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[gryphter]

I just posted this on Astronomy.com's forums, wanted to do the same here:

July 16th, I took the plunge and ordered the Zhumell 10 inch Dobsonian from B&H Photo out of New York. Figured that I couldn't go wrong, as it was $324US + $64 S/H (3-5 day)- for the same kit you can get elsewhere for $500. I jumped on it, figuring that it must have been a sale, since it was the same price as the 8 inch model. The website said "Out of Stock" and that it would take 7-14 business days for the item to arrive.

Within a week of ordering, the website was changed to read "Accepting Orders" and "estimated arrival 7-14 business days," the price was also raised to $479.99.

Well Aug 3rd would have been the 14th business day. On the following Monday (Aug 7), I get a generic, auto-generated email saying that the item will be in any day. So, I called on it, and was told it would be "in later today". So, I gave them 2 days, and called again (mind you, there hadn't been any change in my order tracking page), and was put on hold during the call. They came back and said that they had contacted Zhumell, and that the order had shipped last week. They said it would be in at the latest the very beginning of this week, and that I would get a free upgrade to 1-2 day shipping.

So, after checking my tracking page today. Dealt with two different customer service personnel. The first one "checked with the manufacture" and was told the item would be in next week. The second guy said he checked with the purchasing manager who said it will be in by week's end. When I told him that was unacceptable, he told me "Just give us til the end of the week..." "...you're getting a great deal on that scope."

Needless to say, I'm now waiting on a call back from the manager. It seems to me that someone may have screwed up and put the wrong price on the website, and now they're forced to honor it. Though, I have no proof of that, and so I'll end the speculation there.

I don't mean to seem impatient here, but I really don't care for the lack of service I am receiving from the company. I've worked in retail, as a store manager no less.... I would never be allowed or allow my associates to handle a matter this poorly. Thanks for listening to my venting...

On a lighter note, I just received my T-ring for the Canon 20d and the Zhumell Projection adapter. Hopefully, I can start getting some decent astrophotos going.

~Al

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Gryphter,

Sorry to learn about your difficulties on the Zhumell Dob. Nothing is easy it seems, and perhaps you are being "punished" for getting a good deal. But I think it's a bait & switch deal going on.

Whenever I plan on buying a large dollar item on-line, I check out the independant reviews on the establishment. Even if the price is great, I will go to another seller if the majority reviews are negative.

It seems like B&H photo is playing games and I would write a stern review at the end of this experience on all the independant review sites. I recall many individuals complaining about cameras there...where the sales rep would call them back a week later to push an extended warranty or a higher priced camera because the other one is on "back-order". Posting it here and at Astronomy.com is good and it will come up in google searches.

Let's hope it arrives soon and in good shape. Let us know on the status.

[gryphter]

As a quick update, still no scope after 1 month. Spoke to the customer service manager, who matched what I have come to expect from this company in terms of service. Let's see if my complaint to the Better Business Bureau yields a different response.

[katodog]

I wouldn't be too put off by B&H, it may not be their fault. Although their customer service might need some fine-tuning, it may be Zhumell who's to blame for the mia scope. My cousin ordered a 12" Zhumell from a company (not B&H, but I don't want to name names), and got pretty much the same thing you're getting. If I can remember the process, it went something like this...

Order the scope. Get an email. Wait. Wait longer. Send an email. Wait longer. Get an email. Wait longer. Wait longer. Get another email. Get another email. Wait longer. Two months later drop the order and get something else.

Which translates into: They kept telling him one thing or another about when he was getting the scope. Either it was on the way, or it was backordered from Zhumell. It was always some kind of excuse. They kept telling him next week, or two weeks. Meanwhile, time is going by with no scope. It got to the point where he finally got ticked off enough to cancel the order and buy a different scope. And it takes a bit to get him mad, so I think they must have pressed all the right buttons.

If I were you, I'd look into a different avenue. Maybe try a different vendor, or ask B&H if there's a problem with Zhumell, and if they have something that's similar for the same price. At this piont they should be kissing your (another word for donkey).


But, I will tell you one thing. The Better Business Bureau is only going to give you much more headache than you want or need. They don't usually help out in a situation like this. They might go as far as taking the complaint, but, guess what? You'll be waiting longer for the BBB to do something than you would be if you waited for B&H to get off the toilet. The BBB is much like the FDA; they don't really regulate anything, but they like the sound of their position.

[gryphter]

Lol. What you said makes alot of sense. Figured I'll give them a little more time though, getting a $500 scope for 330 before shipping still isn't bad. I will also jump from a 4.5inch reflector to a 10inch. Main problem is, they've already charged me for the scope. Even if I did cancel, I probably would have received the scope quicker than getting the money back.