You can get a good idea of a seller's reputation by looking at thier ebay feedback.

Here is a link that might be useful: Go here:

Also, if they sell online, mail-order, you can check them out at Garden Watchdog. Just key in those two words in a google search.

Susan

I found the watchdog site.

Here is a link that might be useful: Watchdog site

Thank you all.
Great info, no luck on gardenwatchdog. I'm just looking for someone who has dealt with him directly.
Cheers,
Brendon

I sell on Ebay and just had my pic of an Alocasia Aurora that I sell, stolen by this seller. He posted my picture in his auction.

The auction never stated it was the same plant you would recieve but I thought it was very misleading. Like with everything else, use your judgement.

Wow - the gall! I hope you reported this to ebay, like you did the other King Kong EE.

Susan

I heard about that, but he said you gave him permission to use the photo but then complained to ebay & got him in trouble.

wow planty you really have the inside scoop on things. The real story is he offered me a trade for the use of the picture. Which he stated he would use, "somewhere down the line". He then took the picture off the internet and used it immediately on his auction. He never sent me the plant he offered and then stated it was a bulb he was sending me which never arrived.

LOL! Can't us plant people just get along! (sigh)

Thanks again to everyone who answered. I have decided, after much consideration to go ahead and make the order. I will post my experiences here and on the gardenwatchdog.
Cheers,
Brendon

Good idea, Brendon. Another ebay bad guy bites the potting mix!

Susan

Susan,
Thanks for your reply. I must stress that I have not had any bad experience with him. He has been nothing but helpful so far.
Regards,
BC

Im 99.9% sure that the same guy was selling under a different name on ebay last year but even this forum wont allow me type the name. it blocks me from posting that name. he was banned here last year for spamming his business here. i remember there was an uproar about him. you all may remember too?

I could be wrong but sounds & looks like the same guy from the same town.

that garden watch site link is not the same person as the ebay name.

I ordered some plants from this guy. They arrived in good shape but for the most part rather small OK, I would call them tiny. It took him FOREVER to send one of the plants that he "forgot" the first order. Took over a month to get the plants I ordered, over 2 months to get the one he forgot. And forget that nonsense that he will send "extra" bulbs! If you are lucky he will label them with the first initial.
That said I have to admit the plants are as labeled and so far they are all growing.
He does have a good selection of things, a lot of what I was looking for but I'll look other places before ordering from him again.
Tally HO!

It must not have been too bad, you left them positive feedback. I constantly find myself "sticking up" for plant sellers. Buyers seem to think they can get awesome, huge plants for pennies on the dollar, that just doesn't happen, Unfortunately. (I won't even go into S&H) And YES I have purchased from them recently, the golden rule is "You get what you pay for." I have a green thumb so I don't mind getting ratty little bulbs, after all they're only .99 cents. And EE's grow so fast anyways, i don't need to pay $10-$20 for a huge plant.

I also left him negative feedback. And the bulbs I bought were NOT 99cents. I buy a lot of plants, both on-line and in person. I know what to expect for my money and what not to expect. And since they were advertised as being "big" I expected something besides a microscopic bulb. Certainly for the amount he charges for shipping. The whole thing didn't cost $1.50 to ship. I will not buy from him again. The delay and having to write 4 or 5 times to get the plant shipped to me is absurd! My family teases me that I have a green arm, I can and do grow anything and everything.
I found the bulbs to be very small, poorly labeled if labeled at all, very, very slow to ship, forgotten plants-and he included a printout of the plants he was supposed to ship!-poor communication. Plus the bulbs were sealed in plastic!! In Texas in the summer the last thing you want is to seal a plant in plastic. I'm impressed they are alive to tell you the truth.
I also sell plants, not on e-bay but at our annual brisket and plant sale. I price them fairly, cheap really, and provide instructions for their care.
I do NOT expect a huge plant for pennies, I expect to get a decent size plant for a decent price.
Tally HO!

I think this guy IS planty01976. The reason I say this is the comment about my leaving feedback. The only way planty01976 could know this is if they were that person. Why do you ask? Well, I do NOT use the same e-mail address or name on e-bay that I use on this site. The only person who would know both of my e-mails and screen names would be raretropicals and the only reason he would have BOTH of my e-mails is that I sent him an e-mail from both accounts inquiring about my plants. I don't sign my feedback and my name doesn't appear on the feedback anywhere, just my screen name. And the only one who would have my real name would be the seller.
Now I am very, very suspicious of this person!!
Tally HO!

Uh, oh! Is this going to turn into a brawl? Wow, a lot of us are really uptight lately on this particular forum. Is it the dog days of summer? I don't see this going anywhere actually. It's like the other forum on stealing plants, everybody gets upset.

Susan

Actually, beachplant & beach101 ....duh....let me think?? You should really get your facts straight before accusing someone.

Hello again,
It's great to see you guys all keen to help me get a fair deal. I have gone ahead with my order after much deliberation and consideration of all your comments, thank you. I must stress again that I have not had bad dealings with him. I will let you all know what happens, if I have a good experience I will give him due credit here, in the garden watchdog and in the GW Australia forums as well as the rare plant collector's grapevine here. If I have a bad experience, well I am pretty confident that this forum and all of you will sort him out!
Thanks again,
Brendon.

Now I remember this guy. Oh wow I sold him some Colocasia gigantea last year, i wonder if these are the King-Kong ones he is now selling...lol. In any case if this is the same guy I would BEWARE!
Michael M.

I think you are confused. Hirts Garden is selling the godzilla elephant ear. Myplantgarden.com is selling the "King Kong" ear. They are talking about raretropicals.

Go see the post I started labeled "Amatuer Taxonomy".

No, Im pretty sure it is the same one, especially after looking at the items listed on ebay.

DUH my e-bay name is not beach101. Yeah, I think you are him! AND when you leave him feedback he doesn't like he writes really nasty stuff about you! I only complained when I didn't get the plant, even though he sent me an INVOICE in the box! DUH! I wonder how many other people he has done this to?? There are several HUNDRED e-bay buyers that have beach in their name so I don't think that is how the link to me was made. DUH!
I wrote e-bay complaining about his feedback. I am writing ya'll to tell you to avoid this seller! NO matter what name he tries to use! He took long enough to ship that the link for feedback was gone off e-bay, I linked it from an old e-mail. I think he does this on purpose. AND then he posts nasty stuff, the SAME day he tries to get you to remove all the feedback, yours and his. Tell me that's not a SCAM!
Tally HO!

The thing that gets me is that the one in particular uses the term "prehistoric philodedron" when describing Epipremnum pinnatum. Ive never heard this before EXCEPT for last year when the one everyone was upset with last summer used the same name.
Michael M.