My lost was minimal-a large priority box shipped-but i realize that a lot of folks here have rare and/or expensive plants and would suffer considerably if they lost them.
I was recently contacted by a member using the name lavender_dreams (i have now learned that she was using another popular gardening website under the name crazy_plant_lady, so there may be others) and asked about a trade. since receiving my tracked package, she has not responded to my dmails. I googled her name and address in crookston, mn (kind of ironic, the CROOKston part) and found that plants are apparently not the only things with which she has attempted fraud. someone had even posted a detectives phone number re: this person.
I will only have a few less amaryllis for the holidays, but i want only good trades for everyone on dave's garden!
CLOSED: I was scammed :(
Oh, man. What a bummer. :( I got scammed out of some seeds once, but at least it didn't cost me a lot in postage or anything. I'm sorry to hear this happened to you. Most traders on DG are so nice. :(
Thank you sooo much for the heads-up...now, please put it into the Reviews...
Oh man, I hope karma kicks her butt.Thank you for the heads up! I agree with txaggiegal, leave feedback on her page too.
I'm glad you posted this & you're such a good trader! Sorry to hear that happened to you. Do you need some amarylis to replace the ones that were stolen from you? Donna
Just know i would appreciate the same from others if they had this experience. there is a thread growing on the other gardening website as she apparently tried this on a number of folks; guess i'm just a fresher turnip off the truck :0).
Thanks, Scotchie, for your kind offer; i've had nothing but excellent experiences with our trades; and many thanks to the others who have dmailed privately ( includes you, Aggie) to make such offers! as you can see on my page, i have nothing on my 'wants' list, i just enjoy the fun of trading. I've gained so much knowledge from this site in such a short time that you've all already given me so much!
Is feedback the same as reviews? bespoke
txaggiegal, where are the reviews?
tia
las
The reviews...if there are any...are on the person's member page...I seldom use this device and for the most part, it is not necessary because any small issues that come up can be resolved...but in this case of deceit, others do need to be warned...this kind of behavior can be such a negative for the new gardeners...and not too good on us old ones either!
Thanks for the heads-up.
There was another deceptive trader on the forum in the spring, summer, she had trades going all over..." lljjz " She was not stopped until there were many complaints sent to ADMIN. It took awhile. Best rule of thumb is check people out before you trade and let the person who initiates the trade, send their plants before you send yours...
Even good feedback doesn't always indicate a "fair" trader. I have been on Dg forever and guess I have been fortunate, but I was burned twice this year, once by a "good" trader who just "hasn't had time" to pack my plants(?) and once on postage, that person hasn't answered my d-mail. The first trader contacted me, and didn't want unrooted cuttings, so I spent 2 months rooting and then growing out the cutting before I sent. She has excellent feedback. On the second, I "offered" to send the cuttings, and as a note I rarely send for postage, let alone offer. My monetary loss is not great, around $12 for postage on both. I have forgiven them both--but let it be duly noted, I will NOT forget who they are!
When traders start getting picky about little things or how they want the plants positioned in the package, that is an indication to me that I really don't want to trade with them. You know you will not be able to satisfy their desires, no matter what you send.
I try to send the best plants I have. I try to pack them to insure their survival.
That person who is too busy to pack plants should not be trading...she has no excuse, she should get a black mark on her feedback too.
You need to leave feedback for those traders who would not send postage. It is a way of warning others that this person is not always reliable. I appreciate knowing the information about someone who has good feedback most of the time.
Well, I am fairly new to DG as a paid member so I am reading all this with great interest and taking note of it.
This message was edited Nov 13, 2010 5:35 PM
I have emailed several people asking if they want to trade something that i saw on their have list. Most have been very nice about it. must say I have never looked at anyone's feedback . I just joined in may and have been really lucky with the trades i have done. everyone has been really nice. I am sure my tune will change if I get taken advantage of.
shes on plant swap looking for more amaryallis lol i posted she needs to come here theres someone looking for her here she says she broke her ankle and her Mom is shipping her trades out so maybe you are not taken yet?...Dana
I wasn't complaining ... my swaps have been good ones so far. Just reporting on my experience.
I hope that all works out. :-)
I have traded with european traders. We all have access to all members information if they want it seen.
They have a lot of different cultivars in europe, some a lot nicer than ours.
I would respond to their query. I have written people about a trade from their trade list and often get no response.
There really is no reason not to trade seeds with other countries. An envelope sent to most places in europe is not expensive, I was surprised. You might get some interesting seed for unusual plants.
The only difference is that it takes a little longer than a letter sent in the US.
I have had great results.
As far as feedback goes, you can ask that your trade partner give you feedback. I know I often forget to give feedback?????When someone asks, It is a great reminder.
I'm fairly new to the plant/seed trading thing myself. I feel nervous since I've more or less promised things to people that I'm not sure I can actually do. I'm having issues with rooting cuttings, specifically PV. I'm on a third attempt with them. ARGH! Some people have already sent me stuff in trade and I'm getting frustrated since something about rooting escapes me. :( What can I do though?
What is PV?
As a fairly newbie, I had just as soon not be first (according to feedback) to trade, especially with a European trader. If I had been around longer I might be more gung-ho, but not yet. ;-) I also look at it as this is a public forum and some things are bound to happen on a public forum. It's a risk we all take.
I think, of you are trading for rooted cutting and you cannot get them to root, I would suggest that you just sent the person the cuttings and let them root them. They may realize how hard they are to root????? I would tell them the truth and leave it at that.
I never trade cuttings, except Christmas cactus. In my area, I have no luck with propagating plants by rooting them. Even if they get roots, I put them in a pot and forget about them and they wind up dead...
I do think you should respond when a person asks for a trade no matter where they are from. There are too many people who will not take the initiative to type a d-mail saying, no thanks, I would rather not trade, or I no longer have the plant or seeds. Anything. It seems more people are prone to ignore a request.
PV is passion vine I am assuming. Usually it will send under ground roots and emerge as a new plant....maybe look for one of those and dig it. I don't have any luck rooting cuttings from PV either.
Yes, I always do reply to my Dmail. It's common courtesy, IMHO. But I've regretted that at least once. :(
I've had good success with the cuttings I've gotten but succulents seem to arrive in the best condition. Although one super-generous DGer sent 40 coleus cuttings that were in wonderful condition when they arrived. Learned a good mailing technique from her too. :)
What is the mailing technique??? I'm always looking for a better way of sending plants.
Put your cuttings in sterile media and then enclose them in a terrarium or dome, this time of year a little bottom heat might help too.
They were divided into two equal bundles and she had tied each bundle together at the bottom around which she had put a wet/damp paper towel covered by a small plastic bag. She had enclosed the tops of the plants in a large plastic bag like a tent before tying making a type of mini-greenhouse for them. Also shipped in one of those triangular post office boxes as best I recall (but that might have been someone else). They arrived in great shape.
I have started mailing my cuttings and small succulents (that will fit) in egg cartons. Each little place for the eggs is great to hold a small rooted succulent plant or a cutting. Dandy protection and ventilated to boot.
You may already do all of that. Or have an even better way?
checking in here, please understand this individual contacted me at the end of october, so 'breaking her leg' had not happened then...and she did not respond to my request for a tracking number after a week had passed with no priority box...
i've only been a member here for three/four months myself, and this certainly will not prevent me from trading in the future, but i hope this protects someone else and i encourage others to share if they should ever have a similiar experience with a trader. keeps it fun for everyone!
trust me I posted what I said here there she knows shes been caught had some one rip me good for big box big ship costs sent me seeds and dead cuttings when I got on there case the reply was thats all I had!! Go to plant swap and bust her there before she gets a few more trusting people
Be careful naming members in a public forum that have scammed and or ripped you off. Admin frowns on it, big time. They prefer you leave negative feedback. You can always share the names privately via d-mail with interested folks.
Cville,
Thanks for the packaging ideas. The triangular boxes are great for taller plants, I have used them and they work well.
Good ideas!
Thats for sure I found out the hard way live and learn
Yes, and there is a place for them to rebut the negative feedback and hopefully get things straightened out. Can someone leave follow-up feedback again if that doesn't happen?
I got a bit off-topic ... apologies to the thread-starter. :-) A couple of different conversations going. So I'll be quiet now. :-)
Hillbilly_Gran- How do you provide bottum heat? Off topic.
gran and Sheila - Sorry, yes, PV is passion vine. My only issue is not all of the passis will send out runners. Some are fairly sterile and to my knowledge can only be rooted from cuttings or graftings. :(
bespoke - I have a habit of thread hijacking. I do apologize sincerely. I wish you hadn't had a bad experience.
heat cable or if you have a light stand the heat from the fluorescent lights will help--d-mail me if you have more ??
HbGran-I thought you meant heat while shipping. I thought about it after I went to bed and thought "thats what I get for reading and posting when I'm exhausted". I use a heatmat for cuttings and some seeds. Sorry for the confusion.
Lisa
LOL--no problem!!