Orchid Online Shopping Experience Sharing: Practical Tips for Buying Orchids Online

Author: Zuiweng Lanting

Because there are many differences between buying orchids online and buying orchids in person, buyers are in an unequal position in many respects.

      1) First is the inequality of information. Sellers have a very clear understanding of all the circumstances of their orchids, but due to the virtual nature of online shopping, online buyers cannot, as with buying orchids in person, see and touch the auction items they are interested in. They can only understand and guess at the orchids from the pictures and descriptions provided by the seller, and use these as the basis for making their decisions. The "disappointment" or "pleasant surprise" buyers feel after receiving the orchids is also caused by this limited right to know.

      2) Then there is the inequality of the transaction process. Generally speaking, current online transactions all require payment before shipment. That is to say, the buyer must pay first, and only then can the transaction begin.

      Therefore, when choosing and buying orchids, buyers must pay attention to the target seller's credit rating. If there are many negative reviews, stay away. Some sellers' credit is hyped up; pay attention to their transaction records and analyze them, and you can get a rough idea.

    I think that as long as there is obvious credit hyping, this kind of seller is not trustworthy. Because the most important thing online is integrity, and faking credit is itself an extremely serious lack of integrity.

     Countermeasure: If they fake their credit, how can we still dare to trust their orchids?

1. Low-price trap

    For 300-500 yuan you can buy orchids currently worth several thousand yuan or more, and for a few hundred yuan you can buy a very good newly collected Mei?

For several thousand yuan you can buy a newly collected Sanxingdie with excellent blooms? There is actually such a good thing in the world, and you can get it without even leaving home, just by clicking the mouse.

     Countermeasure: Too astonishingly cheap........... it is better not to hope for it.. Therefore, keep a calm mind and pay a normal price. Buyers themselves are in a disadvantaged position; there are no free pies, but there are many traps.

2. Substituting one thing for another (shipping trap).

     What you bid on is a very good and beautiful Crystal Apple Head, but what you receive is a sour-pickle flower that looks like it came out of a pickle jar. What exactly it is, even an immortal would faint upon seeing this flower. Tell the seller about the situation, and the seller solemnly guarantees the authenticity of the variety, saying, "If it does not bloom true after a few years, I will compensate ten times" (they all seem to say this), but right now they will neither accept a return nor refund the money.

   Countermeasure: Regardless of whether it is real or fake, immediately complain to the website administrator, and according to the website's rules, complain against dishonest people to the very end. Even if you do not get a refund this time, do not let him continue to deceive others. Only the seller knows whether this thing is real or fake, and the seller knows very well in his heart. If genuine goods are returned, there is almost no loss to the seller, and generally returns can be accepted (I myself have accepted returns). But if fake goods are returned, this scam will have been for nothing, so of course they will not accept the return. They will continue to deceive you with nicer-sounding words, making you feel as if a misfortune has turned into a blessing, hoping that next year it will not bloom true, so that you can get the 10-fold compensation he promised, and then you will have made a lot!

3. Empty-handed wolf-catching, part one: Case 1

     A large pot of newly collected orchids, several dozen seedlings, with only one or two flowering plants, a very good die or mei. Please look at the flower pictures. In order to meet the needs of orchid friends, it is divided into more than ten pots for sale, with only one pot bearing flowers. Please look at the seedling division pictures. Not for profit, just for making friends and meeting needs, low-price auction.

    (A clutch of ordinary flowers worth a few dozen yuan can sell for several thousand to tens of thousands of yuan, which is also thanks to the strong support of all you orchid friends!!!)

   Countermeasure: For this kind of auction item, it is best not to look at it, so as to avoid being so unsettled by the pictures and low price that you click the mouse. Not to mention losing several hundred to several thousand yuan, you will also lose several years of expectation. At the same time, remember the old saying, "When there are flowers, buy the flowers; when there are no flowers, buy the person." If you are cheated by someone you trust, you can only blame yourself for being too foolish and too ready to trust others.

4. Empty-handed wolf-catching, part two: Case 2

     Old varieties without flowers, strong plants at a low price, whatever you want is available, except nothing with flowers. Fake one, compensate ten (after several years).

     For this kind of auction item, I have observed that there is a very big market. Orchid friends often post on forums asking: Is this Dahonggui real? Is this Luyun fake? Any expert's judgment of real or fake is nonsense. Real or fake, only an immortal knows.

   Countermeasure: The old saying, "When there are flowers, buy the flowers; when there are no flowers, buy the person." As long as you trust this person, buy regardless of whether it is real or fake. If you do not trust this person, do not buy regardless of whether it is real or fake. Is there still any need to ask? If you are cheated by someone you trust, you can only blame yourself for being too foolish, too poor at judging, and too greedy. You cannot blame the website or any other expert.

    In buying orchids online, there are many scams. Some scams do not exist alone but are a combination of multiple scams. For example, the combined use of "substituting one thing for another" and "empty-handed wolf-catching, part one" is an actual case online.

    According to my summary and analysis, in buying orchids online, the scam with the most risk is "empty-handed wolf-catching." It accounts for more than 80% of all scams. As long as you avoid this risk, and add the "calm mind, normal price" attitude when buying orchids, the chances of being cheated are probably not many, and online transactions will be very safe and enjoyable.