Dissapointed with GSO 12" I bought recently from Andrews

[davidpretorius]

Nightshift,

Mine is 6 months old, has been left outside all night on say 60 occassions and has been used with dew streaming down it over at least 12 times.

No signs of rust. For the amount you have used it, talk to Lee and bring it to his attention straight away. If you were using it flat out like Mike and myself and after 12 months, you got the problems, then i would say fair wear and tear, but not 3 months and small usage.

Don't go in boots and all with lee, just state the facts and ask him directly but nicely "what can he do about it".

Don't accuse him or threaten him with any consumer stuff. I hope it can be sorted out with the first phone call. If however you don't succeed from being nice but firm, then that is what consumer rights and mediation courts are for.

Hopefully it does not come to that.

Good luck mate.

have a great xmas

Originally Posted by acropolite

I note that you list your location as "Sunshine Coast". My kids bikes were fine until we took them to the coast for the holiday break. Within days of returning there were rust spots everywhere. If you are within a few Kms of the salt water this would explain the more rapid than usual rusting....

That's a very good point!

regards,CS

Hands up all those that would accept their car getting rust spots within the first couple of years, let alone the first couple of months. Not this little black duck. GS just have to lift their game, from the dobs I have seen they must make their ota's out of used coke cans, the metal is that thin, and any surface rust that may appear will surely go right through in very quick time. Tis no good having a car with a F1 engine that goes like the clappers, if the rest of it rots away. Just my .02c worth

[rmcpb (Rob)]

I would just give Andrews a ring and discuss the problem instead of getting all tied up in knots first. My dealings with Lee have all been good and fair so there is a good chance that he will come to the party, after all the amount of use for the rust is a bit of a worry. Mine is getting a few rust marks on it now but, boy, its had some real weather on it for a fairly long period now. I an starting to think a nice gold coloured tube on a mango colured mount will look great

Originally Posted by Exfso

Hands up all those that would accept their car getting rust spots within the first couple of years, let alone the first couple of months. Not this little black duck. GS just have to lift their game, from the dobs I have seen they must make their ota's out of used coke cans, the metal is that thin, and any surface rust that may appear will surely go right through in very quick time. Tis no good having a car with a F1 engine that goes like the clappers, if the rest of it rots away. Just my .02c worth

I think that is a lil unfair for a comparison, to have a car properly
repainted can cost you several thousand $$$ and comes in up to 40
layers where as OTA get the wif of the spray gun as it comes past.
To paint an OTA similar to a car would probably put $200.00 on the price.

Dont think car manufacturers are any different. A mate of mine an auto-
transmisson mechanic told me a few years back he was working on one
of the latest Audi at the time. The owner had also requested someone look
at a problem he was having with a door, When my mate pulled the door
cover off and there for all to view was a Europa label. His $70,000.00 car
was made from old oil 44's.

regards,CS

[iceman (Mike)]

So many people with the same dobs, some people with rust and some without.

Rob probably summed up why:

It probably started when the steal was still sitting in the yard waiting to be turned into an OTA tube at the factory. And they probably painted straight over it

So luck of the draw with how long your tube was sitting outside before GSO painted it, combined with where you live (salt water spray), probably means you'll get rust.

I was only using the car as an example. Nothing to do with costs, just the principle of the thing. To me it is just a result of keeping costs down, and subsequently the paint finish is kept to an ABSOLUTE minimum, quite possibly they only give the metal one finishing coat and no primer, and that is wafer thin, also possibly painted on to metal that is not properly prepared. It all depends what one is prepared to put up with. I know that as I get older, I refuse to put up with inferior stuff and will always return same to the manufacturer/reseller for replacement/repair. As an example, I recently purchased a new plasma TV, it was replaced twice before I decided enough was enough, in the end I got another brand because the original was garbage, ( it was an expensive 1024x1024 102cm unit, supposedly one of the best brands ).
If a product is inferior, it is in your own and every future purchasers best interest to make it known to the manufacturer so that they can, if they want to stay in business, correct the problems. If they are not made aware that there are problems, how can they fix them. It is all about feedback, and the same goes for positive feedback, credit should be given where it is due also.

[ving (David)]

gee whiz!

ok, IMHO people shouldnt start bagging out astro stores unless they have at least tried contacting them. this is the second time i have seen andrews bagged out when the bagger hasnt even bothered contacting lee first. If lee wont do anything about it and it is clearly his fault (ie you house your metal tubed OTA indoors and try to keep the corosion inducing salty dew off it) then by all means bag him out.

you have a cheap steel tubed OTA and you live by the sea and the scope gets left outside..... 1+1= rust.

[ving (David)]

Originally Posted by Exfso

I was only using the car as an example. Nothing to do with costs, just the principle of the thing. To me it is just a result of keeping costs down, and subsequently the paint finish is kept to an ABSOLUTE minimum, quite possibly they only give the metal one finishing coat and no primer, and that is wafer thin, also possibly painted on to metal that is not properly prepared.

my astra comes with a 10 year rust-free warranty, hyundais do not.

If a product is inferior, ....

then you get what you pay for. $1k is cheap for a 12" OTA, if i payed $10k and it rusted i'd be worried

[Striker (Tony)]

I suppose it's all about perspective.

They are a very well priced Dob.

Either way I wouldn't be happy if my OTA started to rust out of the box no mater how much I payed.

Originally Posted by Striker

I suppose it's all about perspective.

They are a very well priced Dob.

Either way I wouldn't be happy if my OTA started to rust out of the box no mater how much I payed.

I guess your right, I just think complaining about a lil rust, is a bit like
complaining to GSO that their mirrors aren't hand figured too. You get what
you pay for. Lets face it some of us cant spend the thousands to get
the top of the line stuff, where things like rust aren't an issue. So be thankful
there are companies like the GSO's SkyWatcher, Saxon's....etc...etc...
willing to bang out gear at a reasonable cost so we all can enjoy the
heavens above.

However, I personally do think it's a lil unlucky to have it rusting so
soon. Mine pretty much did the same. At least it looks like a slow process
on mine anyways.

Edit Besides a telescope isn't for looking at, it's for looking through

regards,CS

[norm]

Ok, here's my 2 bobs worth!

1. Go back to the dealer and see what he can/is willing to do about it. If it seems a lost cause, maybe suggest he contact Guang Sheng and at least mention to them next time about quality control in reference to the paint coatings etc.
2. Guang Sheng have their own website http://www.gs-telescope.com/
Maybe even drop an email to them - sure they may not even respond, but then again they may.

If I were the manufacturer or even Dealer and knowing the power of the internet and these forums, I would do my best to come to the party in resolving the issue. Lets face it, if its costs approx $800 to buy, think how little the cost it would be to make, probably no more than $100.
If word gets around that they make decent optics, but average chassis/finishes some may start to think twice abt grabbing one.
Unfortunately as mentioned 99% of the dobs come from the same manufacturer - hmmm maybe that defeats my argument.

Failing all that as Mike said, either live with the rust or try removing it and then putting another coat of paint on it. Better still what about using some sticky contact paper with a nice floral pattern. Sorry I shouldn't make light of an annoying problem, especially when you've parted with some good bucks.

It definitely sounds like the salt air has something to do with it and/or unfortunately you happen to just get a bad batch on the production line.

Good luck with the outcome. Will be interesting to know what happens.

Norm.

[SCO]

I know of half a dozen purchased & in use in Tasmania and to date I have not heard any complaints re-this problem.

It is not a retailler problem but one of the manufacturer of the scopes in question. I would suggest contacting the retailler who supplied the scope and give them the opportunity to investigate the problem with his supplier - and do this before 'bagging' a retailler in a public forum, which is really bad manners! Give them a chance to sort the problem please. Tis the season of goodwill to all men - and telescope suppliers.

Seasons Greetings to All from the
Southern Cross Observatory - Tasmania

[ving (David)]

SCO
welcome aboard

[janoskiss (Steve H)]

Dave made an excellent point. If someone has a problem with something they bought from a registered dealer (or privately even), it's probably a good idea to talk to the seller first before posting about it here. After all, they are the one most likely to be able to help.

The thread title did ring alarm bells for me. But like Mike pointed out, this is a problem with these Dobs in general, so singling out one dealer is not fair.

I had my 8" GS Dob for nearly a year now and there's been rust on the OTA for at least 4-5 months now. It is not something I have given much thought though. If it bothered me I would just treat the rust with something, and rub something hydrophobic on the OTA (respray is too much work). Sending it back would be too much hassle.

[g__day (Matthew)]

Check your warranty, check with a consumer watch dog what fit for use means in this context, contact Andrews see what they will do.

Now if you get no joy from a retailer and Trade Practices demands "fit for use" under sections 52 and 54, you might be able to claim relief under these protection. Even more so if you purchased the scope using a credit card; then you have 90 - 120 days to repudiate a payment for any of the following reasons - you didn't order these goods, the goods weren't delivered, the goods were not of the kind or quality specificed, the goods are not fit for sale under Australian law. Then its between your credit card provider and the merchant to sort things out.

That is a final and strong protect all users of the Australian payments system should be aware of. Even if the scope says "not for outdoor use" section 52 can unwind unreasonable caveats to a suppliers warranty.

Good luck, let us know how the merchant addresses your concern.

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

I don't know if Nightshift will see this for a week or two as he is out in the boondocks, maybe with0ut internet connection. So I'll just clarify a something here on his behalf.

Sunshine Coast - salt spray. Not really an issue unless its blowing about 200 km/hr. We live about 10-15 km in a straight line from the coast. (I live just around the corner from NS) His Dob is never left outside but takes pride of place in his lounge room, so general exposure is not an issue.

I"ve not seen his dob for a few weeks now in daylight, but I do know that there was surface rust where it had been resting against the packing material when he removed it from the carton.

Just background info

[ving (David)]

ahh i see
nothing quite like a scope that takes pride of place in the lounge wish mine could but the cats would get to it.

He really needs to contact andrews next tho

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

M T 2

[ving (David)]

Originally Posted by [1ponders]

M T 2