Tested by TeleVue

[Special K]

Recently I acquired a second hand 7mm Nag off eBay which seemed fine at the outset. However while observing the moon out of focus I could make out blemishes that remained in position while rotating the EP. They really looked like floater shadows but swapping from eye to eye they didn't move! Remaining doubtful I phoned TV a few times speaking to David and Jon who concluded there might be a problem. Sure enough there were a few dust particles in between lenses so is all sorted on warranty. Also there was a small scratch in the outer lens with something embedded! There was a tiny glint in the EP that I noticed under a magnifying glass that reflected a little light. Have to say I didn't notice this when using the EP. However the guys replaced this under warranty too which was cool!

Shipping and fees are silly money so in the end I'll be getting a fully QA'ed eyepiece for the same price as a blinking new one!!! Ah well, live and learn about eBay. The kicker was several weeks ago when Moonshane was selling a similar 7mm for much less money! Wish that one had come up sooner as I'd much more rather buy off SGL for second hand goods.

Moral of the story is a sound hand discount comes with a risk, so choose carefully.

[Ruud]

Thanks for sharing your experience, Kevin. I hope the eyepiece will give you many years of excellent views of the sky.

[alan potts]

Personally I wound never buy from e-bay even if I could but it was nice to see that TeleVue helped you out even if the shipping costs had to be swallowed by you, as a result of going to them you now know it is right.

Hope they didn't pack any bad weather with it for the return.

Alan

[Stu]

Interesting account. What was the description of the eyepiece? If it said it was in excellent optical condition then you could have raised a dispute via PayPal surely?

[John]

I'm glad Tele Vue resolved it but if these issues were not declared by the seller then I think I'd be trying to get a part-refund on the purchase to put towards the costs of getting them sorted.

I have a 31mm Nagler which has some marks on the eye lens coatings. They don't affect it's performance at all but the seller was up front with me and the eyepiece was priced accordingly (a heck of a reduction on the normal used price !). I did ask TV about a replacement eye lens and an overall service for the eyepiece and there was no problem in them doing that. Their costs were quite reasonable but the to and from postage costs, properly insured and tracked, made the overall cost rather high so I've lived with the marks.

[laudropb]

This is a very good post to warn others of problems that can arise. That is why I am reluctant to buy second hand without first seeing my prospective purchase.

[Charic]

.......its quite possible that the seller did not examine the EP under a microscope, or even out of focus, if their not aware of Star testing?

That said, the seller is warned forehand about providing an accurate description, and the buyer is usually protected by the service that ebay provides!

I recently purchased a Delos, from UK AB&S, this EP had a split collar inside the adjustable height eyeguard, which was of some concern to myself, maybe the reason the Delos was a really low price? However, with the visual help from The Widescreen Centre, they were able to confirm that the split is part of the design and is normal, phew!

It appears then that I have a mint condition ( to my eyes ) 6mm Delos, however, second hand Delos EPs are far and few between, so my collection will be based on availabilty and affordabilty?

[Special K]

I should add the seller was helpful in providing purchase details for the warranty and was surprised to hear of any problems. He claimed to have not used it much at all and the dust within the EP seems to be a TV defect. The scratch is another matter and must surely have been caused by an accident after purchase. I'm not sure I want the hassle of trying to get a bit of cash back, but maybe if there is a test report I'll consider it. It wasn't advertized as having any known issues.

I'll be looking forward to its return, and in the short time of use had some fine views of Venus (with uhc). Jupiter is a nice size at x85 for moderate seeing and 171x in my scope when times are good.

[John]

I should add the seller was helpful in providing purchase details for the warranty and was surprised to hear of any problems. He claimed to have not used it much at all and the dust within the EP seems to be a TV defect. The scratch is another matter and must surely have been caused by an accident after purchase. I'm not sure I want the hassle of trying to get a bit of cash back, but maybe if there is a test report I'll consider it. It wasn't advertized as having any known issues.

I'll be looking forward to its return, and in the short time of use had some fine views of Venus (with uhc). Jupiter is a nice size at x85 for moderate seeing and 171x in my scope when times are good.

None of my TV eyepieces had dust on or in them when I bought them. Most were bought used but a couple have been bought from new. TV inspect and optically test each and every eyepiece before it goes out for sale. I can't see them letting dusty optics through, let alone a scratch. My guess is that the eyepiece was opened up at some time if dust has got on internal elements and maybe thats when the scratch got there ?

The used astro equipment market only works if folks are honest about what they are selling, which, thankfully, the vast majority are.

Anyway, if the eyepiece is sorted now and you are happy with it thats good