Oregon Department of Justice

Attorney General Hardy Myers today announced the filing of settlement agreements with two Willamette Valley clothing and accessories stores for selling prescription contact lenses without being qualified to sell them. Named in Assurances of Voluntary Compliance (AVC) filed in Marion County Circuit Court are Kim Jinchul of Wilsonville, doing business as Best Wear in Gresham, and Oregon corporation Forest, Inc., doing business under the name of Best Clothing in both Hillsboro and Salem. Neither AVC admits violation of law.

"These retailers not only weren't qualified to sell prescription-only contact lenses but they endangered the health of their customers by not being able to teach them how to properly care for their eyes when using the lenses," Attorney General Myers explained. The cases were referred to the Oregon Department of Justice by the Oregon Board of Optometry.

Under the settlements, both companies have stopped selling the lenses and agreed that they would no longer represent that they were qualified to sell the lenses. Each retailer paid $5,000 to the Department of Justice Consumer Protection and Education Fund.

Consumers wanting more information about this case or consumer protection in Oregon may call the Attorney General's consumer hotline at (503) 378-4320 (Salem area only), (503) 229-5576 (Portland area only) or toll-free at 1-877-877-9392. The Department of Justice is online at www.doj.state.or.us.