Ebay plants

Hello All,
I was just wondering if anyone has purchased any plants from an Ebay seller (aleyatcha) in Thailand. If so does anyone have notes to share about their experience and or photos of th their plants??? The seller seems friendly and knowledgable. And their plants look beautiful.

My experience with this seller started out great but only time told the truth.
I ordered a bunch of plants...as always.
I placed a large order to Thailand thru this seller on Ebay.
Unfortunately, it was just prior to the gov't shutting the Thailand airport done...last year, which added 4 weeks to the delivery time.
Then when he finally shipped..he forgot my zip code so the plants went to Italy first and then made their way to me...dead.
I emailed him and he agreed to replace in March when the weather everywhere would be much milder.
After reminding him...he promptly sent the replacements.
They arrived quite quickly...wrapped and covered in the 'gel' I assume meet the exporting specifications.
The hoyas had plenty of roots so I thought they would all thrive.
Slowly one by one just shriveled up and died...may have been because I didn't rinse the gel? Instructions would have been nice?
Yes the photos look great and the price as well as shipping is reasonable...not for alot of work and the end result.
No new additions to my collection. :0(
I would not waste time and money again...although I have no regrets because now I don't wonder if I should.

Yeah. Thats what I was worried about. Too bad. He had a couple of plants that a friend of mine would love to have for her Baby Shower. But better safe then sorry. Thanks For the imput.

SRQ,
You and I must placed our orders at the same time. I had a good outcome though. When I received my plants, I rinsed the gel off. Then, roots and all I treated them like cuttings. And they are doing well. Seems to be a mixed bag with this guy. I did keep my order on the smaller side as I didn't know what to expect.

Trish

Haven't looked at his listings lately because I didn't have a good experience, but he did at one time have on the listings NOT to wash the gel stuff off. I think that gel stuff is what leads to the demise of the cuttings.

Kelly

That's what I thought about the gel...but...was not a good experience in any way for me.
Thanks for the confirmation Kelly...that's most likely why I failed to rinse the roots.

Joni

Forgive that this is a late date reply, I don't get to the forums
so often lately. But:

IRT Aleya's Garden - I have bought from them and received excellent,
excellent plants.

Yes, you can tell they were shipped internationally when you get them.
But I had no trouble with them. They had really good roots.

The gel is just the H2O gel that people add to soil sometimes, mine
didn't have a whole lot on it, or perhaps some had dehydrated in
shipping, which is what it is designed to do. I would rinse it off as
it holds water at the roots - good for shipping but not for growing.

I received the shipment in exactly one week. Bare root, of course.

I will buy from them again. It is as good as it gets for international.
(Previous experience includes ferns and aroids from Philipines.)