Horrible ebay experience. Are these healthy phals?
 

I bought these orchids from ebay.

https://picasaweb.google.com/MsMayZh...eat=directlink

I was upset when it arrived via media mail which took 5 days from MD to NY.

Next I emailed the seller about the condition of the plants and ask why they would send it via media mail. This is what the seller wrote...
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"I'm not sure how familiar you are with orchids. Both plants look healthy to me. Older roots and dead roots wick water into the plant and help retain water. Are the leaves succulent or turgid? The moss that was attached to the roots should remain on them unless they are immediately going to be transplanted. Removing the moss usually does more harm than good for one the tiny root hairs are attached to it and two there are good symbiotic fungi that are in that moss that help the orchid grow. If the leaves are flaccid which it doesn't look like from your picture then I can refund or send out new plants once both are returned to me. If you want new plants or a refund both plants will need to be sent back undamaged/alive.

Once in a while I order exotic orchids from China and Japan they are in the mail from at least a month and arrive in good condition. Orchid are much more hardy than people give them credit for."
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Now someone tell me that the seller is correct and that these plants are perfectly healthy? Should I ask for replacement or refund? Either way I am going to lose out of shipping both way. What a horrible experience.

I would soak them and see if they green up, five days shouldn't kill an orchid., was the moss moist.? I never have any luck when I've bought bare root.

If you want to compare notes use the name of the seller. I'm sure someone else has had a problem also. There's a vender feedback column you might check. Good Luck!

They're not the healthiest looking Phals that could be purchased, but they're still pretty salvageable. Some of them have new roots emerging, and plus this is prime growing season for Phals. This is the time of year when they grow like crazy.

Don't cut any of the roots off yet. Wait until after you've soaked them in water first to see which roots perk up and which are truly dead.

Soak the roots in water for an hour or 2 and see if the roots will perk up. Look for dead roots and remove them.

The leaves should become fully turgid again in a few days.

You can always give the vendor a neutral feedback rather than a negative one.

As a side note, I think the explanation they give for the science behind your Phals might be a little out of whack. In other words, I think it's a half-truth.

Thank you for Carol and Philip for your replies. I will try soaking the roots. I'm pretty sure one of the plant will have no good roots.

The orchids were shipped with moss in pot. Top was dry bottom was still moist. The seller said he would give it a good watering before sending.

I was upset with the five days because MD is really close to NY. I understand the seller wants to save on shipping but instead of using first class or parcel post the seller used media mail. media mail is intended for medias only.

Also the seller ask me to send back "undamaged/alive". I really wonder what his def of "undamaged/alive" is.

I just looked at the seller's ebay return policy on the listing.

"Item must be returned within
7 days after the buyer receives it
Refund will be given as
Exchange
Return policy details
If the plant arrives dead or dies within seven days of you receiving it a new one will be sent out."

The policy is different from what he is requesting for the condition of plants that are returned.

I guess since I can not ship back till Tuesday anyway, I will give these plants benefit of the doubt.

The seller trying to call these plants healthy and to justify his using media mail to ship makes me mad.

You can try to have Ebay resolve the issue for you if you're really unsatisfied, idk.

It's up to you.

As for the plants themselves, I'd find out which ones have roots and which don't, then go from there.

In the future you could always consider getting orchids from places like Oak Hill Gardens or Orchids by Hausermann.

I've sent the second set of pictures to the seller. Waiting for a response...

I think I am going to stop buying Ebay orchids except for those on the recommended list. The last time I ordered I found mealy bugs when I went to inspect the roots... yikes...

I have not purchase from Oakhill or Hausermann, but I do have a to buy list going.

Thanks again Philip.

Wow what a nightmare! I agree that the plants don't look great but they might pull through :) I definitely would go with an orchid grower next time....this person sounds a bit ill informed :/

I have to disagree with the rest of the posts. The plants are in very bad shape for a new purchase. This kind of condition wouldn't have happened in that short of a time in the mail. These are roots that have been over watered and rotted as a result. They look desicated because the outer velamin dries and begins to come off after a period of rot. I also notice the condition of the leaves. They are wrinkled and limp, also indicative of poor watering and belive me that didn't just happen on the trip in the mail. Phals are very hardy and you can revive these, but expect to wait up to two years for the plant to grow enough roots to support blooms. I would send it back to the seller and not buy from them again. There are enough sellers out there who are fair in their return policies that you don't have to put up with this kind of treatment.