The day of the eclipse is almost upon us and many places distributing solar viewing glasses have already sold out. The Oregon Attorney General’s office has issued a warning about eclipse glasses scams as consumers scramble to find a pair.
In late July, Donna Jones ordered 25 pairs of eclipse viewing glasses on Amazon to stock at the Lane Community College campus bookstore. A few days later she realized her purchase did not hold up to NASA safety standards.
“What I was looking for was the ISO certified, official eyewear – a statement that says they’re viewable with the sun and what I found after I ordered them is that some companies are placing that certified label on glasses that are not that. They are falsely identifying as ‘safe,’” says Jones.
Jones has since ordered 50 pairs of NASA approved glasses.
The Oregon Department of Justice is urging people to check the brand of their eclipse eyewear against a list of NASA trusted vendors to avoid buying an uncertified and potentially unsafe product. Viewing the eclipse with naked eyes or with faulty glasses could result in permanent eye damage. Oregon consumers who believe they have been scammed can file a complaint with the Justice’s Consumer Complaint Hotline or online.
A list of trusted solar glasses vendors can be found here.