Scopes N Skies

[Xunil]

I telephoned Pulsar optical today and spoke to very nice woman. It has taken 7 phone calls to get someone to pick up and when I did get through I had the same conversation that someone else had above ( obviously the dates and order numbers were different ) It is scary how little they care!

The nice lady has no idea where my order is and has promised to email me at work tomorrow. I will try not to hold my breath!

The phone is answered as the astronomy and nature center so my advice is to avoid like the plague any of those company's operating there unless you can actually go in person and take your goods home yourself.

Luke

It's just dawned on me, this is the same company. SnS answer the phone as the Astronomy & Nature Centre. The websites are identical too - and this may be where the stock issues arise if they both take from the same stock "pool" but run two tallies. Of course, this is pure conjecture, I havn't really a clue what they do (and I'm fairly sure it's the same story when you work there too). Why run two identical companies with identical websites and answer the telephone as a third is beyond me.

[centroid]

It does seem to be a case of 'pot luck' with regards getting good or bad service from Scopes & Skies, and it does help if the item is actually in-stock.

I can only speak from personal experience, but on the two occassions that I have dealt with them, I did so via the telephone and spoke to James, who was very helpful indeed. In both instances, my order was with me the next day.

I could be wrong of course, but I suspect that the 'bulk' of their business is in selling Binoculars and Spotting Scopes to the Bird Watching fraternity, with astronomy playing 'second fiddle' to this.

A shame really, as they have some very useful astro items, at reasonable cost.

Dave

[Macavity]

I think ALL dealers have managed to "dissappoint me" at some time or other - to varying degrees. EXCEPT for Rother Valley Optics - I sense a SNIFF of a sale rings a bell on their terminal or something? [LOL] But all credit to t'lads (and lass) across the pennines from this "Lancy Lad" by adoption. They even AUTOMATICALLY refunded a double payment, recently, when (I suspect) my BANK's server stopped talking to their online payment system...

But perhaps not a bad model for others?

[rikyuu]

Well I did get my refund from Pulsar Optical (aka the Astronomy and Nature centre) after 13 days, but the delivery wasn't refunded and neither was my return postage (totalling £7) even though the product was described incorrectly on the website and I was told about it incorrectly. The hassle of trying to get the remainder refunded far outweights the £7. Suffice to say I'll be going elsewhere in the future.

[part timer]

I spoke to Pulsar again and this time they told me one Item was 'expected' in 7-10 days. I ordered it 1 month ago! The other item it turns out has always been in stock and no idea why it wasn't sent a month ago :?. It has supposedly been sent 2 days ago (still no Sign of it). I have a feeling i wont see the 7-10 day item soon!

Luke

[Dippus]

January 2007 i ordered an antares 80mm and 2 mounting rings. Had a job to do in Chile over the Easter , so i thought it would be a good grab and go for them lovely clear Chilean skies.

Waited a week , phoned up.

"It's been lost in the post"

"OK , i'll have the tracking number and try to sort it"

"ermmm its lost and it was the last in stock"

Few e-mails and calls later , nothing arrived. Got to 10 days before i was due to set off , had a bit of a shout down the phone ( understatement ). Anyway they sent me a Williams Optics 80FD a couple of days later.

Not bad really Antares £249 WO 80FD £600+ . Yes i waited 10 weeks but a result all the same.

Oh yeah still waiting for the mounting rings though.....

On a side note ,i found my mount wouldn't fit in my suitcase , so i rang Rother Valley Optics and explained my problem a new mount arrived the next day. Whenever i order from them online , they RING ME to tell me if its out of stock and when the items will arrive. You can't beat them for service.

Money spent:

Scopes 'n' skies : £249

Rother Valley : Erm quite a lot. Speaks for itself really.

Mark

[part timer]

I bought my little mak from rother valley and the guy who runs it was very helpfull. not in stock so he ordered it and it was delivered to me in less than a week. I was very happy with the service.

Telescope house have blumming awful service but do at least supply the goods you order and try to inform you of availability etc.

Astronomica are possibly the most helpfull of all and bend over backwards to sort problems out. It is a pity that some of their kit has quality control issues.

David hinds are very reliable and always deliver on time. They also have a stock count of each item on their website which is great.

East of England binoculars were also helpful when My telescope was damaged in transit.

Of these none stocked the adapter I needed so I tried pulsar needless to say This will be their only custom from me!!

(by the way my 'on its way' Cheshire is still not here and my '7-10 'days adapter is still 7-10 days away!)

Luke

[Xunil]

Well still nothing.

I have a dispatch email dated the 14th (arrived after the call already listed) however nothing has turned up yet. Interestingly, I ordered a part for a domestic appliance on the 14th, and that arrived on the 16th using the same postage carrier/method s&s has used.

I rang them today and asked what was going on.

I got the usual run-around saying they will look into the issue and get back to me. I asked how and they said via email or phone, but there have been no phone calls while I was @ work and there's no email.

[part timer]

Same story here, money paid many phone calls, constant resurancesw that it 'should be on its way' no goods and no contact when they promise to phone or email.

luke

[Xunil]

Same story here, money paid many phone calls, constant resurancesw that it 'should be on its way' no goods and no contact when they promise to phone or email.

luke

To be honest I'm fed up enough with this to both make a complaint to trading standards and also contact watchdog (a trading standards television program on bbc for those out of the UK). I think that's how I'll spend my next day off.

[thing]

As Xunil says, hasn't anyone contacted Trading standards? I haven't any experience of the company, but I wouldn't be fobbed off by them. Mind you, I'm a bit bolshy when it comes to the parting with money/service equation.

[GazOC]

TBH waiting never bothers me. Theres only one time I've gotten annoyed and that was when an astro supplier confirmed they had the item in stock and ready to post, took my order and payment and then shut the shop the next day and went on holiday for 2 weeks....

[Xunil]

TBH waiting never bothers me. Theres only one time I've gotten annoyed and that was when an astro supplier confirmed they had the item in stock and ready to post, took my order and payment and then shut the shop the next day and went on holiday for 2 weeks....

I'm not too bothered about waiting - if they'd contacted me from the off and explained an issue then I wouldn't be so miffed. When I rang before I ordered they told me "in stock & usually next day" to summarise (see above).

That is very cheeky tho Gaz. Probably used your cash on the holiday

[GazOC]

Yep, I just thought they could have popped the eyepiece into a jiffy bag before flying off!! You should have seen my face when I phoned up to check the order status and got a recorded message saying they were on holiday two weeks......

[part timer]

Just to clear things up,

I dont mind if it takes ages to get something on order ,as an example I happily waited 2 months for telescope house to send my PST but this is diferent. This company has taken my orders and taken my money. They have then not bothered to send me the item which they have in stock, even after several telephone convesations in which they alternatly say either it will be sent tommorow or it was sent today. What they don't do is actually send it. Bear in mind it's been a month.

The other order is for a more specific item not widly held in stock so I was prepiared to wait a while. However I am 100% sure Pulsar optical would take my money and never even try to get the product if I did not phone on a daily basis. I am now begining to doubt that this item will be available at all (after doing some more investigating with other suppliers), however I know I'm going to have another absolute nightmare getting my money refunded. This is just not right. It is effectivley attempted theft. I have oredered from many suppliers and never been treated this badly.

Luke

[GazOC]

Luke, when I said I didn't mind waiting it wasn't a criticism of those who do mind waiting, you've paid your money and you are entitled to your item, it was just how I look at that type of situation. I may send a couple of prodding Emails but generally I just take an "it'll be here when it's here" attitude, but thats just me personally.

[part timer]

Sorry,

I wasn't being argumentitive , I'm just having a rant . Just cheered up as the 9mm Planetary eyepiece I ordered from modern astronomy two days ago has arrived ( about five minutes ago ) and is now sitting in my mak looking at a blackbird on a tv arial across the street.

Luke

[GazOC]

Bern doesn't hang about ,does he?

[part timer]

Neither do I. I've already updated my profile

[SteveL]

2 days for a delivery from Bern? That has to be a new slowest record for him

[bern]

2 days for a delivery from Bern? That has to be a new slowest record for him

Ordered Thursday at 7pm, sent Friday, arrived Saturday, what more can I (and Royal Mail) do

The rumours of a Time machine are exaggerated btw 8)

bern

[part timer]

And when it arrived even the postman was cheerful!

As far as I'm concerned Bern, You have just been moved to the top of the 'use again soon' list

By the way, the eyepiece has now been tested in daylight and shown to be fantastic!

Luke

[Roy Batty]

Sadly I think for some businesses "customer service" is a meaningless phrase, whilst for others it comes as second nature.

I too recently ordered kit from Bern, got an email promptly back advising me the item was out of stock and that there would be about one weeks delay. After about a weeks wait I got another email from Bern yesterday advising that the item had been dispatched; the said item arrived today together with a hand written note thanking me for my order and apologising for the delay. What more can I say, some businesses just have the edge - and Bern's Modern Astronomy is one of them. :hello1: (Many thanks for a great service)

RB

[bern]

Thanks gents!

[jcm]

Hi Bern,

Thanks for the delivery of the electric filter wheel. Only had a brief go with it , seems to work fine.

John

PS - As regard SnS , don't live too far away from them , so collected last order from them personally.