NZ supermarket docket offers $20 moon plots

Photo / Glenn Taylor

A Tarankai shopper found an out-of-this-world deal on the back of his supermarket docket this week - an acre of land on the moon for $20.

Kenneth Sewell was scanning the back of his docket for bargains when he noticed the unusual offer, The Taranaki Daily News reported today.

"I thought, `what the heck's this?' and wondered if it was a scam," he said.

"It says it's filed with the United Nations so it seems bona fide."

But Mr Sewell said he was reluctant to buy land he could not use.

"If you can't plant a tree on it, walk on it, stand on it or even get to it, what would you do with it? Stake it out with a piece of string?"

The docket advertisement directs potential buyers to a website which says, because of a legal loophole, the sale of moon land was legitimate.

"That's right, for the person who has everything buy a fully registered acre on the moon. You will received a lunar deed and map of the location of your property," the website said.

"Unless someone currently lives there it's yours. There are no ongoing charges and taxes and unless you borrowed the $20, no mortgage."

The website also warned buyers "not to get bent out of shape" if they later find "some shack" on their plot as it was considered a novelty gift.

Superdockets, the company responsible for much of the advertising and vouchers on the back of supermarket receipts, researched the deal before running it and was satisfied it was not a scam, promotions manager Perrin Reilly said.

"It makes a good gift. You get a nice framed certificate to put on your wall - it's not 100 per cent guaranteed, but I think people understand that," he told the newspaper.

"As long as the consumer sees value in the advertisement, we're happy to run it."

- NZPA