So, I had a pair of my favorite Costas for close to 7 years and finally "wore them out". Sent them back to Costa for repair; response from Costa was that they were DOA, and as being a discontinued model, they were otherwise not repairable! Bummer.

BUT, , , , , "What model would you like to replace them with?" Huh??? "Pick out a comparable pair (frame color and lens color and type) and you can have a brand new pair for dirt, dirt, cheap." Really???? "Yes sir, that's the deal when you buy a pair of Costa Del Mar sunglasses."

Wow!

Got a brand new pair of Harpoons with tortoise shell frame and green mirrored 580 glass lenses, , , , , , , all for, , , , , , $12.79!!!!!!!

Costa Del Mar ROCKS!

Thank you, Costa Del Mar.

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Dora Hates You

Fuck costaDelMars...

Guess they must of stepped up there customer service..

Years ago they sucked balls...OCEAN WAVES OR DIE...

Had a pair of them...long story short,one lense cracked..couldnt replace THE ONE....without replacing both of them...jumped thru hoops to get in touch with them...once i did and wasnt to keen on haveing to replace BOTH...when only one was needed.......after bickering on the phone,and haveing this dude drill me where i got them..and for the price i got.....

Told him that wasnt important...after we go back and forth about the glasses and what not...AND TRYING FOREVER TO GET A HOLD OF THEM...told him no way dude...no need to replace both lenses....they air mailed/space shuttle/tele a port them back the very next morning...THE NEXT DAY...fuck them...

Had a pair of oceanWaves ....TWICE sent them back and gotanother pair..no questions asked...FUCK COSTA DEL MARS...customer service sucks balls...and this was like 12-15years ago...FUCK THEM....

They have stepped up their game. Give them another try.

And, have no doubts, their optics are way above the competition.

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Dora Hates You

I'm a Maui Jim fan because of the optics — better than Costa, IMO.

But the lens issue with Costa might be an industry thing. Some sweat mixed with a zinc/titanium oxide suncreen dripped onto a lens while I was cycling. I didn't splash water on it before rubbing the lens to try to clean it. I must have scrubbed off some of the coating, leaving a permanent blurry spot. Maui Jim would not replace the one lens, just two.

I was a bit annoyed at first but fine with it when the glasses came back — essentially a new pair for a small price. I realized it's better to have two new lenses than one new and one old.

Had a pair of Jose's from Costa and the rubber fell off of the frames. They said it was a user issue since I used sunscreen. $190 and they lasted five months because I used sunscreen in Florida.

I will never own another pair of them.

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I was right.

I've had very good luck with them. Mine are prescription.

Sorry they quit making the triple tail though.

Smith glass and VZ glass are as good as they come.

Costa ain't the only game in town, that's fo sho.

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I was right.

I got about the same deal Ding, except I hate the fit of the frames I picked out online.

 

Smith's are underrated shades.

I like the Spy "happy Lens" when they're new (me + mirrored plastic = scratch)

Well, I guess shades are just like surfing, , , , , it is always better where you are not!

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Dora Hates You

LOL. Do they have to make the lens out of butter?



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I was right.

Lens coatings, regardless of plastic or glass lenses, are at best "problematic". A scratch is a scratch when it comes to the coatings.

I had the opportunity to witness some "High End" shades being tested in a ultra high precision Defense optics lab on a "shits and giggles" basis. Won't say "who won", but some folks here would generally be disappointed to find that their $$$$ shades are darn near flea market quality in regard to "glass" and coatings.

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Dora Hates You

Ha, in reference to the "coatings"... I had a friend (who used to work for SPY) hook me up with "inshore green.."HAPPY LENS polarized".... "sweet, thanks!"

Of course I drop em, scratch em.. you name it.  Then he saw me wearing another brand "Hey man...."  Told him they were trashed and he wanted to get me another pair. "Sweet, but NO mirrored lens this time!"

 

good to hear about your service on the costas..... a few years ago they were slipping in the customer service dept.  I guess bad news spreads fast and they turned it around

 

Bump this thread...cause costa sucks nuts...carry on...have seen some decent spys...hell even h2o optics were good....

Come on dingPatch...spill the beans...lets hear it...

I've gone through a lot of Costas over the years, and still have a pair of harpoons with tortoise shell frame and green mirrored 580 glass lenses.  They were of excellent optical quality until the coating wore off, so now thay're just backups.  Replaced them with almost identical Smith Redman chromapops.  They are every bit as good optically, yet lighter and more comfortable, not to mention considerably less expensive.  Very impressed with how the Smith lenses are holding up. 4+ years old and still as good as new.

It might be worth checking with Costa about new lens again though if they're tightened up that much

Still using ancient Costa.  In the caMera department, actual testing of polarizing filters seems to debunk price.  I trust B &W anyway.