steddyman
super member
Reged: 03/02/06
Posts: 169
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Scott of Meade has finally contacted me with regard to sorting out the issue with collimation on my LX200R.
He has very generously agreed to take the scope back for repair, even though I purchased it direct from the states and live in the UK.
However, my concern is that I have to pay the postage costs both ways and I don't know how sure I can be that it will be fixed. Jerry, didn't you say Meade couldn't identify the problem which is why your repair didn't work and they eventually had to ship you a new one off the production line?
This will probably cost me $1000 in shipping alone, so I need to be 100% sure its not going to come back in the same state.
Steddyman
-------------------- Skywatcher 100ED2
Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro
Nikon D200
Sony HDR-HC1E
Philips Toucam Pro II
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JerryWise
Postmaster
   
Reged: 12/26/03
Posts: 7006
Loc: Lexington, SC
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Steve, I can only offer some thoughts on this as $1,000 is over half the price of the OTA. I think Meade will take the issue very seriously and do their best for you. You still come back to how well the scope would do in a 20,000 mile postal trip. I think we proved the issue was not so much a problem causing poor optical performance but a manifestation of collimation that prevented us knowing when the optics were precisely adjusted.
I'm watching "Cash in the Attic" on BBC right now. A nice item just went unsold and the BBC auction specialist said "might want to pop down and have a pint of bitters over that one". While I'm not fully aware of the translation, it sounds like good advice for us too.
-------------------- Jerry
LX200ACF 14", Tak FS 152 & TOA 150
AP-1200 & Mach1
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Moggi1964
Carpal Tunnel
   
Reged: 11/07/05
Posts: 2515
Loc: Madison. NJ. USA
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Urgent note for Jerry:
Don't drink a pint of "bitters " as that may kill you. 
Have a pint of bitter instead; that'll make you feel warm and fuzzy (as that's how the beer is served)! 
I miss my Tanglefoot
-------------------- Morris
WO Megrez 80 ED F/7
WO 8x42 binoculars
Seymor Rosin F/4.5 Astrograph in the making
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nighthound
scholastic sledgehammer
   
Reged: 08/30/06
Posts: 860
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Jerry,
No word from Meade this past week. Still waiting.
Anyone else heard anything?
NH
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Cooptbr
member
Reged: 10/31/05
Posts: 81
Loc: North Carolina
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No word from Meade here so far
coop
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JerryWise
Postmaster
   
Reged: 12/26/03
Posts: 7006
Loc: Lexington, SC
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I guess Steddyman is the only one hearing anything. No response to my last two EMails. Might be on vacation or something.
-------------------- Jerry
LX200ACF 14", Tak FS 152 & TOA 150
AP-1200 & Mach1
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steddyman
super member
Reged: 03/02/06
Posts: 169
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Quote:
I guess Steddyman is the only one hearing anything. No response to my last two EMails. Might be on vacation or something.
He's not on vacation, since I had my reply in the early hours of Saturday morning UK time.
The more I think about this, the less I think Scott is doing for me. If I shipped my scope back to the dealer in the states they would have had to repair it anyway. I feel like they could have met me halfway with the shipping at least.
My cynical side is telling me to sell the scope in the UK on eBay and buy a new one. That would cost me at the most $500 to do. The new owner may be less fussy than me.
Does anyone know of a way of shipping something like a scope cheaply and reliably from the UK to the states and back, or is that a contradiction in terms?
A Bitter is just a pint of Real Ale in the UK. We have hundreds of different local breweries producing distinctive Ale's.
Steddyman
-------------------- Skywatcher 100ED2
Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro
Nikon D200
Sony HDR-HC1E
Philips Toucam Pro II
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Ben Ritchie
Lost in Space
   
Reged: 01/31/05
Posts: 4339
Loc: Bosham, UK
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Quote:
Does anyone know of a way of shipping something like a scope cheaply and reliably from the UK to the states and back, or is that a contradiction in terms?
No, sadly - looks like I've got to ship my PST back (the dreaded coatings disease) and that's a pain in the backside and it's a fraction of the hassle of a 10" 'scope. Meade UK (the Coronado owners these days) are no help.
What makes it even more annoying is that I was just about to sell it to fund a SM40, so i'm going to ship it there and back and some punter is going to get a brand new PST for used money... 
I thought about 'caveat emptor' and all that but couldn't do it.
-------------------- Astro-Physics 130EDT StarFire, 80ED (x2), 305mm f/5 dob, VLT
Astro-Physics 1200GTO, evolved HEQ5/pro
Coronado SM60/BF10, 3-6 Nagler zoom, 8 & 13 Ethos, 28UWAN
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physics911
super member
Reged: 02/28/06
Posts: 195
Loc: Indianapolis
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No word for me either.
-------------------- There is no such word as alot!!!
CGE
10" LX200R OTA
WO Megrez 90
Canon 300D
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mikertx
super member
   
Reged: 09/29/05
Posts: 107
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Steddyman,
I think you're being insulted. If you cover shipping back to Meade then they should cover shipping back to you given that this is a recognized QC issue. I don't care where you live in the world or how your scope got there. I would consider that minimum acceptable customer service.
Mike
-------------------- www.mikesastro.com
Scopes: C-11, Takahashi FSQ-106N, TEC140, Mini-Borg 50
Mounts: MI-250, AS-GT
Cameras: QHY-8
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steddyman
super member
Reged: 03/02/06
Posts: 169
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Thanks Mike
I think you are right. I'll wait till Scott get backs to me then discuss this with him.
Thanks Steddyman
-------------------- Skywatcher 100ED2
Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro
Nikon D200
Sony HDR-HC1E
Philips Toucam Pro II
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Moggi1964
Carpal Tunnel
   
Reged: 11/07/05
Posts: 2515
Loc: Madison. NJ. USA
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Steddyman,
in my dealings with Scott I have found him to be very fair.
Do let us know how things pan out.
Oh, and have a pint for me whilst you wait.
-------------------- Morris
WO Megrez 80 ED F/7
WO 8x42 binoculars
Seymor Rosin F/4.5 Astrograph in the making
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steddyman
super member
Reged: 03/02/06
Posts: 169
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Thanks Morris
I shall comply with that request every lunch time until I have this resolved.
BTW are you conversing with him via email or on the phone?
-------------------- Skywatcher 100ED2
Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro
Nikon D200
Sony HDR-HC1E
Philips Toucam Pro II
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Moggi1964
Carpal Tunnel
   
Reged: 11/07/05
Posts: 2515
Loc: Madison. NJ. USA
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I have spoken to him some time ago and then my dealings after that were by email.
Don't turn into an alcoholic on my behalf; you know how long things can take to happen at Meade
-------------------- Morris
WO Megrez 80 ED F/7
WO 8x42 binoculars
Seymor Rosin F/4.5 Astrograph in the making
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krackerjack9
professor emeritus
   
Reged: 04/17/06
Posts: 611
Loc: LSA Anaconda, Iraq
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Might be alot of lunches
-------------------- LSA Anaconda, Iraq
WO 66ED,Sirus 32mm, Orion Diagonal,10mm Celestron,25mm Possl [ Blair S.] Greensboro,NC WO 66APO Patriot
8mm Televue,4mm Or [ Donald B.] Boise,Idaho
Meade 6.7 Ultra Wide [ Chuck ] USA
Meade 26mm Plossl [ Glenda ] Fort Bliss,Tx
WO 1.25 Diagonal , 6mm Radian,4mmTMB, 40mm Meade 5000, 26mm and 32mm QX Meade, and some other stuff my Credit Card has been buying against my will, haha
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JerryWise
Postmaster
   
Reged: 12/26/03
Posts: 7006
Loc: Lexington, SC
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To make sure nobody is dropped through the cracks or overlooked, would everybody on the list please contact Meade if you have not been contacted to this point. I think only one on the list sent to Meade has been contacted. Either call Meade support or use the EMail address in the Meade notification I copied you on. I know Meade wants all the customers to be happy with their purchase and we need to follow their procedures to be certain the problems stay in focus.
-------------------- Jerry
LX200ACF 14", Tak FS 152 & TOA 150
AP-1200 & Mach1
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mdine1us
sage
   
Reged: 03/14/06
Posts: 354
Loc: San Diego
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Meade Customer Service rep contacted me this morning. RGA number issued, and they are going to pick it up in a day or two. Here we go! I am looking forward to getting it back already.
Marty
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Art Stithem
member
Reged: 09/01/06
Posts: 13
Loc: Richland, WA
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I was also contacted today. I went ahead and purchased the extended warranty since it covers shipping to Meade.
-------------------- Meade 10" LX200R (Supercharged)
Coronado Maxscope 40 (Double-stacked)
Astro-Tech AT80 (not the ED)
Wife (loves shopping)
Bank account (empty)
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NeoDinian
Experienced Postmaster
   
Reged: 10/05/05
Posts: 12208
Loc: Rockford Illinois
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Quote:
I was also contacted today. I went ahead and purchased the extended warranty since it covers shipping to Meade.
The warranty does NOT cover shipping. That is a seperate package you need to get called (of course) "3-Way Shipping".
-------------------- Neo... (Jeff)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
10" LX200-GPS/SMT UHTC "Draco"
Rockford, Il.
NeoDinian's Eye on the Sky!
Coming soon:
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JerryWise
Postmaster
   
Reged: 12/26/03
Posts: 7006
Loc: Lexington, SC
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Jeff, they prabably gave it to Art with the package.
Good deal Art and Mardi. Hope they give you perfect optics.
-------------------- Jerry
LX200ACF 14", Tak FS 152 & TOA 150
AP-1200 & Mach1
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