What's The Catch?

[inline_online]

Hi all,

I am keen to get a small grab and go scope to compliment my larger gear.
I have seen this one advertised:
http://www.sale-telescopes.com/products/Astro%252dTech-AT90EDT-90mm-f%7B47%7D6.7-FPL%252d53-ED-Triplet-Apochromatic-Refractor.html

Surely there is a catch? This price seems too good to be true.
Has anybody here purchased from this site before?

I am also thinking about one of the 60mm Tak's in the trade section of IIS but:
a) I already have a 5" FS-128
b) 30mm more aperture would provide more advantage than the superior optics of the Tak.

I'm more than happy to hear peoples opinions one way or the other.

Thank you,
Dan

[MortonH]

Hi Dan,

Pretty sure there have been previous threads about this being a scam. Keep your money!!!

[Terry B]

Its a scam site. They only accept money transfers and the goods dont exist. There are equivalent sites selling woodwork tools and medical supplies.

[inline_online]

Hi Terry and Morton,

Thanks very much for the heads-up. I thought it was too good to be true.
I'll keep on looking.

Cheers,
Dan

Edit: Just found the previous thread. Dodgy as!!!!

[Stardrifter_WA]

Like others Dan, I would steer clear of this deal, as the price indicated is way too low to be genuine and they are not a well recognised dealer.

I bought an AT65EDQ from OPT, and was supposed to have picked it up, during my US visit last year. Unfortunately, it hadn't arrived in time and I had it delivered instead. The total price, including delivery was around $695, so I doubt that any company can do the AT90EDT for the price indicated, as that is shown as $1,295 at OPT, so, I very much doubt, a price of $759 is legitimate.

You are better off paying the extra from a well established dealer like OPT and have some sort of guarantee that you will actually get it. I get most of my stuff from OPT now, as I have found them great to deal with. I have heard of a few that went on price alone and never received what they paid for. Scammers work on the principal that most people only consider price.

By the way, I bought the AT65EDQ OTA as a super finder/grab-n-go set up and it is a very good value scope, as it comes complete with mounting rings, dovetail and is well built. It also has the added advantage of being an astrograph, so I can use it for imaging as well. Optically, it is a superb telescope and is much better than I thought it would be, having tried it out in an excellent dark sky. It went beyond my expectation, for a reasonably priced scope, and has become my favourite scope and works well with my WO FLT110 set up.

It didn't come with a case, due to the price, however, I had one made up to suit locally at Image Alloy Cases in Kewdale. The case also has my ADM Mini-Max mount, that I use in conjunction with my WO FLT110. Included in the case are a Tele Vue 24mm Panoptic and a Tele Vue 7mm Nagler, along with a Tele Vue Everbrite star diagonal, which work very well with this scope. Also, I only use a GL laser, as a finder, as this is a wide field scope anyway. I just wanted something small and self contained, so I didn't have to worry about what to take with me. Literally, just grab the case and go.

All I need now, is a convenient grab-n-go mount, which I am yet to decide on. Going to have a look at a couple when I am in the US again in May.

Cheers Pete

[coldknights]

Not good to see Avoid like the plague !!!!!
Shop at well known places that sell telescope equipment here in Australia.

[Terry B]

Pete
This place isn't a dealer at all. They have never delivered anything. They do not exist. It is just a scam.

[Terry B]

I had a bit more of a look around about these sites. There seems to be hundreds of similar ones with large numbers of people losing money.
Another "too good to be true" site seems to be this one
http://sportstelescope.com/

There is a list of scam sites here
http://www.worldlawdirect.com/forum/online-purchases-sales/

[brian nordstrom]

;) Yep , I mentioned this the last time someone asked about this and I contacted 'James Ling' fellow Istar owner , friend and fellow member of 'Sing Astronomy' Singapore's IIS .

He and a few friends went to these scammers so called warehouse in Malaysia and guess what :rofl: ,, it does not exist , they shouted world wide about these rissoles .

Brian.

[Stardrifter_WA]

Figured that anyway Terry, thanks. I only deal with a couple of well-known overseas companies now anyway, so it matters not.

The old adage still applies; If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Although I realise that that doesn't necessarily always apply, mostly that statement is true. After all, it is a case of Caveat Emptor!


Cheers Pete

[Stardrifter_WA]

It never ceases to amaze me that people still think they can get a lot, without having to pay a lot. I know I would always rather pay more, with a dealer I can actually trust, such as OPT, where I have reasonable certainty that I will actually get what I ordered. So far, so good. :) So, I never look at these sites for the cheapest price anyway and only know of them as they are mentioned here on IIS.

I can't believe how many people get taken in by these sorts of scams, but then, not everyone is in a position to not having to consider price alone.

Cheers Pete

[inline_online]

Not sure how to quote previous text but "It never ceases to amaze me that people still think they can get a lot, without having to pay a lot."

I think that the layman, stumbling across that dodgy site would have no idea that it was a dodgy deal. Sure, they should do their research before buying but the average person would have no idea about that crazy cheap price.

As soon as I saw that price alarm bells started ringing. Sometimes you do get a good deal but this seemed too good to be true hence my query to the brains-trust.

Thanks to all for their replies. Much appreciated:)

Cheers,
Dan

[brian nordstrom]

:lol: True , but man I would be all over that 130mm Lomo triplet for $2300 in a heartbeat ( its on the page 's link you put in this thread ) , if it was true but sadly these are no longer made and like any world class 130mm ( AP , Tak , TEC etc.) these are in the region of 5-7 k ,, yes 'Rissoles ' :mad2: for sure Dan , trying to take the un-educated hard earned cash .

Thank God for sites like us here at IIS , Sing Astro , CN;s ,etc that can help save lots of grief .

And thanks for bringing it up again , this cant be said to many times :thanx: .

Brian.

[Stardrifter_WA]

It may be true what you say about the layman Dan, but in researching the product the said layman should have noted vastly different prices, that is if they have actually done the research properly, which should then make them think, at the very least...why? That is when they should be asking the questions. Sadly, that isn't the case with a lot of people. With the research options available to everyone, there is no reason that they cannot find the answers, just as you did Dan :) Caveat Emptor still applies.

My quote, was a shortened comment was actually based on a famous quote by John Ruskin (1819-1900) that is over a century old, which said:

“It's unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to pay too little. When
you pay too much, you lose a little money - that's all. When you pay
too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you
bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The
common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a
lot - it can't be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well
to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will
have enough to pay for something better.” ― John Ruskin

Ruskin went on to also say:

"There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only are this man's lawful prey."

This applies even more, in the era of the internet, as anyone can quote a lower price, but it doesn't mean you will get what you pay for, whether it is a quality item or not.

Cheers Pete

[brian nordstrom]

;) Well said Peter , but ? there is always a but so here it is , old mate Ruskin was ahead of his time , or a Jewish salesman ? .

There was no internet banking back then , transactions were easily stopped by a runner , but ( that word again :D ) in todays world once that evil . 'Pay Now' is pressed ,,, well its history old mate . $$$ gone unless you chose good old 'PayPal' ;) .

Sad but ( again) true in todays world people get taken all the time by scammers .

But ( that word again again :lol: ) John Ruskin was a very clever guy and after reading this thanks Peter .

Brian.

[Stardrifter_WA]

Hi Brian

Yes Brian, Ruskin's quote still applies today, probably more so in the Internet age.

It was my point anyway, be sure who you are dealing with before you even enter you CC number and personal details, let alone press Pay Now. You may not get what you pay for and, more importantly, these details may be used to steal your identity. This is a major problem that everyone should be aware of now. I don't even let any paperwork, that has any personal data, go out of this house without shredding it first, as I am very conscious of identity theft.

You don't have to be a professional or have specialised knowledge, which by definition is the meaning of layman, to be able to make properly informed choices.

Being a layman doesn't mean you are not smart.

Any savvy person would thoroughly check any product or price before making any substantial purchase.

Every time we make any electronic purchases we do run a risk, even with legitimate companies. Risk minimisation is the key here.

As I am very cautious in whom I deal with, I have never had any real issues, with the many hundreds of items I have brought via the Internet and from overseas. Yes, I have had a couple of items go missing during shipping, and a couple of items with shipping damage, but in each case the problem was quickly resolved, so no real issue.

After all, it isn't whether you have a problem, as these will sometimes occur, it is how that problem is dealt with that is important. That is what makes the difference when dealing with well known and established company. And that, is why I mostly pay a little more to deal with reputable companies. In a sense, it is like adding a bit extra for insurance.

Cheers Pete

[Nico13]

Just have a look around the site and see if you can find a "Contact us" section.
You wont find one just an an email for a so called returns form.