In the news….. 11:56 PM CDT on Friday, August 7, 2009
Used vs. New
“Frames that have been briefly worn by a customer and are deemed ‘Like New’ by passing the ‘Frame Review Process’ should be returned to retail stock at full price.”
“I think the patient should have the opportunity to know that they’re buying a used pair of glasses,” Forbes said.
Texas law agrees.
The Deceptive Trade Practices Act says it’s illegal to represent that “goods are original or new if they are deteriorated, reconditioned, reclaimed, used, or secondhand.”
Eyeglasses are not exempt.
LensCrafters is owned by a multinational company called Luxottica, which also operates Pearl Vision, Sears and Target optical shops. Luxottica says the memo was not sent to those outlets. And in a written statement to News 8, LensCrafters has now reversed its policy of selling used frames as new without telling customers.
“Returned frames that are in new condition will be identified and sold in the Clearance section of our stores, eligible for Clearance promotions,” the LensCrafters statement said. “We have asked our associates not to sell any returned frames while we prepare stores for the sale of these frames.”
But for Dr. Robert Forbes, the damage is already done. “I understand that business is business and profits need to be made,” he said, “but I don’t feel they need to be made in that manner.”
E-mail dschechter@wfaa.com
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