Selection:  

Hands On Optics carries all of the major brands of telescopes that you could ever want at their telescope stores; brands such as Meade, Celestron, and Stellarvue just to name a few. They carry every type of telescope, including Catadioptric, Dobsonian, Reflecting, Refracting, and Solar.

Hands On Optics also carries all the accessories necessary to get your telescope up and aimed at the stars. They have a wide selection of adapters, Barlows, eyepieces, filters, cases, tripods, mounts, counterweights, dew management systems, and even observing chairs.

Users of their website have the option of browsing by brand, category or price. Searching by price and it becomes clear that Hands On Optics caters to both amateur and professional star gazers alike. They have telescopes that range from $100 to well over $10,000 and everything in between.

Payment Options:  

Hands On Optics doesn’t offer the broad range of payment options as other telescope stores. They do take most major credit cards including: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. They also accept PayPal as a form of payment.

It is also possible to place a mail order with Hands On Optics. Customers may send a completed order form along with their credit card information or a check. No cash will be accepted. Customers should be advised that this is the slowest method for placing an order.

Hands On Optics does not collect sales tax except for orders shipped to Maryland.

Customer Support:  

Customers of Hands On Optics are free to contact their telescope stores through email or telephone. You should place your call during Hands On Optics’ normal business hours which are Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm. This is one area where Hands On Optics needs some improvement. Many of its competitors are available 24 hours a day.

Shipping:  

Hands On Optics does not offer free shipping unless you are a resident of Maryland. Since Maryland residents must pay sales tax Hands On Optics does not charge for shipping on these orders.

Orders placed with Hands On Optics will be assessed a shipping charge based on the size, weight and destination of the package.

Any orders that are returned are subject to a 15% restocking fee unless the wrong item was shipped or it arrived damaged. Hands On Optics allows up to 10 days to request a return.

Hands On Optics carries a good selection of products and their sales staff knows their staff. Unfortunately they also do things to turn away potential customers, such as restocking fees. This keeps Hands On Optics from scoring higher. Be sure to see how Hands On Optics compares to our top ranked telescope stores OpticsPlanet, Telescopes.com, and Scope City.