Looking for eBay Orchid Vendors

[cowboy51278]

I probably shouldn't have gone off, but its a bit of a hot button topic with me. Dead plants, no refund and he left me negative feedback because I wanted my money back. Its hard not to be a little upset. But as you said there are a lot of really good vendors on there.

Zenflower "Orchids and Fire" and Orchids Alive are two more of my favorites.

Pretty much most of the vendors on ebay are fairly decent. On occasion I've gotten a dog or two but the good vendors will correct the problem. Its a hard business for them too. Dealing with the public is never easy and when you toss in the chances of having the USPS or any other carrier mishandle a box and having an angry customer as a result, Im sure puts them on edge as well.

[adlemsi]

This thread is great! I'm thinking about buying orchids online and it seems many OB members purchase their orchids on eBay. I was browsing and was surprised the the number of orchids being sold there. And the prices won't drill holes in my wallet

[Uechi]

I have purchased many items on E-Bay with great success. The key is to look at the " Feedback Rating " and the number of feedbacks. If you get a supplier with hundreds or thousand of sales with a 100% or a high 99 % your pretty safe. On any vendor with less than 100% and a lot of sales look at the negatives stated. Many times vendors get negative feedback that is not deserved. Please note that you can burned by any online grower whether E-Bay or not just be careful. I have been quite please with many of the plants I have received. Regards.

[addictedcountryman]

Sorry it took me so long to check this thread- I got lost and couldn't figure out where the thread went. Thanks for the suggestions- my husband will be a lot happier and hopefull his billfold a lil fatter

[Dorothy]

I will stress when buying from a vendor that you have not dealt or are unfamiliar with, ask questions such as the age of the plant, the medium it is potted in, the last time it was repotted, the health of the root system. These are things that can not be determined by a photo and if any seller doesn't give you an straight answer then I would not deal with them. I have bought some orchids that were not healthy (some dried up and all but dead) nor were they worth the money I paid once I received them. So, people, before purchasing any orchid .. question the seller thoroughly ... !!!
Good Luck with your purchases

[MuscleGirl'sHobby]

I agree with what has been said regarding feedback... always read it! If there has been a negative left, I look to see what it was over and what kind of feedback the vendor left for the buyer in return. I also look to see if the buyer seems to have the same problem with multiple sellers since it may not be a seller issue at all!

I have had a different experience than others when it comes to Bill Asia though. However, I was not buying full grown plants, or plants in spike. I bought seedlings. I got 6 plants total and with shipping included, ended up paying less than $3.00 a plant. I knew I'd be getting something tiny, and tiny they were. But they were healthy. I potted them the day after they arrived and all 6 are now in active growth. What will they end up being? Who knows... they're his own crosses which he hasn't had around long enough to bloom yet. I viewed it like a mystery grab bag. I purposely did not buy larger plants from him because of his feedback. I figured raising plants from babies would be fun, and if they weren't any good, I wasn't out much money.

I've got a rather large order on it's way soon from Orchid's Alive. Can't wait! I'm like a little kid counting down to Christmas!

[Dorothy]

One more thing to point out when purchasing orchids - Make sure the seller sends it Priority Mail or by some mail service that doesn't allow the plant to be traveling for over 3 days - this insures less stress on the plant.
I personally won't buy from a vendor that will send orchids by the regular (and less expensive) postal service of 5-7 days or more.
Happy purchasing

[kapers]

I buy a lot on ebay and I've gotten some great plants. I'm only listing the people I would buy from again....
Machiela-plants are super healthy and larger than expected, plus you can get free shipping on supplies if you buy a plant
japeneseorchids (seed engei)-GREAT neo's
chiaki_ayumi-Huge vanda's
shermantp-very healthy plants
nia22d-good selection
orchidsalive-good selection, heathly plants, reasonable shipping
my phals-nice phals
cschaz-unique, rare plants. Great communication. I suspect he grows a lot of Olympic orchids seedlings since I've seen his pictures on Olympics site and he offers a lot of their selection...plants are usually bloom size though

Hope this helps!

Also I've purchased from carter and holmes, orchids by hauserman, olympic orchids and j+l orchids and have had great experiences!

[Jkelee]

Just a lil note on chiaki_ayumi.
That is Tom Ritter's daughter. I buy from him/her locally here in Central FL
Just if anyone is ever here, go pick them up.

[QUOTE=kapers;161371]I buy a lot on ebay and I've gotten some great plants. I'm only listing the people I would buy from again....

chiaki_ayumi-Huge vanda's

[boytjie]

Originally Posted by addictedcountryman

I have a question about Ebay that I hope you all could answer...
What sellers do you guys use because I have recently started to browse through ebay and have seen phenomenal deals, but I am very wary about buying online.

I've always had a great experience with Kawamoto. They often take the plants from their stock that are in bud/bloom, or unusual hybrids, and auction them on eBay for less than you'd pay on their site. The plants I've bought have always been healthy and well-packed. Shipping is 12 bucks, same as what you'd pay for a lot of other eBay sellers, but Kawamoto uses 2-day FedEx, so the chids always arrive very quickly and with minimal "travel trauma!"