Recall Issued for Eclipse Glasses Ordered from Amazon

Amazon issued a recall for some eclipse glasses it sold, PBS News reported.

Amazon is e-mailing customers who bought recalled glasses. The internet retailer decided to double-check the suppliers “out of an abundance of caution,” an Amazon spokesperson wrote in a statement to PBS NewsHour.

The company has not announced the scale of the recall or a public list of offending vendors, but says it has offered refunds to customers who purchased the affected glasses.

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Although we don’t know how many glasses were recalled, the impact of this recall can be seen all over the nation.

Schools in Coweta County, Gerogia purchased almost 24,000 pairs of eclipse glasses from Amazon, so every student, teacher and faculty member could watch the eclipse, but the specific pair they bought was recalled by Amazon.

Although the glasses were on a list approved by NASA, the manufacturer couldn’t provide documentation, so Amazon issued the recall, reports wsbtv.com.

In Oregon, the staff at KGW in Portland received an email from Amazon explaining the solar filters the station purchased for the Aug. 21 total solar eclipse were not confirmed safe for viewing. The solar filter had the proper ISO number, 12312-2, which has been verified to comply with international safety standards, but Amazon said the supplier could not confirm the item came from a recommended manufacturer. The news station also received several calls from viewers saying they also received e-mails from Amazon to throw away the glasses they purchased.

NASA has been telling consumers to be sure to use glasses marked with the international safety standard number ISO 12312-2, but Amazon did not say if the recalled glasses were or were not marked such.

Eclipse glasses made under these standards block 100,000 times more light than ordinary sunglasses. The American Astronomical Society has spotted counterfeit eclipse glasses on Amazon in the past.

“Viewing the sun or an eclipse using any other glasses or filters could result in loss of vision or permanent blindness,” Amazon wrote in its email to impacted customers. “Amazon has not received confirmation from the supplier of your order that they sourced the item from a recommended manufacturer. We recommend that you DO NOT use this product to view the sun or the eclipse.”

The company’s spokesperson told NewsHour they weren’t listing specific brands or products “because there may be legitimate versions under the same name.”

Customers with concerns should keep a close watch on their inboxes, as Amazon only sent emails to people who bought unvalidated glasses. Those who did not receive an email should be safe and clear to use their glasses, the company said.