Ebay Purchases - Wins and Losses
 

This season, I purchased several plants from Ebay. I targeted 2 vendors. The first vendor sold me really nice plants a couple of weeks ago for a great price. They even added a freebie plant. They had a Paph collection starter packet type of thing. I received 5 disease free mature plants. Yes, the roots weren't spectacular, but they just needed to be given a bit of TLC. They are doing great.

Over the holiday weekend, I received the last 2 plants from another vendor. I ordered Phals this time; a Stuartiana and a Hyerogliphica. The Stuartiana was not a whole plant, but a bunch of single leaf clusters placed together to look like 1 plant. The roots weren't too bad on this one, but they do not look like Phal roots at all. Then again, I don't have experience with seedlings.

The second plant, the Hyerogliphica, was infested with Mealy bugs. I could see them right through the plastic they had wrapped it in. I fought the urge to just toss it directly in the trash bin. I immediately began soaking new media is 3 in 1 and rinsed both plants off well. Once both plants were rehydrated, they immediately went into the 3 in 1 soaked media on a windowsill far away from any other plants. I am going to keep them there for the next month. I learned from last time to not trust mealy bugs. It took me months to get rid of them last time, but since I caught them immediately and isolated them and treated them quickly, I am hoping it will be enough.

Please keep your fingers crossed for me :)

I guess I was really lucky, all of my Ebay plants from 4 different vendors were nice healthy plants with no unwanted extras. Glad you caught the infestation right away. Fingers crossed for you.

Don't you hate when THAT happens? I don't trust ANY new plant. I treat them all....and then follow up with another treatment in 10 days. I've had some fairly good luck on Ebay too. Except one poor Vanda that never looked great when I got it....and has been slowly going downhill since, no matter what I do. Guess that's the luck of the draw. Good luck with yours! :)

DweamGoil would you mind letting us know who the vendor was that sold you the Stuartiana and Hyerogliphica. I know you left them anonymous out of kindness, but it would help those of us who buy off eBay to avoid buying infested plants. As soon as we know, maybe someone can share their experience with this vendor and we can try to see if it was just this particular sale that they messed up or they are consistent with selling infested plants. Very happy for you that you caught the infestation early :)

If anyone would like to know, I will message you privately, but I don't feel comfortable posting it here publicly. I will say that AFTER making my purchase, I went back and dug a little deeper and although I have only seen 1 other complaint about bugs, there is certainly enough negative feedback for this vendor. In general, I think they should be avoided.

I hear ya. Plants or otherwise, I try not to "trust" any listing at face value. I look closely at the pictures for all of the things I would inspect if I were purchasing it in person. And I look in the description of the item for specific wording that tells me if the bloom picture is from the listed plant or otherwise, and if the plant picture is of the exact plant I am bidding on, and for any important positive info, or for wording a seller might be using to mislead a buyer. :)

Thank you DweamGoil, would you pls PM the vendors name. I am an eBay addict and I am bound to run across them.

I've had pretty good luck with eBay vendors. Two of my orders have been great from one vendor, and the other was so-so. I ordered a Phal cornu-cervi and a Neofinetia falcata from one in Hawaii (the guy who does the free FedEx 2-day shipping). The Phal is wonderful and the Neofinetia is on it's way tomorrow. He's very helpful and even held it until tomorrow shipping since I wouldn't be home to receive it. It's also really nice because he shows a pic of the actual plant you will be receiving.

The other vendor was a Phal hieroglyphica. No picture of the actual plant. It came TINY and with crown rot. Good roots though and a small Basel Keiki growing. I was able to repot it into some fresh sphagnum moss and the treat the rot with some cinnamon. The keiki is getting larger every day, so I think this one will pull through.

I know that I will NEVER buy from that seller again. They have a really good reputation on eBay, but not from me!

DweamGoiL which vendor gives freebies? I have only dealt with one vendor there with success but free is free.....can you pm me?