[meteorite-list] Suspicious Allende on eBay and an APOLOGY

Mon Dec 31 16:30:22 EST 2012

dear list members,

Just when I thought that trying to get eBay sellers to pull/alter meteorite listings was a quixotic effort that would simply accelerate my hair loss, here is the latest email exchange with Kidcentavo.  Though clearly not a list member, I will post a sincere apology to him in assuming he was crooked without offering him the chance to do the right thing first.

He has changed his description which you can read here: http://bit.ly/UhzQDJ

Dear kidcentavo,

Before
 you return it, have someone in your local area who is knowledgeable 
take a look at it. Do not take it to not a university geology department
 unless they specialize in meteorites. If you will tell me where you are
 located, I may be able to find someone who can do that for you.

- mendyo

Dear mendyo,

I
 see tha attach photo's box. [I'll]Take some pictures this week and attach. 
Glad the Admire is correct, feel a little better. Found the encyclopedia
 website and saw the pictures there in. And my listing looks LESS AND 
LESS like a Chihuahua meteorite. There's NOT enough fusion crust on 
mine, and NO melilikte-fassalite-anorthite chondrules. (And I know 
feldspars very well) (Anorthite is one end member of the albite to 
anorthite series) Well I will take it back to the mineral shop when the 
listing ends and get a refund. Even though it's been 7 years. A good 
lesson I have learned there eh?? That fusion crust lasts alot longer on 
the specimen in dryier climates than I thought.  Thanks for all your 
time and advise.  As payback from me to you, I know OPALS better than 
anyone in the southwest. If you ever decide to get one, shoot me a close
 up picture and I'll provide you with some advice of them... I go every 
year to Nevada and dig for those suckers. Kidcentavo

- kidcentavo

Dear kidcentavo,

I
 had a listing for a piece of pottery that was not what it had been sold
 to me as. Lost over $250, but I pulled the listing immediately and 
relisted as a possible fake. Sold for $5 but wanted it out of my house, 
so I feel your pain and uncertainty.

The Admire looks exactly as 
it should, so no issue there. I own a slice of Glorieta Mountain and it 
is absolutely beautiful material. I can't authenticate anything by 
pictures. Send me pics by attaching photos to this email string. 
I'll be happy to take a look and provide an opinion (but not a 
authentication). 

A fantastic resource are the following two websites: 
1) http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meteor/ (type in the name of the meteorite and look to the bottom for pictures)
2) http://www.encyclopedia-of-meteorites.com/

On
 your Allende, focus on the crust. It should be a dark grey to black 
with fine cracks. Depending on how you stored it, it may even smell a 
little sulfurous.

- mendyo

> On 30 Dec 2012, at 03:07, "Mendy Ouzillou" <ouzillou at yahoo.com> wrote:
>> 
>>> Yup, it was pulled for a few hours and then he put it back up. Here is 
>>> his response back to me regarding the stone's history:
>>> I bought it from Southwestern Minerals and Gems, Albuquerque New 
>>> Mexico in
>>> 2005 and it had INFORMATION card with it. i.e. what kind of meteorite 
>>> it was, where it was from, and the date of the fall along with the 
>>> name of the shop. No mention however WHO COLLECTED IT or WHEN it was 
>>> collected, I do not think the owner of the gem shop, knew that
>> information. ANY other questions?
>>> Kidcentavo
>>> I have blocked him and many other suspicious eBay sellers.  If you 
>>> want the list email me privately.
>>> 
>>> Mendy
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com
>>> [mailto:meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com] On Behalf Of W&S 
>>> Schroer
>>> Sent: Saturday, December 29, 2012 3:17 PM
>>> To: Meteorite List
>>> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Suspicious (ok, flat out fraud) Allende 
>>> on eBay
>>> 
>>> Hi Mendy,
>>> the Allende hasn't been pulled yet. At least not here in Australia.
>>> 
>>> http://tinyurl.com/d29xruz
>>> 
>>> Cheers
>>> Werner Schroer
>>> Australia
>>> 
>>> 
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Mendy Ouzillou
>>> Sent: Sunday, December 30, 2012 6:50 AM
>>> To: Mendy Ouzillou
>>> Cc: meteorite list
>>> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Suspicious (ok, flat out fraud) Allende 
>>> on eBay
>>> 
>>> The suspicious Allende has been pulled. Looks like kidcentavo got 
>>> nervous regarding my inquiry. Adding his name to my s-hit list.
>>> 
>>> Mendy Ouzillou
>>> 
>>> On Dec 29, 2012, at 11:09 AM, "Mendy Ouzillou" <ouzillou at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> http://www.ebay.com/itm/157-1-gram-Allende-Carbonaceous-Chondrite-Mete
>>> orite-
>>> from-Chihuahua-Mexico-/330850675605?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4d0
>>> 83cab9
>>> 5
>>> I sent him an email asking who he originally bought the specimen from.  
>>> Am curious to see his response.
>>> Had a thought regarding fraudulent sellers on eBay. We should make a 
>>> list of these people and make sure they cannot buy specimens from us.  
>>> Here is my logic. Seems like some of these scammers buy genuine items 
>>> to lend credibility to their other not-so-genuine items listed for 
>>> sale. I for one do not want anything I sell to be used as part of 
>>> someone else's fraudulent activity. I will start putting a list 
>>> together and I'll send it out to everyone who wants it. I will block these
>> eBayers from buying from me.
>>> If you want to be amused by someone completely delusional, read the 
>>> description for this "moon" rock.  I feel bad for Dr. Korotev for 
>>> having to put up with this kind of BS.
>>> http://www.ebay.com/itm/Meteorite-/190777042426?_trksid=p2045573.m2042
>>> &_trkp
>>> arms=aid%3D111000%26algo%3DREC.CURRENT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D27%26meid%3D45
>>> 038637
>>> 28672966212%26pid%3D100033%26prg%3D1011%26rk%3D2%26sd%3D330850675605%2
>>> 6
>>> Regards,
>>> Mendy
>>> 
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>> 
>
>
>