[meteorite-list] Dealer Refunds

From: Paul <lenticulina1_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:22:44 2004
Message-ID: <20030629012357.52402.qmail_at_web21411.mail.yahoo.com>

On Sat, 28 Jun 2003 22:26:47 +0100,
Ken O'Neill wrote:

>Hi All,
>
>I was of the opinion tending towards a refund. I must

>now admit that in this particular case this would
>not now be my decision. A dealer should really be
>"on the ball" with regards to pricing.

1. In this case, it is expecting too much of any
dealer to anticipate future changes, whether they'
be rises and falls, in the price of what they are
selling. Expecting them to anticipate future changes
in the value of an meteorite and factor them into
the price is simply asking too much.. That is factor
beyond their control and, for which I don't understand
why they should have any responsibility for.

2. Also, in the capitalist system, part of the way
of making a profit is buying low and selling high. In
many cases, a dealer has no way of knowing what
price is "too high", except when people stop buying
his product as it is either the price beyond a
person's desire to buy it or the price below which
other dealers are willing undercut his prices and
sell at lower prices. The dealer is responsible for
an accurate and truthful description of what he
is selling. The buyer has to responsible, in terms
of luxeries like meteorites, for what he or she
is willing to pay them.

3. Given that meteorites, like gem quality
diamonds in diamond rings and unlike computer
chips, lack any functional / practical
value and are not necessities like food, there
is no real value to meteorites. They are only
worth as much as at least two people are willing
for emotional reasons to pay for them. As result,
it seems to me that what is a fair price is a
completely subjective matter as the price
someone is willing to pay is almost purely a
function of his or her and other collector's
desire to possess it in their collection.

In such a case, significant and unpredictable
fluctuations in prices that are beyond the
control and anticipation of any one dealer
would be expected to occur. I don't understand
how anyone can hold a dealer could be
responsible, if the price of meteorite drops
after he or she sells it to a customer.

4. I have never been a dealer. As a buyer I have
bought things that I later regarded as overpriced
or declined in value, but I always regarded that as
my fault for not being on the "on the ball" when I
made the transaction.

Yours,
Baton Rouge, LA

P.S. I limit myself to buying tektites, impact
glasses, and impactites, because I don't have
the money to attempt to begin to start a
collection and the above items are interesting
enough in themselves. Thus, I am definitely not
the person being discussed. :-) Also, I am on
this list becaus it is one way of keeping track
of and finding information about what is being
discussed about impact craters and meteorite
impacts, which are my primary interest.

If there is a impact crater / cratering mailing
list, I would like to know about it.

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Received on Sat 28 Jun 2003 09:23:57 PM PDT