In order of replies:
1. Sincerely, just about any plant that is actually a strictly highland species is not one I would suggest trying. Those plants with broad altitudinal distributions and thus classified "intermediate" plants would be better to start, then species like the relatively "low-elevation" highlanders like N. ventricosa, sibuyanensis, maxima, robcantleyi might be next; some have success with plants like hamata and edwardsiana but I would not spend large amounts of money on one before less expensive species are thriving. I would not spend money on anything more picky until other plants have been thriving for a while.
I thought I mentioned this. 3 x ventricosa, 4 x reinwardtiana(HL), several hybrids involving intermediates/highlanders like robcantleyi x veitchii(HL), mirabilis var globosa x hamata, etc (there are others, just mentioning off the top of my head) are doing well for over a year now. There are even more who have been doing well for over six months, but not a year yet. I am not exactly fond of throwing away money on expensive plants unless I think the gamble makes sense. Heck the mira survived our crazy summer outside the flow of mist and getting direct sunlight for three months! Literally survived on the ambient humidity from the misters and no cooling. That is why it is looking like that, but it is ALIVE anyway. I had thought I had a rajah x veitchii thriving for over a year at least when I spent money on more highlanders, but that is probably not a rajah x veitchii, though I did dig up old photos of the same plant with more rajah like leaves and tubbier pitchers, so I'm now wondering if I have the wrong plant or something in my growing conditions causes it to grow differently.
Regardless, I am not going on a thoughtless acquisition spree.
For the most part, fatalties happen within a week of arrival. Some more if they never manage to acclimatize (but this has been thankfully rare since the misters). Frankly, it is the same story with lowlanders too. I have a merrilliana with just two leaves since the last month or more, while a burbidgeae x veitchii (HL) that came with it is putting out new leaves. Go figure. Northiana died. Flat out. Just refused to acclimatize at all. Dead within a day or two - probably came in infected or something. Same happened with a sibuyanensis x robcantleyi. Arrived with relatively minor damage, potted it up, it started going black immediately, dead. One lowland, another intermediate/highland cross. Both similar cost. Same result.
The brutal summer has passed. Going forward, it is monsoon, then October can get hot, but nights are cooler, then winter, by next summer, I'll be living somewhere that I can cool MUCH better than my current balcony. So, in other words, with any luck, things are set to get easier to grow cool loving plants. That is why I am attempting it now.
I'm pretty certain that any plants I'm killing, I'm not doing it because of temperatures at this point, which is why I'm trying to push boundaries. I can't move to a cooler place. If I am to grow these fascinating plants, I can prepare to my best ability and give it my best shot. If it fails, so be it.
2. The link you gave gives evidence to my point; those plants look nothing like yours beyond the natural similarities due to jamban, inermis, and dubia all being in the same species group and relatively closely related. The pitcher shape is different, the leaves are on yours more ovular lanceolate than the oblanceolate shape of jamban, and the stocky stem characteristic yours has doesn't show in the link. Should the stems on yours start blushing red, that's another key trait of either inermis or dubia.
Ah got it. The possibility of natural hybrids was mentioned. Probably because they saw the same things you did. Thanks. I like them anyway
and maybe if they are hybrids, they will grow easier for me, so probably better like this.
3. The cost to you should not factor, period, in the ethical or legal issues with purchasing poached seeds. There are several CP sources that ship worldwide and relatively cheaply, with all the permits available needed for their end as well, and of the two that come in right off the top of my head (Wistuba and BestCarnivorousPlants) they have the majority of CP species between them that one might want to try, and if one does the wise thing and buys a couple, makes sure they are actually doing well in one's conditions, and then order more then one can also start to captive-propagate those species and build a local source for them so that others don't have the issue/temptation of not having anything other than illegal sources to go for. Should you happen to be caught by government authorities for breaking not only import/export laws, but also endangered species regulations and CITES, the cost of that fine might not leave you with a difference of a few or even a few hundred bucks, but potentially thousands, tens of thousands, or even jail time (we've got the articles on this site to show it happens, and can be nasty. And every country has regulations along these lines, not just here in the US).
Also, if you don't already have a perfect environment to raise especially the typically critically endangered highland species that everyone wants and are the most targeted (ie. edwardsiana, macrophylla, jacquelineae, aristolochioides, inermis, tenuis, etc.), then it's a potential massive waste, not only supporting an illegal process but removing possibly critical new generations from the wild, new genetic variation from that wild population, failing to maintain potentially valuable new clones and localities in cultivation to help the captive propagation system, and certainly not helping remove the issue of availability to those like in your area who may or may not have access to getting them elsewhere. If you are already strapped with time and expenses fighting other issues, trying to raise a bunch of picky little plants from seed is also going to become a lot more expensive for you long before it could have any benefit.
I can't take the time to outline every single issue I have with any claim about how it's in any way good to purchase those seeds, but I flatly can't agree with any reason for doing so.
Concerning filing complaints and monitoring sites, attempting to change regulations and laws and so on, I may not have much reach yet myself, but that's among the places I hope to build my own business toward (starting with, if I can't afford a legal plant, I simply don't get it yet and focus on propagating and selling what I do have until I have space and money to afford the new plant, and work on educating others where I can to act in responsible manners as well), and I am a member of communities that have people who do police those sites and alert us so that illegal posts can be flagged and taken down, people who do go out to assess populations and assign appropriate protective statuses to them, those who have the leverage to petition governments etc. to increase repercussions for poaching, educate on value of conservation, etc. Attempts have started, but every person who continues to help the underhanded trade hampers those attempts already in place.
I hear you. I may not agree, but I respect your intent.
About depriving potential people who can give highlanders better conditions.... well, new ground isn't broken by coloring between lines. This temperature racism is a bit ....
Reading here on the forums, plenty of people growing highlanders in cool places have a better kill rate than me. Not fair that they can try but not me.
Edit: above is only half a joke. Do you really think people growing in cool places are able to grow all the highlanders they buy to maturity?