I don’t think it’s a scam but will admit I’m concerned with how it’s going. I went on his site and you can place an order right now for 1,000,000 Ponte Tresa, Black Madeira, Galicia Negra, etc, etc, etc, fig plants. Shoot go big make it a billion…LOL
He did refund my money, ~$1300, as soon as I ask. But we have done some business. He bought about three high dollar Black Madeira from me and several hundred cuttings of various cultivars. I helped him a little when he was just getting started and needed cuttings of everything. I suspect that helped with a refund. And I know he’s spent big dollars getting geared up.
What mystifies and concerns me is why he doesn’t start shipping plants. He’s rapidly running out of the best shipping weather. It’s too cold in KS to ship in winter and it will soon get too hot given what I’ve seen of his shipping methods.
I don’t think it was a scam, but he has lost control. He stopped giving refunds, so it looks really bad. And people are pursuing criminal charges against him.
Fruitnut, glad you got your money back. Thus far my emails have been ignored. I asked for either refund or shipment of cuttings which I was told would be shipped out in February.
That is ridiculous, 1M fig plants, so if anyone is foolish enough to order that he would get boat load of money with no fig plants to show for.
All I am saying is buyer beware. If I have known there is an investigation I would certainly have not ordered from them. thx
If is it not a scam then he should either refund or ship their order out. It is not rocket science or at least acknowledge their emails. Cant blame people from pursing criminal charges against him as they probably spent over $1000. Peoples have work hard for their money and do not deserve to be treated like this. Thx
I know a lot of people who basically treat their finances as a gigantic Ponzi scheme.
Not that this is on the same level, but I know I joined a fantasy baseball league run by a well-known blogger of the team I root for.
I won, and various excuses were made as to why the money wasn’t being sent. Finally, something like six months after the fact, I got paid because he finally got a check for writing some things for ESPN.
But instead of putting the prize money to the side like a normal person would, he used it to fund other things. I wonder if he hadn’t gotten that check if I would have ever gotten paid.
I wonder if the same thing didn’t happen here, except there was no equivalent to the check from ESPN. You can start something with the best of intentions but then get in way over your head if you play fast and loose with money.
Same here ordered some rooted plants last September and it would be nice to hear from them and given an other option of plant which would free them up some from the slower growing trees and help fill their orders faster and all this negative response is going to cost their company in the long run. They send me a e-mail response when I asked a question about new purchase of a tree but never returned any e-mails when I questioned my previous order shipping. I don’t really mind the wait just the disrespect not returning people e-mails, I guess I’ll be optimistic with you (not foolish though).
Well put VSOP. I read on his update that he was getting help. So I do not understand why he is struggling to ship his order out or answer concerns from buyers. I placed my order Aug 16 2016. When I didn’t receive my order in fall I emailed them and was told they want to stretch growing season so I wont be getting my cuttings till February 2017 but offered me a refund and I told him I would wait then. February came and when I did not receive my order, I emailed him a few times but did not receive a response. My latest contact was last wk, again it fell into deaf ears
I don’t mean to be mean or nasty, but one of his excuse was he had a bad toe, but you do not use your toe to answer emails nor do you hobble about to answer emails from your customers.
I m glad though that you got your winning eventually
Yes, I’m not looking to excuse him. Just more to explain (not to you specifically, but in general) how “nice guys” can end up in that situation. People who rip you off aren’t necessarily hardened criminals. I actually think that’s how this kept going so long, despite what common sense might have said, because people thought he was a good guy.
I’m sorry you are probably not going to get what you paid for.
But this community and some of the fig communities are very generous. Maybe you could find a few of the varieties you’re looking for that way?
I don’t have too much to offer, fig wise, myself, or I’d help you out. But if you’d care for a scion of my not very exotic Madeline des deux Saisons this winter, I’ll set it aside.
But what is he going to do with the thousands of figs in small cups besides ship them? He can’t unload them anywhere else that I know of even Ebay. I’m really just mystified as to why he doesn’t start shipping.
VSOP your comments didn’t not come across as trying to excuse him. I hate to say this but he brought it onto himself. No one cause his problems but him and only he alone can sort it out but he does not seems to want to. Why can’t he put aside some time every evening to answer emails?
My purchase is small $50 but still I paid for the cuttings in good faith and expects to receive my order. It is the principle of it. I paid for an order and I expect to receive my order, nothing more nothing less and also expects to get a response.
I don’t have many varieties myself but thought I purchase some. Just my luck to stumble upon his site!
I paid half from my bank account and half with PP cash that i have. PP said I can try to get the amount I paid for from my bank. They said they cant help but would send a courtesy email to him to ask for my refund. I just want to let everyone know that if they used PP and want their money back PPP is only valid for 6mths.
I am not trying to trash him, just stating facts and if he refunds my money, it is what I would post to let everyone know. I do not use PP anymore since there is very little buyer protection from them.
Thanks very much for your generous offer. If anyone wants any fruits scions I can oblige…I have Seckel, 20th Century asian, Cot N Candy, Bubblegum plum some other apricots (lost labels) Nadia. Majority are in containers as garden lack full sun. 15 different apples all in containers but I do not get much fruits due to lack of sun. I maybe getting a few 20th Century pears this yr (it appears that they are partial self pollinating Sunglo nectarines… I may get a bumper crop of 2 fruits of Asian pears and nectarines
Well, if he actually has all these cutting and he’s not sending them, using the principle of “the simplest answer is the most likely answer” then he probably doesnt have the money to do so. If he’s really spent the cash before he delivered the product, it might be that he actually can’t ship because of the cost involved, unless he gets new customers, and he’s not getting many new customers because of the word of mouth.
That to me is the most likely scenario and pretty much explains the information we have.
Obviously, though, I’m just spitballing here…maybe the guy is suffereing from some sort of crippling depression and finds himself unable to do anything. Or maybe a family member is suffering from an illness, leaving him unable to manage the business. Or a million other things.
Hard to know but he is not doing himself and his business any favours. If I do get my order, I will not order from him ever again. Fool me once shame on his, fool me twice shame on me.The hassle of it all is just not worth it.
If I were in his situation I’d probably be curled up in a fetal position in a dark room. Can you imagine 5,000 agitated customers sending 450 emails a day?? Those are the numbers I’ve heard. You’d need a very good system to keep it all straight. He is experienced at selling fish. So not like a total newbie.
He used to be pretty good about posting updates on the website once a month. Nothing in a while though. I’m feeling less confident than I was a few months ago but am still hoping it works out, for his sake and for all of ours.
I’m not going to wade into this any more if I can avoid it except for this. PM if you want to discuss anything or have questions.
Reports are that no one is getting refunds anymore ( or answers to emails/phone calls ). If you are past the 6 month PayPal window for buyer protection and paid with a credit card, you may still be able to do a charge back thru your credit card provider and get your money back.
Best of luck to all getting your plants or your money back.
I’ve talked with him a few times, and he seemed like a good guy. I ordered 5 trees for an order total of $50. I was expecting to receive the trees this spring, but I honestly can say that I believe I will receive trees from him at some point. I went into this knowing that he had not been a large scale grower before and was attempting something new. That was part of why I only ordered 5 trees - limiting my exposure in case it didn’t work out.
Supposedly every time he had lots of cups he decided to keep them for further reproducing since he had so many orders to fill. Seemed to me that he thought he could just keep reproducing and delay sending out so that future orders could be made. Which in my opinion could only make failure more and more likely, more likely that the whole thing would collapse and of course eventually legal action would have to be made no matter what the siltation is.
what he is doing is wrong! He cannot take peoples money and not send them what they order. It is fraud! If he has any integrity he would stop taking orders and send out the orders that everyone has paid for. I cannot remember who said it but they said what he is doing is a ponzi scheme! I am out of $50 and have yet to receive anything. I hope everyone would stop ordering from him cos I for one am sick and tired of this.
I never wish ill on anyone but if his business collapses and legal action is taken against him, he brought it onto himself. I have no sympathy for him!
I do agree on one thing, it’s starting to become his fault more and more in time what happens to him bad. I believe that it started out totally innocent and that he kept making bad decisions. The original idea was not bad, it would have worked if he stuck to it. It was not illegal at first because he made it very clear that he’d grow them after collecting the money, it was not a ponzi scheme at first either, yet I can see how it became one in time.
I had no idea what his original scheme was. I stumbled upon his site and placed an order in good faith. I wish everyone would stop making excuses for him. When you take someone’s money and do not send them what they have paid for is illegal. He broke a contract. I think his original intent is irrelevant in this case.
I hope he realizes this, either refund or send out what customers paid for.
