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Telescope Planet - a Review


Keithp

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Well I got my software delivered the other day so I am relatively happy now, still dont quite believe the story about the binos they sent being rebranded but the same ones as my ordered type, but I am satisfied that it has cost them a small fortune in couriers all this, plus they are having to send another courier to collect the wrong software they delivered after the last courier refused to take it as a swap, said he had no paperwork about it being a swap!

And I have used the software they sent me in error and its registed as well now so they will have to send that one back to the warehouse for replacement as well. So they will be not in profit here.

I eventually got what I was pretty much ordered then - 2.5 weeks after the inital order - three couriers later, and well after the holiday they were ordered for. So let that be a lesson to anyone who still sees Telescope Planet as being a sensible place to send their hard earned money.

There a loads of good places to buy from - do yourselves a favour and give them your business instead.

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TelescopePlanet are completely useless.

I placed 2 separate orders with them 3 weeks ago on the basis that their site said they were both in stock. One was an eyepiece and the other was a solar filter 98-108mm.

4 days later and a 90-100mm filter turns up which is too small. Which incompetent fool cant read the label i don't know.

So i phone them up and I'm ASSURED that the other filter is in stock and it will be sent out immediately with courier and pick up the wrong filter.

A week passes and not only has the new filter not arrived but there's no eyepiece either, which i was also assured was in stock.

I phone them again last Friday and the girl on the other end says neither items are in stock. So i canceled my order and was ASSURED that i would be fully refunded. This should take NO MORE than 3 working days for the money to go back in my account.

Another week passes, i phoned them today and was told that the refund had not been done for no particular reason. My guess is staff incompetence or ignorance. :D:mad::)

So if your deciding to buy from TelescopePlanet ... DON'T.

Spend your money with a company a lot less incompetent.

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Just bought from Green-Witch Skywatcher 250xp and eq6 pro. Fantasic service very helpful and thoughful.

My experience with Green Witch is outstanding. I purchsed a SkyWatcher SynScan Az goto mount from them. three months later the mount went belly up. Email to Green witch about problem .. immediate answer return it for repairs or replacement. They repaired it and shipped it back to Greece at their expense.

Would I buy from them again? you bet.

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Lee at Greenwich is outstanding in both his knowledge and customer service, I even made a 5 hrs round trip to pop down and see him for a great bacon sandwich! As you get older you get wiser (well some of the time) and prior to purchase of EXPENSIVE items I test the water with a phone call, visit or just an email. I've just purchased a new scope with the help of John at Orion Optics (UK) trying to spend as much as poss here in the UK now, anyway he replied to all emails and queries and made the selection process smooth and lets not underestimate just how confusing the selection process of equipment can be. I'm on my soap box now and I can never understand how companies that provide Rubbish service are still in business, but there you have it. Oh small claims hummm, can work but dont forget the down side here:

If you win the company might still not pay so your left with a somewhat hollow victory after paying out around £55. If they win you may be lumbered with their costs, rare yes but it can occur, just pay via CC as everyone as said, I've had sums well below £100 disputed and refunded by the CC companies so use them or just shop where they have no bad reviews, like the merekat says SIMPLES lol.

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  • 2 months later...

I am having heaps of problems with Telescope Planet - and have begun to wonder if they are even a legitimate company.

I am in NZ and ordered a telescope online six days ago for my nephew who lives in the UK . But have received no confirmation email and no telescope has materialised. Delivery was said to be 2 days.

I have contacted the organisation twice on two different email addresses just to make sure they really exist - but no replies.

Can anyone tell me whether this is a genuine company, and if they have had any luck getting goods they have paid for. As a NZ'er I'm not sure who you complain to the UK, so any advice would be helpful.

Thanks.

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Hi

They are a genuine company with a proper shop and customers who actually go into their shop say it's a decent shop. Unfortunately their office is an utter disorganized mess and very poor at replying to emails and customer service in general. Telephoning them is about the only way to get an answer. If you do call ask for Neil as he seems to be fairly helpful.

John

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How can they STILL be so bad? It's incredible to me.

Olly.

IMHO, because they advertise a lot. All over AN. It must cost them too since they come top or nearly top of Google searches for almost anything telescope related. They must stay in business due to volume rather than repeat business.
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They must occasionally get something right but the defining characteristic of a trader is 'How much do they get wrong?' In the virtual world of Google and the adverts these people are for real. To find out out what they are 'for real for real' just read this thread. It's appalling.

Note who gets the good reviews. The picture is very consistent. I liked Nick H's observation that he takes no prisoners. Nor should he.

Why not invite these people directly to respond to this thread? No doubt they can explain everything. Meanwhile FLO, Green Witch, Ian King, D Hinds and others are still taking orders.

It's a funny world. One of the retailers who gets a good review on this thread was going to come back to me with a price for a Tak FSQ but they never did. I went to Astrosource and the Baby Q is a killer. There you go. How to lose three grand's worth of turnover and not bat an eyelid. I've no clue as to how that can be. Recession? Impossible.

Olly

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Just to add to TP. Ordered two extension tubes on Friday . Email comes confirming order and deduction from bank and that courier will be delivering .

Called late this afternoon , held online ( at local rate ) then recorded voice says can't take call , 6 minutes of my time and money wasted.

Slightly annoyed I called the other number on web site . Asked if tubes were in stock , Nope, awaiting order soon . Gave my order number and lo an behold , stock due tomorrow ( and pigs are flying outside singing jingle bells ). Only one member of staff at shop , very unsure and not great at giving information, Informed them if not here by end of week , then order shall be cancelled and full refund expected.

Very very poor customer care infact, what really irked me was that payment was taken without order being sent out. My first and definately my last dealing this company.

Was also informed that the web site needed to be updated !!!, Little chance of that considering they find it hard to answer the bleeding phone.

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UPDATE

I have cancelled my order with them ( Telescope Planet ) been a week since I called them . Nothing from them , no call , no email nada . No goods either but my account had been deducted. Thats the really annoying thing .

I only wish that FLO stock what I was looking for but, sadly, they don't.

Was told monies would be refunded in two to three working days . Will wait and see.

How the heck they stay in business is quite beyond me !

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UPDATE

I have cancelled my order with them ( Telescope Planet ) been a week since I called them . Nothing from them , no call , no email nada . No goods either but my account had been deducted. Thats the really annoying thing .

I only wish that FLO stock what I was looking for but, sadly, they don't.

Was told monies would be refunded in two to three working days . Will wait and see.

How the heck they stay in business is quite beyond me !

There in business because not every amateur astronomer comes to SGL & if its cheaper they put aside indifference in

There in business because not every amateur astronomer comes to read and post on SGL & and also if it’s cheaper they are blind to the risk of bad service.

I can’t say I’ve had any problems with this company and I’ve bought 5 separate items.

I’ve bought 3 items from FLO 2 were very expensive and went wrong.

1. My 3 month old CPC800 GPS hand set broke

2. My Astrotrac polar scope fell apart.

I have never posted positive comments about TP but have never posted negative about FLO as the issue was dealt with rapidly and with professionalism.

You will always here a moan about company but not often positive applause because that’s always expected.

The problem with forums is that its impossible for the vendor to prove what's posted is in fact an honest account ,truthful and not slightly exaggerated.

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I hear what your saying Coco but my problem was not a manufacturing problem ( your two items that broke, manufacturing issue , not a sales issue ) .

Had there not been any sales issue with my order I would not have up dated the post. I would have had the item and been happy. Thats good business.

About the honesty you mention , it's just a pity that TP, when asked by myself about stock arriving , was told ''the next day '' One week later I had to call to enquire again about that stock !

My complaint was about the customer service Coco, I appreciate that they ( like all companies ) do have problems . If companies take onboard a customers complaint , then they have a chance of rectifying the problem , if no one complains then companies do not know they have a problem, thus business sales could be affected. It benefits all parties to resolve a problem .

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I have never posted positive comments about TP but have never posted negative about FLO as the issue was dealt with rapidly and with professionalism.
I think that's the point. You say FLO deal with stuff professionally (that's my experience too), in my experience TP don't. That's what the thread is about - how certain retailers deal with the problems.... It appears from my (and many other peoples) experiences TP don't do a brilliant job on this.
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  • 7 years later...

A Dutch ecommerce company called 'Frank' have contacted us to say they purchased the 'Telescope Planet' domain name when the original company ceased trading. They now own the domain name and are using it to retail astronomy products. 

They use the same domain name but are a different company, based in the Netherlands. 

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