I don't get it. This person got 665 positive reviews in 12 months and only 2 bad ones and you feel that this deserves a warning?
In a less anonymous environment, you calling this person a thief in public without evidence is slander.

I'm sure there is more to the story, but your comments like "he's back" and "who he really is" is utterly meaningless to people like me who happen to see your post without the narrative.

Damaging and, according to these statistics, unwarranted. Perhaps you ought to post the full story to back up your claims?

I would surely hope that "jmud" paid him because he received merchandise, and not just to find out who he is.

You may not be aware that ebay has a system of reporting and dealing with merchants who do not uphold the rules of this system. Perhaps you need to state your case with them?

Sorry, there are obviously some pieces missing, but this sounds like the rantings of a lunatic :)

The other piece to the puzzle is Belk has a history of selling, selling ,shipping, shipping....and then disappearing with lots of orders paid for but not shipped....and then recurring with a different name and ID.
EBay cancells his membership but has no way of knowing when he signs up again. It's only hosta buyers that spot him and warn others.
If this person really is Belk or not, I don't know.
Linda C

I'm sorry Chris, you are right about missing parts to the story!

I tried to do a search on our forum to see if anyone else had already discovered this new identity for this person and came up with nothing when the discussion had been long and painful for many folks on this forum! I could only conclude there may be reasons they are not allowing that discussion to be brought up again, so I chose to remain somewhat *mysterious* about it!

I guess this warning is meant for the ones "stung" in the past!

You need to do as I suggested and read the feedback given for "jmud" from this person. 'Jmud' obviously DID pay him, and yet he accused him of NOT PAYING on his response to the feed back left by him! He also, did not deny his true identity and also did not refuse to sell to 'jmud' as he implied was the reason for the bad feedback left by 'jmud'!

I am not in the habit of maligning folks--but this character had a great track record for many months and then cheated alot of our folks out of $1,000's of dollars!

Perhaps you are right, this was not the best way to handle this *discovery* and if I find out I am wrong about this person, I will personally email him and beg for his forgiveness and make it known to all others the same way I did this!

I have been somewhat *impulsive* in order to hopefully prevent those burned in the past, from again finding themselves in such a position of loss! I have noticed at least two people I know to have posted on this forum have made purchases from him, so I figured they were unaware of the track record of the person he is accused of being.

Perhaps, this person has *turned a new leaf* but IMHO, a person of integrity and good intentions would make sure to *make things right* with those he wronged in his past! I'm not aware that has been done by him, but if it has, then I am truly hoping those people will come forward to defend him at this time!

I guess you had to be 'lurking' during that time to realize the extent of damage done by him!

Hi,
I have a been a lurker here for years. In fact it was on this forum I realized I was being cheated by Belk. I had ordered hostas from him and hadn't received them but thought maybe it was because it was hot and than I got on the forum and read how he had cheated other people and left them BAD feedback, sure enough I checked and he had left me bad feedback and of course I never got my money back or the hostas. Is there anyway we can find out for sure if this is him because if it is him ebay should be notified and he shouldn't be allowed to sell.
Everybody on this forum is so helpful and I have learned so much. The best part is I have been emailing Teresa and this weekend get to meet her and be on her bus for the garden tour. She has been wonderful, can hardly wait to meet her.
Thank you all again.
Debbie

Hi Jan, It's Jmud56 you should be talking about..Yes he gave Al negative feedback just to expose him. The positive feedback he received was posted in error by Al's wife who does the feedbacks. If you notice all his feedbacks are the same. He was never paid. Now the kicker...Nor was I!! Jmud56 bid up my "Fickle Blue Genes to $81.00 as a winner and the same for Monty Python to $46.99..Never responded to my emails, Ebays request etc. I applied for a final value credit and received them, But He's the fraud, No correct address, names a phony of person in MN and phone number not correct. I verified all this by personal phone calls. I could have given him a negative feedback as Ebay suggested to warn other bidders, but didn't want to have him retalitate and give me one also. It's not worth it so I just block him from my auctions. You can see he has not continued his mission since he exposed Al. I helped out some of the people who never received plants as others did from this Forum and it was wrong for what he did for whatever the reason that it happed. He's trying to start over and by the feedback from the many who have received his plants the majority are pleased. The second negative he received was again a personal issue. Hope this is the final chapter in the Al Belk book on hostas. I hope so.
John

I cannot speak for this seller in the past, but I recently ordered some very unusual OS hosta and some more common ones and the plants and the service was excellent. I even placed him on my "favorite Seller" list because of the unusual varieties that he has. I can only speak for myself but i would say that I had a good experience with this seller.
Denny

Oh dear....it gets complicated doesn't it?.
I just bid on some offered by rainbow's end plants....please tell me I didn't do a bad thing.
I think the telling thing about thehostagardener is that he has about 50 or more current hosta auctions going now on ebay....and only a feedback rating of 186. That indicates to me that it's an old established operation with a new personae....or many many of their customers elected not to leave feedback.
Linda C

LindaC, I'm not sure what Rainbow's End Plants has to do w/ this story....? However, I can't see any reason why you would have done a bad thing. Perhaps I am missing a link here?

Linda C, I've bought over 100 hostas from our own Diggin' Dutchman, but all of the positive feedback that I've left for him only calculates as one, they gauge feedback by the number of different buyers, not the number of auctions that person has won. So if one person won 10-15 of Al's auctions, it will come back as one in the feedback count.

Donna

lindac, You will find Dennis Harle at Rainbow's End one of the nicest sellers on eBay! I have many purcheses from him and have been very pleased with them. He is in Platteville, Wi. He has a web site also www.rainbowsendplants.com/

I have purchased from several Ebay sellers and have been THRILLED with what I received (especially my Tidewater - whoohoo! lol)

Cool! Thanks! Hope my bid is high enough!
And Donna....not quite....every transaction makes you eligible to leave feedback. Look at some places where people sell lots of things that the same person might buy. Every auction invites feedback. But any one member can only change the trading partner's total feedback score by 1 point.
Linda C

Rainbows end is very reputable. Our own Diggindutchman is great to deal with. I have bought from Al Belk in the past as well. I got all I ordered, and, tho small, it was as represented. I know not all had a good experience, would love to see him make right by them. I also would give him another chance.

I stayed away from Ebay for just this kind of concern. But I finally started using it a few months ago and so far no problems. This rings a lot of alarms with me. I think Ebay should do more to police their sellers. If this kind of thing increases, their reputation will suffer and it will cost them money and lots of it. People have to feel secure when buying online.

Thehostagardener has delivered for me, too.
I did, just today, get a reveresal on a payment I made to lynsey927156. I bought 6 hosta, but she never shipped. She delayed me with stuff like, "I'll ship again" but never provided tracking numbers, etc. She wanted my phone number to "talk about it," and a lot of other hoo-ha.

After many, many attempts, I finally went to PayPal and filed a complaint. Ironically, they're so skewed to the sellers, that it's hard to get a nondelivery one submitted. I persevered and today, 21 days later, I have my money back.

I think, with over 4000 feedback left, something must have caused this woman to lose her mind. The thing is, as with most issues in life, if someone just communicates? It's all good. Or at least OK.

I won't buy from Perfect Plant because of their absolute ZERO communication and slow shipping. I will no longer deal with people who don't take PayPal, either. They saved me $60.00.

ginny,
eBay could give a d@mn about bad sellers. They care a bit more about bad buyers, which is why there really isn't any way for a buyer to do much about a bad seller. As a matter of fact, as in my story above? They refer you to PayPal and that's it.

eBay makes so much commission they could care about the little guy. Their reputation is what it is and these auctions have outlived many other wanna-be-eBays.

All that said, I've been an avid eBay buyer simce the late 90s. I've had a couple of bad experiences, but I don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. I just don't let it go past 45 days.

So it goes.
Christine

I bought Hostas on eBay from thehostagardener on August 12, they were delivered on August 23, NO PROBLEM.

So, I purchased more Hostas from thehostagardener on September 8 and September 12, PROBLEM. I have not received any Hostas.

I sent him three emails and have heard nothing from him.

Cowboy

Here is a link that might be useful: thehostagardener eBay order 8/23/07 photos

I don't buy hosta from anyone on eBay but DigginDutchman, who has always come through for me and been very kind and helpful, too. John (the DigginDutchman) leaves comments here on gardenweb but he abides by the rules and never pushes his own business.

I noticed his name come up in this thread as one of the good guys, and I just wanted to underline that. There may be other good sellers on eBay also, but John's the one I have personal experience with.

SURPRISE, SURPRISE!!! thehostagardener is no longer a registered user on eBay

I use www.auctionerrol.com or gumsho.com before buying anything on ebay!

Here is a link that might be useful: www.auctionerrol.com

HF members - please do not click on the link - it is nothing but SPAM.

Let this one slide back to the depths where it belongs.....

Alexa

Hi, I just turned on, does "The hostagardener" use a lot of different names to go by?
I have never bought hosta from e bay,but the last week or so i have bought a few,had NO IDEA,there could be such corruption on e bay.
How does one know?
Carol