eBay can be fulfilling or forbidding. As a regular purchaser of Orchids on eBay I have experienced both. A great source for reliable plants of all genera is www.kawamotoorchids.com They have an incredible selection and shipping is FREE. (Consider that when you are checking the plant prices.) I have purchased many Orchids from Ebay and this supplier is one of the best.

Thanks, DanJohn!

I am not sure where you came up with this "Free Shipping" statement, Dan. Actually, Kawamoto Orchids has one of the HIGHEST shipping charges out there, at 30% of the order's total PLUS a $10.00 packing charge. The only thing that you can purchase without shipping costs is one of their special "bundles" (always unnamed plants). Those bundles already have a nice profit built in.

If I am wrong about this, please correct me. When I first started Tropical Plants & More, some of my initial packing techniques came from talking with this shipper, and we discussed shipping charges then.

Ken, on ebay the shipping is free. I use them regular because of this, they have this for almost a year now.

OK, Bert. I just went to their website, since my information was gathered three years ago, and they still charge 30% + $10. I guess they do it differently on eBay but I can't imagine why they would. But that's good to know. I have never dealt with Kawamota Orchids, at least as a customer, so don't have any personal knowledge of their plants or their pricing.

Kawamoto is a solid seller and I haven't had a single bad experience. I buy on eBay quite often but I have stopped for the winter. I used to buy during cold seasons but I've stopped. I have had very few bad experiences (long ago) and I have a good sense of who to stay away from. One of my favorite sellers is shermanp but I don't get their recent acquisitions from Ecuagenera-I like them to grow in the states, preferable north, for a few seasons.

Second on shermantp ,Kathy. Nice variety and good pictures of what you are getting.

I don't know if they sell on eBay, but does anyone order from Plantio la Orquidea?

Wish there was a list of which eBay sellers to avoid, but, like the smell of Amorphophallus, beauty, or STINKINESS, is the eye, or nose, of the etc etc. But it would be good to know.

Lorli said:

Wish there was a list of which eBay sellers to avoid, but, like the smell of Amorphophallus, beauty, or STINKINESS, is the eye, or nose, of the etc etc. But it would be good to know.

That is why some of us asked you to please write an honest report about the eBay shipment you were not too thrilled about.

I love amorphophallus!!!

I did write about my disappointment with an ebay seller in my original post, below, and named the seller, Ruben in Orchids. What I find odd, though, is that the seller uses 2 names. I saw Ruben in Orchids on the paperwork that came with the plants and various communications from the seller, but, on the computer, the name Top Mac Sniper is also associated with the listings, and that person appears to be well regarded. Bad day?

I have no other problems with any ebay vendors, but appreciate advice from others.

I guess it is time to start a new thread - "The horrors of dealing with USPS shipping". It is amazing, even knowing how badly our federal government runs programs, to see how inept our mail is being handled.

Lorli, Plantio La Orquidea is one of our local sources here. I have many orchids from them and so does Jim. Great varieties and nice plants but buying direct is a different ball game than online as you can see what you're getting.