[meteorite-list] Meteorite Escrow Service

From: Guenther <abe.guenther_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sun, 13 Nov 2011 21:10:06 -0500
Message-ID: <011b01cca272$89dc7640$9d9562c0$_at_guenther@mnsi.net>

I appreciate the invaluable advice as always.

It makes total sense now why an escrow service may not work in this business: The extra shipping cost and the compensation that the escrow service would need to charge may add up to the extra cost that would make a good deal not such a good deal after all.

The best would be that you could just trust people to ship after they are paid but that isn't always going to be the case when buying from an unknown seller.

In the most recent solicitations it was from 2 separate individuals wanting to sell me NWA meteorites. They went by the names Abdelfattah Gharrad from Morocco and Abdellah Afiniss. Maybe they contact people who seem to either be new to the business but it would be nice to know if I am the only one that was contacted. I like to think that their offer is honest but I have never contacted anyone back. I think that it's just too risky unless as you say it's for a low enough price that is worth risking.

Thanks,

Abe Guenther


-----Original Message-----
From: Count Deiro [mailto:countdeiro at earthlink.net]
Sent: Sunday, November 13, 2011 5:16 PM
To: Guenther; meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Meteorite Escrow Service

Hi Abe,

The List is open to dealers, collectors, hunters, institutions, academics and anyone else with an interest in things meteoritical.
It allows advertising and indeed...the announcement of a sale by any of those accessing the List is not an unusual daily occurance and is generally welcomed by all. I wouldn't be too upset with having a seller be smart enough to see your name and make an unsolicited offer. You can always tell that person to stop if they become an annoyance.

There is a restriction as to the frequency of a seller's ad being posted. Once a week. Even if a reader isn't interested in buying, the posting of a sale provides valuable information about the availability and value of meteorites and related items.

I think it appropriate for me to reccommend that you consider purchasing from sellers that are current Members of IMCA, as it is a rare bird indeed that would cheat you whilst belonging to this group. These IMCA Members have a Code of Ethics that they subscribe to follow that deals exactly with your fears.

Trying to establish some form of escrow service is not plausible due to the lack of individuals with the experience and motivation necessary and the cost not only in money, but time. The escrow holder would have to be bonded and compensated. It wouldn't pencil out if your dealing with specimens under a $1,000.00. If one were considering a large expenditure with an unknown seller, I would pay the few hundred bucks to fly to where the goods were and see for myself, or buy following these remedies for avoiding being "screwed". Have the specimen shipped to you on approval... let the seller risks his inventory. Pay by credit card so a dispute would be settled for zip by the credit card company investigators.

Finally, let me say that I have bought hundreds of meteorites on just the past few years building my cabinet, some valued well up to nearly five figures, and I have nothing but good things to say about all the sellers and traders I have dealt with. Almost all were introduced to me through the List.

Welcome to the ranks, my friend.

Count Deiro
IMCA 3536

   


-----Original Message-----
>From: Guenther <abe.guenther at mnsi.net>
>Sent: Nov 13, 2011 10:06 AM
>To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
>Subject: [meteorite-list] Meteorite Escrow Service
>
>I don't post a lot but as soon as I do, I get solicitations from people
>trying to sell me meteorites. So I am assuming it's because of loiterers in
>the forum. From the names I can tell that they are not from the list. I can
>only assume that they are either normal people who have a meteorite they
>would like to sell for some quick cash or it's a scam. If it was the former
>rather than the latter I would imagine that there could be some pretty good
>deals out there but I would never want to risk it. If someone actually had a
>meteorite to sell but had no eBay rating, I understand their motivation to
>loiter in a forum even though I don't like it. I am sure that there are many
>honest people who have meteorites they would like to sell but the risk is
>too high to get scammed.
>
>Is there a trustworthy escrow service in the industry? If someone genuinely
>had a nice stone to sell, whether they contacted me through my forum posts
>or otherwise, I could direct them to an escrow. An escrow service would help
>unknown sellers get their meteorites into the hands of collectors without
>having to build a name for themselves first or have to go to a meteorite
>convention to sell them. There are many knowledgeable meteorite hunters and
>collectors in the forum who could quite easily operate an escrow service
>that people like me would trust.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Abe Guenther
>
>
>
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Received on Sun 13 Nov 2011 09:10:06 PM PST