chippymonk
Oakley Beginner
- 3
- 81
So I have an old pair of Oakley A Wire sunglasses: http://www.oakley.com/products/1245/2758
The Black Iridium ones, to be precise. Now I've had them for probably just over a decade now, but when I bought them, I did so because they fit my face like they were made for me. The most perfect fit I'd ever had on a pair of sunglasses before. They've been camping with me, on roller coasters, thrill rides, rafting, tubing, everything. Never once have they fallen off my face or have I had any issues with them in the 10+ years I've been rockin' these shades.
Now the issue is that over the past year or so, there's a clear "film" or some kind of coating which I presume is what's giving them the "mirror" effect. Well, it's peeling off (delaminating). I didn't mind so much at first because it was only happening along the edges of the lenses in my peripheral vision, so it wasn't a real issue. Now it's preventing me from seeing properly and they look ugly.
I called Oakley this afternoon to talk to them about this and see about getting replacement lenses. The gentlemen I spoke with was very polite and seemed to genuinely care about my situation, but that being said, he told me that they don't have any lenses in stock and that they've been discontinued for some time. He told me that at this point, even the molds have been retired and there's no way to make that lens anymore. No matter what I asked, there was no way he could help me out other than to offer me their "upgrade program" whereby I would receive a 25% discount on new glasses.
I explained to him that the reason I've not bought new lenses over the years, is that I've been to the store many times (once every couple years) and have yet to find a new pair of Oakleys that fits me the way the A Wire does. It's the taper to the outer edge of the lenses that makes the difference. They don't rest on my cheeks, but form fit perfectly into the contour of my eye sockets. The closest match I've seen so far has been the Whisker: http://www.oakley.com/products/3368/10733 but if you tab back and forth between them and the A Wire, you can see what I'm talking about. That little tiny bit makes all the difference. The Whisker model sits on my cheeks, gets sweat and oil and stuff on it, and just doesn't feel right.
In the end, I understand that there was nothing he could do, but at the same time, I think that it's complete BS that Oakley took it upon themselves to stop honoring a lifetime warranty (which yes, these glasses are covered by one from all those years ago) by simply discontinuing and retiring the molds for the lenses, making it impossible for them to replace any lenses that wore out due to normal wear and tear. And let's be honest here, those lenses made it a freaking decade. And that's not a decade of sitting on a shelf either. That's beaches, vacations, amusement parks, and the occasional drops, bumps, and bruises that come with it. I'm just frustrated that they won't replace the lenses and wondering if anyone happens to know of any place I might be able to find them
I've checked eBay, Amazon, hell I've done Google searches and tried everything I can think of, and I can't find any replacement lenses anywhere that are genuine Oakley lenses. I've found about a half dozen sites that will sell me cheap ass **** lenses that will fit the frame, even a few that are polarized, but it's not the genuine Oakley material with all the awesome light filtering that makes their lenses the best. Anyway, anyone who has anything to contribute, I'd be very grateful as I really just want my sunglasses back :\
The Black Iridium ones, to be precise. Now I've had them for probably just over a decade now, but when I bought them, I did so because they fit my face like they were made for me. The most perfect fit I'd ever had on a pair of sunglasses before. They've been camping with me, on roller coasters, thrill rides, rafting, tubing, everything. Never once have they fallen off my face or have I had any issues with them in the 10+ years I've been rockin' these shades.
Now the issue is that over the past year or so, there's a clear "film" or some kind of coating which I presume is what's giving them the "mirror" effect. Well, it's peeling off (delaminating). I didn't mind so much at first because it was only happening along the edges of the lenses in my peripheral vision, so it wasn't a real issue. Now it's preventing me from seeing properly and they look ugly.
I called Oakley this afternoon to talk to them about this and see about getting replacement lenses. The gentlemen I spoke with was very polite and seemed to genuinely care about my situation, but that being said, he told me that they don't have any lenses in stock and that they've been discontinued for some time. He told me that at this point, even the molds have been retired and there's no way to make that lens anymore. No matter what I asked, there was no way he could help me out other than to offer me their "upgrade program" whereby I would receive a 25% discount on new glasses.
I explained to him that the reason I've not bought new lenses over the years, is that I've been to the store many times (once every couple years) and have yet to find a new pair of Oakleys that fits me the way the A Wire does. It's the taper to the outer edge of the lenses that makes the difference. They don't rest on my cheeks, but form fit perfectly into the contour of my eye sockets. The closest match I've seen so far has been the Whisker: http://www.oakley.com/products/3368/10733 but if you tab back and forth between them and the A Wire, you can see what I'm talking about. That little tiny bit makes all the difference. The Whisker model sits on my cheeks, gets sweat and oil and stuff on it, and just doesn't feel right.
In the end, I understand that there was nothing he could do, but at the same time, I think that it's complete BS that Oakley took it upon themselves to stop honoring a lifetime warranty (which yes, these glasses are covered by one from all those years ago) by simply discontinuing and retiring the molds for the lenses, making it impossible for them to replace any lenses that wore out due to normal wear and tear. And let's be honest here, those lenses made it a freaking decade. And that's not a decade of sitting on a shelf either. That's beaches, vacations, amusement parks, and the occasional drops, bumps, and bruises that come with it. I'm just frustrated that they won't replace the lenses and wondering if anyone happens to know of any place I might be able to find them
I've checked eBay, Amazon, hell I've done Google searches and tried everything I can think of, and I can't find any replacement lenses anywhere that are genuine Oakley lenses. I've found about a half dozen sites that will sell me cheap ass **** lenses that will fit the frame, even a few that are polarized, but it's not the genuine Oakley material with all the awesome light filtering that makes their lenses the best. Anyway, anyone who has anything to contribute, I'd be very grateful as I really just want my sunglasses back :\
