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Is Optics Planet a Complete Scam?

RTH1800

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Minuteman
  • Sep 16, 2009
    10,175
    6,618
    Midwest
    A few weeks ago I placed an order with Optics Planet. It showed in stock. Received confirmation then nothing.

    I tried calling but only got a recording and menu with no option to talk to a person. I tried emailing but it bounces back. I paid via PP and money has left account.
    Are others having this problem?

    Thanks,

    RTH
     
    They are known for listing in stock but really it's back ordered
     
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    I haven't used them in years. They rarely have things that I want in stock and even when they do, their prices aren't competitive to many other options.
     
    I haven't used them in years. They rarely have things that I want in stock and even when they do, their prices aren't competitive to many other options.
    I rarely find anyone that can beat their prices. If you use the live chat and request their best price they'll usually drop 10-20% off. Last deal I made was 26%. I just prepare to wait and if I need it sooner I'll cancel and order elsewhere.
     
    I recall ordering S&B scopes from them years ago and all was well. Surprised at the poor coms and service now.
     
    Never really had a problem, recently they were happy to price match some PST Gen II 7C's for $699 even though I was up front that the reticle option was different. If you do have a problem they can be kinda rough to deal with returns, but these days that's most places. Heck even Cabela's is now only 60 days return. Brownells is the last amazing satisfaction guarantee standing. Optics planet also used to be the best option for Spuhr mounts with coupons usually around $350. I'd never order anything from them that wasn't in stock, unless I truly didn't care when it showed up, and if something doesn't ship pretty quick you may end up just cancelling the order, but they have some great deals. Dvor their sister "deals" website has some even better stuff, but it's very hit and miss.
     
    I rarely find anyone that can beat their prices. If you use the live chat and request their best price they'll usually drop 10-20% off. Last deal I made was 26%. I just prepare to wait and if I need it sooner I'll cancel and order elsewhere.
    ThTs because they don’t carry inventory. They don’t generally order a product until someone buys it, hence why it takes so goddamn long to get anything.
     
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    I’ve only ordered from them a couple of times, without issue or undue delay. But, that has been before COVID-19. That said, you really need to look at the listing, as it often says “in stock, ships in 6-8 months“ or something similarly ridiculous.
     
    Check out the thread Optics Planet SUCKS. You'll have your answers.
     
    I’ve only ordered from them a couple of times, without issue or undue delay. But, that has been before COVID-19. That said, you really need to look at the listing, as it often says “in stock, ships in 6-8 months“ or something similarly ridiculous.

    Mine said ships in 1-3 days when I ordered, 3 in stock. It's been over a month, don't have the scope in that order. 20 emails to them, claims filed on card. I finally get a shipment notice today. After asking them to cancel 5 times.
     
    An improved business model to Optics Planet would be for everyone to just email me a list of shit they want, me to send you how much it is, you pay me and then I scour the internet and don't send it to you until I can find it in stock, for less than what you paid me for it.

    Would that make us poors? :)
     
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    Yes, Optics Planet is a legitimate company, so no they are not a complete scam. However, as others have said they are notorious for showing items in stock when they aren't. In fact, I seem to recall on at least one occasion ordering something that was "in stock" checking out and paying for it and then, as soon as the transaction went through getting the message that the item was backordered. I think the most charitable thing you can say about them is that they have poor inventory control.

    However, they do have good prices on certain items and although you may end up waiting for a couple of weeks (or even months) you should eventually get your item.

    Also, agree that Dvor, which is affiliated with them sometimes has excellent deals and generally seems to ship faster.

    If you are looking at scopes (or bolt action rifles) I would also check out Eurooptic. I've had nothing but good experiences with them. Also, SWFA, which makes a pretty good line of their own scopes and generally has good prices and selection from other mfg.'s.
     
    An improved business model to Optics Planet would be for everyone to just email me a list of shit they want, me to send you how much it is, you pay me and then I scour the internet and don't send it to you until I can find it in stock, for less than what you paid me for it.
    Lol
     
    I have placed a few orders in the last few months. Yes it took a bit to get but shits crazy right now. Yes they send you a tracking number that doesn’t show shipped for at least a few days sometimes a week or more but yes it will come in my experience. I kinda knew this from experience with them and don’t really care when the price is amazing and it’s stuff I don’t need immediately. Yes there customer service line is vacant at the other end so don’t bother. Sit back and it will arrive eventually. I have also had a few orders lately that were here within days. Unfortunately it’s just the deal with them. You sacrifice price for speed I guess. If I need it fast I usually look somewhere else and usually pay more. There biggest problem with pissing customers off imo is giving a tracking number that doesn’t work for two weeks, that is definitely bull. They should just be a bit more up front on things being backed up and only provide tracking once it’s in route.
     
    I have had pretty good experiences with Optics Planet in the last couple of months. Ordered a few things, to include a couple scopes, and everything was shipped and received in a timely manner. I like having the option to cancel some or all of an order that is backordered. If the lead time gets too long, I can just cancel it and move on.
     
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    I’ve ordered some things from them. Some were pretty fast to arrive. Others, not so much. But I’ve gotten everything I’ve ordered. My favorite was ordering 500rds of Winchester 124gr 9mm in early June for 150$. It arrived about 4 days ago. Worth the wait IMO.
     
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    Haven’t read the above comments,

    but OP in the past has always delivered. Used to be one of my go to places. Since the covid they list things in stock when they are not. You will get your items eventually but your on backorder wether they tell you or not
     
    I recently ordered some Ammo that I knew was back ordered. Came in sooner than expected
     
    I ordered a sling once and it took a month and a half to get. I wouldn’t order anything time sensitive from them.
     
    I have always had good luck with them, have a new VX6 in the mail as I type! I did order a set of dies at the same time, and after ordered got a message they were back ordered. I just canceled the order and got them elsewhere.
     
    They pulled the "in stock" then don't ship the item for months on me years ago. I have never tried to buy anything from them again. Too many places with decent management who actually give a damn to reward the behavior of Optics Planet.
     
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    An improved business model to Optics Planet would be for everyone to just email me a list of shit they want, me to send you how much it is, you pay me and then I scour the internet and don't send it to you until I can find it in stock, for less than what you paid me for it.

    So sorry, Christopher Eustice already operates in that space.
     
    They are infamous for showing things in stock and not shipping for months. Look up the Optics Planet SUCKS thread. I canceled my last order after a huge shipping delay and like magic it shipped that same day.

    This.

    They were okay until they weren't. Turns out what they do is take your order, then go order it from someone else. You're waiting on them waiting. You could have went to their vendor yourself and probably got it for less and maybe same week. They also lie. Told me a JP barrel would be shipping first week of January. I ended up placing the order directly with JP (for less) and even they don't know exactly when they're gonna be flush in barrels again.

    In one case, I went to order something that was "in stock" but of course it wasn't. Said their supplier, who I figured was the mfg., was out. I called that supplier. Turned out THEY bought it from the mfg. and OP bought it from them and then sold it to you.

    I just go through the mfg. for everything these days unless it's not an option. As a vet I usually get discounts as good or better than dealers get anyway. And if you ever have a problem, having bought direct from mfg. is by far the way to go. A mfg. will also be in the position to do you a solid now and again, like when I ran over a KAC rails system they replaced for free or burned a Cammenga compass in a brush fire. Elite Iron simply takes care of their customers regardless who they are. I've got a lot of gear like that.

    So you can probably guess too then who I champion, recommend and deal with regularly/repeat business. Yep, certain manufacturers. Rarely will a vendor make it to my short list but there are a few (TNVC stands out).
     
    There has to be about a dozen threads on SH over the past couple years about how bad ordering from Optics Planet is...

    Don't order anything from them that you can't like wait a year for an in stock item on.
     
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    No, they're not a scam. I've ordered a ton of stuff from them, and always gotten it on time... But this year with the panic-buying BS after the election steal attempt, they are taking FOREVER to ship things. So much so, that I actually found one item in-stock at a different place, and had it at my house 2 days later, and had to cancel my order from OP, because it was still "processing" in the warehouse for over 14 days. Which is bullshit. Then it showed it was "backordered" a couple days ago, and my order still had not shipped, at that point I cancelled the order, and bought it somewhere else, and already have the replacement ordered item (from a different place) in my possession. Granted, shipping cost $15, instead of free, but the item was the same price, and I got it in 2 days, instead of waiting on the damn thing to ship half a month after I ordered it, when it showed it was in stock at the time of purchase. I was not happy about that. Other than that 1 recent incident, I've always had great customer service and quick shipping with them.
     
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    A few weeks ago I placed an order with Optics Planet. It showed in stock. Received confirmation then nothing.

    I tried calling but only got a recording and menu with no option to talk to a person. I tried emailing but it bounces back. I paid via PP and money has left account.
    Are others having this problem?

    Thanks,

    RTH
    Optics Planet has always came through for me, however, you need to be sure to check the availability button at the side of the listing.
    It generally gives you a time-line.
    Take care
     
    Well, in some ways, we compete with Optics Planet. Not much, but there is some overlap. Being "in the business" I can see where their model has morphed.

    "back in the day" they were an optics warehouse and had inventory and acted as a dealer for cameras, binoculars, scopes, etc. They bought inventory, warehoused the inventory, and shipped as ordered. They did well. They were the price leader, where they could be. Where they could not, due to MAP, they offered discount coupons and now "OP Bucks."

    They had some customer service, but mostly depended upon low price to drive business.

    As time went on, they expanded. Then, they learned that they could drop ship from distributors and they do that alot today. Then, their scope expanded and they began to carry things that are not optics and some of their business moved to a "just in time purchase" where you buy from them, and they buy from the manufacturer, and then ship to you, so delivery times expanded.

    And then time went on, and they expanded their product offering even further, and found they could take an order, and then order from a manufacturer or distributor, or even another dealer, and get the item in 2 to 3 months, and then ship to the customer.

    If you look at their products and before you add to cart, they are actually pretty good about telling you when to expect delivery. Some you can "add to cart" but before you do, you look at the delivery date, and it will give you a good idea if: a) this is something in their warehouse, b) this is something that will dropship from a dealer or manufacturer, or c) this is something they will shop around to find and then ship to you. Some items clearly show "3 to 9 months" as the delviery timeline, and that will tell you that they have no clue when they will get it.

    Along the way, customer service fell off completely.

    They compete on price, and they have a larger business than we do, so they have created economies and effeciencies in how they manage their back end and put all front-end efforts into getting you to their Webiste (SEO) and then do their best with discounts and pop-ups to get you to buy.

    So, no, they are not a scam. They have created a machine that works to create a sale, and and automation and mapping of products to their own warehouse(s) and those of others, and realize that the lack of real customer service will result in attrition of a number of customers, but many will continue to buy, for the same reason we go to Sams Club or Costco.

    Like anything in life: You cannot be high touch cusotmer service and low cost, nor can you be low cost leader and high customer service.
     
    I second europtic as a good alternative. Never had an issue and they are typically at or below optics planter price point. I miss all the 5-10% discounts opticsplanet used to send out.
     
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    I won’t purchase from Optics Planet again— show product in stock, take money, then no product.

    "There's an old saying in Tennessee—I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee—that says, 'Fool me once, shame on...shame on you. Fool me—you can't get fooled again.”

    midway and eurooptic have always done me right.
     
    Check their availability, it's pretty accurate. Ordered something they had in stock, had it in four days.

    They'll also take your money and let you order something that's "estimated to ship in 90-120 days" 🙄
     
    Just ordered some magpul slings had in a few days. Then ordered a catalyst arca handguard again a few days. Been working out fine
     
    Optics Planet is a pure roll of the dice. They may have what you ordered and you will get it on time. They may not have it and you may wait a long time. If you are looking for something that is out of stock everywhere but you find it on OP, chances are they don't really have it. If you are looking for something that is plentiful and in stock everywhere, OP will probably ship right away.
     
    Yup! Roll of the dice. "In stock" clearly does not mean "actually in stock". They're certainly not scammers. But stuff doesn't always get sent out when they say it will, sometimes not by a quite a while. They will answer messages left on their "customer service" request......eventually.
     
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    Reactions: Simonsza1
    They aren’t a scam, however I am convinced that they don’t actually carry much of any inventory. I think that they are just the middle man. They take your money and have the manufacturer or wholesaler ship directly to you.
     
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    They aren’t a scam, however I am convinced that they don’t actually carry much of any inventory. I think that they are just the middle man. They take your money and have the manufacturer or wholesaler ship directly to you.
    But everything comes in optic planet boxes. At least every singe item I have ever received has. I don’t think manufacturers keep optic planet boxes as part of their inventory
     
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    They are infamous for showing things in stock and not shipping for months. Look up the Optics Planet SUCKS thread. I canceled my last order after a huge shipping delay and like magic it shipped that same day.
    ^^^ I wouldn’t recommend them to anyone ever. Been burned twice, never ever again. First was as described, showed in stock, was not. Arrived 4 months after I had ordered it. 2nd time I ordered a brand new Red Dot. It arrived late, had scuff marks all over the bottom of it implying it had definitely been mounted before. Illumination did not work. Clearly a reject used item.

    Simply shop else where.