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Beware of the_big_house_nursery on eBay!!! Please see the pictures for what they posted vs. what I just received. They think “Cutting” means just a node without leaves and the post wasn’t misleading at all, and it’s just lack of my knowledge.
haha, it does have very very very small roots so it is a node with tiny roots. but the seller needed to indicate that.
This seller is definitely scamming, or walking an extremely thin line with scamming. I hope eBay has your back and you get your refund.
For the record, idk where you are in the world, but if you're in the USA, sometimes Walmart, Home Depot, or Lowe's or possibly a local nursery will carry this specific kind of tricolor aglaonema. I have seen them a handful of times in the garden centers at big box stores in my area of SoCal previously.
Wow I assumed the whole plant was a fake, it looks so much like camo.
It's a very cool looking plant!
Me too. I was like “how could someone fall for that. It’s so obviously fake”
It’s not fake…
dang really?! i’ll check them out. thank you!!
I work at a nursery. They’re not super rare. We get them in somewhat often.
woohoo! good to hear!
Do nurseries just kind of get in random things? Everytime I talk to nursery staff, see posts like yours, or see rare plants in supermarkets it confuses me. It makes me think that they just kind of receive random plants?
It’s based on what we have ready in our greenhouses, the availability from the growers we buy from, and what we decide is worth ordering each week. We get a bigger variety to select from than we sell. For the rarer plants, we have to weigh whether or not we think our customers would be willing to buy niche plants with high price tags. We’ve had many sit for a while, which isn’t good for a nursery, because it costs money to care for plants and it increases the risk of damage occurring to the plant before we can sell it.
Interesting. Thank you for the info.
Any insight on how big box stores end up with some of the rarer plant varieties for super low prices? Is it just a grower clearing out inventory for the same reasons you mention?
Doesn't seem SUPER common, but I see posts about it here sometimes, and my GF has snagged a few pricier varieties from various Home Depots before for really cheap...
Good luck!
thank you!
When it makes leaves, they won't look camo. They will look like any other leaf. By then, its too late to complain.
That is the scam.
yeah juvenile leaves are not as camo looking as mature ones. that’s why i wouldn’t get a node of this particular plant.
wtf? they grow camo leaves when they are mature. This is a real, popular plant. OP was scammed for the size of the cutting, but the plant is correct.
yeah it does look like an aglaonema node but i can’t be sure if it actually came from the plant in the pictures. so that’s why i would never buy this plant without leaves.
I would recommend joining plant purge USA (if you’re a US resident) and posting an ISO post for this exact plant and your budget — you’ll have many people “competing” for your money.
ooo thank you for the info! i’ll check it out!
Or hella cheap on Plant Purge USA on Facebook (if you’re a US resident)
Given the previous experience I would be very surprised if it grows the leaves shown, or is even the same plant species at all
yeah i’m afraid of that… :(
no it's the same plant, I've propagated it plenty of times. It will probably grow if you keep it in high humidity and high light. But $65 for a piece of stem is a scam for sure. Contact ebay support for the refund.
i can’t be sure if it came from the plant in the pictures though. i’m picky with leaf patterns so that’s why i’d never get it without leaves.
$65?!??!????!???!?
i’m not proud of it 😬
That's what I paid for a 5" monstera thai constellation 🫢
I bought a 3ft monstera from home Depot for $25
good find! home depot is great!
Btw one more tip - bought and absolutely fabulous and giant palm from Amazon for $75. Still have it 3 years later and it’s doing great. Didn’t know you can get plants this good on Amazon
never bought plants from Amazon before! good to know! thank you 😊
Did you water it?
yeah i’m keeping the moss moist.
You could maybe contact ebay for fraudulence. They're are selling you something other than what you thought you were buying for 65$ based on the item description. At the very least its misleading. And the gaslighting wasn't a helping factor. If it was me, I'd just report them, and be annoying af for a refund.
i have requested eBay for a refund. we’ll see what happens…
The word 'cutting' makes me assume it has a leaf. If they said "rooted node" I'd be slightly more understanding but it's definitely misleading. I would definitely escalate via eBay.
yeah that’s what i said to the seller too but they won’t agree. eBay will step in on the 21st.
Did you flag it as item not as described? You will most likely win if so.
yeah i did and asked for a refund. hopefully it’ll go through!
eBay is pretty good at giving refunds if the description isn’t accurate…seems the be your case. I think it’ll go through. So shitty tho
yeah hopefully they’ll refund me!
If eBay doesn’t refund you, would it be possible to do a chargeback on your card and leave this seller a negative review? eBay almost always sides with the buyer, I see you being successful. Best of luck and sorry this happened to you!
If you do a charge back against a store, even if you are in the right, the store will likely ban you for life. eBay will likely ban some combination of the address, name, and credit card, to enforce the individual being banned.
This is specific to the USA though.
i wouldn’t mind getting banned from this seller at all but hopefully not from eBay!
The chargeback would risk eBay banning you, not the seller. That’s why you try an internal resolution through eBay’s support team first.
To be fair, if I’m resorting to a charge back I’ve already banned the store for life. So no problem there.
Update us pls!
will do!!
I beg of u to update, I’m weirdly invested
Definitely misleading! How can you say a rooted cutting and then give a stump. Anytime I've ever ordered a rooted cutting, they look like they were fresh off the plant with leaves as well. Hope you receive a full refund!
Use ebay buyer protection, you will get your money back as you can prove it's unlike the images and deceiving
yeah they’ll step in on the 21st. hopefully i can get the money back!
You’ll get your money back.
I would stop engaging with the seller at this point. Just mark the reason for return as item not as described and you’ll get refunded.
yeah i stopped yesterday because we weren’t getting anywhere. i’ll wait and see what eBay says.
You will get your money back regardless of what happens, even if they sent you exactly what you were expecting.
It's incredibly rare that they side with the seller, and when they do the buyer still gets a refund out of ebay's pocket because keeping people buying is what matters.
that’s good to know! thank you 😊
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15d
eBay sides with the buyer the majority of the time so I hope you get a full refund on this. I’m sorry you had to deal with this - I know it’s super frustrating to be excited and expecting something that turns out to be a bust.
That said, the node that was sent doesn’t look healthy - at least in the photo provided. Is it viable? Looks rotted to me. Also; the price that is being asked for this particular plant, even if it had been a true cutting of the size listed, is entirely overpriced. You can find 4” to 6” potted plants for less than what the is seller is asking here.
yeah the node is still okay, but definitely not in the best shape. i have other APT with beautiful leaves but i really liked the plant in the pictures so i went for it. never again from this seller!!!
The picture looks very strange. And then they sent you a stem that's nothing close to what the plant would have. Is it even alive? Edit: I just googled this plant. Can hardly believe it's real. I hope it's not dead. Still this doesn't seem honest at all.
Right like I thought the first pic was a silk plant
the cutting has tiny tiny roots so it is still alive but definitely not what i would want. i never buy this plant without leaves because i wouldn’t know what i’d get!
right!! i thought the scam was that it was a plastic painted plant lmao, that is such a cool plant!
As a long time eBay and Etsy seller, any time there's a discrepancy between the listing and what the buyer expected, I immediately own up to it. If there is any possible way my listings couldve been misunderstood, and a buyer points that out, I'll offer a return, refund, or partial, then fix the listing. It's just good customer service.
The fact that he's essentially blaming you for not asking the question "is what's in the picture what I'm getting" is total BS. No buyer should have to ask that question. It even annoys me when sellers put a huge mature plant as the thumbnail, and somewhere at the bottom of the listing (the fine print) they say "mature plant for reference" or something. Is it really so hard to just accurately represent your plants? And if you're trying to sell pathetic poorly rooted cuttings.. idk, maybe, stop? Be a little patient and give them another couple months before you sell? Clearly this struck a nerve with me, lol.
Also, maybe it's just a coincidence, but "big house" nursery?! No way that guy could be a crook. Lol.
yeah, it’s not my first time buying APT on ebay and every other sellers indicate if the pictures were just references or post an actual picture of the plant. i’ll never buy again from this seller.
"Educated people." That's rich from someone who can't spell or use correct grammar.
so condescending eh? great customer service 😬
"Garentee" and "garented" definitely sound like the words of an educated person 💀
Wow. Condescending too. All while being dishonest. Bummer
yeah unfortunately. i’m really bummed :(
Yeah the seller didn't need to be rude about it. A simple "sorry that wasn't what you expected, here's the process for returning the plant and getting a refund, and here's the listing for the actual starter plant" would go a long way.
yeah that’s what i would have done if i were the seller.
I’d be extremely angry if I paid $65 and got what you did. I hope you get a good resolution!
thank you! yeah i’m pretty upset. i wouldn’t mind paying $65 for the plant in pictures but not for a sad nod.
eBay will give you your money back. Regardless of the definition of cutting, having all pictures of leaves is misleading. The pictures are PART of the description on an eBay listing.
i hope so! will find out after the 21st.
Im super obsessed with these and I’m so sorry you got scammed. Just wanted to let you know I purchased my started plant off Etsy for $19. I’ve only had it a month or so and it already has a new leaf coming up. Once you’ve recovered from this you might go over there and look?
ooo that’s a beautiful one!!! i actually have one from etsy. i just wanted a bigger one 😅 i’m obsessed!
can you share the seller? Are these good office pants. Also... Where did you get that pot?
The picture of the leaves looks suspiciously like AI to me
there are leaves like that but not all aglaonema pictum tricolor gives clear colors so that’s why i didn’t wanna just get a node.
Honestly I was almost certain someone photoshopped a camo print onto the leaves.
I had to look it up. It's a real plant that actually looks like that.
yeah :) i love APT. the one i currently have (which i bought for waaaay cheaper WITH leaves) is beautiful but i wanted to get a bigger one.
I googled the plant because I thought it was fake😂😂😂
This one does look fake! Most of pics on goggle don’t show perfect cameo like this
If seller is confident that their product is priced fairly all they would need to do is include a photo representative of what buyers will receive at the end of the "attention getting" photos. Nothing wrong with showing a full plant to get clicks initially and showcase what the end result COULD be, but this reads to me like the seller intentionally left the actual cutting photos out and used vague language on purpose.
Also cutting most definitely implies leaves IMO. Common terms for starts without leaves that I have seen in both local and national plant communities are "wet sticks" or "single nodes", or "butt cut" in the instance when an entire plant has been cut down to the base leaving the full original root system and at least 1 node with potential
totally agree with you. that is what i was trying to explain to the seller but apparently i’m not educated enough 🙄
Why is the picture just someone holding an empty pot?
Lol
🤣
With those pictures, it's definitely deceiving. I would have been thinking I would get like one in the picture too.
that’s what i’ve been telling the seller! but apparently i’m not educated enough 🙄
Even if it was a cutting with a leaf, $65 for something that small is a bit outrageous
yeah i wouldn’t spend that much money especially i can get a bigger plant with leaves on etsy for less than $20 😳
Not arguing this isn’t a bait and switch but technically a “cutting” doesn’t need leaves and can be just the node, rooted or not
If I saw that listing and saw “cutting” I would assume node with a leaf or without. That pic would be listed as a starter plant
yeah, totally. i know that the cutting doesn’t mean it needs to have leaves. but all the other sellers i’ve purchased from clearly indicated that the pictures were just examples or posted the the actual plant they’d send.
Oh full agreement on that. I had to do a whole “what was pictured vs what I received” pic series for a seller on Etsy. The plants were healthy and all around fine but much smaller than pictured.
That’s an expensive cutting you ordered, I would be frustrated as well
yeah i’d never spend that much money on a tiny node especially for APT because i’m so picky with their leaves 😬
I agree with this. A ‘cutting’ in my opinion does not require a leaf. However, their listing should have made it more clear that you may receive a cutting with leaves or simply a node depending on what’s in stock.
I tried searching for the seller on eBay. It says they have 22 items listed but nothing shows when you click. Redditors work fast
oh wow! they definitely had plants listed last night!!
Redditors work fast … love it!!! 🤣🙌👏👏👏💯
$65 for a stick 🧐 I too would be pissed.
i am! and they are so condescending 😡
Dispute with Ebay their dispute team is pretty good getting you what you expected or a refund.
will do! i hope i get a full refund!
Go thru PayPal. They are great at refunding for not as described
“To make sure the PLANT stays in place*
So misleading.
Congrats. Looks like cigar stuck in some peat. Yikes.
Sorry this happened to you. Submit an Item not as described thru eBay. The item doesn’t match the picture. You should get a refund. Good luck.
Not sure why this came up on my recommended list but....
As an experienced ebay seller, what you need to do is open an "Item Not As Described" return case. Ebay will side with you, especially given the messages between you and the seller.
Sorry this guy is an idiot.
i did open a case yesterday. we’ll see what happens. thank you 😊
if the cutting doesn’t survive etsy has a ton of really affordable options to get a pictum tricolor with leaves some are 20 bucks (usd) not including shipping
i hope you can get a refund! that price for that little stick is indeed upsetting
i actually have one already from etsy with beautiful leaves! and it costed me way less than 1/2 of what i paid with this seller. i just love this plant so much. haha
that’s valid! me with my monstera lol
I'm never buying plants I can inspect first. I've got thirps and spider mites this way.
Bout time you make their “100% positive reviews” reflect their condescending response to their own misleading descriptions
Total scam. Call your bank and have them do a chargeback, and then leave a horrible but honest review. :)
A cutting means an actual cutting with a leaf and node (rooted or unrooted). A node is what you got. Purposely misleading post and even said they post pics of other plants without specifying. 100% should contact ebay for refund.
Looks like if AI wanted to generate a plant this is what it would be
I worked for botanicaz for a year plus, they shouldn’t have sent that without roots, they also shouldn’t be bickering with you in the messages, should have been a replacement no questions asked.
Green escape on Etsy has starter plants (with leaves) for like $20, that’s where I got mine!
Repot him on ebay and request the refund from them.
Ah that’s a bummer! I feel like most of these online sellers are scams. Especially now that all the previously rare ones are popping up in big box stores.
$65!!!!! Holy crap!
This is a beef that I’ve had with eBay for decades. A photo posted MUST be of the actual item. If you can’t post an image of the actual item for sale that you will receive then you shouldn’t be allowed to post pictures. By all means… once you post the actual item, feel free to post all the hype you want. But not actual then no photos at all.
Make sure you post appropriate feedback. Do you can warn other buyers. I had this happen with FB market place. Someone showed a picture of a huge plant and when I was going to buy it I asked about fitting it in my car.. she then said it was just a clipping! I reported her.
Rooted cutting usually does imply at least one leaf, wet stick would've been a better descriptor. They should've also included example pictures of each price tier. Not completely a scam but definitely misleading marketing
I’ve never bought from eBay. If you want something more reliable, try Palmstreet. It’s a app dedicated to selling and buying plants. With the occasional crystal or artwork mixed in. Give it a try!!
Just get a charge back on your card at this point.
$65 for a node? Nah
If you file a claim with eBay, they’ll probably force them to refund you. They definitely put customers over sellers.
$65 for a dead node is crazy
$65 for a root is crazy to me. I'd buy entire plants for that price.
I shocked you paid that much for a cutting. That plant is nowhere near that expensive as a starter. It’s like $20 on Etsy for a small established plant. Ton of places have small plants for ~$20. It’s $40-70 for a larger established plant, bigger than the photos even. So maybe if it were the plant it would be worth the price, but not a starter.
Good luck with your new babe.
I don’t get it. Where’s the plant?
Oh man and for 65$ for a node that might 50-50 might not even make it. I’m sorry, man.
This stinks! I have one of these and I love it. If you happen to be in MN I would love to help you out and give you a cutting at no charge. I haven't ever shipped my plants so I don't really feal comfortable doing that. I saw in your messages that you're new to buying plants and I feel awful that you were scammed out of that kind of money for a dead looking node. :(
I thought this was a joint in moss.
Plants like this exist? It looks like digital camo lol it’s so cool
If you used pay pal, dispute it through PayPal.
So very sorry for you! Thanks for the info
thank you!
Looks like a badly rolled Raw joint
Don’t argue with the seller, just open an ‘item not as described’ claim with eBay. eBay will side with you and you’ll be able to get a refund.
What you should have said was, “Kindly, what the fuck is this?”
It looks like they planted a blunt and mailed it to you.
Wow a healthy node would be bad enough given the description but that looks straight up dead! Sorry OP, I hope eBay reimburses you! I'm sure they will!
Ffs it doesn't look like a real plant
Wow, if you were an “educated person” you’d know this. What??! 😅
so condescending eh? what a great customer service 🙄
That’s a blunt stuck in dirt.
I would go to eBay directly for a refund, and if that didn’t work I would initiate a chargeback. This was absolutely a bait and switch.
The coloring/verigation of that of that plant seems fake to me. Looks like camo cloth cut in the shape of leaves :(
it is a real plant! 😊
I mean, that is a cutting. Cuttings don't need to have leaves. Is the node alive and rooted?
Definitely some deceptive advertising practices with the pictures being misleading, but it's not a scam. You got what you paid for, and what the listing description says.
My biggest concern would be that the cutting doesn't exactly look alive from the picture you included.
i know that the cutting doesn’t mean it needs to have leaves, but the seller needs to clearly indicate that it is just a “NODE”. i would have never bought this if it was just a node.
I was shocked at the picture I would have never thought of that as a cutting especially for the price and even more so with all those pictures. If they sell it like that all the time than they should have no problem getting an example photo and using it in their listings. It is definitely purposely misleading. I'd contact eBay.
Hope it still grows for you! Awesome looking plant
Whoa!!! I'd be so mad. Ebay had better side with you!!
I’m experienced with certain plants, but this one eludes me, can just a node with tiny roots get enough energy to make leaves? I was under the impression that in order to have successful propagation from cuttings you need at least a leaf so it can photosynthesize while it gathers energy to make more leaves. But I am sure there are plants out there that don’t need to do that, but is this one of them?
i’ve never grown aglaonemas from just a single node neither that’s why i’d never buy them without leaves. i’ll keep it in a warm place and see if i get any growth.
Report it to eBay. You will get you money back.
yeah i did. hopefully i can get my money back!
Charge back time!
$65 for a stump is affordable? 😂
How do plants arrive when shipped do they do well or not really?
They really sent you a stump for $65. Bold move.
Were they shipping FROM the big house??? 👀
This is outright fraud. Pursue thru Ebay. You'll no doubt get refund as it is very obviously misleading. Thanks for posting the warning!
In the industry, a rooted cutting is a rooted plant with foliage. There's no such thing as a rooted plant lol.
Blue Moon Tropicals
You can always return on ebay
Call ebay you get a refund. Ebay is a buyers website. Legit Sellers have to give refunds when eBay steps in, so this guy will definitely be giving you 1
Sheesh! This seller has the nerve to insult your intelligence as well. For what it’s worth, that pile of brown sticks looks dead. I hope you’re able to get a refund before the seller closes their store and dashes. I’ve seen pots of this for way more affordable prices.
If you’re in the US Etsy seller Plantamani has over 13k ratings. I’ve purchased from her multiple times, even in below freezing weather. All of my purchases arrived healthy, robust, and packed really well. She has 4” pots of the aglaonema pictum tricolor for sale here. She also has a few that you can select the exact one you get.
Those leafs give me PTSD
How much do they normally go for? Because 65$... Damn!!!
what a jackass, this seller. that stinks. also TIL tricolor aglaonema is a thing.
$65 for a fucking rooted stick?!?!?!?!
My whole plant was $45. This is insane!!!
I might have to propogate my pictums and pay some bills. Lol
Report to ebay, open a claim. If they didn't specify that you weren't getting a plant/leaved rooted cutting/just a node etc and no pictures or description that just a node was a possibility, you likely will have a case, and either get a full refund or at least a partial refund.
I mean……it’s eBay.
This is a butt cut! Technically not wrong about it being a node with roots but shady not to include that in the description
Contact eBay support. They’ll be able to help you
Absolutely report them.
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15d
Plastic leaves darn you
Is that a good price for that particular plant? I think even if it had leaves I wouldn't pay $65 for it.
$65?????
I ordered rooted cuttings through Etsy, never received them.
Looks like a preroll someone shoved in a cup of moss
That POS definitely knew wtf he was doing. And unless that is a super rare plant that price can get phucked
I’m not even entirely sure there’s actually a plant that looks like that
To me as a plant collector, there is a huge difference between a cutting and a node. I’ve never heard a seller call a node a cutting. That person knew what they were doing and clearly doesn’t care if he scams people. That sucks for you, sorry. Live and learn, just a life lesson I too learned the hard way. 😊
Regardless of the description (which I do think is a bit misleading) this looks DEAD. WTH