The Widescreen Centre Reviews 

31
TrustScore 2.5 out of 5

2.6

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Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Placed an order for next day delivery (£10) Website advised delivery timescale may not be guaranteed, which I accepted. I then received an email confirming items had been sent, tracking number did no... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I'm still trying to understand what this company is about. I had been trying to upgrade my telescope with £1200 worth of components, which they say they have everything, and have sent ema... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Made an order Monday morning which I received an email about dispatch with a tracking number. They did not provide any tracking link or even the courier who is delivering it. I’ve tried calling numero... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Phoned up to inquire about rasa 11 set up and back focus Simon went out of is way to sort configuration out with Baader rep.He kept me updated at all times with order, emailed me to let me know delive... See more

Company details

  1. Telescope Store
  2. Binoculars Store
  3. Hobby Store

Written by the company

The Widescreen Centre is a family owned and run specialist Astronomy retailer with traditional values since 1971. We offer expert knowledge, an extensive range of quality products, outstanding customer service and internet prices. Whether you are looking for a beginner's Telescope or an upgrade we will give you an impartial advise based on your personal requirements. We are one of the UK's largest retailers and covers the full spectrum of Telescopes for beginners, Advanced and Observatory installations, Telescopes Mounts, Astroimaging Cameras, Astrophotography Equipment, Travel Telescopes, Binoculars, Spotting Scopes and much, much more. The Widescreen Centre represents all the major Astronomy brands: Sky-Watcher, Celestron, TeleVue, William Optics, ZWO, Founder Optics, WideSky, SharpStar, Askar, Lunt, DayStar, Explore Scientific, Vixen, Pegasus, Primaluce, Astronomik, Optolong, IDAS, Baader Planetarium, Questar, Starizona, Bresser and more! We will be happy to help!


Contact info

2.6

Poor

TrustScore 2.5 out of 5

31 reviews

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2.6

All reviews

(31)

10 reviews in the last 12 months

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I would not Waste Your Time...

I'm still trying to understand what this company is about. I had been trying to upgrade my telescope with £1200 worth of components, which they say they have everything, and have sent emails, and had discussions on the phone about the upgrade. Everything appeared fine.

A month later and nothing, just a black hole, no further communication.

What company ignores a £1200 sales???

I went to The Widescreen Centre as their website indicated they had all components therefore it would just be one order. My normal supplier did not have all components...

In the end I went to my normal supplier (First Light Optics) and also 365Astronomy for the other bits, who I had never used before. FLO is brilliant as usual, 365Astronomy were great, and I got everything done in a heartbeat.

Moral, stay with who you know.

I would not waste your time with the Widescreen Centre...

August 28, 2026
Unprompted review
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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

A company to avoid

Said they would deliver solar glasses in time for eclipse so we paid them. Never even bothered sending them and never even notified us that they weren’t bothering. We are 77 years old and we’re forced to miss the eclipse because unfortunately we picked a rubbish company. I would advise anyone to avoid this outfit.

August 12, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Terrible service – Fake dispatch emails, invalid tracking, and missed event!

I placed an order on Monday morning , paying extra for guaranteed "UK Next Day" delivery so the items would arrive in time for the solar eclipse. When I ordered, the item was listed as clearly in stock, and I received a confirmation email right away. I completely understand that they were likely dealing with very high demands, but that is no excuse for how this was handled.

That same day, they sent an automated email claiming my order was dispatched with a tracking number, but they didn't even specify which courier company was delivering it. The only reason I knew that it was DPD was because I had to go onto their website to check which courier they typically use. To my shock, when I entered the tracking number into DPD, it showed a parcel delivered months ago!

I emailed customer support on the promised delivery day asking which courier they used and for valid tracking, but was ignored for two days. The item never arrived at all, they sent a fake dispatch email for a parcel they hadn’t actually shipped. They only replied two days later to apologise and issue a full refund. While I appreciate getting my money back, charging extra for next-day delivery on in-stock items, sending fake tracking numbers, and failing to fulfill orders is completely unacceptable. Save yourself the hassle and shop elsewhere.

August 13, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Poor customer service - Placed an order for next day delivery…

Placed an order for next day delivery (£10) Website advised delivery timescale may not be guaranteed, which I accepted. I then received an email confirming items had been sent, tracking number did not work. I then received a further email advising my items had not been sent and refund had been issued.
I feel this was completely misleading/dishonest, confirming items had been sent when they had not. I did not continue trying to source items elsewhere as I thought they were on the way. I wouldn’t recommend or use this company again due to this. Poor customer service.

August 10, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Shocking Service.

Placed an order on Monday, paid extra for next day delivery.
Today is Wednesday, my order hasn’t been shipped. But they have now put a message on their website saying they cannot ship orders in time. Would have been helpful if they had that on Monday, and took off their next day delivery.
Now when I log on to check the status, my order has disappeared, but I haven’t received an email to confirm my order has been cancelled. No order, no refund and no communication.

August 10, 2026
Unprompted review
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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Poor customer service and communication.

Made an order Monday morning which I received an email about dispatch with a tracking number. They did not provide any tracking link or even the courier who is delivering it. I’ve tried calling numerous times for more information but no one ever picks up. Voicemail cannot be left as it’s full. They do not respond to email. Customer service here is just the worst.

August 11, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I have just purchased a telescope from…

I have just purchased a telescope from this company. Lovely company to deal with. Have been exchanging emails to Joseph and he’s been great. Extremely helpful and always replies to your queries giving you all the help you need. Very knowledgable. Will definitely be returning here in the future for my astronomical needs. Thank you 🥰

January 10, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Telescope purchase

Purchased a Dwarf 3 telescope, next day delivery, fantastic communication and customer service, highly recommend this company

January 2, 2026
Unprompted review
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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Very professional company.

Made a random item stock check, along with a few other companies, after hours. Received an almost instant reply confirming availability, my order placed and item delivered today 36 hours after my initial contact. Superb customer service, never used before but most certainly will again.

May 1, 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Lacklustre aftersales

3D printed product I received was not really up to scratch (loose fitting). Exchanged a couple of emails to confirm return then no response. Sent a follow up email. Again no response. Life's too short, so, a week or so later, I gave up and took my business elsewhere (it was a relatively cheap item - if there is such a thing in astronomy!).
Sent another email to provide them with feedback.
They responded to this but I'm afraid it was just too little too late.
Was considering ordering an Esprit 100 but certainly won't be doing so now.
I think I dodged a bullet but YMMV.

April 2, 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant service and knowledge

Have brought several items from Simon over the last couple of years. To say Simon & Elena go above and beyond is an understatement, nothing is to much bother, they don't try to get you to buy what you don't want/need, they will guide you to what's best for your needs, even if its a cheaper option then you asked for. Delivery can be next day if ordered by 1pm so very quick. All round great service, knowledge &customer care.

March 11, 2025
Unprompted review
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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Good

Not that fast delivery but arrived in 5 days, also very good customer service

February 18, 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Phoned up to inquire about rasa 11 set…

Phoned up to inquire about rasa 11 set up and back focus Simon went out of is way to sort configuration out with Baader rep.He kept me updated at all times with order, emailed me to let me know delivery time.very pleased, will definitely use again a big thank you cheers.

December 12, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Purchase of Celestron CPC 1100

I have made several purchases with The Widescreen Centre over the years so it was obvious that I would return to purchase this beautiful of a scope. As always Simon, Elena and Joey are excellent and I will continue purchasing from them for many years to come. Thank you.

July 5, 2024
Unprompted review
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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great service, even from a non-sales query

I had some queries about a telescope I own, and whether or not it could/should be serviced.

It turned out that The Widescreen Centre were on the Dealer List for Takahashi Europe, so I sent them my queries.

The following day I received a response from Joseph Ruffell, stating that he's forwarded my query to Takahashi, and I subsequently received regular updates/comments from Joseph advising me of the best course of action for me to take, to answer the queries I had.

After three e-mails from Joseph it turned out that nothing actually needed doing to the scope, and that my concerns didn't warrant getting the scope serviced. Indeed, Joseph gave me some real reassurance that the scope was fine, given that I'd told him of the inspections I'd carried out on the lenses.

I'm really please that customer service is obviously very high on 'The Widescreen Centres' list of priorities, which is very nice to know.

I don't spend very frequently on my hobby, but I'll certainly remember the service I received from Joseph the next time I'm in the marked from some new equipment.

February 14, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

First class customer experience

Really first class customer experience. Prompt and helpful replies to emails, with advice, and phoned me to say that my order was ready for dispatch. Will definitely use this company again.

September 20, 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I have purchased a few items from this…

I have purchased a few items from this company and have always found them very professional and the prices are always competitive I will continue to use them for all my astronomical needs 5*****

October 1, 2023
Unprompted review

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