Hello friends and forum members!

Something has been niggling / annoying me for a while but instead of seeing if there is anything i could do about it - i just mumble, growl and chunner about it!

Well it finallly 'got' to me enough to post something about it and to therefore see if anyone can offer any advice or tell me its just one of the things that i will have to disagree with but not be able to do anything about.

Its an ebay trader that is severely ticking me off. I wont post his ebay name here as this is an open forum but he started off selling one or two fairly big(ish) fish saying that they were from his pond, but the selling continued (how many endless big fish can a person have to sell out of their own personal pond!?) Then it stopped for a short while and lo and behold he pops up again under a different ebay user name (we knew it was the same guy - same way of holding the fish, same kind of fish, same area of the uk etc), this time he is selling fish for a friend!

This continues and continues and continues - with this ebay id now this man has racked up over 150 ebay sales (it has to be more as loads of ppl dont leave feedback), he has stopped saying "from my pond" or "from my friends pond" and is just posting fish for sale left right and centre.

I have no quibble with legit dealers or people who want to move on a couple from their pond - but this man is taking the proverbial!! All the fish look majorly pinked up, stressed, bloated etc, and the volume he sells is outrageous - last week we counted over 20 fish for sale in one day (and your always talking fish that are 18-30 inches - never tiddlers!), always photographed in about an inch or two of water!!

Just checked actually and the guy only has a job lot of 5 up for sale (which is very little for him)!

Is this legal - i thought you had to have a licence? I will bet my bottom dollar that he dont! Like i say no probs with regular ppl moving on a fish or 2 and no probs with dealers - it just doesnt seem fair to the fish that this guy is moving on such big quantities of large fish that look ill! Is there anything i can do to get it either investigated or get him blocked from selling?

~Wonder where they are sourced from - cos he cant keep that many! Wonder if he offers "cheap garden clearance" etc, and then offloads them to try and make a buck!

I wonder how many of you know who i am talking about and have already noticed his goings on?????

Having read this back - it doesnt seem as bad, but i have seen fish in appalling state really bigged up by this guy in order to make as much as possible from them and you just know joe public are buying a disasterous problem!

,,,,,and i wont even mention the word "bio secure"!!!!! (cos it cant exist for these fish!)

Lisa
x

hi boo,

i know who you mean on ebay, his feedback tells you he has a lake in his back garden or does pond clearance of some description, the ones on there at mo he didn't sell them so has now listed them together are we talking the same person, like me you want to do something but what!!! i feel sorry for the fish!!!..........

You know koi baby

Ash says perhaps all koi keepers should buy a koi between us and all turn up to collect it - with BIG sticks!!! lmao!!

I do feel very sorry for the fish and really angry that this can happen!

I need to be real careful that i dont lead myself into danger my naming this guy as this is an open forum and as such can be read by anyone thats not a member.

However, if anyone wanted to pm me then it would be a private conversation between myself and that individual.

Funny tho - cos i didnt really think that area of the uk was home to lakes that one could have in ones back garden!!!!

Lx

this type of person needs to be name'd and shamed.

pm sent john (well a couple of pm's!)

Lxx

Hello Boo ..
i know who you mean G A L LOL
I have heard a lot of bad reports about this guy ..i think he buys the fish in under another id ..and then sells them on under G A L .
the people who you have to be carefull of is the fly -by-nights the ones that want to make a fast buck as they obviously have no concern for the koi 's best interests ..they just want your money ..
There was another seller who bought some koi that i know of ..and then listed them as new in from Japan ..what a load of cobblers..
There's enough con merchants on ebay without them doing it a the koi's expence.
I would hazzard a guess that none of the koi have been treated just bought and moved on.

Ebay is a very usefull tool ..but when selling anything especially koi or pondfish you do have to be carefull ..
I have used ebay to sell fish and thankfully i have only ever had one idiot who wont ever be buying again !!

I honestly couldnt re-home or sell koi or pondfish that could potentially infest someone elses pond..it's just not on.
Never knowing the full history of the rescue koi i get, i dont pretend to know either ..unless the owner tells me where they got them from ..which in a few cases does happen.
All these people see is pound signs... makes me sick to my stomache it really does.
Oh and now ebay has changed the bidders history .. you dont know if your being bid up by bogus bidders ..which happens lots more now than it ever did.
thats my grumble over
Max

Hi Lisa

I know of a few people who do quite well out of pond clearances. They "do you a favour" and get them out of your way, or they pay a very small price for them. I even know one person who often charges for removing sick koi and taking it away for treatment. Heal the problem and stick them on ebay as a stunning, high quality Japanese koi.

Like you, my real concern is the risk these people present to unsuspecting koi lovers who may be new to the hobby and don't understand the possibility of introducing diseases to their ponds by buying the ebay "bargains". As you say, I'm not sure they're doing anything illegal so don't challenge them. However, If I ever get some concrete evidence on some of them (e.g. selling KHV carriers) I'll certainly be making some enquiries to DEFRA!

Meanwhile, I think all we can do is be very careful ourselves and encourage everyone we know to ask about bio security and the background of any koi they think about buying.

Cheers

Bob

Just all seems wrong doesnt it

Like i say though - no grumble whatsoever with legit dealers or the odd well meaning person moving on a fish or two but this make a fast buck irrespective of the koi's health and irrespective of what may be being passed onto someones pond is just so WRONG!!!!

I'm just little old me and cant really change the things that anger me so unfortunately

I have been quietly surprised at the amount of ppl who know exactly who i am talking about lol!

What really really amazes me is that this guy has over 99% positive feedback! HOW!!!???!

Hyperthetically (sp) speaking with the amount of fish hes shifting - would he need some sort of licence from the borough he lives in?

Lx

Have you checked out his neutral & negative feedback.......sold 3 to the same buyer, all diseased, one died next day, who cares that he refunded their money, that aint the point!

The koi look really bloated.

Checked out his listing for 5 fish as a job lot, there are only 3 left, 2 already sold, might email him and go have a look tomorrow as I am working in London

Ok, I don't think the guy is doing anything illegal strictly speaking - he is buying and selling which is what Ebay is about... feedback is the buyer beware flag....

HOWEVER... couple of suggestions for what they are worth...

You will gain nothing by confronting the guy, only cause yourself upset so don't.

Now for something I believe you can do...

Is the guy registered as a business seller? If not... email Ebay listing your concerns, BUT detail what you believe are name changes and volumes of sale.

Also... there is a level of sales that tip over to interest the inland revenue... this maybe why the id was changed... From ths ounds of this guy he is evading tax and running a business for income... and dare I uggest maybe collecting his/her benefits each week... There is a benefit/tax fraud contact number I believe... Report same info and let them investigate, they will... eventually heh.

The advantage of those 2 actions is they will be anonymous to the seller so no come back on you. If you do it though present all the evidence you have clearly - auction id numbers etc - I would think the guys is advertising in local papers to him to clear ponds etc dont know. Anyway my suggestions to get this guy.