It's all fun and games until Phytophthora shows up.

I've grown sans in water, so it can be done.

L,

This is entirely normal as it generates more money for the business:

Uneducated buyer thinks item looks cool and buys it. Item dies because it has been given the wrong care (which UB never bothered to look up). UB buys another to try again, and cycle repeats until UB either wises up or gives up. Meanwhile, business has made X amount of dollars off of UB.

Multiply number of UB's by price of item = small fortune for not a lot of work.