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First of all, your subject line is distasteful and mean spirited. Why
not write: "is $5-10 a fair price for new nosepads?"

The answer is yes. And likely the optician would have taken the few
minutes to install them for you.

You do not know the real costs.  In order to have the nosepad style that
fits your frame, the optician likely had to buy a selection of numerous
pads, some of which he/she will never use. There were shipping costs,
tax and inventory costs involved. Not to mention he/she had to take the
time to examine your frame and check to see if the parts were in stock.
That time incurs some cost as well, considering he/she could be dealing
with someone who was going to be buying something of greater of value
and it costs money to keep the store open for your convenience. So it
doesn't matter if it cost 50 cents or 2 dollars or whatever. The
question is whether or not you are willing to have someone save you a
couple of hundred dollars by charging you ten.

Hey, in any profession/business there will be honest and ethical people
and those who are not. Just like there will be customers who are fair
and deserving of service and others who we may or may not choose to deal
with because they are not.

--LB, O.D.
(not an optician, but I play one sometimes)

Terrible, isn't it?  Were you one of the original Native Americans who
sold Manhattan in 1626 for US$24?  Just hasn't been the same since.

So you have Indian roots?

IMHO most off the North Americans have there roots in either Europe or
Africa.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Amsterdam

When I first read your post, it struck me that you are a cheapskate.
However, on a second reading, I agree that the price should have
included the service of replacement.  We tend to do those types of
repairs at no charge in order to generate good will.  As a result of
that policy, we are hardly "overwhelmed" with requests.

DrG

It is traditional to include free nosepads during the life of
spectacles, but only by the original supplier/fitter.  Other than that,
you are really paying $0.50 for the pads and 5 or 10 bucks for the
services: listening to you say what you want, inspecting the glasses to
determine what pads will fit (there are many kinds, not
interchangeable), pulling the pads from stock, handing them to you (I
must say I've never had someone just ask for pads, unistalled, and I've
been in business over 30 years), or installing them correctly (my
habit). Having written all that and thinking about it, I'm raising my
fee from 5 to 10 bucks tomorrow.

w.stacy, o.d.

You're in NYC and THIS is what you complain about? Oy! Save your money
and just wear in a raw spot on your nose, you cheap bastard.

And buying them in bulk...big mistake...the rubber will rot before you
use them all.