Acuvue Oasys $11/box, 57% off Vision Direct when using Discover + FS + rebate - existing customers okay

It has been quite sometime since we have posted a deal for Vision Direct (VisionDirect.com). I have ordered contacts from them for the past eight years. They are part of drugstore.com which is now owned by Walgreens. Their regular price per box has gone down because they now get to use Luxxotica's wholesale pricing.

Also, this deal is specifically not just for new customers, but it does require Discover as your payment method. Of course, it might be YMMV if you don't do it right or the companies involved change the way they process and credit the transactions.

If you want any additional mfr rebate, you typically must have a recent eye exam done. In most cases, you should have an eye exam annually if you wear contacts daily or have other related health condition.

$1.99 processing fee and sales tax in CT, IL, NV, NJ, PA, WA, and CA. Free shipping on all orders over $99.

Step 0: Make sure you have no recent cookies or clicks to VisionDirect or drugstore.com via any other method including directly from a search engine or other CashBack site.

Step 1: Ensure you are registered for the 5% Discover online shopping Q4 bonus. Link to register for 5% quarterly bonus
If the bonus does not post within 2 billing cycles, you will need to ask for it. Based on the television commercials, this merchant should count and is listed as a mail-order merchant (old school flag) on Discover's side, but it does not appear to post immediately.

Step 2: Start At ShopDiscover to qualify for 15% CashBack. Link to start Vision Direct shopping via ShopDiscover

Step 3: Find the items you want. Remember, buying a year supply often qualifies you for an extra instant discount. For 6 pack disposables, this is 8 boxes (4 for each eye).

Step 4: Apply coupon code: VISA20 (for all customers, does not appear to enforce Visa card usage)

Step 5: Get your rebate (if applicable)
Acuvue: http://www.acuvue.com/buying-rebates (now valid through 3/31/2013)
Ciba Vision/Novartis/Air Optix: http://www.airoptix.com/rebate/index.shtml
Ciba Vision/Novartis/Dailies: http://www.dailies.com/rebate/

Step 6: You may have out of network reimbursement options from your vision insurance. It is almost always better to purchase your contacts out of network and submit a claim than from a contracted provider. If you have a national insurance company, almost all of those policies are written by just a handful of outsourced companies:

VSP Claim Form
EyeMed Claim Form (Luxxotica)
Spectera - UnitedHealthcare
Davis Vision
Cigna Vision

Typically you get reimbursed $85 to $150 on contacts (every 12 months) depending on the benefit plan. It is okay to use a contracted provider for a low cost eye exam and buy your contacts elsewhere (take the paper with the prescription).

Step 7: You also get 5% of your order as a drugstore.com credit. Combine with Shoprunner and get something for close to free if you like. The 5% can be stacked with other promotions (instant coupons typically).

Example of Acuvue Oasys net price (in a non-sales tax state) with eight boxes (to get the full mfr rebate) and no insurance claim:

$25.99 per box - 207.92
8 box discount - 23.00 (instant)
20% coupon - 36.98 (instant) VISA20 - enter on shopping basket page. No stacking any other entered codes.
Processing fee - 1.99 (free shipping)
Total Out of pocket - 149.93 (before rebates or Cash Back bonuses)

Additional bonuses:
Discover 15% - 22.19 (15% of 147.94 product amount). Reported 1 week after ship. Usable after next statement.
Discover 5% - 7.50 (5% of 149.93 total amount). Reported and usable within 2 billing cycles.
drugstore.com 5% - 7.40 (5% of 147.94 product amount). Usable during January 2013 for Q42012 purchases.
Acuvue rebate - 25.00 (non-new wearer rebate - comes as Visa prepaid card)

Total cost after all offers (excluding tax and exam costs): 87.84 (10.98 per box)

I have compared this price with Luxxotica-ran stores and other promos (Walgreens evergreen 20% off contacts) and this works out cheaper. It might be cheaper to find a deal using PM, but most PMs are difficult because you lose out on other incentives (via click tracking and such).

Rasheed

Fyi, you can save 25% instead of just 20% if you're a new customer (coupon code NEW25VISION). I had to contact support to use the coupon because I had placed an order on drugstore.com and they share systems, but they applied the coupon without problem after the order.

Also Drugstore's 5% seems to apply monthly now (I ordered in september, and got the Cash Back in october) and only lasts one month, not an entire quarter. In addition, I didn't get *any* email reminders about it, so you have to remember to check back to use it.

You're right about earning quarterly (because I have earned now, 6 cents(!) that it says I can use in January.) However, redemption is not over the span of the quarter, just the first month of the following quarter. I think your original post said over the span of Q1, so I just wanted to caution people to make sure to spend it. Looks like the post is currently correct, so not sure if you updated it or I mis-read it the first time.

I did double check and I got no email reminders from Drugstore about my Drugstore dollars, and I am opted in to reminders in my account. I checked my spam box as well. Again, just something to be cautious of.

email shopathome.com and they mathch the discover Cash Back as per their policy

I did the same as rhornor above on order on 12/29 (Discover 20% was expiring that night). I had tow kids for a new exam on 12/31 but as they had the prescription by 0.25D worse, VisionDirect cancelled the original order and reissued a new one with date 1/4. That would of course negate the 20% Discover and FSA reimbursement. I will need to cancel the whole order They were inflexible to re-instate the 12/29 order.