thecatspajamas Posted November 9, 2021 Share Posted November 9, 2021 So I've just realized the "alligator skull" fossil my parents got me for Christmas last year is for sure a fake. I'm embarassed I didn't notice until trying to ID the species, the real mosasaur teeth threw me off. My parents really went all out spending a couple hundred dollars on this thing, it's the most expensive gift I've ever recieved. So I'm pretty upset they got scammed out of that much money. I imagine it's been too long to demand a refund, but is there anything I can do about this? Was this even legal? The place that sold it to us is an actual shop, not some shady pop-up vendor. I apologize if this isn't the correct place to ask my question, let me know if it's not appropriate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted November 9, 2021 Share Posted November 9, 2021 Your best bet is to approach the shop owner and calmly explain the situation. He or she may have genuinely believed the authenticity of the item that was sold in much the same way your parents did. Possibly the shop owner gives a refund, or store credit, or does nothing at all. Beyond that, this may be a case of caveat emptor -- truly something any who purchase fossils on a regular basis knows firsthand. 1 3 ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecatspajamas Posted November 9, 2021 Author Share Posted November 9, 2021 I guess it couldn't hurt giving it a shot, even after nearly a year. Thanks for the encouragment. At the very least if they were unaware maybe they'll stop selling the skulls if I can convince them they're phonies- I'm a repeat customer and they always seem to have one for sale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TyrannosaurusRex Posted November 9, 2021 Share Posted November 9, 2021 From my experience, many of these shops are unaware of the pieces being frankensteined or being entirely fake. Much of this happens at the source in Morocco (I have seen many many faked trilos, crinoids and ammonites from here as well) If you have had good interactions with them outside of this incident, I would absolutely recommend gently telling them about the situation. Oftentimes there is a surprising amount of grace in these situations since the owners will feel scammed themselves. I'm sorry to hear about it! It can still be a really nice decoration piece, and a good lesson learned. I hope you have better luck in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R0b Posted November 9, 2021 Share Posted November 9, 2021 I would be open to your parents if you haven’t done so already they might be embarrassed they got “scammed” but at least they will be aware of the problem. Invest in a black light (20 dollars /euro should get you a decent one. Only buy expensive pieces when having seen them and look around at online sources of information on how to recognise fake / enhanced pieces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agent_Zigzag Posted November 9, 2021 Share Posted November 9, 2021 Greetings! I think the best option, as others had stated, would be confronting the stor owner first. If it's bought online, it would be more complicated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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