Buying from Andrews Communications?

[0tt0maddox]

Hey,

I've found the telescope I think I'll go with (SkyWatcher SW102 Refractor).

The only two websites I've found that have it for under $500 seem kinda dodgy. What I was wondering was, has anybody bought from Andrews Communications and are they trustworthy? The scope's only $349 on their site. If so, how do you go about actually purchasing from them (they don't seem to have any links or anything).

Also, has anyone bought from 'telescope.com.au'? It looks really dodgy, but the telescope's only $419.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks:)

[asimov]

Andrews is certainly not Dodgy. Most of us here have bought something off Lee at one time or another. Go for it.

I can't comment on the other lot you mention.

You'll need to ring Lee to order it, that's what I do in any case.

[telecasterguru]

Andrews are a very well known and long established business.

Lee is a pleasure to deal with.

[stattonb]

brought all my scopes from andrews the a good company a+++

[Jules76]

Brought my current scope from Andrews. Highly recommended. :thumbsup:

Wish I knew about them before I purchased my first scope!

[Screwdriverone]

otto,

Andrews is an exemplary company to deal with, you can feel confident to deal with them.

The reason their prices are much lower than others is because they are the pioneers of telescope competition in Australia and pride themselves on providing customers with the best price, always.

There is no point trying to haggle, their price is always better than anyone else....;)

I buy everything from them.

Cheers

Chris

[DavidU]

After buying from Andrews a few times I would rate them very highly indeed.My favourites are Andrews, Bintel and Astronomy Alive.

[jjjnettie]

Just pick up the phone and place an order. Deposit the monies into their account and before you know it, your new toy will be delivered to your door.
It's that easy.

[TrevorW]

Ask for Luke say Trevor sent you

always a pleasure to deal with

[0tt0maddox]

Thanks everyone, I'm so keen for this scope!

This forum's the best. So good to see that people are here out of genuine interest, not just to sit and insult people like a complete tool. I'm usually anti-internet, but every time I read this site it makes me feel like things maybe aren't so bad.

Thanks again and Happy Easter!

[AdrianF]

I have had absolutely no problems buying from Andrews Com.

Adrian

[yusufcam]

likewise

[NatalieR]

I just bought an 8" Dob and a bucket load of bits and pieces for it through Andrews. Luke and Lee were both wonderful to deal with and the whole transaction was hassle free. Luke was also great at answering my newbie questions about what sort of eyepieces and filters i should get to compliment our setup.:thumbsup:

Cheers...Nat

[Stu Ward]

I'm picking up a 12" goto dob from them tomorrow.

[mercedes_sl1970]

Just to add to the gener support for Andrews - they've always been excellent to deal with.

Andrew

[plmedcraft]

My 10 cents worth.
This is not a shot at Andrews, rather it is a commentary on discount wharehouses in general.
If price is your main and only driver Andrews are the guys. I have dealt with them in the past and they have the stock, give the best prices and acknowledge up front that there is no point getting into a detailed discussion with them about pros and cons, they are not experts.
I just spent over 12k this week, I contacted Andrews to purchase an item they confirmed was in stock on the website for 4K but was told they would need to find it first as they had several wharehouses. Fair enough, gave em a couple of days cause I believe in fair enough. That was a week and a half ago. Bintel, in particular Don at Bintel not only got the 4K but through his expert advice turned it into more than 6K and I have now spent more than 12K off the back of Dons advice.
Was Bintel as cheap as Andrews, nah...
But Bintel has Don, Mike, Roger etc etc and I should pay a couple of hundred extra for that expertise everytime.
I have been buying and selling for a long time now and it is sometimes good to be reminded that cheap isnt always best.
Paul Medcraft

[jjjnettie]

:thumbsup: I've bought from a number of Australian dealers.
Two things they all have in common....
their passion for Astronomy and their ability to talk your ears off about it. :rofl:

[yusufcam]

i'll see that 10c and raise you a nickle...

i'd like to make a comment here, i have collected several scopes from a number of different locations and was suprised once when i walked into a particular store (which will remain anonymous) and asked advice about a telescope i had (which may have led to a future purchase) to be greeted by a gruff, "well you didn't buy it here" meaning go back to where you got it (yar freeloading tosser [implied]).

i have since had other more positive experiences with them, but found the first exchange suprising, unsettling, err medieval perhaps.

[plmedcraft]

LOL
I had a good chuckle over that, I didn't need any help placing a face to the comment.
However...
Put yourself in their shoes which neatly highlights the point I was making. A discount supplier sells it but when it comes to any advice we collectively end up walking into the business that has always been there providing product and advice. Only now they dont get paid for the advice and collectively we take up time that they would otherwise use to make a sale.
I have done this as well so I am hardly one to point any fingers.
Sometimes the buyer knows the answer, they know what they want and off to the discount supplier they go but its not the answer that is important, it is one of many questions that they dont know. Thats where the experience from guys like Don is invaluable, they know the questions to ask.
Far as I am concerned the response from the shop owner wasn't medieval especially given that the discount supplier in question has comparitive prices of his competitors front and centre on his website. What isn't stated on his comparison table is that when it comes to what you need, how to make it work, what are the traps and an endless list of other questions you don't know to ask you need to go elswhere...
Thats why the price is different.

[Rick Parrott]

Have to say that Andrews' are always very helpful and I would not hesitate to purchase more items from them! :)

[Shiraz]

ditto all above endorsements. BUT, pay for insurance if purchasing anything delicate - the suppliers may be OK, but the freight companies don't seem to give a stuff.

[Krumlov]

Don't know if anyone else has noticed but prices on GS Dobsonians have just come down. The 8" I have been looking at is now only $399! (previously $449 so a good saving!)

[PlanetMan]

Alas I can only report on my own experience wherein I went into the store to purchase a refractor which, due to the exchange rate at that time, was an extremely good price. I previously contacted the store to confirm it was indeed in stock. When I got there however the particular refractor I wanted to buy at a good price "could not be found" and was told it was presumably being used for "testing" :question:. So it was nice to learn that they readily admitted that something I was intending to buy as a supposedly brand-new item at a brand new price was being given a once around the block by someone else. Thereafter, I was encouraged to buy another refractor - a new brand they had just started selling and were presumably trying to push - maybe that had something to do with their difficulties finding the refractor I actually wanted to buy at the good price.;)

Ironically, while I was there another customer also came into the store after some items which were also meant to be available at a certain lower//cheaper price and were "out of stock" - this other customer did not seem happy with this situation. I have never returned to Andrews (and never will) - I only buy my new stuff from Bintel and AEC. These stores do certainly cost more but the products (e.g. TV and Tak) are in a different league.

So in one context I don't think it fair to compair stores or prices as I think the respective stores are really aimed at different market niche. Andrews is more towards the larger general public market along with U-shop - what was formerly York. While Bintel/AEC are more towards the astronomy tragics who have the bug and their wallets will suffer always in pursuing the best optics that might be available.

In my opinion - if you are after some of the best buys in astro gear none of the stores compare to the deals that can be found on the classified forums right here on IIS. However, you do have to know what you are after and it is the usual case of the early bird getting the worm.

[lolthrash]

Interesting to find so much support for Andrews, very different to my experience with them. I was treated like an idiot basically, and it was implied that I was a liar and at fault when the product delivered to me was obviously completely faulty. I was treated much like a child and told that I had "handled the product roughly" and was outright refused a replacement item under warranty due to supposedly being at fault. Instead the item was returned to me with a dodgy repair job (new binocular eyecups replaced with a bunch of dried glue left over on the body of the binoculars and a "tightened" brass mounting nut that ripped straight out the first time it was used). Based on my dealings with them, as is the only fair way to gauge a company, I would not recommend them to anyone at all. Perhaps I'd have been treated better if I had spent more money?

[casstony]

I don't doubt that you had a bad experience Oliver, I've had the occasional problem with various shops too, though overall I can report positive buying and customer service experiences. However if you don't get the service you expect at a particular shop there are plenty of others to go to.

Caution is needed buying cheaper end gear though; while China seems to be producing generally fair to good quality astro gear, you can also buy chinese junk that's barely suited for the task. Sometimes it's better to spend a little more or if in doubt, ask about a particular product on the forum - you'll get straight answers from people who have used the gear.

[mikerr]

I'll be watching the outcome of this with interest.....

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=75665


Michael

[PlanetMan]

Oliver

I am sorry to learn of your experience but at least console yourself that you didn't spend big money in the shop. A lot of the time "warranties" aren't worth anything as they are just hype to make a sale and are not genuinely honoured as you have found out the hard way.

Whereas I might spend $300 on a single TV eyepiece I have absolutely no doubt that Bintel (or a Tak part from AEC) will honour the 5 year warranty - it really is a matter of pride to them as well as the manufacturers they represent.

Ironically, the best endorsement of these products is that I have never had a defective/warranty issue ever. It is a totally different paradigm and ethic with stores peddling the mass produced Chinese stuff as they probably aren't genuinely expecting repeat custom such as what you get with TV and Tak gear.

Although we all like to seek a bargin in astronomy the expression 'you get what you pay for" generally holds true. I also think the "quality not quantity" expression important. Finally, with respect bad service and questionable operators the expression "answer with your feet" (i.e. go elsewhere and never return) the best way to approach things.

[lolthrash]

It's quite bizarre as besides the dodgy eyecups on the binos (which are now fine, as Andrews replaced them) and the dodgy brass nut, the actual optics appear to be (in my limited experience with things like this) really quite excellent, they're great to use and the images I see are very sharp. Just a real shame that they had to treat me like that, quite undeserved I feel

[Jom]

Hmm this thread makes the decision even harder! I've heard from a number of sources that Andrews won't honour warranties easily and "grey" import their telescopes... which is why they're so cheap. I was almost certain I wasn't going to buy my first scope through them until I saw the overwhelming support for the business in this thread. Argh!

[lolthrash]

You should be fine, as long as nothing at all goes wrong with your purchase :lol::rolleyes:

[mithrandir]

I have had one warranty claim with Andrews. They shipped my mount to Brisbane, had it repaired (motherboard replaced) and back in about a week. When a part that was supposed to be included in a shipment from the US was not in the container, they had it airfreighted.

Andrew

[SMan]

I've spoken with a couple of people at Andrews for advice and purchase of binoculars and was very happy with the service, particularly as I'm a beginner. That was a couple years ago though, could be dealing with different person(s) now.

Cheers,
H

[lolthrash]

sounds like you spent more than me ;)

[casstony]

[QUOTE=Jom;720740]Hmm this thread makes the decision even harder! I've heard from a number of sources that Andrews won't honour warranties easily and "grey" import their telescopes... which is why they're so cheap.QUOTE]

AFAIK only some of Andrews gear is grey import and it's only profitable if the Australian distributor has prices set excessively high. There's been somewhat of a David and Goliath battle been going on between Andrews and the Celestron Australia distributor.

It's best for Australian consumers if both Bintel and Andrews (and others) stay in business - we get more competition and more choice. On a side note there are two shops where I've had exceptional service and been offered more than I expected - Sirius Optics in Qld and Kokusai Kohki in Japan.

[Jeeps]

x2, i had issues with my Red Dot Finder and they wanted me to send it back which i did and they replaced it with a new one.

cheers

[lolthrash]

Really?
Well why the hell wasn't I treated the same, this is ridiculous...

[allan gould]

I have been following this thread and felt I must step in. I purchased a WO 80 mm triplet apo scope from Andrewscom. After unpacking and star testing I noticed astigmatism as well as a lot of false colour for an apo. Without hesitation Lee told me to ship the scope back and within a week I had a replacement which was perfect. No questions asked and Lee stood behind the product.
Also I had tested a certain brand of focal reducer/flattener to work with a certain refractor. Although it did work well with my SCT it did not work with the refractor. I shipped the optics back and my money was re-imbursed that day. I have purchased quite a few pieces both high and low end from Lee and never ever had a problem. I've found them clear NAND concise in their information and if they dont know the answer they say so up front.
From my experience, I would recommend them for their sales and service. They do stand behind their product and I am thinking of another major purchase and it will be from them in a few months.

[Logieberra]

A few observations...

I find it quite comforting to know that domestic astro suppliers are members of this forum, for example: Theo, Peter Ward etc (sorry if I missed others...). They maintain a healthy public profile, are significant contributors and are easily contactable. I don't know about you guys – but this openness and public accountability provides me with a great deal of assurance. Plus their products speak for themselves.

My question – are any Andrews staff members on this site? It may be in their interest to get on board and defend their position…

And out of interest, have any of you read Claude’s seller’s report on his AEC website: Some Dealers Do Get Them (http://members.ozemail.com.au/~aecclaudio/article3.htm). He provides some unique insights into the challenges of suppling to our community…

Food for thought…

Logie

[casstony]

I'm not sure that's a good idea. The best thing Andrews could do from a public relations point of view is sort the situation out to the customers satisfaction. "The customer is always right" is a concept that seems to have been lost in modern retailing.

Retailers and consumers all have our bad days and a conciliatory approach is a virtue for retailing I think.

[Moon]

That page is not new. I've always thought it gives more of an insight into AEC and how they operate to be honest.

With regard to Andrews, you have to give them credit for keeping an impressive stock level in the country.

James

[kitsuna]

I bought my first scope (10in Skywatcher BD dob) from Andrews. Excellent price, quick service, no fuss. couldn't be happier with it.

I've also dealt with Bintel for various things and am currently in the process of buying a WO Megrez 90 and mount via 2 other companies. One an Adelaide local, and another in QLD.

I haven't completed the transactions for the Megrez and mount yet, but I am starting to find a common theme about buying scopes from AU dealers.

Generally speaking, they're quite good, and back their products. The simple fact is; they have to.

As a community, amateur astronomers are relatively closely knit. These companies are all supplying to a relatively small, specialty group. So if they don't do it well, word gets around, and the damage done to their business can be significant.

It keeps 'em honest.

That's not to say that every transaction with every dealer is guaranteed to be perfect. Even the most reliable can occasionally have a hiccup. There's also the occasional dud dealer. But that's true of any industry.

Keep in mind, no matter who you buy through, local or interstate, there is always a risk, no matter how small, that you might get the sticky end of the stick in the event something goes wahoonie shaped. It's the nature of the beast.

To answer your initial question;

I've not bought from telescope.com.au, so I can't comment on how good/bad they are.

If it were me, I'd go thru andrewscomm simply because I've dealt with them before and had a good experience. The best way to do it is to call them up and place the order.

I do recommend you make sure you know EXACTLY what you need (including accessories, mounts bits and pieces) before you start. It's not that the guys from andrews can't help you set up a scope from scratch,

it's just better that you know what you need, rather than them trying to fill in the gaps for you. That's how mistakes CAN happen.

Good luck. :thumbsup:

[Jeeps]

But what about those times when the customer is wrong? :rofl:


BTW, i'm not having a go at the original poster of this thread - i don't know the situation personally ;)


cheers

[casstony]

If a retailer wants to maintain goodwill in their customer base and get repeat business then the customer is never wrong (unless the customer has outrageous expectations). Take this thread for example, even if the customer was wrong, how much would it have cost the shop to replace the item (or refund), maintain general goodwill and possibly get another telescope sale in future?

Stories about very good service (have I ever mentioned Sirius Optics:)) or very bad service spread equally well. I've never personally experienced very bad service in an aussie astro shop.

[scagman]

On those occasions you just have to let the customer think they're right,

The statement "The customer is always right" is from the customers persective, and should actually read
"The customer is never right, you just have to let them believe they are":lol: (Retailers persective)

John

[Jeeps]

:lol: :rofl: :D