Children’s glasses available on Essilor-owned sites

Essilor-owned website eyebuydirect.co.uk is selling prescription spectacles for children under the age of 16, flouting regulation within the Opticians Act regarding the sale of optical appliances.

Optician was able to purchase a pair of children’s Rx spectacles from the site with no age-related warnings or restrictions before or after completion of the transaction.

A Kids branded frame was selected at random and a single vision distance prescription was entered before selecting 1.5 index AR-coated lenses. Pupillary distance was left at the site’s default of 63. The purchase was made using a Visa debit card, which can be used online by children aged 11 and over. The spectacles, which cost £21.94, arrived from Germany in a little under two weeks.