If you wear contact lenses, you might have seen ads for 1-800 Contacts, the nation’s largest online retailer of contact lenses. They claim to offer convenience, low prices, and free online vision exams. But before you order from them, you should know that they are unethical and harmful to both consumers and eye care providers.
Here are some of the reasons why 1-800 Contacts is unethical:
- They restrict competition and mislead consumers by entering into anticompetitive agreements with rival online contact lens sellers. These agreements prevent other sellers from bidding for search engine ads that would inform consumers that identical products are available at lower prices. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has found that these agreements violate Section 5 of the FTC Act and ordered 1-800 Contacts to cease and desist from enforcing them.
- They discourage patients from visiting their eye doctors by making misleading statements on their website. For example, they used to say “Take our Online Vision Exam for Free While Eye Care Providers are Closed” during the COVID-19 pandemic, implying that eye doctors were not available or safe to visit. The American Optometric Association (AOA) demanded that they remove this statement and refrain from any such future misleading statements. 1-800 Contacts complied, but only after the AOA’s intervention.
- They violate the Contact Lens Rule by not obtaining verifiable affirmative consent to send contact lens prescriptions electronically to patients. The Contact Lens Rule requires telemedicine prescribers to obtain a signed consent form or other affirmative response from the patient before sending an electronic prescription. However, 1-800 Contacts’ mobile app did not do this until the AOA reported this violation to the FTC.
- They sell unavailable lenses and make customers wait for their orders. Sometimes lenses are unavailable, meaning you have to wait for your order. This means that they are hoarding lenses that could be sold by other retailers who have customers in need.
As you can see, 1-800 Contacts is not a trustworthy or ethical company. They do not care about your eye health or your wallet. They only care about their own profits and market dominance.
So what can you do to avoid them?
- Buy from your eye doctor or a reputable online seller who does not have anticompetitive agreements with 1-800 Contacts. You will get better service, quality, and often times better prices.
- Get regular eye exams from your eye doctor, not from an online vision test. Online vision tests are not comprehensive and cannot detect eye diseases or other problems that could affect your vision or health.
- Know your rights as a contact lens wearer. You have the right to receive your prescription from your eye doctor and to shop around for the best deal. You also have the right to report any violations of the Contact Lens Rule or other unfair practices by 1-800 Contacts or any other seller.
By following these tips, you can protect your eyes, your wallet, and your consumer rights. Don’t let 1-800 Contacts fool you with their deceptive ads and practices. Choose a better option for your contact lens needs.