Nothing like getting ripped off from a "WYSIWYG" Coral Vendor..

[SauceyReef]

Did a sale with "Corals of Eden".
Here is the Acan Echinata I was supposed to get - "Glowing Volcano" WYSIWYG

Here is what I got...

- edit - Here is a photo with all blues/purples on my preset (no whites)

 

[SnazzyUrchin792]

I’m guessing you put it under blue light already?

 

[Dburr1014]

Here is the Acan Echinata I was supposed to get - "Glowing Volcano" WYSIWYG

Here is what I got...

If you want to know who the vendor is just type in "Glowing Volcano Acan Echinata" on google.

Yeah, there pic is heavy blue light. Not you have to recreate that light exactly to see what there pic looks like.
It does look like the same piece in question though.

 

[dakoop]

Yeah, that doesn't look right

 

[SauceyReef]

Not even close even with full blues blasting. Check out how bad they ripped me.. It is 100% just a teel and orange Acan Echinata. No rainbow, no red... One photo with the orphek, one without.

 

[SauceyReef]

The vendor is - Corals of Eden <------

Should call himself "Corals from a Snake"


The amount of photoshop he would have had to do to get it even CLOSE to the photo he is advertising is disgusting.

 

[GARRIGA]

Ask what lighting used and try replicating. Plus non-calibrated monitors often see colors differently as well as graphics card used. My old PlayStation 3 intensified reds.

Always worth asking to see it under white lights as that's easier to compare once received. If they have full spectrum or broad spectrum better. I've run into these issues photographing snakes and they don't always display as photographed.

 

[Dburr1014]

Not even close even with full blues blasting. Check out how bad they ripped me.. It is 100% just a teel and orange Acan Echinata. No rainbow, no red... One photo with the orphek, one without.

Yikes! You may be right.

At first, I was looking at the pics comparing anomalies. They looked the same, but looking again, the anomaly is in the right spot but doesn't look too be the same.

You will have to compare looking at it as photos don't often come out right.

 

[exnisstech]

I wont even look at a coral vendors site that has the images with the background blacked out. To me it just screams photo manipulation.

 

[SauceyReef]

Ask what lighting used and try replicating. Plus non-calibrated monitors often see colors differently as well as graphics card used. My old PlayStation 3 intensified reds.

Always worth asking to see it under white lights as that's easier to compare once received. If they have full spectrum or broad spectrum better. I've run into these issues photographing snakes and they don't always display as photographed.

I have an AI prime. I just tried 3-4 different color patterns, and tried my other 2 lights that are not AI primes and have completely different presets. It is all the same under any spectrum... Orange and Teel.

I already sent him a email and trust me it had nothing to do with asking what preset he had it under. Clearly this guy is a scammer using a bunch of editing.

My next email will be asking for my $$ back.

 

[BryanM]

I wont even look at a coral vendors site that has the images with the background blacked out. To me it just screams photo manipulation.

^^ Learned something good from this thread, this makes a lot of sense to me.

 

[littlefoxx]

Its the same coral based on where the mouths are. But WOW that is manipulated to have way better colors. Like you couldnt even get that with blues, thats got to have filters and some serious photoshop editing! Ps I also hate this vendor lol pulled some BS with me on ebay!

 

[VintageReefer]

Wow. I had a good experience with them on a very expensive, high end frag

And I bought two cheaper frags, leptos, for 6$ each, and they were just like the photos also

Sorry this happened. Maybe it was a mistake?

 

[SauceyReef]

^^ Learned something good from this thread, this makes a lot of sense to me.

Same here! Will always remember this.

Its the same coral based on where the mouths are. But WOW that is manipulated to have way better colors. Like you couldnt even get that with blues, thats got to have filters and some serious photoshop editing! Ps I also hate this vendor lol pulled some BS with me on ebay!

Yes! The amount of photoshop, effects, and manipulation he would have had to do is SHOCKING. Would actually take some skill.. They even told me they grow this one out from the "mother colony". Knowing he has done this to a bunch of people makes me even more aggravated and sad.

Wow. I had a good experience with them on a very expensive, high end frag

And I bought two cheaper frags, leptos, for 6$ each, and they were just like the photos also

Sorry this happened. Maybe it was a mistake?

point of sale human beings are often smart enough to continue their actions uncaught. He probably knows if he manipulates everything he will be getting attacked quite soon which would hurt his business. If he just does some he can sneak the sales through, and in his head not get in trouble.



I literally have not bought a coral online in over 5-10 years. I told the vendor that, and he still pulled this on me.. While waiting I even asked to see the photo of the mother colony because I had a sense this was to goood to be true. Of course he ignored me. No Acan Echinata has ever looked like his photo. I should have trusted me gut instincts..

This hobby absolutely needs more standards. The other day I just went to a LFS that is killing all their animals. Reef stuff is just one of the many exotic animals they sell and kill / mistreat. They could sell live-rock made up of the glued up dead skeletons just in their store right now.

The past few days have been rough on my soul.

 

[Northern Flicker]

To me it looks like the same coral but the vendor manipulated the photo far beyond what is ethical. That's a pretty absurd amount of editing....

I feel for you. Maybe the tiniest bit of silver lining is that at least it's still a nice Acan. Not like some of those stories of people getting shipped brown torches.

 

[VintageReefer]

Actually my lepto pics were edited and brightened

But I remember being happy that the frag size was larger than expected

My higher end frag was slightly enhanced but overall was very close

 

[BeanAnimal]

I am not sure if the vendor manipulated the photo or not (assume they did), but I do see this as an ever evolving issue, esp with AI tools that can no easily enhance photos at the click of a button.

I don't buy a lot of coral online and never assume it will look like the photos when I do.

For those of you who do... I strongly suggest that you ask for white lite photo and DEMAND a raw blue light photo with disclosure of any physical or digital filters "orange" or "coral" filter and absolutely no other manipulation.

You are the buyer, you set the terms and if the vendor refuses those terms, then go elsewhere. Problem solved.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Same here! Will always remember this.


Yes! The amount of photoshop, effects, and manipulation he would have had to do is SHOCKING. Would actually take some skill..

Not with the AI tools available now for free, let alone paid products. An 8 year old can enhance photos now.

 

[IceNein]

I feel thankful that I live in Southern California where I can make a day trip, or maybe an overnighter to dozens of high end stores. I really feel bad for the people who are stuck out where they have limited selection, but all of these "scam" horror stories are swearing me off buying corals online for sure.

 

[SauceyReef]

Not with the AI tools available now for free, let alone paid products. An 8 year old can enhance photos now.

IDK that looks like pretty solid editing to me! Like I doubt he just added a "rainbow filter" on it..

But I will be totally honest with ya'll I have never used AI to manipulate photos so I have no idea what it can currently do. I should probably assume amazing things, but last time I tried the google AI it was rough just to get a photo made of a moving company.

@VintageReefer yeah definitely editing done on that.. I am surprised he doesn't have a $100+ totally rainbow Lepto calling it a "Rainbow DayGlo Volcano Lepto" or something dumb like that.