How many “Unconscionable abusive contracts” exist in metal detecting?

The majority of abusive contracts are deemed unconscionable due to unequal bargaining power between the parties due to one party’s lack of knowledge, experience, or resources. A typical example, which we have mentioned before, would be where a “Loft Clearer” clears your grandpa’s loft for free and tells you, when you find out, “I have sent him a message when I have found something nice and will tell him where I found it and all he says is “Well done “.

Interestingly, in a forum thread titled Keeping Landowner Updated, a detectorist has just written “I have sent him a message when I have found something nice and will tell him where I found it and all he says is “Well Done “

We have no reason to suppose that detectorist isn’t upstanding but the question arises: out of 27,000 detectorists how many take advantage of the fact they themselves are judge, jury and sole eye-witness of what is “nice” and how many landowners are deprived of their property thanks to unconscionable abusive contracts, sealed with a handshake and a smile?

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More Heritage Journal views on artefact collecting
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