I've been trying to sign up with them for two weeks now!!! They keep telling me they need more and more information to verify I am who I say I am. I have given them all info requested and then some. NOW they want me to send them a copy of my drivers license!!! I have already given them my DL #. They don't really need a copy of it! UGGGG!!

I have been with them over 5 years and they have been wonderful. They are increasing security because of all the identity theft. There have been members in the past that have not quite been too honest and they are trying to stop a lot of fraud. Contact the owner Mike Longo at daylily.com and I am sure they will straighten things out for you.

I appreciate your experience with them Cindy. I had heard of them in other threads on DG many times and never really had heard anything bad. Looked in the watchdog but didn't find them there. Thought I would try them out.

Hemlady said: They are increasing security because of all the identity theft.There have been members in the past that have not quite been too honest and they are trying to stop a lot of fraud.

In light of this comment it makes me even more leery of them.

Hemlady said: Contact the owner Mike Longo at daylily.com and I am sure they will straighten things out for you.

Perhaps I will try this.

I most definitely would rather use the Lily Auction than Ebay. I have gotten a lot of mislabeled plants from ebay and so far none from the Lily Auction. There are tons of reputable sellers on LA. Sorry you have had so much trouble in being able to join and I hope you get things straightened out. Thought I better clarify the statement I made about identity theft. I didn't mean that there was identitity theft on the LA, but on the internet in general.

with you on ebay. All you can do is hope they are correct. Even with seeds. I've almost learned which sellers are good and which are not.

I meant identity theft on the internet in general not on LA. Haven't heard of any on there.

I have bought and sold on the LA with no problems. Don't give up, it will be worth the hassle when you get your first box of steals in the post.

I've only purchased, but I think the Lily Auction is fabulous! A number of our members sell there, and I've gotten the most amazing daylilies through the LA.

They think I'm the bad guy here. I've put up with the back and forth crap for two weeks!!
What gives?? They will NOT get a copy of my DL, I refuse.

Well Mike just emailed me back and said the same thing. Go figure!!

One reason they ask for this info is because they can't verify you through their normal means especially if you have a public email such as gmail or yahoo which anybody can get with any name and info. When I gave my address and phone number they couldn't verify I lived there because when the info is pulled up it shows my fiance (ex), his previous wife, and her son. I didn't have any bills in my name that came to that address either. My address now has no link to me; no land line phone in my name and it's a rental so I'm sure the address shows up with the landlords name since they own it. A copy of your DL is just to prove you are who you say you are.

It's not just bad sellers they try and protect people from. There are bad buyers as well who try and scam the sellers. I'm sorry you feel that way about it and I can understand with all the internet scams going on, but Mike Longo does try his best to let only legit people on there and keep it safe for everyone.

So sorry you have had difficulties with the LA. It is a great place to buy and sell plants.

I agree with Teresa. I didn't have any problems when I registered just over a year ago, but I also own this house in my name, and have lived here for years and years - plus I still have a landline phone. So many people have cell phones, that not having a landline makes it more difficult to verify stuff I think.

To me, it is well worth the hassle of joining - but since I wasn't hassled, I can certainly understand your reluctance to put up with it. Keep looking at it, see what prices are going for, and then decide if this is something you wish to pursue. I too trust the LA sellers more than I would ever trust buying plants on Ebay. The added bonus is that through this forum, we buyers have identified in several threads the sellers we like to purchase from. ~Jan

I wasn't hassled either. Mike just asked for me to provide either a utility bill with the address and my name or a copy of my DL. I did and all was well and I got on the next day. As for just giving them your DL #, I can see where that wouldn't work and they want a copy of it. I don't think they have a program where they can punch in your DL # and up pops your info, only certain organizations (police, government) have that capability.

This is a quote that Mike had posted elsewhere, I x'd out the person's name he was referring to.

"As many of you understand, it is necessary for us to check out the contact information on all new registrants who use a free email account such as gmail or hotmail. I can totally understand xxxxxx concern, but unfortunately we have been forced into this situation by scammers. It is too easy to get an email address, or numerous email addresses without any proof of identity. We require that people be who they say they are and know they they are responsible for their bids and/or sales. We are well aware that this does not make the site absolutely bullet proof from scammers but it sure helps a lot and we have other means as well. For example we also check IP's as well. When you get a registration address in the USA and the IP is in China or Russia...that raises a red flag. Don't laugh, it happens. The internet is a big place and there are all kinds of people in it."

I am certainly glad that Mike is doing all he can for our protection.

Mike has had much trouble in the past with scammers signing up and bidding on a lot of stuff then not paying. I know because I sold some seeds to one of them. What has happened is then the same person, signs up with a different username and the address of a relative, and continued to bid on lots of stuff again and made more sellers mad. I think the scammers think they can promise to pay and the seller then sends out some things without actually having the money and they get free stuff. I know the same person had tried to do this over and over. When I signed up several years agao I did not have this problem, but the Lilyauction auction has grown very much since then with many more buyers and sellers. I'm sure Mike doesn't want any new sellers scamming people also. So being careful is a good thing, just like airport security, it is better to be safe than sorry.

Dot

I am sorry that you are having this frustrating experience. If I were in your shoes, I may be feeling the same. However, let me say that it makes me feel secure when I am bidding and buying on the Lily Auction knowing that Mike Longo is doing all he can to keep unscrupulous buyers and sellers off the LA. We have been bidders/buyers there for 3-4 years. Whenever we have had a problem with a seller that we could not resolve, we have contacted the LA and each time they were prompt in helping resolve the issue. You will have to decide if you want to have access to the LA enough to provide the information they require. For us, it has been a wonderful, safe place to find newer introductions at the lowest prices. When I bid, I bid with confidence. The day will come that we will sell there also. Unfortunately, we no longer live in a world that we can trust people, especially those we do not know. Because of 9/11, there are now many restraints that we must deal with in everyday life. Often times these restraints cause frustration for us.

I had a bidder about 3 years ago bid on a lot of my seeds and the total was over $100 and then failed to pay for them. Luckily I was able to resell them. There is also a good feature on the LA where you can block a seller from bidding. I have had to use that feature at least 3 times in the last 5 years.

Although I do not buy or sell much on the Lily Auction, I know Mike Longo as very fair and upstanding. I don't know why you are having so much trouble. I believe Mike only has his clients best interests at heart.

(I buy very rarely these days, and have stopped selling. My lack of buying/selling on the LA has nothing to do with the site itself. )

Thank you to all of you for your reassurance. Mike gave me a call at work today. We talked briefly, as I was quite busy, but all is now resolved. Mike has OK'd me to be a part of the site now. I can honestly say that I have never needed so much 'verification' as to my identity before. I know this can be a very bad thing as a victim of identity theft in the past myself. It is however very frustrating when you are the honest one. I hope that all his efforts in preventing identity theft do not deter more customers than it helps. I do, now that I'm approved, hope that all of this can give me some peace of mind now that I'm on the 'other side of the fence' so to speak.
BTW, Mike sounded like a very nice gentleman.