Cheap torch too good to be true?

KrisReef · Jan 12, 2024

That tiny skeleton, could it have held this (multi-headed?) torch? I am skeptical of this. If this torch died in the bag it would have left a nasty mess of pollution and rot that clouded up the bag, ime.

Not much mystery here, from what I can see. Sorry.

miyags · Jan 12, 2024

peewee5779 said:
I have heard that sometimes when an item that is living like a coral doesn't make the expected or wanted dollar amount that it better to send something in its place and refund the money so that it can go back on auction. The seller is not out any money just time. The buyer gets their money back but not shipping (in this case $50). The seller will ship another out but the buyer doesn't want to pay another shipping fee so backs out and takes the loss. Not saying that is what happened here but I can only go by the evidence in the bag and make a conclusion.

This happened to me..

SWFT · Jan 12, 2024

peewee5779 said:
Yes you are correct. I will tuck my tail and go my way. Just want to bring attention to this so that it may save someone else the grief and $.

*****still laughing about the "torched in the future " comment ***** that was almost worth all of this!!!!!!!!

eBay makes it really easy for buyers to create a dispute. 99% of the time, the dispute is in favor of the buyer. Start a chat with eBay and explain the situation saying they sent the wrong item or it didn’t match. Or submit the dispute and go claim all the money back including the shipping.

I know this because I have been selling on eBay for over 5 years…

FUNGI · Jan 12, 2024

peewee5779 · Jan 12, 2024

Uncle99 said:
Was the bag water clear and slightly cool?
How’d it smell, smell of saltwater or death.?

It’s certainly gone.

The water was clean and still warm from the heat pouch. Smelled fine. That's what I don't understand, if it died in route why wasn't there any signs of floating flesh/bad smell/discolored water. It did arrive 12 hours late but it was still warm. I've had other corals not arrive on time (even acros) that did just fine.

peewee5779 · Jan 12, 2024

KrisReef said:
That tiny skeleton, could it have held this (multi-headed?) torch? I am skeptical of this. If this torch died in the bag it would have left a nasty mess of pollution and rot that clouded up the bag, ime.

Not much mystery here, from what I can see. Sorry.

You know I didn't even notice that until you just pointed it out, darn. I an usually really alert. You have a good eye!

ErikVR · Jan 12, 2024

He dead...

I would so not accept a $50 charge for shipping a frag skeleton. No way that was any other way when it was bagged. That's the reason I always use PayPal with new vendors. Create a dispute for a full refund.

peewee5779 · Jan 12, 2024

KrisReef said:
I recently bought a crazy specimen plate coral that "dissappeared" from the sellers tanks before they could ship it to me. They were not sure, but it may have rtn'd but it wasn't available, somehow? I hope they kept it, I'd like a frag later and it would be a shame if that plate died and was lost to the hobby. I'm gonna keep looking for frags down the road, it was that good.

Love how it conveniently "disappeared". I would rather have had that happen than waiting all day for the box. That's just the chance we take I guess.

KrisReef · Jan 12, 2024

peewee5779 said:
Love how it conveniently "disappeared". I would rather have had that happen than waiting all day for the box. That's just the chance we take I guess.

Actually, I was dealing with a local vendor and planned to pick the order up. I had used my wifes PayPal account (she handles all the $$$) and they said they had tried to call her when the plate came up missing.

I can't blame the vendor as I have known him long time and I know he has a lot of hobbists who work for him and if it retracted, or just walked out of the shop, I have no evidence to point a finger at any one specifically but it did seem odd how it vanished. I picked up the other coral I had ordered and they said they would give me a credit +$50.00 for anything on their site to make up for my loss.

So, the only thing I can say is that someone else may have it, or it may have died, but I don't have it and in fact I didn't even get a gift cert or credit for the $250.00 (200.00 + 50.00) that I was supposed to have gotten. I'm OK with that for now. I like the owner and the store and the other coral I picked up was another piece I have been looking to get for awhile. It will all be fine in the end. Thanks OP for posting your situation. The Coral Biz has always had shenanighens from owners, employees, wholesalers, and hole sellers. Every now and again it's our turn to get holed.

Uncle99 · Jan 12, 2024

peewee5779 said:
The water was clean and still warm from the heat pouch. Smelled fine. That's what I don't understand, if it died in route why wasn't there any signs of floating flesh/bad smell/discolored water. It did arrive 12 hours late but it was still warm. I've had other corals not arrive on time (even acros) that did just fine.

So I see only two possibles.
1- the polyps were not there when bagged, if they did, they cloud the water and distinct smell.
2- the polyps were just very retracted and lost after out of the bag.

I see something on the frag in the bag, but not clear enough to know for sure.

peewee5779 · Jan 12, 2024

Uncle99 said:
So I see only two possibles.
1- the polyps were not there when bagged, if they did, they cloud the water and distinct smell.
2- the polyps were just very retracted and lost after out of the bag.

I see something on the frag in the bag, but not clear enough to know for sure.

Uncle99 said:
So I see only two possibles.
1- the polyps were not there when bagged, if they did, they cloud the water and distinct smell.
2- the polyps were just very retracted and lost after out of the bag.

I see something on the frag in the bag, but not clear enough to know for sure.

Here is the other picture that I have. When I looked down into it when it was in the bag I saw no polyps just some sort if connective tissue. I guess I could be wrong and therefore to give the seller the benefit of the doubt I am not asking for shipping money back and am not putting any negative comments on Ebay. He said he didn't know how to make it right and I suggested splitting the shipping fee which he never replied to.

FUNGI · Jan 12, 2024

IMO..."He said he didn't know how to make it right "
Make it right by sending you another one, albeit, one thats alive.....just IMO

peewee5779 · Jan 12, 2024

FUNGI said:
IMO..."He said he didn't know how to make it right "
Make it right by sending you another one, albeit, one thats alive.....just i

peewee5779 · Jan 12, 2024

Right away he asked me if I wanted him to send another. I would love that but I can't justify spending $50 more dollars on shipping and he never offered to cover the shipping on the second frag. I also would have to take another day off work to be there when the box arrives because he wants pictures within 2 hours of receiving the box. So I told him just refund my money instead. When I came back and complained after thinking about the whole deal is when he said how can he make it right. I think splitting the shipping is fair.

braaap · Jan 12, 2024

Open a claim with ebay and say you want to return it. Ebay sides with the buyer 100% of the time. You will get your money back and they will have to send a shipping label.

I know. I have over 15,000 sales on ebay with less than .02% returns. But the few times people do that I HAVE to do the return.

Uncle99 · Jan 12, 2024

peewee5779 said:
Here is the other picture that I have. When I looked down into it when it was in the bag I saw no polyps just some sort if connective tissue. I guess I could be wrong and therefore to give the seller the benefit of the doubt I am not asking for shipping money back and am not putting any negative comments on Ebay. He said he didn't know how to make it right and I suggested splitting the shipping fee which he never replied to.

Oh, that’s clearer on my end.
Just seeing some residual skin possibly.

Our online stores issue an arrive alive guarantee or replacement at no cost to you.

It’s important for vendors to keep coral buyers happy if they expect for them to return, and it’s the return sales that are most important to a business year to year.

Perhaps there are other vendors in your local that provide this “arrive alive” guarantee.

In your case, that would not be considered “alive” and it would be only fair to make you whole.

There’s a very healthy margin on this stuff.

braaap · Jan 12, 2024

peewee5779 said:
Right away he asked me if I wanted him to send another. I would love that but I can't justify spending $50 more dollars on shipping and he never offered to cover the shipping on the second frag. I also would have to take another day off work to be there when the box arrives because he wants pictures within 2 hours of receiving the box. So I told him just refund my money instead. When I came back and complained after thinking about the whole deal is when he said how can he make it right. I think splitting the shipping is fair.

Splitting shipping for something he shipped that was already dead is NOT fair.

peewee5779 · Jan 13, 2024

braaap said:
Open a claim with ebay and say you want to return it. Ebay sides with the buyer 100% of the time. You will get your money back and they will have to send a shipping label.

I know. I have over 15,000 sales on ebay with less than .02% returns. But the few times people do that I HAVE to do the return.

Thank you I have started the return process and he isn't bugging. After many texts back and forth we have decided to let Ebay make the decision.