Assogruppi continues fight against online sales

The Ministry of Health, which had already made an announcement on the subject November 27, 2008, repeated in a communication to Assogruppi June 25, 2009, that the sale of prescription eyeglasses and contact lenses on the Internet is in total conflict with the current regulation which stipulates that to protect consumer health, these products must be sold directly by an optician in a store.

As a follow up to this opinion, Assogruppi sent an official warning to all the relevant websites.

To date, not all the online companies have acted with diligence and only some have stopped their sales, while others have begun again after an initial stoppage.

As a consequence, Assogruppi Ottica has sent various complaints to NAS, requesting the adoption of all initiatives that would block or penalize illegal sales.

On October 7, Stefanelli, Assogruppi Ottica’s legal office, sent NAS a further request for access to files that would enable it to closely follow and monitor the course of events. On October 14, it received confirmation from NAS that the requested investigations are ongoing (document attached).

The last chapter in this battle that involves the entire optical sector as well as consumers, because it aims, among other things, at protecting vision wellbeing, has yet to be written. Assogruppi Ottica, however, is confident that the daily actions undertaken will protect the market, the professionalism of opticians and optometrists and the health of consumers’ eyesight.