Has anyone ever had to deal with a Spanish woman called 'porcelarena'? This has to be the most ridiculous, rambling,  incoherent person I have ever had to deal with. I get sent three messages after sending her one message and they, mostly, have completely nothing to do with anything. I had message after message that looked as if they were meant for someone else. Denied any purchase was made, when it was paid and what it was for but she would "look tomorrow". "Are your messages for someone else? I don't know you...", "I try my best but go to bed when I'm tired..." she said. Huh?

I had to email her screenshots, Paypal payment details with my name, address blah, blah, blah - then she remembers. Twelve messages from her and now she's refunding they payment - YES! I bet it won't happen, though.

For the love of all that's dear to you avoid this insanity!

Lol. Wow she must have something going on that got her all frazzled

I could post her ramblings but I'll leave her with some dignity.

Some two hours after our last contact she still hasn't refunded my money but that's ok because she offered to sell privately off of ebay - ebay won't like that at all, and Paypal are on her heels now, too. She may have sufficient brain power to know that she will be losing money and send me what I paid for because if she send me a bunch of sticks Paypal will act.

Buyer is protected by ebay. EBAY GIVES THE POWER TO THE BUYER SO MUCH SO THAT BUYER CAN TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF SELLER BUT THATS ANOTHER TOPIC. LOL.

Kelo,
I have opposite experience as You.
She has acted honestly and generous so far as I know.
There may be some issue with mold on cuttings created during some long transport period which is almost always risky. (btw. Using strong fungicide before transport cause issues with rooting)
That lady does not speak with the anglosaxon language. The most probably, she speaks some language of Catalan/Spanish variety.
Perhaps she uses that terrible google translator for web. correspondence.

For communication with her you rather use some sense for languages and patiency needed with those who are oblidged to translate via non exact translators from their own language.
Then a yield will be some great fig cultivar.
When You can not,  for any reason, I advice leave it and do not blame.
If You want to let her with some dignity as You have stated do it and do not cause opposite.

From my perspective,  worse is to  negotiate with some sofisticated (not only eBay...hm ..hm ) experienced "marketing lizards" than with some people which are aged and are not born with "english hard disc"  :-)

English is not my native language either, Robert.

She was talking about cactus in one of her replies! What has 'I'm going to bed because I am tired' got to do with buying fig cuttings? You had a different experience? Good!

This is exactly what I wrote to her... "Puedes darme un precio por estos higos, por favor. MORUNA N x 3 estacas, LAGRIMA DE OJEN x 3 estacas y SANGRADO x 3 estacas. Muchos garcaias, Isabel!". That was it.

Hm.. These I do not have already otherwise I would help.
However, Sangrado I tried last year but unfortunatelly by my mistake I was not succesfull in rooting process.

Thank you, Robert, very kind of you to say so.

I just wondered if anyone else had the same experience. I recently had some bad experiences with ebay with people behaving oddly and she seemed to be following them in the way she was acting. I have nothing against her. I simply wanted to buy her figs lol.

Hi I have purchased cuttings from her on several occasions & have had no problems she even replaced cuttings that had mold on i just sent her photos of the cuttings & she replaced them you do have to read between the lines & cut out all of the useless parts of the message but your answer is in there somewhere

I simply asked her politely if she had mailed the items because she said she would do it on Monday. It immediately went downhill like a sheepdog with mustard on its ass.

Yes there is a language barrier with Isabel. However, she means well and has great varieties that root easy.

"It immediately went downhill like a sheepdog with mustard on its ass."

I love that line! I don't understand it but i love it....

The imagery that it inspires....   hahahaha

LOL Have you never seen a dog run as fast as it is physically possible for it to do? When its hind feet come up to its ears to maximize propulsion in an excited way? Well, that's what that is. :D

Mustard lol

English mustard - it's like tabasco...

Would someone please pass the grey poupon?

LMAO!

If she is old and brain is playing games its understandable, still money is money..

This happened after canceling an order for mangosteen seeds on aliexpress:

Lol.... nothing wrong with a hot dog loaded with mustard! I love it!

Eli.... That is a tough one.... hard to separate the wheat from the chaff and know what is real and what is someone being cruel and playing people

I ordered a chemical from Aliexpress, chloral hydrate, to use as a pesticide. The Chinese company decided to call it azelaic acid, an acne treatment - but drug users were abusing it. I had the police at my door asking if I was supplying it to drug users. They were all set to arrest me when I showed them the original order. The chief officer gave me his email address and asked me to forward the reply I got when I asked why they had changed the name of the chemical. The company said it was to make the parcel go through customs faster.

I was off the hook.