Omen writes

It seems that the media have two very different approaches to eye care and eyewear. On one hand they are proactive in publicising the need for eye health issues and on the other hand indulge in incessant optician bashing over the price of spectacles and encouraging people to buy on the internet. Irrespective of whether or not the internet sale of spectacles is illegal, competition is to be encouraged and people have the right to choose where they buy. The difference for the supplier is that professionals are surrounded by regulation but online and other unregistered retailers have no such restrictions and customers must rely on caveat emptor.