Utenzi Miller Review: What to Know Before You Buy
Elegant Eyes, Inc. runs the Utenzi Miller website, which sells luxury frames and offers a virtual fitting process to customers. This process aims to make sure customers get exactly the frames they want.
When combined with the virtual appointments all customers are encouraged to have with professionals at the company to discuss their glasses and what they want from their lenses, Utenzi Miller’s goal is to ensure customers are satisfied with their online purchases.
How Do They Work?
Utenzi Miller is an optician and the namesake of the Utenzi Miller website, which is actually a part of Elegant Eyes, Inc. The company’s model is centered on having customers pay $250 for a virtual fitting, $150 of which is credited toward their final purchase or refunded upon the return of a fitting box. This allows you to try the company’s unique frames before making a commitment.
What Does Utenzi Miller Offer?
The Utenzi Miller online store offers the ability to pay $250 for a virtual fitting, where a box containing a variety of frames selected by you is sent to your home. The company has a small selection of boutique-priced frames on their site to choose from, although at the time of writing, many of this already relatively small selection were out of stock.
Pros & Cons
Customers generally review the quality of Utenzi Miller glasses well. While the selection is small, they feature classic frame styles.
Again, it seems many of their items are out of stock. Their selection of products is already very small, with only two pages listing eight products each. With limited options, their virtual try-on box might also have limited selection.
There isn’t an easy way to see what to expect from lens pricing on the Utenzi Miller website. Instead, a customer needs to talk virtually about the lenses they want with a professional during a set appointment. In itself, this one-on-one talk could be seen as a positive, but combined with no obvious lens pricing, it does mean the company has (intentionally or not) made comparing the prices of their glasses with their competition significantly harder.
Cost
The frames on the Utenzi Miller site are set at boutique or luxury prices. Most frames seem to cost between $220 and $250, with some frames costing closer to $500.
One element that makes the cost portion of this review a bit incomplete is that Elegant Eyes, Inc. doesn’t seem to advertise what to expect in terms of lens pricing on their Utenzi Miller website. Instead, the intention seems to be that customers talk virtually with a professional from the company about what they want. They will decide on the lenses during that session, presumably also discussing what to expect from pricing.
Insurance Coverage
Buying from Elegant Eyes, Inc. is going to count as buying glasses from an out-of-network provider under nearly all vision insurance plans. This means you can get some of your total cost reimbursed, but you will have to manually submit a claim, a process that varies slightly depending on your insurance provider.
Keep in mind that this doesn’t mean the whole cost of your glasses will be covered. They will usually need to be medically necessary (meaning they at least have prescription lenses) and will only be covered up to a certain amount.
How Do They Compare Pricewise to Competitors?
Fully price comparing between what is advertised on the Utenzi Miller site and what is available elsewhere isn’t possible due to the issue with lens pricing noted earlier, but it’s clear the company is selling luxury eyewear and that cheaper prescription glasses are available elsewhere.
This is especially true if you want to use their virtual try-on option, which seems to be the intention of their model, as that will add another $100 to your total cost.
Shipping Information
Shipping through Utenzi Miller costs $6.75 for 2-business day USPS Parcel Select Ground shipping, $7.09 for USPS priority mail, or$ 24.90 for USPS Priority Mail Express.
How Does Ordering Work?
To order from Utenzi Miller, decide if you want to try their virtual fitting option. Then, select one of the available frames they have on offer (or multiple if you’re going to try on a few). Once you know which ones you want to try, you will need to schedule a virtual appointment with the company and talk about what you want from your glasses and the lenses you need.
Elegant Eyes, Inc. doesn’t offer refunds, only store credit for the value of items a customer wants refunded. Items must be returned within seven days of purchase and must be unworn, unused, and undamaged. Overall, this is a much weaker return policy than most online glasses retailers will offer.
How to Get Started
Before getting started with Elegant Eyes, Inc., make sure there isn’t a cheaper alternative you might also be happy with available from another retailer. Assuming the Utenzi Miller site has something you want that only they can offer, you will want to make sure you have a valid glasses prescription and know how getting eyewear reimbursed works with your insurance, so you can submit a claim.
We always recommend making an account with luxury retailers, as it makes it easier to track purchases and get news on any deals for their products that could potentially result in big savings.
Reviews & Brand Reputation
Neither Utenzi Miller or Elegant Eyes, Inc. seems to have a big presence online. The reviews we found seemed to be middling, and mostly talked about people’s experiences with their in-person location.
Is This Brand Worth It?
When looking at the Utenzi Miller site, at least at the time of writing, Elegant Eyes, Inc. doesn’t seem committed to being an online retailer. Most of their frames are out of stock, and there is no easy way to see what to expect out of lens pricing without talking to one of their professionals in a virtual appointment.
Even if you want luxury frames, there are other retailers that offer greater variety and more transparency. It’ll likely be an easier buying process at other sites that offer more clarity in their listings.
Alternatives to Consider
For affordable glasses in a variety of styles, Eyebuydirect and Warby Parker are two options worth looking at. Both these sites can easily get you nice, quality glasses at a fraction of the price of one pair of Utenzi Miller glasses.
For luxury eyewear, SEE is a strong option we have taken note of in 2023. SEE is definitively luxury-priced, but so are the frames seen on Utenzi Miller. SEE offers more variety and clearer lens pricing than seen with Utenzi Miller.
References
Utenzi Miller. Elegant Eyes, Inc.
Virtual Fitting. Elegant Eyes, Inc.
How It Works. Elegant Eyes, Inc.
Exchanges and Returns. Elegant Eyes, Inc.
Elegant Eyes. Yelp.
The Best Places to Buy Glasses Online of 2023. USA Today.SEE. SEE Eyewear.