Are metal detectors a scam?

Like anything else Pam, you'll only get back what you put into it.
I have the feeling you must have seen that whites commercial where that old guy was pulling silver Morgans out of his backyard with his grand daughter 1 hour after the UPS truck dropped it off.
Granted, that can happen .... But it boils down to this - If you are not finding any goodies, you must be either 1] Swinging your coil over the wrong piece of soil or 2] Are not aware of what the machine is trying to tell you, or perhaps a bit of both.
Patience and practice are needed, as are a variety of hunting spots [though you do not want to go digging holes like a gopher off your property until you learn proper digging techniques].
Good luck, and if you ever feel like giving the forum here some more info, maybe we can offer other suggestions to turn your frustration into sheer joy.

Hi Epi

Pam had E-mailed me. She was trying to use the machine on the wet sand and as most people know P.I. or twin/multifrequency is the easy way to go. I sent her a few tips that will get her on the wet, both high mineralisation and low like Florida.

Pam -
I am sorry if you got upset with my comments. I meant to add 3. Go out and have fun! I don't know how I missed that. In any case, I am sorry and I did not intend to be hurtful. Like the others have stated, you just need to read the manual and go out and "play". Good luck learning your machine.

No way.You found that miuch in how many years and to pay off a mortgage. :P