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:12/31/2024

  Type:Product 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.

  I purchased a Celestron Telescope 11/5/24 for my husbands birthday gift. The telescope arrived broken. They told us to mail it back to them and they would issue a refund. It was mailed back to them and they never issued a refund. We have called several times and they confirmed they received the broken telescope. Still no refund and now no answer when we call them or email.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/21/2025

  I have researched this case on our end and the customer was fully refunded for the damaged telescope on January 2, as they requested, with the payment processing to them on January 4.  Their online order #***** lists this refund information.  If they have any other questions or concerns, they are welcome to reach out to me directly.

  Thanks,

  ***** *******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/18/2023

  Type:Product 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.

  Terrible customer service Terrible customer service, purchased ********************** Outland X 10x42 Binoculars, missing strap piece. They are unable to provide a replacement part. Just getting a runaround from their customer service team. Do not buy their products if you need any assistance.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/18/2023

  The customer requested on ticket ************* that we shipped out a replacement binocular strap for his binoculars on Dec 10.  Due to a staffing shortage and high seasonal demand at our facility, it took until Dec 16 for our warehouse to ship out the requested part at no charge.  The customer was notified in e-mail on Saturday that his replacement is on its way to him.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/20/2023

   
  Complaint: 21016508
  
  I am rejecting this response because: as if Wednesday morning the replacement item has not shipped out as of yet please advise.  Tracking Number:
  927489953596895110300
  07316
  USPS Currently Awaiting
  Package
  A status update is not yet available for your package. It will be available when the shipper provides an update or the packa
  ge is given to ***** Check
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************;

  Business Response

  Date: 12/20/2023

  Unfortunately, it appears that **** failed to scan the replacement strap for the binoculars when they picked up from us, and our warehouse is unable to provide more information.  To remedy this, we have set up a second replacement via *** with tracking number 1ZR4472V0243488390.  This package will ship out later today and should arrive at the customer's address by Friday. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/09/2023

  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.

  Purchase date: 12-5-17 Request for support: 1-2-18, 1-3-18, 1-4-18, 4-3-18, 4-4-18 Discovery of faulty assembly: 9-21-23 Request for support: 9-22-23, 9-25-23, 9-27-23, 9-28-23 We purchased a motorized telescope that would not function properly. Repeated requests for technical support were answered with: "It is hard to use. Keep practicing." Multiple open questions and observations were left unanswered or ignored, they stopped responding after 6 emails.After discovering a loose nut in the motor assembly, I asked for assembly specs, and the possibility of replacing the loose nut with a locking nut. I was told someone would get back with me; nobody did.We struggled using it for 5 years, constantly hand-tightening the nut as needed, as it worked loose very easily. We have not used it at all for the past year as it is such a pain to use.Several telescope enthusiasts took a close look at the loose nut, and immediately noticed the bearing that controls vertical movement was installed crooked, which prevents proper functionality, and also causes the nut to loosen.I notified celestron and opened a tech support request and asked yet again for the torque spec for assembling the nut, and whether or not I could use a locking nut instead of the nut they used. I also asked for the price of a new bearing and drive gear, and was told it would be $200 for a new motor and control board. Then I was told no, I need different parts instead, and that someone would contact me with the right parts. They have not done that.I repeated the instructions and report of loose hardware from 2017 and 2018, and was told that because they don't have any of those records (so therefore 'out of warranty'), that they won't answer my questions but rather I have to send it to them so they can tell me how much it will cost for them to repair it.I responded with screen shots of the original request, showing case # and date stamp. They responded by marking the tech support case "closed."

  Business Response

  Date: 10/10/2023

  This customer noted a failure in ********************** service that occurred in 2018, while his telescope was still in warranty.  While his telescope mount is now well outside the 2 year manufacturing warranty, we are offering the customer a courtesy warranty repair of his mount at no charge.

  The customer has also requested certain parts and schematics of this mount that we are not able to provide, so we feel that covering the round-trip shipping and repair costs will be the best solution.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/03/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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.

  I recently received the newest Starsense Autoguider and it appears that there are some bugs that still need to be worked on regarding this unit. Now this unit was rather pricey costing over $700 and with my success using a legacy product called the Starsense Autoalign, I was confident in my purchase. Now I had my fair share of issues with my telescope I primarily used, and they all fall in line with many other 1 star reviews on this page. It was returned for faulty **** unit, and there is a well known defect in their motor boards and the motor board died while still under warranty. The **** issue and the defective motor board both separately fixed under warranty replacement. Now about 2 years later I plug up my newest addition and I an excited to use it, well it definitely is not performing as advertised and claimed on their website and on social media. I was disappointed but not too surprised.... While trying to trouble shoot on my own I began noticing new issues with my 4 year old telescope from buggy or twitchy movements to a burning electronic smell. Is this new hardware breaking my telescope mount? Was this hardware thoroughly tested by the company before releasing it?I opened a ticket 4 days ago with no response. I am only asking for guidance on finding a way to repair my telescope weather this is something I can send in for repair at my own cost, or something I can repair at home on my own. Celestron please help and advise!!!

  Business Response

  Date: 08/03/2023

  As this customer had a similar motor control issue on his mount two years ago and this is a sudden failure after attaching the new accessory, Celestron is offering a curtesy repair under warranty for the issues in the mount.  We are reaching out to the customer through our ticketing system to offer this and ask that the user send us his mount, hand controller, and the **** accessory for our Repair team to test as a unit.  Once repaired and tested, we will ship the items back to the customer at our cost. 

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/03/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/17/2023

  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.

  I filed a complaint number (********). I meant to hit that I do not accept the terms from Celestron. It should not be a discount to service the scope. It should be free. Yes the opening of the *** to clean is in your terms. However this does not change that it is a deffective product. If the paint was not blueing the mirror I would not have had to clean it. This is alot of money for this setup. I would rather fix it now than proceed further.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/28/2023

  Per the customer's admission that he knowingly violated the terms of Celestron's warranty, we are unable to offer a repair of the telescope at no charge.  We will however offer again to repair the telescope at a discount if the customer is willing to send it to us.  We will happily work to correct this issue for this customer, but we will have to charge for the service due to the the costs estimated to correct the customer's attempted self-repair, which is not covered under the terms of our warranty.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/28/2023

   
  Complaint: 20335199
  
  I am rejecting this response because: This was not a self repair. Your company installed vents on the scope. Do you really expect people to pay yearly to have it cleaned. The shipping alone would be around $300. This is still a paint defect no matter how you look at it. You should correct the faulty item instead of covering up your subpar product. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  Business Response

  Date: 07/28/2023

  The customer has knowingly voided **********************'s warranty terms in disassembling his telescope for cleaning.  Our two-year warranty terms would normally have covered a no-charge cleaning and optical alignment for the telescope, however we are unable to offer this at this time due to the customer's actions in removing the front optics.  These **************** were carefully-aligned on an in-house optical bench at our facility prior to shipment to the dealer the customer purchased from, which is why we always recommend optical cleaning and alignment repairs be done exclusively by our trained technicians.  

  Celestron still wants to work toward a resolution with the customer and will still offer a discount on the cost of repairing the telescope or a discount on a new replacement unit.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/28/2023

   
  Complaint: 20335199
  
  I am rejecting this response because: Im willing to pay for shipping however not for the repair. Its a shame you are not willing to correct your faulty equipment. The optical components are not out of alignment. As stated before the paint defect is the issue. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/14/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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.

  I was cleaning the primary mirror on the telescope. There was a blue film that started as I was cleaning the mirror. I noticed the paint around the mirror was coming off. I cleaned the mirror as stated by Celestron. The warranty states voided if taken apart. However this is a workmanship error with faulty paint. Im looking for Celestron to take ownership and correct the issue. Thanks your loyal customer

  Business Response

  Date: 07/17/2023

  Neither Celestron nor our employees ever advise customers to disassemble their ****** optical tubes and attempt to clean the inside of the tube due to the sensitivity of the optical alignment.  When the customer reached out to us, he referenced an article on our website that specifically noted that removing the corrector plate would be grounds for voiding of the manufacturer warranty and recommended contacting Celestron for repair services rather than disassembling the product, and he was told the same by two members of the Technical Support team when reaching out to us.  Celestron currently handles all metal component anodizing at the factory overseas, so we are unable to repaint the part damaged in the customer's cleaning attempt, and this would void the manufacturer's warranty on the telescope optical tube.  We will however be able to offer a discount on either a replacement OTA when available or on the repair costs of replacing the anodized component and cleaning and collimating the optics for the customer, whichever sounds better to the customer.  He can reference this complaint ID and let us know which option he prefers when he next reaches out to us.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/17/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/08/2023

  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.

  I purchased a Celestron Nexstar evolution 6 telescope new on Dec. 29, 2019.It arrived approx: Jan 15, 2020. Immediately there were problems with set up. I purchased it from Andorama, so I email them around Jan 26, 2020, we emailed back forth trying to resolve issue for about a month. Finally they told me to contact Celestron. I tried calling but it is extremely hard to get a reply. I finally received an email reply on Feb. 15, 2020 . The telescope tube needed to be sent in and they were going to have to replace it. They never told me what was replaced or what the issue was, or if it was a new telescope replacement or used. They received it Mar. 16, 2020. When I received it back around end of March 2020- beginning of Apr. 2020. we were in the throws of COVID, so the telescope sat unused for about a year and half. When I did try to set up again in late Dec. 2022 or early Jan. 2023. It wouldnt charge. I thought maybe I didnt have it plugged in all the way. I tried again over a few nights, but still nothing. I did my due diligence and looked in Manual and online for help. Finally I tried calling Celestron for help around the 10th of Jan 2023. They have a terrible answering system. I tried to leave a message with operator but mailbox was full. I continued to try to contact Celestron and finally sent an email on 1/23/2023. Im thinking my 2 year warranty started when I received the telescope. I added photos of my receipts and emails. After some conversations, they told me I would have to send it in. I sent it in at my expense for shipping about $50.00. I heard back on 2/20/2023 that they had received it and it was in line to be evaluated. I sent in a few emails with questions. I didnt hear back until 3/13/2023. With an estimate of $530.00 dollars. I responded by email with questions but didnt received a response until 3/22/ 2023. Apologizing for delay and that they would look into it. 5 more emails and they have not replied. Ive added photos. I was surprised they wanted to charge me, since the telescope was under warranty when the issues started in Dec. 2022, I assumed it would be covered.When I was able to finally speak with them, it may have been past warranty date by 1 -2 weeks. Given the prior initial problems With the telescope and amount of time it was used. Hardly at all. And h amount of time it takes to get someone to reply to you from Celestron, they should honor my warranty. I kept telescope indoors and covered the complete time I had it. An after doing some research, I found that apparently this mother board issue has been a problem for this telescope, and they new about it. I would expect them to take care of the issue and honor my warranty. Theyve had my telescope for over 3 months, and no one has bothered to call, email or return a call I left with technical about 2 weeks ago. Ive include my last email message to them. I apologize for the length of this, but its taken a long to deal with this. Ive been extremely patient. And on top of all of this, Ive been recovering from two consecutive foot surgeries since Nov.8 2022. Im still recovering. Ive included images of correspondence from them, I have several more of my emails to them that went un answered. If you need them I will be happy to provide. I appreciate your time Thank you *************

  Business Response

  Date: 05/08/2023

  We at Celestron agree that communication was not handled correctly on our end to keep the customer advised of the process of her repair, so I have approved handling this repair under warranty at no charge to the customer.  I have been in communication with our Repair team to ask them to expedite the repair for the customer, and I have sent the customer a response noting this resolution on our internal Technical Support ticketing system.

  Thanks,

  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/05/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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.

  I bought a Crlestron CGXL 14" in June of 2023. I paid $8,500 for the setup with other items. The mount has had a Dec fail code, over tightened RA/Dec axises, and bad backlash. These items were originally reported in September 2022. Celestron said they eould email a rma, but that never happened. I asked for advice on fixing it myself, and they never replied. I then asked for a new mount or a refund still no reply. I just want the setup I paid all this money for to work as advertised. I was hoping to resolve this issue without legal action. This is terrible buisness for a customer on ten plus years.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/15/2023

  I was just notified of this customer's complaint today and ********************** will be reaching out to him as soon as possible to make this right.  We will get his mount in as quickly as we can to replace with a new unit at no charge to the customer.

  Thanks,

  *************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/16/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/11/2022

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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.

  I bought a telescope thru ******* It was broken. I returned it and it was signed for **** by ******. Took many emails to find out it's now backordered til January. On **** they said they'd refund my money and let me know when it's coming. No one is responding to my emails now. *******is not responding to emails either.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/14/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/10/11) */ This is ***** ******** Technical Support Manager for Celestron. We are terribly sorry for the delay in sending your refund check for your returned telescope. The delay is our fault, and my team is working to have the refund check expedited to you as quickly as possible. We will also ask for notification when your check has shipped so that we can inform you. If you have any questions, please let me know and I will be happy to assist. Thanks. Consumer Response /* (2000, 7, 2022/10/14) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.) I received a check for the full amount of the telescope today. Thank you *** for your help in this!!!!

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/01/2022

  Type:Product 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.

  I purchased a ********* *********** ***** ********** Out of all the products I have ever purchased, nothing has been as worthless, useless and ********** as this telescope. It literally has not worked once, despite being assembled verbatim to instruction. It simply does not work. Numerous calls to this company's helpline have also proved completely fruitless and futile, and even the individuals I spoke with ******** ********** seem to have no idea why it isn't working. It has basically sat collecting dust for as long as I have had it, despite ******** ******** to ******* and make the product work, and it cost a lot of money. Even the *************** of the company is terrible, one would think they would help out on a product this expensive. I cannot express my disappoint any further on this product, they clearly sold me a *************** item and my money was wasted. I want this firm to return my money, this is ****** Do not do any business with this company if you are reading this, there are many other companies that sell better products in this sphere, at better price points, than this useless item. Stay away completely.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/12/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/08/01) */ Hello Mr. *****, This is ***** ******** the Technical Support Manager at ********** I am sorry to hear about the issues that you have had with your *********** ***** telescope and with the service you encountered when troubleshooting the issues. I will happily approve a full refund for you once we are able to verify the proof of purchase for your telescope. One of my team members will reach out to you by e-mail to start the process using the address you provided with your contact information above. Refund will be by check around 7-10 business days after we receive all of the needed information for the receipt and the mailing address for the check. Thank you for your time, ***** *******