Warning: Faux UK ebay-dealers...or GET BREXIT DONE!

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Guldal

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I just visited ebay.uk - and to my chagrin saw, that three disreputable, alleged paph-dealers are still at their game.

This made me so upset, that I have decided to publish a clear and unequivocal warning here.

The first two dealers I, myself, delt with in the beginning of my carreer as a paphioholic - every single plant, I bought from them, when finally flowering, turned out to be exactly not, what I bargained for.

These dealers are: 'Blakessbotanicals1' and 'Airplanefran'.

You might notice, that they both have a quite high, positive feedback score, which only can be explained due to the fact, that the plants look allright on arrival - first later, sometimes pretty much later, when the plant is flowering, you discover, that you've been had, as the plant you bought as a species, unavoidably turns out to be a hybrid (often not even an interesting such!).

I've since learned from a compatriote here on STC, that he much later had exactly the same negative experiences with the mentioned parties. You can read about his unlucky adventures in the thread: https://www.slippertalk.com/threads/when-to-warn-against-sellers.47768/

The third dealer I, personally, haven't delt with, but friends in my orchid society have reported almost identical experiences with this dealer, as I've had with the abovementioned: 'Falconer1211'.

Just take a look at the alleged bougainvilleanum, this dealer has on offer - notice especially the foliage in the plant in flower in the middle picture, then compare with the foliage of theplant on offer (third picture):
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Species-Orchid-Paphiopedilum-bougainvilleanum-Bloom-Size/163676904453?_trkparms=aid=111001&algo=REC.SEED&ao=1&asc=20160908105057&meid=9a0acbe4a7774a3ab0b4a4c77a696b59&pid=100675&rk=5&rkt=15&sd=233178322781&itm=163676904453&pmt=0&noa=1&pg=2380057&_trksid=p2380057.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci:484c8aa7-21be-11ea-be97-74dbd180bf61|parentrq:1a1e05d816f0aafabcb877d0ffab824e|iid:1

With this the counsel for the prosecution rests his case!
 
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While we're at it. This offer was send to me today. I have not shown any interest in this plant at all.
Interesting seller though. New name, no feedback. But the way the whole thing is made screams "Greenhousetropicals", who has been mentioned around here a few times.


49265160067_9bec5f6f28_c.jpg
 
Well, another plant from Falconer has opened.
I bought this:
49280853303_81cc755bf5_n.jpg


And got this:
49281311681_af19167348_n.jpg


Another plant, bought as "Mystic Knight" from AirplaneFran is opening these days too.
I'll post pics of that one too, as it sure as hell isn't a nice white paph either :mad:
 
If you buy from a seller with good feedback, you expect to get what you order.
Wether I should have researched the plant or not, is another story.
The use of pictures that belong to others, isn't uncommon. I've seen my own paph. Envy Green pics being used by a seller from Holland. I like his plants, so I don't mind, but he never asked. Just took it from the web I guess.
 
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How can you think you would get a Paph like this from a British no-name-seller?

Well, he can't say, I didn't warn him to go up that (blind) alley!

But, as we say in danish: "Hvis man ikke vil høre, så må man føle!" (litt. trans. 'If one does not want to hear, then one must feel', I.e. suffer the consequences!) :D:D:D
 
I know falconer is a scammer and a thief, a friend of mine used to buy from him and all the plants turned out to be cheap noid hybrids sold as expensive species (he also have very high prices in the first place apart the fact thath is a known scammer so really don't know why people still buy from him)
 
war-3971 stole one of my images of Cypripedium farreri but removed it when challenged.

I’m pretty sure that ebay.co.uk seller “war-3971” is Kai Najda (=greenhousetropicals). Many of the offerings are too good to be true.
I would be very wary of any seller who is based in Germany but does not sell to the German market (and doesn’t sell on ebay.de).
I gather that Kai Najda was investigated in Germany some years back for fraudulent selling. Is there a ban in place preventing further sales in Germany?
 
Your input makes sense, Steven. I have over the years on ebay seen a seller under a load of guises - the ones you and Per mention, then something 'botanicalsandmore' and 'begoniacea'-something-something and a few others.

He often succeeds in having quite a lot of good feedback (God knows how - selling to/buying from himself under different aliases? Or from equally crooked friends?), operating sometimes out of UK, sometimes out of Belgium. Your story of a court case and possible conviction for fraud against him in Germany might explain, why he Isn't operating from there!

His trademark, though, is the barrage of verbal abuse and counteraccusations, everytime someone leaves negative feedback. That alone ought to make people smell a rat - and a fishy rat he is, indeed!
 
Their own deceitful nature will catch up with them in the end. I can imagine that one of the problems is them stealing money. The other problem is the time (months, years) taken up and the anticipation - waiting for the flowering - only to be frustrated and disappointed over being deceived. I agree that one would expect a fair chance of not running into trouble when the feedback rating is very high.
 
Good afternoon,
I just had a bad experience with 'Blakessbotanicals' (no answer despite the fact that the path received seems to have crown rot).
This was my first experience on eBay (new paphio lover and of course, beginner)...
I am now ready to buy others from orchideenhausasien .... what about this seller ?
many thanks !
ps: i am based in Switzerland so if you can share good sellers, I would be grateful :)
 
I am now ready to buy others from orchideenhausasien .... what about this seller ?

Hi there, I'm sorry, that I first saw your question a month+ after you posted it. I have dealt with the Hampels (father and daughter) from Orchideenhausasien many times - once in person at the orchid show in Dresden (Dresdner Ostern) and many times via ebay. They have delivered really good plants and at a very fair price. Once they made an error sending me a Vanda plantlet, instead of the mature plant advertised. I wrote to them, and within a split second they wrote me back and apologized about the mistake and a few days later, I received the original plant without further ado. So I can only give them my most heartfelt recommendation!

Kind regards, Jens
 
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war-3971 stole one of my images of Cypripedium farreri but removed it when challenged.
I’m pretty sure that ebay.co.uk seller “war-3971” is Kai Najda (=greenhousetropicals). Many of the offerings are too good to be true.
I would be very wary of any seller who is based in Germany but does not sell to the German market (and doesn’t sell on ebay.de).
I gather that Kai Najda was investigated in Germany some years back for fraudulent selling. Is there a ban in place preventing further sales in Germany?

I have just been caught unaware - and ordered a plant on ebay from a seller called 'plant_laboratory-eu', when I received my paypal receipt, guess what name figured on it: "Kai Najda". I'm really curious as to, whether I will recive a plant at all, and if, what state it will be in?! :(:(:(o_Oo_Oo_O
 
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I have just been caught on-aware - and ordered a plant on ebay from a seller called 'plant_laboratory-eu', when I received my paypal receipt, guess what name figured on it: "Kai Najda". I'm really curious as to, whether I will recive a plant at all, and if, what state it will be in?! :(:(:(o_Oo_Oo_O
Ohh, that's good to know!!!
 

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