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Ebayer to avoid

Hi All,

I just thought I would point out that Dom Gravine in the guise of his buddies addresses, and ebay and email accounts has been auctioning off alot of plants on Ebay lately. First under the name Orchidstar87 and now Borneancanableo6. Mostly he has been listing items recently received from Austrailia through a US importer. But there have also been a few items which both Sunbelle and myself have reported as plants stolen last year.

N. trusmadiensis (large plant not tc seedling)
N. truncata x veitchii
As well as others!

You will also find it interesting to note that in a number of previous auctions he has bid on his own auctions to bump up the price. And in a few cases accidently won them and had no buyer so was forced to relist them and try again.

I would suggest you avoid this person and any dealings with him. Don't support his efforts to turn a profit.

Tony
 
How do you know they are stolen, just curious
 
I am not going to get into a big long discussion on what we know and don't know and if he is guilty or not. Suffice it to say.

The number of people in the US with large N. trusmadiensis can be counted on one hand.. and Dom Gravine isn't one of them.
 
Ok I see, aren't there people with rivate collections no one might know about. Anyways, I hope this person gets banned or something, stealing such rare plants and all.
 
should also be noted that this seller threw some of the plants that are up for auction today, last week, with 5 days to go on the auctions he pulled them and apparently reposted them today....the exact same plants as pictured on Saturday.........

didnt realize this was Dom and was trying to bid on a plant that isnt one of the reported stolen.....guess ill look elsewhere......
 
Thanks for the heads up. There were a couple of plants which had interested me, but, no thanks . . .
 
Yep I was looking at them too...

Dear edaxflamma,

im expecting for the higher plants 2-500 apiece... thanx

good luck...
 
I will have a small x trusmadiensis soon!!!! I saw a cutting of one go for 350.00 on ebay last month! Mature Neps are worth more than thier weight in gold apparently... If I were ever to sell a plant for that much I would turn around and just put it right back into my collection so all this talk of profits and such makes me nervous because when people are only out for profits they do unethical things. Such as Dom Gravine may all his plants uproot themselves and go elsewhere such as the NASC AUCTION!
 
I wish I had the money to buy them and give them back to their rightful owners. (Perhaps receiving a few modest cuttings in reward? :D ) This guy totally sucks.
~Joe
 
  • #10
Thank you Tony. Good to know. Does he have any typical plants one could bid on, win and then post a warning feedback? Seller's can't remove feedback. When I buy from someone on eBay I usually check feedback first.
 
  • #11
That could work but there's nothing to say he won't create a new account. I imagine he has already done that at least once due to the mysterious withdrawals of plants from one seller to the next.
 
  • #12
I have also noticed this ebayer lately, with no history, and from Florida and had my suspicions of the same thing. Seems I'm not alone.
 
  • #13
Thanks for bringing this to everyone's attention, Tony.

I wish I had the money to buy them and give them back to their rightful owners. (Perhaps receiving a few modest cuttings in reward? :D ) This guy totally sucks.
~Joe

I agree. I would never buy/trade with anyone who is suspected of stealing plants, regardless of how much I desire a plant (and I'm glad to hear that others feel this way, too). If I ever found out that a plant I traded for might be stolen, I would give it back to the original owner without thinking twice. Karma has a way of coming back around.

xvart.
 
  • #14
There are alot of people with private collection that arent on TF. I know 3 friends' parents that grow CPs..
 
  • #15
Halt they don't have to be on TF to be known, I doubt they have Adult trusmandiensis, plus i'm sure these people have done their research.
 
  • #16
Halt they don't have to be on TF to be known, I doubt they have Adult trusmandiensis, plus i'm sure these people have done their research.

so, just stating a fact... you never know, anything is possible. they could have crossed it many years ago, and it looks exactly like a normal trusmandiensis:/
 
  • #17
Yes, but i'm sure they know thats the stolen TM because they've done research, I don't think they'd go around acussing people because all they have is suspesion.
 
  • #18
The evidence against him is overwhelming. I read the whole story on some forum. I tried to give him the bennifit of the doubt when I started reading it, but some of his own words convinced me that he is the one that stole the plants from Tony.

I won't be doing any business with him.
 
  • #19
Anyone notice that most of the plants listed by this ebay seller are spinoffs of what any knowledgeable person can find from reputable cp dealers? I do find it sickening that someone would steal plants for self satisfaction and profit, not once but twice! Its hard not to connect the dots, leading to Dom's involvement ( I did read through Tony's stolen plant details and sunbelle's stolen plant details). Isn't the challenge growing the plant(s) out and watching it mature, eventually seeing the fruits of your labor? Yet another reason to support reputable cp dealers and not ebay.
 
  • #20
I sell plants on e-bay and I think I'm reputable.....
 
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