Luxottica

The r/BuyItForLife community is overwhelmingly negative toward Luxottica as a corporate entity, viewing it as a monopolistic conglomerate that has systematically degraded the quality of brands it acquires while inflating prices. Users frequently cite Ray-Ban, Oakley, and Costa Del Mar as examples of once-excellent brands that declined noticeably after Luxottica acquisition. The dominant community advice is to actively seek out non-Luxottica alternatives, with Maui Jim and Randolph Engineering cited most often as BIFL-worthy substitutes.

The community consensus is that Luxottica-owned brands are not buy-it-for-life purchases due to systematic quality degradation after acquisition, inflated pricing relative to actual materials cost, and anti-competitive business practices that make the entire category a poor value proposition.

A minority of commenters acknowledge that some Luxottica-owned brands, particularly Persol and to a lesser extent Oakley, have maintained reasonable quality despite the acquisition. A few users also note that individual pairs from brands like Ray-Ban can still last many years with care.

• Persol widely cited as exception maintaining quality under Luxottica
• Oakley frames noted as still durable by some long-term users
• A few Ray-Ban acetate frames reported lasting 10-12 years
• Some Luxottica brands offer variety across price points and styles
• Luxottica credited with reviving the Ray-Ban brand after Bausch & Lomb decline

The community's core criticism is that Luxottica operates a near-total monopoly across eyewear manufacturing, retail, and insurance, using that dominance to charge premium prices for what members describe as declining quality. The hostile acquisition of Oakley is frequently cited as emblematic of predatory and potentially racketeering-level business practices.

• Monopoly control spans manufacturing, retail stores, and vision insurance
• Acquired brands consistently experience quality decline post-purchase
• Products often assembled in Italy from Chinese parts to claim 'Made in Italy'
• Warranty support diminished or voided for pre-acquisition products after buyout
• Oakley acquisition described as coercive and potentially illegal market manipulation
• Price-to-quality ratio considered poor across most owned brands

One commenter described how Luxottica nearly destroyed Oakley by pulling it from all their retail chains after a pricing dispute, then bought the weakened company for far below its actual value — a tactic many users called racketeering in all but name.

A licensed optometrist noted they refuse to carry Luxottica products in their practice, pointing to consistent patient complaints about quality that doesn't match what was available a decade or two ago.

A former industry insider shared that sunglass lens sets cost manufacturers as little as $0.50 to $15 per pair depending on material — context that made Luxottica's retail pricing feel especially egregious to the community.

One commenter with firsthand experience at an optical shop described physically feeling the quality drop the moment a new shipment of Oliver Peoples frames arrived after Luxottica took over — the temples were thinner and the finish noticeably worse than the previous run of the same model.