Scam Watch

The pitch: Get scary Halloween contact lenses, no prescription required!

The reality: You can get lenses that make your eyes glow in the dark, turn all-black or take on cat-eye shapes. But marketers aren’t allowed to sell the lenses unless the buyer has a valid lens prescription, even if the product is to be used only for cosmetic purposes. Last week the Federal Trade Commission announced it had sent warnings to 15 companies that appeared to be selling cosmetic lenses without requiring the prescriptions. The FTC didn’t file charges against any of them and declined to disclose their names.

The law: The prescription requirement for cosmetic lenses was passed by Congress in 2005 as an amendment to the Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act. Violations can result in fines of as much as $11,000 per incident.

Consumers’ rights: An eye-care provider must provide a copy of a lens prescription after an exam, even if the patient doesn’t ask for it. The provider can’t charge an extra fee for the prescription, and the consumer can buy lenses from any qualified seller.

Info: www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt026.shtm.

-- David Colker