VSP and Prescription Glasses Online (Eyebuydirect) in 2025

I continue to order glasses online and getting reimbursed out-of-network through VSP every year. Sadly, Eyebuydirect no longer sells the frames that I want with my prescription. They still sell the frames, but when I select my prescription, it pops out with this error message: 

"Unfortunately, we are unable to fit the frame you selected with the prescription you entered."

In the past, I was able get around this by going to my order history and selecting reorder. But this past year, even that workaround stopped working. So for my latest order, I had to select a different frame. 

Here are the orders for the previous frame through the years.

January 2016 - $105.95

September 2016 - $78.95

October 2019 - $81.12

August 2020 - $93.41

August 2021 - $84.56

April 2022 - $84.84

August 2024 - $93.96

The prices have been fairly consistent with no big jump. Hasn't everything else been getting expensive??

After filing for VSP reimbursement, the out of pocket cost is usually around $25.

Here's my referral link for you to get $10 in EBD Credits and I will get $10 as well. Sometimes they have 25% off coupon codes that stack, so be sure to check for those.

If you need help filing for reimbursement, check my Filing Out-of-Network Reimbursement with VSP post.

Filing Out-of-Network Reimbursement with VSP

I remember being very excited after discovering VSP reimburses purchases of prescription glasses from online retailers. But at the time, I wasn't sure how to submit the reimbursement. Follow along and I'll show you how easy it is.

0. "Create an account" at vsp.com. 

1. Login to vsp.com

2. Click on benefits

3. Click on "Submit a Claim". As of September 2020, that takes you to: https://www.vsp.com/claims/submit-oon-claim

4. Click on "Start a New Claim". 

5. Fill in "Other" for Doctor/Office Name and write in EyeBuyDirect.

6. Fill in the price of the lenses and frames after any discounts. VSP does not cover tax and shipping. How do you handle the cost when you use a percentage-off coupon and the receipt doesn't show the updated cost of the frames/lenses? Just calculate the pro-rata amount.

Here is an example. My receipt showed $65 as price of frames and $49 for lenses (I chose the EBDBlue 360 bundle). I used a coupon that took off $28.50. So my total cost (before shipping and taxes) was $85.50. Thus I put 65/(65+49)x85.50 = 48.75 for the frames and 49/(65+49)x85.50 = 36.75 for the lenses. 

7. Next page, add your name and mailing address.

8. Last page, attach your invoice from EyeBuyDirect and submit it.

9. I received the check within two weeks for the amount minus the co-pay. 

You can read about my previous experience with EyeBuyDirect here and here. 2019 update is here.

Requesting an Outgoing Wire Transfer/Cashier's Check Completely Online

With the pandemic going on, I was looking for a way to payoff a loan without having to set foot outside of the house. There are a couple websites that tell you how to get a cashier's check, but most assume you will go into a physical bank branch. The loan company required a wire or a cashier's check.

My Requirements:
1) Completely online or through phone
2) Reasonable $$ limit so I can conduct my transaction
3) Ability to add a memo line for cashier's checks or extra instructions for a wire so the money can be credited to my loan correctly.
4) Reasonable time period

Here is my research:

Institution	Type of transfer	Fees	Notes
Ally	Wire	$20	Online form includes an "Additional Instructions" field which is 140 characters.
Ally	Cashier's Check	Free	"We don’t currently issue certified checks or money orders, but we can issue cashier’s checks. Call us at 1-877-247-2559 to request a cashier’s check – at no charge." Source: https://www.ally.com/help/bank/account-information.html Some online comments mentioned a 7-day lead time.
Bank of America	Wire	$30	Unable to find a place to initiate it online
Bank of America	Cashier's Check	$10	Unable to find a place to initiate it online.
Capital One	Wire	$30	"No limit to external accounts. Up to $500,000 to a title company."
Capital One	Cashier's Check	$20	"There is a $500,000 daily limit and $250,000 limit per check."
Chase	Wire	$25	Allows adding a message to bank and message to recipient, 140 characters each. $100,000 daily limit
Chase	Cashier's Check	N/A	Unable to find a place to initiate it online.
Fidelity	Wire	Free	No place to put loan account number or name of borrower. "Transaction limit $100,000.00"
Fidelity	Cashier's Check	??	Need to fill out a form: http://personal.fidelity.com/misc/ekits/pdf/Cashier_Check_Request.pdf. Reply from virtual assistant: "To receive a cashier's check, please call a Fidelity associate at 800-343-3548 or visit an Investor Center to request your check. We'll mail the check via FedEx overnight and a signature is required for delivery."
Vanguard	Wire	Free	Need to fill out a form https://investor.vanguard.com/contact-us/faqs/how-do-i-send-money-bank-not-on-file
Vanguard	Cashier's Check	N/A	Could not find
Wells Fargo	Wire	$30	"You can send up to $5,000.00 daily or $15,000.00 on a 30-calendar-day rolling basis. To request higher limits for online wires, please visit your local branch or contact your banker or advisor."
Wells Fargo	Cashier's Check	$10 + $8 delivery	"Limit of $6,000 in online cashier check orders per calendar month per customer." Source: https://www.wellsfargo.com/online-banking/service-fees/

Conclusion:

I obviously did not go through the transaction with each account and method. I ended up going with Ally and the transaction was successful. I added the wire information and submitted it to Ally. Ally did NOT call and confirm with me. The money was removed from my account by the end of the day. The amount was successfully credited to my account at the loan company the next day. If I had tried harder, I might have been able to save the $20 fee by calling Vanguard. But that likely would have delayed the payoff and cost me more interest. Since I ended up paying off the loan prior to the payoff date, it looks like they will refund me some interest!

Do you know of a better place to request a wire/cashier's check? Let me know in the comments!

Staples Delivery Signed By: F DOOR COVID-19

COVID-19 really changed the way things are delivered.

VSP and Out-of-Network 2019 Revisit

Back in 2015 and 2016, I successfully purchased glasses from Eyebuydirect/Coastal and VSP/Eyemed reimbursed me for most of the cost. You can read about my previous experience here and here. 

For 2017 and 2018, I decided to forgo vision insurance as the annual premium was more than $120. It does not make sense to pay $120 for something I can only get ~$50 out of.

In 2019, my vision insurance premium changed back to $0 and I happily signed up for vision insurance. I  purchased glasses from Eyebuydirect and was reimbursed by VSP. I am happy to report VSP still reimburses purchases from Eyebuydirect. As before, please check your plan details to make sure it accepts out-of-network claims.

Here are some details on the purchase/reimbursement:

1) I selected the EBDBlue bundle (+$34). As before, I do not know if VSP will cover the cost of lens enhancements if lens enhancements are listed on their own lines.

2) I used a coupon. If you can't find one, you can use my referral link to get $10 off.

3) Total including shipping was around $80.

4) Submitted out-of-network reimbursement claim online. Attached receipts as PDFs. Everything was done online.

5) Received check in the mail. I believe it was around $60.

6) At the time, my American Express credit card had a $20 off $75 offer after activation. This is not a coupon, but a credit on your Amex account so it stacks with other offers. Right now, my Amex has a $10 off $50 offer that expires 9/16/2020. 

BoA Cash Rewards 5.25%

Bank of America recently changed the Cash Rewards credit card to allow the user to choose their own 3% category every month.  One of the categories is online shopping. Coupled with the platinum honors bonus, this becomes a 5.25% cash back card. What constitutes online shopping?

This is my experience:

YES
Apple.com
Staples.com (bought non-Staples gift cards)
Kidztopros.com
Costco.com
Reservecalifornia.com (for CA state park camping)

eBay (payment through PayPal)

Neiman Marcus

Amazon.com

Uber (ride + tip in app)

Amazon Go store

Turbotax (for state e-file)

Nike

Tea Collection

Baskin Robbins (ordered cake online for in store pickup)

Gilroy Gardens (for parking)

FastTrak (for replenishing credit)

Kiehl's

Groupon

Chipotle (online order)

Lyft

Lady M

CONFERENCE CONCEPTS, IN

Amazon Prime (membership)

AAA (membership renewal)

Graco

Kiwico

Petco.com

Vendini.com

Straw Hat Pizza

skirose.com (Mt. Rose Ski lesson and pass)

subway.com (in-app purchase)

chargepoint

yamimeal (purchase in app)

safeway.com (grocery delivery)

bluebottle coffee

SOMETIMES

PayPal (not sure how it determines eligibility. These were not eBay purchases.)

NO
PGE.com
TMobile.com (post-paid account)

Comcast (internet bill)

AAA insurance (pay online)
Birkenstock Express

recreation.gov

reservecalifornia.com (worked previously, but not Jan 2020)

subway.com (bought gift card in app)

Buying a Mattress From overstock.com

I bought a mattress from overstock.com a couple months ago. Initially I had ordered through the  mattress firm website, but I cancelled my order after finding a better price through overstock.

The tracking number provided by overstock listed homedirectusa as the carrier. I was horrified to see the terrible reviews for this company on Yelp. There seemed to be no way to track the delivery. After some searching, I found the tracking number worked on www.mxdgroup.com/track-delivery . Soon the shipping company followed up with an automated call and I was able to setup a day and delivery window.

On the day of the delivery, they were right on time (I believe I was the second one of the day). The mattress was well packaged and I have no qualms about purchasing a mattress again from overstock.com.

Mattress Firm Pricematching

My wife said it was time to buy another mattress so I started looking online.

My previous experience purchasing from Sleep Train is here. At the time, I thought I got a pretty good deal as they matched the US Mattress price and gave me an additional 10% discount. I wanted to do something similar.

Sleep Train is now Mattress Firm, so I entered the Mattress Firm online chat. Initially, they steered me towards the low end Simmons Beautyrest Greenwood when I told them I got a mattress for ~$600.

They made a couple better offers after I shared some links from online retailers.

Discounted Price | Mattress Firm Original Online Price
$625                      $1053
$825                      $1354
$785                      $1954

Seems like a great deal right? I thought so too, so I ordered the last one and setup for delivery the next day.

I continued searching online and found a website selling a similar mattress for $620. Mattress Firm could not match this so I cancelled my order.

Although they (MF) could not match the best price, I believe they are a decent choice when you need a mattress quickly. My tips:

1) Provide links to online retailers and ask to pricematch
2) Continue to press for a pricematch and ask them to beat a price by 10% after they have made an initial offer.

America's Tire/Discount Tire Review

My last two sets of tires were purchased from America's Tire/Discount Tire. Why?

• Great service - in and out within an hour. Be sure to make an appointment. The only thing I don't like is the wait in line at the store waiting to be checked in.
• Great prices
• Remember to purchase when there are manufacturer's rebates as well as Discount Tire rebates. They stack! This usually happens a couple times a year. Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day etc .
• Purchase on discounttiredirect.com to avoid sales tax.
• I had it shipped to my house and brought the tires in myself. I've read that you can have it shipped directly to the store.
• Don't purchase any of the extras (valves/TPMS sensor etc). If necessary, you can add it at the store.
• Click through certain sites for extra cashback,
• They offer a warranty program but did not aggressively upsell. That is up to you.
• I did not purchase the special warranty for any of my tires. One time I got a punctured tire that they were unable to fix. I wasn't surprised as the screw was at least quarter-inch diameter. 
• One tire developed a slow leak that they were able to patch for free.
• I've read that you can negotiate the price of the warranty.

Some friends go to Costco for tires. Why don't I go to Costco?

• Costco's infamous long wait
• Costco has fewer choices

Avoiding IRA Transfer Fee: Fidelity Rollover Roth IRA to Vanguard

I decided to consolidate my Roth IRAs at Vanguard instead of having them at various financial institutions. Fidelity has a $50 full transfer/close fee and $0 partial transfer fee for Roth IRAs. Here are my failed steps to try and avoid this fee:

1) Move all funds except $1 into the money market settlement fund.
2) Initiate transfer on Vanguard side, specifying partial transfer.
3) Vanguard says there is a problem, Fidelity claims this is a full transfer
4) Fidelity says this is a full transfer because the remaining non-cash funds are in a fund with a minimum that is not met, so that position must be liquidated as well.
5) I give up and agree to the full transfer. Get charged $50.

After agreeing to the full transfer and thus fee, I realized I could have tried purchasing an ETF (so there is no fund minimum). Fidelity has many iShares ETFs that trade for free. SLVP has a share price of $10. So perhaps one can buy 1 share of SLVP and move the rest out without any fee! Please report back if this works.

The other option is to perform an indirect rollover. Anyone know if this successfully avoids the fee at Fidelity? I've read this does not work at Wells Fargo as WF requires keeping minimum of the fee ($95) in the account.

Edit: This is now all moot. Fidelity no longer charges a closeout fee. Thanks for making this change in August 2018, the month after I closed out my IRA.

myprepaidcenter.com Debit/Gift card Expiration Fix

Last year, I received rebates in the form of prepaid debit cards from myprepaidcenter.com . This was for a purchase from America's Tire/Discount Tire.

Last week, I discovered one of the $100 debit cards had already expired in March 2018. Uhoh. I called the number listed on the card and explained my situation. The representative claimed they were expired and nothing could be done. I researched online and it seemed like they were right. Different types of gift cards/debit cards have different rules. This specific type seemingly had no protection.

I didn't want to take no for an answer and asked to escalate to their supervisor. I again explained the situation and the supervisor again said unfortunately it was already expired. I asked for an exception. This is when the supervisor agreed to look into it, and they were willing to grant me a one-time exception. They did charge a $25 fee to send out a new card. I accepted it as $75 is better than $0.

Looking back, I probably could have asked for the fee to be lower. I also realized both agents tried to get me to give up by saying the funds were expired and waiting for me to say something or hang up. They did not offer the exception. You have to ask for it. Remember, it doesn't hurt to ask! The number I called was 1-877-610-1075. Good luck!

Google Faucet Docker Tests Failing to Clone

The Google Faucet Docker tests weren't running on my corporate network. I was getting a "connection timed out" issue when cloning OpenFlow. Looks like my corporate network blocks "git clone git:xxx".

Cloning into 'openflow'...
fatal: read error: Connection timed out
The command '/bin/sh -c git clone -b 2.2.2 https://github.com/mininet/mininet &&   apt-get update &&   mininet/util/install.sh -nfv &&   apt-get purge -qy pylint &&   GOPATH=~/go go get -u github.com/openconfig/gnmi/cmd/gnmi_cli' returned a non-zero code: 128

I modified the Dockerfile.tests to workaround the issue to replace git with https.

diff --git a/Dockerfile.tests b/Dockerfile.tests
index 3d09ee0..b2de2f8 100644
--- a/Dockerfile.tests
+++ b/Dockerfile.tests
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ RUN \
 RUN \
   git clone -b 2.2.2 https://github.com/mininet/mininet && \
   apt-get update && \
+  sed -i 's/git clone git:\/\/github.com/git clone https:\/\/github.com/g' mininet/util/install.sh && \
   mininet/util/install.sh -nfv && \
   apt-get purge -qy pylint && \
   GOPATH=~/go go get -u github.com/openconfig/gnmi/cmd/gnmi_cli

And now it is running!

Step 7/7 : CMD /faucet-src/docker/runtests.sh
 ---> Running in de27778a62e4
 ---> 13c61c5b8a02
Removing intermediate container de27778a62e4
Successfully built 13c61c5b8a02

Rental Car and Driving on EZ-Pass Tollway

While in DC, I accidentally went on an EZ-Pass Tollway that required the use of an EZ-Pass. This was I-495. I went to their website https://expresslanes.com/ and setup an email notification in hopes of paying the toll before they charged it to the rental car company. I never received an email.

After a couple weeks, I received a letter in the mail. It looks like the rental car had an EZ-Pass and they (Alamo) were charging me $10 for the privilege of using it. So the toll was only $1.85 and the convenience fee was $10.
At least they didn't charge me $3.95 per day of the rental car.

Aetna Vision/EyeMed Vision Insurance and Eyebuydirect

I am happy to report that Aetna Vision/EyeMed Vision Insurance also works with eyebuydirect.com!

I purchased prescription glasses online at eyebuydirect.com for approximately $80. This included the following features:

1) high index (1.6)
2) anti-blue light
3) UV protection
4) anti-reflective coating

I submitted it to Aetna Vision insurance as an out-of-network claim, and received a check to cover the entire cost other than shipping. My total out of pocket was the shipping cost of $5.95.

The reimbursement limits on my plan are below:

Notice that there is no copay! Remember to keep the lens cost under the limit and the frame cost under the limit. My plan only covers frames once every 2 years, so I'll be skipping vision insurance for the next plan year.

The out-of-network claim form can be found on the Aetna Vision website after logging in. I had to print it, fill it out, and snail mail it in. But they did pay up!

If you have VSP, see my old post for my experience in buying glasses online and getting reimbursed from VSP.

Here is my referral link if you would like to save $10 off your eyebuydirect.com purchase. I also earn $10. Sometimes they have 15% off coupon codes so those may work better on bigger purchases.

Wells Fargo HSA Converted to Optum Bank

Back in June, it was announced that Wells Fargo was selling its HSA business to Optum Bank. The transfer went through recently and I finally logged into the Optum Bank website. Back at Wells Fargo, I invested my entire balance (except the required $1000) in the Wells Fargo Index Fund (WFIOX). This was the lowest cost option with an expense ratio of 0.25%. As my combined cash + investment balance was greater than $5000, the monthly fee of $4.25 was waived. This was one of the good features of the Wells Fargo HSA as it counted the investment portion towards the minimum balanace.

Now that my account is at Optum, I wanted to make sure there were no big changes. After logging in, there is a link with "Account Details" which says "$4.25 – Waived if average balance is $5,000 or more*". At the bottom of the page: "* The average balance to waive the monthly maintenance fee does not include investment funds." This was definitely worse than Wells Fargo, so I gave Optum a call.

The customer service representative reassured me multiple times that the investment balance DOES count towards the $5000 requirement to get the fee waived. I asked multiple times and they mentioned we were grandfathered in. Looks like there's no way to be sure other than waiting a couple months to see if the fee is charged.

The fund selection seemed to be the same as at Wells Fargo (no Fidelity/Vangurd). I read online that Optum Bank HSAs usually have Vanguard/Fidelity funds. The CSR mentioned we would get access to the usual slate of funds in January. They could not tell me if the fees would change at that time, but said they would let us know ahead of time if so.

If the fees stay the same and they add Vanguard/Fidelity funds, this could be one of the best HSA investment options. We will see in January 2017.

eyebuydirect glasses broke, any warranty?

My glasses from eyebuydirect broke today after 8 months of use. One of the nose pieces fell off by itself. Upon closer examination, I noticed the material attaching the nose piece to the glasses was made entirely of plastic. I took a look at my conventional glasses purchased in store and saw the nose pieces were held on by metal.

So it seems there may be a difference in sturdiness of online vs store bought glasses. However, the price was $200 out of pocket in-store vs $15 out-of-pocket online. Without insurance, it probably would have been $500 vs $100.

I talked to eyebuydirect through their online chat to see if the glasses could be replaced. As it was within 12 months from my date of purchase, they agreed to replace them for the cost of shipping ($5.95). Unfortunately, my original frames were out of stock but I was given the option of choosing other frames and paying any overage. Three details to note:

1) Coupons do NOT apply for replacement orders
2) Sale prices DO apply for replacement orders.
3) A replacement order can be placed online via chat, email, or through the phone.

I will be waiting for a sale on frames and then placing my replacement order.

Metlife Declined Underwriting Home Insurance Policy In Silicon Valley

Today I called Metlife Auto & Home Insurance to get a quote for home insurance. They declined to underwrite my home insurance policy due to Silicon Valley being in an earthquake zone. I was interested in a quote since my employer has a relationship with them that could've resulted in some savings. "Your employer may offer payroll deduction as a payment option for you. Your premium payments will be automatically deducted from your paychecks in small, more affordable amounts. There are no down payments in most cases, and no installment fees. Plus, you may save 10% just for participating. Other payment options are available." For anyone else in Silicon Valley, save your time and skip Metlife for home insurance. I had to waste time giving them a call as they did not have an online quote tool. Too bad.

Mega Backdoor Roth IRA : Contributing More $$ to a Roth IRA

The Mega Backdoor Roth IRA is a method to contribute more money to a Roth IRA beyond the $5500 per year. I was able to contribute 30K USD per year into a Roth IRA using this method.

It requires a compatible 401k plan. What is compatible?

1) Allows post-tax 401k contributions (NOT to be confused with Roth 401k contributions)
2) Allows in-service withdrawals

Requirement 2 is not strictly needed, but helps transfer the money into a Roth IRA sooner. Without requirement 2, a person would need to wait until after leaving a company to do the transfer.



Do many companies meet these requirements ?
Here's my list of companies known to have 401k plans that are compatible with the Mega Backdoor Roth IRA. Please add to the list in the comments!

Google
Cisco
Genentech
Mediatek
US Steel
Western Digital

Adding Beneficiaries on Bank Accounts

I recently started looking into adding beneficiaries on my bank accounts. In the event that I pass early, I would like my assets to be passed to my wife and kids. In California, by default everything will go through probate where lawyers get some of my hard earned money. By adding beneficiaries on an account we can avoid probate. They call this TOD (Transfer on Death) or POD (Payable on death).
This is my experience in California regarding Wells Fargo, Chase, and Bank of America.

Wells Fargo:
1) In branch, easily added my wife as a beneficiary to all my individually owned checking and savings accounts. SSN not required.
2) Unable to add beneficiary for brokerage, Roth IRA, and HSA in branch.
3) Any number of equal primary beneficiaries. No secondary beneficiary.

Chase:
1) In branch, easily added my wife to checking account. SSN not required.
2) One primary and one secondary beneficiary allowed.

Bank of America:
1) In branch, easily added my wife to checking account. SSN required.
2) Any number of equal primary beneficiaries.
3) Unable to add beneficiary for Merrill Edge brokerage in branch.

VSP Out-of-Network Reimbursement with Eyebuydirect/Coastal

Summary: I recently purchased glasses online and got reimbursed by my vision insurance with VSP.

Details: I have had vision insurance with VSP through my job for the past 7 years but I never used it. My glasses got scratched recently so I decided to look into getting a new pair of glasses. In the past, I always got my glasses overseas in my home country.

I paid a visit to two stores for eyeglasses and found their prices to be quite high. Even with insurance, a new pair of glasses would be at least $200 due to the necessity of high-index lenses and the addition of basic coatings like anti-reflection. This was much higher than the price quotes I got online from eyebuydirect.com and coastal.com .

I went to a local store to get my eyes checked and my prescription. They included my pupillary distance without any prodding, but I've heard they don't have to give it to you. (You will need this measurement in order to order glasses that will fit your eyes.) I then paid my $10 co-pay with VSP for in-network eye examinations. (This amount will vary according to your plan. I've seen $25 for some VSP plans).

You will need to verify if your vision insurance covers out-of-network providers if you want to buy glasses online. My plan has a $55 allowance for single-vision lenses and $70 for frames. This is subject to the $10 co-pay (my plan is $10 co-pay for exam and/or lenses/frames), but since I already paid the $10 for the exam, there was no other copay.

I bought a pair of glasses on eyebuydirect for about $61 and got reimbursed $55. VSP does not cover the cost of shipping ($5.95). The lenses had an index of 1.6, anti-reflective coating as well as anti-blue coating. I paid $16 out of pocket, whereas the local stores would have charged me $200+.

When ordering, I made sure to choose the packages/bundles so that the various coatings are NOT itemized on the receipt. I do not know if VSP will cover the cost if the coating is on a separate line by itself.

Conclusion : VSP reimburses for purchases from eyebuydirect.com and coastal.com. Make sure you have out-of-network benefits and check the benefit amounts/copays.

edit: Refer to three followup posts (Eyemed + Eyebuydirect, VSP + Eyebuydirect 2019, Filing for Reimbursement 2020).