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#198402 - 06/27/09 04:27 AM ebay seller Bill_asia - virus!!
orchid527 Offline
OSF Member

Registered: 03/29/08
Posts: 90
Loc: Indiana
Recently purchased 9 phals from this ebay vendor. 4 of the 9 were virused. They all had KHM lot numbers, and I usually have pretty good luck with this Taiwanese source. I have purchsed flasks from this vendor in the past with no problems. It is sad to see these virused phals going into so many collections. In 3 or 4 years most of their phals will be infected. I sent an email with the test results to the seller, but he is clearly more interested in making money. It was an impossible hassle to even get my money back. I left warnings in the negative feedback, but I doubt it will do much good. I've come to the conclusion that in a few years, most phals in collections will be virused and that clean plants will be a rarity. It's really too bad, since they can live a long time and become really large specimen plants, if they are healthy and virus free. Sometimes I wonder if this might not have been part of the business plan of these foreign phal sources.

Mike


Edited by orchid527 (06/27/09 04:28 AM)

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#198404 - 06/27/09 04:50 AM Re: ebay seller Bill_asia - virus!! [Re: orchid527]
Posey Offline
OSF Platinum Member

Registered: 03/28/04
Posts: 8782
Loc: SOMEPLACE ELSE
He is a terrible vender. Sends tiny sickly plants every time. I would stay away from him completely.
_________________________
'May your day be free of asshats and crappy neighbors.' MH 10/08
Einstein once said, 'The definition of insanity is
doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

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#199510 - 07/04/09 11:04 PM Re: ebay seller Bill_asia - virus!! [Re: orchid527]
Yug Offline
Orchid pest

Registered: 05/13/03
Posts: 2067
Loc: Hawaii
Just on a whim, I went to ebay earlier today to see that 'chids were being offered. I saw one that looked familiar. It was named X295 Orchid Plant-S D Ekapol 'King Dragon' X D Anucha 'Flare'. The seller claims it is a mericlone. Why would anyone mericlone a plant where the cross has not even been named? I always thought that mericloning was only done for really nice plants, so it seemed odd that a plant worthy of being mericloned would not have been named. I looked at the pic and it is quite obviously a straight Den. Anucha Flare (I've seen the very same pic on the web in the past, and clearly identified as Den. Anucha Flare).

Guess who the seller is? None other than bill_asia!

I went to report the add as probably fraudulent, but when I got to the screen where I could make the comments, I couldn't find an 'enter' 'submit', or any other way to actually post those comments.

I also got a screen capture of that page in case ebay doesn't believe me. Personally, I doubt they actually care about neg comments about the sellers, they just want to collect their $$$, and to bad if anyone gets conned. By making the neg comments difficult to do, they can claim they didn't know anything bad about the seller.
_________________________
'SHROOM - KIDFOH
(kept in the dark, fed only horseshyte)

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#199529 - 07/05/09 06:52 AM Re: ebay seller Bill_asia - virus!! [Re: Yug]
CJWatson Offline
OSF Platinum Member

Registered: 05/11/03
Posts: 8611
Loc: Pensacola FL
I long ago set up my eBay search preferences to exclude bill_asia's offerings.
_________________________
If reincarnation really happens, I want to come back as a Washington, D.C. pigeon with superior divebombing skills and overactive bowels.

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#199575 - 07/05/09 02:33 PM Re: ebay seller Bill_asia - virus!! [Re: CJWatson]
jojo in minnesota Offline
Good grief!

Registered: 02/13/04
Posts: 11427
Loc: Minnesota
I have barely bought from anyone on e-bay, except twice from someone named Nia. She has WONDERFUL things. Very pretty, healthy, and both times the plants she sent had multiple spikes. She is in NJ, I think.

Are there reputable vendors on e-bay that y'all use? And - how do I find them? And - is "blooming size" not necessarily a truism - and should one buy them in spike instead? I hear so many horror stories. Have never felt ripped off by anything I've EVER bought orchids wise, and would certainly like to not have that happen in the future. TIA.
_________________________
'Those who danced were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.'



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#199588 - 07/05/09 05:43 PM Re: ebay seller Bill_asia - virus!! [Re: orchid527]
Shari Offline
OSF Gold Member

Registered: 01/31/09
Posts: 338
Loc: Florida, USA
Mike...if you click on ebay's security and resolution center site, you will get a lot of helpful information about seller's policy of return etc. You can even contact ebay to make a complaint about the seller.
Good luck. I just bought my first ebay orchid. The transaction went swimmingly well. The plant was in perfect condition as promised by the seller. You must be very careful in reading their feedback results as well.

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#199626 - 07/06/09 05:18 AM Re: ebay seller Bill_asia - virus!! [Re: Shari]
orchid527 Offline
OSF Member

Registered: 03/29/08
Posts: 90
Loc: Indiana
Shari,

Even if he had refunded the money for the virused plants, it would have been only $15 after return shipping. It was more important to leave the feedback as a warning to others, but I doubt it did much good. I have purchased from him before, but only flasks. He charges too much for shipping and he has a goofy shipping schedule, but these things are clearly stated up front. It's just that I was disappointed in his response when I told him that the phals had tested positive for ORSV and CymMV. It was clear that he was only interested in the money. It was also disappointing to see the virus in these KHM lot numbers. It is very likely that these plants were infected before this ebay seller even received them.

Mike

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#199644 - 07/06/09 08:45 AM Re: ebay seller Bill_asia - virus!! [Re: orchid527]
e-spice Offline
OSF Platinum Member

Registered: 05/17/03
Posts: 3147
Loc: Knoxville, Tennessee
I have given up on novelty phalaenopsis stem props or clones due to the extremely high percentage of virus. I have found most vendors who sell virused phals don't care about and/or won't acknowledge the problem so I don't care to do business with them any more.

e-spice

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#203847 - 08/06/09 11:03 PM Re: ebay seller Bill_asia - virus!! [Re: orchid527]
opi8 Offline
plant science/horticulture professor

Registered: 07/29/09
Posts: 2
Loc: USA
i followed to your negative feedback orchid527, it wasn't in vain. i was tempted to buy some seedling vandas but seeing their volume i wondered about their rep & honesty. i was tempted to get them nad have them tested, a USDA virus lab is in the same building as my lab.
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#237714 - 04/01/10 07:36 PM Re: ebay seller Bill_asia - virus!! [Re: opi8]
Desdinova Offline
OSF Member

Registered: 04/01/10
Posts: 65
Most of Bill_asia's phals are either triploid or aneuploid, and as I am looking for breeders, I wouldn't have one on a dare. The crosses they list had to have been picked by the severely visually challenged and then wholly at random. I gotta wonder what they were thinking. rolleyes
_________________________
"Where are you?"
The answer came in a neutral way.
"I do not know. Sleep has no place it can call its own."
-- Mina Harker -- Dracula

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#237727 - 04/01/10 08:21 PM Re: ebay seller Bill_asia - virus!! [Re: Desdinova]
ellen fl Offline
OSF Platinum Member

Registered: 05/09/03
Posts: 15380
Loc: no. palm beach, fl
i DO NOT want to hear this. i just bought 3 plants from them . . . phal violacea borneo (in bud), den strebloceras and vanda paraphal denevei. do i have to toss them? frown

ellen fl
_________________________
"Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you an automobile." Billy Sunday, Evangelist

Jesus was a liberal.

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#237803 - 04/02/10 11:28 AM Re: ebay seller Bill_asia - virus!! [Re: ellen fl]
ellen fl Offline
OSF Platinum Member

Registered: 05/09/03
Posts: 15380
Loc: no. palm beach, fl
so . . . do i have to throw them all away or is the virus limited to certain plants? i have been wanting a violacea for so long . . . and it's in bud!

ellen fl
_________________________
"Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you an automobile." Billy Sunday, Evangelist

Jesus was a liberal.

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#237806 - 04/02/10 12:22 PM Re: ebay seller Bill_asia - virus!! [Re: ellen fl]
Pook Online   content
Google Queen

Registered: 05/08/03
Posts: 12675
Loc: thin air
Ellen, send a sample to be tested or buy a 5 test kit from Agdia.
_________________________
"My favorite nite spot is on a Springmaid sheet." Gypsy Rose Lee

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#237810 - 04/02/10 12:58 PM Re: ebay seller Bill_asia - virus!! [Re: Pook]
ellen fl Offline
OSF Platinum Member

Registered: 05/09/03
Posts: 15380
Loc: no. palm beach, fl
so, in other words, throw away my $60 worth of plants . . . or buy test kits for $810. got it. wink

ellen fl


Edited by ellen fl (04/02/10 12:58 PM)
_________________________
"Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you an automobile." Billy Sunday, Evangelist

Jesus was a liberal.

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#237812 - 04/02/10 02:05 PM Re: ebay seller Bill_asia - virus!! [Re: ellen fl]
Pook Online   content
Google Queen

Registered: 05/08/03
Posts: 12675
Loc: thin air
A 5 sample test kit is $32.50. If you weren't so snarky I would have sent you one from my test kit for free.
_________________________
"My favorite nite spot is on a Springmaid sheet." Gypsy Rose Lee

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#237832 - 04/02/10 06:34 PM Re: ebay seller Bill_asia - virus!! [Re: Pook]
ellen fl Offline
OSF Platinum Member

Registered: 05/09/03
Posts: 15380
Loc: no. palm beach, fl
sorry, i wasn't trying to be snarky . . . i was simply pointing out the cost of the three plants vs the cost of the test kits. i thought that was what you were telling me. i didn't ask about testing them, i asked if they were all automatically virused and did i therefore have to toss all three.

it would have been generous for you to offer me a kit, but i am not interested in testing them. and based on the instructions for sending a sample for testing, mine don't have enough leaves for that. kitty2

ellen fl


Edited by ellen fl (04/02/10 06:40 PM)
_________________________
"Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you an automobile." Billy Sunday, Evangelist

Jesus was a liberal.

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#237876 - 04/03/10 04:50 AM Re: ebay seller Bill_asia - virus!! [Re: ellen fl]
orchid527 Offline
OSF Member

Registered: 03/29/08
Posts: 90
Loc: Indiana
Ellen

Don't throw them away. The novelty phals have problems, but plants grown from seed are likely to be as safe as those from any other source. I've purchased flasks from him and none were infected.

Mike

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#237909 - 04/03/10 10:59 AM Re: ebay seller Bill_asia - virus!! [Re: orchid527]
ellen fl Offline
OSF Platinum Member

Registered: 05/09/03
Posts: 15380
Loc: no. palm beach, fl
thanks, mike. they look fine now so i will just keep an eye on them . . . and keep them separated form the rest of my small collection.

ellen fl
_________________________
"Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you an automobile." Billy Sunday, Evangelist

Jesus was a liberal.

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#238036 - 04/04/10 06:55 PM Re: ebay seller Bill_asia - virus!! [Re: ellen fl]
Desdinova Offline
OSF Member

Registered: 04/01/10
Posts: 65
Just quarantine and use common sense. If you want to prevent viruses, don't use tools from plant to plant without sterilizing them first, either with flame or alcohol. Dirty tools spread viruses more than any other way.

Pretend it's AIDS and avoid exposing plants to the fluids of other plants. Same principle.
_________________________
"Where are you?"
The answer came in a neutral way.
"I do not know. Sleep has no place it can call its own."
-- Mina Harker -- Dracula

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#238200 - 04/05/10 07:26 PM Re: ebay seller Bill_asia - virus!! [Re: orchid527]
bullsie Offline
OSF Gold Member

Registered: 08/23/07
Posts: 324
Loc: pennsylvania
I had purchased from him in the past. Considering he couldn't tell the blc from the lc or the slc from the bc, I figured if he couldn't get the first part right, what's the chances the rest was right. Not worth the money or the length of time to grow and flower to have invested in NOIDs.

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#238276 - 04/06/10 10:20 AM Re: ebay seller Bill_asia - virus!! [Re: bullsie]
Ed M Offline
OSF Platinum Member

Registered: 06/27/03
Posts: 16228
Loc: Nashville, Tennessee
I've bought several nice things from Bill Asia...Vanda Mimi Palmer, Renanthera, Ascos. and Cattleyas. Most of the small seedlings are very, very tiny. But I've also gotten some large blooming sized plants for just a few dollars. All have been fine and reliable. I could be wrong, but I don't think Bill Asia does his own meristemming. I pretty sure his plants would come from the various labs overseas.
_________________________
"I've never yet met an orchid that I didn't like." - me

"Cynicism is fear, and it's worse than fear - it's active disengagement.” - Ken Burns

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#238354 - 04/06/10 11:03 PM Re: ebay seller Bill_asia - virus!! [Re: Ed M]
MrCym Online   content
OSF Platinum Member

Registered: 03/30/06
Posts: 2934
Loc: Salinas
As far as the virus issue goes, I do not comprehend why the inspectors do not use Agdia or similar test kits to randomly sample plants entering the country and then reject any shipments where plants tested positive for the two main viruses???

A nursery friend here in Salinas tests a random bottle of every clone of Cattleya Alliance he receives and any positives, he just asks the lab (almost always in Taiwan) whether they want the plants returned or dumped. He has noticed a dramatic reduction in positives since adopting this practice which goes to show those rotten bastards are fullly aware of the infected stock they are cloning.

Since the Japanese have been randomly testing inbound flasks of Phalaenopsis mericlones, the positive level has dropped amazingly. Of course the infected clones are just shipped here or to Europe instead!
Buyer beware!

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#239584 - 04/17/10 02:43 PM Re: ebay seller Bill_asia - virus!! [Re: MrCym]
Juan Miguel Offline
OSF Platinum Member

Registered: 04/02/05
Posts: 1838
Loc: gran canaria,España,SPAIN
more reasons to never buy there eviltongue

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