ACCC eyeing retailers

NATIONAL: The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has threatened legal action against eyewear retailers which misrepresent the safety standards of their sunglasses.

ACCC chairman Graeme Samuel said the organisation had accepted court-enforceable undertakings from four major eyewear retailers in the last two weeks alone. The proceedings were a result of an ACCC retail blitz on two major shopping complexes late last year.

"Traders should be on notice that the ACCC will be monitoring the market for compliance with the standard now and leading up to the next summer season," Samuel said. "Those found to be supplying non-compliant sunglasses will be dealt with seriously, including possible litigation.

The ACCC has today accepted court-enforceable undertakings from accessory retailer Chelsea Girl, which vowed to implement a trade practices law compliance program and ensure its sunglasses are appropriately labelled. Chelsea Girl, which operates stores in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, was pulled up by the ACCC for failing to state mandatory safety information on its products. It also instigated a voluntary product recall on five eyewear models earlier this year, after they were found to affect a users ability to recognise certain colours such as traffic lights and emergency vehicle signals.