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Beware of fake eclipse glasses!

Discussion in 'Celestial Events' started by Orion25, Aug 7, 2017.

Beware of fake eclipse glasses!

Started by Orion25 on Aug 7, 2017 at 5:18 PM

24 Replies 5209 Views 2 Likes

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  1. Orion25

    Orion25 Well-Known Member

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    Orion25, Aug 7, 2017
    #1
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  2. Dave In Vermont

    Dave In Vermont Well-Known Member

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    Dave In Vermont, Aug 7, 2017
    #2
    An excellent catch, Reggie!

    Thank you!

    Dave
     
  3. Orion25

    Orion25 Well-Known Member

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    Orion25, Aug 8, 2017
    #3
    No problem. Can you imagine someone selling something so unsafe? People wanting to make a quick buck and not doing the research :mad:
     
  4. Dave In Vermont

    Dave In Vermont Well-Known Member

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    Dave In Vermont, Aug 8, 2017
    #4
    Remember those 'SOLAR FILTER' things you were told to screw into an eyepiece-barrel? Came with rather cheap department-store telescopes (with the pictures of a giant Jupiter and galaxies)? They would shatter and blind you? Same trip.

    One way I get back at criminal scum is by telephone. I, like millions of others, get calls from 'spoofed numbers' with crooks claiming to be everything from Brain-Surgeons for Police to American Veterans from Iran. So I keep an emergency boat-horn next to my phone. I think you can guess the rest. Those new fibre-optic phone-lines allow full transmissions of sounds. The boat-horn has a range of 10 miles.

    This planets' going to Hell on a sled.

    Dave
     
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  5. Zigarro

    Zigarro Well-Known Member

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    Zigarro, Aug 9, 2017
    #5
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  6. Dave In Vermont

    Dave In Vermont Well-Known Member

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    Dave In Vermont, Aug 11, 2017
    #6
    Well - I for one have been admonished from many sources to beware of these fakes - even the main-stream press. Which I'm very happy to see. This means the word has spread like a wildfire, and such truly is impressing me! Usually main-stream press would require a giant rock falling on somewhere - like Chelyabinsk - before they give a second thought to anything even remotely scientific. Especially in the current political-climate where science is being called-out as being nothing but lies. And the Flat-Earth Society is being portrayed as a legitimite entity.

    May this continue. And thanks for this, Reggie - you're a part of this yourself!

    'Ta,

    Dave
     
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  7. Orion25

    Orion25 Well-Known Member

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    Orion25, Aug 12, 2017
    #7
    Wado, Dave. I'm happy to do my part to promote safe scientific exploration by the masses! :)
     
  8. Ed D

    Ed D Well-Known Member

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    Ed D, Aug 12, 2017
    #8
    Wow, I did my boss and a friend at work a favor. My boss is going to see the eclipse and didn't have glasses yet. He procrastinated and most sites are sold out. I directed him to Agena Astro and he ordered a three pack of Baader film glasses. Well worth what he paid.

    I hate to think of the many poor souls that are going to damage their eyesight with cheap knock-offs sold by unscrupulous @$$)-(0!3$.

    Ed D
     
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  9. Orion25

    Orion25 Well-Known Member

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    Orion25, Aug 12, 2017
    #9
    I hope that the word has spread enough by now to prevent anyone from buying unsafe products. Amazon canned several vendors for not being able to verify that their suppliers were endorsed by NASA/AAS.
     
  10. Dave In Vermont

    Dave In Vermont Well-Known Member

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    Dave In Vermont, Aug 13, 2017
    #10
    Excellent news, Reggie! It takes a lot of pressure to get Amazon - the largest peddlers of 'Snake-Oil' on the net - to get up and do something about the crooks!

    Keep up the good works!

    Dave
     
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  11. Orion25

    Orion25 Well-Known Member

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    Orion25, Aug 13, 2017
    #11
    In fact, Amazon's giving me store credit for a Daystar camera solar filter (sold by ICSTARS) that didn't pass the test (i.e., ICSTARS didn't respond back to Amazon that their company uses a reputable solar filter supplier). I don't have to send back the filter or anything, just follow the warning not to use it. The funny thing is, Daystar IS on the NASA/AAS trusted vendors list, specifically for their solar glasses which has the same spec as the camera filter. I tested out the camera filter which doesn't fit as snugly as I would like on my 70mm zoom lens, but it filters just as good as my "approved" solar glasses, letting literally nothing through but the pale yellowish orb of the sun. If anything, the fact that the camera filter could possibly slip off the lens is the most dangerous issue, which I communicated to Daystar. The spec seems solid though. How convoluted is THAT? My camera solar filter actually DOES meet the requirement despite Amazon's claim, AND and I get a sweet store credit. I wonder what I should use the credit for? Hmmmmm...
     
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  12. Orion25

    Orion25 Well-Known Member

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    Orion25, Aug 13, 2017
    #12
    Dude, I had a Jason refractor from the mid-eighties with one of those death ray filters that had SUN printed on it. Thank the Great Spirit I never used it (I did try the moon filter which turned things an eerie green). BTW, I LOVE the boat-horn idea!
     
  13. Dave In Vermont

    Dave In Vermont Well-Known Member

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    Dave In Vermont, Aug 13, 2017
    #13
    That reminds me - I need to get another can of "compressed-air" for my horn. I get tons of these calls! Yesterday it was a string of some guys with a thick Arabic accents all claiming to be "Peter Watkins from Dell Computer."

    Hope they had a nice day in the nearest Emergency-Room.

    Raul & Dave
     
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  14. george

    george Developer

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    george, Aug 13, 2017
    #14
    This was complete BS to paint the vendors as the reason for them refunding people. We have been sending everything they have requested for weeks with no response from Amazon and no way to contact them except through their generic email seller-performance@amazon.com. They have went on their own without notice to vendors Saturday morning refunding a number of solar equipment.

    It's one thing to take down listing so they can verify who is who but it's another thing to blanket refund money that was not theirs to loose. They are not gonna hurt from any of this. It's all the small astronomy vendors who the ones who are taking the hit.

    It takes one easy internet search to see who is a legit seller and who isn't, Agena is on pretty much every reputable vendor list for the solar eclipse yet they wont respond to any our emails and won't take a phone call either.

    Now it's our reputation that has been smeared because of that email sent out that puts the blame on us.
     
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  15. george

    george Developer

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    george, Aug 13, 2017
    #15
    I just hope you will let your friends and family know if they ended up buying anything from AgenaAstro on Amazon that it is completely legit and safe to use, spite what Amazon has led the masses believe.
     
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  16. Ed D

    Ed D Well-Known Member

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    Ed D, Aug 14, 2017
    #16
    Agena Astro may take a hit from this, but I believe it's going to be small. Besides, when all this eclipse mania passes we can all return to a 'normal' life and all the loyal customers will still be there. At least I know that my friends have a good product, and Agena Astro may have a couple of new customers.

    Ed D
     
  17. Dave In Vermont

    Dave In Vermont Well-Known Member

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    Dave In Vermont, Aug 14, 2017
    #17
    Orion25 (Reggie) has made a point of giving Agena high-marks across-the-pond in Europa - where an ever-increasing number of P-offed Americans are hanging their hats these days, George. Bet you can guess why <koff!>.

    I rather doubt any serious astronomy-fan listens to anything that flies out the backsides of Amazon. If anything - it might actually work to Agena's advantage to have Amazon not like you all. That would send me heading for your doorstep in a hurry!

    But you might run this by a good lawyer - sounds to me like you could have a good lawsuit on your hands - as the litigant for the prosecution. Amazon would be best advised to settle out-of-court.

    Go get 'em, Cowboy!

    Dave
     
  18. Orion25

    Orion25 Well-Known Member

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    Orion25, Aug 14, 2017
    #18
    I saw the reply from Agena Astro to the Amazon statement and was shocked at how Amazon chose to handle this situation, and a little over a week before the big day! After reading other reports from vendors that are on the AAS list about Amazon's lack of response I became suspicious. This could have been handled much. much more tactfully. It's too easy to cause mass hysteria these days, and it's truly unfair to the legitimate vendors. I agree with Ed that once the eclipse is over, things will get back to normal, minus the losses due to the "scare". But I think Amazon may have left a bad taste in a lot of vendor's mouths. BTW, Agena Astro is the bomb! I bought the fabulous Meade Series 4000 Zoom eyepiece and polarizing filter from them.:)

    Reggie
     
  19. Dave In Vermont

    Dave In Vermont Well-Known Member

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    Dave In Vermont, Aug 14, 2017
    #19
    This was the first I heard of it - Georges' missive. I think they should sue the scum. These corporate lackeys can only be hurt by slitting their softest underbelly - the financial-artery! And I don't know who is following the story of Amazon's mistreatment of their workers - all sorts of underhanded tricks to not pay them their full wages - like making them work overtime while re-writing their contracts to prevent paying them overtime wages during their enforced working them.

    I'll bet my senator would love a piece of them - Bernie Sanders!

    Hmmm..... Hey George? Have you got a list of other legitamite vendor's of the glasses that Amazon shafted? I have an idea....

    Dave - adjusting activist-bandana
     
  20. Dave In Vermont

    Dave In Vermont Well-Known Member

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    Dave In Vermont, Aug 15, 2017
    #20
    Hi Again All - Especially to George to whom I've sent a message to the AstronomyConnect email-box. Tried sending a PM, George, but the damn syst. wouldn't give me a "SEND" button!

    The Pdf. below is from a bulletin from the American Astronomical Society website - the AAS - listing the reputable brands of legit Eclipse-Glasses and their vendors. Agena is very much present. Agena should be given a copy of this. I suggest to perhaps send copies of this Pdf. out to the Customer List of AgenaAstro. Draft an explanatory letter to accompany the Pdf.

    I hope you're looking into legal-action against these crooks & liars.

    Please let me(us) know you've picked-up this Pdf. without problems. And maybe fix the Private-Message software to include a "SEND" button.Here's the Pdf:

    Dave

    Reputable Vendors of Solar Filters & Viewers - via American Astronomical Society.pdf
     

    Attached Files:

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