Re:sending seed overseas

For a few years now I have been posting seeds to various people in other countries...these are in small amounts(not natives or restricted) and of no commercial value.I have always declared this and filled out a customs declaration form detailing botanical name and my details which is then attached to env before posting(p.o keep second copy).I have never had any probs doing this and cost has always been below $2. Today I encountered p.o employee who tried to charge me $10 for the small amount that I usually send...I used a small (smallest ) post bag.. they had no objections to me sending seeds at this stage,but when I queried this and said I usually pay below $2 for postage and then replaced bag with an env ...I was told that I would need to get a ref no from customs before I could post seeds.I have never encountered this prob before...... Have the rules changed in regards to sending seeds overseas...if anyone has encounted this same prob please tell me the outcome....I have contacted aqis and am expecting to hear back from them tomorrow.

did you get a reply brical?[most of all did you get an answer][was the postal worker trying to scam you?]

I haven't sent any Judy, but the last seeds that arrived here from Germany during the week, only cost $2.60, packed in a small postpak.
Why would yours cost $10 to go the other way?
I don't know about the paperwork but that price is exorbitant.
It will be interesting to hear what Aqis have to say.

everythings seems to be going up but thats a jump. Here for seeds to come in say germany they have to go threw customs get inspected then may or not go threw. Sometimes people send seeds with out the certificate don't want to pay or what ever it is and they catch them they destroy the seeds and send on the empty package with a letter they got your stuff and its destroyed by customs. Sellers on ebay charge different prices for that certificate.

that is interesting as I need to send some seed to the States...
guess I should do some research on how to make sure it is going to get through ok.

TAKE 2; what seeds are you sending to the US? ive sent heaps of lilium seeds,no dramas ,whatsoever.,.,anybody i ask,says'just send them,,.i think its only plant matter they check,and i think thats only hit or miss,[bit like tassie]

lol thanks for the encouragement - I am going to send nemesia seed.
Just have to hurry up & get on with it.
So how do you package the seed you send?
right now I have mine in an envelope for safe keeping.

You may notice that this is an old thread going back to June 07. I never had anymore problems with sending seeds overseas after that one encounter. It was just an over zealous postal employee who obviously was trying to make an impression on the more junior employees and just didn't like to have her position challenged,hense she got her back up. Thereafter I continued to send seeds in the same small padded envs I had always used and at the same low postal rate and she would always greet me with a smile and small talk and never a word was said again regarding the cost of sending seeds overseas.

And when sending seeds overseas I still continue to fill out a declaration form and always use the botanical name only. But it is still up to the recipient to know their own countries customs regulations regarding permitted seed species.

i send the lilium seeds to the U/S taped up in folded thick paper or card material,with the botanical name and the fact that it is seed ,written on that.then i plonk the whole lot in an envelope[std size].no questions get asked at the post office,no answers to be given..,.nothing has ever been seized or checked and to date everything has arrived safely

Thanks - that helps a lot to know...
will have to get sending & see how it goes.

I buy once in a while from Kenny kola on ebay half the time the seeds arrive in peices even in a bubble envie. From one time till the next you never know what your going to get.

right - I think I will do a bubble envelope then, the nemesia seed is really small & quite flat so should do ok.
Hope so!