Mystery scopes on eBay

"Alan W. Craft" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 21 Nov 2003 11:53:21 +1030, "The CO"
...reflected:


"Alan W. Craft" wrote in message
.. .
On Thu, 20 Nov 2003 16:32:16 +1030, "The CO"
...reflected:


"Larry Brown" wrote in message
...
Dear Doctor,
I'm a powerseller on ebay (platinum). My advice is, don't
buy
telescopes on
ebay.

Any advice for would be buyers in Oz? We don't seem to have many
alternatives.
(New scopes seem to very expensive)

Geoff in Oz

There's scores of decent, affordable telescopes out there,
and without having to resort to eBait.

Where please? Remember IN AUSTRALIA.

Geoff in Oz

I was sincerely desirous of it being so, and in good
fellowship.

Ok. Fair enough.

Still, there are other options: ordering it directly from the States,
from
the West Coast, for instance, and to your sense of value, hopefully.

My sense of value wants something my wallet can't manage, or, more
correctly,
something the CFO (She Who Must Be Obeyed ;^) won't accept. So
compromise
is necessary (isn't it always) The issue with buying an (arguably)
better scope direct
comes from the importation and freight costs. Freight for a telescope
seems to be
on the order of $150US or about $213AU, this must be added to the
purchase price
for importation, and I must pay 10% GST on that. There is no duty per
se, however
anything over $250 value that comes via freight rather than through the
mail (limit is
under $1000) must have a $70 Customs Clearance paid on it, PLUS the duty
and tax
on the item plus freight. So a $300US telescope becomes $450US with
freight, which is $625 + 10%
GST is $687.50 + $70 Customs Clearance Fee. So the $300US becomes
$750AU
by the time I get it. See the problem?
Customs waive tax and duty on items that have less than $50AU in duty
and tax payable,
and that come through the post as opposed to freight. Anything up to
$1000 is handled
by an Assessment Notice that attaches to the goods when you pick it up
from the PO
and you pay the duty and GST there, and they don't charge the $70 fee.
So smaller items aren't so bad. But anything biggish that has to be
freighted attracts the
$70 fee as well as the duty and tax.

Let us know in any case once you've made your purchase, and of
its circumstances.

I've found a supplier in Oz that will sell a new 114mm Newtonian GOTO
scope for $599AU, which is the
cheapest I've seen them here ever. It's not the ideal, I really wanted
at least a 6" and preferably a
Mak-Cas or Schmidt, but even the ETX scopes are $1000AU plus here.
There are also some Saxon (Chinese?) scopes available around that
figure, with slightly more aperture, but
no GOTO, so I'm tossing up whether to buy one and try and whip up a
computer drive, but the all in one
package, with Brand name, is attractive from an ongoing support/ease of
use point of view as well.
I'm still considering my options, unfortunately the cost of importation
means I'm likely to be stuck with
buying locally. There's bugger all on the s/h market as well. Anything
on Ebay AU is snapped up by a horde
of bidders at quite high prices, so I concur with comments about a
sellers paradise and 'caveat emptor.'
That said, I have bought items on Ebay and been happy with the result,
but I'm careful and deal only with
sellers with lots of good feedback and trackable physical locations...

Cheers

Geoff in Oz

On Mon, 24 Nov 2003 13:13:35 +1030, "The CO" ...reflected:


"Alan W. Craft" wrote in message
.. .
On Fri, 21 Nov 2003 11:53:21 +1030, "The CO"
...reflected:


"Alan W. Craft" wrote in message
.. .
On Thu, 20 Nov 2003 16:32:16 +1030, "The CO"
...reflected:


"Larry Brown" wrote in message
...
Dear Doctor,
I'm a powerseller on ebay (platinum). My advice is, don't
buy
telescopes on
ebay.

Any advice for would be buyers in Oz? We don't seem to have many
alternatives.
(New scopes seem to very expensive)

Geoff in Oz

There's scores of decent, affordable telescopes out there,
and without having to resort to eBait.

Where please? Remember IN AUSTRALIA.

Geoff in Oz

I was sincerely desirous of it being so, and in good
fellowship.

Ok. Fair enough.

Still, there are other options: ordering it directly from the States,
from
the West Coast, for instance, and to your sense of value, hopefully.

My sense of value wants something my wallet can't manage...

...or, more
correctly,
something the CFO (She Who Must Be Obeyed ;^) won't accept.

I don't have one of those, thankfully, to restrict my purchasing.

So
compromise
is necessary (isn't it always) The issue with buying an (arguably)
better scope direct
comes from the importation and freight costs. Freight for a telescope
seems to be
on the order of $150US or about $213AU, this must be added to the
purchase price
for importation, and I must pay 10% GST on that. There is no duty per
se, however
anything over $250 value that comes via freight rather than through the
mail (limit is
under $1000) must have a $70 Customs Clearance paid on it, PLUS the duty
and tax
on the item plus freight. So a $300US telescope becomes $450US with
freight, which is $625 + 10%
GST is $687.50 + $70 Customs Clearance Fee. So the $300US becomes
$750AU
by the time I get it. See the problem?

Indeed I do. That's terrible! It's like being penalised all over again.
Still, I'll bet Australia is ever so nice a place to live.

Customs waive tax and duty on items that have less than $50AU in duty
and tax payable,
and that come through the post as opposed to freight. Anything up to
$1000 is handled
by an Assessment Notice that attaches to the goods when you pick it up
from the PO
and you pay the duty and GST there, and they don't charge the $70 fee.
So smaller items aren't so bad. But anything biggish that has to be
freighted attracts the
$70 fee as well as the duty and tax.

Let us know in any case once you've made your purchase, and of
its circumstances.

I've found a supplier in Oz that will sell a new 114mm Newtonian GOTO
scope for $599AU, which is the
cheapest I've seen them here ever. It's not the ideal, I really wanted
at least a 6" and preferably a
Mak-Cas or Schmidt, but even the ETX scopes are $1000AU plus here.
There are also some Saxon (Chinese?) scopes available around that
figure, with slightly more aperture, but
no GOTO, so I'm tossing up whether to buy one and try and whip up a
computer drive, but the all in one
package, with Brand name, is attractive from an ongoing support/ease of
use point of view as well.

Never skimp on the optics. Buy the largest aperture you can afford,
and then supplement it as you go along with this, that, and the other.

I'm still considering my options, unfortunately the cost of importation
means I'm likely to be stuck with
buying locally. There's bugger all on the s/h market as well. Anything
on Ebay AU is snapped up by a horde
of bidders at quite high prices, so I concur with comments about a
sellers paradise and 'caveat emptor.'
That said, I have bought items on Ebay and been happy with the result,
but I'm careful and deal only with
sellers with lots of good feedback and trackable physical locations...

Cheers

Geoff in Oz

Toodles,

Alan

On Mon, 24 Nov 2003 02:33:12 GMT, John Steinberg ...reflected:

Herb York wrote:

But all "AMATEURS" do use Astromart for free if they wish
People with a web site like this one
http://www.covingtoninnovations.com/astromenu.html are placed before the
"AstroMart peer group" to determine if they are dealers or OEMs.
In your case it was 79% of the group saying you are.
I believed them.

I have no direct interest in Astromart, but you've piqued my curiosity
here. Who or what comprises the "AstroMart peer group" and how does
this process actually work?

Do you remember the opening scene of "Superman?"

Just like that, except with Herb in Trevor Howard's place...

"Guilty."

BTW, AFAIC, Astromart gets far too much ink here and frankly I resent
having to filter through reams of direct and proxy marketing noises for
same, but that's just my opinion and I didn't even need a peer group to
arrive at it.

Ahh, well, I've already provided further bandwidth to a topic I find
remarkably dull and of no practical value or interest to myself, and at
least a few others.

Personally, the ebay model appeals to me a lot more, and that would even
be the case were I not a shareholder.


Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Close...

"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Great men are almost always bad men." - Lord Acton

Alan

On Mon, 24 Nov 2003 02:11:48 GMT, "Herb York"
wrote:

Michael,

I have nothing but the greatest respect for you and hope you long life and
health.

Herb

So does that mean you are going to let him on Astromart as a
"not a dealer"?

joe




http://www.oneilphoto.on.ca

No
g
Herb


"Joseph O'Neil" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 24 Nov 2003 02:11:48 GMT, "Herb York"
wrote:

Michael,

I have nothing but the greatest respect for you and hope you long life
and
health.

Herb

So does that mean you are going to let him on Astromart as a
"not a dealer"?

joe




http://www.oneilphoto.on.ca

I have no direct interest in Astromart, but you've piqued my curiosity
here. Who or what comprises the "AstroMart peer group" and how does
this process actually work?

Herb posted a request for volunteers to be members of a group that would make
the decision whether someone was a "dealer" or not.

jon

I've found a supplier in Oz that will sell a new 114mm Newtonian GOTO
scope for $599AU, which is the
cheapest I've seen them here ever. It's not the ideal, I really wanted
at least a 6" and preferably a
Mak-Cas or Schmidt,

How much does a 6 inch DOB cost? If the 114mm GOTO scope is a Celestron Next
Star 114, I would advise choosing something else.

In this price range one is pretty much limited to either buying a scope that
will show quite a bit but requires the operator to point it or a scope that
points but won't show much....

Jon

So does that mean you are going to let him on Astromart as a
"not a dealer"?

joe

I think I may have failed to make my original point (to the
sci.astro.amateur crowd):

I can't even *buy* on Astromart (respond to ads) because they've classified
me as a commercial user who must pay $25 a month for access (and I've chosen
not to subscribe). I don't know how many other potential buyers are lost to
Astromart for the same reason.

It's their perfect right to do this, of course, but I wonder if they really
benefit from it.

I never wanted to advertise my books on Astromart. (Advertising them is the
publisher's job, not mine.) The fee question came up when I was wanting to
sell a few used eyepieces and the like.

My personal opinion is that it would be beneficial for Astromart to allow
anyone -- even commercial users -- to use the service free if they do not
actually advertise their own products. But I can appreciate how it might be
impossible to distinguish individuals from small retailers. It's Herb's
decision; I don't need Astromart badly enough to pay $25 a month for it, so
I don't use Astromart, and I thank him nonetheless for providing a useful
free service to other people.

Clear skies,
Michael

Ad World
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--
"In this universe the night was falling,the shadows were lengthening
towards an east that would not know another dawn.
But elsewhere the stars were still young and the light of morning
lingered: and along the path he once had followed, man would one day go
again."

Arthur C. Clarke, The City & The Stars

SIAR
www.starlords.org
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http://home.inreach.com/starlord
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"Michael A. Covington" wrote in
message ...
I think I may have failed to make my original point (to the
sci.astro.amateur crowd):




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Jon Isaacs wrote:
Herb posted a request for volunteers to be members of a group that
would make the decision whether someone was a "dealer" or not.

Now I'm curious as to whether *I'd* be a dealer.

Brian Tung
The Astronomy Corner at http://astro.isi.edu/
Unofficial C5+ Home Page at http://astro.isi.edu/c5plus/
The PleiadAtlas Home Page at http://astro.isi.edu/pleiadatlas/
My Own Personal FAQ (SAA) at http://astro.isi.edu/reference/faq.txt