Pilacik bonsai at eBay (Thumbs down)

[Poink88]

I got these Chinese elms from him. 1 corkbark and 2 regular. Came shipped very well and a good price. I'm sorry to hear about your problems Dario because he was great with me. It's too bad. I hope it gets resolved.

Nice to hear you had good experience with him.

BTW, are you sure those are Chinese Elms? They don't look like it from here based on the bark.

 

[johng]

They all three look like corkbark elm to me...I am not sure of the actual taxonomy but I have always been under the impression that it is a cultivar of U. p.

I have "heard" that Steve is getting out or at least significantly parring back his bonsai business....for the last couple of years. So, perhaps he is just liquidating and not interested in reputation any more. I personally have never had any issues with Steve, but I have also never even been tempted to purchase anything from him. I am aware of several folks who have had less than positive experiences...but also some that think highly of him.

Personally, I have never gotten past the frozen solid JBP torture that he tried to pass off as a demo at one of our club meetings in the early 90's...about as disappointed with a demo as I have ever been. The tree never recovered even the hands of a very experienced grower. As a result, I have a pristine signed copy of his book if anyone is interested

John

 

[coh]

I have "heard" that Steve is getting out or at least significantly parring back his bonsai business....for the last couple of years. So, perhaps he is just liquidating and not interested in reputation any more.

If this true, it's a particularly "schmucky" way to go out. If you've got lower quality tools to sell, just be honest about what they are and sell them at the right price. Don't try to screw people. Actually, I was wondering if perhaps he'd gotten a bad deal when he bought these and figured he'd just pass his trouble along to some unsuspecting soul.

I personally have never had any issues with Steve, but I have also never even been tempted to purchase anything from him. I am aware of several folks who have had less than positive experiences...but also some that think highly of him.

His ebay reviews have been glowing (up to now, at least). Very strange situation.

 

[Dav4]

Personally, I have never gotten past the frozen solid JBP torture that he tried to pass off as a demo at one of our club meetings in the early 90's...about as disappointed with a demo as I have ever been. The tree never recovered even the hands of a very experienced grower. As a result, I have a pristine signed copy of his book if anyone is interested

John

I've never heard of this particular technique. I'm wondering what the goal would be as I'm always interested in trying something new.

 

[johng]

I've never heard of this particular technique. I'm wondering what the goal would be as I'm always interested in trying something new.

I think there may be a chapter in the book on it...for the right price I have an unused signed copy you may be interested in??

 

[johng]

If this true, it's a particularly "schmucky" way to go out.

I don't know it for sure...only speculating.

 

[M. Frary]

Nice to hear you had good experience with him.

BTW, are you sure those are Chinese Elms? They don't look like it from here based on the bark.

I think they are all cork bark elms. Darn what a shame. He sold them to me thinking just one was a corkbark. That they aren't what he thought he was selling could be a little disconcerting.
I hate to say it but maybe Mr. Pilacek doesn't know what the hell he's selling. I just lucked out and he screwed himself this time.

 

[KennedyMarx]

I can't get over the fact that this guy is calling himself "the American pine master." Talk about hubris. I just wonder where his amazing pine bonsai are because I didn't see any on his site. Maybe he just doesn't have pics of them.

 

[Vance Wood]

I can't get over the fact that this guy is calling himself "the American pine master." Talk about hubris. I just wonder where his amazing pine bonsai are because I didn't see any on his site. Maybe he just doesn't have pics of them.

Over the years I have caught flak for asking people, who I had doubts about, to post pictures. Now you know why, sometimes there are people out there that are marching to their own drummers and for what ever reason they seem to think the bonsai community is easy to snooker.

 

[herzausstahl]

If this true, it's a particularly "schmucky" way to go out. If you've got lower quality tools to sell, just be honest about what they are and sell them at the right price. Don't try to screw people. Actually, I was wondering if perhaps he'd gotten a bad deal when he bought these and figured he'd just pass his trouble along to some unsuspecting soul.

His ebay reviews have been glowing (up to now, at least). Very strange situation.

Word of warning, eBay will remove negative posts against sellers when there is a case opened in connection with it. Pros and cons to it. But neutral feedback to my knowledge is never removed, but still gives the seller a positive rating.

 

[Don Blackmond]

Word of warning, eBay will remove negative posts against sellers when there is a case opened in connection with it. Pros and cons to it. But neutral feedback to my knowledge is never removed, but still gives the seller a positive rating.

I don't think this is true. It is extremely difficult to get negative feedback removed. Trust me. I had a foreign bidder leave negative feedback for me (I don't ship trees to foreign countries, and the listing said exactly that) and it took extreme measures to get it removed.

 

[Poink88]

I think they are all cork bark elms. Darn what a shame. He sold them to me thinking just one was a corkbark. That they aren't what he thought he was selling could be a little disconcerting.
I hate to say it but maybe Mr. Pilacek doesn't know what the hell he's selling. I just lucked out and he screwed himself this time.

I would have been pissed since I will only buy Chinese elm for the flaking bark. Those are similar to Cedar elm which is plentiful here and can collect as many as I want for free.

Glad the error worked to your advantage though.

 

[Poink88]

I don't think this is true. It is extremely difficult to get negative feedback removed. Trust me. I had a foreign bidder leave negative feedback for me (I don't ship trees to foreign countries, and the listing said exactly that) and it took extreme measures to get it removed.

I hope you are right Don. I would hate for him to get away with this and get another unsuspecting person the same way.

I already left him a negative on one and will post another after the issue is resolved by eBay.

BTW, he still insists these are Japanese made Kiku. I am wondering now if he really believes this (poor man if he does) or just thinking he can trick me still.

 

[coh]

Word of warning, eBay will remove negative posts against sellers when there is a case opened in connection with it. Pros and cons to it. But neutral feedback to my knowledge is never removed, but still gives the seller a positive rating.

Are you saying ebay will remove the negative feedback while the case is open (until it is resolved), or permanently once someone opens a case? Doesn't really make sense to me. I would think that most of the time, people only go through the bother of opening a case when there really is a problem, i.e. when the negative feedback is warranted. Not saying you're wrong, as I have no experience with it...but it just doesn't make sense to me.

Chris

 

[wireme]

His assertion that the stamp saying china does not say china is odd. Absurd, mystifying, kind of funny. I feel like I've got this reading thing pretty much down, I can read words every time!! Looks like china to me.

 

[barrosinc]

ask him to send a pic of his other concave cutters with the stamp on them, with something special like todays newspaper or his ebay on the background....

 

[Poink88]

His last message...laughable.

"Tools are high quality japanese l have been in the bonsai business since 1980 and know the business"

 

[M. Frary]

Not sure he knows the difference in trees let alone tools.

 

[Poink88]

Case finally got escalated. It is in the hands of eBay customer support now.

 

[Poink88]

Wow...eBay worked fast. They ruled in my favor and refunded all my money (well still pending). It is finally over.

I am sure Mr. Pilacik will ask for his tools back...he's not getting them until he sends me money to cover the shipping though.

Happy dance...though he wasted my time.