INTERNET CONTACT LENS SALES VIOLATED FTC REGULATIONS; SELLER MUST PAY $40,000 IN FINES

The FTC announced Aug. 7 a company selling contact lenses over the internet violated federal law.

The company, Walsh Optical, owned by Kevin Walsh, runs three websites that sell contact lenses. The company failed to verify consumers' prescriptions as required by the FTC's Contact Lens Rule, the commission said. The company will pay $40,000 in civil penalties in the case, which represents the commission's first enforcement action under the Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act of 2003.

The FTC's consent decree against Walsh can be viewed at www.ftc.gov/os/caselist/0523184/060725walshopticalconsent.pdf (http://www.ftc.gov/os/caselist/0523184/060725walshopticalconsent.pdf).

The commission's complaint can be viewed at www.ftc.gov/os/caselist/0523184/060725walshopticalcmplt.pdf (http://www.ftc.gov/os/caselist/0523184/060725walshopticalcmplt.pdf).