Rip off merchants in this world

[TimberWolf]

You need a technology and research to design and manufacture contact lenses, they come in different sizes and strengths, they need to be specially packaged in a sterile solution not to mention the different variates in terms of hydrating properties and UV tints etc.

Compare that to a sack of corn and a spotty teenager scooping it out at £4 a pop, the premises is already geared up for retail so that's only a fraction of the cost.

You're forgetting the cost of the cinema.

The costs of the liquids used for storing contact lenses isn't all that high, even when paying massively marked-up prices for it.

[gingerjedi]

You're forgetting the cost of the cinema.

The costs of the liquids used for storing contact lenses isn't all that high, even when paying massively marked-up prices for it.

See the edit to my last post.

The cinema wasn't primarily set up to sell popcorn though its a huge consideration now, I doubt they could operate without selling confectionery at huge markups.

I don't want to be picky but why focus on the storage liquids when thats one of the lowest cost parts of the process? When I said 'hydrating properties' I meant the lens, I use ones with high water content which cost more than standard.

[TimberWolf]

See the edit to my last post.

The cinema wasn't primarily set up to sell popcorn though its a huge consideration now, I doubt they could operate without selling confectionery at huge markups.

I don't want to be picky but why focus on the storage liquids when thats one of the lowest cost parts of the process?

I'm speaking about China or India stepping into a market where the technology and materials are known, no R & D involved. Just the cost of a stamping machine and presumably cheap raw materials which are minimal in the end product.

I've watched part of your YouTube vid and that does look like a labour intensive and piece-by-piece affair, however Wiki suggests most contact lenses are mass produced in the following ways:

* Spin-cast lenses - A spin cast lens is a soft contact lens manufactured by whirling liquid silicone in a revolving mold at high speed.[31]
* Lathe turned - A lathe turned contact lens is cut and polished on a CNC lathe.[31] Lathe Turning is #101 of Mass Reducing Operations.[32] The lens starts out as a cylindrical disk held in the jaws of the lathe. The lathe is equipped with an industrial grade diamond as the cutting tool. The CNC Lathe turns at nearly 6000 RPM (revolutions per minute) as the cutter removes the desired amount of material from the inside of the lens. The concave (inner) surface of the lens is then polished with some fine abrasive paste, oil, and a small polyester cottonball turned at high speeds. In order to hold the delicate lens in reverse manner, wax is used as an adhesive. The convex (outer) surface of the lens is thus cut and polished by the same process.
* Molded - Moulding is used to manufacture some brands of soft contact lenses. Rotating moulds are used and the molten material is added and shaped by centrifugal forces. Injection moulding and computer control are also used to create nearly perfect lenses.[33].
* Hybrids

Of course special or personalised lenses are a different affair. I'm speaking of bob-standard lenses of a certain prescription, diameter and curvature being mass produced without any particular person in mind. Such as the ones I buy.

[Menelaus]

I'm speaking about China or India stepping into a market where the technology and materials are known, no R & D involved. Just the cost of a stamping machine and presumably cheap raw materials which are minimal in the end product.

I've watched part of your YouTube vid and that does look like a labour intensive and piece-by-piece affair, however Wiki suggests most contact lenses are mass produced in the following ways:

Of course special or personalised lenses are a different affair. I'm speaking of bob-standard lenses of a certain prescription, diameter and curvature being mass produced without any particular person in mind. Such as the ones I buy.

Alert - Alert - Alert ** Wild Generalisation Ahead ** Alert - Alert - Alert


Having visited Bobland (Bangalore) and seen some of the standards of hygiene around there I'm not sure that I'd want my contacts to be manufactured there.

[gingerjedi]

I'm speaking about China or India stepping into a market where the technology and materials are known, no R & D involved. Just the cost of a stamping machine and presumably cheap raw materials which are minimal in the end product.

I've watched part of your YouTube vid and that does look like a labour intensive and piece-by-piece affair, however Wiki suggests most contact lenses are mass produced in the following ways:


Of course special or personalised lenses are a different affair. I'm speaking of bob-standard lenses of a certain prescription, diameter and curvature being mass produced without any particular person in mind. Such as the ones I buy.

Standard monthly lenses work out about £5 a pair or 1.25 tubs of popcorn, I don't see what you're getting at? I just can't see how you think a tub of popcorn is more labour and material intensive than a pair of contact lenses? I could get some corn an make popcorn now, I'd need a processing plant and expertise to make lenses.

http://www.contactlensesexpress.co.u...ails.php?id=20

[TimberWolf]

Standard monthly lenses work out about £5 a pair or 1.25 tubs of popcorn, I don't see what you're getting at? I just can't see how you think a tub of popcorn is more labour and material intensive than a pair of contact lenses? I could get some corn an make popcorn now, I'd need a processing plant and expertise to make lenses.

http://www.contactlensesexpress.co.u...ails.php?id=20

Take that site you give a link to. A one month supply of lenses costs £35, for a minuscule amount of plastic worth fractions of a penny. I'm saying the cost mark-up for contact lenses must be phenomenal - orders of magnitude more than for pop corn.

[Pondlife]

I'm loving this. A thread on an IT contractors board complaining about the difference between cost of raw materials and sales price.

What percentage of your montly invoice does that HB pencil and the pad you nicked from the staitionery cupboard make up exactly.

[gingerjedi]

Take that site you give a link to. A one month supply of lenses costs £35, for a minuscule amount of plastic worth fractions of a penny. I'm saying the cost mark-up for contact lenses must be phenomenal - orders of magnitude more than for pop corn.

It's not just plastic, it's 'silicone hydrogel' and new variants such as 'galyfilcon A',' senofilcon A' and 'enfilcon A' that you're paying for, think of lenses as drugs that are constantly being improved, I'm not saying contact lenses aren't expensive but considering the R&D I don't think they're ridiculously so.

I cant find a UK article but I'm pretty sure they have contact lenses in the USA The 12 Biggest Ripoffs in America

And in first place... I think we're going to have to agree to disagree on this one.

[The_Equalizer]

It's not just plastic, it's 'silicone hydrogel' and new variants such as 'galyfilcon A',' senofilcon A' and 'enfilcon A' that you're paying for, think of lenses as drugs that are constantly being improved, I'm not saying contact lenses aren't expensive but considering the R&D I don't think they're ridiculously so.

I cant find a UK article but I'm pretty sure they have contact lenses in the USA The 12 Biggest Ripoffs in America

And in first place... I think we're going to have to agree to disagree on this one.

They obviously don't have Mr. Whippy ice cream vans in America. Thought I'd just drop the ice cream one in again. End of the day boredom.

[Clippy]

So who are the blatant rip off merchants in this world?

1. Printer manufacturers:- The printer cartridges cost them next to nothing to manufacture but still they have the audacity to sell at a huge markup.
   

For not including a USB cable with the printer.

I'll just connect it up with a piece of string, shall I??