Cash Converters 6" Dob

[louie_the_fly]

Was in Cashies in Mt Barker (SA) today. Pride of place near the door was a Skywatcher 6 inch Dobsonian for, wait for it, $995:eyepop:. They probably gave the owner $150 for it.

I notice Ozscopes have the same one for $383.95, normally $455.

Wow, that's some profit.

[OICURMT]

Maybe I'll drive up there and offer them A$100 cash...

Yet another case of gouging.

[Shark Bait]

Pawn shops are hit and miss on this sort of thing. Sometimes you can end up with a bargain but they seem to charge as much as they can in the hope of catching an impulse buyer.

I noticed that the local pawn shop was selling a Celestron 130 EQ Astro(master?) but they did not have a price listed on the trading post. I was looking for a small scope for my Son. I went down to have a look and they were charging the same price as brand new. It had a little bit of damage as well.

I mentioned this to the owner and his response was, "make an offer". I didn't want to play and walked.

[tilbrook@rbe.ne]

Hi Stewart,

This makes me quite mad!

Waiting for some poor sod to rip off, I'm sure they will sell it without any remorse.

Cheers,

Justin.

[brian nordstrom]

:D Dont worry guys , they wont sell it at that .
I hope ? Even camera house here in Palmerston NT has a 10 inch SW Dob for $899 brand new .
Bull sh!t or what ?
Brian.

[louie_the_fly]

I did a double take in case it was $99.50. But nope, it was $995. Can't believe it. They probably have no clue what it's worth themselves. I should have told them.

[tilbrook@rbe.ne]

They are in business and would know exactly what it's worth, their concern is what they can get away with.

Cheers,

Justin.

[doppler]

They know exactly what it is worth. It only takes a couple of secs to google a price...new or secondhand. I hope no one buys it. Andrews have 12" dobs for a $100 less.

[LewisM]

Went to sell an older 4" refractor at Cash Converters once. Almost in new condition. They offered me $20.

I sold it through trading post for what I considered a fair price.

[brian nordstrom]

:shrug: in business as telescope sellers .:hi: .:rofl: ,:rofl: .
Not my friends .
Brian.

[Suzy]

Oooooh that makes me so mad.
If I was living close to there, I think I would walk in with a ready made sticker (have plenty of blanks at home) saying "Cash Converters are rip-offs and I'm actually only worth $300-$350 tops" on a discrete part of the tube. :mad2:

[louie_the_fly]

Everything they have is overpriced. i was looking to see if they had any bino's. might go back in and tell them i can buy it new for under 400 and offer them $75 for it.

[asimov]

Same thing happening here In Bundy with a crappy achro refractor. Can't remember what they wanted for it but suffice to say TOO MUCH! I stopped & casually told them the truth in no uncertain terms & went about my business..

[jjjnettie]

they make me sick :(
Same as those hobby stores that stock telescopes.
Crappy over priced cheaply made stuff.

I actually stopped and talked to a fellow who was checking out one displayed out front of the shop. You know, doing my good deed of the week.
I told him "don't do it" and went on to tell him about IceInSpace and all the help he can get there choosing a first scope.
He looked at me with a blank face then walked away.
To cut a long story short.
A couple of weeks later Ron Knight tells me that I knew the fellow, just didn't know his face as I'd only met him at night, on the observing field. He's been into astronomy for a long long time.
He was just checking out how good/bad the mount was.
My face goes red every time I meet him now. LOLOL

[TrevorW]

A type of business we could do without, they are as much to blame for the the increase in burglary statistics as the perps IMO,

If you ever get robbed visit your local pawn shops soon thereafter.

Even the honest people are ripped off trying to obtain a quick source of cash when they'd get a far better price selling it through Gumtree or the like

[Barrykgerdes]

Cash converters operate the same as any other pawn shop (fence).

A friend of mine had his shop broken into and a number of items stolen. He later located some of the items in the local cash converters.

Do you think he could get them back, No! other than buying them at a price higher than he normally sold them.

Pawn brokers have a way of protecting themselves against their rightful owners getting their property back.

Barry

PS I think the loss was covered by his insurer who was advised of the location of the goods but I don't know the final outcome.

[TrevorW]

The thing that gets me is why are they allowed to get away with it ?, Is the law afraid that if they clamp down on pawnbrokers for fencing stolen goods burglaries will decline and personal attacks will go up.

A case of the lesser of two evils, yet IMO they should be able to police it better.

[acropolite]

I often walk in to second hand stores and have a laugh at the dearer than new prices they ask for often tatty second hand goods. IMO there should be laws against their predatory practices.

[mr bruess]

lol.that's hilarious.
i'd never sell my stuff to Cash Converters.
they give you bugger all.

[doppler]

And it goes the other way too, I would never buy from them either their stuff is always way overpriced. The sad fact is some people are down and out and need cash fast so they sell for bugger all. The ones that buy from them have got cash but are just not very well informed.....

[brian nordstrom]

;) Yep , or its a ' payday advance ' I enjoy checking out my local pawn shop on my days off , ( randem ) Bargines to be had ? telescopes for sale ? , its as good as court day . Anyday .
Fun , on a day off .
When its cloudy .
Brian.

[Varangian]

It is mandatory that if you offload goods at any Cash Converters you need to produce a valid drivers licence for the trade. Personally, I hate them and see them as nothing more than glorified op shops except they're not for a good cause.

[AstralTraveller]

Years ago when my astro club was trying to raise money we did the trash and treasure market scene. Another member, who knew how to extract money from hapless fools (his day job was real estate agent), deliberately overpriced our best items. He didn't want to sell them, he wanted people to come to our stall, look at the good items, then buy some of our other carp. They were worth more to us sitting in the table than if they had been sold. So do Crime Converters just want you to see the scope, walk in and end up buying some of their trash binos?? [Of course if you want to pay 5x a fair price they won't argue.]