Metallium, Inc.

This a follow up conplaint (id: ***)I had ask the seller to send a self address envelope so I can return the product that was found to be counterfeitThank you

Buyer ordered a 1-gram custom disc made of Rhodium metal for $100.00. It was shipped Feb. 24, 2016. Buyer complained that density did not match that of pure rhodium metal and filed complaint I certify that the piece shipped is genuine Rhodium metal 99.9%. It was made from pressed raw metal powder...

purchased from Heraeus, a precious-metals supplier.  The piece was made entirely by me.  At the time of making the buyer's piece I also made a duplicate piece, from the same material and using the same process. The density calculation done at Metallium for the duplicate piece is 11.03 g/cc, which is consistent with pressed (sintered) rhodium powder. The weight of the piece is 1.02 grams.  The buyer specified the weight to be "1 gram", so I set an internal final weight range of 1.0 to 1.1 grams.  The piece was pressed three times. Each press compacts the powder further, with the density approaching the theoretical density of rhodium, which is 12.41 g/cc.  This is a standard process and result for sintering metal parts from raw metal powder. Process to measure density: The duplicate piece (which Metallium possesses) comes out to 11.03 g/cc.  A sheet-metal micrometer was used to measure the thickness at several points around the disc, then the average of these measurements taken as the thickness. The diameter was also measured, then the piece weighed on a gram scale accurate to 0.01 gram. The density was then calculated from these measurements.  I have a background in mechanical and manufacturing engineering, and over 12 years experience in my own laboratory, which is part machine shop and part laboratory. Calculating density of an object is very demanding and requires experience especially with regards to obtaining measurements of dimensions and understanding the accuracies and limitations of measurement procedures.  After receiving the Revdex.com complaint I emailed the buyer to attempt to resolve. The buyer indicated in his response: 1. He measured the weight of the piece to be 1.41 grams and calculated the density as 14.9 g/cc 2. He had planned to provide the piece as a gift and blamed Metallium for that missed opportunity when he suspected the piece was not rhodium. The biggest discrepancy here is the reported weight. The rhodium piece that was shipped is certified by me to be between 1.0 and 1.1 grams (see above). If the buyer's weight measurement of 1.41 grams is correct, then the piece that the buyer reported on could not be the piece that Metallium supplied, and thus the buyer's complaint would be false. If the true weight of the piece is actually between 1.0 and 1.1 grams, the density should calculate out to approxiamtely 11 g/cc, which is consistent with the duplicate piece in Metallium's possession, and consistent with the actual density of pressed rhodium metal powder. If the buyer had tried to resolve this with me directly first, I would have been happy to do so. It could have been resolved quickly, as I make sure customers receive excellent follow-up customer service.  Metallium has been in business for 13 years and I will continue to run it for many years to come. I am also alarmed and offended by the buyer's hostile reaction and false accusations of fraud. In our email exchange after the complaint filing, when I explained my findings to the buyer, he seemed completely disinterested (did not reference my findings at all) and stuck to his story. That, coupled with the fact that the buyer did not try to resolve the issue directly with Metallium first, leads to my conclusion that he is not interested in resolving the issue, and as result I suspect he may be using a Revdex.com complaint to deliberately and falsely discredit Metallium in the public view. With all this said, the best I can offer is a refund upon return of the piece to Metallium, provided I can verify that the piece was made by Metallium.  I could then perform a density test here to compare with the buyer's result.

I did not agree with the buyer's terms, but did not get a chance to reply through the complaint process since it had been closed as "resolved". I can provide the refund if the buyer ships the piece to Metallium, per our standard return process. Also we normally do not provide returns for custom items but are offering to do so in this case. Also per our return policy, this will be treated as "buyer remorse" and as such a 10% restocking fee will be deducted from the total. So the net return amount will be $90.00, by check. The refund was also withheld due to the buyer's admission of a major error in his initial weight and density measurement of the piece, on which he based his complaint.   The buyer mentioned in an email reply, after the complaint had been filed, that he consulted with staff at his college ([redacted]) and falsely concluded that the piece was not Rhodium. The buyer most likely had furnished his erroneous data to the staff, resulting in their false conclusions/advice. We will be sending the details of this complaint to relevant staff at [redacted], as part of an investigation to determine if staff at [redacted] is partly at fault for providing the buyer with erroneous information. If so, [redacted] can be held accountable for monetary damages resulting in the buyer's false statements, should the details of this complaint be published. If the details of the buyer's complaint are published, the buyer will be held responsible for damages resulting from libelous and slanderous statements made by the buyer in the text of this complaint, and any attorney's fees if applicable. The buyer can also be held liable for actual time spent by Metallium investigating the buyer's false claims.  Whether we pursue restitution for that time will depend on the buyer's behavior while this issue is resolved. As stated earlier in this complaint, I can attest that the piece that was shipped to the buyer is pure rhodium metal. Assuming that this complaint will be publicized, I add the following: 1. The main difference now is the buyer's lack of understanding about the metal sintering process, which produces materials that have lower measured density as compared to the theoretical density of the material.  For readers of this complaint, descriptions of the sintering process and its relation to density can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sintering, paragraph titled: " Sintering of metallic powders " and [redacted], paragraph titled: "Powder compaction" 2. Metallium has the right to defend its reputation in the public view, and has the right to restitution for damages resulting from the buyer's libelous statements in this complaint. 3. For future potential customers reading this complaint, if the buyer in this case had contacted Metallium directly instead of complaining to a third party, this issue could have been resolved in a much more timely fashion, to the satisfaction of both parties. 4. The main issue overall is not the value of the piece ($100) but the potential unfair damages inflicted on Metallium by the buyer's unfortunate decision to complain to a third party which could result in publicizing his libelous statements, therefore resulting in significant damages.

Upon further inspection the density DID come out to 11.34 g/cc. The first time I weigh it there must have been oils on my hands or the scale wasn't calibrated correctly. As I did it hastily with limited time and access to the lab (see how I admit when I'm wrong). However... It does not change the fact that the density of a pure substance DOES NOT CHANGE. Ask any credible University or professor and they will tell you the same thing. As far as damaging to your reputation you did that all on your own. You admitted to the density being off. Which means you know it's fake (then again, as you can imagine, I don't trust your abilities in chemistry). So I am happy to inform you I will take a refund and I will never do business with you again. Send a self-addressed envelope to my address on file. I will send it back as soon as I receive it. Upon reception of your product I expect a prompt refund to my credit card. Or you will hear from me again. Oh and if you feel I'm slandering your impeccable name - sue me. I'd be happy to elaborate to any court.Revdex.com:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #[redacted]. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved. [redacted]

I stand by my request for a self address envelope and a full Refund. Density is an intensive property that does not change based on quanity. It's as simple as that. Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # [redacted]. Please add your rejection comments below. 
Regards,
[redacted]