards frames.
Didn’t want to spend more than $ 300.00 on the frame. ($ 150 out of pocket /​$ 150 insurance)
The retarded sales associate sold me $ 300 Ray Ban frames when the Ray Ban site had them for $ 99 bucks and added all these other charges when I only asked for standard frames that my insurance covered. My vision is pretty well. She never called me back the next day to get my glasses and promised they’d be ready. I trooped it from Bklyn on a Friday only to find they weren’t even touched. I wanted to talk to the manager. He did nothing but give me $ 50 bucks in Cohen’s dollars. I wiped my ass with them. Will never give these people my money again. How are they still in business?

Came to this store because it was close to my office and convenient– the staff were all very nice and helpful. I have a very strong prescription and they all joined in to help me pick out a beautiful pair of frames. My salespersons name was Alicia– I highly recommend her. I just picked up my glasses and contacts today and am super satisfied.

BAIT AND SWITCH. I got a groupon here for an eye exam and they say $ 200 credit towards eye glasses. But if u decide not to get glasses, they turn you away. No where in the contract do they say that you HAVE to purchase glasses for the eye exam. It’s really scammy, and they should really be transparent about the deal. Awful staff and rude service.

It’s been a few years since I went for an exam and ordered a pair of glasses… and it’s been even longer since I was in a Cohen’s. My first visit (to their LES location) left a terrible taste in my mouth, but with all the positive reviews for Cohen’s in Union Square I figured I’d take a chance (plus my insurance plan got me $ 100 towards my total bill).
Making an appointment is easy — you can do so either online or in the store. The sales gal I spoke to In store suggested always calling or stopping in so they can check the most recent calendar/​schedule.
The day of my appointment I arrived a few minutes early and checked out the variety of frames in the display cases. Within five minutes one of the technicians was calling my name. First up was the stupid air puff test. I know I know, testing for glaucoma is important but I hate this test! A few minutes later I was ushered into the Dr’s exam room for a series of «can you read this line» tests. The doctor I met with was very nice but very by the books/​to the point. It was nice to get in and get out but it didn’t feel very personable.
After a handful of tests I was up again and trying on a pair of contacts. The doc asked a bunch of questions about my contact use, and after I mentioned I haven’t been wearing them a lot lately she suggested I try ‘daily’s’ (wear ‘em and toss ‘em.) She said it would save me money in the long run and after a couple quick calculations I decided she was right. She supplied me with a couple extra pairs to try out over the next few days to make sure I was comfortable in them and I’m happy to report I am. Many thanks to the doc for making the suggestion.
After we took care of the contacts it was time to select a pair of frames. Alicia was fantastic and pulled me just about every pair of black plastic rimmed glasses she could find. Small, large, round, square, etc. Once I narrowed it down to a couple pairs we called over the other ladies in the store for their opinions… all of the ladies at this Cohen’s were awesome.
My glasses were ready about 5 days later and fit perfectly when I first tried them on. Cohen’s supplied a hard case, a cloth and a little bottle of cleaner for me to take home too.
Not everything was rosy — the store is warm. I was there over an hour and felt like a hot mess after I left. Pleaseeeee pump up the AC a bit more, huh?
The staff, while generally pretty awesome, is a little pushy. «How about this one… how about this one…» I wanted to yell a couple times at them to chill out and let me figure out what I wanted to do. Glasses are an investment — I wanted to be sure I was picking out the right pair. «You can take advantage of our payment plan…» Ugh. Stop!
Overall I had a great experience at Cohen’s and I am LOVING my new spectacles so their persistence paid off. Next eye exam– I wouldn’t hesitate to visit this location again.

I never thought it would be possible to be so thoroughly unhappy with the service of something as straightforward as an Optometrist. But I would soon learn differently, Cohen’s in Union Square really made the extra effort to ensure I left a dissatisfied customer.
My issues started the day I made my *first* appointment. As I’m sure many people can relate to, it’s often quite an inconvenience to find the time to make appointments in the middle of a weekday. I made arrangements to take extra time on my lunch break to go for an appointment. Calling in the morning, I made an appointment and was told that they had time to squeeze me in at 2PM. Perfect, I thought, I can head up there, get my exam, and be back to work in short order.
I got to the office 10 minutes early and waited in line to be seen by a rep. Come my turn, they had no appointment for me on the books, and insisted I must have had my branch mixed up. I assured them I didn’t and read back the number I had called. Still they insisted I was wrong and had not called them. Feeling a bit perplexed at why they were arguing with me, I went to my recent calls, redialed the number, and lo and behold their phone started ringing. Mistakes happen, I thought, so although annoyed at having wasted my time, I made an appointment for the following week.
Again I headed in early, and this time they did indeed have me on the books. I then proceeded to wait a full 45 min past my appointment before anyone saw me. I told the doctor I was now in a big hurry, and needed to be back in the office in 15 minutes.
Now I will say that my doctor was very friendly, helpful and efficient. I have zero complaints about that aspect of the service. I wish I could say the same of any other part of my experience.
The most egregious part of this whole fiasco came at the end of my appointment. Going to check out, I explained to the salesperson that I could not purchase the entire year’s supply that they were suggesting at that time. I reminded her that I was in a big hurry, and asked to simply pay for my exam, and call back after payday when I could make a purchase.
She wouldn’t accept this. She started in on the sales pitch of what a great deal it was if I would just order them all now. Again I stated that I couldn’t at that time and was in a big hurry. I tried to hand her my credit card, but she persisted in offering me options. «How about applying for our installment plan». I said I didn’t want to do that, and involve my credit score, something I protect closely, in the transaction. «Oh, it’s just a soft credit check. It won’t appear on your score». At this point I was flustered and annoyed, and anxious to get out of the store and back to work. I was already 30 minutes late. At her insistence I finally capitulated and let them apply for me.
I was rejected by their system, and again expressed my annoyance and insisted that I just wanted to pay for the service and leave. But that was not okay apparently. Her next suggestion was that I simply make a deposit and pay the rest when I came back. Fine, I said, just wanting to get out of there. I paid the fee (finally) and put down $ 60 towards the contacts, and was finally allowed to leave after being made even later.
Obviously I was already annoyed at this point, but my annoyance changed to outrage when I received a notification from my credit monitoring service notifying me that a hard credit inquiry had been made.
Furious over being blatantly lied to, I called back and demanded to speak to a branch manager. I was put on the phone with a woman who claimed to be the manager, but after explaining my situation in a much more patient tone than one might have expected given the situation, I was put on hold (!). When the line was answered, a different woman on the other end introduced HERSELF as the manager.
This woman the proceeded to argue with me that 1) of course their credit inquiries were hard checks, 2) None of their employees would have told me that, and 3) that there was NO SUCH THING as a soft credit check (Of course there is!).
Fuming at this point, I explained she was mistaken and I was very unhappy at having been mislead. She said, and I quote «well what do you want me to do about it?». I said the damage had been done, so I just wanted to purchase the minimum of one box each that I needed immediately, and pay the balance of that deposit I had been strongarmed into. At this point she proceeded to give me ANOTHER sales pitch, offering me a free box if I would order the year supply. It took 10 minutes of repeating this to her before she begrugingly said «fine» and took my card info.
TL;DR: Unless you have time you love to waste, and don’t give a damn about being dealt with honestly, go somewhere else. ANYWHERE else. These people are salesmen and hustlers, and I’ll poke myself in the eye before setting foot in there again. So save yourself the stress and find another option.

WARNING!!! They will NOT honor the $ 20 coupon found on their website. When I called to inquire and possibly set up an appointment using the $ 20 eye exam, the representative on the phone stated that it was only $ 20 with a purchase of glasses. WTF? It does not state that anywhere on the coupon, although the sales representative was adamant that that was the policy. Don’t come here if you want an eye exam. They will probably definitely upsell you to spend more money, when it is not necessary. AVOID at all costs!

Absolutely fantastic service with an amazing selection! From start to finish I am more than pleased with my experience at Cohen’s ! I walked out with two new pairs of glasses and new lenses for less than I paid for my first pair of glasses! Loved Dani, Valerie, and the entire staff at this location!
Whatever you do, avoid the midtown location on 57^th… Terrible, lazy service with a poor selection of inventory.

Lousy customer service. After keeping me waiting for 20 minutes, customer service rep «Alba» rushed me out saying we’re getting ready to close. Now, that I know the model number to the frames I wanted — I’ll be ordering them elsewhere. Thanks!

I haven’t had an eye exam in years! I was long overdue and booked an appt online for this location. I also printed out a $ 20 off eye exam coupon, but thanks to both my vision and regular doctor visit insurance, everything was covered.
Fairly certain you can do a walk-​in, as I witnessed several others doing.
The eye doc was lovely, friendly and after much testing, I learned that I have astigmatism. I also had my heart set on getting glasses elsewhere, so I had her written down the prescription for me – and thank goodness for that, I never would have remembered it without the note!
They did try to push me to buy their lenses, but I was able to politely decline.
I left satisfied with my experience!

Nothing compared to the store on Lexington&47. The whole staff here know their job: they are quick, efficient, nice and very helpful. They called to confirm my appointment that I took for the same day, they did the eye exam in less than 30 minutes and the person at the counter helped me very well to choose my glasses and find a way to fit in my budget. Plus, my glasses were ready within 48 hours. Feels great.
Very good experience from A to Z.