Ebay

[The witch]

Has anyone ever bought plants and/or seeds from ebay?
I could be tempted

home-garden.listings.ebay.co.uk/Garden-Plants_Plants-Seeds-Bulbs_W0QQfromZR4QQsacatZ1509QQsocmdZListingItemList

[plocket]

Nope, and I'm afraid I'm not tempted. I like to see plants before I buy them and on the rare occasion I buy by mail order I have to trust the company implicitly, especially if it's expensive plants like clematis.

[madonplants]

I am with Plocket here. I have not been tempted ........................yet! Ebay in general has gone down in my estimations recently, due to two bad transactions. One a 'new' signed piece of John Ditchfield (anniversary pressie for OH) that came with a graze on it and when I sent it back the abuse I got was not called for and secondly a con artist who was going to get personlised autographs from an autograph exhibition for me. These were going to be Xmas presents for my two boys. I ended up claiming off Paypal, but still lost £15! So if you do, know who you deal with and don't pay over the odds for it. I mean, find out how much the item costs brand new in the high street. I was bidding on a thermometer, for use in my pond (designed for fishermen, with a probe on a cord) but it finally went for £27, when you could buy it new for £19.95 post free from a good online shop!!!

Keith

[The witch]

That wasn't very good Keith I bet you were fizzing - I would have been

I agree you need to be aware of how much things cost on the hight street, so you don't pay over the odds.

There are quite a few things available now which are new rather than second hand.

I would possibly be tempted to buy seeds but not plants.

OH has bought a few bits from ebay a set of car mats and a spare part for our computer, without any problems fortunately.

[plocket]

I'd be steaming too! I've only ever bought one thing on e-bay and that was because I was the only bider! It was a bargain though. My dad buys stuff quite a lot but mostly second hand stuff and bargains at that. He's not been diddled yet.

[debbiem]

I've had a few bad experiences from eBay but only one with plants. I've bought a Buddleia collection, 2 Lavatera, a Viburnum Tinus, a Garrya, pond and bog plants and they are all thriving. The only one which didn't grow was a Eupatorium Cannabinum, Hemp Agrimony. It came as a stalk and that's how it stayed. The irony being, that a few sprung up in the garden naturally after this disaster which must have seeded from elsewhere.

[madonplants]

The said:

That wasn't very good Keith I bet you were fizzing - I would have been

I agree you need to be aware of how much things cost on the hight street, so you don't pay over the odds.

There are quite a few things available now which are new rather than second hand.

I would possibly be tempted to buy seeds but not plants.

OH has bought a few bits from ebay a set of car mats and a spare part for our computer, without any problems fortunately.

I was mad, especially the second one. I had an email from someone else who also put in an ORDER, asking me if I thought it was a con. I started to worry about it, but gave the guy a few extra weeks to deliver. He didn't and when I sent an email I didn't get a reply. I contacted Paypal and put in a complaint. They then contacted the seller, who sent us all an email, stating he had gone bust and the bailiffs had taken all his stuff, including his computer, which is why he couldn't get back to us. Had he not heard of internet cafes? I eventually claimed off Paypal, as his comments didn't ring true. He said he would pay up within four weeks when he got back on his feet. He didn't!
The first one I was more annoyed at the feedback he eventually gave me, than the emails he sent having a go at me. Or should I say the follow up to his previous feedback when he said I had been an excellent payer. Via email he kept saying he had checked the photos of the item sold and could not see any blemish. I had returned the item, so why didn't he check it, rather than his photos? I asked this three times, not once did I get a satisfactory reply to this point. We are big collectors of Ditchfield and know that John only signs perfect pieces. This seller had sold thousands of items and had a 100% feedback score and I was the first to leave, not so perfect. This is what had upset him. I left neutral as he did give me a refund. I couldn't give positive could I? I was obviously still out of pocket with postage costs, but he said that he doesn't refund postage.

These two were my last two transactions and haven't bought anything on Ebay since. Maybe I will again, as up until then things had been great.

Keith

[seanmckinney]

I would not buy plants off ebay! I reported 2 ebayers (camera stuff) to trading stds and have cancelled the direct debit mandant to paypal, I intend to finance any future purchases via a CC as I can then as the CC company to act for me if there are any future complaints.

[sweetleaf]

Nor me.......expensive postage, plants that dont grow, and the experience of buying "a pig in a poke" put me off forever

[The witch]

Perhaps I won't risk it then!!

[markymarque]

I brought some plants last year off ebay and they were fine, they did really well. Also brought some tomato seeds.

[debbiem]

Hooray! Thanks markymarque, that's deux points for eBay and not just my lonely one.

[kevthekoi]

I have purchased plants and seeds from e-bay and never had a problem. I am also an e-bay seller and have shipped many antique items to America, canada and China and never had a problem with delivery or payments.

[The witch]

Perhaps I might chance buying some plants or seeds, but only after checking the sellers feed back!