Fortunately, she had purchased it at Shutan Camera in Chicago and was able to exchange the faulty mountings with little trouble. We received an e-mail from a man who had recently purchased a Meade SCT and found that all the star images were elongated. For example, I've heard that the Russian-made telescopes suffer from inconsistent quality. Obviously, the more complex the item, the more potential there exists for problems. When it comes to suppliers, you're looking for knowledgeable sales people, honesty in terms of what they have in stock, no sales pressure, and delivery as promised.
Price is certainly a consideration, but weigh all the factors.
The full-line suppliers who have regularly received the highest marks include Astronomics, Pocono Mountain Optics, and Orion Telescope Center. Our nearest retail outlet is Shutan Camera in Chicago and Highland Park. The east coast discounters such as Adorama, Focus Camera, and Wholesale Optics have the lowest prices, but the poorest reputation for customer support. I've also dealt with various limited line suppliers such as University Optics, Lumicon, Tuthill, Thousand Oaks, etc. Usually you have a 30-day return privilege.