Monza Champagne Gradual Brown

Unfortunately, there were a series of incidents that made my shopping experience quite disappointing. I first stumbled upon the Corlin Monza Champagne Gradual Brown in a hotel gift shop and tried them on. I really liked them, but thought the price was a bit high for an impulsive purchase from a brand I’d never heard of, so I reined myself in.

I couldn’t quite forget them, though, and decided to look online. I found the very same model on the Corlin webpage – now on sale – so I went ahead and made the purchase. I had recently bought another pair from what I consider a similar company, and this is relevant to the story because when the Corlin parcel arrived, that other very recent purchase was fresh in my mind.

I was surprised to find that my glasses were sent in a box/case that was clearly too small for the frame. The glasses had been pushed down with brute force to fit, which meant that every time I'd take them out, I would have to repeat the same maneuver to get them back in – fingerprints on the lenses included. Next, these glasses, which originally cost around €140, came without a cloth or even a simple fabric bag, something I’ve come to expect from any brand that wants to be perceived as slightly more upscale than gas station or supermarket eyewear, espesially when the case is so snug and fingerprints are impossible to avoid.

The frame itself felt plasticky and pretty cheap. When I compared them with the other, very similar pair I’d recently bought, the difference was obvious: the Corlin ones weighed 46 grams, while the others weighed 63. A heavier frame isn’t always better, of course, but in this case, it certainly added to the feeling of quality.

I contacted customer service about the case issue, thinking something must have gone wrong. To underline: customer service has been nothing short of brilliant throughout this process. I was told I had mistakenly been sent a demo/sample pair. They explained that the specific case shouldn’t have been included, but another updated version, and that the glasses came from a manufacturer they no longer use. I was promised a new pair from their current production line, where I would really be able to see the difference.

Unfortunately, when the replacement arrived, it was identical to the first – same case, same frame. When I followed up, they told me that they had discovered that they had been sent a whole pallet from the old manufacturer, which explained why no improved case or frame was available after all. I found that quite disappointing. Yes, I had purchased the glasses at 50% off, but nowhere was it indicated that this discount was because they were clearing out old stock of lesser quality. Many frames were on sale, with nothing suggesting you’d receive something not representative of their current standard. I did a bit of research only to realise that many others (who are trying to sell their sunglasses on the second-hand market) have received their Monza frames with both the pouch and another case.

I was offered a 40% discount on my next purchase – but I’m afraid there won’t be any more purchases from me.

For reference: the other pair I bought (from a different Swedish brand, also Stockholm-based, same original price, also 50% end-of-summer discount, but came with a fitting case, a fabric pouch), offers a valid comparison. They’ve clearly positioned themselves towards the same target audience, yet the experience and product quality were completely different.

And despite what you might think, I don’t enjoy being a “Karen.” At all. But in this case, I was genuinely disappointed – despite the heroic efforts from customer service to try to resolve it.

Fast delivery and very nice design