There was an incident, where someone offered me something, they had obviously researched the plants I wanted to make the story sound good, but he did slip up. I decided to wait until his stuff arrived before I mailed and surprise- his never showed nor did he respond to emails.
He seems to have forgotten who I am, and has offered me Cantua yet again. I told him he's a creep. Now what can I do so that he doesn't do this to eveyone else?? He's offering rare plants, for rare plants in exchange, you could lose some special plants to this guy.
What can be done about someone who rips people off?
or what to do you do about people that dont pay for their co-op plants or bulbs???
do you owe someone Money for the co-ops? please if you do pay that person-they put their money up front for all of so we could have some wonderful plants-NOW lets all pay up!
Notmartha, are you suggesting I owe for co op? That can be taken either way, but I have never used co op before. Maybe you should put that one under the co op forum?
Best thing to do is exactly what you have already done: make a note to yourself NOT to trade with that person again.
Dennis,
I really don't know what can be done in that case, and I must say I feel for you, as I have several times been burned as you say. (But not here) I think it is just a chance we have to take when we do trading. A year ago, I would not have been able to have this attitude as I got burned REALLY BAD by someone (not here at DG). I think that having to pay for a subscription to this site, does cut down on the cheaters as I have not had any trades fall through that I know of.
I am often late in getting things out, and I am tolerant of others doing the same. A year ago my house burned. I had a couple of trades going on at the time. I was unable to follow through with those trades at the time because I was burned and couldn't be out in the dirt. BUT I did complete them this spring and tried to make up for the lateness with extra plants.
(I guess I should say, if I have forgot anyone and I owe them something, PLEASE let me know so I can make things right!)
I think that it would be a good idea to do some sort of rating like is done with ebay. I just don't know if it would be feasable to do here. Maybe Dave could give you an answer on that one.
Dennis,there are a few bad ones in every group.Even DG has a few.Keep good notes on your trades and avoid the crooks when they try again.Word does get around among those who trade regularly.Sort of an underground rating system I guess you could call it.
I think toadlily hit the nail on the head.The subscription price keeps most of the cheats away from Dave's.
Sometimes it can be a real catch 22. I didn't receive plants I was promised (and I was waiting to see how big, so I could send comparable plants in return), but if they say it was mailed, how do you know if it was or wasn't. And on the other hand, how does that person know if you received them or not? A person could lie about that too. We all hope no one here would lie about any of it, and like toadlily said, we all are taking a chance when we set up these trades with folks we don't know. I didn't send a plant to the person who said she sent one to me, since I never got a plant from her. But I kinda feel bad about that too. If it got lost in the mail, she was out her postage and got nothing for it, but if I send something, I get nothing for it. I guess it boils down to the individual.I don't think any of us want to spend the extra on having people sign for the packages (maybe if it is something very rare, it might be worth it). I felt really confused about what to do when it happened to me. I might send a little something yet, I don't know.
Dennis--I'm kinda odd on this---I actually send alittle more on postage to the people who send me cuttings. I do it because I'm thankful and maybe this will cover them if they get ripped-off. I would suspect that if most people don't pay--it's because they have forgotten. That said-- To everyone-- I had a computer problem awhile ago and I lost peoples emails for seedtrades, plant trades--etc I won't get insulted if anyone ask's me "what's up?"
not pointing finger at you dennis! just saying if there is anyone that still owes for these-they should pay up PLEASE!
ive been burnt on trades before-but not from this site!
I just try not to trade with people Im not sure of.
Before trading, ask if he/she has got a scanner or digital camera. Then ask him/her to take a pic of the letter ;)
I often take a pic of letters I send out to prove I've sent them.
I have stared putting "delivery confirmation" on all the packages I send.This does two things.It is proof that I sent the package and it lets me know that the other party
has received it in case they forget to let me know.
yup,and if you print the label on the postoffice site the delivery comformation is free!
http://www.usps.com/cgi-bin/api/shipping_label.htm
Cool CC! I did not know that you could do this. Learn something new everyday :-)
there are times when it takes me forever to get trades out. i try hard not to fall behind but with my health and all it just hapens.i have been burned only once here at daves. about 6 wks after i joined but i did not let it slow me down. daves if the greatest site on the net. dennis all i can say is to do delivery confirmation and know that most do not mean to stiff you. by the way if i owe you be patient it is coming. janet
Something I just found interesting, is the guy who was trying to pull this, is not actually a paid member at Dave's. His name is listed as a member though, it has a 'no' beside it.
I don't see how he could read my list, but anyways, be careful everyone, even with nice people.
Dennis- this is just why I decided a long time ago not to do trades with non-subscribers - I only do sase, and then only seeds. I posted this on my member page. I check the member list first to see if there is a "Yes" by their name, then I send them a polite email telling them that I do not make trades with non-subscribers and encourage them to subscribe - several have! This is still no guarantee - but I think it helps to weed out the vulchers! They are usually surprised that I can find out that they are "Newbies" or "un-subscribed". Anyone can look at your tradelist, also I get the postage up front - if I never hear from them again, that's ok too.
Also,some people are AIR HEADs like me....
I simply get so caught up in stuff that I forget if I sent it
(if I owe anyone anything PPPLLLLEEEAAASSSEEE tell me)
I also have a DH who thinks he's computer literate...but he's not,and he block senders on all spam
I found 10 address in the blocked senders list that don't belong in there,and those were just ones I recognized.I think I got them out of there but not sure,so someone could have emailed me and I honestly never saw it.....
My suspicion is that he hit the block senders on the wrong letters
(please tell me I'm not the only one blessed with a DH like this)
CC--My DH is not allowed on my home pc--unless supervised by an adult. He totally wiped out one PC and I had to reformat the other and install new media cards. He tells me to clean out the "[deleted]" in my OE--that "[deleted]" is the list of people who sent me cuttings and seeds & some that I have to send to. I think all the geeks that came up with this knew this would happen--they have a plan--"the geeks shall...... you know LOL
I feel better now........LOL
My dh is up for adoption......Preferably to a good home with someone who can fix what he goofs up!
Dennis, I would think the best thing to do is wait til you get his plants, seeds or postage before you send him anything if the name is not familiar.
Notmartha, maybe the names should be posted on the co-op in case someone has completely forgotten to pay up for their order. It's been a while.
I made a deal with a guy, can't remember his name, for some plants. I had nothing to trade and he said to just send the postage. I sent two Priority stamps. One for the plants and one for his trouble. I received nothing and he wouldn't reply to my emails. Learned a lesson there. It has only happened to me once. I too, check for DG subscriptions. Have felt in the past that replying to those DG generated emails from non members has suddenly increased spam coming into my computer. It would be a good way to get new addys to sell. I don't reply to them anymore unless subscribed or I know the names.
Dennis--I forgot to add this---- I ask if they have a paypal account--then pay alittle more than they paid to cover the paypal fees. If it's one of the regulars-I pay before they send the package. I started paying that way because I have problems with my mail. If someone wanted to let other people know about a person--there is always private emails
Dennis, you were right to be cautious with a valuable trade, since you did not know this person. Your intuition worked for sure. I'm on the fence about a rating system though, I guess word of mouth is all we have to go on for now. I appreciate your post, it helps us all to become more aware.
WHAT IF: both parties wait to send their trade out until they receive their package? Wouldn't both people think the other was never going to send it? Could cause some misunderstanding. Part of the 'deal' is to send out the plants on the date promised; if the other party is, as usual, legitimate, they shouldn't have to wait on their end of the trade. Just my thoughts... John
I kinda don't like this. There is something wrong with Canada Post. I sent letters to 2 people on Canada, Halixaf and BC, they got my seeds, but I never get their. Not sure is it the post or what. I think it is the post, but anyway, why would that happen. 2 letters get lost sent from thousands of kilometers apart. And if mine got there, why don't their get here. Never had any problems with Canada post before.
I guess if it was something that was valuable, you could ask them for references of other people on DG that they have traded with. It wouldn't work unless you specified that they must be members because anybody can make things up about "unknown people" but if they are members, you have a definate way of talking to them and having them be trueful. That might cut down on some scamming.
Evert, here in the US we have a way of tracking things in the mail. It is a tracking number (bar code) that can be purchased to put on your packages. Do other countrys have the same sort of thing?
We have tracking codes in all parcels, express, registered, insured, and that kind of letters, but not in normal ones. And those are way too expensive... Well, never had an problems with out post, the problem has always been in the other end ;)
I think it is lovely that people here on Dave's seem to "give" so much space to people who do not follow thru, I on the other hand have become harden to the fact that there are people who do not make good trades no matter what. I am still waiting on trades that people "owe" me. I have had people tell me (after my trade arrived to them) that they just didn't have the postage to send my trade to me and that maybe in the spring their budget would allow them to send me double to make up for this !! I have had people tell me that the post man has been stealing plants and now people were being allowed to go into this persons yard and dig up the plants (really???) and then this person says to me,"do you want me to go dig your trade??", and I told them run do it now (LOL) well I still haven't received that trade. I have had people tell me that their house catch fire but then I see that they are trading at another site!!! For the same stuff they are suppose to be trading with me!! Oh well it is only plants but I am not as soft of a touch any more. I realy email and "talk "to my traders, I let them know where I am coming from and that I will not hesitate to post a BAD report on any internet site and they should not hesitate in doing the same with me. Since this has become my practice I have not has any bad trades. Makes you wonder.
Happyoma,I see you have been trading with some of the same ones I have. :>)
Seriously,I have had a few bad ones here on Dave's but most have been great.
Gone2seed--you sound really familiar...... JT? Ihope I remembered to send you a check...
Happyoma, Those are some funny stories! LOL I am so sorry that you were burned so many times. I think that we have all had our share of that happening to us. Last year, I offered plants for postage, but one girl insisted that we trade. After she had the plants I sent, she kept telling me that she woould send her end of the trade but just didn't have the time right now. Several months and tons of excuses later, I started to get really angry aobut the whole thing. I let it eat at me until I was so unhappy, I couldn't even stand myself. It took me a while to get over it and I no longer trade at the site where this happened. I found DG and in that, I found more than just a place to trade plants, I found a place where people honestly care about you as a person, not just someone who has a plant they want. THAT, I wouldn't trade for anything!
I toadlily agree (hehe). Since becoming a member, I haven't been burned and try to be very organized when making trades. As this was my first year trading, I've yet to hear if anyone had any problems with the trades I send. Folks are wonderful here.
Of course it is frustrating if a trade is not completed. This seems to be very rare, however. Often we find out the cause some time later, usually circumstances beyond the person's control. If these are particularly upsetting, the thought of notifying their traders might be set aside for the time. I have only had one bad experience, where someone deliberately set out to fill their garden with plants from me and my friends (not this site) with no intention of ever trading. But, when I think of the hundreds of dollars worth of plants and seeds which have been generously traded or sent for postage, well, that is much more amazing.
DR we had a good trade....cannas for postage and a Versi Orange Brug....
Gone2seed..Cannas for postage? Maybe that was "eyes" in TX-- not me--I'm glad to see your memory is as bad as mine. I'm the one that has the really bad PO service --slow,they quit & they for get to tell you when there is a package for you.... "is the lightbulb on now?" Wink
DR, your post office probably uses the same people as the ones here in Georgetown. Once, my mail was misplaced for three months, and then I looked in a mailbox down the road, where there hadn't been a resident for several years, and there was a stack of my mail. For no reason, it was put there, and then for no reason, it returned to being put in my box. Oh, and there was the box of plants I sent to south La. and it was lost for three months. The training is apparently pretty minimal.
I got a letter in my box the other day for an address in a town 50 miles away from me. Go figure. The po person knows me , why did she put that in my box?
Postoffice people can be part time help-i use to do that for the post office here-one route somehow i got all turned around and gave the mail to the wrong street-right house numbers-just was on the wrong street and i left a whole bag of mail in the relay box!!! casing mail sometimes you get a letter that gets stuck in the wrong slot or sticks to another letter!!! my payment for cell fone and truck payment were lost this last month-sure screwed up my bank account plus late fines and not even my fault!!! =[
Not to brag, but...
Two years ago, I got a battered box - a care package of ginger snaps from a dear aunt in Phoenix.
Only problem was, it was postmarked Aug. 1985.
The sticker read (in Japanese), "Delayed by Tokyo Customs/Import Control for Inspection: Questionable Contents".
Yeah, by the time I got it, the contents were *very* questionable.
Dennis, I had someone (from another site) do something similar to me and I know it burns you up. The girl got away with it with me though.. I spent $26 on postage to send her some of my plants, big heavy roots. In return I was promised some rare things that I had really been interested in...I got nothing. I emailed her and she told me twice that she had mailed the box. I asked if she had used a delivery confirmation sticker and never heard from her again, she just stopped responding, no excuses, no nothing. I didn't stop trading because of this but I am a lot more cautious.. I've been burned a couple of other times for smaller things too but the $26 one is one I just can't forget. When traders are late I can understand this, but when people just flat out rip you off I just don't get it. It must be fun to have a garden full of stolen plants! They must be pretty desperate to do such a thing.