Buying orchids off Amazon

[ceebees_orchids]

I'll admit- I'm scared of purchasing orchids online! But I've had my eye on the Oncidium Sharry Baby orchid for a few months now, and every nearby nursery I go to groans when I ask them about one. One even told me "The Onc. Sharry Baby is the orchid everybody wants, and nobody has."
I also happen to have a 25$ off coupon for Amazon. I found two shops selling Sharry Baby for less than 25$ on Amazon, but, me never having purchased a living plant off the site... I am rather hesitant.
Does anyone have experience or tips for purchasing orchids off online sites, especially ones like Amazon? Thank you!

[Leafmite]

I have bought many plants, including orchids, from Amazon and I have always been overjoyed with what I have received. Here is what I do...I look for their website off of Amazon and then read reviews of the business. This way, I know for certain that they are legit. If they do not have a business off of Amazon then I do not order from them. Amazon reviews are not always accurate when it comes to plants.

I have actually discovered some really good places from Amazon...Bloomify, Hirts, CTS air plants, and a place that sells cherry shrimp and aquatic plants. Some places that I regularly bought plants and orchids from have/are on Amazon and to save shipping if I want just one plant, I order through Amazon (Logees, Carmela Orchids, Andy's Orchids, etc.) So, just do your research to make certain the company is legit, then go for it.

---------- Post added at 01:04 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:59 AM ----------

I should probably add...I am super cautious. People have come to our orchid society asking how to plant 'orchid seeds' they bought off of ebay and amazon and we have had to tell them they were not orchid seeds.

I know other people have ordered from Amazon. Hopefully, they will chime in, too.

[SouthPark]

It should be fine to order from Amazon. Maybe order during the warm times - just to avoid frozen orchid situations. That's if there's any chance of orchids freezing at some point during the shipping process.

[Dollythehun]

Or, if you'd like to wait until warmer weather, I can send you a start for shipping costs.

I've ordered orchids from Amazon successfully, just do your homework, as Leafmite suggests.

[Ray]

Keep in mind that you are not buying from Amazon, you are buying through them, directly from other vendors. Once you identify who the seller is, see if they have a website, They may not, but if they do, you might get the plant for a better price.

I can use my own situation as an example: KelpMax purchased through Amazon will have shipping and tax added, often ending up $10 or so more than it would be if ordered directly. I do the shipping either way.

[Dr. Dave 4u]

I'm more of a beginner building a collection and all the orchids I bought from sellers through Amazon have come in great condition. I find that most sellers will take the time to answer your questions...but do be careful not to order during freezing weather
And....even with a heat pack which is only good for about 72 hours, postage delays can cause your poor orchid to be exposed to freezing temps you may not have factored in.
Also....Important...Have the seller ship on a Monday so the orchid will not sit anywhere over a weekend delay etc....
Hope my two sense helps!!

[SouthPark]

Yes ----- true. Absolutely ------ when ordering online, I agree with gathering details and information about the seller - such as whether the seller has lots of reviews and feedback. And just processing those details to get an estimate of the chance that a transaction is expected to come out well or not. This goes for anything - ebay etc.

I've only had excellent experiences on ebay (Australia) with orchids. It will come down to observations and making sensible decisions.