Meade 140 barlow imperfections

[wallyneumonic]

Hi,

I just got my new barlow and on opening it I found that the lenses were fairly dusty, but I soon blew that off with my lense air blower. However one of the lenses has a very small mark on it. It is very small and probably wont even affect my viewing but when i look at the lense face on with the light catching the surface I can notice the mark...not sure if its grease or an imprefection in one of the lenses underneath. This barlow is meant to be brand new and I payed the going rate for it.

Basically what im asking is opinions on how common this is? should I send it back or are these minor imperfections to be expected? is there a high chance ill be given another one with a very minor imperfection to the optics?

Thanks,

wally

[Arcane]

As with any product you buy you have every right to be given a pristine product and you should not accept anything less. I would immediately contact them and arrange to have it exchanged.

[Maksutov]

Before requesting a replacement, two things:

1. Don't do anything to the Barlow. There is usually a noticeable difference between manufacturing defects and defects caused by end users. Don't give the company any opportunity to contest your claim.

2. If possible, record the defect with a photograph, preferably showing the Barlow as just unpacked or still in the packing material. These pictures may prove useful if they give you any grief.

Then when returning the item, take more photos of how it was repackaged and copy all the returned paperwork. Instances where a reputable company will hassle you are fortunately rare, but in those few cases where I ran into such poor customer service, the documentation I had was quite valuable in getting things resolved in my favor.