OzScopes Query

[Waxing_Gibbous (Peter)]

OK. I don't want to dis them unfairly as I hear they give good customer service but....why buy from them?

They bill themselves as a "discount" dealer yet from what I can see, they are more expensive than everyone else!
For example: a 12" Skywatcher go-to dob at OzScopes is $2743
At Staroptics - $2699
At Myastro - $2375
and
At Andrews - $2199!

They seem to be more expensive on just about every other scope as well.
Even Bintel is cheaper for Celestron stuff.
Am I missing something?
Are there secret pages you have to sign into, to access with cheaper prices?
Or do they just discount off 'RRP' (which everyone does anyway)?

[stephenb (Stephen)]

I check their website from time to time, and I have always come to the same conclusion as yourself. If their website prices are accurate, they are certainly not the cheapest in town for many products.

[OICURMT]

$1899 at BTOW? Same model?????????

http://btow.com.au/Skywatcher_Goto_1...from_Australia

[Jules76 (Julian)]

I've gone there from time to time, but never actually purchased anything because everytime I've gone there for an item it's been higher then anywhere else. So I really can't see them getting any business from me any time soon.

[FlashDrive (Poppy)]

I have looked at their prices .... " way too excessive " .
They advertise " best price guarantee " ... but they are dearer ...?

Don't get it ... !!

If you want your $'s to go further Peter .... I'd try shopping elsewhere.

Flash

[asimov (John)]

Yeah. I concur with the others here. Discounters..

[Ivan Lim]

Hi Everyone,

My name is Ivan. I'm part of the team at OZScopes. I thought I would reply to the thread to help give some clarity around the questions being asked.

I completely understand that many experienced astronomers (such as yourselves ) do a lot of research around specific telescopes you are interested in buying, and search for the best prices.

Unfortunately we have such a large range of products (telescopes, binoculars etc) that making sure every product has the very best market price, compared to all our competitors, is very difficult to do. Sometimes we are able to see their price changes but many times it can slip under the radar.

To help with this, we do offer a best price guarantee on all products. This means if a customer finds the same product at a better price from another official retailer, we are happy to work on matching that price to make sure you get the best deal.

For the dobsonian telescope that you mentioned Peter (http://www.ozscopes.com.au/skywatche...telescope.html) the reason why that telescope is at such a high price is because the telescope was a limited stock item which we sold out for in December 2010. Last year SkyWatcher brought in a limited quantity of this telescope and asked us how many we would like to order. We decided to order 1. That sold out on the 13th of December at a price of $2049. When the product was sold our system defaulted back to a non-sale price which is why it appears so high and it is also out of stock because we don't have any quantity to sell.

As for the Celestron Products, do you mind elaborating further on which telescopes you were referring to?
We are 1 of only 3 Premier Select Celestron dealers in Australia so I'm sure we can work on pricing if you're interested in a specific scope.

I hope this brings some clarity around our pricing. We actually don't advertise ourselves as being big discounters. We try to focus on quality customer service. But in the scenario that someone finds a better price we do have that guarantee I mentioned earlier.

Cheers everyone

[smitty (Sean)]

I think it is good that we see the vendors side for a change

Sean.

[oosh (Jason)]

Definitely Sean! And thanks for jumping on here and sharing this Ivan, it's certainly good to know!

[UniPol]

Originally Posted by Ivan Lim

.........To help with this, we do offer a best price guarantee on all products. This means if a customer finds the same product at a better price from another official retailer, we are happy to work on matching that price to make sure you get the best deal........

Couldn't be fairer than that, afterall this is what many retailers do here in Australia e.g. Harvey Norman, Myers, Grace Brothers, Bing Lee et al.

[rigeljames (James)]

And now

http://btow.com.au/dobsonian_telesco...from_australia

[Visionoz (Bill)]

Originally Posted by Ivan Lim

...

Unfortunately we have such a large range of products (telescopes, binoculars etc) that making sure every product has the very best market price, compared to all our competitors, is very difficult to do. Sometimes we are able to see their price changes but many times it can slip under the radar.

To help with this, we do offer a best price guarantee on all products. This means if a customer finds the same product at a better price from another official retailer, we are happy to work on matching that price to make sure you get the best deal.
...
Cheers everyone

So Ivan

Does this then mean that if someone surfs your website and makes a purchase without asking for a better price that they would pay the "full price" instead (which slipped past your radar and therefore its price was not "competitively" updated/posted on your website in a timely fashion) and that your company would not advise the customer after they had committed to a purchase that the item actually was much cheaper than stated on the website?

Cheers
Bill

[stephenb (Stephen)]

Thank you Ivan for responding the thread . It is certainly good to hear from a retailer in this competitive market. However in my opinion, your prices have always consistently been the most expensive I have found on the internet for years. I believe it's more of a case of cornering the slice of the market is not aware of cheaper prices at other retailers. But at the end of the day, that is what a free market is all about and the consumer intimately decides who stays in business and who doesn't.

Thank goodness for forums such as IIS who are able to spread the word on the best deals, opinions and advice.

Regards,
Stephen

[Visionoz (Bill)]

After Ivan's last post (no pun intended!) no response to my query

Strange ... silence on the western front ... no more replies from Ivan, wonder why?

Cheers
Bill

[oosh (Jason)]

Maybe he doesn't get email notifications of topic replies?

[gbeal]

And maybe he has decided to just let anyone who reads the post make their own minds up, without continually having to answer each and every question.
It is a small community, and word soon gets round, the dealers (or private sellers for that matter) that are best avoided soon get known.
I was impressed by his up front answer, not that I buy too much from Oz based dealers anyway. At least he answered.
Gary

[stephenb (Stephen)]

Yes, since this thread was started I have received enough information through PM's, together with my observations of their prices, to form the opinion that I will not buy from them.

Regards,
Stephen

[UniPol]

Originally Posted by Visionoz

After Ivan's last post (no pun intended!) no response to my query

Strange ... silence on the western front ... no more replies from Ivan, wonder why?

Cheers
Bill

He might have come down with the flu, it is the season you know, simple as that

[Giorgio]

I'm checking many online shops and as well as you I concluded ozScope displayed prices are the highest in Australia.

Moreover, I never got the message, visiting their pages, that they would be available to match the average prices one can find elsewhere.

I'm pleased to hear they are available to match prices offered by other business who get supplied by the official distributor, but as highlighted previously, I feel uncomfortable with this marketing approach.

It doesn't give me any reasons to waste my time in contacting them for finding a deal, because I perceive their pretended discounted prices, against unrealistic RRPs, a wrong customer service. As suggested previously by another member of this forum, the advantage here belongs only to OzScope, which I assume very unlikely will suggest to their unaware customers prices lower than those published on their website.

I'm new to this hobby, but I'm sure that as well as all hobby driven markets, core customers tend to spend quite a bit and not just at Christmas and most importantly tend to buy from business they can trust, even if it will not be the best price.

So, till they will not apply a more transparent pricing policing, which I can trust, I will not only avoiding shopping from them, but if asked for, I will suggest to look elsewhere.

My 2 cents
Giorgio

[Visionoz (Bill)]

Originally Posted by oosh

Maybe he doesn't get email notifications of topic replies?

Well Ivan did reply to the post first of his own volition and gave all that explanation on behalf of his company so I don't see why I should not expect another response from him since I asked a very pertinent question in regards to his premise that it is his company's policy to give better prices or match prices if a buyer compares - BUT my query is what if a customer doesn't know - probably being a newbie etc - then would his company tell the buyer that the posted price is much higher and give that customer the benefit of the "best price"?

Originally Posted by gbeal

And maybe he has decided to just let anyone who reads the post make their own minds up, without continually having to answer each and every question.
...
I was impressed by his up front answer, not that I buy too much from Oz based dealers anyway. At least he answered.
Gary

Well I was impressed at first too - but then I thought - Hey! What if...?
Can't see anything wrong IMO in asking since he is so forthcoming in the first instance

Originally Posted by UniPol

He might have come down with the flu, it is the season you know, simple as that

Yep, Steve I can accept that it's as simple as that - and let's wait and see if an answer is forthcoming or not - of course if none is given then that's his prerogative

Cheers
Bill