An elderly Saddleworth couple were counting the cost of an investment that went badly wrong for them. Eric Stoat (84) and his wife Doris (87) had seen an advertisement on the Internet for a company that was selling acres of the Moon to individual investors.
The ad claimed that you would also own the mineral rights for anything found beneath your lunar plot, and that you would be able to see your piece of the moon whenever you wanted. Sadly, the geriatric twosome never took professional advise about the subject, and spent most of their life savings investing in Moon rock. The Stoats hadn't realised that the company they were dealing with was operating a gift site, and that the goods on offer were only for peoples amusement.
Their son Terry, told us " They saw that land on the Moon was being sold for £17 an acre, so Dad said an acre was no good for anything, so they went out and bought 4,000."
"They got these certificates, and other paperwork from this company in America, but when I saw it I knew it wasn't for real. I could strangle those two daft old twats, I really could"
Eric was too upset to speak about his lunartic investment, but his wife Doris told us " I thought it would nice to own a piece of the Moon. There's not many that can boast about that is there, and it would be somewhere different to go on holiday, although I must admit to having a soft spot for Cleveleys. Anyway, I've asked our Terry to find us some cheap flights when he's got a minute.
He's a bit upset at the moment because his dad has spent a fair bit of cash, but he seems to forget that when me and Eric have gone, all that will be his. He's an ungrateful little sod.
A legal expert we spoke too, told us there was little that could be done to recover the Stoats life savings, as the company they purchased the goods from, had acted in good faith and could not be held responsible for other peoples acts of stupidity.
The only suggestion he could offer, was for the Stoats to contact NASA to find out where the two Lunar lander's are situated. "If they are lucky, and one of them is on their property, they can send NASA a bill for unpaid parking charges which we estimate since 1969 would be 15677 days x £12 per day = £188,124"
"That would more than cover their investment, but somehow I cant see the Yanks paying that, can you".
