Telescope Planet

Folks,

just wondering have any of you had any dealings with Telescope Planet in the U.K? I'm having a nightmare trying to get an eyepiece that I ordered (and paid for) about two weeks ago. Anybody had any similar experiences with them or has my internet ordering bogey struck again?

never heard of them, but their website looks fairly legit.
Are they saying they shipped it yet ??

2 weeks is not a wild timescale....i mean, a lot of these places say they will ship in or around the 10-working day mark. thats 2 weeks, you might be a little premature? do you have a tracking number?

Here's the full story. Ordered the EP, and when paying by credit card, the website said there was no shipping fee. Hurrah I thought. Website said that the item was in stock and would be shipped the next day. When it didn't appear, I mailed them and was informed that it had shipped and should be with me the following day. When it still didn't appear, I mailed them again, only to be told that I needed to pay a shipping charge. Now, I don't have a problem paying the shipping charge, but they can offer me no way to do this through the website without buying something else.

Now it appears they have stopped answering mails....

I think I'll give them until this evening to reply, and then ring them tomorrow if I hear nothing.

Then cancel the order through your credit card? It is a legal step by you, as they have done no action to get the product out to you. Notify your credit card company, and also send an e-mail to Telescope Planet. Maybe that will help them get their act together. It is then your decision if you want to go through the process with them again, knowing you WILL have to pay shipping (even if, again, they say you don't).

Seanie.

Good advice from Seanie,
You have consumer rights as a safeguard for such eventualities which includes internet shopping, www.consumerassociation.ie/rights_remember.html for some good information, i.e.,

Points to remember
Complain to the right person
That is, to someone who is able to do something about your problem. Ask for the manager, or ask who you should complain to and contact them in person or by letter.
Give the retailer a reasonable chance to sort things out
This may save a lot of time, aggravation and money.
Don't lose your temper, swear or get personal
Be polite but firm and confident. You want the shop to recognise how reasonable you are.
Know your rights
The basis of your complaint is that your legal rights have been infringed.
Complain in writing
Wherever practical, make your complaint in writing (preferably typed). Letters should be polite, business-like and reasonably formal. Keep a copy.
Keep all correspondence and other documents relating to the complaint
This includes receipts, letters to and from the shop, invoices, cheque stubs and estimates.

I personally never had such problems (NOT YET ANYWAY) with purchasing astronomy gear on the inetrnet as i only deal with one company that i trust, “OPT” based in America, so far they have been top class and their customer support second to none (great deals too).
Hopefully this issue can be settled between yourself and Telescope Planet; if not then another route must be taken to resolve the unsavoury issue and other amateur astronomers here to take note of!

Clear skies
Mike