I completed a trade with perennialfan273 recently and it was a wonderful fast trade with great communication. I look forward to another trade in the future.

I just completed a trade with perennialfan273. Great communication and is very prompt sending the seeds and answering emails. I would trade again anytime. Darla

I just had a very nice trade with perennialfan273. I received very nice rooted plants that were nicely packaged and arrived timely. I look forward to another trade in the future.

Just had a nice trade and received seeds and a wisteria seedling. Packaged well and received promptly. Would trade again.

We at Garden Web pride ourselves in making fair and honorable trades and here's a rare situation where that has not worked out. I know it's a lot of detail to read, but this has been going on for a while and here's a brief synopsis.

I recently completed HALF a trade with Marty. That is to say, he has my black mondo grass and as soon as he got the notice that it was in the mail he suddenly discovered that the monarda which he had been telling me he had a yard full of and could send me a box full of was all dead or too sick to send.

I felt sorry for him and offered to accept postage plus a few dollars extra to make it an acceptable trade - so that I could at least feel he was trying to do the honorable thing. Almost a week later I had no check, no e-mail. I knew he had the plants because I used delivery confirmation.

I wrote asking if he got the plants and this is when I finally heard from him asking me how much was the postage for "just" the mondo grass (I sent gifts with it). He also belittled the gifts as "okay, I guess, but not what I would have chosen."

At this point I was mad and just requested he mail my plants back. He refuses to do so and has tried everything else he can think of - including involving another kind garden web trader who he is trying to use to bail him out. I refuse to involve this other person, and now he's INSISTING that I let him know the exact postage for the mondo grass alone so he can put this behind him!

There have been lots and lots of e-mails and phone calls back and forth trying to work it out. Marty will not do what I consider to be reasonable. He wants what he wants and that's it - never mind what's right or ethical! In this case he wants my plants for the least amount of postage he can get away with. I want my plants back and I'm clearly not going to get them.

The thing that upset me the most is that this guy has even continued calling my house after I told him to stop. I', afraid if this continues I will have to contact the authorities to try and find out how to put a stop to it.

Go ahead and trade with him if you want, it may be fine, but this is just what has happened in my case.