Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/18/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On Sep 19th, 2022, I opened a replacement iOptron Mak 150 telescope that had been sent to me by iOptron. The original scope was $848.00. They promised me a scope with a 1 year warranty that reads in section A. "iOptron warrants your that the product from iOptron to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a limited time (90 days, one or two years depend on a product). iOptron will repair or replace such product or part which, upon inspection by iOptron, is found to be defective in materials or workmanship. As a condition to the obligation of iOptron to repair or replace such product, the product must be returned to iOptron together with proof-of-purchase satisfactory to iOptron." The item came with defects in materials and workmanship, such as a blatantly scratched secondary mirror which can easily be seen with a flashlight without even opening the telescope, and it also came with a chipped secondary baffle (aka "shield", "skirt"). They are refusing to acknowledge the scratched secondary mirror, but they are acknowledging the shipped secondary baffle, however they are refusing to honor their 1 year warranty. They refuse to resolve the problem, both directly through them, and in contact with their own distributor which i used for the original telescope that had a damaged focuser (telescopes.net). The order # was *********. The tracking number was 1Z74R9X00390795277.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/31/2022

  I have not heard from the business in response to my complaint. They refuse to honor their warranty on my damaged telescope and will not respond to the BBB request. 

  Business Response

  Date: 11/28/2022

  This case has been completed by returning the telescope for full refund.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/30/2022

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. 

  iOptron failed to uphold their warranty. The refund was to a 3rd party not involved with this complaint (NOT iOptron); iOptron itself never refunded me. The replacement scope from iOptron (iOptron MAK150) arrived with not only a large scratch to the secondary mirror, but the shield/baffle around the secondary was CHIPPED. 

  These defects clearly fall under section A. of the IOptron warranty: "A. iOptron warrants your that the product from iOptron to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a limited time (90 days, one or two years depend on a product). iOptron will repair or replace such product or part which, upon inspection by iOptron, is found to be defective in materials or workmanship. As a condition to the obligation of iOptron to repair or replace such product, the product must be returned to iOptron together with proof-of-purchase satisfactory to iOptron."

  The scope (iOptron mak150) was specifically not free from defects in materials and workmanship, and was still in the time frame of the warranty.

  
  

  I then requested that the warranty come in effect for another replacement, that was free from these defects to the optical arrangement. Baffles and secondary mirrors are integral parts of the optics (I am an optical physicist). 

  
  

  iOptron then refused to honor the warranty, and the 3rd party I bought it from (Woodland Hills Camera and Telescope) OFFERED a refund to me, not iOptron. The scope was NEVER bought from the manufacturers website. 

  
  

  I submitted a complaint because they failed to uphold their warranty which was apart of the original purchase, NOT because they refused a refund (they themselves never offered one).

  
  

  They then failed to respond in a timely manner as specified by BBB, and I returned the scope to the company Woodland Hills Camera and Telescope assuming iOptron had no interest in upholding that part of the agreement that we had at the time of the purchase. Because the warranty issue was never resolved and iOptron failed to respond in a timely matter, I not accept the response made by iOptron to resolve this complaint. 

  
  

  Regards,

  *****

   

   

  Business Response

  Date: 11/30/2022

  1. The replacement scope was inspected before sent out to the customer. It is a typical example of what the MAK150 is. Since customer was not satisfied, it was returned for refund.

  2. iOptron suggested the customer to contact the dealer (Woodland Hill) for a solution, as cited here.

  "The scope we sent is typical of the model, I dont think another will make any difference.  The first one did have a focuser issue, this one didnt. The anomalies on the mirror I believe are from the reflection of the edge of the secondary on the primary.  If so every scope of this make will show such results when using a flash light.
  
  If this scope doesnt work for you, please contact the dealer you purchased it from and Ill work with them under their sales policy."

  3. Customer did not bought the product directly from iOptron. iOptron won't be able to refund the customer. It has to be refunded via dealer. 

  4. iOptron authorized the dealer to refund the customer. ********************** credited to the dealer for the refund.

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/04/2022

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********.

  iOptron responded in an insufficient time, and the case should be closed due to no response. Why it was reopened, I do not understand. I have the message from BBB clearly logged and signed by BBB. 

  Once again, my complaint is in regards to iOptron's failure to uphold their warranty, not a refund (any further discussion about a refund is not relevant to the case opened). They were provided with more than sufficient evidence that the secondary baffle was indeed chipped (see picture 20220928_222638.jpg), and the damage is easily seen in the images attached. IOptron knowingly disregarded the said damage when the warranty was requested to be upheld, and instead is creating a false answer for the part of the damages that consist of a scratch to the secondary mirror. The prior telescope with the damaged focuser did not show the optical illusion that they claimed to exist in the model itself, and so their answer is certainly incorrect.

  Due to the inability of the iOptron to respond to the relevant claims, and because they never responded in the time that BBB is supposed to enforce, any further activity is outside the scope of the BBB complaint, and the case should be closed. 

   
  Regards,

  *****