Baden Eyecare Centre (Dr. Sonya Frank, Optometrist)

Ordering Online - Is it safe?

Buying items online is a popular way to shop nowadays.  Everything from beauty products to vacations to major appliances can be found for sale on the internet, but shopping this way is safer for some items than it is for others.

Glasses and contact lenses are now easily found to purchase on the internet; however, caution should be taken when considering doing so.  In a study for the journal Optometry, almost half of the glasses ordered from online distributors were made incorrectly, which can affect the safety, clarity, visual comfort, and, in the case of children wearing improperly made glasses, the overall development of the eyes and visual system resulting in poor vision for life.  When purchasing bifocal glasses, the placement of the bifocal in relation to the frame is standardized, meaning a "one size fits all" approach that often results in blurry vision, eyestrain, and neck and upper back problems from poor posture while trying to compensate for a non-customized bifocal fit.  Contact lenses can be expired or may have been stored in improper conditions, which can compromise the safety of wearing such vision correction directly on one's eyes.  Low introductory prices may sound tempting as well as "free shipping", but hidden costs such as "processing" and "handling" fees usually make it no deal in the end.  Lastly and due to the points above as well as many other risks involved with online purchases, buying glasses or contact lenses from the internet is illegal in Ontario as well as in most other provinces.

Your vision is important, so make sure you get your glasses and contact lenses from a source you can trust.