Any one know anything on sgtwardog?

Well Larry I hope you would of gotten an answer, its hard to know ebay dealers with all the different names used. Good Luck on your answer.

Could you put a link to the auction? 

The picture they are using or Black Madeira is from here http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/black-madeira-fig-4929955. The same picture is being used on Amazon by a different seller also. 

The picture of Red Palestine is taken from eBay member Samikassoum http://www.ebay.com/itm/221853031721. 

Be careful, there are plenty of people who want to get your trust and money without earning it.

Run

I wrote  to him on ebay and asked him if he was on any of the fig forums and his reply was he didn't have time to join a forum and he felt like he was being blasted by others asking the same question I explained to him that there are allot of scammers out there and folks feel more comfortable buying from Forum members he told me that he got his cuttings/plants from Bass and facebook members I apologized that he thought we were blasting him and here is his reply 

"It's fine Dave. I guess I'll make a forum when I have chance too introduce my self. Just don't want to be blacklisted"

Well considering most of the fraud is from PA and he is from PA he shouldn't be shocked that people are questioning his authenticity. Stolen photos, no fruit photos, PA residence, equals no Bueno....

Is there a name of the seller or a link to this listing? Thanks

Just look up red palestine fig

Larry, what makes you think he's legit? I would take in consideration what hoosierbanana stated. I think what most are saying is be careful, especially when they borrow photos. Most sellers use their own photos because it is proof that their trees have produced legit fruit. I'm certainly not bashing the seller, just echoing what Brent said.

I also inquired out of curiosity and his response which I have copies are: one of his listings of cuttings came from a Malaysian collector in California and another listing of cuttings(Black Madeira) came from a Palestinian man in North Carolina. I asked if he could have been scammed and he said he had full confidence in his sources.

Larry we were just trying to help you if asking someone if they are a member of a fig forum gets them bent out of shape is certainly someone I would have no interest in buying from No reason to come down on us for trying to help you 

Sorry Larry just trying to help.

I'm sure there are many legit sellers who are not members of the fig forums.  I don't have a problem with that.  But I do have a problem with stealing other fig growers images and passing them off as your own.  He could still be legit, of course, but from now own he should take his own photos of the fig plants he is trying to sell.

I am sure he was a pleasure to work with but you won't know if the pleasure was all his for about a year... If you come out of nowhere and don't have pics of your own stuff, that doesn't inspire confidence. Of course he could be legit but he could also be a fake. I always take pics of my figs. Someone who sells a cutting and has not one pic of their tree or figs? At a minimum, sad. As for forum membership, I personally don't trust anyone who loves figs who never had a reason to post here! Lol

Thanks, Everyone! This is so helpful to all of us. Fraud is so widespread! If anyone deserves my/our business it is honest people from this forum!!

Hi,
Reading post #6 ... Selling cuttings of others ... Well do as you want, you are free. And after all you're not abusing my money.
I would only trust someone selling own cuttings.
As for pics, some people just don't care for taking pics.
I bought a tree from someone on a street sale that had no pics - or just a bad one on paper- and the description he gave me was: "that tree just wants to fruit !".
I was lucky, and that tree is my healthy longue d'aout ... So good luck.
So take the chance and/but assume it !
Good luck !

Larry, go ahead and buy from him but please do not ask us for information on a seller if you really do not want to know our answer. Members do not hold back when they are trying to help other members, especially when asked for help. We will be anxious to see photos of your posted results of your purchases a year from now and we really hope you get the real deal, really we do.

[QUOTE=Iowafig]Is there a name of the seller or a link to this listing? Thanks [/QUOTE]
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Black-Madeira-Fig-Cutting-Portugal-/252214122880?hash=item3ab9221980:g:8ycAAOSwZ1lWcE8y

Check out his listing of Calderona. Item 252225598217. Tell me where hes getting the 3 cuttings from? Uh oh..

Why are all of the "shady" ebay sellers located so close to me? It would be nice to have more reputable sources close by. The only one I trust is Bass whom I've purchased plants from directly in person. He's located about 35 minutes away from me, and buying from him is a pleasure. As for any of the other sellers from Bethlehem, I'm pretty skeptical. Now I see we have someone in question from Easton? I need to pack up my trees and run.

It looks like more and more rare varieties keep appearing on eBay from sellers with no history or track record, at what it looks like bargain prices. The price is not the issue.
The History of the seller or his track record are.
I call this practice "custom listing". It is based on the wishes of the hobbyists. By the time the buyer finds out what he really bought 2-3 years have elapsed and  the seller has a new ID.
But "There's a sucker born every minute"...

I was skeptical of this seller from the get go.

Sami Kassoum is a member here.I always suspect something shady when a vendor can't even provide their own pictures,and instead has to rip off someone else's pictures and/or descriptions..If they are too busy to join a forum,then I am too busy to buy from them.

Hi all,
I really concerned about eBay sellers who steal pictures of others, it happened to me twice and eBay customer service have nothing done about that, my pictures and description were stolen and listings where active parallel to my listings. fraud and scam is a very bad thing and we have all to fight it. over the years I have collected hundreds of beautiful fig pictures but I am very concern each time I upload one to the net. I tried making a water stamp but it was a bit sophisticated and ruined the image it self. sorry for not being so active here on F4F, we have a Missy political situation here in Palestine and I am busy doing other things. I answer all questions from all my customers and try to help my best. also few old members here on F4F know me very will and have them on my facebook too

Kassoum you can get on the net a standard cease and desist order form. As a serious amateur photographer, I know your pictures have an implied copyright. I would send a cease and desist order, and if that doesn't stop them, you can hire an attorney at that point to take further action.
http://thompsonhall.com/cease-desist-letter-template-example-sample-forms/

[QUOTE=drew51]Kassoum you can get on the net a standard cease and desist order form. As a serious amateur photographer, I know your pictures have an implied copyright. I would send a cease and desist order, and if that doesn't stop them, you can hire an attorney at that point to take further action.
http://thompsonhall.com/cease-desist-letter-template-example-sample-forms/[/QUOTE]
Thank you very much drew51, looks very interesting I will save the CEASE & DESIST LETTER TEMPLATE for future use if necessary .

This Scammer is using photos I had on my personal facebook page. 

It's a real shame this type of fraud exists.  Thank goodness we have a forum to 'root out' the ones looking to steal.

To any newer buyers; please don't be discouraged.  Keep your money in your pocket until you know who the 
legitimate sellers really are.  Take a look at this article I wrote about buying cuttings, etc on the internet:

Buying Fig Trees and Cuttings from the Internet

[QUOTE=kassoum][QUOTE=drew51]Kassoum you can get on the net a standard cease and desist order form. As a serious amateur photographer, I know your pictures have an implied copyright. I would send a cease and desist order, and if that doesn't stop them, you can hire an attorney at that point to take further action.
http://thompsonhall.com/cease-desist-letter-template-example-sample-forms/[/QUOTE]
Thank you very much drew51, looks very interesting I will save the CEASE & DESIST LETTER TEMPLATE for future use if necessary .[/QUOTE]

You can probably have a lawyer write one with the proper country info, and what codes are being violated. Every country has rules on what constitute copyright infringement. They are almost the same for every country. You own the rights to your own photographs. It is illegal for others to use without your permission even if photograph is not copyrighted. All photos have an implied copyright.

If the abuser is in the USA, the letter as is should be fine. Just fill in the blanks.

And guys if your photos are being used, point them out please so we all know.

He stole the Calderona picture from here
http://frenchfigfarm.com/fig-trees/caldorona

Jeez, too many fig scammers coming from PA.  I get a few questions on my eBay auctions as well, since I am in Douglassville PA, under my account: tdepoala (wife's account we have used forever).  If you are buying figs on ebay, the seller should be able to send you a picture of ripe fruit that they took, or say in their description that they have not gotten fruit from their tree yet.  Those are two golden rules I stand by.  I will not sell/share cuttings with others if the tree has not fruited yet without disclosing that information.  I try to be pretty careful with who I get my trees from as too many folks buy cuttings from non-trusted sources, grow them, and take cuttings prior to getting fruit and verifying the ID.  At that point, they are well intended, but also potentially selling incorrectly labeled varieties and propagating the problem, literally. 

Danny,

Thanks for reposting the article you wrote last year "Buying Fig Trees & Cuttings from the Internet"  It is an excellent guide.   

Am still wondering why lots of member here still buying from eBay when they can just ask other member in here to sell them what variety they want. Its me that have some problem to buy from member in here because not all want to ship outside US. But still I try my best to search who ever willing to send to me. If I buy from eBay, 1st thing that I will check is their ID and do they from this forum or he is trusted seller. If there a doubt in that, I just leave it. I have experience with the scammer and that have teached me to be extra carefull. -Khairul-

[QUOTE=Tropicalgrower] Sami Kassoum is a member here.I always suspect something shady when a vendor can't even provide their own pictures,and instead has to rip off someone else's pictures and/or descriptions..If they are too busy to join a forum,then I am too busy to buy from them.
[/QUOTE]

Tropicalgrower, please you have to correct this post because people in ebay misunderstand it!!
people contacting me from ebay saying that F4F write bad thing about me .
I was a victim of buyer sgtwardog , he steal my red palestine picture once claiming he found it in google! he dropped it after I contacted him through ebay!

[QUOTE=kassoum]
Tropicalgrower, please you have to correct this post because people in ebay misunderstand it!!
people contacting me from ebay saying that F4F write bad thing about me .
I was a victim of buyer sgtwardog , he steal my red palestine picture once claiming he found it in google! he dropped it after I contacted him through ebay![/QUOTE]

I agree, I read that post the first time and thought he was talking about Sami.  Then I read it more carefully are realized they were talking about the thief.

To clarify, Sami was the victim of photo stealing.  Sami himself has a good reputation.

Hi everyone,

I just recently started expanding my fig collection beyond what I call the "Home Depot Varieties" and have bought some cuttings from many of you so far this winter. I ended up placing the minimum bid and winning the Calderona cuttings from sgtwardog95. I fully realize there is some potential for fraud here given the lack of track record of this seller, but I figured for $20 it was worth the risk to obtain this rare variety.

I will hopefully root the cuttings this winter and let everyone know how the leaves, and eventually the fruit, compare to a true Calderona.

--Nate

Oracle, AZ
USDA Zone 8a

I've been conversing through email with sgtwardog95 throughout the day and they seem to be a very angry person. I am now 100% convinced they are a scammer. They claim to have taken screenshots from this forum where someone said they were going to claim the cuttings were dried out to get a refund.

I'm going to ask for a refund on the basis that the pictures on the item description were found to be inauthentic.

Thanks to everyone for their Vigilance!