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Post by mgbrowne on Mar 25, 2007 23:52:49 GMT
Hi Everybody,
I think this was destine to happen given that I put up an earlier post asking if anybody had problems with Autostar. I purchased a Meade ETX90PE from a company in California and shipped the telescope home. I had the scope a week and on Sunday 25th March a burning smell came out of the smart finder at which point I turned it of. Whenever I turned it on again no power was going to the control unit and the unit has stopped working. I have contacted the company in USA, but I would suspect their customer service may not extend to NI.
Has anybody any contacts for Meade on this side of the world?
Any advice is very welcomed.
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Post by Veronica on Mar 26, 2007 21:38:24 GMT
Hi, Brendan (my brother who sometimes posts here) had problems with his Meade GoTo and as far as i know, he had to contact Meade...I'll contact him tomorrow and see if he still has contact details and pass them to you. he bought his scope through Telescope House, but contacted Meade as well...leave it with me!
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Post by mgbrowne on Mar 26, 2007 23:22:17 GMT
A glimmer of hope, Many thanks Veronica. ;D
Michael Browne - Magherafelt
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Post by nemesis on Mar 27, 2007 12:35:53 GMT
Thsi sounds similar to the recent Lidl LXD75 motor burnout problem so many people had a problem with. Although Meade are unlikely to have a dealership here that can deal with it, they may well get you to send the scope to a licensed dealer on the mainland, someone like Telescope House, who can deal with it. I'd even email them and suggest that....might save both you and them time.
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Post by Veronica on Mar 27, 2007 14:11:40 GMT
Michael, still waiting for Brendan to get back to me - he's obviously not able to access his email so I'll ring him this evening! In the meantime, if I recall correctly, he contacted them via this link: www.meade.de/support/service.htmlNeedless to say, there was a little bit of a language barrier but they did try to help...
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Post by themystif on Mar 27, 2007 15:16:52 GMT
Hi Michael. The contact I have at Telescope house is Steve.Collingwood@meade.uk.comHe is the Service Manager at Broadhurst Clarkson & Fuller. The other Meade centre is in Germany and I contacted through service@meade.de. Steve wasn't too bad and Germany apperared to be willing to help. Hope you get sorted soon.
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Post by Veronica on Mar 27, 2007 15:17:51 GMT
Ta, Brendan - you got there before me!
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Post by mgbrowne on Mar 27, 2007 18:17:46 GMT
So far, thanks everybody, I contacted Meade and they suggested I contact the Telescope House which I found on their Website, Steve from the Telescope House didn't seem surprised when I discribed the problem, was very helpful and told me that it was going to take somewhere in the region of £120 to put right. DON'T BUY MEADE TELESCOPES..........
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Post by mgbrowne on Mar 27, 2007 18:20:43 GMT
Oh by the everybody, the scope is 10 days old............
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Post by stevie on Mar 27, 2007 19:11:35 GMT
If it is only ten days old, then Meade should fix it for you, or replace it. Don't take any nonsense from them.
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Post by nemesis on Mar 27, 2007 23:04:49 GMT
Exactly, the goods are faulty, and this has been happening left, right and centre. However, not all Meade scopes are bad, as I and the many viewers who have used my 12" Lightbridge can attest.
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Post by Veronica on Mar 28, 2007 7:25:04 GMT
Michael...Stevie and Eamonn are right....that's a brand new scope and you should either get the fault fixed for free or even replaced and nothing less! Good luck!
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Post by mgbrowne on Mar 28, 2007 21:06:41 GMT
The latest on my Scope. I phoned Meade this evening in California and I got through to a helpful man called Viro who asked me to send me all the information in an email and he said he would see what he can do for me. Legally because I purchased the scope in the states Meade only have to fix the scope if I can get it back to USA. At this time I have taken a crawly approach, however my next strategy is to threaten to blog this story on every Astronomical Website in UK and dirty Meade’s good name. Let’s see how Meade reacts to my appeal this evening. I’m now looking at this situation as a bit of challenge. I'll keep you all updated. Michael
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Post by nemesis on Mar 28, 2007 22:19:00 GMT
A refusal to deal properly with a customer's problem won't help a worldwide-distributing manufacturer like Meade, and sometimes you gotta fight these things any way you can. Good call on the method.
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Post by Veronica on Mar 30, 2007 7:26:39 GMT
Appalling customer service...you have to get it back to the States???!!! I wish you the very best in your challenge - that is no way to be treated as a customer.
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