Meade Won't Honor Lifetime Warranty
Daryl Lockman
problem. The paperwork that came with the scope says -
"Limited Lifetime Warranty: Meade Instruments warrants the Model 277
against defects in materials and workmanship for as long as you own the
telescope." Both of my Meade SCTs carry this same warranty.
I contacted Meade 'Customer Service' and was told all their products carry
a one year warranty and they know nothing about a Lifetime Warranty on any
product. The individual I spoke with couldn't think of anyone who had been
around long enough to be aware of the older policy. He suggested writing
to the president of the company.
Has anyone else encountered this response from Meade? Does writting to the
president yield a satisfactory response? Any other suggestions?
Thanks for any and all help,
Daryl Lockman
(Remove the extra o from hotmail)
stardot
Daryl Lockman wrote in message <775e4v$k2v$1...@nonews.col.hp.com>...
tigger
You might like to know, I was at a bookshop browsing the magazine
Astronomy (jan-feb issue) and I thought I remembered seeing an ad for
some meade telescopes stating "limited lifetime warranty" coz it
struck me as pretty good quality assurance.
I could be wrong but I do have that impression I saw it (just
yesterday actually).
yours
tigger
Jay Reynolds Freeman
> problem. The paperwork that came with the scope says -
> "Limited Lifetime Warranty: Meade Instruments warrants the Model 277
> against defects in materials and workmanship for as long as you own the
> telescope." Both of my Meade SCTs carry this same warranty.
>
> a one year warranty and they know nothing about a Lifetime Warranty on any
> product. The individual I spoke with couldn't think of anyone who had been
> around long enough to be aware of the older policy. He suggested writing
> to the president of the company.
For a start, get a fax number and fax him a copy of the original paperwork.
--
Jay Reynolds Freeman -- freeman at netcom dot com -- I speak only for myself.
Clive Gibbons
Daryl Lockman <daryl_...@hootmail.com> wrote:
>I have owned a Meade refractor for about 11 years and it has developed a
>problem. The paperwork that came with the scope says -
>"Limited Lifetime Warranty: Meade Instruments warrants the Model 277
>against defects in materials and workmanship for as long as you own the
>telescope." Both of my Meade SCTs carry this same warranty.
>
>I contacted Meade 'Customer Service' and was told all their products carry
>a one year warranty and they know nothing about a Lifetime Warranty on any
>product. The individual I spoke with couldn't think of anyone who had been
>around long enough to be aware of the older policy. He suggested writing
>to the president of the company.
>
>president yield a satisfactory response? Any other suggestions?
Hi Daryl.
I don't know what the legal implications are, but the latest Meade Limited
Warranty (One year) has this as it's final line,
"This warranty supercedes all previous product warranties"
Cheers,
Clive.
--
Clive Gibbons * *
Technician, McMaster University, * "Good, Fast, Cheap... *
School of Geography and Geology. * ...pick any two." *
RMOLLISE
>
>
Hi Dudes:
And while I don't think it's any longer the case, Meade's catalogs from earlier
times did, I'm pretty sure, prominently feature the words 'limited lifetime
warranty.' If you'd like to send some additional documentation, you can
probably turn up some of these ads in Astronomy and S&T back issues you have.
If memory serves, you aren't the first person who's had problems getting this
'warranty' enforced. Let us know how this turns out.
Peace,
Rod Mollise
Mobile Astronomical Society
http://members.aol.com/RMOLLISE/index.html
The Home of _From City Lights to Deep Space_:
The Urban Observer's Guide to the Deep Sky
*********************************************************
Mike Fleenor
refresh their memory.
I know a fellow club member who owns an older Meade SCT who has had his unit
repaired under warranty . He also happens to have a "Limited Lifetime" warranty
as well.
You can always threaten litigation since you have it in writing.If this is
happening to several people then a class action lawsuit may be down the road.
Mike
Mike Fleenor
Knoxville,TN
Visit Mike's Home Planet http://user.icx.net/~mfleenor
Daryl Lockman wrote:
> I have owned a Meade refractor for about 11 years and it has developed a
> problem. The paperwork that came with the scope says -
> "Limited Lifetime Warranty: Meade Instruments warrants the Model 277
> against defects in materials and workmanship for as long as you own the
> telescope." Both of my Meade SCTs carry this same warranty.
>
> I contacted Meade 'Customer Service' and was told all their products carry
> a one year warranty and they know nothing about a Lifetime Warranty on any
> product. The individual I spoke with couldn't think of anyone who had been
> around long enough to be aware of the older policy. He suggested writing
> to the president of the company.
>
> Has anyone else encountered this response from Meade? Does writting to the
> president yield a satisfactory response? Any other suggestions?
>
Chris Marriott
Clive Gibbons wrote in message <775i30$3...@mcmail.cis.McMaster.CA>...
>I don't know what the legal implications are, but the latest Meade Limited
>Warranty (One year) has this as it's final line,
>
>"This warranty supercedes all previous product warranties"
Presumably that's referring to that specific product - if a particular
telescope has a warranty on it, that surely can't be "retroactively"
changed, can it?
Chris
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chris Marriott, SkyMap Software, UK (ch...@skymap.com)
Visit our web site at http://www.skymap.com
Astronomy software written by astronomers, for astronomers
Jeffrey Nutkowitz
service at Meade and in general.
--
Jeffrey Nutkowitz/Optiques Classic Photographic Imagery
Freelance Outdoor and Nature Photography Emphasizing a 'Sense of Place'
http://members.aol.com/OptiquesJN
"If you don't change the path you're on, you'll end up where you're already
going."
____________________________________________________________________
Mike Fleenor wrote in message <3696509A...@icx.net>...
Dave Storey
The current meade catalogue says 'meade limited warranty' at the back,
mentions 12 months, and also, amusingly, says they can change the terms
at any time.
Maybe that's what happened, maybe they re-defined 'lifetime' on the old
warranties to be 12 months.
A pleasant letter to the customer service mgr, or company president (by
name) often works for me. Most of them decline to release EMAIL
addresses. Do tell how it all works out.
D.
In article <19990108132615...@ng-ft1.aol.com>, RMOLLISE
<rmol...@aol.com> writes
Rgds
Dave Storey
Warren Porter
Chris,
I don't know how it affects the private sector firms but the US congress
weasels out of its promises all the time. I have always assumed a
limited life time warranty only guaranttees a product till you pay for
it. Maybe I am apessimist.
Warren
--
email address: wlpo...@erols.com
Wayne Howell
Daryl Lockman wrote:
> Has anyone else encountered this response from Meade? Does writting to the
> president yield a satisfactory response? Any other suggestions?
About 25-26 years ago I bought a Meade 8" right from the factory--we lived
about 5 miles from where it was located at that time, and they had a factory
showroom. Four or five years later I had a problem with the drive......when I
went back to the factory and tried to invoke the "life-time" warranty, I was
told it had "expired". It seems that they defined "lifetime" to mean as long
as they produced that _exact_ item, and since they had "improved" the drive,
the "lifetime" on the old one "expired".
It is worth noting that they were more than willing to sell me a "new" drive
which again had a "lifetime" warranty. I thought it took lots of nerve to do
that within 3 minutes of refusing to honor their earlier "lifetime" warranty!
--
.....Wayne Howell.....
...Port Townsend, WA..
who...@gensearch.com
Robert Berta
in effect is the one you bought/received with your scope. A company change of
policy can't legaly change past committments.
This is starting to happen in the bicycle industry. Many mountain bike frames
were guaranteed for life. Starting in 1997 this changed for many of them to a
one or two year guarantee. Many owners opted to buy a older model because of
this. Of course it may be pretty difficult to prove that a mountain bike was
damaged due to manufacturer defect and not a run into a tree....but a scope
should be very easy to prove responsibility.
This sounds like the reports of Meades quality control problems are being
answered by the company by a reduced warrantee period....wow...that sounds
competitive!
Bob
Equal
I would NOT write the president of the company.
If you do, and don't get a response, then what?
I would call them back, get past the first person and talk to them. In
other words, ask to speak to a manager. I would document times and
names, just in case you need it. I would ASK for the spelling of names
if you are unsure.
I would explain the situation to the manager and as others in this
newsgroup have suggested, offer to send a fax or copy of the warranty.
Even if the manager doesn't honor their warranty, they SHOULD at least
be able to give you an answer. IMHO this is much better than sending a
letter to a president that may never get it and having to wonder, and so
on.
Go from there. Is this something that you can fix if you have the
part? Assuming something is available? I would think this would be
more attractive to them if they can just send you a part that cost them
$20 to make and be done with it.
Good luck.
If they don't help you, you could contact the Better Business Bureau.
The BBB has no authority period. If you put a claim/report in with the
BBB, they will contact the company regarding this. If the company
chooses to not respond, or the complaint is unresolve the BBB can't do
much, but the company name will show as having unresolved complaints.
There may be other agency's (government) that could help. I don't think
you will have to go this far. The first person you contacted, I expect
was told no, told to say no, and is expected to say no hoping you will
go away. The next person (manager) you talk to is at least more likely
to listen, and maybe say yes.
Just had a funny thought.. we always complain about Tasco's claims.. is
this much different? I usually look at warranty's when buying products.
Daryl Lockman wrote:
>
> I have owned a Meade refractor for about 11 years and it has developed a
> problem. The paperwork that came with the scope says -
> "Limited Lifetime Warranty: Meade Instruments warrants the Model 277
> against defects in materials and workmanship for as long as you own the
> telescope." Both of my Meade SCTs carry this same warranty.
>
> I contacted Meade 'Customer Service' and was told all their products carry
> a one year warranty and they know nothing about a Lifetime Warranty on any
> product. The individual I spoke with couldn't think of anyone who had been
> around long enough to be aware of the older policy. He suggested writing
> to the president of the company.
>
> Has anyone else encountered this response from Meade? Does writting to the
> president yield a satisfactory response? Any other suggestions?
>
Dan Dickerson
>
> On Fri, 08 Jan 1999 17:12:02 GMT, daryl_...@hootmail.com (Daryl
> Lockman) wrote:
>
> >president yield a satisfactory response? Any other suggestions?
>
> original warranty unless you let them. Put it in writing and send
> copies to the consumer protection agency in your state and in
> California. Might scare Meade into doing the right thing.
This seems to be getting all blown out of proportion. Other that talking to
one customer support rep, what has he done about it? Everyone here seems to
assume that Meade has officially stated that they won't honor the warrantee.
I say, lets give Meade a chance to respond first before we start flaming them.
First, he should call back and see if he can speak to someone else, perhaps
the manager. If that doesn't work, then he should follow up with letters to
the CEO, president, BBB, etc., although I think that it won't progress to
that point.
From what I've heard in the past, Meade is usually very good with their
customer support, often fixing things after the warrantee has expired.
What is actually wrong with his scope? Is it indeed even a warrantee issue?
Also, given the age of the scope, does Meade still make the parts for it?
We should get all the facts before assuming the worst about a company (or
person).
Stephen Tonkin
>Clive Gibbons wrote in message <775i30$3...@mcmail.cis.McMaster.CA>.>"This warranty supercedes all previous product warranties"
>
>
>Presumably that's referring to that specific product - if a particular
>telescope has a warranty on it, that surely can't be "retroactively"
>changed, can it?
Certainly not under UK law, but US may be different.
I always thought that, when Meade says "lifetime warranty", it meant the
product's lifetime, not the owner's <g>.
--
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+ Stephen Tonkin | ATM Resources; Astro-Tutorials; Astronomy Books +
+ (N50.9105 W1.829) | <http://www.aegis1.demon.co.uk> +
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William Hamblen
Zane
William
I was about to tack on the same advice to Equal's good post, then saw
yours. I think you probably meant to infer that he should list the cc's at
the top of his letter/memo/email/fax to Meade, but will emphasize the point
anyway. In my experience, this usually guarantees than a document gets
elevated up the company chain pretty fast, whether or not you've really
sent these copies out. (Having worked for a large company for many years,
I've also seen this from the other end.) A non-astronomical hint to all :
when sending a letter to your Congressman, School Board Member, etc, list a
cc to the local paper----it usually makes it jump out of the secretary's
stack of mail.
Zane
Jon Isaacs
as to why your lifetime warrentee is not being honored (maybe someone was
mistaken), you might point them towards this thread and suggest they post a
response.
If they are not willing to post, ask them to tell you exactly what they would
like you to post as a clarification of this issue. Tell them you will post
whatever they ask you to. Tell them we are all interested in hearing their
side of the story and we would like to think that if Meade offered a lifetime
warrentee on a particular scope, then they would honor it.
Another person brought up the question of lifetime warrentees on bicycle
frames. In general most well known companies honor the warrentees for the
original buyer as long as the failure is the result of manufacturing defects
rather than abuse. Of course while the frame may last 25 years, the original
purchaser has usually sold it by then and if he hasn't, probably can't find the
receipt, though that decision is usually up to the shop and not the company.
Jon Isaacs
Warren Porter
Please clarify your comment. As I read it, what you are saying is,
"This product is guaranteed to work as long as it works. Then it is
guaranteed not to work."
If my interpretation is correct, congratulations, you really summed up
warranties well. Perhaps a bit too subtely.
Terry Danks
<who...@gensearch.com> wrote:
>
>
>[snip]....when I
>went back to the factory and tried to invoke the "life-time" warranty, I was
>told it had "expired". It seems that they defined "lifetime" to mean as long
>as they produced that _exact_ item,[snip]
What's a consumer to do? Seems to me such action is every bit as
dishonest as armed robbery.
As Woody Guthrie sang years ago, "Some men rob you with a gun, some
use a fountain pen". (I paraphrase.)
Terry Danks
Nova Scotia
Canada
http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/danksta/home.htm
RMOLLISE
>like you to post as a clarification of this issue. Tell them you will post
>whatever they ask you to. Tell them we are all interested in hearing their
>side of the story and we would like to think that if Meade offered a lifetime
>warrentee on a particular scope, then they would honor it.
Hi there:
Doubt you'd get them to agree to this. They've been quite skittish about the
internet and potential criticism. I don't even believe they respond EVEN on
MAPUG (though they _may_ monitor what is said there). Years ago, you'd see a
Meade person occasionally in different venues on the net...but they seem to
have been scared off. In their defense, I don't see much of a Celestron
presence either.
Martin Tom Brown
<PU8ABAAv...@aegis1.demon.co.uk> s...@nospam.demon.co.uk
"Stephen Tonkin" wrote:
> Chris Marriott <ch...@NOSPAM.skymap.com> wrote:
> >Clive Gibbons wrote in message <775i30$3...@mcmail.cis.McMaster.CA>.>"This
> warranty supercedes all previous product warranties"
> >
> >Presumably that's referring to that specific product - if a particular
> >telescope has a warranty on it, that surely can't be "retroactively"
> >changed, can it?
>
> Certainly not under UK law, but US may be different.
>
> I always thought that, when Meade says "lifetime warranty", it meant the
> product's lifetime, not the owner's <g>.
ISTR it is whichever is the shorter. The contract is with the first owner.
Change of ownership will lose the "lifetime warranty".
Regards,
--
Martin Brown <mar...@nezumi.demon.co.uk> __ CIS: 71651,470
Scientific Software Consultancy /^,,)__/
Stephen Tonkin
>Stephen Tonkin wrote:
[...]
>> I always thought that, when Meade says "lifetime warranty", it meant the
>> product's lifetime, not the owner's <g>.
>Stephen,
>Please clarify your comment. As I read it, what you are saying is,
>"This product is guaranteed to work as long as it works. Then it is
>guaranteed not to work."
The first sentence is what I'm saying. Even [insert name of your least
favourite manufacturer] would be unlikely to stand by the 2nd statement.
<g>
>
>If my interpretation is correct, congratulations, you really summed up
>warranties well. Perhaps a bit too subtely.
That must be one of the only times I've ever been accused of subtlety!
<g>
AndersonRM
In article <01be3b60$51185180$cf24...@rkb4ws01.comp.pge.com>, "Robert Berta"
<RK...@pge.com> writes:
>This sounds like the reports of Meades quality control problems are being
>answered by the company by a reduced warrantee period....wow...that sounds
>competitive!
Yes, of course. BTW, what warranty do other companies offer?
-Rich
"If you live under light pollution, go for aperture!"
Gary Hand
they know better to try to pull that. Fax them a copy of the ad.
Daryl Lockman wrote:
> I have owned a Meade refractor for about 11 years and it has developed a
> problem. The paperwork that came with the scope says -
> "Limited Lifetime Warranty: Meade Instruments warrants the Model 277
> against defects in materials and workmanship for as long as you own the
> telescope." Both of my Meade SCTs carry this same warranty.
>
> I contacted Meade 'Customer Service' and was told all their products carry
> a one year warranty and they know nothing about a Lifetime Warranty on any
> product. The individual I spoke with couldn't think of anyone who had been
> around long enough to be aware of the older policy. He suggested writing
> to the president of the company.
>
> Has anyone else encountered this response from Meade? Does writting to the
> president yield a satisfactory response? Any other suggestions?
>
Daryl Lockman
The text of the warranty that came with the scope specifically says "for as
long as you own the telescope", so I didn't think Meade had a lot of room to
interpret.
This is a small 60mm f5 refractor I got a good deal on as a very portable
alternative to my other equipment. We have been using it quite a bit lately
to view things like Jupiter's moons. It's amazing the interest others will
take when you show them something that changes night to night. The scope
sets up quickly on a simple tripod and that is an asset on a cold Colorado
evening.
Anyway, I am having difficulty obtaining sharp focus with this scope. There
is flare in one direction that follows the orientation of the objective, not
the accessories. When out focus, the image elongates along one axis when
approached from one direction and 90 degrees from that when approached from
the other direction. The second symptom seems to fit the description of
astigmatism.
When I removed the dew cap and front cell I found two things. First, the
glass was loose in the holder. I have tightened that and am still waiting
for a clear night to see if that might have cured the astigmatism. I also
found flaws internal to the glass, probably between the two pieces which are
supposed to be air spaced. These look like tiny scratches that start at the
edge and snake their way in towards the center. There are probably 2 dozen
of these. I have no idea what they are or what caused them but am guessing
it may be a failure of one of the coatings. I suspect they are the cause of
the flair.
When I called Meade, my hope was to get a diagnosis and maybe a repair. The
problem was I spoke with 2 people, got put on hold 3 times and never got
passed the warranty issue. I'm not mad at Meade and think a lifetime
warranty is rather generous.
However, since it was offered I expected to receive some assistance in
dealing with the problem. They did say the scope had been discontinued 5
years ago and they no longer have parts.
Any comments on the Orion ShortTube 80?
Daryl Lockman
Jay Reynolds Freeman
> long as you own the telescope", so I didn't think Meade had a lot of room to
> interpret.
> This is a small 60mm f5 refractor I got a good deal on as a very portable
> alternative to my other equipment.
Just double-checking -- did you really mean "f5"? If you had by any
chance typoed, and meant f/15, that's quite a different issue, because
even new objectives for 60 mm f/15 can be had here and there. At 60 mm
f/5, there might indeed be a problem getting parts. Not to say that
Meade should use that as an excuse to duck the warranty, but it might
take creativity to come up with a solution that satisfied everybody.
> Anyway, I am having difficulty obtaining sharp focus with this scope. There
> is flare in one direction that follows the orientation of the objective, not
> the accessories. When out focus, the image elongates along one axis when
> approached from one direction and 90 degrees from that when approached from
> the other direction. The second symptom seems to fit the description of
> astigmatism.
The second symptom is classic astigmatism. The first may be related,
particularly if the orientation of the flare matches either orientation
of the out-of-focus image elongation.
Has this problem persisted for as long as you had the telescope? If
so, it may well be something intrinsic to the objective, which would require
replacement. If not, it may be that something has happened to the
telescope that can be adjusted out.
> When I removed the dew cap and front cell I found two things. First, the
> glass was loose in the holder. I have tightened that and am still waiting
> for a clear night to see if that might have cured the astigmatism.
Careful! Overtightening is more likely to cause distortion than to
eliminate it, by straining the lens. It may also cause it to crack, when
the metal of the cell contracts more than the glass, when you take it outside
on one of those cold nights.
Hmn, it might be worth investigating, or remembering, whether the problem
occurred only on cold nights. If so, perhaps the lens was too tightly held
to begin with, and the fix might involve loosening it.
> I also found flaws internal to the glass, probably between the two
> pieces which are supposed to be air spaced. These look like tiny
> scratches that start at the edge and snake their way in towards the
> center. There are probably 2 dozen of these. I have no idea what
> they are or what caused them but am guessing it may be a failure of
> one of the coatings. I suspect they are the cause of the flair.
From your description it is hard to say. They also might be residue
if something like a solvent had gotten into the cell, around the edges
of the lens, and made its way a little between the lenses before
evaporating.
> When I called Meade, my hope was to get a diagnosis and maybe a
> repair. The problem was I spoke with 2 people, got put on hold 3
> times and never got passed the warranty issue. I'm not mad at Meade
> and think a lifetime warranty is rather generous.
>
> However, since it was offered I expected to receive some assistance in
> dealing with the problem. They did say the scope had been discontinued 5
> years ago and they no longer have parts.
I would be inclined to lean on them, firmly but politely. "Dear
Meade, I am sympathetic to your problems with parts availability.
Notwithstanding, I think it is clear to both of us that you have a
contractual obligation to fulfill your warranty, some way or another.
How you do it, and whether is easy or difficult for you, is not my
concern: But you _do_ have to do it, and I _do_ insist."
Good luck.
Russell Martin
snipped
> Any comments on the Orion ShortTube 80?
>
> Daryl Lockman
Yes, if you've got the (relatively) modest amount of money and want
to replace the Meade, it is a nice little scope, but better on open
clusters and big DSO's than planets, IMO. Also, get a 90 degree
diagonal for astronomical use (or maybe salvage one from the Meade).
Clear skies,
Russell Martin
Dan Francis
numerous black dots on the mirrors. I called Meade about their Lifetime
Warranty and received no argument at all. They requested I Fax them a copy
of my original sales slip and within a week I got a return authorization
number. I paid to send the scope in to them and they not only recoated the
mirrors but cleaned the corrector and I believe they did something to the
focuser as it feels much tighter now with less play. They paid shipping
back to me. They never gave me any trouble at all about the Lifetime
Warranty. Needless to say, I am very impressed with Meade.
Dan
Daryl Lockman wrote in message <775e4v$k2v$1...@nonews.col.hp.com>...
mc...@blkbox.com
(Jay Reynolds Freeman) wrote:
> > The text of the warranty that came with the scope specifically says "for as
> > long as you own the telescope", so I didn't think Meade had a lot of room to
> > interpret.
>
> > This is a small 60mm f5 refractor I got a good deal on as a very portable
> >>>>>CLIP<<<<<<<<
>
> > I also found flaws internal to the glass, probably between the two
> > pieces which are supposed to be air spaced. These look like tiny
> > scratches that start at the edge and snake their way in towards the
> > center. There are probably 2 dozen of these. I have no idea what
> > they are or what caused them but am guessing it may be a failure of
> > one of the coatings. I suspect they are the cause of the flair.
>
What your are describing sounds like a problem that some times stalks wildlife
Photographers, its called Mold by most of us, I hear it technically referred
to as MFOE (Mold/Fungal Oxygenation Etching) The basics are, Mold or fungus
Forms on the lens and its residue chemically damage the coating on the lens.
This only forms between elements in lens sets since the process
of evaporation is highly hindered by the closed space.
Since I cant see your lens here are the symptoms.
1. It starts at the edges, usually equally spaced and moves toward the center.
2. They are often more pronounced at the edges.
3. The lines or bands normally start at contact points along edge of the lens.
4. They are NEVER straight, and never circular, but they are always wavy
And may follow a kind of symmetry.
5. Each line or band is about the same lenght, color and thickness.
Hints
If they are circular or straight, the coating was applied wrong.
If they vary in color,lenght and size, It is likely chemical damage,
such as staining from cleaning fluids.
Are you the orginal owner?
If not did you store some palce safe from
moisture?
Daryl Lockman
I am seeing in the lens. The lines all start at the edges at about equal
spacing and snake inwards, all at the same width, and end abruptly after
traveling as much as 3/4 the diameter of the lens. There is no coloration
to the lines.
It would surprise me to have a mold problem since it is so dry along the
front range of Colorado. I am the original owner and the scope has spent
its life here. We use humidifiers to try to keep some moisture in the
house. I do get condensation on my equipment when I bring it inside after
using it on a chilly night. I always allow it to dry over night before
packing things away. Maybe I should toss in a packet of silica jell.
If this is mold, I assume it will continue to deteriorate. I wonder if
some types of coatings are more prone to this problem. Can I have the
glass recoated? How do I prevent this from happening again? And, if this
is what happened, do I have grounds for a warranty claim or is it normal
wear and tear?
Daryl Lockman
Remove the extra o from hotmail
Equal
Is it possible this allowed moisture in and thus mold?
Michael A. Covington
had surprising success getting it off using isopropyl alcohol, followed by
exposing the lens to direct sunlight for a few hours to kill any remaining
fungus.
You may be able to either remove it, or get it down to a level where it
doesn't degrade optical performance significantly. I've dealt with it in
old camera lenses a few times.
I tuned in late -- is Meade refusing to honor a lifetime warranty? Highly
dubious. They honored a lifetime warranty for me on a telescope bought 9
years earlier...
Clear skies,
Michael A. Covington / AI Center / The University of Georgia
Author, Astrophotography for the Amateur
http://www.mindspring.com/~covington/astro <><
AndersonRM
In article <77iip6$ohk$1...@camel29.mindspring.com>, "Michael A. Covington"
<covi...@mindspring.com> writes:
>
>I tuned in late -- is Meade refusing to honor a lifetime warranty? Highly
>dubious. They honored a lifetime warranty for me on a telescope bought 9
>years earlier...
>
>
IF you are the original owner, they most likely will. But, not if you bought
the scope second hand, and not if you live in a different country from where
the scope was purchased.
JOHN PAZMINO
DL> Subject: Re: Meade Won't Honor Lifetime Warranty
DL> Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1999 10:52:22 -0700
DL>
DL> Thanks for the many thoughtful replies.
DL> The text of the warranty that came with the scope specifically says "for as
DL> long as you own the telescope", so I didn't think Meade had a lot of room to
DL> interpret.
DL>
DL> This is a small 60mm f5 refractor I got a good deal on as a very portable
DL> alternative to my other equipment. We have been using it quite a bit lately
DL> to view things like Jupiter's moons. It's amazing the interest others will
DL> take when you show them something that changes night to night. The scope
DL> sets up quickly on a simple tripod and that is an asset on a cold Colorado
DL> evening.
DL>
DL> Anyway, I am having difficulty obtaining sharp focus with this scope. There
DL> is flare in one direction that follows the orientation of the objective, not
DL> the accessories. When out focus, the image elongates along one axis when
DL> approached from one direction and 90 degrees from that when approached from
DL> the other direction. The second symptom seems to fit the description of
DL> astigmatism.
DL>
DL> When I removed the dew cap and front cell I found two things. First, the
DL> glass was loose in the holder. I have tightened that and am still waiting
DL> for a clear night to see if that might have cured the astigmatism. I also
DL> found flaws internal to the glass, probably between the two pieces which are
DL> supposed to be air spaced. These look like tiny scratches that start at the
DL> edge and snake their way in towards the center. There are probably 2 dozen
DL> of these. I have no idea what they are or what caused them but am guessing
DL> it may be a failure of one of the coatings. I suspect they are the cause of
DL> the flair.
DL>
DL> When I called Meade, my hope was to get a diagnosis and maybe a repair. The
DL> problem was I spoke with 2 people, got put on hold 3 times and never got
DL> passed the warranty issue. I'm not mad at Meade and think a lifetime
DL> warranty is rather generous.
DL> However, since it was offered I expected to receive some assistance in
DL> dealing with the problem. They did say the scope had been discontinued 5
DL> years ago and they no longer have parts.
It looks like the warranty is for the original owner, the person
who bought direct from Meade or an proper dealer. You imply, altho do
not say, you got it as a bargain sale. Was the instrument a secondhand
one for you? Do you still have the proof of puechase papers?
As long as the company is still the same one, like Meade is since
you bought the scope from it, it must honor its guarantee for it. It's
a contract between you and the company; refusing to tend to its terms
is breach of contract, a civil tort issue. Of course, you may have to
argue this out in small claims court being that the scope was probably
within the small claims limit for damages.
The warranty from what you quote from it, seems in proper form
according to FTC regulations. 'Limited' means that the warranty fails
to include features that the FTC requires for a "full' guarantee.
Please understand that the company may offer what ever guarantee it
wants to ot none at all. It just have to be upfront about it and
properly disclose it. For instance, when you shop for a new scope you
are entitled as part of the materials of the potential purchase to a
copy of the warranties for it. If you ask the manufacturer for this it
has to send you a copy. Dealers commonly put the warranties in a sort
of photo album (because the papers are all different sizes and do not
fit neatly in a looseleaf book) and leave it out for you to read.
The FTC requires that discontinued items be serviceable and
reparable for at least five years. This excedes pretty much any
ordinary guarantee so you may have to pay for the service. After the
five years are up this service may be turned off. Repairs after then
are handled like any other custom job with appropriate charges. On the
other hand, many telescope parts are interchangeable or adaptable
across models. You may find parts that fit anyway.
Your problem with the scope does look like astigmatism in he
objective lens. But you should not have tightened the lens in its
cell. Objective lenses are deliberatively seated with some very minor
play to allow for temperature expansion and to prevent pinching and
stress. (Newer lenes may be seated in a rattle-less but yielded cell.)
You should loosen the cell just a smidgeon to let the lens spring to
its normal 'rest' shape.
---
þ RoseReader 2.52á P005004
Philip M. D'Amato
that indicates (among other things) the warranty is valid for one year to
the original owner, and (here's the important part), this warranty
supercedes all others. Perhaps they feel that they no longer need to
provide lifetime support for scopes purchased under different warranty
guidelines.
--
Philip M. D'Amato
pda...@bway.net
JOHN PAZMINO <john.p...@relaynet.org> wrote in message
news:9000540.0469...@relaynet.org...
Dan Dickerson
invalidate any other verbal or written warrantee given at or before
purchase. It does not suppose to replace pre-existing warrantees.
We never did hear what the final results were from the original poster.
There had been a mention of mold. Daryl, did you get resolution?
RMOLLISE
>that indicates (among other things) the warranty is valid for one year to
>the original owner, and (here's the important part), this warranty
>supercedes all others. Perhaps they feel that they no longer need to
>provide lifetime support for scopes purchased under different warranty
>guidelines.
>
Hi Phillip:
I've noticed this, and I'm not quite clear on what Meade means by this. Anyway,
simply saying that they've 'invalidated'--'superceded'-- your lifetime
warranty, if that's actually what they're sayin' doesn't necessarily make it
so!
Daryl Lockman
little 60mm f5 Comet Catcher. Meade no longer has the parts to fix it,
though I think they should have been nice enough to offer some other form
of compensation. Maybe a certificate towards another purchase?
I am considering the Orion ShortTube 80 as a quick setup scope. My 10" SCT
is a lot more effort to set up just to glance at Jupiter's moons.
Daryl
(remove the extra 'o' from hootmail)
Dan Dickerson <dick...@pacbell.net> wrote:
>That line is standard boilerplate for all warrantees. It is meant to
>invalidate any other verbal or written warrantee given at or before
>purchase. It does not suppose to replace pre-existing warrantees.
>
>We never did hear what the final results were from the original poster.
>There had been a mention of mold. Daryl, did you get resolution?
>
>"Philip M. D'Amato" wrote:
>>
Philip M. D'Amato
Good point - while Meade states that the online warranty terms supercede all
previous warranties, the online warranty also has wording to the effect that
individual locales may have laws regarding warranty limitations that
override Meade's warranty terms. For anyone interested (I was, since I had
to return my new ETX) Meade's online warranty is at:
http://www.meade.com/support/wrty.html
BTW, I'd like to acknowledge your contributions to this ng. A number of
your responses to others answered some of my own questions, and (more
importantly to me) led me to new questions.
--
Philip M. D'Amato
pda...@bway.net
RMOLLISE <rmol...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:19990207194707...@ng-fu1.aol.com...
<snip my previous post>
RMOLLISE
>Good point - while Meade states that the online warranty terms supercede all
>previous warranties, the online warranty also has wording to the effect that
>individual locales may have laws regarding warranty limitations that
>override Meade's warranty terms. For anyone interested (I was, since I had
>to return my new ETX) Meade's online warranty is at:
>http://www.meade.com/support/wrty.html
>
>BTW, I'd like to acknowledge your contributions to this ng. A number of
>your responses to others answered some of my own questions, and (more
>importantly to me) led me to new questions.
>
Hi Phil:
Thanks! And vis-a-vis Meade (and Celestron too)...I, and most other folks have
found them usually more than willing to try to keep their customers happy. Are
things changing now, especially with Celestron? Hard to say. I still think you
could do a lot worse than a Meade or Celestron SCT...as long as you realize
that you're buying A bargain scope. If you've also got to be willing to ship
the sucker back if it is not up to par optically.
Ratboy99
>your responses to others answered some of my own questions, and (more
>importantly to me) led me to new questions.
Yeah, that Rod Mollise, he's a pretty good guy.
rat
~( );>