Amazon Offering Refunds On Fake Solar Eclipse Safety Glasses
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Amazon is offering a refund to customers who bought counterfeit eclipses safety glasses to watch the solar eclipse next week.
The retail giant says the glasses may not come from a recommended manufacturers.
The total eclipse next Monday will give people like Pam Ledbury a rare chance to see a cosmic phenomenon. She bought a pack of eclipse glasses from Amazon to watch what some have called the Superbowl in the sky.
"Thousands of us probably bought them (the glasses) because they are cheap," she said.
But several days later she got a letter from Amazon recalling the potentially phony frames. The letter read, "We recommend that you do not use this product to view the sun or eclipse."
It also warned that using inappropriate glasses can result in the loss of vision or permanent blindness.
"Be very very careful. The warnings that you hear are right," said Leonard Bates.
It's a lesson Bates learned the hard way. The 80-year-old permanently lost part of his vision when he watched his first eclipse at age nine.
"My right eye wasn't working right. There was a spot right at the center of my right eye, my focus that was just a blur," he said.
Doctors say the health risks without proper eye protection are very real.
"It's so dangerous for people to look at the sun even for brief periods of time because you can cause permanent damage to the retina - we call it solar retinopathy and it's really very close to burning a hole in the retina," said Dr. Russell Van Gelder, spokesman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
To make sure your glasses are safe, look for the certified ISO icon and the number 12312-2 to make sure they will properly block the light.
It's also important to make sure the lenses are not scratched or damaged.
The American Astronomical Society has a list of reputable manufacturers and authorized dealers at this site.