More eBay Concerns

[Tim Ingram]

What's happened to good old bartering and visiting specialist growers face to face! Any lawyer would just say caveat emptor I think, and since it's not possible to judge plants coming from Ebay you must just have to take the rough with the smooth. Life before computers...

[Maggi Young]

Bartering and visiting specialist growers face to face is an ideal, Tim, but there are a lot of folk out there who are interested in plants who do not, for whatever reason, have access to those methods - such people will use the likes of ebay and I hope we can do whatever we can to warn people to be both generally cautious and also to avoid those sellers who we have found, in our collective experience, to be charlatans  - I will avoid the use of stronger language for these people who are, in fact, criminals.
I think we owe it to ourselves to do what we can to stamp out such activity.

[monocotman]

Hi,
I don't want to hijack this thread but after talking to Maggie I'm adding another ebay vendor to be wary of.
This is a cyp vendor from France going by the name Francis.
She has had many different crosses and species for sale recently.
I bought a plant labelled macranthos x hotei atsumorianum - in effect a cross between 2 forms of macranthos.
I received a poor almost dead small division of what looked like a wild collected rhizome.
I sent it back straight away and although she was cross I have got my money back.
I did wonder why she did not post photos of the rhizomes/roots, just the flowers.
Anyway - just a warning. Other plants may be Ok - who knows?
Regards,

David

[Brian Ellis]

What's happened to good old bartering and visiting specialist growers face to face!

Another problem people have who do not see, lurk or take part in our forum (or belong to AGS, HPS, CGS etc), is that they do not know who the specialist growers/sellers are and are tempted by the photographs to buy things that are so obviously suspicious to us.  We are doubly fortunate

[snowdropcollector]

Tim, of course what you suggest is the best way  . But as already discussed on this forum, lot of snowdrops are stolen also those days.
I think not many growers are looking forward to have visitors in their garden/collection anymore. Only writing this down makes me sick already, thinking about it that people are visiting other people with thoughts to steel some plants  .

Like Brian says, we are lucky to have this forum and that many people know each other. For me personally it is one of my best
sources to have some new snowdrops for my collection ( by this forum).
And also the Gala's that are organised is a very good way to find/buy some new snowdrops.

[Maggi Young]

While it is deeply disturbing that plants are stolen and that photos are stolen to sell plants that are, for the most part, not correctly named- or even, perish the thought, plants  that have been stolen -  thank goodness we are able here to discuss such matters and  try to prevent at least some people from being  fleeced.

We are able to praise good sellers and also to flag up those using dishonest tactics - better  that we do that than try to pretend nothing is happening.

[Maggi Young]

It seems clear that the seller  ember_danny  is using stolen images and cannot, for example, be selling a true plant of "the Groom" - this and other information that is forthcoming from various places  is evidence that anyone would be VERY WISE to avoid this seller  completely.

[Alan_b]

ember_danny, the eBay seller arousing our concernss, recently sold snowdrops supposed to be 'Elizabeth Harrsion' and 'Godfrey Owen' to frequent eBay snowdrop bidder a***a.  If anybody knows a***a can they please draw their attention to this thread and invite them to contact me. 

Likewise I would be interested to hear from anybody who has bought snowdrops on eBay from somebody in the Basildon area in previous years which did not prove to be the snowdrops they were supposed to be.  I've already had a private communication from one such person providing a plausible link between ember_danny and the real names of the two people he dealt with.  My intention is to put everyone who thinks they have been scammed in touch with each other so they can make a joint approach to the authorities.   

[Carolyn Walker]

Even if the seller is selling the correct plant, stealing photos to market their product on eBay is just as criminal.  There is another discussion going on about this on the forum here http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=11601.0;topicseen.  This seller, classicflowerbulbs has stolen my photos of Trillium luteum.  I would hope that no forum member would purchase plants on eBay from someone who steals photos.  However, when Mark S. pointed out in an earlier thread that an eBay seller in Greece had stolen my photo to sell snowdrops, and Mark's before mine, people commented that they had purchased from that seller with good results.  I make money selling my photos so stealing the photo is just as bad as selling the wrong plant. 

[Maggi Young]

Even if the seller is selling the correct plant, stealing photos to market their product on eBay is just as criminal.  There is another discussion going on about this on the forum here http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=11601.0;topicseen.  This seller, classicflowerbulbs has stolen my photos of Trillium luteum.  I would hope that no forum member would purchase plants on eBay from someone who steals photos.  However, when Mark S. pointed out in an earlier thread that an eBay seller in Greece had stolen my photo to sell snowdrops, and Mark's before mine, people commented that they had purchased from that seller with good results.  I make money selling my photos so stealing the photo is just as bad as selling the wrong plant. 
It seems to me that those using stolen images to sell plants  are often those who do not give either good plants, correct to name , or good service.

Of course the unauthorised use  of photos  is stealing.  This is discussed in several threads throughout the forum and has recurred over a long period. Many forumists sell their photos but even if someone is willing for their photos to be used without payment - WITH PROPER PERMISSION AND CREDIT GIVEN - then using those photos without authorisation is theft.

[emma T]

The groom has been removed from sale , as have the other snowdrops he was selling

[Alan_b]

Well thank goodness for that.  I hope this means that the seller has realised that he and his associates are liable to end up being prosecuted for fraud. 

Unfortunately he has already sold snowdrops purporting to be 'Big Boy', 'Godfrey Owen' & 'Elizabeth Harrison' in the last couple of weeks and I am lead to believe he (/they) has pulled the same sort of trick in previous years under a different eBay identity.

One moral is that you really do need to be wary when buying on eBay.  Is the seller using his own photograph?  Has the seller requested some departure from the normal eBay selling procedure?  Doubts in either case should cause alarm bells to ring.     

[Maggi Young]

Please be aware that this ebay seller has changed their ID  from ember_danny,   they are now  sheridan2014



Those who have been in contact with several  forumists over this matter of mis-selling are confident that these are connected to Rob Emberson and a Danny Boulter who have been involved in a previous scam selling bulbs.

Be aware !

[Ant-k]

As a newbie myself to the world of galanthus would it not be possible to post
a list of reputable sellers on eBay or on the Internet so people like me don't get ripped off?
 

[Michael J Campbell]

I have my photograph on eBay so everyone knows who they are dealing with. works well.