Unilever has confirmed it does not sell any eyewear products under the Ponds skincare brand. (File photo/China Times)

A woman in the city of Hefei in eastern China's Anhui province found the broken contact lenses she bought from a store were purportedly made by a brand which does not even produce contact lenses.

After the woman, surnamed Song, found the contact lenses were broken, she returned to the store, a major eyeglass shop in the city, and asked for a new pair. When waiting to return the lenses, it struck her that the product she bought might be counterfeit since the label on the package was the brand Ponds, according to state broadcaster China National Radio.

The shop's staff said they bought the contact lenses from Governor Optical in Jiangsu province. The company said Ponds' parent company Unilever, a British-Dutch personal and hygiene product maker, has authorized it to use the label. However, the claim was denied by Unilever, which said Ponds only produces skincare products and has never produced any optical products, according to the report.

Song may negotiate with the store for compensation and if the shop refuses to reach a settlement, she can file a complaint with the State Administration for Industry and Commerce to seek compensation.

References:

Jiangsu Governor Optical　　江蘇省尊龍光學有限責任公司