Help

Below you will find a list of frequently asked questions with answers. If you have a question that is not answered below, please contact us.

Q: How much does it cost to register?
A: Nothing. Registration is FREE.

Q: Do I have to register to use the site?
A: No. You can browse and search ads without registering. You should still register, to save time, as the site will remember various preferences for you. If you want to create ads, you will need to register. Registration is FREE.

Q: How much do ads cost?
A: A private seller can place a basic ad for FREE. There is a $5 charge for a featured placement, and a $10 charge for a URL link. If the item does not sell, there is no additional charge. However, once an item is sold, we ask that the seller send Sky & Telescope 10% of the proceeds of the sale (minimum $2, maximum $75). The commission is on the honor system -- if you sell your product, we appreciate you sending the payment. Commercial advertisers pay a nominal fee upfront to list multiple ads.

Q: Where do I send the commission check?
A: The check should be made out to New Track Media and mailed to:

Sky Publishing/New Track Media Classifieds
90 Sherman Street
Cambridge, MA 02140

Q: How long does an ad run?
A: Private sellers can run an ad up to 60 days for no charge. To run the ad for 180 or 365 days, there is a nominal fee. Commercial advertisers can also choose to run ads for either 30 days, 60 days, 180 days or 365 days.

Q: What is the difference between a private and commercial seller?
A: A private seller is an individual who is not in the business of selling astronomy-related equipment, but has a single item he/she would like to sell. A commercial advertiser is usually an authorized dealer or professional reseller of telescope equipment.

Q: Do I have to register to create ads?
A: Yes. You must be a registered user to create ads. Registration is free.

Q: I created an ad, but it does not show up in search results. Why?
A: You need to run your ad. Go to My Account and click on the Run link to the left of the ad you wish to run. The system may ask for your credit card information, and your ad will run as soon as your payment is processed.

Q: I sold my stuff. How do I stop my ad from running?
A: From the My Account page, click on the Stop link to the left of the ad.

Q: What category should I put my ad in?
A: If you don't see a relevant category listed, please contact us at CustServ@SkyandTelescope.com and we will set up a suitable category for you.

Q: What region should I put my ad in?
A: The region you live in. By default the region will be the region you specified on your profile when you registered, but you can change this at any time.

Q: Will my ad be visible in other regions?
A: Yes. All ads are visible in any region. The system will, however, always show a person ads in their region first, then ads from outside their region.

Q: I don't want my name, phone number or email address to appear on your site. What should I do?
A: You can have all your personal information remain private. Update your personal privacy preferences from the My Account page.

Q: If all my information is private how can a buyer contact me?
A: When your ad appears, instead of showing your contact information the following appears: "This seller has chosen to remain private. You may contact this seller via anonymous email by clicking here." The prospective buyer completes an on-line form and the system sends you an email without revealing your information to the prospective buyer.

Q: What is your privacy policy?
A: See Privacy Policy for details.

Q: How do regions work?
A: Classifieds.SkyTonight.com covers the U.S. All states and any city with a population of 100,000 or more is listed as a region. When you register or create ads, you select a region. When you browse ads, ads in your region will be shown first. When you search for ads, ads in your region will be shown first.

Q: I don't see my city listed. What region should I choose?
A: Choose the city closest to you or the state you live in.