Has anyone tried Ebay??

[new gardener]

Dear Gardeners i wana konw that if any member over here tried shopping on Ebay for potted plants..
like Cacti and Succulents just wana know because i have seen some promotions of websites and they are offering potted plants.. i just wana know that if there is any hurdle like Import Regulation or Customs .. plzz advise..

[Syed Adnan]

I tried but from Saudiarabia.

From PAK i did purchase another item but not plants from Ebay, that was electronic item and needs clearance from Cutomes Karachi.

[aykhan]

I recently bought plumeria cuttings from Thailand on eBay and the seller provided free phytosanitary certificate. They were checked at customs since I could see from the seal and then delivered. The delay is usually the problem since the plants can cook enroute and may not recover from the stress. However, it seems if plants arrive with a phytosanitary certificate then you should be alright. The only problem with eBay is that you will never know if the seller is reliable. The one I bought from has excellent reviews but I will not be sure if the cuttings I got are true to type till they flower which might be two years.

[adnan]

If they are seeds then it should be ok. Anything else will take ages to get cleared from customs and also u need to find the seller who is willing to post here.

[aykhan]

My second shipment is stuck in customs and I also haven't received my seeds yet despise almost a month.

[adnan]

Best way is o plan in advance keep an eye on your friends/relatives who live abroad and get seeds delivered to them. As seeds have small volume and almost no weight people will bring them along. I will be getting some seeds for asparagus and if possible grafted small plant of kiwi from uk in october as one of my mates is coming to pakistan. I am not sure he will bring the plant with him and it might be too much to ask. But seeds no issue.