FAQ
Q: Who is FOSSILSEUM?
A: FOSSILSEUM is the largest online retailer of authentic fossil and mineral specimens in the world. We are dedicated to providing high-quality fossils to a wide range of individuals, from passionate collectors to those looking for unique gifts. Our catalog offers a diverse selection of high-quality fossils at great prices.
Q: Are your fossils real?
A: Yes, FOSSILSEUM only sells real fossils. We guarantee the authenticity of all the fossils that we list and sell. You can read more about our Authenticity Guarantee and disclosures on restoration here.
Q: Do you have a physical location or storefront?
A: No, we are an entirely online business. This allows us to keep our overhead costs down and offer competitive prices to our customers.
Q: Do your orders come with a physical Certificate of Authenticity?
A: By default, we do not send physical certificates with our orders. Creating physical certificates takes time, and most people tend to discard them. However, if you want a physical Certificate of Authenticity with your order, please make a note of it in the shipping instructions, and we will create one for you.
Q: Were your fossils legally collected?
A: Yes, the fossils we sell on our site have been legally collected and can be sold legally. We prioritize sourcing fossils from reputable locations and adhere to all relevant laws and regulations. We ensure that our fossils are ethically and legally acquired.
Q: I have some fossils, do you want to buy them?
A: We almost never make purchases from individuals, preferring to purchase fossils from our established suppliers. Occasionally, we may buy material in old collections for resale when all of the collection data is present.
Q: I found a fossil, could you identify it for me or tell me how much it is worth?
A: If you need something identified, we would highly recommend posting it in the Fossil ID Forum at TheFossilForum.com. There are plenty of very knowledgeable people who can assist with identification. We are not in the business of authenticating or providing values for other people’s fossils.
Q: I’ve heard stories of fake fossils, is this true?
A: Unfortunately, there are a lot of fake fossils being sold by unscrupulous dealers as authentic. It’s important to be cautious when purchasing fossils. At FOSSILSEUM, we work with trusted sources and have the knowledge to verify the authenticity of fossils ourselves. We also encourage buyers to educate themselves and join communities that share information about fake fossils, such as the “Trilobites Fakes and Restoration” Facebook group.
Q: How can you be selling real dinosaur teeth under $100? Aren’t they rare?
A: Yes, they are real. Many types of fossils are not as rare as people may think. In fact, teeth of certain types of dinosaurs are relatively common in the fossil record. Like today’s sharks, dinosaurs shed their teeth throughout their lifetime, and an adult dinosaur may have gone through thousands of teeth. While some types of fossils may be common, big perfect specimens can still be extremely rare.
Q: Where do your fossils come from?
A: Our fossils come are self-collected and prepared, while the bulk are bought wholesale in quantity from suppliers. We prefer to work directly with the people who took the fossils out of the ground instead of dealers. This allows us to get the best prices and provide more detailed information and backstory on the collection. In some cases, we also buy high-end collections of fossils being liquidated by longtime collectors for resale.
Q: Do your fossils have “repair” or “restoration,” and what’s the difference?
A: Repair and restoration refer to two different things. Repair involves fixing something that is broken to make it whole again. For example, most trilobites in limestone are found in multiple pieces and need to be glued back together. Well-done repair work adds value to a specimen.
Restoration involves adding something to a fossil that wasn’t there originally. This may include replacing damaged shell sections or reconstructing missing parts. Some fossils from certain sites almost always have collection damage that needs restoration. We disclose any restoration in the item’s description, as it is important for transparency.
Q: What if I want a fossil that is already sold or want something not listed on FOSSILSEUM.com?
A: Just ask! You can reach out to us through our contact form or by giving us a call. It’s possible that we may have something in stock that hasn’t been added to the site yet. If we don’t have it, we can most likely source it for you from our extensive network of suppliers.
Q: How do you accept payment?
A: PayPal . For higher-priced items, we can arrange alternative payment methods such as checks or wire transfers. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding payment.
Q: Do you ship internationally?
A: Yes, we ship internationally and have shipped fossils to over 100 different countries. However, there are a small number of countries to which we cannot ship due to high package loss rates. These countries include Brazil, South Africa, Indonesia, and India.
Please review our Shipping Policy for more information on international shipping.
How long does shipping take?
We are able to ship most items out within 10-20 business days. Delivery time will vary based on the shipping method chosen at checkout and where the item is being shipped to. Once the item leaves our warehouse, we have no control over carrier shipping delays, thus we cannot guarantee the delivery times for any order.
Do you insure your shipments?
It is an unfortunate reality of shipping that rarely a package goes missing or is damaged in transit. We take great pride in our ability to pack items and get them to their destination intact, but unfortunately there are occasionally circumstances beyond our control (packages run over by a mail truck, etc).
It is extremely difficult and time-consuming to get shipping companies (Amana, DHL, etc) to pay out on insurance claims even when they are clearly at fault, so we self insure shipments. We set aside funds to cover losses or damage. We can either issue a refund or find an agreeable replacement item in the case of damage or lost package.
For the purposes of considering a package lost in transit and eligible for refunds, a 30 business day timeframe is used for domestic shipments and 60 days for international. It is much more common that carriers “find” missing packages and deliver them late than for them to never be delivered. We can usually work with customers to provide a solution (replacement items, etc) prior to this time frame if the package does appear to be lost.
Return & Refund Policy
We offer a 30-day return policy (from the date of purchase) on all items that we sell. Items may be returned for any reason for a refund.
We cannot refund shipping costs or PayPal processing fees (approximately 3%) UNLESS the return is made due to an error on our part or loss/damage during shipping.PayPal processors do not refund the fees we have paid to them when we issue a refund. This can be quite costly for us. If you choose to take the refund as store credit, we can include the PayPal processing fees in the amount. Refunds or credits will be issued when the returned item has been received.
Order Cancellation Policy
If you wish to cancel an order you have placed with us before it ships, please contact us at support@fosilseum.com or via our phone number (00212601043376). In the event of an order cancellation, we will issue a refund via the payment method used to place the order or provide store credit. As with returns, we unfortunately cannot refund credit card processing fees (about 3%) unless the refund is taken as store credit.
Please contact us if you have any questions about shipping or return policies.
Combining Orders
We will happily combine multiple orders and ship them together to help you save on shipping costs. Simply add a note in the instructions field on your orders that you’d like them shipped together, and we’ll handle it from there. We will refund any difference between what you paid and the actual shipping cost.