John Cross, Celestron Business Development Manager for Asia- Pacific, has contacted me and asked that I include some information in this thread that he has provided directly. He has been monitoring this thread, and the previous one I assume, and wanted to clarify a few things concerning Celestron Australia and his role. Of course there is no reason that John could not join the conversation here on IIS, I am very leary of getting in the middle of things and indicated that to John. Never the less, as a one off I am publishing the contents of an email that John has provided to me for this purpose.
Here is what John has asked to be added to this tread:
"I have noted your comment on Ice In Space, and the replies it has solicited. I am hard pressed for time, however, owing to the apparent confusion regarding our operations here, I thought that I would take the time to provide you with some additional information, as you may like to add it to the thread to help clarify matters for Ice In Space members.
I am more than happy for my email address,
jcross@celestron.com to be provided to all and sundry, however, I do so on the proviso that it is understood that I’m not in a customer support role, and not always able to respond in a timely manner. My role is to manage Celestron’s business across the Asia Pacific region, and not simply Australia, so my day is generally long and filled with a multitude of tasks that keep me incredibly busy.
Should a Celestron customer experience any problem, then I would suggest that they contact their local retailer as the first port of call. Matters that are not able to be resolved by the retailer, may be directed to Celestron Support (via the support link on our website).
Celestron’s authorised retailer network consists of:
Australian Geographic
Bintel
Optics Central
Sirius Optics
At this time, and for the foreseeable future, we intend on only supplying the above companies. These companies were selected as they all provide great support and service, have a good understanding of the products they sell, and do what they can to ensure that Celestron’s customers are provided with the best possible experience. They are also prepared to have a good supply of our products in stock, allowing you to buy your product in store and take it home with you on the day (or a few days later if purchased online). Australian Geographic have stores across the country, and our other retailers are located in the three most populous states in Australia; NSW, QLD and VIC, so we have broad coverage.
Specialist stores globally are in decline, so I am doing what I can to help sustain these outlets in Australia, as I feel that they provide the astronomy community with invaluable product knowledge and personalised service. Now, with the removal of the previous distributor, we have some of the best pricing on Celestron products globally. Pricing was the number one issue that Australian consumers would raise as a concern with Celestron’s products. With the changes we have made, I now feel that these concerns have been allayed.
I should also mention that Celestron has sponsored, and I have personally attended, many astronomy related events in the past 18 months since being employed by Celestron directly, and I plan to continue doing so. At these events, I am always prepared to answer questions and assist Celestron customers in any way that I can. I can generally be found under a Celestron branded marquee, so I’m definitely not in hiding!
Parts can be ordered at any of the authorised retailers mentioned above. If a part number is not known, I recommend providing a detailed description and if possible, a photo. Many parts are held in Australia, however, at times we need to order in from head office or the factory, which can take time.
Goods purchased through the authorised retailer network will be provided with a warranty as outlined here:
http://www.celestron.com/support/warranties
The Celestron website also provides the length of the warranty on the individual product page. Simply use the search button to find your product by name or model number, and at the bottom right of the page you will find the warranty that we provide. The CGX comes with a 2-Year Warranty for your reference.
I am personally responsible for managing the warranty process in Australia, and can assure you that it is taken very seriously. If you have a manufacturer’s fault with an item purchased from an authorised retailer, you will be supported for the entire warranty period. Beyond that time, we will do all that we can to support customers with any problem that they may have with their Celestron product.
I would be happy to have Peter (Stardrifter_WA) contact me, or if you can provide me with his telephone number, I’d happily give him a call. It would seem that he purchased his telescope around six years ago, as York Optical have been closed for about that long, so I expect his telescope is not under warranty. However, as previously mentioned, I am more than willing to help him find a satisfactory resolution for the problem he is experiencing.
In short Glen, I am very proud to work for Celestron, the world’s number one telescope manufacturer, and I will do all that I can to make sure that our reputation is also number one. The best way to do this is to sell great products at the best possible price and providing the best possible service. I believe that we are doing a pretty good job of this. However, there is always room for improvement, so I am always prepared to listen to constructive feedback.
On a parting note, we do not supply steak knives with our goods, however, having worked at S&H, I know the brand manager for Global Knives so might be able to help in this regard too!
Should you have any questions, comments, or require clarification on anything I have outlined above, please feel free to drop me a line."
Kind regards
John Cross
Business Development Manager – Asia Pacific
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui...3228&zw&atsh=1
e-mail: jcross@celestron.com
web: www.celestron.com