Impatience or Poor Service?

[brympton]

I like to think that I am a reasonable person but when a supplier/manufacturer does not deliver on time and most importantly does not communicate I get really fed up.

I ordered an SPX200 OTA from Orion Optics on the 2^nd September and after carefully reading their “Terms” page expected either delivery within 7 days or an email stating when delivery was likely to occur. I have consequently sent the following email to them:

To whom it may concern,

I am very disappointed that I have not received my SPX200 OTA or any form of

communication from you since the email below (order confirmation received 3^rd September):

This is an excerpt from your "Terms" page:

The ordered products will be dispatched by Orion Optics UK to you within 7

working days of the date you place your order although, because delay is

sometimes outside of Orion Optics UK control, time of delivery shall not be

of the essence. Orion Optics will do all that it can reasonably can to meet

the date given for delivery. However, we cannot be held responsible for

delays that are beyond our control. In this case, we will contact you and

agree an alternative date.

After ten days had passed since placing the order I telephoned you to

enquire about delivery as I had not received the item within seven days

stated on the website. I was told that it does not say seven days for

delivery and we do not stock telescopes as they are all built to order. I

explained that this was a gift for my son, which I wanted before his return

to University and was told to expect it on the 19th or the 23rd September. I

have not received it and I have heard nothing from yourselves. Clearly this

is unacceptable behaviour on your part and I do not intend chasing you

again. I suggest that you refund my credit card in full so that I may

purchase an OTA from an alternative manufacturer/supplier.

Regards

Am I impatient or is this just poor service?

[thing]

Sounds like they have you on the 7 days, it reads to me that they will try to deliver within 7 days but it might not be due to external influences. However they should have contacted you, as it says quite clearly that they will. Not good on their part IMO. If you want a scope urgently then I suggest you ask for a refund, not 'suggest' it, and get one from elsewhere. What really gets my goat is that these companies will quite happily take the money from your credit card............... :nono:

I can suggest FLO of this very forum, Steve is a great communicator.

[Kai]

IIRC scopes ordered from Orion Optics can take a long time to be delivered , Lunator and Bernie can back this up.

But the scopes are well worth the wait from what i am told.

[Astro_Baby]

I dont know - I;d always assumed Orion stuff was built to order so I would have expected a delay if I ordered from them just on the basis that stuff that has to be made to order is probably always going to take longer.

I'd kind of expect it.

[Ant]

I had a small OO Newt, while the optics were good, the rest of it was rather lacking.

Whilst they do have you in the 7 days things if they haven't even contacted you to arrange an alternative delivey date then they are at fault.

If they have specifically told you that the delivery will take place on the 19th or 23rd of September then that becomes part of the contract.

You are well covered as you have paid for it on your CC.

What annoys me with companies like this is the total lack of customer care, if they are this bad at communication (and lets face it, if they said it would have been 1 month you would probably have ordered it anyway) before delivery what the hell are they going to be like if the scope developes a fault.

Ant

[brympton]

The saga continues...

So I'm at work, no-one's home and decide to check my webmail around 10.00am, this is the reply from OO:

HI,

As we promised to get it out to you between the 19th and 23rd, we just did

that. TNT will probably be outside now. If not sometime today.

Regards

No dispatch notification, consignment number or anything. I call TNT explain the situation and ask if is possible to find this item and let me know if delivery is likely today? They are very helpful even calling the driver who confirms delivery will be between 12:30 and 13:00 hrs and provide me with the consignment number. I leave work early and take the afternoon off

This could so easily have been avoided with just a simple dispatch email

Anyway, it arrives and things are not getting any better:

The box looks like it was sent from someone off ebay (2 halves taped together):

(click to enlarge)

However, it looks as though it's intact:

(click to enlarge)

Now for the disapointments, it's rough and it's dirty:

(click to enlarge)

(click to enlarge)

(click to enlarge)

There are no locking screws for primary collimation:

(click to enlarge)

(click to enlarge)

This is an image of the focuser from OO:

(click to enlarge)

And this is what I have received, note the tiny screws and milled finish, it feels rough in operation almost as though it is ratcheting when focussing:

(click to enlarge)

The dovetail is appaling, not just the fabrication of it but the paint finish is second rate:

(click to enlarge)

There are no logo's on this (SPX200) just an Orion Optics sticker and no instructions, just a Zygo chart.

I hope the optics are good because the rest of it seriously disappointing. For the price I expected better and certainly the Skywatcher OTA I previously owned was (in terms of fit and finish) far superior.

[Ant]

Blimey!

Not really sure what to say.

You need to be sending them what you posted below. Put it on record all the problems.

If I received that I would be sending it back (or rather asking them to pick it up) - just my opinion of course...

Ant

[Kai]

Hmmm , i think you need to talk to OO

[Jeff RV]

Looks like the finish could be much better, accompanied with very poor service if you ask me. :shock:

Jeff.

[russ]

Welcome to the world of Orion Optics (Blue Peter productions).

Your box is exactly the same as my 150 f5 Deluxe arrived in. Your Ebay description is a good one.

That dovetail is standard Orion Optics. Rough and part finished. They've always been like that. I cut my finger on the jagged edges of my dovetail.

The tube again is standard OO, no nicely finished tube like the Chinese do. And the OO tube rings are garbage. The poor join of the tube and badly fitting tube rings plus the hard to turn locking bolts.

The are no locking screws on the mirror cell. And the part finished look is again standard. Your Secondary looks normal. Again not a fault with your individual scope, just bog standard OO finish.

In fact the only thing out of place compared to my OO 150 f5 is your focuser. Mine is as shown in the marketing photo. Yours looks as if it only made it part way through the manufacturing process?

You certainly have cause for complaint and refund. That focuser is not right for starters. The rest is going to be hard to argue because that is an OO scope, always has been. Like Meade, their optics are good but the engineering is a complete disaster zone. But it looks like you are disappointed with the whole package. Time for a refund and a well built Chinese scope.

As a side note. My OO focuser was a little rough to start but with use became very smooth.

Russ

[thing]

Is this Orion as in the US firm or the UK firm?

[MikeP]

If that were my scope and I was selling it, my advertisement on SGL would describe it as a bit battered. That is extremely tatty.

Mike

[brympton]

The are no locking screws on the mirror cell. Again not a fault with your scope, just bog standard OO finish.

Yes but it doesn't look anything like this or even fit it's description:

(click to enlarge)

I'm really fed up and I think I'm going to send it back. I mean does this look like £654 worth

[GazOC]

Is this Orion as in the US firm or the UK firm?

They are based in Crewe (I think!!).

[russ]

Send it back. That's a lot of money for a poorly finished scope. I knocked them down to £250 for the 150 and it came with a 9x50 right angle finder included, which brought the cost of the scope down to £190-200. I didn't feel too hard done by. I was still peeved mind as i thought OO had moved on from the dark old days.

You are right, the mirror cell looks unfinished just like the focuser. Not as advertised, which is reason enough for a refund.

Russ

[John]

I'm really shocked by both the quality of service (or lack of it) that you have received and the finish of the product. My Skywatcher 8" dob cost less than 1/3 rd of what you have paid, was well packed and matched or bettered the stock description in fit and finish.

Even if the OO optics are 1st rate there is no excusing the poor service and rough finish IMHO. It's not as if their prices are low !!.

Sorry that you have suffered this dissapointment. I would definately send it back - otherwise OO will think that they have got away with it, again, and someone else will have suffer the same way again.

John

[continuum]

I was thinking of an Orion Dob, but your experience has frightened me right off!

RonJ

[nitram100]

I have an orion scope and most of the issues you have are normal, but that focuser looks dodgy and would be enough to get a refund in my opinion.

My scope is 8 years old and i honestly thought they had moved on from these crappy tubes, do they not realise how big a threat skywatcher is to their business? Time to step it up a gear OO the chinese are gaining fast!

[MikeP]

Gaining?

Mike

[Jamie]

Gaining?

Mike

Spot on Mike.

I think that it's OO that need to catch up here....

[TheThing]

I'm really fed up and I think I'm going to send it back. I mean does this look like £654 worth

What the...?

£6.54 more like!

What a huge disappointment for you. You waited all that time and end up with something that I could have cobbled together!

Send it back - Sale of Goods etc.

[Greg]

Having looked at your pics I would have to agree with the majority on here and send it back demanding a refund..

You could probably quote the trades description act as it's not the scope that's advertised..And as a supposedly highly quality optical instrument it falls woefully short of that..

It's appalling the quality of that OTA and focuser that gets me..

Send it back...

[mik]

I was going to order the OO 150mm f11 today until i saw this thanks for sharing your missfortune with us i will not be ordering now i am going to get the SW150pl f8 instead.

Send it back i say..

Mick

[RichieP]

I am suprised. I had heard about poor build quality on the Europa range but I though the SPX range were the deluxe scopes? That will teach me to judge the quality by the price! I was thinking of a SPX200 or 250 as my next scope, but perhaps I had better stick with Skywatcher.

[nitram100]

Gaining?

Mike

I know Skywatcher have surpassed OO in terms of the tube design, what i meant was that a Skywatcher scope is gaining in terms of an overall package, including optics as even they are getting close to OO's standard optics.

The amount of money i've spent on my Europa scope just to make it equivelant to a Skywatcher scope is ridiculous.