bonsais-trees.com scam?

[jszg]

Been looking for a lower-end Japanese white pine (something under $400-500 but not a seedling) and this site came up:

www.bonsais-trees.com

It seems suspicious: no info on the proprietor, use cm despite a Illinois-area phone code, etc. However, reverse image search of their photos returns no other results, and they do have JWP....

 

[ShadyStump]

I agree it doesn't look like the most professional website, but the fact that they list for sale bonsai related tools and not just trees shows they actually know bonsai. The language style indicates to me that English is a second language. The use of metric could easily be attributed to being immigrants to the US, and also doing sales in Australia and UK, according to their site.

They're Facebook link looks at least as legit as the website to me, though I didn't bother to log in. Dates to last September.

If you have a spare email account you can stand quarantining if necessary, you might try emailing them and see what happens.
I see as many signs they're legit as I do of possible fraud, and the negative indicators can easily be explained away with very little imagination. And, hell, the prices even look right. No random sticks in a pot for $5000.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

It is strange they don't list country of origin. Also there is a world of difference selling to Australia and the US - at least as far as import protocols go for live trees. And they list warehouse hours... but no other information on the warehouse - location, phone, etc.

But the trees themselves look ok - and the prices seem reasonable.

 

[August44]

Na!

 

[penumbra]

I am curious about this as well and will be watching. Prices as listed seem reasonable to me.

 

[ShadyStump]

It is strange they don't list country of origin. Also there is a world of difference selling to Australia and the US - at least as far as import protocols go for live trees. And they list warehouse hours... but no other information on the warehouse - location, phone, etc.

But the trees themselves look ok - and the prices seem reasonable.

I'm getting the impression it's a family business sort of thing. They may have relatives in all 3 countries, and that's how they feel comfortable with managing the import protocols.

I could just be reading a bit much into it though. I do like to give folks the benefit of the doubt wherever I can.

 

[jszg]

Update- something very suspicious: photos copied from Bonsaischule Wenddorf https://www.bonsai-shop.com/

(Now if only someone in the states sold white pine at those prices! What goes in the EU for 400 euros is $1400 here. Does the EU really have laxer plant import than the States?)

 

[SWfloirda]

I've always been suspicious of anyone claiming to know the exact age of all of their stock. 30, 40 even 50 years old?

 

[ShadyStump]

Update- something very suspicious: photos copied from Bonsaischule Wenddorf https://www.bonsai-shop.com/

(Now if only someone in the states sold white pine at those prices! What goes in the EU for 400 euros is $1400 here. Does the EU really have laxer plant import than the States?)

Now THIS is where I get suspicious.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Update- something very suspicious: photos copied from Bonsaischule Wenddorf https://www.bonsai-shop.com/

(Now if only someone in the states sold white pine at those prices! What goes in the EU for 400 euros is $1400 here. Does the EU really have laxer plant import than the States?)

Yes, we have laxer import rules. Mostly because we've (especially the netherlands) have been a trading hub for so long that most pests we would love to keep out, are already here.
Quarantines still apply though.

 

[_#1_]

They got a phone number. Give them a call for address?

 

[August]

There's no way this is real. They're using another companies photos for their trees; they don't take visa, only zelle / apple pay / cash app etc.

This reminds me of a time my girlfriend wanted to get a tattoo from a local "artist". Their only information was an Instagram account, their "link" led to a Google search result: "Denver tattoo artists". "She" claimed to tattoo out of her home rather than a shop and wanted a full deposit before they met. I reverse Googled their flash "sketches" and sure enough were ripped from other artists.

We ended up cancelling

Even if they were real, it's easy enough to get a tattoo from someone you *know* is real and can build a relationship with.

Edit: on this very point; 400 dollars can go a long way with nursery stock, or even a local seller on FB marketplace who you can meet in person. Why risk it for the "deal"?

 

[eugenev2]

Been looking for a lower-end Japanese white pine (something under $400-500 but not a seedling) and this site came up:

www.bonsais-trees.com

It seems suspicious: no info on the proprietor, use cm despite a Illinois-area phone code, etc. However, reverse image search of their photos returns no other results, and they do have JWP....

Personally i use sites like hellopeter/facebook/Instagram (at least about 24 months history) to check customer complaints/compliments
Generally not a good sign if there are none of those.
The finally i use other security check sites like IsitLegit or https://www.scamadviser.com/. If they don't have a trusted rating then it's a no go. Although none of these provide you with a 100% guarantee it's better than being scammed.
These are for e-commerce sites in general, once narrowed down like say for bonsai, you can ask on trsusted forums like bonsainut

 

[Bonsai Nut]

The site registrar is based in Paris, France. Gandi SAS.

 

[jszg]

I went through checkout using fake info to a burner email. They didn't ask for any payment method on the website, instead I got an email saying "your order is being processed": let's see what they respond with.

It's a copy of bonsai-store.com, so a scam. As Abraham Lincoln once said, you can't trust everything on the internet!

 

[August44]

The old saying, if it quacks and walks, it is!

 

[Bonsai Nut]

The old saying, if it quacks and walks, it is!

Don't count your chickens, unless they gather no moss!

 

[hemmy]

“As the Internet's largest online retailer of bonsai trees and related products, it is our mission to stand behind our products in every way possible.”

And yet no one on the ‘Nut has heard of them?

Also an @aol.com email address? I thought they went the way of Blockbuster.

 

[Paradox]

Seems sketchy

 

[ShadyStump]

@aol.com email

Actually there are over 100k homes in America still using AOL for various reasons.