UNDERSTANDING EYEWEAR DEFECTS
A defect is a flaw in how a frame or lens was made — not how it has been worn. Defects appear without external cause: a hinge that loosens on its own, a coating that peels in early life, a frame that warps without exposure to heat or chemicals. Damage from use is something different, and most of what reaches our support inbox is wear or accident rather than manufacture.
This page exists to help you identify the difference before contacting us. The categories below cover the most common defects we see, followed by the kinds of damage that fall outside our warranty.
FRAME DEFECTS
1. HINGE MECHANISM FAILURE
A hinge that has loosened, misaligned, or stopped functioning without external impact. The temple may swing freely past its natural stop position, or the hinge may bind and refuse to close cleanly. Hinge failures within the warranty period are typically manufacturing defects.
2. FRAME BREAKAGE AT SOLDER, WELD, OR STRESS POINTS
A break along a manufacturing seam — the join between front and temple, the bridge weld on metal frames, the corner solder.
3. LOOSE OR STRIPPED FACTORY-SET SCREWS
A screw that has loosened or fallen out within the first month, without anyone having touched it. Factory-set screws are seated with thread lock; failure in this early period indicates a flawed seat or under torqued assembly. After one month, loosened screws are considered wear and may be addressed through our repair service.
4. DISCOLORATION OR WARPING WITHOUT EXTERNAL CAUSE
Frame material that has yellowed, faded, or warped without exposure to heat or chemicals. Acetate can occasionally suffer from internal moisture issues during curing, and metal frames can develop plating failures from the inside. If this occurs within the warranty period without environmental cause, it is typically a material defect.
5. FRAME MISALIGNMENT
Every OPHTUS frame is manufactured to international standards with an Asian Fit design for enhanced comfort. When placed on a flat surface, both temples are designed to remain parallel, with an allowable deviation of no more than 1 cm.
Most minor asymmetry is normal and can be adjusted at home without tools. Adjustment instructions are available from our support team. For professional adjustments, you may visit a local optician or send your frames to our workshop.
Before contacting us, please place your frame on a flat surface and check
the temple-tip height difference:
- Within 1 cm: Considered within the normal range. The frame can be adjusted at home
or by a local optician.
- Above 1 cm, or visible asymmetry from the front when worn: Considered a manufacturing defect.
Please report this promptly upon receipt so we can distinguish factory assembly from
in-wear adjustment.
6. NOSE PAD DETACHMENT
A nose pad that has separated from its mounting arm without external force. Distinct from yellowing or hardening over time, which are wear conditions.
LENS DEFECTS
7. LENS COATING PEELING, CRAZING, OR DELAMINATION
The coating on a lens separating from the lens surface — lifting in flakes (delamination), forming fine cracks (crazing), or peeling at the edges. Coating failures within the first year are almost always manufacturing defects, since the coating has not had time to encounter conditions that cause environmental damage.
Visible imperfections within the lens material itself — bubbles, foreign particles, or distortion zones that affect optical clarity. These cannot be cleaned away because they sit inside the lens
8. LENS CRACKING WITHOUT IMPACT
A crack formed without history of impact or pressure. These typically originate from manufacturing stress points — a flaw in lens edging or an internal void in the material. The absence of an impact site (no radiating fracture pattern from a single point) is the key marker.
WHAT IS NOT A DEFECT
The following kinds of damage fall outside our warranty. Many remain repairable through our service program — they are simply not covered free of charge.
When categorization is unclear, we will review each case individually with the benefit of the doubt to the customer.
9. HAIRLINE SCRATCHES AND LENS-EDGE MARKS
Every OPHTUS lens is manufactured to the same optical standards as leading eyewear retailers, with strict quality control inspection.
Hairline marks outside the 1 cm center ring fall in the lens edge zone, where they do not affect vision. These marks are inherent to the lens cutting process and are not considered defects.
When hairline scratches are found within a 1 cm radius from the center of the lens, reported within 15 days of delivery, we are pleased to offer a free replacement, as this zone is the visual focus area and any imperfection here affects clarity.
10. SCRATCHES FROM REGULAR USE
Lens scratches and frame surface marks that accumulate from normal wear. Glasses live in pockets, on tables, against fabric. Even careful wearers accumulate fine surface scratches over time. This is the most frequent claim we decline.
11. DAMAGE FROM DROPS, IMPACTS, OR PRESSURE
Cracks radiating from an impact point. Bent temples from being sat on or stepped on. Hinges damaged from forced over-extension. These produce characteristic patterns — focal points, directional bending, fractured surfaces — that distinguish them visually from manufacturing failures.
12. HEAT AND CHEMICAL DAMAGE
Both produce damage patterns easily mistaken for defects but originating in environmental exposure.
Heat exposure — cars in summer, hot grills, saunas, hair dryers — causes asymmetric warping along the path of the heat source, melted finish, or bubbling in acetate materials.
Chemical exposure — hairspray, perfume, sunscreen, chlorine, saltwater, household cleaners, alcohol, and acetone — causes cloudy haze on lenses, sticky residue on frame surfaces, or pitting on metal components.
13. IMPROPER CLEANING DAMAGE
Paper towels, tissues, t-shirts, and abrasive cloths produce a characteristic pattern of fine scratches radiating in circular wipe motions. Ammonia and alcohol degrade coatings gradually. These damages are visible under angled light and not covered.
14. MODIFICATIONS OR REPAIRS BY OTHER PARTIES
Frames that have been adjusted, repaired, or modified by parties other than our workshop. Even well-intentioned repairs at outside opticians can compromise warranty coverage if they alter the original assembly. Adjustments for fit are an exception — we encourage these and they do not affect warranty.
HOW TO SUBMIT A CLAIM
When you have identified a defect, please email support@ophtus.com with:
- Your order number and the email address used at purchase
- Three clear photos: a front view, a side view, and a close-up of the defect area
- A brief description of when you first noticed the issue
Photos should be in JPG or PNG format, up to 10 MB each. Smartphone photos are sufficient.
Thailand customers: please submit your claim through our LINE Official Account @ophtus (rather than email), with your order number and phone number — we respond within 10 minutes.
Issues related to shipping or packaging should be reported promptly upon receipt to help us trace the cause.
Our team will respond within 72 hours on business days with next steps.