Seattle Orchids 1st Order Experience

[aliceinwl]

I did contact Seattle Orchid about the plant mix up and received nothing but an automatic response that they were in the process of moving and things would be delayed. A few weeks later I received a request to review my purchase, I sent another email because I really didn’t feel I could review the plant: I was happy with it, but it wasn’t what I had actually ordered. I got the same form response from them.

Given their lack of communication, I don’t think I’d make any “big ticket” purchases from them and they would have to be a vendor of last resort.

[Afid]

Wow sorry to hear that! I have only ordered one plant from them about a year ago (I think the ID is right but hard to say until it blooms) but it was a good healthy plant in decent shape at a good price. They were super nice and easy to work with both times I visited their store.

[JScott]

I don't trust Seattle Orchids to give me good value for my money when I buy plants online from them that I cannot inspect first, so I don't shop online with them anymore. I have received some nice things from them, but I have also received some thing things that were disappointing, and they were just dismissive of my concerns. They told me the plant was fine, and if I had more experience growing Orchids, I would be able to see that, which I found condescending, as I've been growing orchids for some thirty years now. I know a good plant when I see one, and I know a sick plant when I see one, and her implication that I know nothing about orchids was very off putting, given that she knew nothing about me.

If I am ever in Seattle, I will visit their greenhouse, because I know that they do have some nice things there, but I also know they have some not so nice things there, and I don't feel like I can trust them to send me a good plant when I can't see it first.

[OrchidSue]

Seattle Orchid is now located in Oregon, not Seattle which is unfortunate. I didn't mind going to their retail location in Seattle because I could pick out plants from their selection that were the most healthy. I don't know if I will order online because some of their plants aren't in the best of condition. I don't go to Oregon that often.



Susan

[JScott]

And if you receive a plant in poor condition and you call them to try to make it right, they'll just tell you that the plant is fine and you don't know anything about Orchids.

[aliceinwl]

I ended up ordering from them again because they had several plants I wanted at good prices. 4 of the 5 looked fine. One had a lot of leaf scarring and on close inspection had a heavy infestation of red spider mites. 2 of the others also had obvious spider mites upon close inspection. One with minor leaf scarring and the other probably picked them up in the box. This is a pain to deal with

[Leafmite]

I am sorry to hear. Yes, they do have great plants on offer but I learned my lesson and won't order from them. Hope you get those mites eradicated quickly!

[Clawhammer]

Sorry for resurrecting an old thread but I just wanted to say that I also will not order again from Seattle orchid. I just got the three daintiest little cattleya seedlings from them with mostly dead roots. Two of these plants were $30 ea and they are barely out of the flask. I asked them to make it right but based on this thread I am not expecting much.

[estación seca]

I tend to order only things from them that I've seen in stock on their Web site for quite a while, and are marked way down. They know how to grow plants; if it's been there a while is is probably in at least fair condition. I know, not a great recommendation.

[Clawhammer]

Originally Posted by Clawhammer

Sorry for resurrecting an old thread but I just wanted to say that I also will not order again from Seattle orchid. I just got the three daintiest little cattleya seedlings from them with mostly dead roots. Two of these plants were $30 ea and they are barely out of the flask. I asked them to make it right but based on this thread I am not expecting much.

They never replied to me. I won't follow up, but I do plan to take it up with them in person in September at the Portland orchid show.

One of the most ridiculous aspects of this experience that I didn't mention is that the teeny tiny seedlings were "marked down" to $30 from $89 and $65 respectively, further leading me to believe these were not recently de-flasked.

Caveat Emptor