I believe in saving money but personally, not when it comes to my eyes. That being said, have you tried Costco. If you're not a member, perhaps you have a friend who is.

It may be too late to do anything about the year old glasses, but before you give up, contact your state consumer affairs board AND the board in your state that licenses opticians (assuming your state does, not all states have that requirement) and see if you have any recourse.

As to getting reliable cheap glasses? DD is an optician. She's worked in a dept. store, in a discount chain and now works in a dr's office. There's a WORLD of difference in the quality, according to her. You DO get what you pay for. Discount chains use very inexpensive (read easily broken) frames, many use lenses that are manufactured in 3rd world countries that are of questionable quality at best and often the workmanship is also sub-par.

However, I do have a suggestion for you. IF your state licenses opticians, find out where they train (a community college, perhaps) and see if they have a dispensary. I always got to the college for my glasses. Where I go, they sell high end frames, brand name lenses--at cost! The point of the dispensary is to give the students practice writing up orders and fitting the glasses when they're done. The professor checks everything and makes the glasses up herself. Last go-round? I got a pair of progressive regular glasses with the highest priced glare coating, a pair of progressive sunglasses, my husband got a pair of progressives and our bill was $450. Oh, they all were designer frames (not that I care, but they were). DD said my 'regular' glasses, in her shop, with the family discount would have cost $800 alone! Often, too, colleges have the very latest in lab equipment, because the manufacturers donate those gizmos for free, so that the students will 'learn to love them' so to speak.

walmart is great about replacing them even years later, my friend had hers from there for over a year and her dog got hold of them and chewed them up badly she went back with her prescription to have a new pair made and of course she figured she would be paying for it but nope they said no problem they did her a new pair for free. We have had the same type of service from them also. My husbands pair was not quite placed right in the level of his tri focal they remade them 3 times till they got it just where he wanted it to be.

Also a good place is costco and you do not have to be a member I don't believe if you are going for glasses or prescriptions. I had read up on various online test where they tested the accuracy of various glasses shops and walmart got the highest score, lens crafters got the lowest on all of them. This last time we ended up going with Sears because they had the buy one get one free special for $99 we have been very happy with the quality and I had my doctor check my glasses as soon as I got them, I always do that! They were spot on. My husband got one pair of prescription sunglasses as his free pair.

I would first go talk to the optical dept at the Wal-Mart where you had your prescription filled. They might be horrified at their mistake and eager to make it right. If they don't try hard to help you, THEN I would go over their heads. Good luck! Be sure to tell them that you haven't seen well out of them but thought it was just you and never dreamed it could be the glasses.

My mother got a bad prescription once, we went back a week later and the lady at the optical dept in a privately owned business pretty much told her she was nuts and wrong and needed to give it more time. Then she actually had the lenses read and found out that they had made them upside down. She had to eat a little crow. And we never went there again.

I got a bad lens at JCPenneys many years ago, they had the axis wrong in my sunglasses and it gave me headaches. I had them redone 3 times getting 'em right and one time, they just pretended to change something. The saleslady was livid about that and the fact that I had to drive so far so many times to get it done right, she was throwing free stuff at me. lol

So it happens a lot, they might not be too surprised by your story.

Man, I wish there was a college around here that had decent priced eyeglasses.

I had a pair of glasses made wrong one time too - I didn't realize it was so common! They put the astigmatism correction in the wrong eye. It's a mild correction so I could still see, but my eyes just HATED those glasses and I couldn't figure out why! I finally took them to my doctor's office to have them checked - I didn't need an appointment or anything, they just read them quickly and told me what the problem was. Then I took the glasses back to the store to be remade. Now whenever I get glasses made I try to remember to have them checked at my doctor's office.

OK, I don't know about Walmart glasses, but I think reliable service can vary greatly from store to store.
Our own local WalMart? My friend who is our county public health nurse says the druggist there makes more mistakes with prescription drugs than any other druggist in the county, she does not recommend him to anyone. But yet, when I am in the store (rarely) there is always a line at the drug counter.

We are in the process of getting hearings aids for mother at Costco, were told in advance any one of the three of us (adult children) could run them through on our member cards for her since she does not have a membership. I suspect same is true for glasses. The hearings aids were $2000 less than Miracle Ear, and less than would have paid at an ear/nose/throat Dr where her insurance ($750 per ear) could have been applied, insurance would not pay at any vendor that was not physician.

I'd take the glasses back to Walmart, see how they might accommodate you - if you trust them to do them over. A refund of some type would please me if I were in your shoes, and then I would go elsewhere.

It is always a good idea to have them checked by your doctor and they were always happy to do it for me, mistakes happen every where even by the doctor writing the script, I have seen that happen to.

I buy my frames on Ebay, usually Coach or Moda and never pay more than one hundred dollars, then I go to an optical store where they fill the rx for the lens in two days there at their place. Usually cost another 100.00 but, had I gone to a places like Pearle vision it would have cost 400.00
Walmart is very good about pleasing the customer. Go see the store manager and explain. You'll get a new pair at no cost.