The Only Difference Is the Price: Contact...

The Only Difference Is the Price: Contact lens maker Bausch & Lomb Inc. faces a class-action lawsuit over charges that it wrongly sold the same product at widely varying prices. The lawsuit, filed in May by three purchasers of Bausch & Lomb’s premium disposable contact lenses, charges that lens wearers paid 80% more for the Medalist and Optima lenses even though they are identical to the regular disposable lenses. Retail prices for a pair ranged from $7 to about $70, the plaintiffs say. This week a U.S. District Court judge in Alabama approved the case as a class action, meaning that all purchasers may have a chance to seek damages. Bausch & Lomb’s sales figures show that about 3 million people could become party to the suit, a plaintiffs attorney said. Bausch & Lomb said it will continue to seek dismissal of the suit and contest any claim that the company misrepresented its products. The suit seeks money to reimburse wearers and a “substantial” award to punish the company.