[meteorite-list] eBay questionable meteorites

From: Elizabeth Warner <ewarner_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sun, 3 Jul 2011 10:20:17 -0400
Message-ID: <4E107AA1.7090204_at_umd.edu>

I had sent him a question asking how he knew it was a lunar meteorite.

Here's my exact questions:

> How do you know it is a moon rock? What testing have you done? Who tested it?

His response was extremely rude:

> I am a very busy individual and I honestly don't have time to waste answering these kinds of questions. You have a free will and you're not being forced in any way to purchase my meteorites. Notice that I called them "meteorites" because to me that's exactly what they are. If you like what you see you can bid on it and purchase if not please do me a great favor and go purchase instead those fake and man-made Tektites or the "microscopic pieces of stone and iron" (that you can't even see with the naked eye) from the people with the appointed numbers from the IMCA. They rip you off and you don't even know that you're being ripped off, I feal sorry for people like you, I really do.
>
> But I didn't answer your question yet, so here it goes:
>
> I will try to be as precise as I can. All my life I've had a big fascination for all kinds of rocks, particularly rocks from space. I am a big rock collector and I own a big collection of rocks from all over the world. This particular rock I found in Azores, precisely in Graciosa Island where I live. The Azores Archipelago is of volcanic origin and this rock was found on an area similar to a desert where there is no vegetation. Places like that are in fact the best places on Earth to look for meteorites. This particular rock does not have a volcanic origin and therefore it's not from here and can only possibly be from Space, more precisely from the Moon. Of course I don't have any sophisticated scientific equipment to make such tests but my conclusion is that this rock has a 99.9% probability that it is in fact a Lunar Meteorite.
>
> Good day to you and God bless.

I responded with
> I asked simple questions. For you to to respond so rudely is unnecessary. I don't care if you are IMCA or not, but if you claim to be selling a lunar meteorite, then you need to have something more than "your word" as proof.


Then the bid page, I reported the item as being fraudulent. There is an
option "Listing Violations > Fraudulent listings (illegal seller
demands, you didn't receive item, etc) > You suspect that a listing is
fraudulent you didn't bid."


Clear Skies!
Elizabeth





On 7/2/2011 10:49 PM, bill kies wrote:
>
> At least he cancelled the lunars. Maybe after he reads up a little more he'll realize most of the rest is suspect.
>
> Bill
>
>
> ----------------------------------------
>> Date: Sat, 2 Jul 2011 09:09:43 -0500
>> From: nightsky55 at gmail.com
>> To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
>> Subject: [meteorite-list] eBay questionable meteorites
>>
>> Maybe some of you have noticed this seller
>> (http://shop.ebay.com/galeriacores/m.html?_trksid=p4340.l2562). Of the
>> two dozen offerings, only one looks like a real meteorite - a Brahin.
>> He's offering lunars and various chondrites from the recent "Azores"
>> fall. Quite the selection.
>> Bob
Received on Sun 03 Jul 2011 10:20:17 AM PDT