Anyone familiar with bonsai import Co.

rockm

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This place came up in my Facebook feed over the weekend. It's in Delaware and um, WOW, $24,000 imported Japanese junipers. etc. I've never heard of them , even though they say they've been in business for 15 years...

https://bonsaiimportcompany.com/

Hold onto your hat. The prices gave me a nosebleed...
 

StoneCloud

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This place came up in my Facebook feed over the weekend. It's in Delaware and um, WOW, $24,000 imported Japanese junipers. etc. I've never heard of them , even though they say they've been in business for 15 years...

https://bonsaiimportcompany.com/

Hold onto your hat. The prices gave me a nosebleed...


Their listed address:

FullSizeRender-1.jpg-1.jpg

BIC CONTACT INFO
651 Valley Rd
Hockessin, DE 19707

1-302-438-1033
bonsaiimportco@gmail.com
Monday - Friday 9a.m. - 5p.m.


is the address for the post office in the town of Hockessin................

https://www.hours-locations.com/us-post-office/de/hockessin/651-valley-rd/


I would be VERY weary :cool:
 

Starfox

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rockm

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Not having heard of them before and the prices on those trees would also lead me to believe this is a scam...Using a post office address is definitely not good.
 

KeithE

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Surely no one around here would jump to a conclusion. Prices reflect the quality. The seller also sells on Facebook. Give them a call if you are interested in a tree. Or avoid due to the suspiciously nice trees.
 

StoneCloud

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Surely no one around here would jump to a conclusion. Prices reflect the quality. A few of those trees have been in Kokofu. The seller also sells on Facebook. Give them a call if you are interested in a tree. Or avoid due to the suspiciously nice trees.


LOL


The trees have nothing to do with it. The structure of the business is not clean. That is also not the true registered business name.

Also where is their nursery or office..................

It would be nice to see :)
 

JudyB

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They list in several of them, the maker of the tree. That may lend credence to this business actually. They have quality things listed, and some of the pricing isn't out of the question. Wonder if they actually are legit? I wouldn't trust without question for sure.
 

rockm

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Surely no one around here would jump to a conclusion. Prices reflect the quality. The seller also sells on Facebook. Give them a call if you are interested in a tree. Or avoid due to the suspiciously nice trees.
Not jumping to conclusions, just smells bad from the look of the website, it's sudden appearance, etc. Have you purchased trees from them?

The Kennett Collection is up near Wilmington, Del. This connected to them? IF so, why the secrecy and hinting around?
 

StoneCloud

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I am curious as well......

My thoughts, if they are legit, is that they are brokering the sale of the tree....playing middle man

I read their terms too some things in there seem odd but maybe that is just me.
 

KeithE

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Just saying they have sold trees on Facebook, so maybe reach out to them on there. Those trees are far too expensive for me, unfortunately. As Judy stated, many of the sources for the trees are noted in the details.
 

JudyB

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Not jumping to conclusions, just smells bad from the look of the website, it's sudden appearance, etc. Have you purchased trees from them?

The Kennett Collection is up near Wilmington, Del. This connected to them? IF so, why the secrecy and hinting around?
I thought about the Kennett too when I saw where they were and the quality and provenance of the trees. I've never heard of them, but most of these trees are out of my range so maybe the people who can afford them know who the vendor is.
 

Bonsai Nut

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Whois shows website is registered in Toronto and only been around for a month.
https://who.is/whois/bonsaiimportcompany.com

That is the address for Tucows in Ontario. Tucows is a legit Internet registry. Otherwise that info is somewhat meaningless.

Additionally, if you are a high-end bonsai nursery without a retail location, I can understand not wanting to use your home address as business address. You run a risk of theft, as well as having people show up on your driveway unannounced. That said, people are correct, the address is NOT legit - if they are using the Post Office as their business address they need (at minimum) a PO Box.

The phone number area code is at least for Delaware :)

Best bet - particularly when dealing when these kinds of trees - is to say you want to pick up the tree in person.
 
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Bonsai Nut

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FWIW...

They have an eBay store front - also relatively new. However of the feedback they received, the people giving them feedback have themselves a significant history on eBay, and they said they picked up trees in person and were all very pleased.

Buyer beware... but it sounds like it could be legit. They just need to do a little better job letting people know who they are dealing with.

A similar story to these guys: Giant Sequoia Nursery. For years I had been looking for somewhere to buy sequoia and bristlecone pre-bonsai. And I mean for YEARS I had been doing Internet searches, etc, asking local nurseries, asking people at bonsai conventions. And then suddenly these guys show up in an Internet search and said they had been in business for over 30 years - but no one that I know in the California bonsai world had ever heard of them, and they are located in California. And yet - spoke to them via email and ordered a tree and they are 100% legit. So I guess the Internet doesn't know everything, after all :)

I just sent them an email for some info and I'll let people know how they respond.
 
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johng

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This is a new outlet for the Kennet Collection. I was there recently and recognize the trees and personally spoke to several folks on premises about this effort....This is totally legit! They are all setup now with the quarantine greenhouses and permits to do all of their own importing....have trees in quarantine already. Having seen all of those trees in the last 24 hours, I can tell you that the prices are phenomenal for what you are getting!!!! That 7k black pine is unbelievable and I dont even like jbp. The folks I was with bought a van load of trees and came away feeling like they had gotten a great deal!!! Even cheap old me spent nearly twice as much as I ever have previously for a piece of material! Its a project though so you will have to wait for photos!
 

rockm

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FWIW, for the site's owners---If you don't know what you're looking at and it comes at you unannounced, this seems VERY MUCH like a scam--take your pick --watering hole, phishing, Facebook hijack...

The signs are there, unfortunately--The use of a general post office, some products that don't quite fit (boxwood, ponderosa pine aren't imports and are a bit overvalued), high prices , claims of selling for years, but newly registered site and sales effort. All of those are used in online exploits by cyberthieves. I've been phished a lot, I know.

FWIW, I understand the use of the PO box is for security. I own bull terriers. Bull terrier breeders (And legit pit bull show breeders) follow very much the same "no names, addresses" thing to keep varying kinds of thieves from stealing their dogs. Some breeders avoid updating their web sites to make them look as though they're no longer active--unless you "know someone" who knows different.

John G's endorsement is enough for me, but word up bonsaiimport, be aware you rang some alarm bells...
 

StoneCloud

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FWIW, for the site's owners---If you don't know what you're looking at and it comes at you unannounced, this seems VERY MUCH like a scam--take your pick --watering hole, phishing, Facebook hijack...

The signs are there, unfortunately--The use of a general post office, some products that don't quite fit (boxwood, ponderosa pine aren't imports and are a bit overvalued), high prices , claims of selling for years, but newly registered site and sales effort. All of those are used in online exploits by cyberthieves. I've been phished a lot, I know.

FWIW, I understand the use of the PO box is for security. I own bull terriers. Bull terrier breeders (And legit pit bull show breeders) follow very much the same "no names, addresses" thing to keep varying kinds of thieves from stealing their dogs. Some breeders avoid updating their web sites to make them look as though they're no longer active--unless you "know someone" who knows different.

John G's endorsement is enough for me, but word up bonsaiimport, be aware you rang some alarm bells...


I agree with you. The presentation is horrible and shady. Plus in their terms they seem to take no responsibility once the "tree leaves their premises" for a legit "well intentioned" business I don't think that is a cool policy..........just saying.
 
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