New Glasses - Fake or Not?
Discussion
Hi all. Received my new glasses today from a highly rated online retailer. They look nice but they don’t feel “right”.
They’re Ray-Ban RB7046. They feel light and flimsy to the touch, and generally have a cheapness about them. Most telling, the frames have mould lines which by all accounts they should not have. Ray-Bans are cut from a piece of acetate and polished and therefore have no seams. My old frames (Ray-Ban RB7159 - very similar design) do not have seams and feel more substantial, despite now being into two pieces. The arms do not readily flex whereas the arms on the new pair have all the rigidity of a piece of cooked spaghetti.
The online retailer in question are “certified resellers” and “guarantee brand authenticity” without showing anything in the way of documents to back that up. As I say, they have 181k reviews with an average of 4.6 stars on Trustpilot. The ordering process was indeed smooth and without issue.
Am I just being pernickety? Hopefully others in here have more experience of these things. I may contact Ray-Ban to get their say.
If these are genuine then that is very disappointing from Ray-Ban.
They’re Ray-Ban RB7046. They feel light and flimsy to the touch, and generally have a cheapness about them. Most telling, the frames have mould lines which by all accounts they should not have. Ray-Bans are cut from a piece of acetate and polished and therefore have no seams. My old frames (Ray-Ban RB7159 - very similar design) do not have seams and feel more substantial, despite now being into two pieces. The arms do not readily flex whereas the arms on the new pair have all the rigidity of a piece of cooked spaghetti.
The online retailer in question are “certified resellers” and “guarantee brand authenticity” without showing anything in the way of documents to back that up. As I say, they have 181k reviews with an average of 4.6 stars on Trustpilot. The ordering process was indeed smooth and without issue.
Am I just being pernickety? Hopefully others in here have more experience of these things. I may contact Ray-Ban to get their say.
If these are genuine then that is very disappointing from Ray-Ban.
ks.I bought a pair of RB3558 from the Ray Ban website in their xmas sale and was pretty miffed with the quality tbh. They are very light, the lens seems to be made of some kind of plastic rather than glass. I have another polarised pair I bought a few months earlier in an airport which seem completely different.
I can't comment on Ray Ban specifically, but I do know that in 1999 they were sold by Bausch & Lomb to Luxottica Group. Since Luxottica took over Oakley in 2007 product quality and customer service has, by all accounts, gone downhill. I found out about the Oakley situation after purchasing something from their website which failed to materialise for weeks, my frustration being exacerbated by spectacularly poor communication and hence me digging around to see what was being said online. Maybe Ray Ban is being dragged down in the same way.
digger_R said:
I bought a pair of RB3558 from the Ray Ban website in their xmas sale and was pretty miffed with the quality tbh. They are very light, the lens seems to be made of some kind of plastic rather than glass. I have another polarised pair I bought a few months earlier in an airport which seem completely different.
The lenses are the best bit about them! They’re plastic but that’s to be expected when fitted by an optician. I have a pair of Aviator sunglasses which have glass lenses, but these are over 10 years old now so no indication of how things are now. MitchT said:
I can't comment on Ray Ban specifically, but I do know that in 1999 they were sold by Bausch & Lomb to Luxottica Group. Since Luxottica took over Oakley in 2007 product quality and customer service has, by all accounts, gone downhill. I found out about the Oakley situation after purchasing something from their website which failed to materialise for weeks, my frustration being exacerbated by spectacularly poor communication and hence me digging around to see what was being said online. Maybe Ray Ban is being dragged down in the same way.
Perhaps, but both my previous pairs were under Luxottica ownership and these are a step down from them. My old pair were bought 4 years ago so not that old. It’s the mould seam that stick out to me the most, unless they’ve changed their manufacturing process.
If this is the right pair, the website says their injection moulded: https://www.ray-ban.com/uk/eyeglasses/RX7046%20FEM...
I had some £3 fake aviators, comparing them to a real pair in sunglasses hut, there didn't seem to be that much difference in the feel.
My girlfriend recently bought a pair of Chanel sunglasses. I admit the leather case feels very nice, but the glasses are no better quality than a £20 pair from TK Max.
Honestly, I think designer sunglasses are one of rhe biggest scams going.
My girlfriend recently bought a pair of Chanel sunglasses. I admit the leather case feels very nice, but the glasses are no better quality than a £20 pair from TK Max.
Honestly, I think designer sunglasses are one of rhe biggest scams going.
My wife & I are both RayBan fans & have several frames up to ten years old circulating in use as sunglasses & with prescription lenses.
The most recent were bought from Bicester Village so I’d be surprised if they are knock offs, but agree that they seem less ‘sturdy’ & neatly made than the older frames we own.
The most recent were bought from Bicester Village so I’d be surprised if they are knock offs, but agree that they seem less ‘sturdy’ & neatly made than the older frames we own.
egomeister said:
If this is the right pair, the website says their injection moulded: https://www.ray-ban.com/uk/eyeglasses/RX7046%20FEM...
Good find. That would explain it then. They’re cheaper frames than my old pair too. A shame as the feel of RB7149s is far nicer. I’ll be sure to check next time.
A few years ago I ordered a couple of handbags from a London retailer for my O/H but when the order acknowledge arrived it was in Chinese so I cancelled the order, stopped the payment and heard nothing further.
Several weeks later a pair Rayban Wayfarers arrived in the post, from China. They looked and felt genuine and had the correct case, cleaning cloth, tags and so on. I gave them to my O/H who always wears sunglasses when out as she's light sensitive. She took them to her optician who weren't able to say whether they were 'right' but told her they were perfectly save for her to wear.
Several weeks later a pair Rayban Wayfarers arrived in the post, from China. They looked and felt genuine and had the correct case, cleaning cloth, tags and so on. I gave them to my O/H who always wears sunglasses when out as she's light sensitive. She took them to her optician who weren't able to say whether they were 'right' but told her they were perfectly save for her to wear.
My daughter (in CH) has always worn RayBans.. so she wanted to buy some for my wife for use after her cataract op.
Seems there are thousands of fake RayBans being peddled around. Some for only around $100,-/pair.
So we then went to a reputable optician and ordered them, he also warned about the fakes (mentioning cheapish lighter frames, seams etc!).
Real ones usually have a delivery time of a couple of weeks from an optician here.
So buy from a reputable source and you shouldn't get ripped off!
Seems there are thousands of fake RayBans being peddled around. Some for only around $100,-/pair.
So we then went to a reputable optician and ordered them, he also warned about the fakes (mentioning cheapish lighter frames, seams etc!).
Real ones usually have a delivery time of a couple of weeks from an optician here.
So buy from a reputable source and you shouldn't get ripped off!
Interesting to read about the different ways these are made. I've got a couple of pair with prescription lenses in; one clear for driving and the other tinted. I've just had an eye test and need new lenses, but Specsavers can't/won't reglaze them as they don't sell Rayban. I originally bought them from Glasses Direct but they don't do reglazing either, so I'm popping into some opticians today to see what they will charge, though I suspect from their online prices I might as well just keep the old ones as spares and buy new ones from GD again.
One pair is RB5228 that are now £140 with single vision lens (+£15 for a simple tint) and the others are RB7047 which are £113 though I've never considered that they could be fake the price doesn't seem that bad. Trouble is that reglazing with tinted lenses seems to work out at about £100 each pair, so in the case of the RB7047 not much of a saving. I've had them five years though, so I guess I've had good use out of them and I'm sure I paid closer to £100 for the RB5228 so they've gone up a fair bit since then.
One pair is RB5228 that are now £140 with single vision lens (+£15 for a simple tint) and the others are RB7047 which are £113 though I've never considered that they could be fake the price doesn't seem that bad. Trouble is that reglazing with tinted lenses seems to work out at about £100 each pair, so in the case of the RB7047 not much of a saving. I've had them five years though, so I guess I've had good use out of them and I'm sure I paid closer to £100 for the RB5228 so they've gone up a fair bit since then.
It was Glasses Direct I got these from (I didn’t want to potentially name and shame in my OP). It was a recommendation from a friend that led me there. My previous frames I bought from my opticians. This new pair were £113 from GD, but only about £80 after their deal was applied. My old pair were £140.
The link provided above to Ray-Bans’ website does say that these are injection moulded and therefore will have the seam. I can only presume Ray-Ban now use that as a cheaper manufacturing process for cheaper frames.
As mentioned, in future I would check to see how they are made so I can get the nicer acetate/proprionate frames.
The link provided above to Ray-Bans’ website does say that these are injection moulded and therefore will have the seam. I can only presume Ray-Ban now use that as a cheaper manufacturing process for cheaper frames.
As mentioned, in future I would check to see how they are made so I can get the nicer acetate/proprionate frames.
For quality I would not buy Ray ban or Oakley any more tbh. Although I have both but older models. It sounds very snobbish but Prada are really good quality. I also rate maui Jim.
If I have to protect my eyes then Outlaw Tacs come out. Not really particularly expensive for what they are and they are fully adjustable. Gatorz are very similar but more money.
I also have several pairs of wileys.
If I have to protect my eyes then Outlaw Tacs come out. Not really particularly expensive for what they are and they are fully adjustable. Gatorz are very similar but more money.
I also have several pairs of wileys.
gotoPzero said:
For quality I would not buy Ray ban or Oakley any more tbh. Although I have both but older models. It sounds very snobbish but Prada are really good quality. I also rate maui Jim.
If I have to protect my eyes then Outlaw Tacs come out. Not really particularly expensive for what they are and they are fully adjustable. Gatorz are very similar but more money.
I also have several pairs of wileys.
I think Prada are made by Luxottica (ie, the same parent company as Ray-Ban or Oakley. That's not to say they don't produce to different specifications for the different brands, but there is the still the same overall corporate motivations to cost down etc...If I have to protect my eyes then Outlaw Tacs come out. Not really particularly expensive for what they are and they are fully adjustable. Gatorz are very similar but more money.
I also have several pairs of wileys.
egomeister said:
gotoPzero said:
For quality I would not buy Ray ban or Oakley any more tbh. Although I have both but older models. It sounds very snobbish but Prada are really good quality. I also rate maui Jim.
If I have to protect my eyes then Outlaw Tacs come out. Not really particularly expensive for what they are and they are fully adjustable. Gatorz are very similar but more money.
I also have several pairs of wileys.
I think Prada are made by Luxottica (ie, the same parent company as Ray-Ban or Oakley. That's not to say they don't produce to different specifications for the different brands, but there is the still the same overall corporate motivations to cost down etc...If I have to protect my eyes then Outlaw Tacs come out. Not really particularly expensive for what they are and they are fully adjustable. Gatorz are very similar but more money.
I also have several pairs of wileys.
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