Seattle Orchid virus issues?

[SouthPark]

Totally behind what you wrote JS. Very disappointing on their part - about the poor quality plants and poor service when it comes to shipping.

Over here, I found the ebay has been quite awesome. Many of the ebay sellers are excellent people, and some super quality orchids can be acquired through ebay over here. Actually, a lot of orchids that nurseries will not be selling or keeps hidden can be acquired on ebay (sometimes ------ with patience and luck). Or through the ebay seller - after we ask them if they have any particular ones we're after.

[Fran20]

I have had the same experience from Seattle Orchids as MJG.

[JScott]

There used to be somebody on this board who was just beliligerently defensive anytime somebody said something critical about Seattle Orchids. Here name was Seattleite or something to that effect. She would get so mad any time something negative came up about Seattle Orchids, and insult the dissatisfied customers right here on the board. I strongly suspected that she was affiliated with Seattle Orchids, becasue the things she would say were the same things the people at Seattle Orchids would say when they got a complaint. I'm surprised we haven't heard from her in this thread yet.

---------- Post added at 07:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:00 PM ----------

Originally Posted by SouthPark

Totally behind what you wrote JS. Very disappointing on their part - about the poor quality plants and poor service when it comes to shipping.

Over here, I found the ebay has been quite awesome. Many of the ebay sellers are excellent people, and some super quality orchids can be acquired through ebay over here. Actually, a lot of orchids that nurseries will not be selling or keeps hidden can be acquired on ebay (sometimes ------ with patience and luck). Or through the ebay seller - after we ask them if they have any particular ones we're after.

And I've got some really nice things from eBay here. The trick is that you have to make sure you are buying the plant that is actually pictured. I only had one bad experienc with eBay. I got an oncidium, and the picture showed a healthy plant with plump, smooth pseudobulbs, but the plant that arrived had no live roots and the bulbs were so shriveled that they were almost flat. The seller wasn't interested in making it right, so I contacted PayPal. I showed them the picture from the listing, and the picture of the plant I received, and they agreed that the listing didn't show the current condition of the plant, and they just reversed the transaction. Then there's Marblekg, who sends mislabeled plants, but we all no to avoid him. Other than that I've got sone nice plants from eBay.

[MJG]

Ok, I have finally heard back from Seattle Orchid.

When I initially contacted them I asked them for a refund for the missing heat pack and a refund for the one virused orchid that I had tested so far. They responded immediately, told me to throw out the orchid and they processed a refund for the heat pack and the orchid.

Meanwhile I tested the others and 3 more had viruses. I contacted Seattle Orchid again, right away, and have been waiting for a week and a half for a reply.

They just emailed me and told me to returned the virused orchids. They will test them and determine whether to issue a refund, replacements, or a store credit.

Obviously the only acceptable solution to me is a refund. I don't want a store credit because I plan on never buying from them again. I don't want replacements because I don't want to take a chance on more sick orchids. I could send these back but I don't want to get stuck with postage.

Also these are going all the way across the country and I can't promise that they would arrive in good condition. I'm not a vendor, and can't pack these appropriately.

This is roughly $70 of orchids not including the postage that I would pay.

Can anyone offer me some advice and perspective about this?

[DirtyCoconuts]

i hate to tell you this but it is the best advice i feel i can give you.

throw away the plants. contest the charge on the credit card (or much better paypal) and don't expect much, and learn a good lesson for $70


almost anything additional you do will cost you money and time and net you nothing but more annoyance and frustration.

If you keep the photos and this thread as evidence of the plants being WAY substandard, i imagine that paypal would side with you.

[JScott]

LISTEN TO COCONUTS! HE knows his shit lol. I think that's the best advice you get. Throw out the plants and contest it with your credit card. Or PayPal. Did you happen to pay with PayPal? They almost always favor the buyer in situations like this, so if would lucky if you had paid with PayPal, but if you used a credit card, your credit card company will help you too. The people at Seattle Orchids are lying, conniving people, just trying to screw people out of their money. I would be very skeptical of anything solution they offer you. Again, listen to Coconuts. He knows things.

And if you send those virused plants back, they are just giong to sell them to somebody else who doesn't know any better.

[SouthPark]

MGJ ----- I agree with the two people above. If there is any chance that you won't get your money back ----- then don't send those orchids back --- especially if the company expects you to pay for the return shipping.

We're on your side! Definitely don't want to you to draw the even shorter straw, which was short enough already.

[JScott]

I find it deeply offensive that they sent you sick plants, and they want YOU to pay the return postage. That is absurd. They should be playing the return postage. That is the only fair way for it to be done. I would absulutely refuse to pay any return postage. It is their fault, and it is their responsibility to set it right. And why would they want the diseased plants back? Like I said before, they intend to sell them to somebody else who doesn't know enough to check. So by not returning the plants, you are also saving somebody else from the same fate as you.

[DirtyCoconuts]

i believe that is a ploy to get out of liability. they can claim that they got plants back in bad condition and then who can prove it wasn't the buyer?

back away and stay away

[JScott]

I don't know why people keep buying from them online. There is a virtual treasure trove of negative reports, not just on this formum, but others well, and on Yelp. Research your nurseries before you buy. If people stop buying from Seattle Orchids, maybe they'll take the hint and make some much needed changes to their operation. I think you probably won't get anywhere as far as getting a resolution to this problem that satisfies you, but I would try anyway. You learned an expensive lesson, but now you know. Get the word out about how horrible Seattle Orchids is. Tell everybody you know. You will be saving others the frustration you are experiencing. But I do think you should at least take it up with your credit card company. Never hurts to try. And you never answered, did you pay via PayPal or credit card?

---------- Post added at 06:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:01 PM ----------

I don't think they actually know anything about Orchids. I think they just buy and resell. They don't grow any of their plants, and I think the quality of the plant depends on how long it has been sitting in their greenhouse. If you get a fresh arrival, you are probably good. But if they send you a plant that has been sitting in their greenhouse for a couple months, they don't know how to care for it properly, and so its health declines, and they end up sending you a half dead plant because they had it too long and didn't know how to keep it healthy.