Amazon’s solar eclipse viewing glasses recalled as potentially counterfeit
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“When you look directly at the sun, the intensity of the light and the focus of the light is so great on the retina that it can cook it,” warns President of the American Optometric Association.
Growing up, we’ve always been told not to look directly at the sun. Parents and teachers warn that its burning light could literally blind you. Looking at the sun can cause burns, and blister and crack the cells in your cornea. The consequences of looking directly at a solar eclipse can be far worse, and experts recommend that you must always use appropriate eyewear with special filters to protect your eyes.
But what if the eye protection doesn’t work?
Earlier in August, the U.K. witnessed a partial solar eclipse. Many retailers grabbed the opportunity to sell thousands of eclipse-viewing safety glasses through global retailer Amazon, but it seems that in the race to make money from people keen to view the event, some protective glasses were less than legitimate.
Upon discovery there may potentially be a huge problem, Amazon recalled the seemingly counterfeit safety viewing glasses and issued a warning to customers:
“Amazon has not received confirmation from the supplier of your order that they sourced the item from a recommended manufacturer,” read the company email. “We recommend that you DO NOT use this product to view the sun or the eclipse.”
To illustrate the dangers of solar eclipses, T.V astronomer Mark Thompson carried out an experiment using a pig’s eye to ‘look’ at the solar eclipse through a telescope. After only 20 seconds, the eye began sizzling and smoking. The intensity of the UV light burned a large hole into the cornea and lens, which is why it’s imperative to use a verified solar filter product.
Schools and retirement homes reportedly cancelled “solar eclipse viewing parties” as their viewing glasses were recalled by Amazon. One Retirement Home reportedly purchased 150 packs of the glasses before they were told they were not guaranteed to be safe for use, leaving thousands of people disappointed in the wake of the recall.
A communications director for one school affected said:
“… [we] just really felt the disappointment that our teachers, principals, and students I knew would feel… Obviously, we don’t want to put glasses on our students that we can’t guarantee will protect their eyesight.”
So, how much responsibility does Amazon have over the products sold through their global platform?
One couple bringing claims believes that Amazon were at the very least “negligent”, having filed a lawsuit after the pair reportedly “developed vision impairment, including blurriness and distorted vision” after using the unverified viewing glasses to look at the solar eclipse.
Amazon issued the recall by notifying customers by email, but the couple claims not to have seen the online correspondence.
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