Moonraker vs AOR

[KevinC]

I ordered an AR-DV10 from Moonraker (let's not get into the good and bad about this unit in this thread please) and have had a less that stellar experience so far. I know this isn't the Moonraker forum, but they seem to be a popular seller of AOR products so I'm putting it here.

I thought a "b grade" unit would be a good choice as they are listed as below on their website...

• B-Grade items are “as good as new” but can’t be sold as brand-new because the have been 'out of the box'. They are ideal for anyone looking for a 'near-new' product at a reduced price. They typically fall into categories such as:
  • Former shop-display models
  • Previously opened items used for demonstration
  • Customer returns (returned within 14 days of purchase)
  • Items where packaging is damaged or incomplete but the product itself works fine
• What to expect:
  • Functionality: The item works correctly.
  • Cosmetic condition: May show signs of display use, minor wear or packaging issues.
  • Listing will typically specify: “Like New”, “Display Model”, etc.

The shipping was fast as I received it in 5 days. Got it, charged it up and turned it and it was open squelch full volume, no problem just turn it down. Tried and no joy, then I noticed the two concentric plastic knobs turned together. Took the knobs off and found the center post (for volume) was gone and the two knob pieces were glued together. Looked the radio over closer and found dirt and skin flakes in every crevice on the radio. Tried to take the battery off and it was so stuck on with skin and dirt I had to pry it off. I don't know what the battery life on these is supposed to be, but this one lasted about 2 hours so I suspect it was nearing it's end of life. Clearly this was a very used and broken radio.

I contacted Moonraker and they said to return it for a refund and supplied a shipping label. We'll see how the refund goes after they receive it, but this is just wrong in so many ways it's beyond belief to me.

YMMV, but buyer beware if you order from Moonraker.

 

[bearcatrp]

Sounds like they didn’t inspect it before reselling it. Crapola happens. Get your money back and keep looking for a used one. Been following this radio but it’s nuts what AOR wants for a new one. Now if it went up to 3 GHz like my R30, could see it at that price. Like and radio, has its pros and cons. Good luck.
Check the DV3 link for where folks are ordering there DV3 from. I checked it out just to see what a R8600 would cost. A bit cheaper than buying in the USA.

 

[KevinC]

Sounds like they didn’t inspect it before reselling it. Crapola happens

My point is how was it even available to be sold? It was clearly broken and very used. Did they take it as a trade-in, not check it and then resell it as b-grade without checking it again? Was it a return that someone scammed them on and again wasn’t checked before reselling it?

I could sort of understand if I had bought a “used” one, but I didn’t. Hopefully the refund goes smoothly.

 

[rf_patriot200]

I've never purchased anything from Moonraker, but this is Definitely food for thought.

 

[KevinC]

Not that it really matters at this point, but I checked and the S/N on the box and the actual unit didn't match. Someone definitely pulled a switcheroo somewhere.

 

[Echo4Thirty]

Not that it really matters at this point, but I checked and the S/N on the box and the actual unit didn't match. Someone definitely pulled a switcheroo somewhere.

Sounds like someone created their own out of warranty, warranty swap for their beat to snot unit.

 

[KevinC]

Return received and refund approved, supposed to have the refund in 1-2 days.

While I don't have the refund in my hands yet and receiving a used and broken unit is completely unacceptable I'll give them credit for the communication and (hopefully) quick refund.

 

[KD9KSO]

I've only ordered an antenna from Moonraker. My UK go-to is usually Radio World in the UK. Fast shipping and no monkey business.

The Moonraker transaction did go smoothly though.

 

[KevinC]

I've only ordered an antenna from Moonraker. My UK go-to is usually Radio World in the UK. Fast shipping and no monkey business.

The Moonraker transaction did go smoothly though.

To be fair, my transaction went smoothly. Shipping time to the US was 5 days, unfortunately they sent me a used and broken radio.

 

[KD9KSO]

I would not have been too happy if I had received what you did.

 

[KevinC]

I was debating whether or not to post this as it's not AOR related, other than it involves my adventure trying to purchase one. I decided what the heck, so here goes...

Moonraker sent an invite to do a review on Trust Pilot, which I did and gave them one star. Since I'm new it had to be approved, which it was. I upped the review to 3 stars after they promptly refunded my money and paid for return shipping. Shortly after that I received an email from Trust Pilot saying my review is being deleted for being a "harmful review". So beware that they apparently only allow positive reviews on that site so take that into account if you use it as a guide of who to buy from.