Bought a $80 rare orchid online and it showed up dead in a box

The seller claimed it was "dormant" but the roots were pure mush when I unwrapped it. Has anyone else dealt with sketchy rare plant sellers on Etsy?

3 comments

3 Comments

hannahj493h ago

Oh the roots were pure mush" is such a gut punch, I know that exact feeling. I once paid $60 for a variegated monstera cutting that the seller swore was "well rooted" but when I opened it, the roots were basically brown sludge and the stem was soft. I ended up trying to save it by cutting off all the rot and putting it in sphagnum moss, which is what I usually do with sick plants, and it actually pulled through after like three months of sulking. Your mileage may vary, but sometimes the boxed dead ones can recover if you catch them fast. That said, Etsy can be a mixed bag for rare plants, I've had way better luck with specialized Facebook groups where people post reviews of sellers.

mason.drew1h ago

Have you tried reaching out to Etsy directly about this? They usually side with buyers when plants show up dead, especially if you have photos of the mush. I've been burned a few times on there myself, and I've learned to only buy from sellers with tons of reviews and clear refund policies. Some of those shops are just people flipping plants they bought wholesale with no idea how to ship them. It's a gamble every time you click order.

taylor_wells32m ago

Right there with you on the gut punch thing, @hannahj49. I once opened a box with a 'rare' alocasia that was basically a wet paper towel with a stem attached (so gross). I ended up chopping every single mushy root off and just sticking the nub in perlite for two months, and it finally grew a new leaf. The sphagnum moss trick is a lifesaver sometimes, but man, that sinking feeling when you see the slime is the worst.