Stanton Optical sells eyeglasses, contact lenses, accessories and eye exams, which are performed by third-party optometrists. The company advertises special promotions that include “buy-one-get-one-free” offers and free eye exams, according to DeWine’s office.
Nearly 80 Ohio residents have filed complaints about Stanton Optical with the Ohio Attorney General’s office, the Better Business Bureau or the Federal Trade Commission. A large number of the 78 complaints came from the Miami Valley, DeWine said.
The complaints include such issues as consumers who said they waited months to receive their glasses after paying for them; received glasses with incorrect prescriptions; or did not receive refunds they were owed.
DeWine said Stanton Optical showed a pattern of “classic bait-and-switch” activity and did not deliver on its promises to consumers.
“Glasses are pretty important to people. You want to be able to see and you want to be able to see well,” he said. “This is a real rip-off.”
Stanton Optical officials did not respond to a request for comment.
The lawsuit, filed in the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas, charges Value Vision LLC and Macarius, Max & Daniel LLC, the companies that operate Stanton Optical, with multiple violations of Ohio’s Consumer Sales Practices Act. Specific counts include shoddy work, failure to deliver, and misusing the word “free.”
The lawsuit seeks to stop the companies from further violations and to obtain full restitution for consumers, civil penalties and other costs, officials said.
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