Search the Community

Hi all, I am noticing an increasing number of sellers (especially those based in Asia) who advertise on Facebook, Instagram, WeChat and other social media instead of eBay. Unfortunately, many of them do not use Paypal. As you know, not every payment platform has buyer protection. To protect yourself, please carry out these checks: 1) Find out why the seller doesn't use Paypal. Is it for a legitimate reason? E.g. a Lebanese seller can't use Paypal as it's restricted there. Mainland China sellers apparently, CAN use Paypal, so take extra care if they refuse to use it. 2) Check the seller's track records. Ask friends and trusted collectors if any of them have ever made successful dealings with the seller. 3) Beware of similar photos on multiple platforms. Scammers sometimes create fake profiles that look just like a legitimate dealer, and steal their pictures as well. Perform background checks. Don't just assume that a dealer has multiple accounts, FIND OUT. Message him on his separate accounts (e.g. Facebook and eBay) and see if he notices. 4) Beware of non-Paypal platforms such as AliPay, WeChat and Western Union etc. There is little-to-no buyer protection on them. Don't send your money over unless you are absolutely sure of this deal. 5) Ask questions! Does the dealer know what shipping to use? Can the dealer take multiple photos of the fossil for you at specific angles you request? Is the dealer evasive with his answers? Is the deal too good to be true? There is no such thing as too much checking. 6) Be objective. It doesn't matter how friendly a dealer is. He could be the friendliest man on the planet, asking you about your family and work, laughing at your jokes, liking all your pictures. Most of the time, all they want is your money. Dealers who genuinely want to be your friend are rare gems, and worth holding on to. 7) Facebook mutual friends / Instagram followers doesn't matter. Scammers can make attractive accounts and add a thousand friends just to look trustworthy. I've seen a scammer FB account that shared over 100 mutual friends with me. 8) Does your credit card protect you? Assuming the dealer is sketchy, but you are somewhat sure of this deal, find out if your credit card/bank can protect you if this is a scam. Take note that AliPay doesn't work with many major credit cards. 9) If all else fails, demand Paypal. If the dealer genuinely wants business, and he operates in a country with Paypal, then it's in his best interest to use Paypal. Remember - great fossils appear every other day. Is this deal so special as to be worth the risk you're taking? Lastly, don't forget to post some pictures here at TFF; there are many experts here more than willing to share their expertise. Good luck!

Hi all! As requested by quite a few people, here is the report of the Fossil Fair in Ede, which happened today (Saturday 11th of March 2017). It was a very fun fair with many people, several different organizations were present, a building filled with fossils from all over the world, and tons of amateurs and professionals buzzing around. It was quite busy, but the ambiance was great, or "gezellig" as we would say in Dutch. There were many fossils for sale, some at very low prices, and there was also quite a lot of trading. Here are some pics of the fair:

Hello all fossil-friends! (I'm not sure whether this is in the right thread, if it's not I'd love the admins to put it where it's meant to be .) Anyways, I wanted to tell everyone that their is a big fossil market at Ede (Netherlands) this weekend, and that I would love you to come! It is organized by the Paleobiologische Kring van Nerderland/Vlaanderen (Paleobiological Group of Netherlands/Flanders), the Werkgroep Fossielen Wageningen (Workgroup Fossils Wageningen), and the famous Fossiel.NET (basically a Dutch version of TFF); many other organizations/museums will be there too. There will be plenty of stuff to do: amateur-paleontologist encounters, fossil IDing by experts, fossil trading, fossil buying/selling, lectures by paleontologists, prep demonstrations, and many other fun fossil-related activities/workshops! Here's the info you need to know: Date: Saturday 11th March 2017 Time: 10:30 till 16:00 Address: Het ROVC, Galvanistraat 13, 6716 AE, Ede, NETHERLANDS Entry fee: FREE! Stuff to bring with you: fossils you are willing to trade, to prep, to get IDd, etc; and some money. No food needed (drinks and food available). Here is a link with all the information you need: https://english.fossiel.net/beursede/ BUT: this is only for fossils, so NO minerals, artifacts, etc.! I will of course be there, and I hope that you will also be. I hope to see you there! Max PS: I'm not an organizer or anything of the event, I'm just telling everyone about it so that there will be more people to meet.