Buying from C7 is like an insurance policy. I dont mind paying for
security and peace of mind.
Ive also been talking to Marty, surprisingly, he told me marginal gear
is sent back....period!
I dont mind paying extra for peace of mind. Its not that big of a deal
to me. A Big C14 on an HGM mount is over 10k anyway.
If I wanted to save a few bucks, I wouldn't be in this hobby. I
finally sold all my chineese refractors and bought a 4" APO a while
back. So Im learning in this hobby, quality costs...and you get what
you pay for more often than not.
but thanks for your comments. Everyones experiences are valuable to
hear about.
..nina
--- In C14@y..., "W. Gondella" <gondella@s...> wrote:
Well, I guess I think different than you. I spoke with Marty, etc.,
at C7
many times before choosing to purchase elsewhere. This is not what
I was
told. I do not know what you mean by "even marginal gear to slip
through
the cracks." Celestron does not screen telescopes for anyone. You
get what
you get. Unless there is a demonstratable flaw or defect which
seriously
affects the quality of the scope, C7 cannot be "nit-picking" over
personal
travails. Figure quality various from unit to unit, albeit usually
slightly. Occasionally there is the exceptional optical figure.
However,
C7 told be they cannot gaurantee you'll get one. Only one that
checks out
as OK. You won't get one with a serious turned edge or serious
undercorrection. But my point was that you can determine that for
youself
and save HUNDREDS of dollars ($500?).
If any dealer was constantly returning units for every little flaw,
C would
cut them off! If they are not, it is because the vast majority of
scopes
pass with flying colors. Ask an impartial source, not a dealer, if
you
don't believe me.
As far as shipping a C14 back, I sent mine back last year. It was
six
months old. Whether you ship to C or your dealer, you are gonna pay
to
ship. I chose to ship from Pennsylvania directly back to C via
FedEx 2 day
air. It cost me $185.00. This was one of the most costly ways to
ship.
Even so, I still saved hundreds of dollars over C7. Even if I had
bought
from them, I still would have had to pay this shipping. So, whats
your
point?
C7 is a fine company, but I do not pay a premium for something when
I don't
have to. Buy from them if you feel you need to, or if it makes you
feel
better about your purchase or gives you a sense of prestige in
saying your
unit came from them. Personally, I was turned off by their policy
that they
would not sell to me unless I had bought from them before! I was
shocked
that they said that to me, and it doesn't make sense. I have heard
others
say this as well. It was like they were doing me a favor by dealing
with
me. I didn't like that attitude. It was like: "My way or the
highway!"
I'm sorry, they are the ones who need my money, not the other way
around!
Further you imply that just because you buy from someone like C7 is
going to
assure you of not having a problem and incur shipping expenses down
the
line. Not so. My problem developed months after receiving the
scope.
Buying from C7 would not have prevented it. I sent it back and C
fixed it.
Six months later the problem returned again. I learned. It's sad
when you
realize that your telescope is in better hands with you than with
the
manufacturer. Celestron screwed up and bungled their way through my
entire
repair. They botched phone calls, instructions, paperwork. They
even sent
it back severely out of alignment. They shipped by semi, that took
2 WEEKS
to get here, via NJ first. I had a 40 foot tractor trailer pull up
in front
of my house. I couldn't track the shipment and didn't know it was
going to
be delivered until the day before. Then, C shipped it to the wrong
address!
I would never ship my scope back to them again. I am taking it
apart and
fixing the problem myself, even though it is still probably under
warranty.
When its done, it will be BETTER THAN NEW. Believe me, if you want
it done
right the first time, do it yourself. But you and I differ. Where
you would
rather pay heavily just to reduce the chances of dealing with an
issue that
hasn't even occured yet, I would rather save money and shop smart in
a way
that I think will get me good results anyway. And if something
develops
into a problem later, I choose to be able to take care of it myself,
and if
I don't know how, then LEARN! That way, I'm now the better for it,
and am
even more self-sufficient than before! I guess I'm just not a good
comsumer! ;-)
Wayne E. Gondella
AFA Engineering Company
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2002 01:57:56 -0000
From: "nina_naiad" <nina_naiad@y...>
Subject: Re: Dew and other incendiary OTA questions (aka: digest
#75)
Just a quick note, I recently bought something from company 7.
They
wont allow even marginal gear to slip thru the cracks.
All you have to do is buy something questionable from someone
other
than Company 7 and the cost you will pay to send the optical tube
back
and fourth will be close to the cost of getting it right the first
time from Company 7.
No one in their right mind would send something as delicate as a
Big Optical instrument using ground UPS, so shipping is going to
cost
to do it right!
