High Point Scientific Reviews 11

I bought a SeeStar s50 from these guys and it was such a smooth, stress free experience. The telescope arrived sooner than expected.
After using the telescope for a few weeks, I decided 7needed a taller tripod for the telescope. I went to High Points site and chatted up Dave B on the site. After answering some questions, he helped me choose a tripod. Unfortunately, it was on backorder but the order went smoothly, thanks Dave. I'm waiting patiently.
Thanks, Dave and High Point.

Date of experience: June 25, 2025

Date of experience: March 18, 2025

Avoid. Just Avoid.

Date of experience: October 01, 2024

Ordered multiple items from them in the last two years including a new Celestron CGX mount, extra counter weight, mount power supply, new qhy5III174 guide camera, asi air plus, zwo 183MCPro and multiple adapters to make all these cameras play together with my moonlight focuser. Purchases were staggered over a period of months for budget reasons but they always delivered as promised. Occasional back ordered items were advertised out of stock and delivered within days of the promised date. They were able to find an adapter I couldn’t get elsewhere. Product advise and after market support has been FAR better than any other astronomy retailer. No one’s perfect—do your homework, at least enough to ask smart questions and understand what their experts are advising you. Astronomy equipment is complicated. It isn’t rocket science but it’s close. I’m an intermediate user but still find I can get confused looking at specs for new equipment. High Point has been willing to walk me through the details so I can make informed choices. Not all are willing to do this.

Date of experience: December 12, 2023

On March 18, 2024 I ordered a William Optics RedCat 51 Gen 2 f/4.9 APO Refractor Telescope - Upgraded Version, from High Point Scientific. It arrived several days later via UPS in apparently good shape.

I immediately unpacked the telescope and was quite pleased at the condition. I put it back without any other inspection or trial.

My wife and I left on April 10, 2024, for a 2-½ month road trip through Idaho, Montana, North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and Wyoming. I was hoping to find dark, clear skies along the trip to try out my new RedCat 51.

Unfortunately, things didn’t work out very well. I had the foresight to try the telescope and my Canon EOS 4D DSLR camera during daylight hours. Nothing at all seemed to work as expected. The condition of the telescope left me wondering if I had accidently been sent a customer returned telescope or maybe a factory second.

I never did get to use the telescope.

I have contacted High Point Scientific only to be told by customer service rep Vincent that the problems that I have encountered are typical with William Optics products. I asked about the torn foam and Vincent said that they see that all of the time with William Optics products. I asked Vincent about the scratches and chipped anodization and he said that those problems happen all of the time and that "This is the quality we have come to expect from William Optics."

I asked if the telescope could possibly be a customer return and he said that shipping me a customer return would have been impossible. He claimed that the telescope that I received was 100% new but of typical low quality from William Optics.

Apparently Vincent from High Point Scientific has no problem telling customers that William Optics products are of low quality.

I bought my RedCat 51 under the opinion that William Optics products were top of the line and of superior quality. I have spent over $800.00 (US) on a telescope that doesn't work and High Point Scientific (the seller) has told me that it's not their problem. They offered no solution whatsoever.

Date of experience: July 02, 2024

They ignore requests to cancel and then refuse to refund, in full no less, based on arbitrary details of the product like what kind you ordered. They also illegally refuse to refund the shipping and force you pay to return items which that too they will not refund.

Date of experience: April 10, 2024

Updated Review (04.09.24)
As of 04.09.24, per two separate emails from High Point Scientific, they have made the decision to refund me for the shipping cost as well as a 100% refund for the Solar Eclipse viewing glasses that I purchased which did not arrive in time (after being ordered via FedEx and a week prior) for the 2024 Solar Eclipse event. This has caused me to edit my initial Trustpilot review (below) from 1-Star to 3-Stars. While I am still pissed that this order was botched, I do appreciate and want to document that this company ultimately did do the right thing as far as taking accountability for this poor customer experience, by refunding me my money.

(Original Review)
Complete Joke of a Company!
I ordered solar eclipse viewing glasses from High Point Scientific and they failed to ship them in a timely manner--instead blaming FedEx on the delay. They would not return this product (for whatever reason) so, instead they just get to keep my money and I have a bunch of solar eclipse viewing glasses that are useless until 2045. Great. Do not order products from this site if you need them by a certain date. I have a feeling that they do not have direct access to their inventory for immediate shipment but instead rely on some sort of fulfillment process that adds in the delay. Just guessing but what a joke!

Date of experience: March 29, 2024

I ordered a Celestron 6.5 SE telescope with additional lenses and SkyWIfi module.

After months of waiting, and multiple follow ups for simple ETAs , finally got a shipment which had half of stuff. No cables for connecting to computer, no DVD software, no power charging cable, no additional lenses I paid for.

On contacting customer service, got 2 different answers within a span of few minutes - SkyFi module is back ordered and then another person said it was already shipped. Still no answer for missing cables and DVD software.

It has been a truly traumatizing experience as an amature telescope buyer. Instead of supporting, customer service is saying “we don’t know, contact the manufacturer”. What ? If I am following up for missing parts from manufacturer then why am I paying HighPoint Scientific.

It has been a really long wait and traumatizing experience dealing with this company. What they don’t understand is that companies like this won’t last long the minute any competition starts offering a little bit of customer support. I don’t recommend dealing with them!

Date of experience: January 29, 2022

I ordered a Baader click lock clamp from High Point Scientific in late November of 2021 and it was shipped out immediately by U.S.P.S. on December 1st, 2021. The package never arrived and an investigation was put in to determine if it could be located but it never was. It had been five weeks since the package was originally shipped and because I was going to need it by a date arriving very quickly High Point Scientific arranged to have a replacement shipment made by overnight air U.P.S. (at their own cost) to ensure that my purchase arrived in time for me. It was not the fault of High Point Scientific that the original shipment was lost in the mail but they went "above and beyond" to ensure that I received my replacement package in an expedited manner. Bravo guys! Well done!

Date of experience: January 10, 2022

Outstanding customer service.
For some years I have wanted to mount a WWII hand held naval telescope on a tripod, but there was no obvious way to do so. Four separate competitors of High Point asked me to send measurements and photos, then bailed.
Enter High Point and Dave Barrett Response time, recommendations and post-sale follow up were nothing short of dazzling.
Recommended without reservations

Date of experience: June 28, 2021

I bought a telescope from them & when I had some general questions, they were great, took their time with me over the phone. When I discovered I had a defective part in it shortly after purchase, they denied there was any. Spent alot of time on the phone with me, making me feel I had the problem myself. I had someone else check the part and it was indeed a defective part and I went thru so much hassle sending it back. They never apologized to me, made me pay shipping, and told me if I ever complained about this to anyone else they would never help me again period. After I got the new part, the telescope worked great, I did a 5 star review on the scope (not on them) and they refused to post it. When things go good their way they are good, but you have an issue with a product, like I did a defective part, their customer service is really awful. Would not buy from them again. I heard they delete any bad reviews they get by sorting them out, so what you see on their site is not all accurate.

Date of experience: October 28, 2020