Celestron via ebay

[DRCORTEX (Lance)]

Hi Guys,

I was wondering why an item ( new ) on EBay, was selling for some $500 more than a known Celestron dealer, so asked.

Their reason, was this dealer was no longer a recognised distributor of Celestron, and so, was able to offer the product, $500! less than them ( even when they sold via EBay! ).

The down side, being a non-authorised Celestron dealer, it had to be shipped off to Qld if any repairs were required, and covered under "shop", not "dealer" warantee.

Can anyone comment on this, experiences, etc?
I think a few know who we are talking about. Scared to buy an EQ6 Celestron mount, have hassles, then wonder where I stand

Cheers

DOC

[Waxing_Gibbous (Peter)]

You pays your money etc etc.
The term "Authorised Dealer" is such a scam!
YOU can be an authorised dealer providing you agree to buy 'X' amount of scopes a year. Both good and bad. But there you have it. And the market here is pretty much cornered.

All Synta stuff (Orion, Skywatcher, Tasco, Saxon, Celestron, etc) & Meade and iOptron are all imported by "Extravision" who charge about a 1/3 to a 1/2 more than the equipment would cost you in the US, Canada or the rest of Australasia.
Is it worth it for the warranty? Hmmmnnn.
Probably yes.
Most buyers will find no fault with their gear, but these are complex, massed-produced items and quality control means inspecting maybe one in 50 or 100. Enough people seem to have to make claims on serious defects that you are pretty much taking a punt if you go the 'unauthorised' route. Apparently the service is quite good, though its also good abroad and they don't pay the 'OzTax'.
However; top-rate second hand from a reputable dealer in the US or Canada is a good option as even with shipping, GST & duty you can save as much as $2000 dollars over new. I almost bought a 2 month old CPC1100 from a Canadian dealer for 3900AU$ - scope, shipping duty/GST, everything all-in. But someone beat me to it.
If your imported equipment does go south, you're in no worse shape than if you'd bought unauthorised - you'd still have to send it to a dealer who could do the repairs for cash. But you'd still probably save some dosh.
Just my aggrevated opinion.

[DRCORTEX (Lance)]

They are certainly things to think over. Think I will ponder for just a little longer. Checked out Astromart, nothing, zilch. Even considered an equitorial dob wedge, but thinking about it carefully, it seemed that the wedge was actually calibrated to a specific setting for your particualr scope/location, so thought, it a stopgap.

No, have to wait for the right thing, right price, and when something like a few grand, takes a big slice out of your budget, well, have to know exactly what I need.

Cheers

DOC

[mithrandir (Andrew)]

Originally Posted by Waxing_Gibbous

All Synta stuff (Orion, Skywatcher, Tasco, Saxon, Celestron, etc) & Meade and iOptron are all imported by "Extravision" who charge about a 1/3 to a 1/2 more than the equipment would cost you in the US, Canada or the rest of Australasia.

I was told Extravison lost Celestron last year, and the new importers had an even bigger markup. Don't know about the other brands.

Even so, Extravison fixed my ASGT mount a month ago.

[dannat (Daniel)]

some of the ebay telescope dealers are just sharks - trying to flog stuff for more than retail

[mswhin63 (Malcolm)]

Ebay has cornered the market online which is becoming more preferred way of buying. Other auction site are having trouble lifting off the ground and some seller utilise this market and can easily market higher than normal.
More educated buyer like all here have the knowledge to know that something is not right.
I will use Ebay myself but am very selective and will carry out a lot of background research to determin if the price is right for the product.

A recent example was a set of Meade ultrawides, I saw them selling used for $1700 buy now, yet i could purchace them from the US for less than $1500. But they have been sold and it happens.

[DRCORTEX (Lance)]

Totally agree - buyer beware.

If you get ripped off, it's essentially your fault for not doing the research.

EBay, like a typical storefront, is not there to give you the sale of the century, it does happen, but you must know exactly what you are looking at

Cheers

DOC

[Zaps]

Originally Posted by mswhin63

Ebay has cornered the market online which is becoming more preferred way of buying. Other auction site are having trouble lifting off the ground and some seller utilise this market and can easily market higher than normal.
More educated buyer like all here have the knowledge to know that something is not right.

Over in NZ, eBay isn't even a close second to Trade Me, the local online auction house. I often scan the Trade Me listings in case there could be something worth picking up next visit. I see a couple of Kiwi online "dealers" trying to sell stuff at whackjob margins. One guy was offering the 12" LX200-R (from when 2005?) in an "unopened box condition" for more than twice the price US dealers are selling the current ACF version. And that was currency adjusted. No sales I've ever seen for him but I guess that's because the market is small and specialized and those who are looking know a rip-off when they see one. Not too many genuine bargains to be had and you have to be darn quick when they do occasionally show up! So I agree, there are lots of sharks and too many people who assume that if it's in an online auction it must be a better price than retail.