Author Topic: Dried out lilies from shipping? (Read 2205 times)

Kat · « **on:** May 15, 2008, 05:26:05 PM »

I sold 5 lilies in a Flat Rate box to someone on another forum & I've never dealt with them before. All 5 named hardies were blooming. I've been selling/boxing plants for many years. Buyer is claiming the plants were completely dry & all brown. As many of you know I make sure the plants have damp newspaper & I tie them off carefully in a new white kitchen trash bag to keep the moisture in. I also included another plastic bag around the first one. No mention of a damaged or leaking box. Buyer didn't take a picture as far as I know & says the plants have been planted. They didn't even care if the plants were named or what colors they were--just wanted plant coverage. I have never had anyone tell me the plants were dried out.

Has anyone else had this problem?

Esther · « **Reply #1 on:** May 15, 2008, 05:39:03 PM »

Ya know what, I think that even if there was a leak in the package, the stuff couldn't be dried out. Tangles of roots wrapped in layers of plastic in a box is not going to dry out in 5 days, unless the box was totally ripped open and the plants removed from the packaging. And that's not likely to have happened. Ask them if the post office made any notations about the package being wet. I don't believe your customer.

bunny56lbc · « **Reply #2 on:** May 15, 2008, 05:59:33 PM »

kat,
I don't believe you're customer either . Sound's like they want more plant's .
Ask them to take a picture of them so you can see what kind of damage they were in when they arrived . That's weird that they thought the plants were good enough to pot them up & put them into the pond .Hmmmm , make's ya wonder if they really were "dried up" .

bonnie

Oh by the way ,the w.lilies I bought from you last year arrived in great shape !

tinkster · « **Reply #3 on:** May 15, 2008, 06:04:57 PM »

I know what your going through.. I sell on ebay and if you deal with people long enuff your gonna see what they will do to get things free. Its not all but its alot more people than one would expect. Everyone likes to think that most are honest but you find out pretty quick when your in sales of any bulk. Its a shame really as business's have to add in the price of all those incidences to the ones of us that do not do that. I dont know how you can protect yourself in the future but if they paid with paypal they are probably gonna do a chargeback. With lillies though u can leave the things laying in the yard in full sun and they wont die for weeks and then given water would probalby still come out of it. So sorry didnt mean to rant but I just hear some stories from buyers on ebay that should be in a comedy book

tinkster

Kat · « **Reply #4 on:** May 15, 2008, 06:07:39 PM »

Thanks for your input.

I don't see how they could have been completely dried out unless it is like Esther said. The box would have to have been ripped open. Nothing was said about a damaged box or bags. Post Office usually will have a big sticker on the box apologizing for any damage. I asked buyer for a picture of both the plants & the box. All 5 full sized lilies with ALL of their pads & all their roots (no trimming!) stuffed into that little Flat Rate box ... all the plants were completely washed off with water & put immediately into the box, & the bag tied as soon as the plants were all in there. If the box had gotten hot during shipping, things would be mushy, not dry.

If it had been me, I would not have gone to all the trouble of planting them. Just put them in a bucket of water & contacted the seller.

If anyone ever has a problem when they order from me, please let me know as soon as possible. Thanks.

Tinkster---this buyer is a "newbie", just joined earlier this year & has posted very little. I've had plenty of experience with many newbies on eBay. That is why so many people don't want to sell to folks with very little feedback because of their bad experiences. I'm waiting to see if they'll send me pictures or any further info.

Julles · « **Reply #5 on:** May 15, 2008, 06:22:27 PM »

Perhaps it's someone who doesn't know much about lilies. I don't know how you ship them, but if they were bare-root, then they might have LOOKED "dry and brown" to someone who was expecting them to come with soil around the roots, or even in a pot.

enzo · « **Reply #6 on:** May 15, 2008, 06:36:46 PM »

Hello Kat, I'd say the customer isn't being honest. I ship in a similar manner as well.

Ky Kim · « **Reply #7 on:** May 15, 2008, 07:12:57 PM »

Kat always has exceptional plants. They have always arrived in excellent condition! This person is just looking for something for free.....

Kim

Kat · « **Reply #8 on:** May 15, 2008, 07:18:53 PM »

Thanks Kim & Bonnie.

The buyer let me know their camera has dead batteries & they don't have replacements. I did ask in return that they take a picture as soon as possible to help determine what happened to the plants. Also asked again if there was any damage to the shipping box as they didn't answer that yet.

Thanks for all of the input.

joeyb5980 · « **Reply #9 on:** May 15, 2008, 07:59:42 PM »

Gee.... I guess when batteries go dead you just presume your camera is useless from that point on? Batteries aren't too hard to come by- neither as far as availability, nor financially.... Well, good luck for a quick resolve...

And just for those that haven't seen me say it before- Kat is a GREAT seller... Been thrilled repeatedly with orders from her.... In fact just got a box of perfect plants from her yesterday

She is an enabler of my lily addiction

tranquility · « **Reply #10 on:** May 15, 2008, 08:46:07 PM »

Quote from: Ky Kim on May 15, 2008, 07:12:57 PM

Kat always has exceptional plants. They have always arrived in excellent condition! This person is just looking for something for free.....

Kim

Ditto...Nope I don't believe it either...Everything I've ever gotten from Kat has been very well packaged...what I bet happened is she got the box---tore it open and left the open package on the counter top untill she decided to plant them...by then I would imagine they dried out and turned brown...I just got some plants in today---I did the same thing---opened the box and left the plants sitting next to the computer....after a couple hours they had already started to wilt...so I took them outside and planted them really quick....
Lawanna

landey1230 · « **Reply #11 on:** May 15, 2008, 09:02:48 PM »

I've purchased from Kat. I have nothing but great things to say about her. She went the extra mile and made sure they were packaged well. She even gave me a great deal. Don't let this discourage you, Kat. There are some snakes on ebay. I had a terrible experience there and to this day, I try to avoid it.

matherfish · « **Reply #12 on:** May 15, 2008, 09:03:21 PM »

Kat, no matter how we ship, and you ship your plants wonderully, I do not think we can please everyone, but you can't please a dishonest person. I sell on Ebay as well, and have had a few people tell me the plants did not arrive or did not arrive in good condition. Not a lot but a few. With the free tracking by using Paypal online shipping labels, they can't get away anymore by saying their plants never arrived. When they claim the plants didn't arrive in good shape, I do not ask for a picture, I ask for the plants back in the box they were sent in, packaged the way they were sent. That way I know they do not get both the originals and the replacements. My guess is the person opened the box and left the plants laying out and forgot about them. When the person remembered them and went back, they had dried out. They probably went ahead and planted them hoping for life, but didn't see any life so thought they would get you to send them more so they wouldn't lose out. They do not care if we, the sellers, lose the plants, and the additional shipping cost and time.
I have had some funny (or not so funny) stories from people about the plant's conditions when they arrived, or not arriving, but that is only 5 or 6 a year out of over 1000 mailings a year and a 7 year span, so its not too bad. Still aggravating.
I have to share this though. I had an Ebay pond novice, evidently) leave me negative feed back because there wasn't any dirt around the roots of the plant I sent her, a plant advertised as being shipped "bare root." The plant was in excellent condition. Obviously they didn't know what bare root was, and without asking why no dirt or contacting me before hand, left negative feedback! When I asked why they had not contacted me before leaving the feed back, the guy wrote back that it was no big deal and that I needed to get a life. Go figure some people's ignorance and stupidity!

LeeAnne151 · « **Reply #13 on:** May 16, 2008, 01:35:53 AM »

There is a lot of ignorance and stupidity on eBay.

Kat · « **Reply #14 on:** May 16, 2008, 04:23:11 AM »

Thank you again for all of the support.

I know mistakes & accidents can happen but I know I didn't do anything different to pack these plants. So compared to ALL of the other plants I've sent, if the box & bags were not damaged there should have been nothing wrong with these plants. Yes, there is always those few that you know instinctively that they are not honest but it still doesn't make the heartache/hassle any less. Yep, plants will wilt fast if you don't get them into water. I've never accidentally left them out where they go brown & dry, so I have no idea how quickly that would happen.

Frank--"why no dirt?" & "get a life!". Go figure

tranquility · « **Reply #15 on:** May 16, 2008, 06:41:00 AM »

I thought everyone shipping water plants bareroot $:-\$ ......I figured that was just a given...I sure wouldn't want to pay for someone else mud to be shipped....too funny...but, I can up you one----

My one and only bad experience with shipping plants
I sent a lady a HUGE order once...Which took 3 -16x16x18 boxes too ship---including lilies, 2 boxes of hyacinth, and many other marginals....Well I sent them out on a Monday....by Friday she had emailed me telling me that all of the hyacinth arrived with all the roots ripped off......I had never had that happen---but, did give her the benefit of the doubt and assured her I would have replacements out by Monday...Knowing this lady was reselling the plants---I lucked out because she was from the same town as a friend of mine....I asked him to go see what she had for sale that weekend.....Just as I had suspected---She not only had the lilies and marginals for sale---but, guess what---she also had tons of hyacinth for sale---not knowing the guy and I knew each other...He asked OH my what lovely plants you have and told her she had some very lovely hyacinth....where did she get them...Did she raise them her self? She said NO I have a supplier out of Oklahoma.....Guess what---I quickly cut that ladies supply off and sent her packin' ASAP.....
Lawanna

Kat · « **Reply #16 on:** May 16, 2008, 06:58:52 AM »

Lawanna--that is great that you were able to figure out the truth & able to not do business with them any more.

The latest is that the buyer is still saying that they cannot get batteries & they aren't asking for a refund but will let me know how the plants are doing in a week or two. Still saying the newspaper was completely dried out & still no answer on the box condition.

I'm so glad that the majority of people are honest & friendly

Julles · « **Reply #17 on:** May 16, 2008, 07:07:29 AM »

I had some pictures taken of my pond, but they didn't show up on the CD rom from CVS. I took them back, and the guy questioned me LONG AND HARD before reinstalling the pics from my roll of film, to be sure I was really a CVS customer. He said that a customer not too long ago had claimed that 35 rolls of film were defective. So the CVS guy dutifully loaded 35 rolls of film onto CD rom. And later found out the customer didn't even have the film developed at CVS ... was totally scamming them for 35 rolls!

So, yes, people do lie and cheat.

tranquility · « **Reply #18 on:** May 16, 2008, 08:35:41 AM »

Kat I just can't help but, think the package had been left open after the first initial inspection and then MUCH later when she went back to the box it was dried out....even just the water that is on the lilies roots and leaves would have dampened the papers...you would have had to blot dry or leave it out of the water for a long time before packaging the lilies in order for the paper to be totally dried out on arrival...I would do as Frank said---ask for her to return the plants and then you will be glad to replace them....thats what I decided do as a policy after the whole hyacinth rip off.....
Lawanna

karen J · « **Reply #19 on:** May 16, 2008, 09:15:59 AM »

That's pretty blatant for a "newbie". Kinda makes me think she wasn't a newbie at all?

I used to sell watercress on ebay (before it was commonly available in supermarkets), and I had this one guy from Arizona say that it arrived rotted. So, I sent him another box. Then he said that one was rotted, so I sent him another box (after all, Arizona does get hot, maybe the mailman left the box in the sun). Then he had the cojones to say THAT one was rotted! OK, I may be somewhat gullible but I wasn't born yesterday.

tammie · « **Reply #20 on:** May 16, 2008, 01:29:59 PM »

Dry out? Can't be. Not unless the box and both bags were torn apart. I agree with Lawanna. Had to be the box was opened and left on a counter. I can see a shipment of lilies arriving mushy, but not dry...
Tammie

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #21 on:** May 16, 2008, 01:46:05 PM »

Kat you are the most awesome packer of plants!

Last year I ordered (way too much stuff!!!

) and they always arrived perfect. Plus for some reason whenever I was waiting for packages from you it was during the hottest week to be delivering, but everything arrived very green and perfect.

This newbie is not being honest and for the plants to be dried and brown it would take more than a week in plastic to become that way. They may have their reason for being dishonest, they should not blame you.

LeeAnne151 · « **Reply #22 on:** May 17, 2008, 10:19:00 AM »

Having worked in retail for over twenty years I know that many people are dishonest. I've had them try to return hanging baskets stolen from the front of the store, plants from other garden centers, flowers long after they were dead, roses bought from costco etc. Usually the people that make the biggest stink are the ones who are being dishonest. Many honest people hate to even tell you about a problem.

Jerry · « **Reply #23 on:** May 17, 2008, 10:36:17 AM »

I received a totally dry lotus tuber. I didn't say anything lest I look like I want something for free. Also as owner of AP I didn't want to "throw my weight around."
Months later the lady made a nice post saying she NOW learned how to pack tubers!
I didn't have the heart to complain so much later. At least it was an honest mistake.