Quote:
Originally Posted by bugeater
Help themselves?
The very fact the suggestion is that you should have to ring to check stock levels indicates a pretty serious deficiency in the retailer relative to most others out there. At least relative to the online retailers I've ever dealt with (which are mostly not in the astronomy space to be fair).
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+1
If you're going to have an internet store, you need to back it up with accurate real-time stock levels, and a prompt reply service indicating the order status, estimated time of delivery, etc. That's how shopping on the Internet is supposed to work, and if you can't get the basics right, don't expect customers who had a disappointing first experience to come back, because there are plenty of e-retailers who can get it right!
(By the way - this is not aimed at Bintel - I've made several very happy on-line purchases with them. However, one "bricks and mortar" telescope shop, whose location and identity I choose to not divulge, gave abysmal after-market service on a significant purchase - I won't be going back.)