Jump to content

Warning: Dodgy Fossil Website!


Arjen Lans

Recommended Posts

Dear All,

I ordered teeth at a US website but have some very, very, bad experience. They simply didnt send. I also have proof of screendumps and mail communication. After confronting them with the screendumbs and after letting my US office contact them and put pressure on them, they sent the teeth, but not even all the ones that I ordered

Now before I post the story and make this company known, I want to make sure I don't offend anybody. I'm not sure if culturewise it's ok to post a bad story. It's my intention to warn all not to order at this site anymore.

I'll also post it on the other forums as a warning.

Please give me your reactions before I make the story for all to read.

Rgds,

Arjen

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Martijn,

That's the Dutch way, but I want to make sure I don't offent our US hosts of this forum.

But indeed, my fingers are itching :-)

Arjen

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would like to know the name of the company, if I ever do buy from them. I've bought shark teeth from all over the web, and my favorite person is Steve Alter.

This is his website.

http://www.megalodonteeth.com/

Tha tighin fodham, fodham, fodham!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would like to know the name of the company, if I ever do buy from them. I've bought shark teeth from all over the web, and my favorite person is Steve Alter.

This is his website.

http://www.megalodonteeth.com/

I totally agree with you. Steve is a honest guy with honest prices for good quality fossils.

Martijn

Qua patet orbis

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And I agree with you too. Steve Alter is very open and honest. Also his prices are very fair.

But you have to remember one thing when you go to his website. He has so many teeth (thousands megs) he can't put them all on his site, so jus send him a mail and he will reply to you. At the moment he's moving houses so it might take a few days but normally you will get a reply within the same day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As long as you don't leave yourself, Anson, or anyone else open to a law suit, let the fossil collecting world know.

KOF, Bill.

Welcome to the forum, all new members

www.ukfossils check it out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Out them!

Grüße,

Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas

"To the motivated go the spoils."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think such a posting is a positive one ... you'd be saving many people many hours of work, headaches, and money. Also, these are exactly the kinds of commercials endeavors that will make the entire fossil business look bad. Something we don't need since there already are several proposals in government at the state and federal level that would like to oust fossil collecting, fossil trading, and fossil sales.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, I think it would benefit other buyers to know.

No one wants to deal with an organization that you have

to keep on them, in the effort to honor your order.

Welcome to the forum!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Present the facts; the readers can judge.

"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If it may help another forum member to not get screwed, post the name.

There's no limit to what you can accomplish when you're supposed to be doing something else

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Expose them, BUT

Just be careful, make sure you can backup everything you say, with evidence, for goodness sake.

They may for instance, have proof they sent a parcel. You would then need to prove you didn't receive it. Being a company, presumably with plenty of money and a reputation to protect, they will jump on every mistake you may make in your wording.

KOF, Bill.

Welcome to the forum, all new members

www.ukfossils check it out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Let it be known.

Just be careful, make sure you can backup everything you say, with evidence, for goodness sake.

There are a lot of lousy and dishonest sellers out there, no doubt. But to be fair, maybe the seller in question should

be invited to participate in the discussion if his name is mentioned. I don't feel comfortable being a judge/jury

without hearing both sides of the story. :)

Thanks,

Eddie

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK, here goes:

The website is http://www.rathbonesgifts.com/shark_teeth.htm

On May 14 I ordered 11 perfect megs and Chubs. Communication was smooth. I got a little discount and the offer that they would pay for the shipping costs to the NL. The invoice came and I paid on return by Paypal the same day. My contact, LeAnn, mailed tat the teeth would be sent on Friday.

Normally shipments from the US take about 1,5-2 weeks to arrive. On May 29 I checked their website and I noticed that the teeth that I ordered were still listed. Of course I mailed and immediately came the friendly reply that the teeth were shipped.

On June 20, still no teeth and mine were still on their website so I contacted a colleague of mine in our US office. He contacted Rathbonesgifts with an RFQ for 3 of the teeth that I ordered. Within an hour het got confirmation that they were still available.

This was a shock to me. He forwarded me their mail and it read:

Yes, these teeth are available, and if you like you can pay via paypal and I can send you a invoice for those 3 teeth.

LeAnn

I confronted them with this mail with the following text on June 20:

Dear LeAnn,

I now have proof in writing that these teeth haven’t been shipped. With the help of a company, you confirmed in writing the availability of 3 teeth that I paid. According to the mail below, those specific teeth were shipped.

Also we found out that your company is pretty well known amongst US shark teeth collectors and other companies that sell shark teeth.

I’m willing to see this as an accident an as just a mistake, but I’m kindly asking to ship the teeth that I ordered today. I’m really not willing to file a complaint and make this well know on US shark teeth forums of which I’m a member (The fossil forum, xx and xx) as well as informing all my US shark teeth traders. I just want my teeth. I trust you understand.

Please ship out my teeth today.

Regards,

Arjen

They returned my mail the same day with the following text:

I am sorry you feel that I am stealing something from you, I am not sure what you are referring to as the teeth that you have paid for still being available, The website has been updated and new teeth has been added. I am not sure what proof in writing you are referring to as I do not resell teeth that have already been sold. If you are unhappy with the transaction once the teeth are received you are more than welcome to send them back for a full refund. I am an honest business person and I have never ripped anyone off for anything.

LeAnn

A day later I returned the following mail:

LeAnn,

I have screendumps of the teeth on your website of the ones that I bought. I also have screendumps of the similar teeth at the moment you were contacted yesterday, when this company contacted you about exactly the same teeth (they picked 3 I believe: xx, xx, xx) Of these 3 you confirmed to them that they are available. How much more proof do you need?

So please don't fool me. For the last time, I'm kindly asking you to ship the following teeth, before I contact the police and make it public:

x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x,x and x

Regards,

Arjen

2 Weeks later I received 8 teeth instead of 11. Only 3 were teeth that I actually ordered. The poststampo was dated June 25. I guess that says it all. The 3 teeth were indeed perfect, just as I ordered them. The quality of the rest was lousy, really terrible.

So be careful.

Arjen

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Arjen

That link does not work but clicking on the following, http://rathbonesgifts.com/ then, Fossil Shark Teeth gives a blank page.

Interestingly, that seems to be the only blank page on the site.

KOF, Bill.

Welcome to the forum, all new members

www.ukfossils check it out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well beyond the intrigue surrounding the shipped/not shipped status; you paid for 11 and received 8, only three of which were actually the teeth you ordered. They owe you a partial refund, as well as an explanation (though I can understand that you might not have the heart to pursue it). I am glad that you shared your poor experience with this seller. Do let us know if they make any effort to make it right.

"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I warned them for the last time to send the teeth that I owed them. I also informed them that if I don't get a reaction, I will make it public.

Seems like they received the mail because this afternoon their shark teeth page was life and now it's down :D I rest my case

@ Auspex:

Yes of course I will post it when they refund or send the missing teeth. As you can read in my mails to them, it was never my intention for make them loose their face, I just wanted my teeth, and I still do actually.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Try this url:rathbonesgifts.com/index.htm

This will get you to his home page where he sells everything from honey, fossils, coins, etc. I tried a number of the links and they all opened EXCEPT for the one dealing with fossil shark teeth. The modern shark teeth link will open but not the fossil shark link.

Rathbone has been selling fossil shark teeth for years - no personnel experience but he has been around for at least a decade. He also has a website dealing with the practice of some type of self-defense.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Question,, What is a 'screen dump'? Also, there are waaaaaay too man crookes in this world, and they also seem to have more rights than the honest folks, so why protect them? If this happend to me and I knew for sure that I was being screwed, I would post about them at all places availabe in a hearbeat!!! I have absolutly no patience for any crook. Back in the day, I would have used a rope and an oak tree!!!

RB for dictator

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest solius symbiosus
What is a 'screen dump'?
It is a screen shot of the page your are viewing.

If you are using Microsoft, hit the prtsc/sysrq button, then open paint-ctrl v - ctrl s, and save it to the desired folder. That is how I do it. There are probably better methods, but I am kind of computer illiterate.

Here is one of this page.

post-179-1215707064_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh boy!

Hard to trust anyone on websites! I suggest that any websites that sell fossils is good serevices then move into The Fossils Forum LINK that we know and trust to order some fossils!

I never order fossils and I go out to find my own fossils!

Other way to buy fossils is good rock shops or fossils show but its not always close to your home that's other problem! There's lot of fake Trilobites out there! So be careful!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...