Celestron Prices

Dear all, maybe you can help me. I am attempting to buy a telescope for my father as a present, and have settled on the NexStar 114GT. Given that this is the age of the internet, I used it as a tool to shop around. Three guesses what I found?

www.amazon.com = EURO 323.00 (plus tax and duty, but even so..)

www.dhinds.co.uk = EURO 566.00 (delivery to the border for £ 17.50)

www.astronomy.ie = EURO 1,014.00 :evil:

My question is this. Hike the prices all you want if you have the monopoly, that's a well known cut-throat business tactic. But subscribe to this ethic whilst you masquerade as "a society to promote Astronomy in Ireland", and I start checking my pocket to see if my wallet is still there. I ask you, is this right?

I had some spare time the other day so I had a look at the Telescope Prices on the back of A&S magazine and almost chocked on my drink!

Telescopes are getting bigger and bigger and more and more advances so you would assume that the price of an 8" would fall as bigger and bigger telescopes like the 11" and 14" came down in price. But no way.

I rember when I first wanted to buy a scope the holy grail to me was a C8. It cost £1,200 from A&S so as a 16 year old I could not afford it so I bought a DTG 6.25" for £350. Now, the DTG 6.25" costs over 700 Euro and an 8" Celestron costs over 2,000 Euro. That is extorsion plain and simple.

A&S will never get my business again because I now think of them as money grabbing SOBs. A&S Ltd is a company making profit, NOT a charity like they like to have people think!

Looking to buy a Celestron scope...have a look at a mesage I posted under "Celestron dealers" in the "Wanted" section. If I were buying a scope again, this is the route I would follow. I'm peeved off at the stupid-high prices for scopes and accessories charged both here in Ireland and in the UK. :twisted: I now buy my accessories from the US...works out cheaper even allowing for the much higher P&P rates. 4.5" goto scope is a nice size scope...should provides many years of enjoyment.
Michael

reptonite wrote: www.amazon.com = EURO 323.00 (plus tax and duty, but even so..)/quote]

They wont ship it. For that matter neither will dhinds. Celestrons (wierd) sales structure (even more wierd than Meades!) means that you must buy from A&S Ltd. in the Republic since no other dealer are allowed to sell outside their patch.

You could check out North Down Telescopes though who will deliver celestron kit to the Republic. www.mccreaa.freeserve.co.uk/

Needless to say I agree with all comments about AI/A&S, but theres not much you can do about them. Mailing them as a member/subscriber doesnt do much as they stop replying to mails after a while I'm currently waiting on at least three responses from them on various topics.

As I said in an email to David Moore recently "the society seems to me to have become mainly be a marketing tool for A&S Ltd.". Its there to promote A&S Ltd. not astronomy.

Thankfully their monopoly here may have to start defending itself with the likes of North Down telescopes and Andromeda Optics taking off. With their prices I'm surprised they sell anything at all.

Cheers,
~Al

Hi there

I agree with you that amazon won't ship. I was merely drawing attention to the difference in price. DHinds WILL ship to the border in Northern Ireland, but then the whole territorial situation is the fault of (a) Celestron with their 'monopoly making' sales distribution style, and (b) A&S for subsequently taking advantage of it.

As I've said, if they were a bit more honest about the scam, I'd hold a certain grudging admiration for them, but what disturbs me is the "no, honest, we're only there to promote astronomy". I'd give my right arm to see their tax returns, just to see what is submitted under the (almost charitable) 'Organisational allowances', and what goes in tagged as legitimate business returns...

I bet Meade would be interested too. But that's none of my business.

Anyway. There's only two things to do really. Vote with our feet (and wallets), and as a group cry 'foul' whenever the monopoly tries to make out that they are merely there to help astronomy in Ireland......

M

This Topic very much belongs in the "Observing Equipment" forum I was asked to create a few days ago so I have moved it.

Bart B.,
IFAS Webmaster.