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The Astronomy and nature centre, Whats happening ?


den12386

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The reason for trading under multiple names is historic, flags of convenience if you will, but the recent change to A10 Optical is simple I fear - they went bankrupt. A10 Optical is a phoenix company with two previous employees named as directors. thus the same staff, and the same stock. If they are honest they will honour warranties, but strictly speaking they can dodge them as they can claim the company that gave the warranty has gone out of business. Legal, but not moral if they do. A point to ponder is that their status as a restarted company may mean that suppliers will be wary of giving them stock or credit terms, which may mean they could take your order and struggle to fulfil it. I sincerely hope not as when I have visited them and dealt with David & Robert face to face they could not be more helpful or accommodating.

Regarding Astro-Engineering, this is just another Astronomy and Nature Centre brand name that Robert Dalby used - the products (all very good I may say) are actually manufactured by Paragon Precision Engineering to order of Robert as his paid suppliers. They are based on the same industrial estate as their old warehouse. I know their directors John Kent and Gary Mayes personally, as I supply them with CNC machine tools. Please do not contact them regarding Astro Engineering product. They are only the manufacturers of the product, not Astro-Engineering.

Since I wrote this post, and have got my replacement binoculars back from A10 Optical (thanks guys), It has come to my attention that there are a number of factual inaccuracies in my above post, and I wish to rectify/clarify here:

Astronomy and Nature Centre did not go bankrupt - rather the business was sold on to the new company (A10 Optical) which explains the ongoing relationship with the website etc.

Astro Engineering is going strong as an independent company, (It was not a brand of AN&C) still producing its products - Hooray! - as they make excellent quality equipment, and the range of products are still available from good astronomy suppliers, including A10 Optical.

A salutary lesson to us all to check our facts before posting! Apologies to fellow Stargazers Lounge members for being the unwitting source of misinformation.

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Just like to say that I've bought all my kit from "S 'n' S" and never had a problem in four years of purchasing from them.

Hopefully the new shop will be open soon and they get back on track , there are too few outlets as it is.

Like you Steve, I used buy quite a bit from them and to regularly drop in to the old premises, David & Robert looked after me, and have found nothing but good service face to face. That's my personal experience, and the no-quibble way A10 Optical sorted out replacing my binoculars also bodes well for the future.

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Thanks for the update optical thrombosis. Where did you get the info of the astronomy and nature centre not going bankrupt. I did a check of them through "Company status" websites via Google and they report that they are in liquidation and have had meetings of creditors. Its all so confusing lol thats why I was hoping for some sort of offical word from them themselves through there youtube channel. There has been a new video uploaded this week from them reviewing the Skywatcher Skyhawk 114 and 1145p and Robert looks as if he is in new surroundings.

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Thanks for the update optical thrombosis. Where did you get the info of the astronomy and nature centre not going bankrupt. I did a check of them through "Company status" websites via Google and they report that they are in liquidation and have had meetings of creditors. Its all so confusing lol thats why I was hoping for some sort of offical word from them themselves through there youtube channel. There has been a new video uploaded this week from them reviewing the Skywatcher Skyhawk 114 and 1145p and Robert looks as if he is in new surroundings.

Ref your company check I also have checked and verified that the company was put into voluntary liquidation which is quite different to bankruptcy. The directors have decided to close the old company and sold on the websites etc to A10 Optical, a new company started up by ex-employees of A&NC. This is quite a normal procedure, and quite normal to manage the outstanding creditors. Note I said that I feared the company was in bankruptcy, not that I knew it was, but aware some might take my word as gospel, I made my clarification of the point above.

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As the old company was sold on to the new, does that mean warranties go with it?

Are creditors paid in full?

What was the purpose behind such a move?

Why do it?

It will make people suspicious of the motives behind what seems an odd maneouvre.

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As the old company was sold on to the new, does that mean warranties go with it?

Are creditors paid in full?

What was the purpose behind such a move?

Why do it?

It will make people suspicious of the motives behind what seems an odd maneouvre.

I can attest that warranties are NOT honoured.

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Seems likely then that they did not 'buy the company'... just the stock and none of the liabilities.

A classic commercial way of wiping the slate clean and restarting under another name.

Legal, but not really moral.

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I see there is a recent YouTube post on the Astronomy and Nature channel extolling the virtues of a SkyHawk 114 and an EQ1 mount. So that's still active and claims to be sponsored by SnS and Pulsar Optical. No mention if A10 though

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There are plenty of suppliers out there and the moral is if you buy anything use a credit card as you have recourse should you need it.

Plenty of business get in to difficulties are sold, liquidated and phoenix. It happens to big and small and while not great if you have a warranty or if you are a supplier it is just a fact of life.

Credit card, recourse

Debit card, cheque, cash no recourse

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  • 3 weeks later...

There are plenty of suppliers out there and the moral is if you buy anything use a credit card as you have recourse should you need it.

Plenty of business get in to difficulties are sold, liquidated and phoenix. It happens to big and small and while not great if you have a warranty or if you are a supplier it is just a fact of life.

Credit card, recourse

Debit card, cheque, cash no recourse

Unfortunately it's not as simple as that. My wife bought the binoculars at the beginning of last year but had an MS relapse which affected her vision and wasn't able to try them until September. That's when we discovered a problem with one of the prisms. SnS (AKA...ANC..A10 etc...) was just moving and she took them to the new business address to be repaired/replaced/refunded. They took the bins and then I couldn't get a word out of them for weeks. Finally chased them down and they told me they couldn't repair or replace and wouldn't refund because "they" hadn't sold them.

This beyond the period where an approach to the CC company would have worked. And of course I still haven't got the bins back so I can get them repaired.

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I would request the return of the bins in writing - sending by recorded mail - and tell them that if they fail to do so you will claim the cost of replacement from them through the Small Claims Court. Although they do not have a legal requirement to repair or replace them they do have to return them to you!

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  • 2 months later...

i ordered something from the astro boot over 9 days ago now, still not had anything delivered and they are not replying to emails? it just seems bad form in my book to not even reply to me :( as soon as i ordered the item it was removed from the astro boot, would like to hear other people's ventures with the company

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i ordered something from the astro boot over 9 days ago now, still not had anything delivered and they are not replying to emails? it just seems bad form in my book to not even reply to me :( as soon as i ordered the item it was removed from the astro boot, would like to hear other people's ventures with the company

I bought my scope from there as it had a half decent barlow offer at the time and bought one eyepiece from there too, but I have not used them since, that was earlier this year in May. I had no problems with the order process and delivery times, though the scope had clearly been knocked about, but to be fair that was unlikely their fault and down to the courier.

They'll answer the phones but ignore emails. I never got a reply to any of them, but were helpful on the phone. Also seems they really struggle to hold/update stock, many items are often not in stock I noticed. Don't think I'll use them in future now knowing about FLO and some others, unless they offer something I really want/need and cannot be got elsewhere.

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