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Oakley Flack Jacket

Unhappy Customer

Oakley Beginner
7
53
Some years back I bought a pair of Oakley Flack Jacket sunglasses and at the same time had Oakley's version of multifocal lenses fitted. This exercise resulted in a very expensive pair of sunglasses but I justified it on the basis that I really needed sunglasses for playing golf as well as driving. I live in South Africa where the sun is brutal and outdoor life is the norm.

Being Oakley's version of (prescription) multifocal lenses, the sunglasses had to be made/assembled in Ireland which took about 2 months and when the sunglasses finally arrived, they had the wrong colour lenses in them. Having waited so long for the sunglasses to arrive, I decided just to accept the fact that the lenses were the wrong colour, although I really didn't like the mirror finished lenses that were fitted. Apart from the colour of the lenses, I was extremely happy with the sunglasses.

A few years later my vision deteriorated and I found that I needed laser cataract surgery which would mean that I would only need to wear glasses for reading and/or computer work. This meant that my expensive prescription sunglass lenses became redundant overnight. I wasn't too concerned about this as I believed that I had bought a premium product with after sales service and therefore changing the lenses would be a simple exercise. Oh boy could I ever have been more wrong! I was informed that Oakley no longer made the Flack Jacket range and therefore parts such as lenses were no longer available. I was lost for words as I hadn't bought a counterfeit pair of sunglasses but had bought what I thought was a premium product from what I thought was a reputable company. Can you imagine in 2010 buying a brand new Ferrari and today when you need a left rear light cluster you are told that Ferrari no longer make the 2010 model so you will not be able to buy a left rear light cluster and your best solution would be to discard your 2010 Ferrari and buy a new 2021 model for which spare parts are available!!!!!!

The question really is if I should spend my hard earned South African Rands to buy a new genuine pair of Oakley's or a much cheaper but affordable counterfeit pair of OAKLEY'S. After all, the after sales service will be exactly the same.
 
Hmm sorry to hear your having issues finding lenses but Oakley doesn’t make a certain model forever. Therefore doesn’t make / stock spare parts forever. You can always find lenses from eBay or here in the forum. And comparing Oakley to a Ferrari well now, that’s just unfair.
 
Hmm sorry to hear your having issues finding lenses but Oakley doesn’t make a certain model forever. Therefore doesn’t make / stock spare parts forever. You can always find lenses from eBay or here in the forum. And comparing Oakley to a Ferrari well now, that’s just unfair.
Thanks for your feedback. It is not easy to buy from eBay or the forum when you are buying from South Africa. On the forum I have discovered Seek Optics which look as if they may offer a cost effective solution which I will be exploring.
I think that the Oakley/Ferrari comparison is fair. They are both premium brands in their selective product markets and believe that their trade marks and intellectual property should be protected against pirate or counterfeit products. Likewise they believe that they are entitled to charge a premium price. They therefore both should be required to provide a superior service irrespective of the difference in the original purchase price. After all, we both know that Oakley didn't lose or destroy the measurements and/or templates of their Flack Jacket lenses but that they are still firmly locked away in Oakley's vault and protected from their competitors.
 
Hopefully you find what you are looking for in a set of replacement lenses. I still disagree that you are comparing a set of a couple hundred dollars (on some models) Flak's were sub $200usd to a car worth $200k-millions of dollars. I agree that you might think they are both superior brands but sunglasses to cars? That's why there are aftermarket places that sell lenses, just as car parts. But you can't tell me Ferrari has stock of parts for every single model they made back to 2010 lying around waiting to be purchased.....
 
If you are specifically looking for Flak Jacket lenses, you can pick them up here right off of Oakley’s website:


Otherwise there are still many online retailers who sell a lot of Flak Jacket lenses (and rubbers too). If you really like your flak jackets stick around here and you can even buy stuff in the exchange section. I too love the original flak jacket, (my personal pair is matte black and I swap out VR28 BIP lenses and yellow based on weather conditions). Oh, and welcome!
 
If you are specifically looking for Flak Jacket lenses, you can pick them up here right off of Oakley’s website:


Otherwise there are still many online retailers who sell a lot of Flak Jacket lenses (and rubbers too). If you really like your flak jackets stick around here and you can even buy stuff in the exchange section. I too love the original flak jacket, (my personal pair is matte black and I swap out VR28 BIP lenses and yellow based on weather conditions). Oh, and welcome!
Hi there

Thanks for the information. It is really amazing the stories you get told when you live in darkest Africa. Having been told that the lenses are no longer available, I didn't even think to look on their website.

I was referred to Seek Optics and their prices seem really good. I'm not sure about their quality and am waiting to find out if they ship to South Africa.

Once again, thanks for the help
 
Hi there

Thanks for the information. It is really amazing the stories you get told when you live in darkest Africa. Having been told that the lenses are no longer available, I didn't even think to look on their website.

I was referred to Seek Optics and their prices seem really good. I'm not sure about their quality and am waiting to find out if they ship to South Africa.

Once again, thanks for the help
Hi there

Just thought that I would update you on the latest Oakley joke.

I was in contact with Oakley to clear up some technical issues before ordering replacement lenses. They came back to me and told me that the Flak Jacket lenses are not available. I pointed out that their website does not indicate that. I was then told that the lenses are only available for shipment within the USA. I guess some customers are more important than others!!
 
“Oakley” = “Jokely”.
I‘m pretty confident you will find someone here will receive in the US, and ship to you.
(I’m in Canada, so they might say they’ll not ship to me either...)
 
“Oakley” = “Jokely”.
I‘m pretty confident you will find someone here will receive in the US, and ship to you.
(I’m in Canada, so they might say they’ll not ship to me either...)
Thanks, I have a nephew in Canada but don't think Oakley likes Canadians either
 
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