Amazon Recalls Eclipse Glasses A Week Before August 21 Eclipse

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On Saturday, purchasers of solar filters for the Aug. 21 total solar eclipse were told that the solar filters were not confirmed safe for viewing.

The lens caps contained the proper ISO number, 12312-2, which has been verified to comply with international safety standards.

Amazon said the supplier could not confirm the item came from a recommended manufacturer.

“We recommend that you DO NOT use this product to view the sun or the eclipse,” Amazon wrote.

Many people received this message from Amazon for eclipse glasses, as stores are selling out of the hot-ticket items with a week to go before the eclipse. However, some verified sellers of glasses say their products are under an Amazon recall, and they’re stunned by the corporation’s actions.

Amazon is issuing full refunds and an Amazon spokesperson said Amazon is responding “out of an abundance of caution.” 
“Safety is among our highest priorities. Out of an abundance of caution, we have proactively reached out to customers and provided refunds for eclipse glasses that may not comply with industry standards. We want customers to buy with confidence anytime they make a purchase on Amazon.com and eclipse glasses sold on Amazon.com are required to comply with the relevant ISO standard,” the company said in a statement.

Amazon said customers who did not receive an email regarding purchased glasses, were safe to use. The company did not reveal how many glasses were actually recalled or how much money was refunded.

Anyone who may be concerned about their eclipse glasses but did not receive an email about the recall can still reach out to Amazon customer service.

Amazon also suggested customers refer to the NASA and AAS websites for more information about safely viewing the solar eclipse.

Approximately 1 million people are expected to travel to Oregon for the eclipse.