Wasted $80 on a 'rare' orchid that was just a common dyed one

Found this seller on Etsy advertising a blue orchid for $80. Said it was a rare hybrid from Thailand. Looked great in the photos so I grabbed it. FedEx dropped it off two weeks late and the thing was just a white phalaenopsis sprayed blue. The dye was already flaking off and killing the leaves. Anyone else get burned by these fake colored plants online?

3 comments

3 Comments

simonp471mo ago

Paid $80 to learn I'm not smart enough to spot spray paint...

drewsullivan1mo ago

Wait, you actually think it changed your view too? I used to roll my eyes at people who said you gotta see stuff in person before buying, but after getting burned on a few "perfect" listings I totally get it now.

the_john29d ago

Watched a buddy lose an entire collection to mealybugs because he skipped quarantine too, @drewsullivan, and that dye trick is just the start of these seller scams. Those blue sprays clog the pores so bad the plant can't breathe, basically suffocating it from the inside out.