ebay prosecuted for selling contact lenses

[ikon44]

General Optical Council prosecutes eBay for illegal contact lens sales

(Posted: 29 September 2005)

Press release: General Optical Council Press Release - 28 September 2005

General Optical Council prosecutes eBay for illegal contact lens sales.

The General Optical Council is bringing charges against eBay for 'aiding and abetting' sales of contact lenses without the involvement of a qualified optician.

There are currently over 200 contact lens sales advertised on eBay.co.uk, ranging from prescription daily disposables to 360 day colour lenses.

Contact lenses must be sold by, or under the supervision of, either a registered optician or doctor. Under legislation introduced earlier this year, this now includes 'zero powered' or cosmetic lenses.1

Consumers buying lenses online without a prescription risk serious eye health problems, according to Nathan Efron, GOC member and professor of optometry at Manchester University: "Lenses sit directly on the eye, so even if they feel fine to the wearer, there is a risk of irritation and infection. These kind of problems could result in a wearer becoming intolerant, and not being able to wear contacts again. However, in a worst case scenario, it could lead to vision loss and blindness. So it is incredibly important to have lenses fitted by a qualified professional."

The Council will argue that eBay is responsible for preventing unsupervised sales of contact lenses via its website. GOC registrar Peter Coe said: "They have the means to stop these items being listed. Members of the public are being put at risk because eBay are just not willing to act on this."

eBay were made aware of the issue as early as November 2004. Given the company's continued failure to deal with the problem, a summons was issued in August this year. Peter Coe said: "We very much regret that it has been necessary to take legal action in this case. The GOC will always try to resolve such issues out of court wherever possible."

Notes:

1 The rules governing optical practice and the operation of the GOC are laid out in the Opticians Act 1989. An amendment to the Act was passed on 30 June 2005, which included new requirements relating to the sale and supply of contact lenses. These are laid out in Section 27 of the Act (see http://www.optical.org/index_files/l...act_part4.doc).

Date and venue of the hearing:
Monday 10 October 2005 at 10.30 am
The Justice Rooms
1 Queen Victoria Street
London
EC4N 4XY

[ikon44]

just went onto the uk ebay site, not a contact lens to be found for sale anywhere, marvelous what an impending prosecution can achieve, in the past when e bay have been tackled about selling contacts they have said that they would remove the item if it was brought to their attention, but there was always loads of contact for sale.call me a cynic but i am sure they could always stop lenses being sold if they had wanted to.

the GOC have also stopped argos (a large retailing chain ) from selling plano coloured contact lenses.

[chip anderson]

Can we hire this atty to go after 1800Contacts and similar compeditors?

I know they have had some wins in court and some laws twisted in thier behalf but they have also sold an awful lot of contacts on nothing but the customer's voice on the telephone. Confirmed by nothing but the lack of the practioner's vouce on the telephone.:D

Chip

[Snitgirl]

There was a street fair by my house last weekend. One of the vendors had a booth selling purses and posted small signs showing she sold color contacts. Of course I had to ask about what the heck she was selling. She said, "look into my eyes so I can see what size you need” OMG!!! LOL I asked, "is that all you need to do" ?????? Her reply of course was YES!!! She stated that she could tell if I needed a power too!!! All I had to do was stand away from her and she would show me her fingers and I would need to tell her what I see. I laughed and told her that I felt this was amazing since "I" need a license to sell the same contacts she was selling. With a look of concern on her face she said, "I have a license but I do not have it with me"

Unfreakin believable!!!:finger:

[Judy Canty]

I hope you got her name and reported her to your local state's attorney!

[chip anderson]

Back in the days when us chillun's went to Saturday Matinee at the picture show, you could sort the hyperopes, the myopes and the emetropes by where they sat in the Show. Very few of us had glasses at that stage of life.

Chip

[Snitgirl]

Chip, you CRACK me up!!!:)

[Snitgirl]

I hope you got her name and reported her to your local state's attorney!

I reported her to the person who was in charge of the event. Not sure what the outcome was.

[Johns]

I'll tell you what the outcome was...

The event organizer cashed her check for the booth rental and said " We hope you had good sales, see you next year."

[ikon44]

i guess we are lucky here to have these new rules that make it a serious offence for anyone to sell lenses where there is not an optician involved in the sale at some point. individuals or companies who flout it can be heavily fined.
i read recently that there is an increase in the USA in the number of teenagers with eye problems due to them buying coloured lenses from these places and from sharing them with friends,there have even been some instances of ancanthamoeba occurring,does it need some kids to lose their sight before there is a blanket ban on coloured lenses being sold like this.

[QDO1]

About bloody time too.

Perhaps the GOC will take a long hard look at the multiples who employ "girls who worked for mothercare last week" as the largest majoritory of dispensing staff. Some of the advice given, and products dispensed from that camp seem to be shocking.

How can you check a job if the only difference to you between plus and minus is a shift key