[meteorite-list] Pro's & Con's of Meteorites
From: Greg Hupé <gmhupe_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon, 9 May 2011 11:03:45 -0400 Message-ID: <853E368493944EBB802F75B19FCA9FDA_at_GregorXPS2010> Dear Members of the MetList and IMCA: Over the last month or so there have been quite a few different concerns brought up on these two forums and others. I would like to make a few generalized comments touching base on a few of them. It appears that desperate times will spawn desperate acts by a small number who affect us all. PRO-fessional or CON-artist? This seems to be the common theme of these topics. * There has been recent concerns about 'Bait-n-Switch' fraud concerning a recent fall. * There have been notices of outright theft. * There have been discussions of not disclosing certain conditions of specimens for sale. * There have been discussions of false promises, lead-ons, etc. * There has been talk of extremely poor reporting. If a particular individual or organization has a history of official or casual complaints, you need to ask yourself, "Is this person or company purposely committing fraud, a scam, or are they just plain incompetent at conducting business?" Coat-tailing classified meteorites is a crime! We are often 'told' some stones are guaranteed paired to "NWA xxxx" or "Mifflin" or what have you, when in fact, some times they are not. Dealers who take the cheap and lazy route are cheating their customers and undermining the confidence of collectors, and in fact, lose sales in the long run. Even the most experienced dealers are taken victim to this form of crime, some willingly, some not. On the flip side to collecting and dealing, there are a very small number of scientists who refuse to change classifications when proven different beyond a shadow of doubt by science and their peers. To me, this is one of the worst crimes to science and collectors alike. Is it arrogance? Reporters commit crimes against our avocation as discussed in great detail lately, no need to comment further now. Seems there are a few who just want self-glory and recognition. Some people treat these subjects as 'taboo' and stick their heads in the sand or try to silence those who speak out, to keep the 'peace'. There is no peace when being wronged! Call your trusted friends, ask around, ask for references. People will tell you what they know. In turn, they will talk to their friends, and so on... until the full circle of our small world communicates with each other to expose the culprits. Certain people and organizations need to take a long look in the mirror before they decide to cheat another person. Some are known, others will sooner or later be exposed by their greed, arrogance or reckless incompetence. Would you prefer to work with a PRO-fessional or a CON-artist? I use the term, "Prefessional" in a generalized manner, not referring to being paid or not. These are just a few of my thoughts lately, they are not meant to start a mud slinging contest, only to open the eyes of those who do not know or care to know. These are some of the disappointments of the world of meteoritics. Not all avocations are perfect and without scammers, but at least in our very small world, we can point out the less desirables and oust them sooner than later. Best Regards, Greg Hup? ==================== Greg Hup? The Hup? Collection gmhupe at centurylink.net www.LunarRock.com IMCA 3163 ==================== Received on Mon 09 May 2011 11:03:45 AM PDT |
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