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Big thanx to Kay Optical for binoculars (1 Viewer)

G

gindog

Well-known member
United Kingdom
Not sure if this is the most appropriate section for this, so if not any moderator could kindly relocate? Cheers

Went to a filed ay at Dintons Pastures Winnersh near Reading Berks today. Kay Optical had a field day there. The chap showed me a range of bins inlcuding new and pre-owned. Allowed me to go look thru them. Allowed me to compare and discussed my realistic needs - realistic wants and in my widest dream wishes at which he let me down gently. Thanx.

They took some kit in part ex and I came away having agreed to buy a set of 8 x 2 Helios. Lovely feel bins, nice size and so light. Appreciably much better better than my Opticron Discovery.

Many thanx to Kay Optical and that guy.

I have no connection with this company at all but I shall be giving them the first chance to sell me a scope and a tripod.

If you have a chance to try b4 buying I would suggest you do. I am so glad I did not buy off ebay unsighted or untried first.

Maybe not a fortune to some but it is for me and I thought I would not be buying for while.

oldbaldman
 
oops maybe

found Helios binoculars for £110. The ones I have coming were £250 but there was a deal for a part exchange and cash. Still a lot of money tho.

Have I paid over the top? Will let you know when they arrive. Hope not the Kay guy was really helpful and knowledgeable.

obm
 
oldbaldman said:
oops maybe

found Helios binoculars for £110. The ones I have coming were £250 but there was a deal for a part exchange and cash. Still a lot of money tho.

Have I paid over the top? Will let you know when they arrive. Hope not the Kay guy was really helpful and knowledgeable.

obm
Click to expand...

The £110 bins are probably a different/cheaper model.

Matt
 
matt green said:
The £110 bins are probably a different/cheaper model.

Matt
Click to expand...

hope so matt. the Kay guy did explain to me aboiut a company that offeredd him somke bins for £16 a pair that he should rertail at silly money. He declined as they were not good enough for him to sell. He later saw the same cheapo bins in a high street shop for even sillier money than he had been advised to sell them for.

I reckon he was genuine and I have not been done. But cheers for that input.

obm
 
If they're the AM6 8x42, the lowest normal price I've seen is £215 at Sherwoods, though Warehouse Express has them for £146.88 in their upcoming sale. If I've guessed right, you have paid too much. But it should be possible to cancel, shouldn't it?

Michael.
 
oldbaldman said:
oops maybe

found Helios binoculars for £110. The ones I have coming were £250 but there was a deal for a part exchange and cash. Still a lot of money tho.
obm
Click to expand...

I reckon those £110 binos you found were the ''ultimate HR 8x42'' porro prism models that are selling for around £115,the AM-6 DCF high resolution roof prisms (which I think you are awaiting) should be better.

If they are anything like opticron verano,minox BL etc then you will not be dissapointed.

Matt
 
Hi and thanks for the input. The bins arrived today by post.

The box is unbranded, no name on it just the word "binoculars". The "B" of binoculars is full box height with a picture of a saling dinghy set against a backdrop of a snow covered mountain range.The "inoculars" shows motor racing and runs along the lower half of the box with a horse racing picture set in a pair of green edged linked circles.

On the sides of the box there are the word binoculars, then below this as scene of American football above a silhouette of pair of binoculars. On one of these binocuoar silhouettes there is printed "Type 8 x40 ZWCF".

I mention this in case someone recognises the box style from a pair of "Hokey Cokey" binoculars they have bought.

The binoculars themselves only have a small sticky badge 32mm x 10mm in a recess on the left tube as you look at them standing in front of you.

So I do not know if these are AM2 or 6m, or even what model they are. They do have a serial number, 6010556, and "Japan" on a recess underneath and between the tubes.

What do I do? I do not know what I have got here now? The complete lack of branding on the items suggests to me a production scenario of millions of binoculars straps and bags made. A brand badge added to the binocular according to the orderer. I feel unsettled at this time.

obm
 
Contact the seller right now and explain your concerns . I too would be very unhappy with this situation. It could well be a simple mistake at their end , give them the chance to come good on the deal by replacing what you have received.
Hope this all works out OK for you .

Paul.
 
thanx Normjackson, I found the same (?) model in a picture via the link you posted and it is the same style and shape etc as mine. What does the AM number mean? And if they are not marked how do you know what the AM number is?

If it helps, the field on these is 6.5 degrees, phase coated and waterproof.

The box silhouette on the pair sent to me shows porro prisms but the binaoculars I bought are roof prisms (straight tubes, hope I got the terminology right?).

I shall contact Kay and ask them to explain why the non original box and no markings on the binoculars, straps or case etc. My gut reaction is still that their chap was good and they have treated me well. I hope it is the case.

obm
 
Happier now.

Just spoke to Kay Optical and he answered all my questions. The box mix up issue is due to the fact that some times the boxes are used for other models so the correct descriptive label is fixed over the type printed on the box.

The lack of branding on straps and bag is to reduce costs. The body of the binoculars is the same as several others but the finish and trim can altered to distinguish between different brands, so they are not all identical bar the name badge. AM3 and AM6 is apparently just a model reference or model name and does not have any bearing on the build quailty or performance of the item.

Just need a good day to try them out now.

thank you all very much for all the help and advice given here.

obm
 
oldbaldman said:
Happier now.

Just spoke to Kay Optical and he answered all my questions. The box mix up issue is due to the fact that some times the boxes are used for other models so the correct descriptive label is fixed over the type printed on the box.

The lack of branding on straps and bag is to reduce costs. The body of the binoculars is the same as several others but the finish and trim can altered to distinguish between different brands, so they are not all identical bar the name badge. AM3 and AM6 is apparently just a model reference or model name and does not have any bearing on the build quailty or performance of the item.
Click to expand...
I find that extremely unconvincing. The box explanation sounds like gibberish. "...sometimes the boxes are used for other models..." Why? The rest of your post seems to suggest that you've been sold an unbranded Helios equivalent for only £35 more than an actual Helios. If the lack of branding is to reduce costs, why are they so expensive?

I would send them back and buy some proper Helioses from somewhere else. You'll feel a lot better once you have.

Michael.
 
Hmm,

just been PMd by another member here who went to Kay Optical today and was quoted £219 for the Helios 8 x 42. The guy started the price for me at £259 on Sunday. With some equipment in part exchange and paying cash they cost me £150. I shall speak to Kay tomorrow and see if I can sort something out as I feel a £40 surcharge "in the field " is unjustifiable.

I will also speak to another retailer and see if there binoculars are sold with unbranded straps and bags etc to see of these are genuine Helios.

Concerned again now.

obm
 
Spoke to a very nice lady, Sue at Optical Vision today. I explained my query and described the box and binoculars I had. She checked their stock and confirmed to me that their Helios binoculars are all packed in non branded boxes with non branded straps and bags. The pictures on their stock boxes of yachting and cars and horses are all identical to mine so I do have a good pair of binoculars.

What a relief.

From what has been said here and elsewhere I guess retailers all know what their particular specification model is called and branded by their competitiors.

So if the Helios is equivalent to Opticron Verano or an RSPB badged simialr, but costs less, it is true. Apart from external features the performance is the same.

What a kerfuffle. My faith in the nice guy was justified and, Tom24 you are right, cheers.

Can finally lay this to rest.

obm
 
I have found this thread a little troubling. Kay Optical are possibly the longest established optical retailer serving the UK Birding community. Many of us know Tony reasonably well as repeat customers. He is honest and knowledgeable about the products he sells. This thread put into the public arena doubts about his integrity which, though resoved to OBM's satisfaction eventually, should have been dealt with through the personal message facility.

Dave
 
Sorry if this troubled you. Put yourself in my position please. I join a site that has a welath of knowledge and expertise about a subject I know very little, in fact virtually nil about. I meet a retailer I do not know. I agree to buy a product after trying it on site. When the product arrives I have no way of knowing what I have got due to the documented issues explained earlier. So I ask about. Sadly, I have had problems with retailers and been had over in the past.

After a bit of looking into this, it all ends well. The retailer acted quite properly.

Before complaining or remonstrating I wanted to see if the situation I found myself in was common, was I being over concerned? I sought advice and opinion here.

I am very happy to say that Kay did nothing wrong here, and provided a good service. I will gladly use them again, in fact now that I know that this transaction was okay they will be my dealer of choice and I will recommend them on. There was no box, case or strap with the demo pair I looked through. They had sold out. When these issues were eventually resolved I, and others here, got the picture.

If this bothers anyone else or a moderator wants to delete it please feel free to do so. Just leave the first post if you wish.

obm
 
I've no experience of Kay Optical but to be fair to Oldbaldman if I'd agreed to buy a pair of Helios binoculars and then an unbranded pair in a non-branded box arrived I'd have a few concerns. Whilst they may be a reputable company this appears to be a strange way of doing business. Hardly confidence inspiring stuff!
 
oldbaldman said:
Sorry if this troubled you. Put yourself in my position please. I join a site that has a welath of knowledge and expertise about a subject I know very little, in fact virtually nil about. I meet a retailer I do not know. I agree to buy a product after trying it on site. When the product arrives I have no way of knowing what I have got due to the documented issues explained earlier. So I ask about. Sadly, I have had problems with retailers and been had over in the past.

After a bit of looking into this, it all ends well. The retailer acted quite properly.

Before complaining or remonstrating I wanted to see if the situation I found myself in was common, was I being over concerned? I sought advice and opinion here.

I am very happy to say that Kay did nothing wrong here, and provided a good service. I will gladly use them again, in fact now that I know that this transaction was okay they will be my dealer of choice and I will recommend them on. There was no box, case or strap with the demo pair I looked through. They had sold out. When these issues were eventually resolved I, and others here, got the picture.

If this bothers anyone else or a moderator wants to delete it please feel free to do so. Just leave the first post if you wish.

obm
Click to expand...
obm, you have nothing to apologise for. As members of this forum, our ethical responsibility is to provide each other with the best advice and information we can, within the law and within the rules of the forum. We have no moral obligation to vendors, nor can we be reasonably asked to refrain from fair comment on the basis that the comment might adversely affect a vendor's reputation.

As well as having every right to raise your legitimate concerns, you've done a service by making the practices of this particular company more widely known. I'm certainly grateful for the information.

Michael.
 
I aim not to post anything that I would not say to someone face to face.

It may be that the other retailers who have ordered this specification binocular from the factory with their own particular badge on the body, and with their specified exterior finish all use unbranded boxes and cases and straps, ie a common accessory/package set.

I do not know, but may I say one last time I am happy with Kay now that I have resolved my queries.

obm
 
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