Is going cheap on eBay worth the risk?

Discussion in 'General Gardening Discussion' started by Moley, Feb 28, 2020.

  1. Moley

    Moley Super Gardener

    Joined:
    Mar 15, 2018
    Messages:
    118
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Staffordshire
    Ratings:
    +576
    Making the most of another spell of awful weather to put more plans together for the allotment and top of the list was finding some mesh to keep the carrot fly away. A quick look around and I found Veggiemesh and Enviromesh right at the upper limits of affordable - particularly at the size we need.

    Having already bought some seeds from eBay this year, I thought I'd see what it offered on the mesh front and was confronted with options at as low as a third of the price of the two previously mentioned brands. Having delved a little deeper, both on their shop pages and running the VAT numbers through this handy little tool, it became apparent that almost all of them were of Chinese/Hong Kong origin.

    Has anyone got any experiences (good or bad) of buying these cheaper alternatives?
     
  2. NigelJ

    NigelJ Total Gardener

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2012
    Messages:
    6,041
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Mad Scientist
    Location:
    Paignton Devon
    Ratings:
    +20,940
    We used to old lace curtains picked up from jumble sales, to cover fruit bushes, but many of them would be fine enough to keep carrot fly off your crops.
     
    • Informative Informative x 2
    • Like Like x 1
    • Cuttings

      Cuttings Super Gardener

      Joined:
      Feb 21, 2020
      Messages:
      517
      Gender:
      Male
      Occupation:
      Horticulturalist
      Location:
      Keynsham north Somerset
      Ratings:
      +1,200
      The problem with Chinese goods is, almost everything cheap is made in China, somethings are bargins, and some things are death traps.
      Take LED grow lights, makers like Phillips and Mars, the units are constructed in Germany, with Chinese and Indonesian components, and of good safe quality. Some of units sold on ebay, that have the same components, but constructed in China, and come with sub standard wiring adaptors or fittings, which are not fit for purpose. So its a lottery, although credit where credit is due, look how far Chinese manufacturers have come in the last 30 years, from rubber ducks to 5G mobiles.
       
      • Agree Agree x 1
      • Useful Useful x 1
      • pete

        pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

        Joined:
        Jan 9, 2005
        Messages:
        47,695
        Gender:
        Male
        Occupation:
        Retired
        Location:
        Mid Kent
        Ratings:
        +84,314
        If it states China avoid it like the plague.
        I know we get a lot of chinese stuff sold here but it comes in through the proper channels, if its on e bay and a direct sale from china, I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole. :smile:
         
        • Agree Agree x 3
        • Like Like x 1
        • clanless

          clanless Total Gardener

          Joined:
          Jan 20, 2013
          Messages:
          3,201
          Gender:
          Male
          Occupation:
          Gentleman of leisure.
          Location:
          North Wales
          Ratings:
          +7,618
          I'd get the chinese netting - save your cash - there are none of the risks associated with electrical goods - what could possibly go wrong... Some Apple gadgets are made in China - so made in China does not mean it's rubbish.
           
          • Like Like x 1
          • Agree Agree x 1
          • Mike Allen

            Mike Allen Total Gardener

            Joined:
            Jan 4, 2014
            Messages:
            2,861
            Gender:
            Male
            Occupation:
            Retired. Plant Pathologist.
            Location:
            Eltham. SE. London
            Ratings:
            +6,097
            I see your point. Mass production = cheap and nasty. Relating to seeds. I have purchased seeds from Premier Seeds Direct. Delivery has been in dribs and drabs. Some seeds come from the UK. Then some from China and just yesterday, I got som Digitalis from Malaysia.

            Seeds etc. I am OK. Other goods, well. Erm! Lets please be honest. Here we have a world populas is always looking for, in this commercial and materialistic world. The cheapest. Please. Here in the UK. So you want this and that. Yes. We can give you that, it will cost you.

            In China the stakes are so different. OK thousands, millions of workers. Life is cheap. Now take a look at our world in general/ perspective. We at our own peril have introduced a throw away system.
            Just consider. You purchased a new computer printer. To you it costa a bomb. The guarantee runs out...so does the printer. Trick of the trade. Built in obsolesence. In the past you or I would have take the printer to be repaired. bugger off says the the shop. If I take aprt your machine. That will cost you £25.00 Then if I check it out, another twenty quid. Now, yes, heres the problem. A resistor, costing 79p To supply and fix will cost you £45.00 so matey. Bin it. Here I have the latest model. £30.00
            This I also found with engineering. I used to make a bit on the side with car repairs. Working on British cars, all went well. Now enters the Chineses and Japs. Removing a simple nut and bolt. Chuck it. Repace it wit a new one. Whereas British steel nuts and bolts you could undo, screw up etc for time indefinite. You pays yor price and you reap tyhe reward.
             
          • shiney

            shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

            Joined:
            Jul 3, 2006
            Messages:
            60,996
            Gender:
            Male
            Occupation:
            Retired - Last Century!!!
            Location:
            Herts/Essex border. Zone 8b
            Ratings:
            +117,280
            The only comment I can make about this is that all consumer organisations recommend that you don't buy from China or other far away countries.

            This is nothing to do with distance or country of origin but to do with the vast number of complaints they get about non-receipt of goods or the goods not being as described. You have no legal rights! I don't know whether you get any protection from ebay for it. :scratch:

            By all means buy something like that, even if it is made in China, but try and buy it from a seller in the UK.
             
            • Agree Agree x 4
            • Cuttings

              Cuttings Super Gardener

              Joined:
              Feb 21, 2020
              Messages:
              517
              Gender:
              Male
              Occupation:
              Horticulturalist
              Location:
              Keynsham north Somerset
              Ratings:
              +1,200
              I would also be very careful about importing plant material, you do not know what plant pathogen bio security is in place, I hope people have checked with DEFRA that the plant material is A, legally allowed in this country and B, is not on the DEFRA register of a high risk plant.
               
              • Like Like x 4
              • Cuttings

                Cuttings Super Gardener

                Joined:
                Feb 21, 2020
                Messages:
                517
                Gender:
                Male
                Occupation:
                Horticulturalist
                Location:
                Keynsham north Somerset
                Ratings:
                +1,200
                I have jyst been to the DEFRA website, and had a quick look through my Plant passport pack, I would urge anyone Not to import any plant material into the UK, unless through appropriate channels (ebay and amazon are not included) as the following are the consequences if Xylella gets into the UK
                A company or an individual, if imported, the nursery or gc etc all plant material including seeds and compost will be removed and incinerated, and the entity will not be allowed to trade in plant material for 5 years, then a standard 1 mile quarentine search area will be setup, if the entity imported contaminated material by avoiding current bio security protocol the fine could be upto £250,000.
                The standard 1 mile quarentine is, an area of 1 square mile around an infection zone means, everywhere in that 1 square mile will be checked for at risk plants, that includes parks your garden, private estates, street planters, everywhere a plant grows, all at risk plants (this includes Lavender, Rosemary, Bay, olive, spanish broom, oleander lots more), will be taken and incinerated wether or not it is infected. And if a plant if found to be infected within that square mile, another square mile starts from where that infected plant is.
                If you are found to have bought in an infected plant, i.e suggled it in from a Spanish Holiday, you may get a fine, if you bought it in from Ebay, then the investigation will move on. If you have a Doctorate in plant pathology or a horticulturalist and imported infected plant material from Ebay, then you will receive a fine that can be upto £250,000.
                So for the sake of yours and my Garden and the 1000's of business that could be destroyed.
                DO NOT IMPORT ANY PLANT MATERIAL. Leave it to the pro's
                Xylella fastidiosa / RHS Gardening
                 
                • Informative Informative x 2
                  Last edited: Feb 29, 2020
                • shiney

                  shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

                  Joined:
                  Jul 3, 2006
                  Messages:
                  60,996
                  Gender:
                  Male
                  Occupation:
                  Retired - Last Century!!!
                  Location:
                  Herts/Essex border. Zone 8b
                  Ratings:
                  +117,280
                  Although I agree that you shouldn't buy plants through unregistered sources the details that you quote are there more to frighten than to be an actuality.

                  Definitely, businesses selling plants should adhere to strict regulations. Individuals should not bring in plants unless licensed to do so. Neither should you buy plants from unapproved and unregistered sources. All this is for the health of the plants in this country.

                  It was only the other week that I related, on the forum, the details of the actual situation (some years ago) when we used to bring in plants from abroad (we had a licence) and how ludicrously it was operated. The regulations are different now but I suspect that the controls haven't improved. :sad:
                   
                  • Agree Agree x 1
                  • Informative Informative x 1
                  • mazambo

                    mazambo Forever Learning

                    Joined:
                    Sep 11, 2018
                    Messages:
                    1,508
                    Gender:
                    Male
                    Location:
                    Stoke-on-Trent
                    Ratings:
                    +3,718
                    Anything like this I would just go for someone who has the best feedback rating but as shiney says best with a uk seller, best thing with eBay and PayPal is if you get crap it's pretty easy to get your money back, I wouldn't say it's much different than the likes of cheap high street shops personally, I think most of their stuff is from China. 95 percent of the stuff from China that I have bought from UK and China direct on eBay have been fine, the other 5 percent have been used as birthday and christmas presents :lunapic 130165696578242 5:
                     
                    • Funny Funny x 1
                    • Friendly Friendly x 1
                    • pete

                      pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

                      Joined:
                      Jan 9, 2005
                      Messages:
                      47,695
                      Gender:
                      Male
                      Occupation:
                      Retired
                      Location:
                      Mid Kent
                      Ratings:
                      +84,314
                      Not bought netting on E bay direct from China but have bought other stuff, its always been rubbish, so I dont buy direct anymore.
                      Sometimes it even says UK seller, but what they do is send it from China to an adress in the UK who then sends it on to you.
                      Why do they do this, other than to convince you that you are not buying from china?
                      But they leave the customs declaration on the package.:doh:

                      If there is a racket that they can use to make money the Chinese will do it.

                      The netting will probably not be UV stable and fall to pieces after the first season.


                      Or be full of holes:lunapic 130165696578242 5:
                       
                      • Like Like x 1
                      • Funny Funny x 1
                      • Moley

                        Moley Super Gardener

                        Joined:
                        Mar 15, 2018
                        Messages:
                        118
                        Gender:
                        Male
                        Location:
                        Staffordshire
                        Ratings:
                        +576
                        Thanks for the replies. Think I'll stick with the 'proper' mesh and try and save money by knocking together a frame myself.
                         
                        • Like Like x 1
                        • Cuttings

                          Cuttings Super Gardener

                          Joined:
                          Feb 21, 2020
                          Messages:
                          517
                          Gender:
                          Male
                          Occupation:
                          Horticulturalist
                          Location:
                          Keynsham north Somerset
                          Ratings:
                          +1,200
                          Whilst what I quoted is a plan of action that DEFRA will implement in the case of Xylella being found on British soil, it has been published to frighten, but it will be implemented in such a senario, the same as Quarentine for those at risk of Corona virus, however Corona is deadly tomonly a few, Xylella will destroy the Horticultural industry, and the Fruit industry, the wine producing industry. Xylella has already shown it can jump species, starting in Olives it is now present in more than 300 species world wide. So the threat is very real, as will the response of the UK goverment.
                           
                          • Like Like x 1
                          • Fat Controller

                            Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

                            Joined:
                            May 5, 2012
                            Messages:
                            26,198
                            Gender:
                            Male
                            Occupation:
                            Public Transport
                            Location:
                            At me 'puter, GCHQ Ashford Office, Middlesex
                            Ratings:
                            +48,819
                            The slightly frustrating thing with the Chinese is that they do know how to produce stuff that is of good quality and complies with various standards - indeed, many of the worlds biggest names (Panasonic, Philips, Volvo being a few that spring to mind) have products made in China because it is the most cost effective for them. The key, however, is that their own engineers provide the exact specification that must be adhered to.

                            There are some Chinese manufacturers that produce really good quality stuff (Inkbird, I believe manufactures in China for example), and that is because these companies genuinely care about ongoing business.

                            But, if you get one of the fly-by-night ones that are just churning out garbage, you are knackered.
                             
                            • Agree Agree x 3
                            • Like Like x 1
                            Loading...

                            Share This Page

                            1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
                              By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
                              Dismiss Notice