Quote:
Originally Posted by BlackWidow
Well still sticking to my guns... I agree you get what you pay for, unless its stolen or a gift  .. However we all expect the item will work, and competition forces manufactures to compete on equal ground for the better share of the market.. It's fair to assume when it comes to Meade and Celestron this situation is fierce, and like products are pretty much the same. I think they both make great products and no matter what you have, you have got some good gear. In fact better than most pro's had only a few birthdays back. We live in a great time!
But once they have got your money the measure is at what level that your purchse was appreciated. Having had problems with products from both Celestron and Meade the proof for me was simple.. Celestron has a distributor here in Australia. They have many parts and can repair onsite. However Meade does not. Parts are hard to get and need to be shipped from the USA. Been waiting 7 months for a part for my hand controller (still waiting). Meade use dealers to give us the support and some are next to useless (not all). The dealer here in my state know less than I do and i'm new to the game. He is a Camera Dealer and that's what I think he's best at, but Meade are happy with him. You are not even able to get past the dealers with Meade and contact them as they have NO E-Mail contact, co's talking with your Customers is just to hard and Expensive. Total loss of of contact with the most important part of your business and market research tool.
I don't get newsletters or product updates from Meade, but I do from Celestron. It seems one company values their customer base better than another, and that alone leads me to a no 1 rating for Celestron.
Just remember I own mainly Meade products, but would think twice about it if I was to spend my money today. I don't want to be waiting months to get my scope up and running. I have been waiting 5 months for my 1220 Field De-Rotator to be replaced under warranty back from Meade, and they still don't have any stock to replace it.. Sigh!
Best Price?
Best Features? (Hmmm sometimes)
Best overall value for my money? (Wins Every Time)
We Meade to see better customer support here in Australia!
You have made me vent again 
Mardy
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As a couple have suggested, try Bintel. Although they are a lot further away than the dealer in Adelaide, who, by the way, IS useless, you will get much better service. I order all my stuff from the eastern states now because of this problem. Even the dealer on Henley Beach Rd, who is knowledgable, has never got anything in stock and is way too dear.