Has anyone tried to mail seeds out of the country? I sent a bubble envelope with seeds with my son to the PO today. He was required to open it and they refused to allow it to be sent. They told him this is something Obama started. It seems really stupid to me. It was Coral Bean seeds, Mimosa seeds, and Christmas Senna seeds. I am so upset as I promised her these seeds.
She has some great seeds to sell and I bought some and they got here a couple days ago. They are 25 cents Netherlands money which is less than 50 cents (around there) US money. She has some seeds you can't find everywhere. I am extremely happy with what I got. Go here to check out her seeds http://www.freewebs.com/belevenissen-van-een-tuinkabouter/
Has anyone tried to mail seeds out of the country?
Sandy
You should have been fine. Here is a partial import listing of what can be Imported into the Netherlands. http://fedex.com/us/international/irc/profiles/irc_nl_profile.html#C04
Not sure why, but apparently sunflower seeds are on that list. I do understand the issue regarding live plants and cuttings, but not the seeds. Can you possibly try a different post office? I have traded with Tuink and you are right, she has a wonderful selection of seeds.
I would definitely send her an email and ask her what you can do to get her seeds to her.
Carolyn
I never had problems with sending seeds to and from the US. Also sending and receiving Sunflowerseeds never gave problems. You are obliged to tell the PO the contents of the envelope?
I mail seeds out of the country regularly with no problems.
It sounds like your Post Office is badly misinformed, or something else is going on here. I would try again.
Alana
Flinter they made him open the bubble envie then refused to send it, Said it is a federal offense to send seeds out of the country. They told him it is something Obama started.
The President does not set postal regulations. The Board of Governors for the USPS does that. There is something wrong with this picture. I would report this Post Office to your regional director and use another Post Office.
Edited to add: If your local post office is full of whack-jobs, send your seeds to another DG member to send overseas for you. There are more ways to skin a cat....
This message was edited Aug 11, 2011 7:44 AM
This message was edited Aug 11, 2011 8:16 AM
i have sent to many european countries with no issues. i just weigh the letter at home, put the appropriate postage on it(can calculate on USPS web site) and drop in the mail box. never had any problems. pakistan is another issue. i have had no luck getting things through there.
I received about 100 envelopes with seeds from the USA, without any problem. Altough I live in Belgium now, I'm from the Netherlands. Both countries have hardly restrictions on importing seeds.
It must be your post office. I suggest you send it the way 'risingcreek' tells you.
Jonna
Sandy
Your post office gave you bad information. Yes, there are regulations about sending things out of the country, however, the regulations for importing into the country are much stronger. As a rule, it is up to the importing country's regulations that have to be followed.
I have also sent seeds to Tuink myself without issue as well as receive seeds from her. This is why I suggested going to a different post office.
I've sent to Canada with no problem, listing "seeds" on the customs declaration form.
I think that clerk is completely wrong and has no reasonable reason for refusing to let you mail seeds, or for blaming Obama for Post Office regulations. Especially non-existent Post Office regulations!
Corey
This message was edited Aug 11, 2011 2:48 PM
This message was edited Aug 12, 2011 10:25 AM
Edited, just in case.
This message was edited Aug 11, 2011 4:26 PM
Rick
I wasn't going to say anything political - but 'By Jove, I think he's got it!' ^_^
Edited to remove a political comment at Terry's request.
Corey
This message was edited Aug 11, 2011 2:49 PM
too funny.
Ahem. We have a longstanding rule against political discussion - for every opinion you hold, someone has an equally strong and opposing one. The garden just isn't the right venue for it.
Accordingly, please edit your posts - we would much rather people voluntarily remove the remarks that pertain to their political views than for us to have to censor you or delete the thread.
I send out of country all the time fill out the form tell whats in there and theres never any problem I just sent seeds to mylasia yesterday met a nice person on GW we trade back and forth all the time
My son has tatoos all down his arms. I can't help but wonder if that is what caused the problem. I am always amazed at the stigma against him. Art is just that art. I have mailed seeds out of the country but it has been several yrs. I have mailed out 100's of plants in the US with no problem. I have searched the internet to no avail on this. I was thinking could it be because of all the airline changes they keep making of what can be taken on board or checked in baggage?
I know I either read here or on another garden website someone else recently had the same problem but did not think twice about it therefore I can't remember where I read it. I know it was in the last couple weeks.
Does anyone know the rate for sending up to 1/2 lb to the Netherlands? I was thinking I read about 44 dollars but I must be really mistaken.
I sent seeds to Taiwan and Australia - no problems. Live cuttings to Canada, Turkey, and Singapore with no issues.
Have your son wear a long sleeve shirt in the future when dropping off packages at the PO. A lot of businesses require employees to cover tattoos (it is rather distracting for customers - most customers). Perhaps the PO clerk thought they were marijuana seeds?
Half a pound shouldn't cost that much. Most of the cost is the size of the package - not the weight. If you can put it in a bubble wrap envelope then it will be a lot cheaper than a box for example.
First class should be $5-10, depending on size and type of container, first class. You might actually get off cheaper sending 2 smaller packages. You can find specifics on the USPS website.
Sandy
tell the PO to show it to you in writing. Laws and regs have to be written.
Here is a link to the USPS reugulation & rates for all services to all countries:
http://pe.usps.com/text/imm/immctry.htm
Here's the link for the Netherlands, you should check there to see if I got the rates right:
http://pe.usps.com/text/imm/mo_022.htm#ep1730218
For a plain old USPS First Class Package to the Netherlands, up to 8 ounces is $7.81.
There are "Priority Mail International Flat Rate boxes". I think this is how they go:
Small Flat Rate Box: $13.95, up to 4 pounds
Medium – $45.50
Large – $58.50
The weight limit for the last two looks like 20 lbs. or the limit set by the individual country, whichever is less.
$29.95 is the rate for 1/2 pound via either "Express Mail International" or "Priority Mail International".
$44.75 is the rate for 1/2 pound via "Global Express Guaranteed".
Corey
Thanks Corey. I didn't scroll down far enough. She told him it is online and things have changed alot since 9/11. I haven't found it but will try to mail again myself. She gave me a government addy to try where she works. Will let you know how it goes.
I know!
The first time I looked up postal rates for a few ounces to Pakistan for the New Bee Seeds, I had a heart attack
...
until I kept scrolling and saw that First Class Package Rate was 20-30 times cheaper than the Super Whiz-Bang Inter-Galactic Platinum Priority service. Maybe they give you the POLITE clerks if you send it that way.
>> things have changed alot since 9/11
That reminds me - I haven't seen this said anywhere in writing, or from particularly responsible sources, but I would think twice before mailing anything with a hand-written label and containing small items wrapped in aluminium foil. At one time those were said to be possible indicators for "anthrax" (perhaps only by rumor-mongers, but why find out by trying it?)
Corey
I totally understand their reasoning since 9/11. I just recently found out that a seed from a plant that I and many others grow for its beauty, that if the seeds prepared into powder is considered a weapon of mass destruction.
Of course there are many plants I have grown and still grow that kids have used to get high and have ended up with brain damage or dead because they are poison. Some people will try anything to get high including licking a certain toad in Colorado. Ewwwww
Major ewwww..... that is like the bath salts rage. Who would have thought? Perhaps it is me, but I just don't get it. I would much rather be alert and aware of what is going on around me...
@ Risingcreek, i got around hundreds of seeds envelopes through DG trades since i joined and i never lost a packet from USA. And not just seeds, i recently got some cuttings from a generous DG trader (from MA) as well. If you put the customs form affixed to envelope then it should reach Pakistan safely.
However the seeds packets from Pakistan to USA which are not registered do get lost but sending first class registered should not be a problem as it is not very costly.
@ Ilovejesus99, i traded twice with tuinkabouter (Holland), very generous trader.
I sometimes wonder if anyone "looks funny" at my bed that has many Salvia and a few "opium" poppies.
Corey
I called the main PO number and she looked everywhere including any updated notations. She found nothing that said I could not mail seeds. I can not ship plants and a few other things but nothing pertaining to seeds. I fall back on the fact my DS is covered in tatoos. As soon as I can get a ride to the PO I will let you know how it goes.
Just found out blew the head gasket in my truck :(
I mail seeds out of the country several times a week. I print my own labels through Stamps.com. I always put 'Flower Seeds' on the customs label. I think how a package is presented to a postal worker could possibly cause a suspicion. Which is not fair... But if the package was addressed properly, non-bulky, seeds rattling, or such. They should have never asked any questions.
I once sent seeds to her and had to fill a form of some sorts and never knew if she got the seeds are not and this was before Obama was elected so some where in between there is some truth in this
It was addressed with a sharpie nice and clear and did not rattle. Each ziploc had the seeds names wrote on them. She made him open it before she touched it. She told him he could find the info online. I found nothing online and when I called the 800 # she found nothing. When I can get to the PO I will be telling them what happened and see how it goes.
My truck blew the head gasket so not sure when I will get there but will post when I do.
I would repack it and take it to a small post office. Those people aren't as difficult as the larger post offices.
>> I would repack it and take it to a small post office. Those people aren't as difficult as the larger post offices.
I bet you're right. I've seeen posts form back around 2002 or 2004, when sending tomato seeds in a flat envelope became unsafe. They noticed that the germination of seeds sent from big cities was suddenly much lower than it used to be!
I've gotten some funny-looking parcels sent from small towns, soemtimes even with First Cklass postage, like 44 cents instead of $1.71. One lady sent me bare roots in a box from a tube of toothpaste, and she said the postal clerk laughed delightedly and encouraged her.
At my post offices, they tell me they probably WILL crush anything that MIGHT almost fit through the machine, even if I pay for hand-canceling or or the "package" rate. They delight in telling me that things are too thick or too lumpy.
Their theory is that I had better put everything in a bubble mailer so thick that they OBVIOUSLY CAN'T POSSIBLY force it through the rollers.
Weird. I don't even have any tattoos.
I think that big cities, high population density and big organziations bring out the worst in people. Some clerks and most traffic are worse in cities.
Corey
I was thinking it was also due to it being such a small PO. The population here is around 3000 people and 77580 has only PO boxes otherwise Baytown delivers our mail to the houses. No vehicle to get there yet but maybe next week. :P
the only time i had an issue is MG seeds coming into Chicago from Canada.
i've traded with other countries coming and going -- with no issues.
Here is the update When I went to the post office they did not ask me to open it or anything. I told the lady who waited on my son (the only black lady who works there) (I am not saying this has to do with skin color. Only to say she could not be mistaken for another person). I told her after she accepted it with no problem what happened to him by someone who worked there (I did not tell her it was her). She looked it up on the website what I could ship and on all printed material (this is after she put postage on it) and said it said nothing about seeds. I told her I felt it was because of all his tattoos and she said ohhh we don't do that. But you know here I am 56 and she doesn't question me and he is 35 with his arms covered in tattoos and they tell him he must open it and then tell him he can't mail it as it is a federal offense with Federal prison time...and he could find it online so it really looks like it did happen. It is not online and I called the 800 number and they found nothing. Oh well I am just glad she now let me know they arrived. My son is use to these things as he gets it alot....(It is just art!!! only on skin) on the other hand I am not. I have never been prejudice to anyone including a walking piece of art.
In some case people get tattoos, plastic surgeries, lipo suction and so on because they have such low self esteem. They think by changing the outside they will feel better.
Hugs,
Sandy