I really want some lithops, and people sell them for cheap on eBay. Have any of you guys bought stuff on eBay? Do you think my lithops would probably arrive safe and sound on eBay ?
Thanks!
Taryn
Yes, I have. Mixed results mostly. Forget what feedback says, you need to know the seller personally and you're not going to get to do that without placing an order.
Probably my worst experiences are with a single seller. It's really a mixed bag with them. The first time I ordered was a few years ago and everything was fine, seeds and plants. The next time, all of the plants were infested with aphids to the point where you really had to wonder how anyone could not notice while packing them. The next time they were okay, but I ordered only a couple of plants and contacted them first, re-explaining about the last order. This last time, I ordered three plants from the same seller, but through Amazon. One looked like it was dug up from the back floor of someone's abandoned greenhouse. I mean, the thing still had accumulated leaves and leaf mould about 4" up on an 8" plant. And it wasn't like "it just happened", since the bottom half of the plant had mostly no leaves and was rooting. The soil in this pot was almost non-existent, the rootball having taken over. The second plant *looked* okay, but again, the rootball completely consumed the pot. The heft of the pot would tell any halfway experienced nurseryman that this was the case. I mean, there was little no soil left save crumbs. And the last plant? Infested with aphids. This time, I complained and received a full refund, including shipping, but I'll never buy from them again. Oh, and, FWIW, their seeds are no better. Of a dozen species I originally purchased, only 4 seeds of one species sprouted and a single seed of a second species.
Which brings up another point. A $1 plant with $10 shipping is almost twice as expensive as the one you can pick up locally for $6. Combine shipping if possible. You're better off, much, buying multiple items from a single vendor, even if they charge a little more, than going with 6 cheaper vendors.
Know what you're buying. Know what it is, how much it goes for retail, and how much it goes for e-tail.
Read the fine print. That lush, flowering bush you see for $2 may be pictured "for informational purposes only". That's very prevalent on e-bay. Make sure you're getting what you think you're getting, not seeds or some single sprout in a flat pot.
Now, my experience above sounds horrible, right? But please keep in mind that this is a single seller. I have purchased quite a few plants on e-bay, mostly for bonsai and carnivorous plants. And, for the most part, I've been very pleased. I've still Rudbeckia, Lysmachia, Hosta, etc. regrowing in my yard every year for the last 10 years or so, almost all from e-bay. Many of my bonsai, as well, come from e-bay, at least a dozen plants, probably more. And, well, if you look for pricing on Cephalotus follicularis online, you'll see I took quite a risk buying from e-bay. But, again, in both instances I was pretty well pleased.
If I were to make a list of points for a first time e-bayer it would be these:
1. Place a small order first. It's much more beneficial to you to get to know the seller this way.
2. Know what you're buying and what it's worth in a retail storefront or if you buy it online. Always remember to factor in shipping fees.
3. Read the fine print. If you have any questions as to exactly what you will be purchasing, ask the seller a question.
4. Never buy outside of e-bay and always try to use Pay-Pal. Some unscrupulous sellers will contact you, once you've established communication, and try to sell to you off of e-bay. E-bay and Pay-Pal offer buyer protection that you will not get if you go outside of their boundaries.
Probably my worst experiences are with a single seller. It's really a mixed bag with them. The first time I ordered was a few years ago and everything was fine, seeds and plants. The next time, all of the plants were infested with aphids to the point where you really had to wonder how anyone could not notice while packing them. The next time they were okay, but I ordered only a couple of plants and contacted them first, re-explaining about the last order. This last time, I ordered three plants from the same seller, but through Amazon. One looked like it was dug up from the back floor of someone's abandoned greenhouse. I mean, the thing still had accumulated leaves and leaf mould about 4" up on an 8" plant. And it wasn't like "it just happened", since the bottom half of the plant had mostly no leaves and was rooting. The soil in this pot was almost non-existent, the rootball having taken over. The second plant *looked* okay, but again, the rootball completely consumed the pot. The heft of the pot would tell any halfway experienced nurseryman that this was the case. I mean, there was little no soil left save crumbs. And the last plant? Infested with aphids. This time, I complained and received a full refund, including shipping, but I'll never buy from them again. Oh, and, FWIW, their seeds are no better. Of a dozen species I originally purchased, only 4 seeds of one species sprouted and a single seed of a second species.
Which brings up another point. A $1 plant with $10 shipping is almost twice as expensive as the one you can pick up locally for $6. Combine shipping if possible. You're better off, much, buying multiple items from a single vendor, even if they charge a little more, than going with 6 cheaper vendors.
Know what you're buying. Know what it is, how much it goes for retail, and how much it goes for e-tail.
Read the fine print. That lush, flowering bush you see for $2 may be pictured "for informational purposes only". That's very prevalent on e-bay. Make sure you're getting what you think you're getting, not seeds or some single sprout in a flat pot.
Now, my experience above sounds horrible, right? But please keep in mind that this is a single seller. I have purchased quite a few plants on e-bay, mostly for bonsai and carnivorous plants. And, for the most part, I've been very pleased. I've still Rudbeckia, Lysmachia, Hosta, etc. regrowing in my yard every year for the last 10 years or so, almost all from e-bay. Many of my bonsai, as well, come from e-bay, at least a dozen plants, probably more. And, well, if you look for pricing on Cephalotus follicularis online, you'll see I took quite a risk buying from e-bay. But, again, in both instances I was pretty well pleased.
If I were to make a list of points for a first time e-bayer it would be these:
1. Place a small order first. It's much more beneficial to you to get to know the seller this way.
2. Know what you're buying and what it's worth in a retail storefront or if you buy it online. Always remember to factor in shipping fees.
3. Read the fine print. If you have any questions as to exactly what you will be purchasing, ask the seller a question.
4. Never buy outside of e-bay and always try to use Pay-Pal. Some unscrupulous sellers will contact you, once you've established communication, and try to sell to you off of e-bay. E-bay and Pay-Pal offer buyer protection that you will not get if you go outside of their boundaries.
I *just* had a complete nightmare of a transaction. I did my homework, checked feedback, etc. And bought from someone in a multi-auction win. Long story short, the items were distinctly less than satisfactory (5 of 7) and one not even the right species, for sure. Of course, I contacted the seller to talk to them about the items. After I contacted them about the second item, they blocked me without even responding. So what was I to do? I contacted ebay's buyer protection program immediately. I clearly and concisely explained exactly what was wrong. I also asked around in the carnivorous plant community, post-win (and probably should have beforehand) and received several reports of this particular seller having done the same things to other people. Of course, I also offered this information to ebay. After I filed all 5 complaints, the seller contacted me and accused ME of trying to scam THEM. I sent back a polite but direct response that e-bay would sort it out and that they were not doing anything to help their credibility. Within 24 hours, ebay came back with a full refund, including shipping, for all items. Was it worth the headache? Not even close. Would I buy on e-bay again, of course, this was a minority experience in maybe, I don't know, 10 years, of positive experiences.
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Green Mantis
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kdodds.......... Sorry you had a bad transaction this time. I just received 2 plants that I ordered from e-bay today, they came well packed, healthy looking, the roots were just a wee bit dry due to Canada post, ( snail mail) I watered down the roots, mixed up cactus soil and regular nice potting soil, they are now safely planted and look like they should do just fine....Have one more order to come from a different seller, these are christmas cactus cuttings, so hope they are as good as these two are. Will let you know when they get here. I'm excited because one is supposed to be yellow! 
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Green Mantis
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- Joined: Mon Jun 07, 2010 6:52 pm
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Kisal, Thanks glad to know that. Now I'm worried though, about those Christmas cactus cuttings that are coming, we are supposed to be having a POSTAL strike!!! Yikes! 
My plants will be on their way!!! Not good. I sure hope they don't strike! The bills I don't care about, but my PLANT'S are something else.