Which? voices online eyewear concerns

A Which? investigation has warned of the dangers of buying cheap spectacles online after 15 of 36 pairs bought from 13 online retailers failed tests carried out by a panel of optometrists. Of the 15 that failed, 10 pairs had lenses that did not meet British standards.

In a second investigation, 13 of 15 retailers unlawfully sold contact lenses without seeing a valid prescription or checking with the consumer's optician. One company sent lenses for the wrong Rx and brand and Which? added that the General Optical Council had asked to see the findings. Asda Opticians and The Contact Lens Shop were the only two of the 15 online retailers who refused to sell contact lenses to the researchers.