Everything Changes

1:13 AM

I think Kyle was gonna get new glasses there... maybe we should tell him, eh?    

3:27 AM

A little late. I got mine 2 months ago. All of a sudden I'm glad I lost my contacts though. Never thought I'd be happy to lose that much money.    

2:28 PM

Oh dear! And, you're not that old....    

7:11 PM

Thanks for this post... now I know where NOT to go. It's been over 5 years for me too :o|    

2:32 AM

Man are you serious? Jeez.... Go figure huh? Even when we went to get them I said why didn't you go to hemken or whatever its called they're a respectable establishment atleast to my knowledge :) And man I just cant spell today :|    

9:44 PM

Well thank you for sharing your experience... Unfortunately the media has not exactly been letting the people know about Great Glasses until recently. The owner was fined 1 mill. plus many restrictions. He appealed the fine and continues to practise illegally. Just google Great Glasses and read the Hamilton Spectator write ups... it`s pretty sad.    

11:42 AM

Finally the word is out great glasses is the worse. I made a least eight trips to two locations and in the end was dealing with the owner herself.They made four attempts on making sunglasses the tint was either uneven or chipped. They tried to give the wrong prescription contact lenses. One pair five tries the prescription still doesn't feel right. They offer strictly no refunds even to me after all the hassle.Stay very very very faraway....    

2:51 PM

Well many of you need to get your fact's straight, I AM a GREAT GLASSES employee, and the lawsuits are not against all of the Great Glasses stores in general, but Bruce the man who started the Great Glasses Chain, and there is noting illegal nor unsafe for the customer being done in our store's    

7:54 PM

Which is why you posted anonymously... right?

So, Anonymous, perhaps YOU should get your facts straight:

The College of Optometrists is alleging that Bergez and the Great Glasses stores have been violating an earlier court decision from 2003 that ordered the chain to comply with Ontario legislation that governs opticians, optometrists and physicians with respect to prescribing and dispensing eye glasses and contact lenses.

The college alleges that Great Glasses stores are preparing eye glasses and contacts without proper prescriptions from an optometrist or physician, and then dispensing them to customers without the proper supervision of an optician.

Sounds to me like all the stores ARE implicated in this case!    

2:30 AM

Great Glasses $100 off $50 off is a joke there are no prices on any of the frames like other eyeglass places.They come up with the prices after you chose the frames making sure great glasses rips you off no matter what you chose. I used a $50 coupon I am not sure where the $50 came off. It is just a gimmick not really a sale. Great Glasses 3for1 lets just say not so great...    

11:14 AM

I actually had a great experience at great glasses!!!! I have sent all my friends there and they love it too!!!! I am glad to have them in canada!    

12:39 PM

Ah yes, another anonymous comment by someone who supports Great Glasses. (Are you hiding something?) Here are a couple of legal updates you may be interested in:

On November 16, 2006, the certificate of registration of Bruce Bergez R.O. C-1192 was suspended by order of the Executive Committee under section 37 of the Health Professions Procedural Code. The suspension is effective immediately and will remain in place until the matter of the allegations of professional misconduct against Mr. Bergez are disposed of by a panel of the Discipline Committee of the College.

Yup. The founder of Great Glasses was suspended from practising as an optician. And...

On December 27, 2006, the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario handed down a judgment in the Application brought by the College against the Great Glasses franchisees. The Court also granted an interim injunction to require the Great Glasses franchisees (including their employees, agents, independent contractors, and other persons carrying on business in association with them or on their behalf), to comply with the RHPA (Regulated Health Professions Act), the Code and the Regulations.

I would suggest you read more about this lawsuit against Great Glasses at the College of Opticians of Ontario website and stop hiding from the reality of the situation.    

3:11 PM

if something wrong was being done...the government would shut them down? No?...so you are mad that you bought glasses and they made them right?...do you have nothing better to do with your time Paul?...well at least you have Great reading glasses to keep up with all your intensive reading you have been doing!!!    

7:45 AM

Well just to let you know the games are about to begin again. Great Glasses is going back to court to defend his appeal from last Dec.2006. The penalities have gone up!! Some measurement that we as opticians do are pretty simple. But there are also many patients with prescriptions that are more difficult. As opticians we know that making lenses a certain way (incorrectly) can lead to double vision or eye strains etc.
We are the pharmacists of the Eye Care family. Would you go to anyone to get your Antibiotics? Same thing?! Do you know of the complications an ill fitted contact lens can result in? Fitting too tight or infections that can do damage to the eye. People you only have one set of eyes - don't waste something so precious on a gimmick that won't be there hopefully much longer.    

7:59 AM

Oh... and by the way. If they were not doing anything illegal there. Then tell me why insurance companies are denying claims if you purchased from Great Glasses??
Standard life announced that last March and many are to follow. I believe Great West Life has also begun to deny.
If you send in your claim to your insurance company and they require your prescription on the form, and that prescription is not written by the proper Professional (Optometrist, Ophalmologist, or MD) then you are in fact involving yourself with insurance fraud! Do you want to be the person they choose to audit when Great Glasses comes crashing down. Or maybe people just have no morals and don't care.    

11:48 AM

@ eyegal: Thanks for the update and insight. I think your comments will help people to see the broader picture - this not about getting a good deal on glasses, this is about the health of your eyes!    

12:10 AM

I can see some of your concerns, based on the media and Opticians and Optomitrists, however I do know that the staff at Great Glasses are trained for a year by a specialist, and not one day. Great Glasses have not had the opportunity to give you there side of the story, and I'm sure that they will be very soon, they always let the customer know that they do not test for the health of the eyes, and give the customer the option of going to the optomitrist. Also if there was a problem with a perscription then it was corrected right away. Also did you know that it is legal in Calgary to give eye tests the way that Great Glasses runs there stores? I think it's only a matter of time that it happen here. It's just like everything, the times they are a changing, and in the end it is up to the customer, to pay or not to pay, they don't force anyone to do anything!    

6:51 PM

I was hired there a few weeks ago. I have had to decline the job before starting because of all the negative attention and illegal issues surrounding the business. I was told i would learn how to use the eye test machines and how to cut glasses. I could move as quickly or as slowly as i felt comfortable in this progression. They hire their employees under a 'slef-emploed' status. This way, they cannot be liable if the company goes down for what they are doing. Individual staff members could be held responsible for their actions (dispensing glasses without prescriptions, cutting and making lenses wihtout an opticians supervision). I have NO training whatsoever in this field. I have a bachellor's degree but in social sciences. The owner made the offenses and court proceedings sound minimal and irrelevent.
My suggestion to all who want to keep their eyes healthy: stick to a professional who acutally knows what they are talking about. Don't even go there if you have a prescription. The deal really isn't all that 'great'. There's a reason why people go to school for 7 years to become doctors in this field.... there's a reason why people need to be doctors to issue prescriptions.    

7:18 PM

... to continue on my last note... I don't understand how ANYONE could defend this company. They are supposed to have postings in their stores requiring customers to have a prescription to make their glasses.... BUT THEY DON'T. At least not in the store i was hired at. I went to see an optometrist, who upon hearing i was coming there from great glasses, practically had a fit. She has personally requested not to be associated by their company and still they refuse her wishes. (after trying on dozens of contact lenses to fix my vision i was told to go to her, because she was close by). She has actually been harrassed by one of the employees because she was informing their customers of their legal issues. These customers came back for a refund and i guess they didn't like it. The eye tests are NOt accurate, as i've had to change all of my eyewear. Customers are under the impression that the eye tests are sufficient as they are not referred to Dr.'s or told that the tests are not EXAMINATIONS! People will keep going back because they think they are getting sufficient care. If Great Glasses and their employees cared about their customers' health, they would refuse to shape glasses, and/or refuse to do so for people without a prescription. A client of my Dr.'s had cataract which the employee could not detect because they are not qualified. I have had a virus in my eye which can cause me to go blind.... My eye has now been worsened because of the contacts they gave me.
I think it's funny how they could offer me my own store and great benefits and not inform me of the dangers i could cause others. Not to mention i would be incriminating myself. Ethically, i don't understand how anyone could work there... What IF you caused someone health problems because you made a mistake during the test or cutting process. Maybe the employees should speak to opticians and optometrists who went to school for years and see the knowledge they are missing out on.    

11:33 PM

@quit: Thank you for your important feedback and comments!    

5:51 PM

WOW paul, you need to get your head out of your a**, as for great glasses and their illegal operations, since these so called "disputes" have become public, nothing has slowed us down, and for your comment on us "making up our prices" full metal frams have ALWAYS been $249, plastic $259, Semi-Rimless $299, High-End $349 and Designer $399 in the three for one package, plus your lenses and coatings. If you want one pair, we'll cut a deal... our prices are based on the 3-4-1 basis, or a 2 pair for $200 KIDS SPECIAL (12 and under) so NO we do NOT make up our prices... you should really do some research before you open your mouth so you dont always have to stick your foot in it... and even funnier... the government dosent have a problem with us... there not even involved... so it cant be as bad as YOU PEOPLE are making it out to be... so us ppl in GG LAND WILL KEEP ON ROCKIN.... KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK GREAT GLASSES!!!!!    

10:26 AM

As for the idea of only going to great glasses if you have a prescription O MY GOD don't even let the thought enter your head. I had a prescription it took me three months of going back maybe a least 8 times before I got anything halfway wearable. I don't think they understand a real doctor's prescription.They gave me trial contact lens that were the wrong prescription. When I went back to buy the contact lens they tried to give me another prescription that was wrong. I had to insist to the lady I wanted the right prescription lens before I left the store. She went to the back and gave me something else. I don't think she had a clue. The first eyeglasses they made were wrong prescription also. They admitted they were wrong. The second pair also wrong.They put this equipment on me where they could change the lens and ask me which lens I could see out of better. I had a prescription from my doctor. The prescription I need is on the paper. The sunglasses were just poor poor quality. They were either chipped, uneven tint or fitting badly. They told me I was sensitive and oh yeah my face was crooked. I have been wearing prescription glasses for 18 years and never had a problem with new glasses. Usually people get new glasses every 2 years. I suggest to people don't look for a deal. Treat yourself buy something high quality. Don't take a chance on great glasses. The experience I had with them I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.    

8:51 AM

Like many other people, I received my 'Great Glasses' 3 for 1 $100 OFF card in the mail. I had never ever tried one of these 'special' deal eye glass places but figured I'd be 'reckless' this one time. Well...that's EXACTLY what it turned out to be..totally reckless. The Great Glasses Store at Fairview Mall in St. CAtharines doesn't have a clue as to what they are doing or selling. I was waited on by the owner's daughter...a kid. I presented my $100 card and she and 3 other sales people spent over an hour helping me look for frames. I wanted contact lenses, full frame bifocals, and bifocals with clip on sunglasses. Well, the contact lenses that I received...the left eye was a little off...not quite my prescription, but she suggested that I try mono-fit instead so she was going to order me the new mono-fit left lense and we'd try it next. So, scrap the contacts for now. I couldn't see very well with the full frame eyeglasses. They were very narrow and I couldn't get a good focus through the bifocal. The bifocals with the clip on sunglasses...well they were another horror story. They were way too large for my head. I swear they were made for a man with a head the size of a large pumpkin. They were not the same frames that I had tried on in the store. So, I left with the contact lenses which were the wrong prescription, a pair of full frame bifocals which I had trouble focusing through, and a pair of bifocals with clip on sunglasses which were gigantic. I didn't wear any of them...I ended up going to my Optomitrist and asking them to check to make sure that the glasses were actually the correct prescription. They told me that the full frames were too narrow to hold the bifocal and that was the reason I was having such a bad time focusing....there was really no range of bifocal to look through. The bifocal with the clip on sunglasses, the prescription was correct but the glasses were just way too big for my head. The suggestion from my Optomitist is to TAKE THEM BACK. I went back...talked to the owner this time. He had no problem with my explanation; I picked out semi-rimless frames this time in place of the full frame ones. The owner suggested that I only choose one pair at a time, to make sure they get them right, (I should have known then that there was trouble brewing). So, I left it that one pair of semi-rimless bifocals were on order. In the meantime, the mono-fit contact lense came in. I tried it....I couldn't see anything. Scrap those!!! Well, I picked up the semi-rimless bifocals. I could see better, but the appearance of the lenses was weird. The frames were a burgundy metal colour but there appeared to be a white line around the entire outside of the lenses. I questioned the daughter about it, and she told me that that was normal. I compared it to my old pair of semi-rimless glasses and showed her that was not the case with those. She asked me where I had gotten them, and then suggested that I go back there and ask them how they cut the lenses so the 'white' outline didn't show. I asked her if she knew what she was doing and she got very offended. That's when I asked her if she was an Optician...and she said, "We are doing nothing illegal here at Great Glasses". Okay....I guess there's no Optician there!!! By this time she made it very clear that I was not getting a refund, that I had to choose my other two pair of glasses. I told her I wanted the white outlined fixed before I would order any others. She said she would take them to their 'lab' in Burlington the following week and get back to me. A week passed, she called, I went back...the glasses were the same. She proceeded to tell me that she didn't take them to the lab but instead went to Canadian Tire and bought a buffer to buff the edges of the lenses to get rid of the white line. Well...guess what...it didn't work!!! I told her it was still there. She argued a blue streak with me, and ended up saying that if I could find out how my lenses in my old glasses were cut, to let her know and she would do the same thing. I couldn't believe it...I asked her if she knew what she was doing. She got very indignant. Anyway, I went to where I purchased my old glasses, talked to the gal there and she told me how they had cut the lenses...left them unpolished etc. etc., I called Great Glasses from my cell phone sitting outside the other optical place and told the daughter what the other store had said. She said she would TRY that. Well, another week went by. Mind you, I ordered these glasses in April, it was now early June. The glasses came in; I went to pick them up. Well, they were worse than the first pair...the white line was even more visible. She told me that she had applied a special coating to the one lense and if I thought it looked better than the other, she would apply it to both. I told her there was absolutely no difference....the coating didn't do anything. I told her that there was a problem with the way she cut the lenses...well she argued and argued and argued with me. Finally she ended up telling me that I was ANAL and that they were not doing anything else for me, to take my glasses and get lost. (I had ordered a pair of bifocal sunglasses and believe it or not, they were fine). So, I guess I paid $566 for a pair of sunglasses. Well, yesterday I found out exactly what was wrong with the glasses with the white around the outside....when she cut the groove in the lenses for the cord/wire that holds the lenses in the frame...she cut the groove too deep and that's what was causing the white line around the edge...it was the cord showing through the lenses. I am going to call her and tell her that and she was she says, but I know she'll tell me to get lost. They already have my $566 so I doubt very much that they will do anything to help me now. To get rid of that white outline on both of the pairs of glasses I need to have new lenses cut....that's about another $650 at another optical place. So, my GREAT GLASSES will end up costing me close to $900 when I'm finished. GREAT GLASSES SHOULD BE OUT OF BUSINESS.    

2:20 PM

GREAT GLASSES: $1300, no glasses, no trust. --

THESE PEOPLE NEED SOME MAJOR MEDIA COVERAGE. ANYONE WANT TO SHARE CONTENT FOR THAT? I'M A WRITER. www.avrildell.com

TRAGIC TALE BELOW:
Dec 06, selected a pair of glasses I was told looked smashing. The cost, with ultra-thin lenses, no glare, and progressives? $1300. THIRTEEN HUNDRED DOLLARS.
Yup.
I thought, "Well, it's three pair and my last was $350 from Costco, which took an hour of my time to purchase and pickup...so could I rationalize this somehow?
At this price point, the service and materials must be extraordinary!" Took a chance.

Went to pick up glasses on promised date. Staff said "Did we tell you they'd be ready today?"
Duh #1.
Staff DIDN'T KNOW that their lab was closed over holidays. That's their job.
Duh #2.
Came back. One pair ready. Tried on. WRONG PRESCRIPTION. Sickening.
Duh #3.
Came back again. Possibly correct Rx this time, but hard to tell, as lens was wrong material - thick, not thin. Second pair ready, same problem. Third pair STILL not ready. Now it's February.
Duh #4.
Came back AGAIN. Tried to tell staff I do NOT HAVE TIME for this in my life. Told to return with "free" other pairs (one of which was truly dollar store in quality) so that lab could compare the lenses used.
Duh #5.
Came back again. Store closed, unexpectedly. No one there.
[count the trips I've made]
Came back again, dropped off ALL glasses, and was subsequently told that the lab swore the lens material was correct. It was not.
Gave up. Would never trust this lab.
Phoned in my objections. Told no refund.
BONUS DUH:
During fitting, none of the staff knew how to correctly fit temples or nose-pieces: I was handed a frame with one temple straight and one bent like a parenthesis. Seriously.
OUTCOME: They have my money, I will NEVER trust their lab, nor their training.
Nor their ability to communicate internally with the various functions of their business. Disrespect for client's time is no issue to these gomers.
At this price point, one does not expect to spend ANY time, beyond selecting frame, ascertaining correct rx, and picking up glasses. Two visits, max.

I left a detailed account of my experience and objections with the store in April (?) and rec'd a call-back from manager **end of June.** She--Fran, Sobey's Plaza, the Queensway--wouldn't discuss over phone, but insisted I return AGAIN!
I don't think so.    

11:33 PM

Hey everyone
I work for great glasses. Can those of you who don't believe in great glasses answer this:

Why is it illegal for me to perform an eye test for you when its always said that under provincial law an optician can delegate their duties?

We are not doctors, we only test your vision acuity. You want to check your eyes for cataract or glaucoma? Go to a doctor!

This way of doing business is competing with our local eye doctors and I can see how they want to keep their monopoly and attack us with bad press.
Joe    

6:53 PM

ok well optician cant check eyes either bud great glasses doesn't have an optometrist on site ever and never will. yes it does say "optician can delegate their duties, but u dont have an optician on site bro , and an optician dosnt check yr eyes an optometrist does get real u idiot    

1:45 PM

Hey all, just thought I should tell you a little story about my cousin. First off, my aunt and uncle have some serious problems with their eyes. My aunt has a minus 20 precription for those of you who know what that means, for those of you who don't, it basically means that she doesn't even know who she's waking up next too! lol... Anyhow, they have a son who's 16 now and has no vision in his left eye, and has since birth. Now, having such poor vision their entire life, they felt they should have his eyes checked annually at their regular optometrist whom they had dealt with for the better part of 20 years. After testing his eye the first time, the doctor told them their son had a lazy eye. Life went on!

Years went bye and they continued to have his eyes examined annually and there had been no improvements with his left eye. Then the optometrist went on vacation for a couple of weeks and asked another optometrist to take care of his practice for the time being. Sure enough, it was during this period that they had another appointment. After having his eyes examined by the new optometrist, the doctor noticed that there was something in my cousins left eye but he could not see it with the instruments in his office, so he referred them to an opthamologist (appologize for spelling if incorrect). They took him the the opthamologist and the opthamologist said the exact same thing, "There is something in his eye but I cannot see it with my instruments". The opthamologist then referred them to the head opthamologist of sick kids hospital in Toronto. After having his eyes examined there, the doctor told my aunt and uncle that he had a parasite living in his eye called toxoplasmosis or something like that. Anyhow, its some parasite that lives in the eye and slowy ruins your vision. The good news was that it could be quickly flushed out with simple antibiotics. Which it was, however a fair amount of damage had already been done, and he won't have vision in that eye for the rest of his life.

I've never been to Great Glasses, and don't really know anything about them apart from what I've read here today. All I do know is that optometrists seem to be given praise at Great Glasses's expense and it was a lazy optometrist that cost my cousin his vision. Just like EVERY PROFESSION ON EARTH, there are good optometrists and bad ones. Their are probably some good associates working at great glasses and obviously some bad ones. However, if you google the company, it seems as though they've been around for about 20 years and have been steadily growing. How the heck does a company grow steadily for 20 YEARS, if the eye tests they're giving are so inaccurate and they don't know anything??? I AM NOT DEFENDING THE COMPANY! You all could be absolutely right. I just have a really big problem with SOME optometrists as one dumb ass one cost my cousin vision in his left eye.

All in all I actually work at a Canyon Creek restaurant as a waiter. I think I give great service and I love the food we serve, but still, no matter what kind of service I give and no matter how perfect the food our kitchen prepares is, there is always someone who complains. After reading alot of these messages, all I know is that there are a bunch of you whom I hope I never have to deal with as a customer.

Have a wonderful day all!    

4:15 PM

Hey Paul, if great glasses is such a bad company, how come they won best optical 2007 in burlington? Also they have won it for the past couple of years in Hamilton...
http://burlingtonreaderschoice.ca/results-2007.html    

6:58 PM

(I just love how all of the Great Glasses supporters show up as anonymous.)

Well, Anonymous, obviously the good people of Burlington don't read the paper.

Court dates for Great Glasses

Colleges say orders violated, seek combined total of $9m

Steve Buist
The Hamilton Spectator
(May 4, 2007)

The two colleges representing Ontario's opticians and optometrists have launched new court actions seeking a combined total of more than $9 million in penalties against Great Glasses founder Bruce Bergez and the chain's franchise operators.

Ontario's College of Optometrists and College of Opticians allege in separate court actions that the Great Glasses chain continues to violate court orders requiring the stores to comply with legislation that governs the prescribing and dispensing of eyeglasses and contact lenses.

Last November, Ontario Superior Court Justice David Crane fined Bergez, his wife, Joanne, and three related corporations $1 million for being in contempt of an earlier court order requiring compliance with the province's health legislation.

Ontario law requires eyeglasses and contacts to be properly prescribed by an optometrist or physician, and properly dispensed by an optician.

The judge also ruled that Bergez could be fined $50,000 a day for each day he is not in compliance with the law.

The College of Optometrists alleges that Bergez has breached the order daily since Nov. 24, and is seeking enforcement of the $50,000-a-day fine.

If the college's argument is successful, the fine would now amount to more than $7.8 million.

The college is also seeking an order requiring Bergez and the Great Glasses chain to cease advertising the availability of free eye tests, and to remove the offer of free eye tests from store signs.

Bergez has appealed Crane's decision.

Included in the College of Optometrists' latest action is an affidavit from Hamilton optician Jim McLean.

He states that one of his part-time employees is a close friend of a Great Glasses' employee.

In the affidavit, McLean alleges that the Great Glasses employee told his part-time employee that Great Glasses stopped performing eye tests and dispensing without a prescription in the wake of Crane's decision, but business immediately dropped by 80 per cent.

After two weeks, according to McLean's employee, she was told that Great Glasses reverted to performing free eye tests and dispensing without a prescription.

Bergez could not be reached for comment.

In December, the College of Opticians obtained an interim injunction from Superior Court Justice Nancy Spies requiring all Great Glasses franchise operators to comply with the province's Regulated Health Professions Act.

The college says it has collected evidence suggesting the chain is not in compliance with the order.

The college is seeking a fine of $100,000 against each of the 15 franchises in the chain that aren't operated by Bergez, for a total of $1.5 million.

"It certainly appears to us that absolutely nothing has changed as a result of the interim injunction that was obtained at the end of December," said Cathi Mietkiewicz, president of the College of Opticians, in an interview with The Spectator.

The college argues that a registered optician must be on site to dispense eyeglasses.

Mietkiewicz said there is only one optician registered with the college for all 18 Great Glasses franchises in southern Ontario.

"It seems quite clear that it's not possible for one optician to be looking after the dispensing in all 18 stores," said Mietkiewicz.

Bergez and the Great Glasses stores have taken the position that opticians in Ontario are allowed to delegate their authority to dispense to anyone, even if the optician isn't on site.

Bergez has been suspended from practising as an optician since Nov. 16. A disciplinary hearing has not yet been scheduled by the College of Opticians.    

4:52 PM

To Paul, Mike, and other non-supporters:

I, a non-anonymous Great Glasses employee, want to respond to Mike's response to me.

I realize that it is an Optometrist that is able to check the eyes, and I think that they do a great job. Now heres the punch line.

A lady came into the store, she bought glasses through her optometrist and was complaining she couldn't see with her new glasses.

We gave her an eye test and should her through a set of temporary lenses what we came up with.

The verdict: She could see better, clearer and sharper.

The question lies here: Why should Ontario be behind the times? Alberta, Canada and the entire USA all use the same system which Great Glasses uses.

Let people decide for themselves where they should get their visual acuity tested, and let Optometrists continue to test for health issues.    

2:42 PM

To all great glasses supporters and employees... Paul is an absolute idiot and you really don't need to defend the company to him. Great Glasses has won countless customer service awards and dispenses more glasses per location than any other optical in Canada. He's probably got some friend that's an optometrist, and a crappy one at that, who's losing money to great glasses like every other optometrist in Ontario. Lets face it, the ontario government has paid for eye examinations in this province for the past 50 years prior to oct '04. A complete eye examination SHOULD take approximately 30mins. When the ontario govt. found that a single optometrist was doing over 40 in an 8hr day, they knew something was wrong. Thus, they stopped paying for it. Also, when it was covered by the ontario govt., OHIP payed the optometrists $40 for every exam, now optometrists in many cases charge double that, and in some cases triple! THIS IS BUSINESS and great glasses is taking business away from the optometrists! And they're pissed! They have now spread out their tentacles to convince weak minded individuals (like Paul) that great glasses is doing something wrong. In EVERY OTHER PROVINCE all opticals are just like great glasses giving free eye tests without an appointment. Hell, in Korea, you don't even need to get out of your car. They have become the first country to offer drive-thru eye examinations! This is how the world is changing, we are starting to integrate computers into everything we do. For the optometrists, this is scary, they don't want to be replaced by a computer, but unfortunately, its gonna happen. Great glasses is at the forefront of change and uses state-of-the-art equipment that will soon replace the common optometrist. It's inevitable. Anyhow, everyone can believe what ever the hell they like and can buy glasses from wherever you like, but the majority of people will continue to buy from great glasses because we simply are the best as voted by the public in Hamilton and burlington despite all the negative publicity. You know what they say, "any publicity is good publicity". I know that all you employees of great glasses have been approached by someone asking whats going on with us in court, and they want to see what we're about. What ends up happening 95% of the time? WE do their eye test and they end up buying from us!

All in all the more successful we become, the more we're going to piss off the optometrists and idiots like Paul. So I say, "Lets keep doing what made us #1 and see just how many optometrists we can put out of business!


P.S. I bet Paul will try to discredit this blog simply by saying "duhhh, then why did you post anonymous?" Just like he has on every other comment that he doesn't have an answer for, lol.    

6:37 PM

No need - you discredit yourself by remaining anonymous.    

12:17 AM

Dear Anonymous and Joe,

I think you have had the wool pulled over your eyes by our good friend. The information you quote is all wrong.
1)Optical Delegation- yes you are right that delegation is within the law for any health care professional- however there has to be a direct relationship between the delegating practitioner and the patient. I guarantee that Bruce has not met any of the patients you have dispensed glasses to.
2)Doing Eye Tests- Checking a persons acuity is not a restricted act under the RHPA, however prescribing and dispensing are. You are performing both of those restricted acts- Note September 17, 2007- Employees charged in Toronto.
3)Missed diagnosis of Toxoplasmosis. Ocular Toxoplasmosis is a horrible infection. It is a condition that is caused by an infection in the back of the eye. I am sorry that your cousin lost his vision, but it is very unlikely that he had active toxoplasmosis at any of his previous appointments, and that his vision was probably lost before any Optometrist appointments. The other point is ANY Optometrist has the equipment in his or her office to visualize Toxoplasmosis. I am guessing that your cousin had a serious vitritis at the last optometrist appointment- that is why NOBODY could see in the back of his eye.
4)“Great Glasses” has not been around for 20 years. Bruce has run other businesses in the past, but Great Glasses has to my knowledge been around for about 6-7 years. Court injunctions have been in place for about 4 years.
5)Alberta, Canada and the US do NOT RECOGNIZE sight testing. As of last night even an optician is not allowed to prescribe glasses anywhere in North America- again Joe- Someone is lying to you. British Columbia has looked at legislation to allow sight testing, but the bill seems to have fizzled after the CMA suggested that it would harm the public. Now, imagine- Opticians are not allowed to prescribe, why would you be allowed.
6)As for 40 appointments in 8 hours, dude you are dreaming. I don't know anyone who can do 40 in 8 hours. Most people book every 30 minutes. Eye exams were delisted because the health care system needed to free up some funds. We hadn't had a fee increase in almost 20 years. Standard of care had increased, we needed more expensive equipment, and the system couldn't afford it, Its nice to detect Toxoplasmosis and save someones vision. Medicare in the US pays $100US for an exam. It had nothing to do with our billing practices- please stop spewing hate.
7)Yes you can have your sight test in Korea, China, India and Thailand? Have you seen those shows about medical tourism on 20/20? Do you feel lucky? Might I point out, that the people who can afford real eye exams in those countries do go see an eye doctor. Also the average wages in those countries will not allow the people to afford proper eye care. Why doesnt Great Glasses sell their glasses for $10 like they do in Korea then too? Its the same thing isn't it?

Joe I hope you come to your senses before the police come into your Great Glasses store. Because you will be charged. Also the WSIB shenanigans are going to be interesting. You see, if you are an independent contractor, the contempt charges include you as well as Bruce. So if he loses his contempt appeal, which he will, you could be on the hook for some of that 1+ million dollar award. Is that worth ten bucks an hour? Also because you are not allowed to prescribe, all the glasses sold are taxable- PST and GST. Do you collect tax on the glasses you dispense? Thats 14% of his gross, has he remitted that to the government? When the government is done, there will be nothing left. It is just very slow to act. The blade of the guillotine is slowing coming down.

As a side note: I notice that when Bruce is in court there are not nearly as many supporting e-mails. Makes me wonder? Is he too busy to post?    

12:28 AM

end note- I was googling whether opticians were allowed to sight test in Alberta- seems I get 2 answers. Yes an No. I retract my statement about Alberta until I can get the correct answer.    

12:32 AM

Advanced Practice Sight Testing

The Sight Testing Program is a two-year distance delivery program. The Sight Testing Program is an advanced practice and as such, the student must be a licensed optician. In addition to the two years of theory, an additional Practicum is required. This Practicum consists of clinical lab sessions. At the time of this publishing, Sight Testing is not within the scope of practice of opticians.

The material presented is for educational purposes only.

Courses in this Program:
Advanced Practice Sight Testing - Level One ODP550
Advanced Practice Sight Testing - Level Two ODP551
Advanced Practice Sight Testing Level One Web CT ODP550 Web
Advance Practice Sight Testing Level Two – WebCT ODP551 Web

For Program Information Phone:

Inside Alberta:
(780) 418-2765 or
1-888-491-3130

Outside Alberta:
(800) 847-3155

I think this answers my question    

10:04 AM

I would like to take an opportunity to address anonymous' comment about delisting one more time. I would like the public to actually see how ridiculous his statement is. I will use the actual numbers he suggests
1 patient every 30 mins- for 7 hours in a day thats 14 patients at 39.15. That is a gross income of 548.10 maximum per day. Now lets talk expenses. A lane of equipment is about $35,000. So if you decide to lease that it would be about 600-700 month. Rent, commercial space is about $40 sq ft for a reasonable location at a 1000 sq ft min, so that is $40,000 year rent. Telephone $100/month, Heat & Hydro $250, Staffing $2800 month. Lease hold improvements about 30,000, again $700 month over about 5 years. So now we are talking fixed expenses of $9933 per month. Now assuming you are booked solid every day, at the maximum (some fees from the government were paid at 19.25) and there were no claw backs where we were paid about $33, our maximum monthly gross income would be $10962. So that would leave a net income of $1029 a month if all we did were eye exams. Now I don't know about you, but I don't think an income of about $12,000 a year is fair for a doctor who only does eye exams. That does not even allow for vacation or holidays where the expenses remain, but the office generates NO income. Doctors income has always been subsidized by selling glasses and contacts. If it weren't for the patients who support us, we would have all gone bankrupt years ago under the old OHIP system. So you see if you don't sell glasses, you need to do at least 14 exams a day before you make any money. How much should an Optometrist make? You decide, and figure out how many patients a day they needed to see in the old system. If you don't believe the numbers a simple Google will show you I am telling the truth. Again as for 40 patients a day by Optometrists, I think the fastest Ive seen anyone go is every 15 minutes, which allows for 28 in a day, best case scenario. At that rate I doubt he sells very many glasses, he doesn't have time. Under the old system that would make him about $140 000 a year. But I can tell you, he earned every penny of it. How many patients can you push through the eye logic in an hour? And you are only doing a sight test.    

9:35 AM

I was having headaches and thought that maybe it had something to do with my eyes, afterall I hadn’t had my eyes checked in about 4 years. I went to one of these ‘Great Glasses’ place on the referral of a co-worker. When the guy sat there and told me that I have astigmatism in both of my eyes, and a slight prescription in one of them - and then proceeded to try to sell me their glasses all the while talking about his own glasses and how great they were. I asked him his credentials and was shocked to hear that he used to be in HR and then just ‘decided one day’ that this is what he wanted to do for a living. He was not a medical doctor of any sort but rather an optical technician. So yeah, me being a bit taken aback I decided to find an Optometrist and make an appointment. Most out there are taking new patients. So I just went to the optometrist yesterday had a full exam and found out my eyes are extremely healthy, and I have 15/20 vision in both of my eyes.
This being said - spend the $90 (some healthcare plans reimburse this too) - its much better than getting a pair of glasses with a prescription that you do not need, which could be making your vision worse and be giving you problems. Now I am good for 2 more years and will definitely be going back to the same place I went and not some silly ‘optical technician’ who never actually looked into my eyes.    

10:42 PM

Regardless of whether any of you "Great Glasses Supporters" understand things like the importance of detecting eye diseases and other things that would get in the way of earning $10 an hour at your retail jobs, the question stands to be asked: When will Great Glasses have to pay taxes on their glasses? Revenue Canada and the Government of Ontario are asking that very question.

Who sets up a business with magic mailbox drops and family pet names? Might there be a reason to be suspicious? Why are there special exceptions for Crooked Bergez?

If you are ignorant enough to entrust your eye health and money to a retail staff member who flipped a coin about whether to work in fast food or at Great Glasses, testing eyes on a really cool machine: ("It, like, beeps and tells me stuff. And then I, like, say, you have 'the astigmatism'. That's not good. I don't know what astigmatism is, but I think you should buy 3 pairs of glasses for the price of one - $800. That should fix you. What's that? Oh no - my boss, Mr. Bergez, told us we're never to let you leave and get a doctor's opinion. He said something about optometrists being legitimate and having 8 years of post-secondary education - 4 of them about eyes and the brain! Whoa, that's deep! They totally know stuff, like what affects a prescription. And if they discover that our eye tests are inaccurate, we don't make money. And Bruce doesn't like that. At all. He's not out to save the world from blindness. He just wants your money. And oh yeah, we don't give refunds as a result of our neat little (money-making) machine making mistakes. Bruce doesn't like that either. Because then he doesn't make money." You can probably see the pattern here. Read on if you're slow.)

If something seems too good to be true, it is. Free eye test, my ass. If you don't need glasses, that eye test wasn't free. You just spent money on something you don't need. And the kicker is, if you really do need glasses, one of two things will happen: if the machine is having a good day, and punches out the correct prescription, the lab won't make your glasses properly anyway. They just won't. But don't worry about that happening, because the machine in the Great Glasses store is usually wrong anyway. So even if the lab does their job properly, the machine got the wrong prescription anyway. WHAT A DEAL! (For those of you who like a challenge, go complain about that. Ask for a refund. They will just keep remaking your glasses again and again, never getting it quite right. Start using words like PDs, optical centre, doctor, etc. and you'll get a response: "Get out of my store." They don't really like optically educated people coming in - it makes it too obvious that they don't understand optics.)

Quality costs money, and if you think that Bergez is running his business from a philanthropist's perspective, pull your head out of your ass. He depends on idiots like you, who are not informed and who will believe anything they are spoonfed. The irony is that he brainwashes his supporters, and in the end, after all of their defending, THEY'LL GO DOWN WITH HIM.

There are many issues going on with this case that are so complex, and the Great Glasses people can't even begin to distinguish fact from fiction. So they take what they are told by Bergez, not having any sense of objectivity, and run around babbling it. Anytime you're forced to watch movies with cult influences as part of your training seminar, you should see red flags. But when you're desperate to be a part of a "team", a cult seems pretty good. And hey, if some dude is going to pay for your car insurance in exchange for your soul, prostitute yourself out for that, too. You've already lost all of your dignity anyway.

Seriously people, you need to pick up a paper, read court transcripts (that's plural - he's been to court here and there) - use your brain. If these issues don't make sense to you, ask a grown-up to explain it to you (preferably one with some form of post-secondary education).

Some of this stuff is tricky, but the bottom line is: if you break the law, your arrogant ass goes to jail. That you should understand.

P.S. I've always been really good at using scissors to cut things out. Based on Bergez's theory, I'm going to become a surgeon. It can't be that hard, can it? Surgeons use computers. I should be able to manage that. (Oh wait a minute, a computer is used to ASSIST the doctor. It doesn't actually REPLACE the doctor. Hmmm. But Bruce said that news reporters wouldn't like going back to typewriters - computers have replaced typewriters. When did computers get brains and develop cognitive abilities? Does this mean that no human does the actual reporting or interpreting of today's headlines? OR, do reporters USE computers to help them with their jobs - but the reporters still have to do the work? Gosh, his bullet proof defense makes total sense. If you're a GG supporter.    

5:11 PM

WOW.......

I share your anger, and disgust.    

3:29 PM

With all du respect Julia..I went once to a silly optomitrest and gave me a wrong RX for my vision,couldn't see out of the glasses at all...went after that to one of great Glasses locations and they re-did my eyetest, made glasses for me ...exellent RX ..exellent customer service..so I think leave the choice for the customer to decide where to go to when they need glasses or contact...cause silly people could be any where...    

3:37 PM

To Paul...and I love how confident you are to put your picture there ..what if you are really handsome? name means nothing, we are expressing ideas.    

3:57 PM

Same Hamilton Spectator who did the bad article about Great Glasses put a big Good ad advertising for great Glasses..how can you trust a newspaper with 2faces like that? they write for who pay more..got it? be little bit more open-minded please.    

9:32 PM

The Hamilton Spectator will place ads by anyone who pays the money. They make money off of ads. So this is consistent with their business plan.

When the Hamilton Spectator reports on criminals, they don't take liberties with the facts. They use court transcripts, quoting judges, lawyers, and criminals (Bruce Bergez). From that, they report on the story. No payoff, as you imply, has been made.

Business is business. Facts are facts. Ignorance is ignorance. Seems like you fall into the last category.    

8:50 PM

you know when someone is losing an argument when they stop making REAL points and start taking cheap shots at a persons appearance. Notice no one has metioned Bruces appearance, only his actions. Hang on to your thread.....    

11:04 PM

You're bang on, Eye Guy. Poor Bruce, er, Anonymous, is running out of witty comments. "Fat Mama" didn't seem appropriate somehow, Bruce? Fight fair, or go home.    

2:25 PM

Ok guys come on, Great Glasses is cool! I got three pairs of glasses there for $454.00 and two of them were Gucci's that came with Gucci cases and the certificates of Authenticity that I'd never even seen before. I really had a great experience and have already told like ten people about them. Just out of curiosity, are all of you who are knocking them customers, or are you just regurgitating what you read on the spectator. Because I just checked to see if there were any articles in any "reputable" newspapers like the Toronto Star, Sun, and the Globe and Mail and I didn't find anything!

Whats up with that?

By the way I know my spelling sucks, and I don't know how to spell regurg.... you know.    

11:13 PM

Well anonymous, I think you got a great deal on the glasses if you got REAL Gucci for that price. (Remember King West Opticians on Silverman?) I would recommend a Real Eye examination to you to detect silent eye disease. Most Optometrists will charge $40 for a partial examination, at least I do. I wouldn't suggest mentioning that you went to GG though. You are liable to get a lecture..
I'm going to ask around and see if our good friend has an account with Gucci. I'm doubting those frames came through REGULAR channels. I have been in one of his stores and most of the "designer frames" are in my "Low cost" $90 section (1 year warranty). And his REAL designer frames are OLD discontinued models. Ask about a warranty too. I sell discontinued and end of line designer frames for $105 (good frames but no warranty). As I said Gucci does not sell discontinued models. But sometimes people come around offering a really good deal on frames if no questions are asked. (no I don't buy, all it does is promote B&Es and theft) Wholesalers are scared to deal with GG because of the impending contempt of court fines which will most likely involve millions of dollars and jail time. Id be scared of getting paid too. I'm glad you can see, and I'm glad you got a good deal. Good luck to you.    

11:21 PM

IS the Globe a reputable paper?


http://www.coptont.org/docs/Legal/Globe.pdf    

11:26 PM

My Great Glasses saga continues... click here to read more.    

12:19 PM

This is hilarious...

I'm rollin' on the ground...

roll... rolling... rolled...

It's not like Paul's a W5 reporter! Ha... he's a dude who was ripped off and sold crappy dangerous glasses...

Dear anonymous... what on earth is your problem? I think that Bob and Doug said it best... "Dimtwit"    

9:55 PM

Dear Paul, I was informed of your conflict with Great Glasses. Because of their previous actions toward other "threats", I would like to extend my hand of protection to you.    

8:52 PM

Just an update....

It appears that Bruce and his wife have lost their appeal of the contempt charges. The judge ordered that they pay a fine of $50 000 per day for the last 320 days... Ive run out of fingers but that is about $16 000 000 if I estimate right.

Also the employees who were charged under the RHPA for illegal dispensing appeared in court unrepresented, (are they insane? hell you would think one of them would be smart enough to hire a lawyer) Preliminary hearings will be in December. If you guys (read: employees) read this, don't listen to Bruce, hire a good lawyer. You would if you were charged with impaired driving, this has just as much potential to cost you a lot of money. I'm guessing $25 000 each, or more.

BTW remember ignorance of the law is not an excuse. (or believing a deliberately misleading person)    

10:08 PM

Wow.

@eye guy: Hey, I'd love to know where YOU dispense glasses! Please visit my profile and email me your contact info.

(I promise I won't publish it on my blog.)    

7:27 PM

I know for a fact that their "designer frames" are either fake or purchased from an importer. I also agree with the comment on their employees feeling that they are part of something and they take all the shit that comes out of Bruce's mouth as fact and don't question it since they are a lot of the time going through rough times in their lives and need to make ends meet. I have met many employees of the store and a majority of them I would not classify as "sane" many showing almost erratic behavior. Their employee turn around rate is also astounding, I go into a store one month and the next the only employees remaining there are the managers. I would not feel safe getting my vision "tested" by a desperate person who possibly has some chemical dependency issues.    

9:31 PM

hahahaaha Great Glasses got f'ed up 16 million woow whut happened GG supporters why arnt u talking now have fun closing GG's doors lol    

3:39 PM

The Hamilton Spectator
(Oct 13, 2007)

The founder of the Great Glasses chain has been ordered to pay $16 million in fines for defying a court order that has been in place since last November.

Superior Court Justice Eugene Fedak has ruled that Dundas optician Bruce Bergez and his wife, Joanne, must pay $50,000 in fines for each of the 320 days that have elapsed since an earlier court ruling was released Nov. 25, 2006.

It's believed to be the highest total in fines handed to individuals in Canadian history.

If Bergez elects to appeal the latest decision, payment of the fines would be set aside until the appeal has been resolved. If an appeal failed, court-ordered fines of this nature couldn't be wiped out by filing for bankruptcy.

Last November, Ontario Superior Court Justice David Crane fined Bergez, his wife and three related corporations $1 million for being in contempt of a 2003 court order requiring compliance with the province's health legislation.

Ontario law requires eyeglasses and contacts to be properly prescribed by an optometrist or physician, and properly dispensed by an optician.

Crane's order also required Great Glasses to stop filling prescriptions for eyeglasses based on eye tests conducted on a computerized machine, and for each store to post notices that customers must have a proper prescription from an optometrist or physician.

Bergez has already appealed Crane's 2003 order. Ontario's Court of Appeal will hear the case in February.

Earlier this year, the College of Optometrists of Ontario became concerned Great Glasses locations were not complying with Crane's order. That college, and the College of Opticians of Ontario, sent undercover customers to a number of Great Glasses locations in southern Ontario to purchase eyeglasses. Several affidavits were filed by the undercover shoppers stating they were prescribed eyeglasses based on an in-store eye test without having a prescription from an optometrist or physician.

Bergez argued in court that the covert purchases constituted warrantless searches that violated his rights under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The judge rejected Bergez's argument. "There is no question that the matter before the court is serious, that ... the public in general will suffer irreparable harm if the mandatory order is not adhered to," Fedak ruled.    

3:08 AM

Hey All,

I work at Great Glasses and still support there cause. Here is the latest from one of our local customers:

Sold a pair to a lady who was skeptical about Great Glasses (who isnt anymore?)

We followed the Eye Doctors prescription.

She later re-visited the Eye Doctor, and returned to our store with a note reading: Must not be POLYCARBONATE lenses.

As some of you are aware, POLYCARBONATE lenses are lighter, stronger and thinning than a conventional lens - therefore costing more.

What boggled me is that she didnt receive POLY lenses from us, seemed like the Eye Doctor wanted to make us look bad.

Thats my rant for the day. This happened today at work.

Frustrating, but looking forward to the day when GG will be simple friendly competition to the Eye Doctor    

1:03 PM

So how did you tell what material she received? Did you make the lenses? Did you know that the way to tell the material is to listen to the sound it makes? I have seen substitutions on many occasions. Just because you didn't charge her for it, doesn't mean she actually didn't get it. Also you seem to think that poly is a far superior material (obviously a Bruce ism) Poly is lighter, can be thinner, but optically sucks. Tell a photographer you have a poly lens for your camera, and see his expression. Look up Abbe Value my friend. Also many opticals use poly instead of 1.6 index plastic, because it is CHEAPER and SCRATCHES easier. They often mis-represent it has Hi-index plastic. I have made glasses for my patients in the exact same Rx that they are having problems with bought elsewhere with premium quality lenses and resolved their problems. But you wouldn't know about that stuff because you are not either an Optician or Optometrist. Go back to school if you want to learn optics, don't take advice from someone who doesn't REALLY get it.    

1:45 PM

Hello Anonymous

Agreed, poly is cheaper and unfortunately I have seen it substituted for 1.60 index lenses because of its 1.59 index. Another way to test for poly is how the lens is cut. I poly lens will not edge with water flow because of the material.

To answer your question, I did make the glasses for the lady and used material from a recognized supplier. One that will actually be at the Toronto OPTIFAIR this year, and I do plan to attend.

Cheers    

10:47 PM

Joseph

I know that you want to be recognized as friendly competition to eye doctors but that day will never happen my friend. You see the law says that you have to be liscenced to dispense glasses in Ontario. Brucey has lost on appeal and will lose again and you will be left holding the bag. His business model is illegal. It doesn't matter how many people you have helped in your day to day activities.....what you are doing is illegal and will be stopped when the last appeal decision is handed down. Since Bruce Bergez is an obvious flight risk I wonder who is holding his passport?    

11:45 PM

Hey Joe,

Just to let you know, you CAN cut a poly lens with water, it just makes a hell of a mess. Did you ever decide to check the base curve for that lady? How did you address her problem? Did you refract her? Did it fix her problem? Im guessing not, otherwise you would have said so. You can support Bruce as much as you like, but it still against the law. Every day you go into work you risk criminal charges, and charges from the College of Opticians (if they ever get their act together). Do you know those guys who walk around the streets with the signs? you know the ones that say, "The End is Near!". I think they are out in front of your store.    

10:23 AM

Hey Eye Guy,

Yes, you definatly can cut poly without water, it not only makes a mess but a lot of noise in the edger.

Point is, the the Dr. said the lenses were Poly - and they were not.

So who here is going to the OPTIFAIR?    

10:33 PM

Well, I guess what I mean to say is would you be able to take 1 lens, have no other lens to compare it to and know that it was or was not poly for sure? I think not. Remember- cast no stones. I would not be able to tell the difference unless I had a CR-39 to compare to, and in my non dispensing office that would be difficult, wouldn't it? I want to know how you fixed her problem....    

6:55 PM

Great Glasses? NOT SO GREAT :-(
The frames are crap. After having my eyes tested I walked around for a year with the wrong prescription. I got a new pair, they put the wrong lens on the wrong side, so I drove around for a week (I thought I just needed to give a bit of time to adjust to the new bifocals). The frames fall apart in no time. Absolute JUNK.
I don't know how they sleep at nite.    

11:18 AM

The only place anyone should consider buying glasses is from OPTIC HOUSE, they have a small change of stores, with maximum customer service. If you are not happy with their work, they make it right. GG needs to close their DOORS n MOUTH too!    

6:44 PM

optcial said...
hahahaaha Great Glasses got f'ed up 16 million woow whut happened GG supporters why arnt u talking now have fun closing GG's doors lol

9:31 PM


WAS POSTED ABOVE, FUNNY THING IS, NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE ABOUT IT, IT WAS APPEALED AND WON, AND IF ANYONE PAID ANY ATTENTION A NEW LAW IS BEING PASSED THAT WILL CLEAR GREAT GLASSES OF ALL ALLIGATIONS, AAAANNNNND THE EQUIPMENT WE USE FOR TESTING, WELL LETS PUT IT THIS WAY, WE'VE USED IT SINCE DAY ONE (CUTTING EDGE), WAL MART IN CALGARY HAS A DO IT YOURSELF EYE TEST, SORTA LIKE THE BLOOD PRESSURE MACHINES, WHICH YEARS AGO A DOCTOR OR REGISTERED NUSE HAD TO DO, YOU CAN DO THAT YOURSELF NOW CANT YOU? YUP... THOUGHT SO, SO WHY CANT THE PUBLIC CHOOSE WHERE TO HAVE THERE EYES TESTED, BE IN A NICE ATMOSPHERE WITH EXCELLET CUSTOMER SERVICE WHERE EMPLOYEES ARENT FIGHTING FOR COMMISSION ( WE DONT WORK ON COMISSION ) OH YEAH AND DID YOU KNOW THAT WAL MART IN ONTARIO IS TRYING TO BE THE FIRST ( WELL SECOND BECAUSE GREAT GLASSES WAS FIRST BITCHES!!!!! ) TO HAVE THE EYELOGIC SYSTEM IN THERE STORES AS SOON AS IT IS MADE LEGAL IN ONTARIO? BET YOU DIDNT KNOW THAT... GET YOUR HEADS OUT OF YOUR ASSES, LET PEOPLE MAKE THEIR OWN DECISIONS, SO WHAT IF THE OPTOMETRISTS ARE LOOSING MONEY, BIG DEAL... GO CRY... OR JUST BITCH ON HERE AND WASTE YOUR TIME... SEEMS WHAT MOST OF YOU ARE DOING AND I FIND IT QUITE ENTERTAINING TO BE TRUTHFUL. WELL ANYWAYS... JUST THOUGHT IDE GIVE MY PEACE OF MIND..


TO ALL OF THE GREAT GLASSES SUPPORTERS SUCH AS MYSELF, GO TEAM! WE'LL KEEP DOING WHAT WERE DOING AND SHOW THEM ALL UP... REMEMBER

FOO FOO FOO FOO FOO FOO FOO FOO


AND YOU NON SUPPORTERS... GO FIST YOURSELVES, YOUR WASTING YOUR TIME AND MORE IMPORTANTLY MINE...

P.S. IDE LOVE TO SEE ANYONE WHO HASNT WORKED FOR GREAT GLASSES UNDERSTAND WHAT "FOO" STANDS FOR    

5:38 PM

Thanks for all the shouting....

I dont know what you are talking about, because Bruce's appeal has not been heard yet. It goes to court in December. As for sight testing being legalized, that too has not been legalized in Ontario.

If you have looked at the college of optician's web site it has guidelines, but none are actually in force. Actually the guidelines contravine current HPRAC legislation.

The other thing I might point out is, dont you think it is odd that you will have to sign a 3 page informed consent before an eye test? Consent for lasik surgery is about the same length. (Whistles and bells going off).

Now as much as I am against it, dont you think that ODs will be able to perform simple sight tests for free if the legislation goes through? I could very easily perform a refraction only in about 5 mins. I wouldnt even have to chart. I love third world health care....

Only in Canada you say? Pitty.    

11:12 AM

GET A LIFE!!!!THIS IS PROBABLY WHY ALL YOUR BUSSINESSES ARE DOING SHIT MONEY BECAUSE YOU ARE ONLY WORRY ABOUT SOMEBODY ELSE'S BUSSINES....I HAD A VERY PLEASANT EXPERIENCE AT GREAT GLASSES AND ANYONE WHO WOULD SPEND THIS MUCH TIME AND ENERGY ON THIS IS JUST PATHETIC!
PARTIDAS DE MARICONES    

1:50 PM

I find it interesting that the last 2 supporters havent discovered CAPS LOCK and can not make a post without making an insult or using profanity. These are the people I would like to do business with. How about you? Maybe some decorum and professionalism would earn you all a little more respect.

Bruce has really pulled the wool over your eyes. You havent seen people blinded by your eye tests yet. I have. Wait for the 1st lawsuit. It is coming.    

10:15 AM

La estupidez es propogated por la gente como usted que deba nunca no haber sido traído en este mundo.    

1:16 PM

Translation: "The stupidity is propogated by people like you that you must never be brought in this world."

Okay. Enough of this. Go ahead and comment on the topic at hand if you wish, but leave out the profanity and personal attacks - in whatever language you choose.    

9:16 PM

Wow that was uncalled for.

Mind you "Fag Games" wasnt very nice either.    

9:31 PM

I just find it so sad that the GG supporters think that eye care is the equivalent of an automatic pressure cuff at a drug store. True, this mentality displays the kind of people that Bruce hires (uneducated) but it is disappointing, nonetheless, that these people consider themselves on the front line of eye care. It brings to mind a well-know German dicator. His followers were doing the world a lot of good too, weren't they?! If you can find enough weak people to brainwash, you can do anything, history has proven. Bruce has hit the goldmine with his employees.

In my opinion, Great Glasses is free and welcome to sell frames. While the quality of the frames is certainly subject to question, sell them. Buyer beware - it's a buyer's market, and if they choose to buy there, that's fine. Just make sure you get the prescription and lenses made by an optometrist or licensed optician. That would mean you should stay away from GG, seeing as how they have neither.

Now eye health, that's the concern optometrists have. They go to school to learn about many things, including WHAT affects a prescription, and let me tell you, you can smack that Eyelogic machine as many times as you wish, but when a patient has cataracts, kerratoconus, or prism, you're not going to get an accurate prescription. The worst part of it is that the patient thinks that this is "as good as it's going to get" and accepts subpar vision in their glasses. Sad, but true. I love hearing the comments from people who have sampled the "quality" products at GG. When they get a real prescription from a doctor, they are ecstatic, and can't believe their eyes. They had no idea how differently the world should look! It's always a pleasure to explain things like astigmatism and prism to these people. And of course, the benefits of a correct prescription. Doctor generated, no less.

Again, optometrists are doctors. Whether you feel they are money grabbing or not is not the real issue here (although it pulls the wool over people's eyes if you can create enough smoke). They're doctors, and they know what they're doing. And there are far too many people who want to save a buck, but when you're not getting the correct prescription, you're not saving anything. Or as I said to the guy who brought his (coincidentally) three pairs of glasses in to find out why none of them worked: Your free eye exam got you what you paid for. Now the patient has to shell out another few hundred dollars to replace all of the faulty, incorrect rx lenses. Who's greedy and money hungry now?    

4:03 PM

Actually GG employees kind of do work on commission, there is a bonus given to each full time store employee if they make over a certain amount of money a day... If that is not commission that I am not sure what is!    

11:12 AM

The last time I checked, competitions between the GG stores for the highest sales had the stink of of being commission-based too. After all, each store engages in a "friendly competition", e-mailing their daiy profits to see who sold the most that day. Hmmm... isn't that what GG says doctors are - greedy and money-focused? Or is GG just tracking how many people they've given the gift of sight to that day? Yack.

And FOO - gosh, that's really tricky to understand. Remember, those two o's (licensed opticians and optometrists) have educations. So we can make sense of acronyms like that. After all, that FOO kind of mentality is the cause of the imminent shutdown of GG. So FGG. So witty. Hope you supporters can all make the appropriate letter substitutions.    

6:49 PM

ummm does "F" stand for "friendly"?


Did you know that when Bruce goes to jail, and he will, he will go the the Hamilton detention center? The armpit of Ontario holding institutions?

Here is Bruce's Dilemma.

He is going to be ordered to pay $20,000,000 in fines. He has no job, and has not filed a tax return in 7 years. If he comes up with the money, revenue canada will be next in line, and he will be looking at tax evasion. If he doesnt, Clank.

I dont know what would scare me more, Manny my cell-mate, or The CCRA?

Bruce is kinda cute... LOL    

6:51 PM

Oh, and Bruce, "Goof" is a term of endearment in jail.    

7:33 AM

I still think that Bruce Bergez will be a certain flight risk once his legal options are exhausted.    

11:10 AM

Thought I would check out all the 'madness' at GG. How could anyone fall for their gimmicks?
what a joke.
My eyes are too important to have anyone but a doctor look at them and prescribe the proper lenses for them.
They need to be shut down before something serious happens to someones eyes -- if the damage hasn't been done already.    

9:54 PM

Its been a while since my last post.

What I have realized is that there are three types of posts:

1) Those supports of Great Glasses who inappropriatly use the CAPS LOCK, the exclamation mark or continue to post under the "anonomous" label.

2) The supporters who support the Great Glasses chain by sharing their feedback.

3) And finally you, the ones that flood this blog, those of you who are truley concerned about eye health and about what Great Glasses is doing wtong.

While I have participated a few times in posting on this blog, I do not feel that the supporters will ever leave, and neither will those who support the true concern about eye care.

My conclusion to my post is this: Great Glasses will never have the support of true eye care professionals, but will have the support of the consumer. But thats okay. I see it as this:

Its like buying a pair of shoes.

THE WISE CUSTOMER: Walks into the store, picks out their shoes from the ones availible and they can tell which pair looks the best and best matches their style without any professional help.

THE LOST CUSTOMER: Needs professional help and to be told what looks good on them because without, they cannot make a decision. One that will not best match their style or bring long-lasting enjoyment.

THE WISE CUSTOMER: Lets their eyes decide the best prescription best for them along with the eyelogic machine and trial testing with a snellen chart.

THE LOST CUSTOMER: Absolutly requires a licenced profossional, an optometrist, to act as the brian and be the decision maker. Honestly, some people don't trust themselves, and an optomatrist is extremely talented and very willing to take on the role as decision maker....but of course...this will cost more $$$$.

So, the conclusion being this. If you need someone to pick your shoes for you, you can sleep well at night knowing that your hard earned money was well spent on that professional opinion.

~Joe    

9:58 PM

It looks like the knot is getting tighter and tighter .....

Bergez to pay legal costs

Steve Buist
The Hamilton Spectator
(Dec 24, 2007)


An Ontario Superior Court judge has ordered the founder of the Great Glasses empire to pay more than $100,000 in legal costs to the College of Optometrists.

Justice Eugene Fedak ruled that Great Glasses founder Bruce Bergez, his wife Joanne and three of their related companies must reimburse the college on a full indemnity basis for costs associated with a court action that concluded in October.

Fedak had ruled that Bergez and his wife were required to pay $50,000 a day in fines for defying a previous court order that had been in place since November 2006. At the time of Fedak's ruling, the fines totalled about $16 million.

Since that time, another $3.5 million in fines has piled up, bringing the total amount owed by Bergez to nearly $20 million for being in contempt of the 2006 court order.

In awarding legal costs against Bergez, Fedak noted that "continued contempt by (Bergez and the companies) confirmed that they were motivated by greed and not principle."

In November 2006, Bergez and the companies were found in contempt for not complying with Ontario legislation that governs the prescribing and dispensing of eyeglasses and contact lenses.

Ontario law requires eyeglasses and contacts to be properly prescribed by an optometrist or physician, and properly dispensed by an optician.

The judge in that case handed Bergez a $1-million fine and additional fines of $50,000 a day for each day that Great Glasses was not in compliance with the court order.

Bergez and the companies have appealed the November 2006 court order.

The appeal is scheduled to be heard in February.

sbuist@thespec.com    

9:57 AM

Joe, It appears you have clearly missed the point. Getting your eyes tested is NOT about the prescription that is generated. It is about the possible underlying causes of the change in prescription. I had a 32 year old fellow in my office last Friday who was correctable to 20/15 in both eyes. He had something called papillitis. This is really BAD. He received a emergency cat scan that night and was treated for localized phlebitis and related partial central retinal artery occlusion. An eye test at Great Glasses probably would have resulted in permanent visual loss. Because I detected this condition with a "Simple Sight Test" as you would have people believe, obviously the people at Great Glasses would be able to determine the same thing. This is NOT the case. An eye test is not like picking shoes. Picking frames is like picking shoes. That is why I have staff in my office to do that with my guidance. I do not let my staff test my patients eyes. Why? because with no amount of training and special equipment would they ever get the nuances required to become a good eye care practitioner. I can go on and on.    

1:39 AM

QUOTE:
"The college alleges that Great Glasses stores are preparing eye glasses and contacts without proper prescriptions from an optometrist or physician, and then dispensing them to customers without the proper supervision of an optician"

THEY are not certified Opticians.
So frig close them down.
They have many stores and just the ONE optician, makes no sense.

And not having prices on their glasses, isn't that illegal?

Anyone that goes there or tells me they are on the way there, I always state: STAY AWAY

PS....Mr. 'life in general' how much did you pay for your glasses?

Gal in Burlington, Ontario    

9:43 PM

Got 3 pairs for just under $450.00.    

6:51 AM

Gal in Burlington;

I'm an optician and have spoken to our College about this situation. Unfortunately if we lived in the states Great Glasses could be shut down in a minute. Since our laws are different the College of Opticians is doing as much as they can to correct this situation and serve justice. Great Glasses actually has no opticians working for them as both Bruce Bergez and Arthur Kochberg both have had their optician licences suspended.    

11:25 PM

Uncle Freddy, maybe you should have your college inform the insurance companies of the license suspensions... they are still paying claims.    

8:38 AM

I am appalled that Great Glasses is STILL IN BUSINESS.
I have contacted several News Stations and hopefully they will be sending out reporters to do an in-depth story on the continuing saga.....
Here is another great site discussing Great Glasses:
http://www.optiboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20110

For those who wish for their story to be told, contact W5, they are always looking for stories: w-five@ctv.ca

OR the CBC:
http://www.cbc.ca/contact/

Global News:
http://www.canada.com/globaltv/info/contactus.html

Show ideas:
http://www.canada.com/globaltv/producersguide/index.html    

9:21 PM

Please don't contact any news stations about Great Glasses. It won't shut them down but will only give them free publicity. The College of Opticians has to rely on the courts in order for justice to be served and we all know that the court system is slow sometimes.    

11:56 AM

Hey
Got 3 pairs for $550 in early Jan. and have already got my claim portion back, should I be worried about them wanting their money back??
I dont understand whats going on because I thought the service was really good.
-Steve    

12:58 PM

QUOTE:
"Please don't contact any news stations about Great Glasses. It won't shut them down but will only give them free publicity. The College of Opticians has to rely on the courts in order for justice to be served and we all know that the court system is slow sometimes"


WHATEVER DUDE!

You must be working FOR THEM!!!??

One of these News stations is already on the story

AND NO it WONT GIVE THEM FREE PUBLICITY as YOU stated

BUT instead

LET THE PUBLIC KNOW THAT they ARE ISSUING OUT GLASSES ILLEGALLY without a REAL CERTIFIED
OPTOMETRIST!!!

If anyone reads this and has problems with UN-SO-GREAT GLASSES, then DO CONTACT YOUR LOCAL MEDIA!    

1:35 PM

Let me say that I do not work for Great Glasses. I am an independant optician who prides himself in giving clients excellant products and customer service. All I can tell you is that my College is on the case (as well as the College of Optometrists) and justice will be served at some point....not nearly soon enough though.    

10:47 AM

Steve (and any other interested party)

If you'd like to learn what's going on with this issue I would suggest you go to the College of Opticians of Ontario website www.coptont.org. From there click on Current Issues and then click on Legal Updates and schroll half way down and you will see all the information on the Great Glasses issue.    

3:39 PM

Uncle Freddy

Sorry if I upset you
Just want Great Glasses to finally be laid to rest!

:(    

7:50 AM

Here's the latest from the Great Glasses' Appeal.

http://thespec.com/article/320663    

9:44 PM

I hate the courts and I absolutely HATE>>>>>>>>>>GREAT GLASSES for getting away with murder in advertising FREE EYE TEST when their employees are NOT CERTIFIED!

Friggin COURTS, it is NOT ROCKET SCIENCE.......PULL the ADS IN LOCAL NEWSPAPERS OFFERING THIS SERVICE and the COURTS should just CLOSE THEM DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!    

1:23 PM

Seems the courts are siding with GG guess they werent wrong after all    

4:20 PM

gg lover

No the courts have NEVER sided with Great Glasses. Where are you getting that conclusion from? The Court of Appeal have reserved their decision. That means that they will rule on this issue according to their own timetable. For the courts to agree with Great Glasses they would have to rule in their favour and not uphold the lower court's decision. We will wait and see.    

11:20 AM

In reading the following blog and upon taking an objective view; the presented arguments and the resulting court action seem to validation wrong doing on Great Glasses part in their circumvention of current laws. I cannot help but feel however, there is also a level of protectionism in the industry with respect to the role of Opticians and the dispensing of glasses. In my case given I just need reading glasses and was looking for a higher quality of frame the price point offered by Great Glasses 3 for 1 offer was appealing. Unfortunately in the end I got burned as Standard Life did not and will not cover my claim.

Can anyone enlighten me? How come I can pull reading glasses 1.25 1.50 etc. off a rack at Shoppers Drug Mart, Canadian Tire and or Cosco without the glasses being dispensed or validated by an onsite Optician? I had no clue regarding this issue with Great Life and or that Standard Life would not support my claim.    

4:16 PM

Actually, the majority of optometrists do not have an issue with opticians working with them. Opticians are trained to help patients see optimally. (Yes, Bruce is an exception to this rule, but I digress...)

Where the issue does come into play is when opticians begin playing doctor and doing eye tests, which require 8 years of schooling and expertise. If someone cannot see well, an untrained person cannot identify why. You may have just a regular, "run-of-the-mill" prescription, you may have astigmatism, you may have a cataract, you may have glaucoma, you may have macular edema and on and on. The point is, there are so many issues that cause vision problems, and there is a lot of training that goes into being able to identify them.

When you buy readers at a drugstore, you're buying a magnifying glass that fits into glasses. It's not terribly accurate, but it will get you by and make things bigger. If you have a muscle imbalance, astigmatism, difficulty seeing in the distance, etc. none of that will be addressed. It won't fix everything, but you'll be able to read a menu a bit better.

Hope this helps make the distinction.    

10:08 PM

Also, when you buy OTC readers there is no impression that one is actually getting an "Eye Exam". In my opinion no significant physical harm can come to an adult by the dispensing of eye glasses. There will most likely be many financial and adaptive problems, but no one will ever die or go blind. This whole thing is really sad really. What Bruce is doing devalues the profession of Opticianry. Any Optician who does not see this is myopic.

BTW, I am one of the other O's    

9:43 PM

Well well well....Bruce Bergez had his certificate of registration (C-1192) suspended in November of 2006. He then convinced one of his frame suppliers Arthur Kochberg to allow him to use his certificate (C-202) for Insurance Claims purposes, not to mention the use of a Great Glasses logo'd car which belongs to Kevin Britain who own's the Richmond Hill and Thornhill Great Glasses' locations, but alast that certificate was also suspended in December 2007. And now they use the certificate of John Eikeland (C-409) for the purposes of Insurnace Claims, not to mention the fact that they are also using Eyelogic results for Great West Life Claims, and cutting of the disclaimer of it not being valid until someone signs off on it, and photocopying it, and using Dr. Dyer as the one prescribing.....hmmmm Anyone wanna know more about the inside workings of GG???? I am soooo willing to share them (or at least some)    

10:57 PM

Please tell us more.
The College of Opticians website (Current Issues) already documented the license suspension of Bergez and Koch ... but I think the College of Opticians would be interested in learning the name of this third individual.

Do you have any info on the recent criminal prosecution of the Richmond Hill GG Employees? I saw that a trial is tentatively scheduled for the end of April in Newmarket.    

12:06 PM

March 16, 2008.
12:00 pm.

I am just not impressed with the Great Glasses store on Queensway. I found that when I picked up two of my three glasses that one did not fit properly. I also found that store unprofessional, once they got my money.

On February 28th, 2008 I visited Great Glasses on Queensway with my prescription from a real optometrist and was served by a very attractive middle-aged woman (with man-hands). I paid for three pairs, which cost $600 (including a pair or prescription sun glasses)—of course, that was after haggling and a “March Madness $100 off sale”. I was called back nine days later, that two of the three were ready. Five days later (March 11th) I went in to pick up all three glasses and still the third pair, the sun glasses, was still not ready. They made up a bunch of excuses; such as there was a problem making them originally and that there was a gas leak next door that forced them to close the store, so they could not make the third pair. However, the gas leak happened well after that 7-10 day promise (of when I would receive my glasses), and they send out their glasses to a lab, so how is a gas leak twelve days after my visit affect them? Also, if you made a mistaking making the lenses, then make a new pair right after—finish the job, instead of putting it on hold… where are your priorities people? I was PO’ed, because I was going on a long drive to Buffalo and needed the sun glasses for the drive.

Personally, I do not know how making a pair of glasses within a week kicks their butts, when other places can do it within an hour? Yesterday I went by to see if my third pair was ready, and when I arrived at 5:20pm it was already closed. This was my third trip there to pick up my order, and the money I thought I saved wasn’t worth my time, gas, patience and energy. When Great Glasses said “within 7-10 days”, I figured that it would be more than ready by the ten day period, but I guess they were wrong.

On my second trip, when I picked up my other two pairs (March 11th) I was not impressed with the people there either. One made a comment, because the only two cases that fit my glasses were oversized. When I chose them—probably the most expensive ones—some weird lady in a white lab-coat made some comment about it, saying that it was too big and gave me a “whatever” look. Of course, this professional store has all the cases in some basket for the customers to choose out in the open, gathering dust, but once you make a choice the comments begin. The cases they have are either small and flimsy—do not fit glasses properly, or just too big. Of course, it makes more sense to pick the big ones that work but are impractical than the crappy small ones that will break your glasses. The other woman—with man-hands and a cute body—who was originally nice and courteous when I had made my purchase now seemed too busy to deal with me, which was odd considering the store was practically empty. One of the two pairs didn’t fit right, and I guess I was an inconvenience. It was my fault that their technicians didn’t measure it right. I also found it funny that the store could have been cleaner, considering it is relatively small-volume and they seem staffed well?

I was recommended to Great Glasses by a friend, but no more and no thanks. I wish I read this before I had bought from them. I guess I wasn’t impressed by the service at the other glasses stores either, and figured that this place was recommended, so why not try it? I stumbled on this site, while trying to look up their hours, so I could hopefully pick it up today. It is now March 16th, and I still do not have my glasses—18 days after I had made my order.

You make any decision you think is right for you, but really, you probably do not need three pairs of glasses at once and over time your prescription will change any ways. I definitely would not get an eye check up there, and that mall parking lot is not a joy to drive in or get out of either. Best of luck to you on your decision.    

8:22 AM

I can honestly say that I do know for a fact that when you are in a Great Glasses location during one of their "so called $100 off sales" it backs up their labs, hence their 5-7 business day turn around turns into 7-10 days. But in most cases of single vision wearing patients without extremely high scripts or high astigmatism, they can cut your lenses into your frame within minutes. Happens daily really! This is true for nearly every location, they all have stock lenses in the store, not 1000's of them, but enough to get by.

Now as far as store hours, it is some what standard for each of their stores to have the same hours of business across the board, although some do very so calling each location would be wise. Mon - Tues 10a-5p Wed, Thurs & Fri 10a-8p. Sat 10a-4p, Sun 1p-4p.

Not sure what else to say about them really, just word of mouth from a friend who works there is all. I hear that they don't have a head office either, that each store is a franchise? Anyone know the truth on that? But my friend in one of the "hill's" stores said the only head office contact was an email address to the founder bruce.bergez@sympatico.ca    

2:12 PM

Who cares if their labs 'are backed up'. Who cares about their hours of operation. Who cares if they don't have a head office.

You are completely missing the point.

Get your eyes examined by a properly trained professioal (ie. MD or Optometrist). Get your glasses dispensed by a properly trained professional (ie. Optician or Optometrist).

When I get my car checked I want to see a licensed mechanic. When I get my teeth checked I want to see a licensed Dentist.

Sounds pretty simple doesn't it?    

9:28 PM

Wow, I think you just got Bruce on the longest spam list ever by posting he e-mail... good for you! LOL    

1:19 PM

who cares is totally right, I was only giving some helpful information to what seemed to be a concerned customer of theirs. But I do totally agree with getting your eyes tested by an MD or optomitrist. I know I sure as hell would, and would never trust Great Glasses to test my eyes EVER!    

6:16 PM

i worked at gg

great glasses did in fact purchase knock off frames
mei wei was the distributor

they often fill rx's up to .5dp off of the actual rx if they run out of the correct lense in store...they claim that its a new rx for the customer so they are expecting some eye strain

i could go on...
people should know the inside scoop    

11:10 PM

Knock off frames are one thing....alot of companies make a knock-off on a popular design. Not illegal. Previously I believe the concern was "counterfeit" frames being sold there. Is illegal.    

12:36 PM

Any idea on the most recent court decision? I heard it should be out by now. Anyone?    

10:05 PM

great glasses should be called great disasters! they say you get what you pay for, but i payed for 3 pairs of glasses BUY 1 GET 2 FREE HAH!! and i got 5 trips to pick them up when they were not ready, glasses that in three months both lenses were chipped, and the finish was peeling off of the frames.    

12:28 PM

Robert

Did you really think that you'd get something of value for nothing?    

1:29 AM

I went to GG because I was looking for glasses, attracted by the no-appointed-needed-free eye test. The first thing that struck me was the fact that there were no prices anywhere in the store!
Then, after going around looking at the frames (which were all blah I felt I was at the dollar store) the lady asked me what my budget was. Odd question! I immediately asked, well, how much do the glasses cost? She said she couldn't give me an estimate because of the different prices of different prescriptions. Fair, I said, ok what is the price of the frames? No answer, to this she replied: 'well I need to know your budget and then I can tell you how many glasses (1,2 or 3) you can get... I was baffled, so this pay- one-get 3 deal is a lot more complicated than it appears to be! I said, just to amuse her, I want to pay a total of $175 (I have no idea if this is a reasonable price). She went to the back and pretended to talk to someone. She came back and then said: OK, I can get you one pair of glasses for $175; you are going to need thinning on your lenses. I was sielnt, then she pulled out a claculator and punched some numbers and proceeded to tell me that the real price of the glasses (frames + lenses with thinning - antireflective coating) was around $549! Wow, I was about to purchase $549 glasses! I shouldv'e gone to lenscrafters and gotten a pair of D&G or PRADA glasses in that case... Needless to say I left the store and vowed never to come back again. And here I am now googling their name... I am glad I didn't purchase anything here. Just out of curiosity, the store in Richmond Hill only had frames branded "Olé Olé", has anyone ever heard of this brand? Im wondering if these frames are really worth $399 like she said. To me, they looked more like $10 frames to be honest. The entire experience (the displays, the sales pitch) all felt like I was in a set for a film production: FAKE! Anyways, this is my story. Pretty scary, when I think about it, I didnt see any diplomas on the walls... Im going to an optometrist. thanks for all the comments and research this blog was great!    

9:05 PM

Funny I sell those Ole Ole frames with Polycarbonate lenses and AR for $227. That frame should retail for about $80.

Hope that helps.

Eye Guy    

10:05 AM

when i worked there the frames at cost were between 7-40$ max!
the 40$ frames were for the "designer" frames sold by mei wei.
the lower priced frames were brands such as ole ole, soho etc
the lenses were ordered from a distributer in windsor. the average PAIR of lenses cost 8$. if the rx was extreme (thinning) there was an approximate 4$ surcharge. anti reflective coating was about a 2$ surcharge.

often times there were "team meetings" at bruce's house in dundas. in these meetings he would talk about the implications of what he and his comapny were doing and how he was revolutionizing the optical industry. he would quote out of books from his days of schooling pointing out "loop holes" in the system (as mentioned above dispensing without being present).

the loop hole could have been used however i feel the way he used the error was/is shady.

bruce "trained" a lady - we will call her angie - to teach others. rather than actually training people the anatomy of the eye, bruce passed the responsibility to angie to teach new staff all about the eye. this 2 hour training session was the gateway into learning how to do the eye test.

now what i can say, is that bruce did take 2o minutes to show me how he does eye tests...
that being said, he showed me how to do a regular eye test...and an asian eye test!!!!!

There were several steps that could be skipped with asians "they dont speak english they wont know" "asian eye tests are faster because they dont matter as much"

needless to say i was not impressed.
i am also happy to say that i refused to do eye tests on people. i felt that since i had not been to school for this procedure, i should not perform this procedure.
needless to say my failure to comply with the great glasses norms was met with an intolerant attitude.....

i will share more information if you like - post whatever questions you want. i can only answer from my experience.

an informed consumer is a smart consumer...    

8:08 AM

Asian eye tests are really that different? See why we need O.D.'s doing tests...wow

What city did you work in?    

1:47 PM

i recently got screwed by great glasses as well. i was shocked at how much crap there is all over the internet about this shifty company and that i had no idea. i didn`t find out until my health insurance company told me that they would not reimburse my claim because great glasses us under audit by them.

i filed a report for fraud with the toronto police and the man who `tested` my eyes and sold me prescription glasses is now under investigation.

thanks to the person who posted media links. i plan on doing everything i can to make sure that this company goes down in flames.

thanks to everyone for posting this blog thread to let people know their story. i didn`t realize how deep this ran and i am grateful to know that the sad, pitiful excuses for human beings that are involved in this scam can actually be violent or threatening. i had planned to get flyers of my story printed to hand out to people on the street in front of the store. i guess i won`t be doing that anymore for fear of bodily harm!

in any event, i think i`ve come up with a way for those of us who have been screwed or know somebody who has to bring these people down. if we can organize, we can actually get some justice. anyone who`s interested can email me.

anyone from GG who`s interested in threatening me, please note that all emails will be documented and saved for future reference in the police investigation of a certain GG location manager. you`d be doing me a favour, really.

please contact me if you are serious about organizing against great glasses    

11:02 PM

Did you guys see this?
The Saga Continues ....
but the knot is getting tighter and tighter ....

Toronto Sun – July 6, 2008

A case of trouble vision
Optician still dispensing, testing despite $16M in fines

By DON PEAT, SUN MEDIA

Fines are in the millions but the eyeglasses are still rolling out of Great Glasses stores across the province, including three locations here in Toronto.

The ongoing court battle over the tiny optical empire has lasted years and led to multi-million-dollar fines but it's not over yet.

Even when the Ontario Court of Appeal rules on an appeal against a $1-million fine slapped on Great Glasses owner Bruce Bergez, the court has yet to hear an appeal on the $16-million judgment against him.

But despite the battle, glasses are still being sold at the Great Glasses stores, known for their 3-for-1 deals and "free eye tests."

Insurance companies, like Standard Life, continue to decline some claims for glasses or contact lenses, citing the fact they "were dispensed by someone who was not authorized to do so under the (company's) policy."

"He's violating the legislation ... by not having an optometrist or a physician issuing the prescription," said Dr. Murray Turnour, regist rar of the College of Optometrists. "Because he doesn't have prescriptions issued by an optometrist or a physician, he should not or the stores should not be dispensing glasses or contact lenses.

"The public is not assured the examinations or the tests ... are in fact meeting any particular standard of practice in the profession."

Dr. Tournour explained his concern: "Individual members of the public may have an eye disease that will not be detected because of the very cursory type of testing. They may misunderstand the extent of the testing."

The college's primary purpose is to govern the practice of optometrists in Ontario, he said, but it also has a responsibility to administer the legislation that guides them.

"It was in that context we felt Mr. Bergez and Great Glasses were in fact in contravention of that particular piece of legislation," he said.

"Because the government wasn't moving on it we felt obliged to protect the public by initiating the legal action in Hamilton. The prosecution really fell on our shoulders."

The college launched an investigation in late 2001 but the case didn't come to court until 2003.

Court heard employees of Great Glasses contravened the Regulated Health Professions Act by writing prescriptions and dispensing without a prescription of a physician or optometrist.

At that time, the judge ordered Bergez, his wife Joanne and their chain of stores to comply with the RHPA. Specifically they had to ensure non-optometrist employees stopped prescribing glasses for vision or eye problems, stopped dispensing glasses without a prescription and stopped allowing non-optician employees to dispense any glasses other than simple magnifiers.

"The evidence we have we brought to the court ... indicated there was no optometrist and no physician on the premises of any of the stores," Turnour said.

By 2006, the college was back in court asking for a contempt of court order against Great Glasses for failing comply with the three-year-old judgment.

"What has followed (since the 2003) judgment has been three years of investigative activity by the applicant and elaborate evasions, false statements and sham corporate structures by and from the respondent, Bruce Bergez," Justice David Crane wrote in a scathing judgement.

"On the basis of the very extensive record before me I have no hesitation in concluding that (Bergez) created and operates the three optical stores ... I also find that Mr. Bergez has, through a sham structure, franchised a further 14 Great Glasses stores under a 'Franchise Agreement' that provides the franchisor with the right to determine the manner and mode of businesses by each of the franchisees."

Crane concluded Great Glasses hadn't changed the way it was doing business since the 2003 judgment and had gone on to franchise the business across the province.

Based on the income Ber gez's store received for dispensing eyewear without a prescription and the franchise royalty fees, Crane levied a $1-million fine against Bergez and a $50,000-a-day fine for every day he failed to comply with the court orders.

BACK IN COURT

In 2007, the case was back in court with the College of Optometrists again demanding Bergez comply with the judgement against his chain of stores. The judge found they had continued not to comply and ruled the $50,000-a-day fine was in effect from the date of the previous judgment to October 2007. That totalled almost $16 million.

Both the $1-million and $16-million fine are being appealed.

The Court of Appeal heard Bergez's appeal of the $1-million fine but has not delivered a ruling. Officials from the College said the court must still hear the appeal of the $16-million fine.

Caroline MacIsaac-Power, registrar for the College of Opticians, said the glasses tycoon is flouting the system.

"We have some 24 stores out there that have no licenced opticians in them and ... Great Glasses is providing eye examinations and they have no optometrists registered at 24 locations across Ontario," said MacIsaac-Power.

"The College of Opticians says very clearly dispensing is a controlled act as legislation has set out. There's a risk of harm if you dispense and you don't have a licence."

Bergez didn't respond to an interview request but in 2006, he told the Sun the $1-million fine for dispensing eyewear without a prescription gave optometrists a monopoly.

Before the court battle began, Bergez was a registered optician in good standing.

Since then, the college has suspended his licence, a decision he can appeal    

9:58 AM

even more articles..
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080712.GLASSES12/TPStory/TPNational/Ontario/

Embattled eyeglasses empire grinds on
Insurance claim denied after customer given prescription not issued by a licensed optometrist at chain embroiled in appeal
TIMOTHY APPLEBY

July 12, 2008

When York University student Jeanette Janzen submitted a $740 insurance claim for three sets of eyeglasses last month, a rude shock awaited.

Her claim had been denied, Desjardins Financial Security advised Ms. Janzen, because the computer-generated prescription issued by a downtown Toronto outlet of Great Glasses, a franchise chain with 23 outlets dotted across Southern Ontario, had not been issued by a licensed optometrist, as the law requires.

"I was just appalled," said Ms. Janzen, 29, who is pursuing an MA in art history.

Researching a tangle of court judgments, however, she swiftly discovered she was far from alone.

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Ms. Janzen's spurned claim represents just a tiny fraction of the millions in dollars in fines and legal costs incurred by Great Glasses.

Concurring with a joint complaint from the twin associations that represent Ontario's optometrists and opticians, Mr. Justice David Crane of Ontario Superior Court concluded in 2006 that entrepreneur Bruce Bergez's network of Great Glasses stores had been built upon "elaborate evasions, false statements and sham corporate structures."

The scheme had allowed its "highly provocative, arrogant" architect to earn at least $3.6-million through "unlawful business activity," the judge ruled, and he imposed huge fines, believed to be the largest of their kind in Canadian history: a $1-million contempt-of-court penalty against Mr. Bergez for ignoring a cease-and-desist court judgment issued three years earlier, plus a $50,000-per day fine if he continued operating the same way.

Both under appeal, those fines now accumulatively amount to well over $20-million.

And yet, remarkably, Mr. Bergez's empire just seems to mushroom, offering "free eye tests," "a straightforward, three-for-one combination of the most fashionable glasses ... tailored just for you!" and the promise of "more great new locations."

Under the Regulated Health Professions Act, the rules governing the manufacture and sale of prescription eyeglasses are clear. Only an optometrist, an opthalmologist or other physician can conduct an eye exam and the prescription must be filled by an optician.

And while Mr. Bergez used to be an optician, until Ontario's College of Opticians lifted his licence two years ago, there were no optometrists or doctors on hand in any of the Great Glasses stores, noted Judge Crane, unimpressed with Mr. Bergez's contention that a doctor can "delegate" his examining powers.

Instead, as Ms. Janzen learned to her cost, the Great Glasses stores rely on a custom-made computer system, EyeLogic, to do the eye tests. The technician who did the exam, she assumed, was a bona fide eye doctor. She was wrong.

How many other Great Glasses clients have had their claims bounced by insurance companies is moot.

"There's not been a whole lot, really," said Mr. Bergez, 48, reached yesterday at the home in Dundas, an hour's drive west of Toronto, that he shares with his wife, Joanne.

But he would answer no further questions, and referred inquiries to his Hamilton lawyer, Louis Frapporti, who did not reply to messages.

Jim Blair, manager of the Great Glasses outlet on Front Street that sold Ms. Janzen the eyeglasses, also did not respond.

Neither would Desjardins Financial offer any immediate comment. Because of privacy concerns, insurance companies rarely divulge whose claims get rejected, or why, said Caroline MacIsaac-Power, registrar for the College of Opticians.

But the Great Glasses tussle holds serious import, Ms. MacIsaac-Power said.

"Eyeglasses, contact lenses, all of the things we do as opticians - the legislation has determined for 60 years now that there's a risk to the public if it's not done properly by competent, skilled people."

And many people have found themselves in the same boat as Ms. Janzen, Ms. MacIsaac-Power said.

"The problem is widespread and it's reprehensible. It used to be just a problem in the Hamilton area [where the first Great Glasses stores opened] but it's spread beyond that. We have multiple court cases, we have disciplinary hearings and we have suspended Mr. Bergez's licence."

Her counterpart at the college of optometrists, Murray Tournour, could not be reached yesterday but he has previously said that the "very cursory" exams conducted by Great Glasses mean that serious eye ailments may be overlooked.

How matters play out remains to be seen.

Mr. Bergez declared bankruptcy in 1996, listing $4,400 in assets and more than $60,000 in liabilities, but that's not an option when debts stem from court fines and/or findings of fraud, said bankruptcy lawyer Jeffrey Carhart, who has had no role in the Great Glasses saga.

"Those two subsections of section 178(1) of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act represent a very fundamental limit on the extent to which a person can relieve himself or herself of responsibility for debts through the bankruptcy process," Mr. Carhart said.

The Great Glasses imbroglio has been on the College of Optometrists' agenda since 2001, said lawyer Roy Stephenson, who represented the college at the 2006 hearing and at the appeal hearing in February that examined the $1-million fine and is expected to produce a verdict soon.

The appeal court has yet to hear arguments on the much larger, accumulative fine.

After that, the last recourse for either side would be a Supreme Court of Canada hearing, if the court agrees to hear the case.

"This has taken so long to resolve, and still the concern is that they are continuing to operate," Mr. Stephenson said of Great Glasses.

In the meantime, Ms. Janzen doubts she'll be getting her money back.

"I know I won't," she said. "I just want as many people as possible to know about this."    

10:35 AM

Eye Care Professionals

Opticians:

Are health professionals trained to supply, prepare and dispense optical appliances, interpret prescriptions prepared by Ophthalmologists and Optometrists, and fit, adjust and adapt optical appliances. In some jurisdictions in Canada, Opticians are also known as Ophthalmic Dispensers. In Ontario, Opticians are regulated by the College of Opticians of Ontario.
Picture of a closed human eye

Optometrists:

Are health professionals trained to assess the eye and visual system, sensory and ocular motor disorders and dysfunctions of the eye and the visual system and diagnose refractive disorders. An Optometrist prescribes and dispenses corrective devices. In Ontario Optometrists are regulated by the College of Optometrists of Ontario.
Picture of an open human eye

Ophthalmologists:

Are medical doctors who specialize in eye and vision care, diagnosis and the treatment of eye disease and provide eye exams, prescribe corrective lenses, prescribe and administer medication and perform surgery. In Ontario, Ophthalmologists are regulated by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.
Picture of a closed human eye    

2:12 AM

I work at an optical store, VERY big chain, and I would rather send customers to ANY OTHER CHAIN than to a place that claims they don't need an Optician in order to do a proper job. I know my job inside and out, have lab training too....and there is a reason these people need to be licensed. Of all the things to gamble with, is your vision really the wisest choice?!    

4:25 PM

when will the court descison be out?

too bad all their stores dont blow up....LOL    

9:43 PM

It has been over 3 years since I have worked for this company and it never seizes to amaze me how well Bruce can truely manipulate his staff to the point that even though they work with that company- they have zero idea what the hell is going on. Bruces motto "bullshit baffles brains" , sound familiar to all you owners. For many years he has successful done this to both his employees, the courts and more concerningly the public. The mere fact that his "disciples" believe his antics is astonishing to me. Sit through one of his boring monthly rants and tell me if the ppl sitting next to have any brains at all. Anyone can work for him, Anyone can have a business through him b/c at the end of the day he will have all his money still stashed in his dog's name and trust me he'll be fine. The owners will be bankrupt and pennyless , credit shot and owing a ton of lab and equipment rental fees, not to mention the leasing arrangement. But they never think about all that when their riding the Bruces Bergez express. He has manipulated many ppl and there is no doubt the owners will take the fall.    

9:54 AM

Thank you so much for this blog. A woman from GG came into our retail store in the same mall as them and gave us a stack of their $100.00 off offers, informing our management that she would honour the coupons prior to the event for any mall employee since it would be extremely busy when the sale actually started. I took one of the coupons and wanted to read about it.
I know one or two people who have gone there and have heard nothing negative from them..so I was pondering the idea. Another co-worker informed me of the lawsuits and everything else that has been going on with GG. I thanked her for the info and told her I would do a search online to see what I could find...and here I am.
I will never consider going to GG after all I have read. I do believe that taking care of my eyes properly is a huge priority...and not to be taken lightly. For many years I have used the same licensed doctor for my eye exams and to me it is not worth it to take a risk with GG, just for this deal of 3 for 1 and $100.00 off. Would this deal be worth it for me if I had an health issue with my eyes and lost my vision.....never!!! I would never trust GG to correctly fit me for glasses now either. I would rather get one pair of glasses for under $300.00 as I did last time, than give GG any of my business!
As far as I know our insurance company has not rejected any GG claims, but since other large ones are now, it is just a matter of time. I hope they do, as it would be the right thing to do!
I plan to go into work next week and speak to the other managers about this whole issue. I don't believe we should be encouraging employees in our company to use GG just because they are in the same mall and come by to give us a "deal". Thankfully I can back up what I say with this this link so they can see for themselves!
Thank you to all of you for the articles, your own opinions and experiences, and informing those of us who really do care about our eyes!    

9:13 AM

Let the public do the judging. I was told by an optometrist in Oakville (Sheldon) never to go to GG and then I found out that his optician had been off for several months! When he (Sheldon) and his associate optometrist were off, I went in for glasses and the secretary did the dispensing!!!! So no optician, no optometrist on site, secretary in charge of my glasses? Someone should report Sheldon and his staff, or lack thereof. Always investigate before making your own decision!    

1:07 AM

Great Glasses is having a back to school sale from Sept 6 to 13.    

8:24 PM

Hmmmm. You didn't say that this secretary examined your eyes. If YOU do some research, this is exactly what those fools at GG are doing. You (intentionally?!) omitted what the "secretary" did or if you even bothered to check her credentials or training. I've got my money on her and her training vs. an-employee-fired-from-KFC-turned-Great-Glasses-employee. Trust me, no complaint is necessary.

Thank you for the post of the big sale as well. I've been seeing a lot of these jobs. Let me tell you, I'm seeing more patients than ever because of Great Glasses’ mistakes. We are inundated with patients coming in, saying their three pairs of glasses aren't working for them. It's a riot to verify each of the three pairs on the lensometer and see that NOT ONE pair has the same prescription or the same PD measurements, and not one of them has the CORRECT prescription, either. NOT ONE!Come on, Brucie, 3 strikes and you're out!!! It's even funnier when I tell the patient that they are farsighted, and their rx made by GG is a nearsighted rx (my personal “favourite” was a child who was a +3.00 and was wearing -3.25 lenses. The parents felt so much guilt for forcing their child to wear these glasses, despite the bruises and injuries the poor child was incurring because of that whack job.) Or times when the rx should have cyl for astigmatism, and there's none in these lenses. Or that they "rounded off" their rx. After all, if you're a -6.50, -2.75x 180 isn't -7.00 close enough? These bottom feeders just grab whatever number seems close, not understanding or caring about the intricate accuracy that is necessary for a rx.

It’s sad when we see GG patients. As soon as they mention going there, it’s ALWAYS followed by a terrible story. No exceptions. But the good news is that once they have a comprehensive eye exam, followed up with the correct rx in their glasses or contact lenses, they understand the difference. It’s just too bad that, up to that point, they have been subjected to the low standards and quality at GG. Sometimes they don’t realize just how bad it really is.

If I had a nickel for how many patients remark on the irony of getting such a “great” deal...: “What’s so great about spending “only” $500 for 3 pairs of glasses that don’t work? What a scam.”

My garbage can is full of these good deals every day.    

12:52 PM

The secretary did not check my eyes, nor was she an optician. I would not do business without an optician so I left. My decision to leave was based on the "person-in-charge" not having the designation of optician or optometrist. If GG is bad-mouthed for the same, I shouldn't file a complaint because.....?    

1:31 PM

Yet again, you have neglected to mention WHAT the secretary did.    

2:13 PM

The secretary was busy answering the phones, offered to help me choose glasses, and then I left when she told me that the optician was not there. Would you seek legal advice from your lawyer's assistant?    

9:45 PM

Ha ha, buddy, I just read this series of posts. You need to come to battle with some ammo! Don't whine about stuff that's irrelevant, like looking at glasses. There's bigger, fatter fish to fry, and his name is Bruce.    

7:29 PM

Hate to tell you, but Opticians cant work in an Optometrists office as of last night in Ontario- it is changing soon. However, I have staff that is well trained to help people pick frames... they are Stylists. I however take all the measurements, and either give the frame a thumbs up or down depending on the persons prescription. I'm sure your doctor does the same.    

7:34 PM

As an aside, are you one of those people that have been brainwashed into thinking that Optometrists know nothing about glasses? Well, let me tell you. Most of us are really know what we are talking about. I solder in my office. I do all my own edging. I mount 4 point glasses. I also can do a real eye exam. Let me tell you of all the things I do, the dispensing is a piece of cake. As a matter of fact, I make my glasses while eating lunch.    

12:24 AM

Just my two cents...

When I purchased my "3-pair" of vision glasses, I selected two regular prescription sets, and a third as a pair of prescription sunglasses.

I specifically asked for a "red-mirror-tint". The sales-rep called a number, spoke with somebody at the other end inquiring if this was possible, and then she told me "yes".

So on this condition (excited that I could actually get red-tinted prescription sunglasses), I agreed to the purchase. The total came to just over $1,000.00 CDN (3-for-1? I never paid $1,000.00 for a single pair before...)

Anywhoo...

When I went to pick up my regular vision pairs the following week, I was then informed that they do not offer a red tint in their prescription sunglasses. So, of course I asked if I could either get my money back, or at the very least the portion for the set of the prescription sunglasses. I was told that as part of their policy they do not offer you money back.

Sigh...

So I'm resigned to await a pair of blue-tinted vision sun-glasses (already over two weeks and still waiting... possibly to be ready next week).

Obviously, I will NEVER shop there again, nor will I recommend them to anybody I know considering purchasing a set of prescription glasses. In fact, I will advise strongly for friends/colleagues to take their business elsewhere (i.e. Hakim, Pearle or Lenscrafters.)    

6:32 PM

That's a shame. It never ceases to amaze me - so many people get hosed into thinking that $800-1000 is the price for one pair of glasses. This is because Bruce educates his staff to say that doctor's offices have higher prices. If he substituted the word "quality" for "prices" he would hit the mark. A pair of prescription glasses are typically about $250-500 at a doctor's office. What does this get you? Typically, a two year warranty on frames and lenses, properly made lenses, properly adjusted glasses (not only for comfort - if they're not sitting properly on your face, you won't achieve optimal vision), people who are trained to work in the optical field and will problem solve if your prescription isn't working for you. It is our JOB to make you happy with your vision.

I know the value of a dollar, but I can never understand why someone would allow someone untrained in this field to take their hard-earned money. There is so much more to it than popping a piece of plastic in a frame.

Bruce's brand new Ferrari is a testament to how much he has swindled out of his customers.    

12:56 PM

Let's not forget that you can get a great pair of quality glasses at your independant optician as well.
We are licenced professionals as well.    

9:42 AM

Court Rejects Great Glasses Appeal Bid

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Court rejects Great Glasses appeal bid TheSpec.com - Local - Court rejects Great Glasses appeal bid
Panel upholds contempt fine of at least $34m

Steve Buist
The Hamilton Spectator

(Oct 11, 2008)
Ontario's Court of Appeal has handed the founder of the Great Glasses empire a crushing defeat that could eventually come with a price tag of at least $34 million.
In a scathing decision released yesterday, the three-justice panel completely rejected an appeal by Dundas optician Bruce Bergez, his wife, Joanne, and three of their Great Glasses companies.
"This is a case of flagrant, protracted and deliberate disobedience of a court order to comply with a statute regulating the conduct of a health profession," the justices stated in dismissing the Bergez appeal in its entirety.
Bergez was seeking to overturn a November 2006 finding of contempt in Hamilton court that led to the largest fine for a civil contempt case in Canadian history.
Bergez, his wife and the three companies had been fined $1 million and a further $50,000 a day for every day since that they haven't been in compliance with Ontario legislation that governs the prescribing and dispensing of eyeglasses and contact lenses.
The outstanding fines dating back to November 2006 now total approximately $34 million.
Eyeglasses and contact lenses must be dispensed by a registered optician based on a prescription supplied either by an optometrist or a physician.
Great Glasses had been ordered to abide by Ontario's health regulations and to stop dispensing eyeglasses based on eye tests conducted on a computerized machine without a proper prescription. The stores were also ordered to post notices that customers must have a proper prescription from an optometrist or physician.
"We cannot suffer the sacrifice of the rule of law to the lure of lucre," the Court of Appeal decision states.
"It seems obvious that the appellants, especially Bruce Bergez, have no intention of complying," the justices added, noting that the penalty imposed was appropriate in light of "the appellants' intransigent and unremitting refusal to obey the law."
The three justices believed that Bergez was well aware he was flouting the regulations.
"He continues to operate his business as he sees fit, in open contravention of governing legislation and in plain defiance of a court order," the justices stated.
"Bruce Bergez ignored the restrictions imposed upon his own competence in the public interest and redrew the boundaries to suit his own crass commercial purposes."
The Court of Appeal also had harsh words for Great Glasses' practice of dispensing eyeglasses based on readings generated by a machine.
"Those who enter a Great Glasses store without a prescription for corrective lenses from either an optometrist or an ophthalmologist may well leave the store with corrective lenses," the decision states, "but they leave as prescriptionless as they entered."
The lawyer for Ontario's College of Opticians, which joined forces with the College of Optometrists to pursue the case against Great Glasses, said both colleges are pleased with the result.
"I think the decision is very clear and we would hope and expect that Mr. Bergez will comply with the court order," Robert Cosman said.
Bergez' lawyer, Louis Frapporti, said his clients were disappointed with the result and they will review the decision to determine their next step.
The last option available is for Bergez to seek an appeal with the Supreme Court of Canada.
Bergez has 60 days to file an application asking the country's highest court for leave to appeal.
If he seeks to take his case to the Supreme Court, he can also apply to have the monetary penalties set aside until the Supreme Court rules.
If Bergez doesn't seek a Supreme Court appeal, the province can begin taking steps to collect the outstanding fine.
The Court of Appeal also ordered Bergez and the other appellants to pay the College of Optometrists $40,000 in legal costs.
Bergez has already filed a separate appeal on the issue of the $50,000-a-day in fines that have been accumulating since 2006. That appeal will be heard in January.
Bergez has been suspended from practising as an optician since November 2006 by the College of Opticians.
A discipline hearing for Bergez is scheduled for Oct. 28.
sbuist@thespec.com
905-526-3226





http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/448936    

7:52 AM

Disciplinary hearing for optician
Great Glasses founder faces allegations of professional misconduct

STEVE BUIST
The Hamilton Spectator

TORONTO (Oct 29, 2008)
A Dundas optician's cross-examination of a former customer during a disciplinary hearing yesterday inadvertently raised the possibility that at least one Great Glasses store was engaged in questionable insurance claim practices.

The revelation came during the opening day of a disciplinary hearing by Ontario's College of Opticians against Bruce Bergez, founder of the Great Glasses' chain of eyewear stores, which are known for their "3-for-1" business model.

Bergez, who is representing himself at the hearing, is facing a number of allegations by the college that he committed acts of professional misconduct. Bergez's certificate to practise as an optician has already been under suspension by the college since November 2006.

In his opening remarks, the college's prosecutor pointed to a number of previous court rulings against Bergez, including a decision by Ontario's Court of Appeal earlier this month that unanimously upheld a massive penalty for contempt imposed against Bergez by a Hamilton judge in 2006.

Bergez, his wife and three of their companies have been fined $1 million and a further $50,000 a day for every day since that they haven't been in compliance with Ontario legislation that governs the prescribing and dispensing of eyeglasses and contact lenses.

The outstanding fines dating back to November 2006 now total approximately $34 million.

The first witness called at yesterday's disciplinary hearing testified she went to the Milton Great Glasses location in June 2006 to purchase glasses for the first time in her life.

The woman said she paid a $100 deposit to the store, and was given a receipt for $400, which covered the full cost of her three pairs of glasses. She submitted the receipt to her insurance provider, received a $300 cheque for her insurance claim, paid the balance owing to the store and picked up her glasses.

But the woman said she couldn't see with the glasses and asked for a refund.

She eventually left the store without the glasses or a refund.

"I left there with no glasses, no money and many concerns," the woman testified.

During his cross-examination, Bergez suggested that the woman was only interested in trying to obtain a refund.

"No," she replied, "I was seeking a pair of glasses that worked."

The woman stated that the store's owner had accused her of defrauding her insurance company out of the $300, an allegation that upset the woman.

She then stated that it was actually the store's staff member who had counselled her to submit the receipt for the full $400 amount to her insurance company, even though the woman had only paid a $100 deposit. That way, the staff member told her at the time, she'd have her insurance claim processed by the time her glasses were ready to be picked up in a couple of weeks.

Later, a supervisor of benefits analysis for insurer Green Shield Canada testified that her company filed complaints with the College of Opticians in 2006 and 2007 because of concerns that plan members may not have been receiving eyewear from Great Glasses that was safe and properly dispensed.

The 2007 complaint was also prompted because Bergez's name continued to show up on insurance claim forms, even though he was suspended as an optician at the time.

Two large chunks of the day were tied up dealing with side issues.

After the lunch break, the panel of five adjudicators spent about an hour dealing with an impromptu motion by Bergez seeking to have the panel disqualify itself because two of the members had shared an elevator for two floors with a couple of the college's witnesses.

The motion was tossed out after the panel members said they weren't aware the other passengers in the elevator were witnesses and that any elevator conversation was nothing more than idle chit-chat about Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton's pantsuits.

Another half hour was tied up in discussion at the start of the day when Bergez objected to the college's request for a publication ban on the identity of patients who would be called as witnesses.

During his cross-examination of a second patient, Bergez spent several minutes trying to determine how far her downtown Hamilton home was located from the Great Glasses store on Dundurn Street, and whether her job at McMaster University Medical Centre was a two-minute or four-minute drive from the store, even though the witness said she didn't know how to drive a car.

The hearing continues this morning.

sbuist@thespec.com

905-526-3226    

5:03 PM

and Mr. Bergez makes history again!    

10:46 PM

I hear all this bad mouthing of great glasses. I work for a supplier of surfaced lenses to hundreds of optians, and optometrist across the province and do you know what? A lot of the compliants being made about great glasses, I could make the same complaints about most of the optians and optometrist that we deal with. If you think going to an optometrist is any better, you are kidding yourself. They just like everyone else in this industry is out for the MONEY, they dont really care about your sight. If they did they wouldnt squeeze you into a 10 or 15 min appointment. It takes much longer than that to do a complete health and visual acuity check. I saw a comment of Hakim being more professional than great glasses....guess what I know that their professionalism is worse than that of great glasses. They have just been in business longer thats all. As for what you read in the newspapers, you cant trust them anymore. Especially the Hamilton Spectator, all they care about is selling more papers so they dont get bought out again or closed down. They will slant a story whichever way they want that will sell them more papers. The Spec used to be a good paper, but all it is good for now is lining the bird cage.    

10:51 PM

BTW....optometrist used to get $40 for a visual acuity test and another $40 for the health test from the government when they were still covered under OHIP. Most though gave the patient a visual acuity test but charged the government $80 for both tests. Now look what they are charging patients. Anywhere from $75 and up, just for a visual acutity test. So dont tell me it isnt about the money.    

2:52 AM

by the way just like you and me, everyone needs to make money. Optometrist have gone to school for 8 years, no shit there gonna make money. Thats like saying a family doctors juss there for the money, well noo duh, most people get well educated soo they can get into these positions soo they can make money. Theres nothing wrong with it. And for the person who posted about the Spectator, name me one thing the spectator wrote that wasnt true. whut ever the newspaper writes is the truth, u probaly ended up working for the scam artists GreatGlasses.    

10:45 AM

Get the facts straight... Optometrists do care about your vision. Check your figures, because OHIP never paid for just an "acuity" check. It was39.15 (total) for about 20 years, how long have you gone with out a raise? I wish we got to keep all the money collected. Sounds like a "bergez" follower. If he lies to the courts, he will lie to you. Im sorry you do not see the value of your sight.    

10:47 AM

Oh, and BTW, It is MALPRACTICE to administer just an ACUITY test.    

7:14 AM

From the College of Opticians Website

Discipline

Optician/Member: Mr. Bruce Bergez C-1192
Hearing Date: November 17 & 18, 2008
Time: 10:00am
Location: Victory Verbatim Reporting Services, 222 Bay St. Suite 900, Toronto ON


If you plan on attending this hearing please contact the college at discipline@coptont.org or 416-368-3616 extension 213.    

10:40 AM

Does, any one have an update on the scam artist Great Glasses    

4:54 PM

They're still open and doing business as usual. I actually passed by the st. catherines location while I was doing some christmas shopping in the mall and they were absolutly packed... Don't know if they had a promo on or something I was going to check it out just to see, I wouldn't buy glasses there, but I can't deal with crowds. You know, I just found out about this company recently, but it seems this has been going on for some time... If the government won't shut them down maybe the optometrists should try to inform the public of what they're doing!    

11:14 AM

Bruce has until the 30th to appeal his supreme court of ontario failure. Does he have any other choice? However it is very unlikely that they will hear his case. So that will take another 2 months and another 3 million dollars in contempt of court fines. Hey, Mr. Bergez, I think you may help balance the Ontario budget.... You must be up to at least 50 million by now. Or is your mothers dog going to pay the fine.    

7:41 AM

I bought 4 pairs there last year, 2 for my husband 2 for me. we both needed new glasses, i though i needed new perscription, but it is just that my old glasses were scratched, i realized after going back 3 times to get perscription changed becuase of dizziness and eye strain.
Something all other Opticians and Optometrist have done before when i got glasses that i noticed these
"proffesionals" didn't do....
Find my eyes in the glasses, and adjust the frame first before getting perscription. We are not all square boxes, our eyes meet glasses at different spots. we paid too much for crappy service,
My glasses, are too big for me, but they said my old glasses were too small, only after i looked in a full size miror did i see how my new glasses are about 1/2 cm too wide , no one wants to see my distorted head through my strong perscription.
My new glasses sit on my face funny and fall of easily. I moved far away from the closest Great Glasses.
My husbands glasses are garbage, the lense keeps falling out, we have mailed them back a couple times to have them fixed, it was a crappy screw they put in.
Live & learn i guess. a local optometrist where i live now, told us how bad they were. Thanks for this article.    

7:35 PM

awww god... I just got 3 pairs of glasses from there for $379, which I thought was excellent because I paid $550 for ONE pair from Lenscrafters and I thought that was expensive because my precription isn't too bad. Well they said they'll be ready next week. Hope everything goes well! Anybody have anything good to say about them???    

11:19 PM

Spending "a bit less" (not really -shop around, ask questions - what are you REALLY getting!?) to pay for something that doesn't work doesn't make any sense. Money is money. People need to think about HOW Great Glasses can offer these kinds of "deals". It's the lowest end of quality with no warranties, guarantees or credentials. These are $2.00 frames, and $3.00 lenses. You're better off putting saran wrap in front of your eyes and crossing your fingers.

If you spend $300 to save $100, how far ahead are you, really?! What a shame... in these economic times, people should be so much more careful. And ironically, it's in these economic times that GG scores so many suckers, thinking they're actually saving their money.

And don't get me started on the credentials of these jokers... My eyes are a heck of a lot more important to me than anything else.    

1:50 PM

I have read through much of what has been posted and, although I would also like to "bash" Great Glasses, the actual point is being ignored in most posts. Yes, Great Glasses makes Terrible Glasses; so do some Opticians and Optometrists; perhaps not in the same quantities, but poorer quality lenses and frames are almost becoming the norm. I consider this to be unfortunate and wonder at the extent of poor quality in other areas (such as pharmacies)

No, the point is that Great Glasses employees are performing illegal eye tests and dispensing eyewear illegally.
If you are not licensed by a certified College to do these tasks then it is illegal. Some of these tasks can be delegated to a staff member, but only if the licensed professional is on the premises.

The Great Glasses stores are performing licensed tasks by unlicensed people with no supervision and the courts have deemed this to be against the law in Ontario.
The only reason that this practice continues is because the courts do not seem to have the power to put locks on the doors while an appeal in place. This is wrong, but apparently unavoidable.

This is not about Optometrists and Opticians losing money or patients/customers. It is about true professionals worried about the general public and how they may be harmed by places like Great Glasses. I personally have direct knowledge of people who have undetected eye diseases because they had their `free` eye test at Great Glasses. This is the ultimate reason for the legal battles.

Those of you who work in these stores do need to be concerned about your involvement and potential legal action.    

3:14 PM

OK, I think this is all a bit much guys. "IF" what great glasses is doing is illegal. Then there are at least 5 companies selling glasses online doing the same thing, and they are even undercutting great glasses's prices "Hardcore". Go to clearlycontacts.ca and they've even got a video that tells you how to take your eye measurments using a mirror and a freakin ruler... How professional is that??? Fact is great glasses is today's Napster!

When Napster came out, everyone loved it except musicians, the people that were actually losing money!!! Now, its optometrists and opticians losing money so they're blaming Great Glasses. Go to 39dollarglasses.com where you can get almost any precription put in a pair of glasses for $39.00!!!

At the end of the day what will probably happen is Great Glasses will take the fall and 10 other companies will start doing the same thing, why?, well because theres money in it!

As for contact lenses, don't even get me started... There are so many companies selling contacts online cheaper than even Walmart or Costco and such places. Why don't you try ordering some and I'll bet not one of you will speak with an optician, and you can put in any damm prescription you want! They won't ever ask to see a copy from your optometrist.

Personally, I have more of a problem with the online thing. I mean seriously, you can literally put in any prescription you want and order glasses or contacts... And what do you do if you have a problem with them?

Like I said earlier, there was a multi-million dollar law suit filed against Napster a while back which forced Napster to change its business plan and start charging for downloads. Now does anyone of you out there beleive that, that lawsuit actully prevented file sharing from continuing online... ummmm... I THINK NOT!!!

Great Glasses you will go down and someone else will get very rich off the ground work you'be laid. Hell, I'm sure someone already has!    

3:22 PM

Just because it is being done does not make it right or legal. Now that the Court of Appeals has upheld the hefty fines for the illegalities, perhaps when others are charged for doing the same thing it will not take so long to stop the practice.    

12:32 AM

a very cute, however irrelevant parallel between file sharing and human health...
smells like a GG employee to me...casting the shadow of doubt
for shame    

10:12 PM

There is a BIG difference between music and your healthcare. Contact lenses and prescription eyewear are medical devices that need to be treated as such. In other words, avoid the internet for te purchasing of prescription healthcare services (ie. pharmaceuticals products, contact lenses, eyewear, orthotics, etc). There are consequences to purchasing medical devices from unlicensed, unqualified individuals -- and guess what those consequences are? -- Permanent loss of vision! Your eyes are precious, take care of them.    

10:51 PM

Still in contempt
Appeal by Great Glasses founder denied, court upholds $50,000-aday
fine
STEVE BUIST
The Hamilton Spectator
(Jan 14, 2009)
Ontario's Court of Appeal has handed Dundas optician Bruce Bergez another
resounding defeat.
The panel of three justices unanimously ruled that it's entirely appropriate for
Bergez, his wife and three of their companies to be fined $50,000 a day since
November 2006 for operating in violation of Ontario health regulations.
The outstanding fines against Bergez now total more than $38 million.
Bergez is the founder of the Great Glasses chain of stores, which operates throughout
southern Ontario. It's the second time the Court of Appeal has unanimously ruled
against Bergez.
Bergez was seeking to overturn part of a November 2006 finding of contempt in Hamilton court that led to the largest fine for a civil contempt
case in Canadian history.
Bergez had been fined $1 million and a further $50,000 a day for every day since that he hasn't been in compliance with Ontario legislation
that governs the prescribing and dispensing of eyeglasses and contact lenses.
In October, the Court of Appeal upheld the $1-million fine, and yesterday, the appeal court also upheld the $50,000-a-day component of the
fine.
"The brazen nature of the appellants' contempt, its lengthy and ongoing nature, and the risk to the public health and safety posed by the
appellants' conduct demanded a substantial fine that would act as a strong disincentive to the continuation of this kind of conduct," the judges
wrote.
Eyeglasses and contact lenses must be dispensed by a registered optician based on a prescription supplied either by an optometrist or a
physician.
Under the Great Glasses business model, the only optician listed for the entire chain had been Bergez, who has been suspended as an optician
since late 2006.
A hearing by the College of Opticians into his disciplinary case concluded Friday, and a five-person panel is now deliberating on Bergez's
professional fate.
Bergez and Great Glasses outlets have been repeatedly ordered to abide by Ontario's health regulations and to stop dispensing eyeglasses
based on eye tests conducted on a computerized machine without a proper prescription.
The stores were also ordered to post notices that customers must have a proper prescription from an optometrist or physician.
The judges stated in yesterday's decision that Bergez, his wife and their companies were well aware of the financial risk they faced.
"The appellants are business people," the court wrote. "One can only assume that they judged the financial risk associated with noncompliance
and deemed that risk worth the potential financial gain occasioned by continued operation in violation of the court order.
"The fact that the appellants, having been fined $1,000,000, carried on their operation in violation of an order knowing that they faced
potentially huge penalties, speaks loudly to the need for a very significant penalty."
The appeal court also ruled that Bergez must pay $42,000 in costs to the College of Optometrists, which launched the original case.
[Close]
TheSpec.com - Local - Still in contempt Page 1 of 2
http://www.thespec.com/printArticle/495860 1/14/2009
The College of Opticians said it was happy with the decision but frustrated with the length of time the case has dragged on.
"Ultimately what we wanted was for them to comply with the law and have opticians in their stores," said Caroline MacIsaac-Power, registrar
for the college.
"I think that really now they have two choices: to simply comply with the law and get an optician and use proper methods for obtaining a
prescription, or close the store.
"At this point, we're not going to stop until one of those two things happens," she added.
A lawyer representing Bergez could not be reached for comment.
sbuist@thespec.com
905-526-3226
©    

10:05 PM

Ordered three pairs of glasses at GG on Monday - picked them up today (Wednesday). Two pairs of script glasses and one pair of script sunglasses (D&G). Paid $302 total. Paid $550 for my last pair of glasses, and had a full optometrist workup last year.

They checked my eyes and compared it to my current script, it turned out I had virtually the same script as my last purchase (two years earlier).

I do have to go back in to have the script double checked on one pair, although it may be a matter of fit (my husband picked them up for me).

While I can't say I cared much for the attitude of the saleswoman I dealt with, I am totally happy with my new glasses.

Next year, as usual, I will see my optometrist for a full workup. I think that the problem lies more with the fact that people are using these "free eye exams" INSTEAD OF seeing an optometrist.

I realize I'm not getting the ferrari of eyeglasses, but I'm confident in the prescription I received, I'm happy with the glasses I purchased, and I think I would shop there again in the future.

I agree that what the owner of GG is doing is wrong, and his attitude about the entire thing is infuriating to say the least. There IS a middle ground, and it's unfortunate that it can't be discovered and agreed upon by both parties.

As for the revenue canada thing, well, you make your bed, you lie in it.    

11:05 PM

Ha ha, D&G glasses - must stand for Dung and Garbage. I hope you don't have any parts break on those glasses - that bill will sting. D&G doesn't sell to Great Glasses. It's one thing to not care about the quality of what you're buying, so please don't post that you're buying high-end glasses. You're not. The only redeeming quality of your post is that you realize the importance of having your eyes examined by a doctor. The rest? Hmmm.    

9:19 AM

Actually, I love my new glasses.

Please keep your snide sarcasm to yourself.

If you have a personal experience to post, then fine. If you have an opinion about the trial, then fine.

But don't tell ME not to post about high end glasses. They are D&G, came with a D&G case and a D&G receipt. I checked them out, and they're from two seasons ago, but I'm not about to apologize for not having endless amounts of money to spend on THIS season's frames just because they say D&G on them.

I see nothing wrong here.    

2:52 PM

be careful - the D & G that they carry come from a very good knock-off vendor. the vendor name is mei wei. they are all very authentic looking glasses that are imported from china.

i worked there too.

i also dont have an endless amount of capital....
i advise triple checking the authenticity with a d & g rep    

8:20 AM

I think that the problem lies more with the fact that people are using these "free eye exams" INSTEAD OF seeing an optometrist.

The problem is that GG's business model is illegal. There are no licenced opticians in any of the stores. Also the free sight tests as you pointed out. You were quite right to call the woman that looked after you a saleswoman because that's all she is....a layman.

Those sunglasses of yours are not authentic. D & G would not sell to GG as it would infuriate their other customers and if they were authentic they would be priced much higher. There was an optician in Toronto a few years ago (Adam Plimmer) that was selling counterfit frames as well so I don't believe that you have authentic product.

btw I'm a licenced optician    

10:14 AM

None of the high end frame companies sell frames to Great Glasses. You are wearing a knock-off and the other poster was right, they are supplied by a company who makes knock-offs of many designer frames. I have seen some of them and they are not the same quality.

But, you are right, if you have a pair of glasses that you enjoy wearing, it doesn't matter about the rest - for you. However, the main concern, again, is not the poor quality lenses and frames. The concern is the number of people who go there and eventually end up at the office of a qualified, trained and licenced professional with undiagnosed eye diseases. I can say first hand that this is not a rumour; I have seen some of these people.

I have also seen many who cannot wear their knock-offs because the prescription was wrong. Have you considered the fact that your prescription may have been the same as last year because the person doing the eye test didn't know what to do with what the machine put out and just gave you the same prescription as before?

AND although it doesn't really affect you directly, the courts have deemed them to be illegally performing eye tests.

Would you be comfortable with your pharmacy hiring an unqualified person to measure your blood pressure and prescribe and dispense medication based on that reading? This IS the same thing.    

6:08 PM

I just got a letter from my insurance today saying they will not pay for anything from Great Glasses unless they get a prescription. Needless to say, no one at the store was qualified to give one. i had no idea. i would never have bought these glasses in the first place if i had known i was going to have to pay out of pocket for them. I feel like i was scammed.    

12:47 PM

You were scammed.    

5:24 PM

And you are not the only one. Some insurance companies have refused to pay for glasses from Great Glasses and you don't know until it is too late.    

10:59 PM

I had the worst experience of my life with Great Glasses. They are a bunch of crooks, liars and thieves, making you pay up front for a service they could not provide after 3 months of going back and forth due to wrong prescription in the lens, to I picked the wrong frame for my transition lenses, to oh the lab lost your frame. Don't ever shop there!!! They don't give a damn, because they are being sued anyway. What's another unhappy customer to them.    

12:20 PM

Wow this blog is still going on? And GG is still in business with new stores opening as we speak. HA HA HA to all GG haters!!! HA HA HA (evil laugh) By the way, what is happening in court, was like over a year ago the guy got slapped with the so called "Million Dollar Fine" He's still in business far as I can see... HA HA HA!!!    

7:39 AM

I'm sure your evil laugh has been quashed by now, but for those of you who aren't aware yet...


"End of Line" for Bergez

Great Glasses founder loses appeal bids

June 12, 2009
Steve Buist
The Hamilton Spectator
(Jun 12, 2009)
The last legal door has slammed shut on Great Glasses founder Bruce Bergez.

So says the Supreme Court of Canada.

The country's highest court has dismissed both of Bergez's applications to appeal a contempt ruling and more than $46 million in fines that have been accumulating since November 2006.

As is customary, the Supreme Court did not give any reasons for not allowing the appeals to go forward.

On top of that, the Supreme Court also ordered Bergez to pay unspecified costs to Ontario's College of Optometrists, which launched the original court actions against Bergez and his companies several years ago.

By refusing to allow Bergez to appeal, the Supreme Court upholds a number of decisions that have been made against him by Ontario's lower courts.

"It's the end of the line for Mr. Bergez and the way he operates Great Glasses," said Robert Cosman, lawyer for Ontario's College of Opticians, which was acting in conjunction with the College of Optometrists.

"This is it. You can't get any higher than the Supreme Court of Canada."

Cosman said that the two colleges will now advise Ontario's Ministry of the Attorney General that the government can begin taking action to force Bergez to begin repaying the staggering amounts in fines he now owes, which are equal to nearly $4 for every person in the province.

Bergez directed any questions to his lawyer.

A list of questions was submitted to Bergez's lawyer, but she did not respond.

Bergez is the founder of the Great Glasses chain of stores, which operates throughout southern Ontario using its well known "3-for-1" business model.

Bergez was asking the Supreme Court for the chance to overturn a November 2006 finding of contempt in Hamilton court that led to the largest fine for a civil contempt case in Canadian history.

Bergez had been fined $1 million and a further $50,000 a day for every day since that he hasn't been in compliance with Ontario legislation governing the prescribing and dispensing of eyeglasses and contact lenses.

Cosman said the Supreme Court announcement sends a strong message.

"If someone continues to act in contempt of court, the court has available to it the option of imprisoning them," Cosman noted.

According to Ontario health legislation, eyeglasses and contact lenses must be dispensed by a registered optician based on a prescription supplied either by an optometrist or a physician.

Under the Great Glasses business plan, the only optician listed for the entire chain had been Bergez, who has been suspended as an optician since late 2006.

Bergez and Great Glasses outlets have been repeatedly ordered to abide by Ontario's health regulations and to stop dispensing glasses based on eye tests conducted on a computerized machine without a proper prescription.

The stores were also ordered to post notices that customers must have a proper prescription from an optometrist or physician.

The College of Opticians is now taking a number of Great Glasses franchisees to court as well, seeking contempt orders similar to the one faced by Bergez.

Cosman predicted the Supreme Court's announcement will help strengthen the college's case against the franchisees.

"The owners and operators of the Great Glasses chain will face more serious consequences if they continue to flout the court orders against them," said Cosman.

"Until now, there was always an issue as to whether the courts below had been right," he added. "Now that has been confirmed that they were."

A disciplinary panel of the College of Opticians is also deliberating on the fate of Bergez's suspended registration to practise as an optician.

sbuist@thespec.com

905-526-3226    

8:05 AM

Hey everyone,

Anyone currently employed at one of the many locations, or involved with the company, don't give this woman the satisfaction.

In this economic structure, customers are happy to recieve the benefit of a free eye test, and the savings a three for one package entails.

Any pissed off opticians/optometrists posting in this blog could be spending time advertising for their respective businesses, but instead choose to badmouth their competition. That's their prerogative.

I wish you all the best of luck, and Great Glasses will be in businesses for many more years.

Enjoy your beautiful Tuesday weather!    

4:33 PM

It appears that the previous poster does not quite understand how the legal system works in Canada. The Supreme court has refused to hear Mr. Bergez's case. This means he has 60 days to come up with his fine which amounts to about 47 million dollars, about 4 dollars for every person in Ontario. All that is going to be done now is each franchisee will be taken to court and be given the same order. The judge will most likely will be very severe with his rulings against the franchisees as they have been informed during Bruce's proceedings to cease and desist. The only way they can hope to survive is hire and Optician and/or Optometrist. Their reputation in the field will make this very unlikely. But all you "Great Glasses" fans, dont worry, rumour has it that he is going to open a chain of "Great Hair Cuts" Im sure you will all get your hair done there as it is only $5. Maybe "Great Dentures" is next.    

4:10 PM

I guess we'll see who has the last laugh :)

Enjoy your beautiful sunny Wednesday!    

1:44 PM

Its over Bergez et al.!
I hope you have "great glasses" to go with that prison attire ....
You're done.    

2:31 PM

I guess we'll see :)    

8:16 PM

Not if you've been "prescribed" glasses from GG... :-)    

8:45 PM

yeah "we'll see":
1. "we'll see" the Canada Revenue Agency come knocking
2. "we'll see " all stores completely shut down
3. "we'll see" all franchise owners thrown in jail

times up GG --
your 'cult leader' is done.    

4:38 PM

If that's the justification you need to give yourself, that's totally fine, I respectfully disagree.

We'll be here for many more years, feel free to post back after this 60 day professed "doomsday" for lack of a better term.

:)    

11:55 AM

i wonder though...if you are that confident...why dont you reveal who you are - ps i am a new poster, not associated with previous postings

i choose to remain anonymous because i know what kind of crooked people work there and i dont want my front window broken    

12:39 AM

I find it to be unnecessary to be harassed.

If you're confident in seeing Great Glasses closed, keep your fingers crossed :)    

10:46 PM

Its sad to see that this has devolved into a peeing match. I would like to point out that more than one person is posting in response to the Bergez supporter. Instead of posting drivel, make a real argument. I personally am offended by Bruce's arrogance thinking he is above the law. I think the Justice will feel the same way. Im sure his final rulings regardng penalty for not paying the fine on time will reflect that. For all that read this blog, do you have a profession, be it a trade or professional designation, do you think a person with 1 or 2 days training can safely replace you? There is your anwser. Mr. Bergez tried to represent his own wife in court. He is not a lawyer and the judge refused to hear him. Why? because he was protecting his wife from herself, and her husband. The system has to protect the public. What is worse is that Mr. Bergez and his wife have received this protection, yet has denied all his customers the same level of protection. Am I the only one who sees the irony.    

2:35 PM

Apparently we have a vastly different view of what distinguishes irony from ignorance on the part of yourself.

It's about three weeks until the 60 day mark, cross your fingers and don't get your hopes up. :)    

2:33 PM

resort to insults when you cant make an argument.
I feel no need to respond anymore to your posts.
let the public decide.    

11:51 AM

That's what I've been saying since the beginning?

I didn't insult, merely stated the obvious, you mad? :)    

9:57 AM

Wasn't the 60 days approximately a week ago?

Somebody's mad!    

6:30 PM

I'll admit, Great Glasses got my prescription correct. But the frames they sold me were a pile of crap. One is so flimsy I worry about them breaking daily, another doesn't fit me properly (after 2 visits of re-fittings, I've now given up), and one broke 2 days after I got it.

I took the broken pair back to GG. Instead of fix the frames or offer me a new pair, they GOT ME NEW LENSES. There was nothing wrong with the lenses in the first place. Now I am fighting with them to get a replacement pair of glasses.

A complete rip off. Not worth the hassle. I suppose you get what you pay for - $250 for 3 pairs of glasses... I should have known.

STAY AWAY!!!    

7:17 PM

what were you thinking??
(the public is obviously still clueless on this issue)    

11:58 AM

I went to GG and got three pair of glasses - Sunglasses, Reading Glasses (my first pair) and I really don't use them, and a pair for distance and driving which I need.
This is a little different. My distance glasses were so attractive, that they disappeared at university, never to be seen again. They were well done by a licenced lens grinder who works in the store.
The person who tested my eyes, got the correct scores, but inverted the numbers and the lens person caught it.
They are very personable. I think I will go to Hakim who have done my glasses for years and do an acceptable job, but I do miss those red frames.    

6:49 AM

There is no such thing as a liscenced lens grinder. Who are you trying to kid? lol    

12:11 PM

Honestly, this thread is full of embarassing ambulance chasers.

A customer will post with a pleasant experience and get flamed with nay-sayers attempting to convince them the good experience they had was in fact awful and they're stupid for not realizing it.

Focus on marketing your own businesses instead of cutting down your apparently superior competition. Grown adults are acting like children, embarassing..    

2:04 PM

So does the public really want this scenerio?

Why cant I see with my new glasses?
I dont know.
Can you refer me to someone who does?
No - go see your family doctor.
Is it serious?
I dont know, could be.

As an Optometrist, I will tell you,I could do a sight test for free if you wanted to buy 3 pair of glasses for $200 from me as well. But my college and concern for public health prevent me from doing so. Should I assume all the liability I take for free? If the system allows Great Glasses to do simple sight testing, Optometrists should be allowed to do so as well. (I do not support this but it would have to occur to be competitive) So if you presented at an office with new glasses that you could not see with this is what would happen.

I cant see with my new glasses.
Well, we rechecked the presciption and we cant make you see any better.
What is Wrong?
Well we can do an eye exam.
How much is that?
$200.
What $200, why so much?
Well, It takes my expertise to determine what is wrong.
$200 later- it appears you have a retinal detachment, It is what we call macula off. We need to schedule you to see a retinal specialist, to save your eye, but it is very unlikely we can save your vision. It is not an emergency anymore because the chances of you getting vision back are really low. If you had a retinal exam 3 weeks ago, we could have sent you for emergency surgery and you would have maintained your vision.
But I had an eye test 3 weeks ago!
No, you had a simple sight test, remember - you wanted the free eye test. See this paper in your chart where you wrote out, "I understand that there will be no evalutation of the health of my eyes" Im sorry there is nothing else we can do.

This is based on a true story, except the patient was seen at great glasses, and presented for a real exam 3 weeks later because the glasses were not working. The outcome of her case would have been dramatically different if she had recieved proper care from the beginning. The $200 fee for an exam is probably what would happen if sight testing was legalized. I work on the principle you win some you lose some, so everyone pays the same price, but fees would increase based on the complexity of the exam and the urgency of the referral, and letter writing fees. All of which most of us do at no charge now.

The patient did get 3 pair of glasses though, and now she saves even more money, as she has a balance lens in her left eye, and it is 1/2 price.

Just a thought.
GG - Just obey the law.
All Im saying is we all have to play by the same rules. Does the public really want no rules at all?    

4:39 PM

It's not a case of the law, it's a case of disregard for college policies. He's found a loophole, and bitching and moaning isn't going to make your situation any better.

If there was any type of "government disregard suit" or whatever you're idiotically proclaiming it is, Great Glasses wouldn't be open every day. Is this difficult to understand? The government has nothing to do with this, the suit is between the college and Bruce Bergez, there's nothing illegal whatsoever going on.

To argue with me on this is merely a bitter insecurity, if there was anything illegal happening, the doors wouldn't be open. $50,000 a day in fines? Since when has the government given fines as opposed to merely closing down the business and prosecuting the members in question?

For somebody who's gone to school for seven years, you're pretty thick headed. Go out and discuss it over a beer with your pal Steve Buist, you're both on the same page of blind-sided ignorance.

Cheers.    

12:48 PM

I just came across your blog when I opened a letter from my insurance company declining my claim toward my "great glasses". Thanks a bunch Great Glasses. Now I'm stuck with the bill.

Reflecting on this, I remembered feeling fishy about my purchase when they told me that they'd send in the recipt on my behalf and that they would send in a "different" recipt than what I had. I KNEW I feld odd, and I should have said something.

grr.    

2:51 PM

I got my glasses from there, the sales people were great. I love my glasses, the prescription is perfect. I've found nothing wrong with mine whats-so-ever.

I really don't see the big problem if you're getting glasses. Their eye exams are all done by computer, so it's pretty hard to mess up, and the glasses are great.

I think they have mixed results. My family and I love them.    

6:05 PM

I am suprised you guys care so much. I briefly looked through some of the posts. If you don't want to shop at Great Glasses then don't. There is no reason to attack supporters. There is no need to wish people ill. It really shows the character of people in your methods of attack. I may not be that educated in the lawsuits, but I bought my glasses there. I have never had any problems. The service is great and they have been honest. So I think everyone needs to get on with their life and really who cares. As for the Anonymous bit. Perhaps, people do not waste there type attacking people and therefore do not need an account lol. For sake of argument, my name is Jess lol...
wow, some of your posts are ridiculous and also you should really consider the workers. Some are just trying to put food on the table for their familes and yet you wish them ill. You should really evaluate your ideas...
Be kind and let legality fold...
I mean really, if they are still open, it can't be that bad can it? People still shop at Great Glasses and people are happy with their purchases....    

9:21 AM

No matter what the anecdotal stories might be, the chain has been found guilty and is in contravention of the law. That is why there is a $50,000,000 fine against the chain and its owners. There is no one licensed to either dispense glasses nor to examine eyes involved with any of their stores. Stay away!    

3:57 PM

Plenty of evidence against that.

U MAD?!    

9:38 PM

Every two years I renew my glasses prescription and since I work close to Great Glasses, I decided to give them a try. I saw that they advertised three for one and thought it a good idea to have three pairs instead of the one and this was a big mistake because their product is made from very cheap material and the glasses do not last. I’ve had my glasses now for a few months and one pair I don’t wear because they’re so ugly; another pair has broken, so now I’m down to the one pair. I would have been better going to Walmart and buying one pair - at least I would have been satisfied but instead I’m very annoyed. I recommended a friend of mine (just days after I got mine) and he decided to try them out, since it was time for a new pair of glasses. He went there and had his eyes tested and was told it would take about 10 days for the first pair, at which time, if they were ok, they would proceed with the other two pairs. Well after 10 days he got a call to pick up his glasses and what a disappointment because he couldn’t see to read unless he put the newspaper about 8 inches from his eyes. The person fitting the glasses pried them out of shape so much (to make them fit) that they looked ridiculous, it was embarrassing to wear them like it. So the glasses had to be redone and that meant waiting another 10 days. Again, after ten days he got another call to come and try the glasses. This time the glasses were even worse - the vision again wasn’t right, so back they go again. Another 10 day wait - needless to say he was very upset. It was his vacation time and he had to take time from his vacation to go through all of this. After another 10 days, he went back to get the glasses fitted again and they had improved a little so he was willing to take the glasses this way and try to get used to them. He asked to have the other two pairs done the same as the first as long as they were no worse and he would try to get by with them. After another 10 days they called to pick up the second pair and they were completely different still - the glass was thicker and heavier and the sight was completely different from the first pair. He couldn’t believe that these people (supposedly professionals) could be so off with the same prescription. So now the second pair had to be redone and to make the long story short, he had to keep going back (several times) and having the second pair done. At this point, he was so fed up, he accepted the second pair, even though they were worse than the first pair and he told them to make the last pair like the first pair not the second pair and he would take them - he didn’t need anymore hassle. The third pair was the worse of them all and he just couldn’t keep them the way they were and sent them back several times. Finally, he gave up - accepted the third pair but cannot wear them and left the office very disturbed. After paying $700 for three pairs of glasses and they’re almost useless. It was a total nightmare. I was the one to recommend these glasses to him and I was so bothered by the attitude of the so called professionals at Great Glasses, and the unprofessional comments that they made, that I will never recommend this place (Great Glasses) to anyone and will not return. I will discourage anyone (and have done so already) from going to Great Glasses, all you get is attitude if things don’t go their way and I don’t need this contention in my life especially after paying that kind of money. It’s like throwing money in the garbage - and in these tough times, one cannot afford to do that.    

7:32 AM

I don't know why you refer to the people that work at Great Glasses professionals. They are lay people that have had an "extensive" 1 day training program. They are in no way professionals. Maybe they are just exceptionally smart as they only needed 1 day to learn what I hand other licensed opticians have learned in our 2 and 3 year education courses prior to getting licensed?
It's interesting to see all the people who go to Great Glasses chasing the best deal only to get stung. I'm curious to know why they didn't choose say a local independant optician?    

7:13 PM

To the OP:

Don't believe everything you hear from the authorized optician you went to.

The authorized optician just wants you to buy their overpriced glasses. Ones that cost $400-$500 for a pair.

Am i advocating Great Glasses? No.

Costco is where I go, get a geat pair for about $180. Better than $400.

Again don't believe everything you hear. The licensed optician also wants to grab money off of you.    

8:36 AM

Seriously, I can't believe these people are still in business. They gave me the wrong prescription, had no idea about anything to do with vision, glasses, lenses etc. I was not told they were not licensed at all. All they said was that it was not a full eye exam.
On top of that thier flyer claimed it was accepted by all insurance companys ( and no fine print). Well that is total B*** S***. I had a great fight with my insurance company that lasted over several monthes for my claim. They told me that they are not supposed to be dispensing prescription glasses at all. and that their license is suspended. That would have been nice to know. I think they have a legal responsibilty to inform every single person that walks in the door that the license is suspended.
The insurance company evenually settled with me however they told me that future claims involving great glasses would be denied.
Glasses aren't an accessory most people need them to function in society, like drive a car etc. it's not safe.
I kept telling them during the eye exam that it wasn't clear and they actually ignored it and tired to give me some excuse as to why that was. Then eventually told me that i don't need to be able to see that far?

If you are an employee of great glasses, get a real job. Stop victimizing Ontario. Use your head the more stores this guy gets in his franchise the longer he can continue his legal defense for which there really is none. He wants the money. He doesn't care how well you see, he has no moral responsiblity. I will never shop there again. The reason so many people are upset isn't so real dr's can charge more money, it's because what they are doing is not safe. They should be fined 1$ million per day per store.
absolutely sickening.    

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