I haven't received mine either, said he would mail them by Thursday and I don't believe they were mailed today. I did meet him in person, two weekends ago. I know he has the plants, he got them from Foxfire. Mine were a b-day present for a friend, her birthday was last weekend. I had asked if he could bring them with him to Foxfire, but he said he had too many things going on to bring them. He was really busy helping at Foxfire that day. So I believe they will come, but am disappointed that it has taken so long.
Jen

My order was before the Foxfire event. I got a tracking # tonight because he printed the label, but the # isn't on the postal site. He's trying to tell me it can take a couple of days for the # to show up on the USPS site. Uh, don't tell me
about tracking #'s - lol Maybe a couple of hours but not days. And printing a label doesn't mean the plants are in the mail.
Pam

Pam ~

re: just the USPS tracking function -- I've consistently had trouble with it being late/delayed in their updates. In fact, when I've had various items shipped from various people & companies through USPS, the tracking function is *never* accurate. I've even had a couple of items delivered and in my hand, and the tracking function still hasn't reflected that they've left the shipper.

Of course, this doesn't have anything to do with your seller's integrity. He's obviously not reliable. I'm just saying that following the USPS tracking data is a waste of time.

~ freshair

Observation___
If your computer isn't working, you can't receive confirmation from PayPal that the Hostas have been paid for.
On the other hand, if it isn't working, how can you manage to input package weight/size, to print postage & mailing labels and receive a tracking #?

I have rules that I adhere to when bidding at the HLA.
Only bid on Hostas offered by someone that I have purchased from previously and those that have been reliable.
I often see some that temp me, but checking their list of offerings, I find that few, if anyone else, is bidding. I consider that a bad omen and take a cue from the more experienced bidders!
MHO

Hope everyone receives their purchases soon and they are in good condition.
I had one shipment that went astray and required a week to arrive, All, except three minis, were still in good condition. The minis would have survived, but the seller insisted upon prompt replacements and with apologies. Great service!

I mail almost 10 packages a day for our garden co-op. Every one is scanned in at the desk and the tracking numbers are always there. Your postal workers can tell you, just because someone prints a shipping label on line and gives you that tracking number, it does not mean they have actually mailed
the package. And if the tracking number isn't scanned in at the desk when it's mailed, then yes, the USPS site might show it as never shipped. I'm getting a message that the tracking # he provided doesn't exist.
Ladywindsurfer,
Yes, I know if your computer isn't working you can't access the info, BUT if you have taken money from people for a service or merchandise, then you take alternative measures to get on line and inform them. Most libraries have free access, there are internet cafes everywhere, ask a friend, etc. You just don't ignore it for 3 weeks.

I have had excellent service from Naylors and Rob's Lakeside
Hosta from at the HLA.
Pam

what made you presume that the guy who runs the library .... has the time or ability to vet everyone who gratuitously sells on the library??? i do believe there are more than enough disclaimers regarding such ....

caveat emptor.. eh???

the other thing i dont get .. 99% of these sellers are home business ... and yet you expect service greater than a fortune 100 company ...is your life really changed if your hosta show up a day or a week late???

all that said.. i FULLY understand the need to get.. fondle ... and plant your new hosta.. been there done that.. even rolled around in them ... BUT lets have some perspective here ....

you probably wouldnt even complain this much if your mail order heart meds were late ... rotflmbo ... BUT GOD FORBID MY HOSTA ARE A DAY LATE ....

just messin with ya.. have a great day ...

ken

PS: maybe the seller felt they needed to lay on the driveway for a week before being sent ...

I was also told mine would ship on Tues but I haven't recieved them yet. I think I will take the steps to get my money back through pay pal if I don't get them by next week. I would have liked to have them in the ground by now, I was hoping to have them by the end of august and they would have the whole month of sept to get established.

Woodthrush wrote from Zone 4!
I am also waiting, but from Zone 5a and only for a single plant, but it is T Rex, from a reputable nursery. I ordered it 10 days ago, but there was Labor Day inbetween, will get it probably tomorrow. I want to get that in the soil. Next Wednesday is Sept.16, and in the past we usually had the first killing frost then. That's why I am anxious. But then, we now have global warming, and the first frost will be out for another 4 weeks probably and hopefully.

lol - last year we had a 10" snowfall in mid Oct.
We'll have frost before long though.
Pam

Any thoughts given to having an area or thread with the name of sellers and anyone who buys from them leaving their experiences for others to read to help them with making a decision on who to or not to go with when bidding/buying?

There is a Rate and Review Vendors forum here at GW.
Also gardenwatchdog.com
I plan to leave a review at both.

I received my hostas in the mail today, and all of them looked good and were nice divisions. I hope everyone else received their hostas.
Jen

You would think there would be very good venders on the HLA as
I been selling there for the last couple of years and shipped hundreds of them, Soon as payment is made there shipped and gone. Never had any problems with anyone. There all a bunch of good people that bid on our plants. I use paypal for making shipping labels, works great, Naylor Creek Jack & Gary are very good getting there shipping done fast also. I don't no if any of you here have bid on any of our plants, but sell most of the one's we list.Sorry some of you have a problem with a vender. I have never bought anything from him.
berdine46
Dawn's Bloomers

IMHO there is no excuse for not shipping the plants in a timely fashion. I have my own small online business and all orders are shipped within 2 days of received payment (monday-friday).

I acknowledge the customer's payment with an email and update them with shipping info as soon as it leaves. Good customer service is the only way to operate. Buying online is a big test of faith for many people. It is the seller's obligation to honor that trust. I would highly recommend posting a review on your experience, Pam.

As for HL's responsibility in the matter, well, they should offer a rating section of their auction sellers on the site. That way the buyer has the ability to check their vendor's reputation instead of hunting them down on unrelated sites.

Not everyone expects 'service greater than a Fortune 100 company' but the two hosta I got from HL Auction took 2, yes 2, months to get to me, even though they were paid for immediately. It took numerous emails and phone calls to finally get them. And one promptly died. That is one seller I won't buy from again.

I don't blame HL Auction, but I do agree with Tracy in that it would be very beneficial to all if HL had a seller rating section.

Alexis