[meteorite-list] Dealer Refunds

From: Michael Masse <mjmasse_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:22:43 2004
Message-ID: <020d01c33d27$9823ae80$5b5a0844_at_sd.cox.net>

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On more than several occasions I have originally paid a price
for a specimen that was satisfactory between a dealer and=20
myself and subsequently found it for less. At no time would I
even consider I had any right to a refund.=20

Michael Masse
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: MeteorHntr_at_aol.com=20
  To: meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com=20
  Sent: Friday, June 27, 2003 7:59 PM
  Subject: [meteorite-list] Dealer Refunds


  Hello List,

  I have an ethical question I would like to get some feedback on.

  I just got a request from a customer that I give him a refund for a =
specimen he purchased a month or so ago from me that he wants to return =
now. His request was not based on the fact that the specimen was =
damaged or otherwise in a different condition than described when it was =
sold to him.

  The request he felt was justified because he thinks the specimen is =
now not worth as much as he paid for it bach then. He seems to think he =
can get the same thing for a lower price elsewhere. So I assume he =
wants the refund to go buy the other cheaper specimen to replace the one =
he wants to give back to me.

  While I do guarantee authenticity and that the specimens are as =
described on all my specimens I sell, I do not have a Walmart style =
lowest price guarantee, that the person cannot find a similar specimen =
somewhere else in the present or in the future for a lower price. If =
someone bought something and didn't like it for whatever reason and =
wanted to return it promptly for a refund, that would be one thing but =
this is another.

  I find this refund request unreasonable and bordering on unethical. A =
similar but opposite request would be if I would contact buyers a month =
after I sold them a specimen and demanded that they let me buy back a =
specimen I sold them a month earlier because new information tells me =
that I sold it to them too cheap and that if I had it back at the price =
I sold it, I could turn around and sell it to someone for an even higher =
price. That request would be absurd.

  As I recall, there is just one dealer that offers a written lifetime =
guarantee to buy back any specimens at the customers purchase prices. =
However, one would expect that having a stated guarantee such as that =
would help such a dealer to generate more than enough extra sales to =
cover the losses when a meteorite genuinely drops in value and a few =
people decide to take that dealer up on his offer. But without offering =
that incentive to make all the extra sales along the way, a dealer could =
go bankrupt giving refunds on demand for price fluctuation reasons.

  I guess my question is, how would some of the other dealers respond to =
such a request? Has anyone had such a request nade if them? And for =
collectors out there, do you feel making such a request (and expecting =
it to be fulfilled) is reasonable? Would a direct purchase be different =
from an ebay purchase?

  Steve Arnold


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<DIV>
<DIV>On more than several occasions I have originally paid a price</DIV>
<DIV>for a specimen that was satisfactory between a dealer and </DIV>
<DIV>myself and subsequently found it for less.&nbsp; At no time would =
I</DIV>
<DIV>even consider I had any right to a refund. </DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Michael Masse</DIV></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
  <DIV=20
  style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
  <A title=3DMeteorHntr_at_aol.com=20
  href=3D"mailto:MeteorHntr_at_aol.com">MeteorHntr@aol.com</A> </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A=20
  title=3Dmeteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com=20
  =
href=3D"mailto:meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com">meteorite-list@meteor=
itecentral.com</A>=20
  </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, June 27, 2003 =
7:59 PM</DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [meteorite-list] =
Dealer=20
  Refunds</DIV>
  <DIV><BR></DIV><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica><FONT lang=3D0 =
face=3DArial size=3D2=20
  FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF">Hello List,<BR><BR>I have an ethical question I =
would like=20
  to get some feedback on.<BR><BR>I just got a request from a customer =
that I=20
  give him a refund for a specimen he purchased a month or so ago from =
me that=20
  he wants to return now.&nbsp; His request was not based on the fact =
that the=20
  specimen was damaged or otherwise in a different condition than =
described when=20
  it was sold to him.<BR><BR>The request he felt was justified because =
he thinks=20
  the specimen is now not worth as much as he paid for it bach =
then.&nbsp; He=20
  seems to think he can get the same thing for a lower price =
elsewhere.&nbsp; So=20
  I assume he wants the refund to go buy the other cheaper specimen to =
replace=20
  the one he wants to give back to me.<BR><BR>While I do guarantee =
authenticity=20
  and that the specimens are as described on all my specimens I sell, I =
do not=20
  have a Walmart style lowest price guarantee, that the person cannot =
find a=20
  similar specimen somewhere else in the present or in the future for a =
lower=20
  price.&nbsp; If someone bought something and didn't like it for =
whatever=20
  reason and wanted to return it promptly for a refund, that would be =
one thing=20
  but this is another.<BR><BR>I find this refund request unreasonable =
and=20
  bordering on unethical.&nbsp; A similar but opposite request would be =
if I=20
  would contact buyers a month after I sold them a specimen and demanded =
that=20
  they let me buy back a specimen I sold them a month earlier because =
new=20
  information tells me that I sold it to them too cheap and that if I =
had it=20
  back at the price I sold it, I could turn around and sell it to =
someone for an=20
  even higher price.&nbsp; That request would be absurd.<BR><BR>As I =
recall,=20
  there is just one dealer that offers a written lifetime guarantee to =
buy back=20
  any specimens at the customers purchase prices.&nbsp; However, one =
would=20
  expect that having a stated guarantee such as that would help such a =
dealer to=20
  generate more than enough extra sales to cover the losses when a =
meteorite=20
  genuinely drops in value and a few people decide to take that dealer =
up on his=20
  offer.&nbsp; But without offering that incentive to make all the extra =
sales=20
  along the way, a dealer could go bankrupt giving refunds on demand for =
price=20
  fluctuation reasons.<BR><BR>I guess my question is, how would some of =
the=20
  other dealers respond to such a request?&nbsp; Has anyone had such a =
request=20
  nade if them?&nbsp; And for collectors out there, do you feel making =
such a=20
  request (and expecting it to be fulfilled) is reasonable?&nbsp; Would =
a direct=20
  purchase be different from an ebay purchase?<BR><BR>Steve=20
Arnold<BR><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></FONT></BODY></HTML>

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Received on Fri 27 Jun 2003 11:44:35 PM PDT


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