Running the risk?

[krystle]

i would agree with what everyone has said i know how you feel but in my case i bought a plant for a very good seller, i got papers and the plant in great condition. my seller was going to an orchid show here and was bring plants along with mine and later shipped it to me after they got here in the us. but i honestly wouldnt buy a plant from ebay from another country for all the reasons that there is a very good chance it can go bad come on its ebay!

[ronaldhanko]

The Ebay sellers from Thailand are especially bad at this kind of thing.

[Daethen]

Don't disparage ebay! I have gotten some beautiful plants and some great deals there. But ebay overseas.......

[krystle]

i am not disparging ebay i was mostly refering to ebay international and some peoples questionable selling on it!

[ronaldhanko]

Originally Posted by Daethen

Don't disparage ebay! I have gotten some beautiful plants and some great deals there. But ebay overseas.......

It is not only on Ebay International that one has to be careful - there are sellers here in the US who are nothing but crooks as well, including orchid vendors - just look through the thread for vendors. That's not to say that one cannot get good plants or that every seller is crooked. I occasionally purchase plants on Ebay, but only from vendors I know and trust. And, as with anything on Ebay, I always check feedback and NEVER buy from anyone with a feedback ration less than 99.5% or who have numerous complaints about poor plants.

[sailortom2]

As you know I bought a bulb from thailand and after your tales of getting a notice from customs I was worried. Well I'm happy to say they arrived today and instead of just one I received two.

[orchidsamore]

If you asked should you rob a bank to have the money to buy orchids, the answers would be unanimous.

Smuggling is no less a crime and the penalties for smuggling orchids are the same as for smuggling narcotics, although, as other replies mentioned they are not usually enforced so strongly against 'stupid' collectors. One day they will make an example of someone, maybe you.

If these vendors are so crooked as to intentionally break the law, what else are they doing. Stealing rare endangered plants from the wild, mis-labeling the plants so that you are not getting what you think anyway (after all it will be years before you bloom them even if they arrived alive). they certainly will keep you money regardless of what happens.

If you got the plants in alive without getting caught you should still be ashamed at what you did. And if the government finally makes you the 'example' and files criminal charges against you that I will cheer.

Remember this thread is absolute proof that you knew in advance that you were intentionally breaking the law. You have no defense against criminal charges. You willnot be able to claim you did not know it was wrong.

[ronaldhanko]

Originally Posted by orchidsamore

If you asked should you rob a bank to have the money to buy orchids, the answers would be unanimous.

Smuggling is no less a crime and the penalties for smuggling orchids are the same as for smuggling narcotics, although, as other replies mentioned they are not usually enforced so strongly against 'stupid' collectors. One day they will make an example of someone, maybe you.

If these vendors are so crooked as to intentionally break the law, what else are they doing. Stealing rare endangered plants from the wild, mis-labeling the plants so that you are not getting what you think anyway (after all it will be years before you bloom them even if they arrived alive). they certainly will keep you money regardless of what happens.

If you got the plants in alive without getting caught you should still be ashamed at what you did. And if the government finally makes you the 'example' and files criminal charges against you that I will cheer.

Remember this thread is absolute proof that you knew in advance that you were intentionally breaking the law. You have no defense against criminal charges. You willnot be able to claim you did not know it was wrong.

True, Jerry, but you need to remember that these people. in some cases anyway, are promising to send the necessary papers. I even paid extra to have the necessary paperwork sent. They knew that they were smuggling. I did not and thought I was buying from a reputable dealer. My only hesitation was spending the money and purchasing from overseas something I had never done before. More recently I've purchased from a grower in England who raises his plants from seed. I did more investigation and got the necessary permits myself and everything in that case went smoothly. That I would do again. Buying from overseas dealer on Ebay I would never do again.

[mremensnyder]

To the op (SOS), for what it's worth, I was just looking at orchidweb and noticed they have Aeranthes henricii for sale for $50. Pricey I know, but at least it's available, hope that helps. As far as the topic of this thread, I have done this a few times. Once, my order was confiscated and of those I've actually received, I've had about a 50/50 survival rate. After reading this thread, however, I won't be doing this in the future.

[Brotherly Monkey]

Originally Posted by sailortom2

As you know I bought a bulb from thailand and after your tales of getting a notice from customs I was worried. Well I'm happy to say they arrived today and instead of just one I received two.

was the paper work properly managed?