Marc Torppa / Marc Torpa / Mark Torppa / Mark Torpa @ the Growing Grounds - AVOID

[Nybonsai12]

Put it this way, after I decided on what tree I wanted it was only 5 days until the tree was at my front door. Only reason it took 5 days is because I had a hard time choosing from all the good trees he has to offer and I made my decision on a Thursday. He had to wait till the following Monday to ship.

Is that supposed to be impressive? Most sellers do this.

 

[5th element]

its a large tree, It was very well packed, in double boxed. Wired securely to the bottom with heavy wire. Matter of a fact it was so well packed I had a hard time getting it out of the box. LOL.

 

[Vance Wood]

Is that supposed to be impressive? Most sellers do this.

I said it many post before: Post a picture of the tree and shut everybody up. including me. I don't care if it's a good tree I just want to know if it's any tree at all.

Here are my concerns.

1.) You are so passionate about defending this guy's honor one is left to think that perhaps, in the face of all the negative press, Mark paid you off to fall on the sword for him. If that infact is true and let us say he sent you a thousand dollar tree (for free) to defend him, it is a small investment to continue getting business from the site. The total membership of the Bnut is a significant number of people to eleminate from your potential customers. The bonsai community is too small to piss-off this many of them.

 

[coh]

its a large tree, It was very well packed, in double boxed. Wired securely to the bottom with heavy wire. Matter of a fact it was so well packed I had a hard time getting it out of the box. LOL.

How large? Height, not trunk width. Were the boxes regular cardboard, heavy cardboard, was there wood bracing? Was it packed with peanuts or some other type of filler?

Chris

 

[Redwood Ryan]

Put it this way, after I decided on what tree I wanted it was only 5 days until the tree was at my front door. Only reason it took 5 days is because I had a hard time choosing from all the good trees he has to offer and I made my decision on a Thursday. He had to wait till the following Monday to ship.

Shoot most I order from get it to me in 3 days...

 

[5th element]

I said it many post before: Post a picture of the tree and shut everybody up. including me. I don't care if it's a good tree I just want to know if it's any tree at all.

Here are my concerns.

1.) You are so passionate about defending this guy's honor one is left to think that perhaps, in the face of all the negative press, Mark paid you off to fall on the sword for him. If that infact is true and let us say he sent you a thousand dollar tree (for free) to defend him it is a small investment to continue getting business from the site. The total membership of the Bnut is a significant number of people to eleminate from your potential customers. The bonsai community is too small to piss-off this many of them.

Why are you so paranoid? I wish I got stuff for free!! LOL Look Marc had nothing to do with this thread, I just thought it was ironic to see the same few people bash a mans name openly on a forum and then I have the complete opposite experience. As a matter of fact I emailed Marc before I posted anything about him to make sure he did not mind me sharing with this board.

 

[5th element]

Shoot most I order from get it to me in 3 days...

Slow down and read before you post.

No one ships at the end of a week unless they are a dumba@$

 

[Nybonsai12]

Slow down and read before you post.

No one praises a seller for a great experience and then not show the tree unless they are a dumba@$

Fixed for ya champ

 

[Vance Wood]

Why are you so paranoid? I wish I got stuff for free!! LOL Look Marc had nothing to do with this thread, I just thought it was ironic to see the same few people bash a mans name openly on a forum and then I have the complete opposite experience. As a matter of fact I emailed Marc before I posted anything about him to make sure he did not mind me sharing with this board.

Why are you so evasive? Post a Photo, photograph, picture have a friend take a picture, something, anything. If I was in your position I would jump all over the opportunity to shut up the arrogant old geezer ass hole.

 

[5th element]

I think the old geezer a@$holes are funny, big tough guys behind keyboards. I was just trying to help people out that may have been on the fence about ordering from GG. In no way does it matter to me if you do or don't. If you don't that just means better stuff for me to choose from.

 

[Vance Wood]

I think the old geezer a@$holes are funny, big tough guys behind keyboards. I was just trying to help people out that may have been on the fence about ordering from GG. In no way does it matter to me if you do or don't. If you don't that just means better stuff for me to choose from.

Post a picture Post a Picture POST A PICTURE POST A PICTURE

 

[Redwood Ryan]

Slow down and read before you post.

No one ships at the end of a week unless they are a dumba@$

Uhh...alright? I order on a Monday and it gets to me by Wednesday.

 

[Vance Wood]

I think the old geezer a@$holes are funny, big tough guys behind keyboards. I was just trying to help people out that may have been on the fence about ordering from GG. In no way does it matter to me if you do or don't. If you don't that just means better stuff for me to choose from.

Look, I know you are just playing a game here but I can play as long as you can. There is no tree you may actually be the elusive Mark with a pseudonym.

 

[sikadelic]

This is better than TV. I'm just going to sit here and hit refresh all day.

 

[5th element]

sorry I can't entertain anymore, speaking with TROLLS bore me

 

[Vance Wood]

sorry I can't entertain anymore, speaking with TROLLS bore me

Good then that means I won't have to follow this post around any longer.

 

[buddhamonk]

All that talk about Marc was a bunch of hot air, like I said you could not ask for a better experience. Most all the bad mouth people are just hot air anyways. Just gotta pay to play. Or keep buying of ebay?

So because you had a good experience then everyone else is lying...makes no sense at all.

 

[Dav4]

I went to the Growing Grounds website yesterday and noted a few changes there since the last time I visited. First, it appears the trees are no longer going to be shipped in ceramic pots, but plastic cans...good idea considering all the complaints about busted pots during delivery. Second, it sounds like GG will be accepting credit cards again in the near future. I think this is HUGE...it's easier for the consumer then mailing a check, significantly speeds up the transaction time, and provides protection against fraud or poor service. Finally, I thought the overall tone of the Home Page was more upbeat and welcoming...no more complaining about credit card woes or email/telephone problems affecting communication. I still think the material listed is a bit overpriced...but I'd love to visit the nursery with the few credit cards I have in my wallet. Who knows...it could be a win-win for me and the GG (I still wouldn't have anything shipped)


...I wonder if this thread, started several years ago, might have played a role in motivating the owner to rethink some of his business practices....hmmmm. All I know is that there can never be enough GOOD sources of quality bonsai supplies, and if the GG continues to provide good material and good customer services, I can only wish those at the GG the best.

 

[coh]

One way to avoid broken pots is to use pots that can't break...too bad the trees can't be made that way.

It would be nice to think that they have changed their ways. Or perhaps they ship more carefully when they know someone is aware of the past problems and might be writing about their experience on an internet forum. Who knows. Hopefully we'll hear more good reports in the future.

Chris

 

[Bonsai_Bubba]

Hey guys, wanted to post about a second experience I had with Marc Torpa. I've got two three foot tall bonsai that I was boarding at Q-bonsai's greenhouse. First off, Q took very good care of my trees, didn't charge me at all for it and even offered me very good prices for the trees if coming back to get them was too much trouble for me. Q is a very talented bonsai artist and my guess is that he'll be opening up his own nursery before too long. Dude's a shrewd businessman too!

Anyway, I was traveling back to meet Q and pick up my trees when Q told me that he had bought a bonsai from Marc, a relatively large trident maple with a prohibitive shipping cost. In thanks to Q for taking care of my trees, I told him it would be no trouble to go pick up the tree and be his personal bonsai trucking service.

I got to Marc's and Marc immediately asked me how my trees were doing. I told him that my Japanese Maple was doing fine, but due to my own incompetence the Trident Maple died last year. I was keeping it in the wrong climate and didn't know how to overwinter it properly. Mea culpa. I've always thought that bonsai were a buyer beware situation. You buy it, you don't know how to care for it and kill it, that's on you. Not with Marc.

Marc replaced my trident with two trees of at least equal value. Here are pictures as requested. I'll confess guys, I'm a bona fide Marc Torpa fan. Growing Grounds Groupie if you will. Marc's a great guy to deal with and I will certainly buy my next tree from him, not just because of the artistry and potential of his trees but because he's a superb guy to deal with. Am happy to post things to prove I'm not Marc as well.

Will also be happy to discuss my dealings with other nurseries. One things for sure though, I've never walked out of a bonsai nursery with two trees and a full wallet.