[meteorite-list] Need help w/ an eBay fraudster:starchild909greg

From: Gary Fujihara <fujmon_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed, 06 Nov 2013 09:23:27 -1000
Message-ID: <C2873D34-7279-4D76-A8E9-93437EAADEBD_at_mac.com>

Good points John, Al,

But most dealers will not misrepresent as much as hype their wares, that is to be expected. A buyer can check a seller?s feedback on ebay, and see what kinds of feedback remarks are left by that dealer?s customers.

Buy from sellers who provide multiple clear, well lit photographs of their offerings. Some sellers will only show the product?s ?good side?. You can probably trust sellers who show you all sides or at least the blemishes as well as the positive features - that way you can make better informed choice versus a shot in the dark.

Ask other collectors who have purchased from the seller if the merchandise was as described, and also how it was shipped. Did the seller just throw it in a box or envelope and mail it out, or did they protect it from damage by padding the item individually.

Ask if there is a certificate of authenticity, documentation of provenance, and return policy. Many reputable dealers will offer some kind of refund and/or buy back program.

Check to see if the dealer is an IMCA member. This is not to preclude any dealer who is not an IMCA member (because there are many reputable dealers who are not members), but with IMCA membership comes accountability of the dealer from the organization, and a means to have your complaint heard and acted upon.

gary


On Nov 6, 2013, at 9:10 AM, John Shea <bigjohnshea at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Dear List,
> Honestly I'm not sure why I'm writing this response since none of my emails ever get through to the list, but anyhow, concerning this topic:
>
> I collect many things, meteorites, antique swords, rare books, antiques, and from the collector's perspective they all have something in common: unless you are an expert you run the risk of being taken advantage of.
> Research only gets you so far. Buying from respected dealers is a good move but even that does not guarantee authenticity as respected dealers cannot always claim to be experts in their fields.
>
> At the risk of offending, I must also include that most any merchant of any collectible item will often misrepresent something just enough to make it more appealing than it really is, but not so much that they are being dishonest. I never bought a collectible item that wasn't put on a pedestal and spoken well about in some way.
>
> Hope you are all having a productive week.
> Cheers,
> John
>
>
>
>
> On Nov 6, 2013, at 11:17 AM, almitt2 at localnet.com wrote:
>
>> Hi Mendy and all,
>>
>> Your a conscientious collector and care about the fraud going on with eBay and elsewhere. However despite people pointing out that certain people are frauds, there are well known dealers who continue to sell, trade and be friends with those who have misrepresented material to the community in the past.
>>
>> It is this type of association that bothers me. Why would you continue to able someone who has been caught? Why can they sell or buy at all from any dealers, collectors and so on? Money does funny things to people. However if this gets out of hand (and I think it already has) it could bring down the whole collecting/selling community.
>>
>> As pointed out earlier, buy from well known dealers. Do research and find out who has a good standing reputation. You can search the meteorite list archives in order to find out problems of the past, and keep tabs on future problems.
>>
>> --AL Mitterling
>> Mitterling Meteorites
>> (Our 25th year in dealing just Meteorites)
>>
>>
>>
>> Quoting Mendy Ouzillou <ouzillou at yahoo.com>:
>>
>>> To everyone that responded and filed a complaint or sent the seller an email - Thank you.
>>>
>>> We often refer to ourselves as being a "meteorite community" and it is really nice to see us act like one when needed. I will be sending these types of requests more often. I am not turning into the meteorite police (I do not have the time or patience for that) as there are far to many cases of fraud for me to report or to expect you to follow suit. I and anyone else who would like to join, will only be picking on the worst offenders or in cases where a bid has been made and a fraudulent sale is imminent.
>>>
>>> The idea is not to specifically protect members of this community, but to keep the fraudulent listings or sellers from tainting our communal reputation and the (a)vocation we all enjoy. The advice to "buy only from trusted sellers" is good, but does not help the new collectors who do not know better. Quixotic pursuit? Maybe, but I want to try to protect new collectors who may eventually join the ranks of my fellow "met-heads".
>>>
>>> There is safety in numbers, so I hope that eventually, more people will participate in protecting our mutual interests.
>>>
>>> Best,
>>>
>>>
>>> Mendy (Don Quixote) Ouzillou
>>> IMCA 8395
>>
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>>
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Gary Fujihara
Big Kahuna Meteorites Inc.
PO Box 4175, Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 640-9161
http://bigkahuna-meteorites.com/
http://www.ebay.com/sch/fujmon/m.html
Received on Wed 06 Nov 2013 02:23:27 PM PST