{"id":36897,"date":"2024-03-23T02:07:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-23T02:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=36897"},"modified":"2024-03-26T04:47:28","modified_gmt":"2024-03-26T04:47:28","slug":"how-safe-are-your-solar-eclipse-glasses-cheap-fakes-from-online-marketplaces-pose-a-threat-supply-chain-experts-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/how-safe-are-your-solar-eclipse-glasses-cheap-fakes-from-online-marketplaces-pose-a-threat-supply-chain-experts-say\/","title":{"rendered":"How safe are your solar eclipse glasses? Cheap fakes from online marketplaces pose a threat, supply-chain experts\u00a0say"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Yao “Henry” Jin<\/a>, Miami University<\/a><\/em> and Simone Peinkofer<\/a>, Michigan State University<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Americans from Maine to Texas are set for a rare treat on April 8, 2024, when a total solar eclipse<\/a> will be visible across much of the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In ancient times, eclipse-viewers thought they were watching the Sun be eaten by wolves<\/a>, a dragon<\/a> or a demon<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, we now know that the Sun isn\u2019t really eaten during an eclipse. Instead, it does what it always does: rain ultraviolet rays on everything in its path. That\u2019s why you should never look at a solar eclipse without protective eyewear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But not just any eyewear will do. To make sure that you enjoy the total solar eclipse safely, the American Astronomical Society has specifically warned against<\/a> buying eclipse glasses at the lowest price from online marketplaces like Amazon or eBay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What gives? Why not save a buck on something you\u2019ll use possibly just once for a few minutes?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It turns out there\u2019s a very good reason: Deceptive counterfeit products have infiltrated retail supply chains. And some of them can pose a threat to your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Invasion of the bogus products<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As experts in<\/a> supply-chain management<\/a>, we know that counterfeit products have become a growing problem in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While counterfeit products can be found at brick-and-mortar shops, they\u2019re an especially big problem at online marketplaces. Amazon removed more than 6 million counterfeit items<\/a> from its supply chain in 2022 alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are several reasons for this. First, our recent research shows that consumers often consider the reputation of an online retailer<\/a> while judging a product\u2019s quality. Unscrupulous third-party sellers can take advantage of this fact by selling their wares through a reputable online marketplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another complication arises from the fulfillment services offered by some marketplaces, such as Amazon, where third-party sellers directly send their merchandise to the online retailer\u2019s warehouse for shipping and handling. These sorts of fulfillment services offer a little-known benefit to retailers: If a product is running out of stock, they can \u201cborrow\u201d from a third-party seller\u2019s inventory<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, this also means that a consumer who agrees to buy from one retailer may actually receive merchandise \u2013 perhaps counterfeit \u2013 from a third-party seller. While there aren\u2019t statistics showing how frequently this happens, there\u2019s evidence<\/a> it\u2019s a significant problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thankfully, customers are becoming more aware of counterfeit products and have increasingly pushed online retailers to separate inventories of authorized sellers of merchandise from those that aren\u2019t. For instance, Amazon maintains a list of \u201cgated<\/a>\u201d brands, such as Asics and Under Armour, that require authorization before they can be sold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But these protections don\u2019t apply across the board. In fact, some counterfeit-prone brands, such as Birkenstock<\/a>, refuse to sell their products through some online retailers entirely. That leaves an opening for counterfeiters, who tend to offer the lowest prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why the American Astronomical Society recommends eclipse-watchers avoid buying protective glasses from the lowest-price sellers on online marketplaces. And we completely agree. After all, counterfeit sunglasses can be returned, but damage to your eyes is permanent. In 2017, one California man wearing counterfeit eclipse glasses was left with retina damage<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to find safe solar eclipse glasses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re in the market for eclipse glasses, it\u2019s not hard to get a safe pair. First, buying directly from one of the American Astronomical Society\u2019s approved list of brands and manufacturers<\/a> is the most reliable way. Unfortunately, many of them only sell cheaper, disposable solar eclipse viewers in bulk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you need a single pair, your next best option is to purchase one from a major brick-and-mortar chain retailer in person. Many organizations are also handing out free viewers<\/a>. If you take one, you should make sure it was made by a manufacturer on the American Astronomical Society\u2019s list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you must buy from an online marketplace, look for evidence of manufacturer authorization. For instance, American Paper Optics \u2013 an American Astronomical Society-approved brand \u2013 maintains a list of Amazon sellers<\/a> approved for reselling their viewers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What if you\u2019ve already bought something from a no-name seller on Amazon? Let\u2019s say you bought a pair of sunglasses, or eclipse glasses, with UV protection. It\u2019s hard to verify UV protection properties. Sure, there are standards and certifications such as UV400 and ISO 12312-2<\/a>, but as you have probably guessed, even those can be faked. For instance, you can easily buy entire rolls of UV400 stickers online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thankfully, most local opticians can test your sunglasses\u2019 UV protection properties in seconds<\/a>. In other words, when in doubt, verify.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yao “Henry” Jin<\/a>, Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management, Miami University<\/a><\/em> and Simone Peinkofer<\/a>, Assistant Professor of Supply Chain Management, Michigan State University<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article is republished from The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yao “Henry” Jin, Miami University and Simone Peinkofer, Michigan State University Americans from Maine to Texas are set for a rare treat on April 8, 2024, when a total solar eclipse will be visible across much of the U.S. In ancient times, eclipse-viewers thought they were watching the Sun be eaten by wolves, a dragon […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":36898,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[277,42],"tags":[650,832,11875,15414,1542,2912,15415,224,15406,7039,13546,15412,939,2914,15413],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36897"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36897"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36897\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36899,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36897\/revisions\/36899"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36898"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36897"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}