Two New Cattleyas from Hawaii

[SJF]

Originally Posted by escualida

I bought quite a few orchids from them from eBay and have tested them all and all have been virus free. I have to say that for them to just give you a refund without even asking for tests or anything and not asking for the plants back is actually what growers who do guarantee virus free orchids would do anyway, except most of them want some kind of proof that the orchids are virused. So I'm actually really impressed that they did that.

I'm actually in a bit of a dispute with an eBay seller who sold me a phal that had BOTH ORSV and CymMV and won't give me a refund until I send her the plant back. I told her that I would send a sample to Critter Creek if she needed proof, or asked if she could test one of the other clones of this plant that she still has in stock instead of making me go out and find a big enough box (it's got a big spike), packing materials, take the time to pack it, and then walk 20 minutes in order to take it to USPS to send it back to her, and she refused and got really defensive and threatened to open a case against me. She also threatened to open a case against me if I didn't send the plant back in "perfect" condition, well I had to cut a little bit off of one of the leaves in order to test it so that would be impossible.

But the whole thing makes me super suspicious - why is she INSISTING on having the plant back when there are other ways of proving that it is diseased? And why would she need it back in perfect condition? Well the only answer that I can fathom is that she wants to sell it to someone else when it really should be thrown away. So I stood my ground and now there's an open case and we'll see what happens.

Anyway the whole point of me telling you this is that it seems like even though Kawamoto doesn't "officially" guarantee virus free plants, it seems like they behaved really well with you and that is a plus for them in my eyes.

Yes, they did handle it well. I just think that they should be upfront in their listing and say that they don't guarantee virus free plants instead of saying that they are 100% healthy. I would not have bought the plants then. I am hoping the snails, scale and whatever the other larger fast moving bug were didn't spread. When I sent some of my pictures they sent the refund without me asking for it. I wanted to discuss the situation with them prior to leaving negative feedback. I won't post any feedback now. The pictures must have shown them that the markings on the plants are clearly very characteristic of a virus, otherwise I can't see them just refunding the money. Three plants look to be viral. Well, back to the search for good, healthy Cattleya and their clones.

[NYCorchidman]

Originally Posted by SJF

Yes, they did handle it well. I just think that they should be upfront in their listing and say that they don't guarantee virus free plants instead of saying that they are 100% healthy. I would not have bought the plants then. I am hoping the snails, scale and whatever the other larger fast moving bug were didn't spread. When I sent some of my pictures they sent the refund without me asking for it. I wanted to discuss the situation with them prior to leaving negative feedback. I won't post any feedback now. The pictures must have shown them that the markings on the plants are clearly very characteristic of a virus, otherwise I can't see them just refunding the money. Three plants look to be viral. Well, back to the search for good, healthy Cattleya and their clones.

I would still leave a positive feedback with a description of how they handled the case. It only helps other consumers I think.

Have you got your plants tested for virus? You can't just look at symptoms and know for sure that plants are virused.
The fact that they refunded money just show that they are good people, and I think they did so mainly for the purpose of avoiding potential friction with a potentially difficult customers. It's best to refund and make customers happy when they are not happy instead of losing or upsetting customers. simple and easy that way. and smart.

[NYCorchidman]

Originally Posted by escualida

I bought quite a few orchids from them from eBay and have tested them all and all have been virus free. I have to say that for them to just give you a refund without even asking for tests or anything and not asking for the plants back is actually what growers who do guarantee virus free orchids would do anyway, except most of them want some kind of proof that the orchids are virused. So I'm actually really impressed that they did that.

I'm actually in a bit of a dispute with an eBay seller who sold me a phal that had BOTH ORSV and CymMV and won't give me a refund until I send her the plant back. I told her that I would send a sample to Critter Creek if she needed proof, or asked if she could test one of the other clones of this plant that she still has in stock instead of making me go out and find a big enough box (it's got a big spike), packing materials, take the time to pack it, and then walk 20 minutes in order to take it to USPS to send it back to her, and she refused and got really defensive and threatened to open a case against me. She also threatened to open a case against me if I didn't send the plant back in "perfect" condition, well I had to cut a little bit off of one of the leaves in order to test it so that would be impossible.

But the whole thing makes me super suspicious - why is she INSISTING on having the plant back when there are other ways of proving that it is diseased? And why would she need it back in perfect condition? Well the only answer that I can fathom is that she wants to sell it to someone else when it really should be thrown away. So I stood my ground and now there's an open case and we'll see what happens.

Anyway the whole point of me telling you this is that it seems like even though Kawamoto doesn't "officially" guarantee virus free plants, it seems like they behaved really well with you and that is a plus for them in my eyes.

They grow almost all their stuff outdoor, so bugs and disease can be very much possible. As I mentioned, some plants looked bad (although this doesn't necessarily mean plants are diseased), most looked very healthy and good.
The ones in eBay greenhouse were especially nice.

I'm glad you got all the healthy ones from them.
I bought quite a few catts from them. I didn't keep all. never tested them for virus.
I do have two. One is Toshie, look super nice and blooming again. (I have posted a seperate thread on this). The other is one of the two I posted on this thread. Cherry Suisse, which is starting two new leads. Yay!!!

[ronaldhanko]

Gorgeous flowers! Hope they bloom again quickly for you.

[ccpxjaas]

i am new here, i am also new in orquids and i am fascinated by them, hope to learn abut them with all your help. I will be posting pic of the ones i have.

---------- Post added at 11:30 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:29 AM ----------

those are beautiful.

[Leafmite]

I am sorry to hear of your troubles with the eBay seller. It is odd she would open a case but if critter creek confirmed the viruses, I doubt you have any worries, as long as she was paid for the orchid. If she wasn't, well, unless she guarantees her plants to be virus free, all she likely needs to do is say that she was unaware of the virus, believed the plant to be healthy, and, well, depending on the amount of money, be careful. This why I always buy from places that have a solid reputation behind them. It just isn't worth the risk.
As for wanting her orchid back, many plant/orchid greenhouses do this. They like to test their own plants to make certain everything is legit and they aren't being cheated by false claims. If your vendor has no proof of virus, she might have her doubts (these tests do have a potential 5% failure rate when someone uses them who hasn't been trained by a pro on use and interpretation). If you want your money back, she naturally wants her plant back in good condition so if it does test negative, someone else would want it for a decent price. It would likely be different if you bought from her all the time and, after fifty good plants, you had a problem. Pet stores, by the way, always have you bring back the dead fish, rodents and birds for refunds and kennels have you bring notice from a certified vet so I see the logic here.

[NYCorchidman]

Originally Posted by ccpxjaas

i am new here, i am also new in orquids and i am fascinated by them, hope to learn abut them with all your help. I will be posting pic of the ones i have.

---------- Post added at 11:30 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:29 AM ----------

those are beautiful.

Welcome to OB!
Yes, please go ahead and post some pictures and share with us.

Many people will share their opinions provide help as much as they can.

[GardenTheater]

Beautiful orchids. Love the colors. Great choices!

[NYCorchidman]

Originally Posted by GardenTheater

Beautiful orchids. Love the colors. Great choices!

Thanks! I love them too!

[pheli]

The third one may be Pot. Shinfong Lady.