# Why won't aquaticmagic send my plants?



## Knotty Bitz (Mar 11, 2009)

I bought plants from them a week and a half ago. On there website it still says my order is processing and they have not returned any of my emails. Is it normal for them to take this long and does anyone know their phone number, I can't find it on the site.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

You need to do a search here. They don't have the best reputation. People have been fined for buying their plants.


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## Knotty Bitz (Mar 11, 2009)

What do you mean fined?


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

They don't ship the plants with a phytosanitary certificate(I think that's what you call it) that is required by the US department of Agriculture. Customs has seized many of these and they have contacted the buyer and fined them. At least that's what I understand. Do a search and you'll find the threads about them.


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## Knotty Bitz (Mar 11, 2009)

Ok, I did some research and it seems like some people get good results and some don't. People have said they got their money back, but how would I go about doing this?


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

If it's just been a week and a half that's not enough time for the plants to reach you from overseas. If you want to cancel your order you need to pm Aquatic Magic. If you paid through paypal you could go through them.

They are a great source of equipment. Anything that is not alive is priced well. Good luck.


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## flashbang009 (Aug 6, 2009)

Hey knotty, 

I bought some in august from aquariumplantsandsupplies.com (a site of aquatic magic) and it took about 2.5 weeks to get to me. I had the same issue you did, but when it got to me they were in good shape. I ended up not getting something i ordered, so i emailed them, and got an immediate response and they agreed to send it to me. 

Tricky guys though, they said the contents of the package were "household decor" to get it through customs.

Hope this helps


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## armedbiggiet (May 6, 2006)

custom can't check all the package but when they do and if you lucky they just trash them other wise...

BTW what kind of plants that can travel nearly 2 weeks in a box with out light?


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## husonfirst (Sep 27, 2009)

i bought a non-plant item from them and it took two weeks to arrive.


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## Vadimshevchuk (Jul 5, 2009)

How much are fines? I am desperate for some java moss and crpt wenditii and they have them under 5 bucks.


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## flashbang009 (Aug 6, 2009)

Hey,

Got your solution (if you so choose). Sweetaquatics.com has great prices and they give you a lottt for a lot of plants. They have the crypt you want for 1.20, and the java moss (listed under Vesicularia Dubyana) for 4.00. They are based in ohio and ship priority so you'd get it a lot quicker. Just placed my second order with them, getting it in today!!! Hope this helps


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## gheitman (Aug 18, 2007)

Knotty Bitz said:


> Ok, I did some research and it seems like some people get good results and some don't. People have said they got their money back, but how would I go about doing this?


You may not be able to get your money back. It depends on how payment to the seller was made. If you paid via PayPal you can file a transaction dispute. If you paid via credit card you can challenge the transaction via the credit card company.

I ran into similar circumstances with an overseas seller in Singapore. They said on their web site that they included the necessary phytosanitary certificate to clear U.S. customs. They lied about that (and the seller lied on the customs declaration about it being 'glassware') so my shipment of plants was seized and destroyed when it got to the U.S. I was even visited at work by a federal officer from the Department of Agriculture. He told me that the shipper would be under very close scrutiny in the future since they tried sneaking something by customs already. I wasn't fined or anything but I lost my shipment and my money. The seller never acknowledged any of my e-mails, never shipped me any replacements and never refunded my money. I had paid via PayPal and when I filed a dispute with them they took his side and refused to do anything to help. What it boils down to is that I unknowingly tried to smuggle plants into the country, got caught and lost everything.

I highly recommend you either buy plants from members here or from one of the sponsors of this web site. If they don't have what you want send me a PM and I will give you the name of a reputable U.S. reseller I have dealt with.


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## ray-the-pilot (May 14, 2008)

flashbang009 said:


> Hey knotty,
> 
> I bought some in august from aquariumplantsandsupplies.com (a site of aquatic magic) and it took about 2.5 weeks to get to me. I had the same issue you did, but when it got to me they were in good shape. I ended up not getting something i ordered, so i emailed them, and got an immediate response and they agreed to send it to me.
> 
> ...


Hey thanks for the info! I sent a copy of this over to the US customs service with a compalint that they are letting in dangerous and invasive plants under the guise of "household decor."


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## Vadimshevchuk (Jul 5, 2009)

http://www.stoffelsinternational.com/fileadmin/user_upload/CryptWendtii.jpg

i was looking for this, kinda

i couldnt find crypt wendtii


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

There are lots of places to buy Crypt wendtii in the US, even on this forum from fellow hobbyists. Java moss is also very common. I don't understand why you are having problems. Is it because you can't find them for as cheap as you want?


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## Viwwo (Oct 30, 2009)

I get why everything takes over two weeks to get. I have orders a few (non living) things from that place and the only way of paying it is thought paypal. So on the 4th I went on line and got whatever I needed. Then today I got an email saying they finally got my “eCheck” and it will take 3-5 days to process and then they could send me the items. So I’ll give another 2 days for that to happen and another 3-5 days to get it. I know I won’t be home when the stuff finally comes so I’ll have to wait another 2 days before I could go and pick it up from my post office (That is if I’m not running late for work.) ARG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## gheitman (Aug 18, 2007)

Did your plants ever arrive or did you hear from the seller?



Knotty Bitz said:


> Ok, I did some research and it seems like some people get good results and some don't. People have said they got their money back, but how would I go about doing this?


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## Vadimshevchuk (Jul 5, 2009)

Actually I thought more about it and ill never order plants from them again since it is illegal. They are cheating the us kinda so no way. I actually dont need any more of the plants i was looking for since they were for my 10 gallon but that is already filled up.


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## flashbang009 (Aug 6, 2009)

ray-the-pilot said:


> Hey thanks for the info! I sent a copy of this over to the US customs service with a compalint that they are letting in dangerous and invasive plants under the guise of "household decor."


Ok cool. But someone could argue that we aren't letting in any worse "invasive" plants than are already in the country. They may be a different line, but the flame moss i ordered is no different than the flame moss i ordered in the country.

And yes its wrong that they sneak it through.

Thoughts?


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

Sneaking plants through as "Home Decor" is dishonest and illegal. Whether you think it hurts our ecosystem or not, APHIS thinks it does. So, buyer beware. If a package gets seized at customs, they won't go after the seller, they'll come after the buyer. Too many people (including members here) have gone through that nightmare.


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## flashbang009 (Aug 6, 2009)

yeah i understand and think its dishonest and illegal. Customs just can't check every package to see if its a popular plant sold in the US anyways so it makes sense now that they would just chuck any they find, unless they have the phytosanitary certificate. Just kinda thinkin out loud


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

flashbang009 said:


> Ok cool. But someone could argue that we aren't letting in any worse "invasive" plants than are already in the country. They may be a different line, but the flame moss i ordered is no different than the flame moss i ordered in the country.
> 
> And yes its wrong that they sneak it through.
> 
> Thoughts?


First of all I'm not sure how any of us would know if a moss were the same or different unless we were Dr. Benito Tan. Mosses, unlike many other plants are very difficult to ID and have to be viewed through a microscope and through different life stages.

Secondly, we have no idea what hitchhikers have come along for the ride.

Thirdly, just because we already have some invasive species here, it doesn't follow that more is better!


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## Qwertus (Oct 14, 2008)

ray-the-pilot said:


> Hey thanks for the info! I sent a copy of this over to the US customs service with a compalint that they are letting in dangerous and invasive plants under the guise of "household decor."


No offense, but what you did just hurt the uninformed buyers, it doesn't stop the fact that they are still selling their stuff. The buyers that are unaware of it being illegal since those plants are already in the US anyways would buy it and the federal officers would knock on their door. They will lose the plants/money and the US will lose the tax dollars that are paid to the federal officers who "investigate" the vitim buyer. It doesn't stop the import of evasive plants. US buyers are just a part of their income.

cutos to the one who takes the initiative eh?


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