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Warranty

LIMITED WARRANTY

With a mission to make outdoor and scientific exploration accessible and affordable, EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC has been putting people on a path to adventure since 2008. A huge part of ensuring that our customers have the experiences they seek is providing unwavering support and product protection.

Upon receipt of your product, we encourage you to thoroughly inspect it, promptly register it and familiarize yourself with the applicable warranty coverage as outlined below. If you have any questions or concerns about your product and its warranty or if you need advice on getting started, please contact us at 1-866-252-3811.

Registering Your Product:
To maximize the warranty coverage provided by EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC, it is important that you promptly register your product either by mailing in the enclosed card to 1010 South 48th Street, Springdale, AR 72762 or by visiting explorescientificusa.com/product-registration.

If registered within 60 days of purchase, your product will have additional warranty protection against manufacturer defects. When you purchase an EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC product, you will notice that there are serial numbers on most telescopes, microscopes, binoculars, riflescopes, eyepieces, and other major components or educational products. Please use this number to register your item. For products that do not include a serial number, use the product item number followed by the date of purchase expressed in a six-digit format. For example, a purchase date of January 1, 2018, would be entered as 010118.

RETURN AUTHORIZATION: MAKING IT EASY

We know that you are busy and that your time is precious. So we are working towards eliminating the hassle of obtaining an authorization to send in your product for repairs or routine service. When you purchase an EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC product, you will notice that there are serial numbers on most telescopes, eyepieces and major components. Please use this number to register your item. Once registered, you may simply visit our returns portal and enter the reason for return and the serial number. This will generate all of the required Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) information. Simply drop it off and pick it up or provide round-trip shipping. 

RMA Number Required 
Prior to the return of any product or part, you must be registered as the current owner, and your RMA Number must be used. If you need help in using your RMA Number call us at 1-866-252-3811. Each returned product or part shipped to Explore Scientific must include the RMA number, a written statement detailing the nature of the claimed defect, as well as your name, return shipping address and your phone numbers where we and/or the carrier returning your product can reach you. 

If it has been more than 30 days since the item was purchased, customers are responsible for shipping costs related to returning the product to our facility. In the event, that you must return product to EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC, we recommend that you use a carrier that offers shipment tracking for all returns and insure your package for safe return to EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC so that you are completely protected if the shipment is lost or damaged in transit. If you choose not to (1) use a carrier that offers tracking or (2) insure or declare the full value of the product, you will be responsible for any lost or damaged shipment.

Anytime Free Service 
Anytime an EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC branded product needs adjustments, cleaning, or collimation, we will do this service for free, even beyond the warranty period. An RMA is required for this service as well. Simply drop it off and pick it up or provide round-trip shipping, and we will provide our professional service at no charge!

Warranty Coverage Periods By Product: 
EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC warranties our products to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a specified period based on product type. EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC will repair or replace such product or part thereof that upon inspection by EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC, is found to be defective in materials or workmanship. As a condition to the obligation of EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC to repair or replace such product, the product must be returned to EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC together with proof-of-purchase and product registration satisfactory to EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC. 

Warranty periods by product brand and type are: 

EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC Branded Telescopes: *Limited* USA One Year Warranty once registered within 60 days of purchase

EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC Branded Waterproof Eyepieces: *Limited* Lifetime USA Warranty if registered within 60 days of purchase

EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC Branded Eyepieces: *Limited* USA Five Year Warranty once registered within 60 days of purcahse

EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC Branded Electronics & Non-Electronic Telescope Accessories:

*Limited* USA One Year Warranty once registered within 60 days of purchase

 

 The warranty periods listed below apply to the following branded products:

FirstLight, Bresser, Alpen, Explore One, National Geographic, Discovery

Telescopes: *Limited* USA One Year Warranty once registered within 60 days of purchase

Microscopes: *Limited* USA One Year Warranty once registered within 60 days of purchase

Riflescopes: *Limited* USA Five Year Warranty once registered within 60 days of purchase

Waterproof Riflescopes: *Limited* Lifetime USA Warranty if registered within 60 days of purchase

Binoculars & Spotting Scopes: *Limited* USA Five Year Warranty once registered within 60 days of purchase

Waterproof Binoculars & Spotting Scopes: *Limited* Lifetime USA Warranty if registered within 60 days of purchase

Laser Rangefinders, Cameras and Electronics: *Limited* USA One Year Warranty once registered within 60 days of purchase

Thermal Monoculars: Limited USA Five Year Warranty once registered within 60 days of purchase.

Third-Party Products: Warranty is provided by Third Party Manufacturers
Limited Warranty is in the USA, USA territories and Canada. For full warranty protection, the product must be registered within 60 days of purchase.

The Details

USA Limited Product Warranty for Products Purchased in the USA or Canada (Including South America and Mexico) from Explore Scientific directly or one of our Authorized Dealers

EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC LLC is the owner and assumes liability for all USA warranties of EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC. During the applicable warranty period, EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC will repair or replace the product, or part thereof, found upon inspection by EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC to be defective, provided the defective part or product is returned to EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC LLC, freight prepaid, with verification of product registration.

EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC products purchased outside the United States and Canada are not included in this warranty but may be covered under separate warranties issued by authorized EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC International Distributors. Please visit our partners sites for information on warranties outside the US and Canada Explore-Scientific.de, JOCTech.com. Products purchased through non-authorized channels including but not limited to Alibaba, Aliexpress or eBay are excluded from any USA Limited Product Warranty.  To insure that your warranty is active and valid please purchased from Authorized Dealers and register within 60 days.

Non-EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC Branded/Third-Party Products

If you discover what you believe is a defective product or software from any third-party product, please contact the manufacturer of such third-party product directly for information regarding the manufacturer’s warranty. Please note that products or software sold through the EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC online store that do not bear the EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC name or are not EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC’s brands produced products are serviced and supported exclusively by their manufacturers in accordance with the terms and conditions packaged with the products.

EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC’s warranties do not apply to products that are not EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC’s brands, or other EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC produced products, even if packaged or sold with EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC products.

Join the Explore Alliance and Protect Your Gear with Explore Care!
If you are interested in additional product protection options, EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC offers exclusive benefits to those who become members of the Explore Alliance. As a member of this community, you also will have access to special member pricing, new product previews and more. To find out more about this paid membership program and its benefits, visit explorescientificusa.com/explorealliance.

VIXEN WARRANTY

Vixen warranties its products to be free from initial defects in materials and workmanship for a specified period based on part type:

Vixen Electronic Parts: Limited One-Year Warranty: Electronics parts is for one year after shipment to end user.

Vixen Mechanical Parts: Limited Two-Year Warranty: Other mechanical parts are for two years after shipment to end user.

In principle, all of these would be manufacture defects. These do not include failures due to customer's negligence (dropped or submerged) and products aging.

We will accept repair under any circumstances, but in case of customer's negligence, in these cases the repairs will have a cost.  All costs will be shared and agreed to before work will be completed.

Vixen Special-Order Return Policy
Special-order items are items Explore Scientific does not regularly stock.  These items can be ordered through our Distributor relationship.  Because these items are not regularly stocked: ALL special-order items can only be returned for a manufacture defective warranty reason as described below. Explore Scientific cannot accept a return for buyer’s remorse, refused delivery, or any other reason except a manufacture defective warranty issue. 

A Vixen special-order-item warranty return “MUST BE APPROVED IN ADVANCE” by Explore Scientific. All warranty work will be repair or replace. No refunds on a special-order item that has a manufacture defective warranty issue.  Item will be repaired or replaced by Vixen in accordance with their warranty below.

A special-order item ordered for dealer stock cannot be returned.

When an item changes status from special-order to stock status, then that item will fall under Vixen Standard warranty below.

About the products sold before:
Products which were sold before September 15, 2021, that are still under existing warranty period. Please contact us in advance with proof of purchase, such as a receipt to assess warranty validation with Vixen for basic warranty terms.

Vixen Optics Warranty for Distributor:
Vixen warranties its products to be free from initial defects in materials and workmanship for a specified period based on part type:

Vixen Electronic Parts: Limited One-Year Warranty

Vixen Mechanical Parts: Limited Two-Year Warranty

These warranties do not cover defects caused by owner negligence. If a product has a qualifying defect, Vixen will repair or replace such product or part thereof that upon inspection by Vixen or an authorized representative is found to be defective in materials or workmanship. As a condition to the obligation of Vixen to repair or replace such product, the product must be returned together with proof‐of‐purchase and product registration satisfactory to Vixen.

Vixen Repair Procedure:

To initiate the repair process for any Vixen product that presents with a defect during the period covered by the warranty, please contact a Customer Service representative at (866) 252‐3811 to obtain a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number and shipping address information.

Once you have received the RMA number, return said product or part to Explore Scientific. Customers are responsible for all shipping costs related to repairing the unit both returning the product to our facility and return shipment. In the event that you must return your Vixen product to Explore Scientific, we recommend that you use a carrier that offers shipment tracking for all returns with the ability to insure your package for full value and safe return to Explore Scientific so that you are completely protected if the shipment is lost or damaged in transit.

(If you choose not to (1) use a carrier that offers tracking or (2) insure or declare the full value of the product, you will be responsible for any lost or damaged shipment).

Each return must include the RMA number (which should be written on the outside of the box), and proof of purchase to show that the return is within the warranty window, a written statement detailing the nature of the claimed defect, as well as your name, return shipping address, and a phone number where we and/or the carrier returning your product can reach you. (Usually included on the RMA Paperwork).

Once the product arrives at Explore Scientific, our Quality Control team will inspect the item and address the reported problem if possible. If the Explore Scientific representatives are unable to repair the product, it will need to be returned to Japan for repair. At that point, the customer will be notified that the item needs to be returned to Japan for repair. Customer will be informed of bi‐directional shipping costs related to returning the product to Vixen headquarters in Japan. To reduce those costs, Explore Scientific will be consolidating shipments to Japan once a month, and said products will also return together once corrected.

Silver Grade Products
EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC products purchased through our Silver Grade program are covered for the same warranty protection periods outlined above in regard to functional and/or optical defects. Cosmetic issues such as dents and blemishes are not covered as these issues are inherent to the Silver Grade designation. 

Disclaimer
This warranty is not valid in cases where the product has been abused or mishandled or where unauthorized repairs have been attempted or performed. EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC specifically disclaims special, indirect, or consequential damages or lost profits, which may result from a breach of this warranty. Any implied warranties that cannot be disclaimed are hereby limited to a term of one year from the date of purchase by the original retail purchaser.

EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC reserves the right to change product specifications or to discontinue products without prior notice. All EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC’s warranties are limited to the original owner. These warranties give you specific rights. You may have other rights, which vary from state to state.

Customers living outside of the USA, who have purchased an EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC product in the USA, your warranty is valid within the USA, however, customers returning a product from outside the USA for warranty repair/maintenance are responsible for shipping fees (customs, fees, duties, etc.) to and from our facility.

Certain state laws do not allow limitations on implied warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain damages. If these laws apply to you, some or all of the disclaimers, exclusions or limitations may not apply to you, and you might have additional rights.

 

Alpen Warranty Transition
In 2018 the owners of Alpen Outdoor Corporation (“Alpen”) desired to retire from the business of producing optical devices.  Explore Scientific, LLC (“Explore Scientific”) had a close working relationship with the owners of Alpen and, accordingly, decided to purchase some of the assets of Alpen upon the retirement of their owners.  In connection with the purchase of those certain assets of Alpen, Explore Scientific did not assume or acquire any liabilities of Alpen, specifically including any warranty obligations created or granted by Alpen.  However, Explore Scientific is an optics company that strives to satisfy and assist the customers of all of their current brands, including Alpen, to the best of their ability.  In connection with that desire, Explore Scientific is generally willing and prepared to assist their customers with matters with which they have the capability to assist.

However, some products, like Alpen products which were manufactured before Explore Scientific acquired certain assets of Alpen, were made by companies other than Explore Scientific in manufacturing facilities which may no longer work on or create those products or may in some instances no longer even exist.  The process of manufacturing optical devices requires very specific tools that can vary greatly between each optical device and these tools are costly and difficult (if not sometimes impossible) to acquire or replicate.  Due to these circumstances, Explore Scientific asks that before you mail a product needing service to Explore Scientific, that you please reach out to a customer service representative and provide them with a photograph of the product that requires service.  If the product can reasonably be repaired or serviced by Explore Scientific, we will ask that you mail the product to Explore Scientific and Explore Scientific will attempt to repair or service the product and return it to you at no additional cost.  If a product can be repaired by being sent to the manufacturing facility that originally manufactured the product, a quote for that service will be obtained and you will be responsible for the cost of those repairs.  If a product is not able repaired, then Explore Scientific will offer you an upgraded product (as compared to your current product you are requesting to have serviced or repaired) at a discounted price.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact a customer service representative.

 

APO/FPO Addresses: If you’re an APO/FPO customer and you’re outside the domestic delivery area, the standard EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC Warranty Policy applies. However, you are responsible for shipping the product back to a stateside return address, plus handling, customs, and inventory liability. Since you are responsible for the safe delivery of any product you are returning to EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC, we recommend that it is insured against loss.

 

Repurposing: Our Exclusive Product Trade-Up Program
As an owner of an EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC product, you may find that it is time to grow in your exploration and you would like to trade up for a higher performance product. For a selection of products, we do offer a trade-up program. To find out if your product qualifies or for additional details, please contact our Customer Service team at 1-866-252-3811. This program is for EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC products purchased from authorized dealers in the U.S. and Canada or direct from us.

 

Warranty Terms For Bresser products purchased in Europe: 

IT

Se avete acquistato un prodotto in Europa, cliccate sul link www.bresser.de/warranty_terms  per avere tutti i dettagli della garanzia.

EN

If you have purchased a product in Europe, click on the following link to find all the warranty-related details: www.bresser.de/warranty_terms.

FR

Si vous avez acheté un produit en Europe, vous trouverez toutes les informations relatives à la garantie en cliquant sur le lien suivant : www.bresser.de/warranty_terms.

DE

Wenn Sie ein Produkt in Europa gekauft haben, klicken Sie auf den folgenden Link, um alle die Garantie betreffenden Informationen zu erhalten: www.bresser.de/warranty_terms.

ES

Si ha comprado un producto en Europa, pulse en el siguiente enlace para encontrar todos los detalles relacionados con la garantía: www.bresser.de/warranty_terms.

NL

Als u een product in Europa hebt gekocht, klikt u op de volgende link voor alle details over de garantie: www.bresser.de/warranty_terms.