# www.aquaspotworld.com



## Mr G

Just thought I'd post this .....

I know you deal primarily with US orders, but I recently ordered 4 lots of HC from one of your Ebay *UK* auctions and was VERY pleased with the condition of the plants when they arrived. Best I've ever ordred via a website or Ebay.

I did pay the extra for the express international delivery, it cost more but the order was with me in the UK in less than 4 days.

You guys gave a great service, I'll certainly be back for more :thumbsup: 


Mr G


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## Aquaspot World

Dear Mr. G,

Thanks for the compliments. We believe we know who you are.  
Yes, we do sell one of the fattest and thickest mats of HC around. They are easy to plant and most of the planting problems are eliminated with the ones we supply. 

Hopefully, we can locate a shipper or distributor in UK soon, so that you guys over there can get your plants even faster and at a lower cost!


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## duck

Have/do you send plants to Australia?

If you have, did you have problems with AQIS in Australia?


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## Aquaspot World

duck said:


> Have/do you send plants to Australia?
> 
> If you have, did you have problems with AQIS in Australia?


Hi,

We can send plants to Australia with all the necessary documents and phytosanitary certificate. However, they won't come as cheap as what we can do for USA.
Do send us an email about it.


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## D.gilly

Hi do u ship to canada? if so how would one go about getting a phytosanitary certificate/ proper documents?


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## krazykidd86

Something to think about before ordering...

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/aquaspot/27646-our-new-and-fast-shipping-rates.html


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## Aquaspot World

D.gilly said:


> Hi do u ship to canada? if so how would one go about getting a phytosanitary certificate/ proper documents?


We ship worldwide. A phytosanitary certificate cost $32.00 for any amounts of plants in a single order, to a single destination.
We will apply for one on the day we ship the plants out.


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## duck

After a little looking into,It's illegal to import any plant's into Australia and when it get's here it needs to spend 3 months in a quaratine approved premise,Especaily Western Australia.
Oh well


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## Aquaspot World

duck said:


> After a little looking into,It's illegal to import any plant's into Australia and when it get's here it needs to spend 3 months in a quaratine approved premise,Especaily Western Australia.
> Oh well


We know that Australia is strict. But you can't even import plants legally? :icon_eek:


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## fresh_lynny

I sent an email regarding my order. Can you let me know if I can do it?


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## duck

Aquaspot World said:


> We know that Australia is strict. But you can't even import plants legally? :icon_eek:


Yes you can,For a couple of plants it not worth the effort or the cost's.

If i was to buy something from you and quaratine stops it and they will,I have 3 choice's,1) send it back to you 2) Quaratine for 3 months and hope the plants live 3) Burn it.
And i lose my money.


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## D.gilly

just as an update i made an order about three weeks agso now it was delayed 1 week and ive had a few other porblems, the customer service has been decent they reply all emails early in the morning but usually only once a day my order was shiped out yesterday evening, it made it to LA in 3 hours it went through a bunch of thing and the last one says "processsed for clearance at LA gateway" then it says "delayed" so weither the flight or something got delayed rather than the plants got delayed because there plants i dont know but my fingers are crossed so far its been quick mabey it will even be here today..... i just thought id put in my 2 cents ill update when the plants come in hopefully 1 day and a half wont damage them too much :thumbsup:


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## fresh_lynny

Please get it touch with me. I ordered Tonina fluviatilis and it came to me 4 days later as brown mush. I took a pic before tossing it. It cannot be saved. I normally ship plants on Monday or Tuesday to prevent this sort of thing, but it says you sent them priority mail on the 20th, so my guess is in sat in the heat until today. The "cold pack" was a warm goo and the plants brown mush.


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## mrbelvedere

I placed an order a few days ago. It should ship wednesday. I ordered 15 rhizomes of A. barteri and 5 rhizomes of A. barteri var. nana "Eyes". 

Total came up to like $60 with shipping/handling. Hell of a deal if you ask me. 

Barteri is $6 a rhizome at the LFS. Assuming they even had "Eyes", and it somehow cost the same, I paid half what I would normally through Aquaspot. And that's not factoring in tax. 

I'm not worrying about anything melting since Anubias are so damn tough, and IMO the best shippers of all.

I am really looking forward to this order. If all goes well, which I am sure it will, I may buy all my plants through Aquaspot and other hobbyists.


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## ianiwane

D.gilly said:


> just as an update i made an order about three weeks agso now it was delayed 1 week and ive had a few other porblems, the customer service has been decent they reply all emails early in the morning but usually only once a day my order was shiped out yesterday evening, it made it to LA in 3 hours it went through a bunch of thing and the last one says "processsed for clearance at LA gateway" then it says "delayed" so weither the flight or something got delayed rather than the plants got delayed because there plants i dont know but my fingers are crossed so far its been quick mabey it will even be here today..... i just thought id put in my 2 cents ill update when the plants come in hopefully 1 day and a half wont damage them too much :thumbsup:


Not to alarm you but a friend had that delayed message before on a shipment from a different seller. It meant that it was confiscated by customs. Hopefully this is not the case for you.


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## D.gilly

Well i wasint going to post again for a while but it was delayed because a waver for duities was needed so i sent it then they couldint find the photo sanitary certificate and after a lot of phone calls ect they found it so hopefully it will be cleared today and sent out but im doubting that HC, ricca, stargrass, and HM ( the higher light more sensitive plants ) can survive a 6 1/2 day trip mabey the anibus/ pellia/ claudiflora will be in working condition I just hope aquaspot world holds up there DOA policy my shipment came to about 160 $ canadian with shipping/ photosanitary charges and i cant through money like this around:icon_sad: so i hope all goes well also i agree withg fresh newibie Shipping plants on monday or tuesday would insure that they werent held up all weekend. Just an idea i think it wold really work well for the farther away places like canada/ the east coast of america :icon_ques


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## mrbelvedere

D.gilly said:


> Well i wasint going to post again for a while but it was delayed because a waver for duities was needed so i sent it then they couldint find the photo sanitary certificate and after a lot of phone calls ect they found it so hopefully it will be cleared today and sent out but im doubting that HC, ricca, stargrass, and HM ( the higher light more sensitive plants ) can survive a 6 1/2 day trip mabey the anibus/ pellia/ claudiflora will be in working condition I just hope aquaspot world holds up there DOA policy my shipment came to about 160 $ canadian with shipping/ photosanitary charges and i cant through money like this around:icon_sad: so i hope all goes well also i agree withg fresh newibie Shipping plants on monday or tuesday would insure that they werent held up all weekend. Just an idea i think it wold really work well for the farther away places like canada/ the east coast of america :icon_ques


Spell checker: http://www.iespell.com/


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## fresh_lynny

I am still waiting to hear back from them for my pile of mush I got yesterday. I sent email from the site and posted here....


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## D.gilly

:icon_redf Is it really that bad EDIT: (just for the grammer correctors:flick ?


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## Lissette

D.gilly said:


> :icon_redf Is it really that bad



You forgot the question mark (?) at the end of that sentence.:wink::biggrin:


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## D.gilly

Its funny because i tried to, and i swore it was there but its not now... I just came out of an extended french school and before i would always get like 20 - 20 on spelling tests but after 2 years of tons of french my english spelling seemed to drop a bit lower and im still not fluent in french :icon_roll i guess it doesent work out great for everyone .


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## mrbelvedere

That's nothing compared to the guy on Ebay on my Lounge "Internet Jerk" thread.

So don't feel bad.


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## Aquaspot World

D.gilly said:


> Well i wasint going to post again for a while but it was delayed because a waver for duities was needed so i sent it then they couldint find the photo sanitary certificate and after a lot of phone calls ect they found it so hopefully it will be cleared today and sent out but im doubting that HC, ricca, stargrass, and HM ( the higher light more sensitive plants ) can survive a 6 1/2 day trip mabey the anibus/ pellia/ claudiflora will be in working condition I just hope aquaspot world holds up there DOA policy my shipment came to about 160 $ canadian with shipping/ photosanitary charges and i cant through money like this around:icon_sad: so i hope all goes well also i agree withg fresh newibie Shipping plants on monday or tuesday would insure that they werent held up all weekend. Just an idea i think it wold really work well for the farther away places like canada/ the east coast of america :icon_ques


We are already checking on when/where the 'lost' phytosanitary certificate issue happened.


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## D.gilly

Actually I sent another e-mail saying that they had found the certificate, so i was guessing it would be cleared? I was wrong i have made tons of phone calls, sat on hold, spent more money on long distance calls to speak with DHL. Guess what? They wanted more money 21.00 $ for duties, clearance and handling? I thought that handling at least would be calculated in my charge but nope! Just to make matters even more worse DHL still haven’t done anything the lady that phoned for more money said it probably wont get shipped out till tomorrow! That’s a total of hmmm 8 1/2 days! I don’t even know if my anibus nana petite will make that trip:icon_sad: It doesn’t really matter because setting up a brand new tank with only anibus will end up in algae city! I just hope that Aquaspot world holds up their DOA policy and I’m guessing i won’t be paying for 2 sets of duties well I’m hoping. Overall i think this has been one big hassle I’m not sure how many times aquaspot world ends up with problems like this? Maybe the people in America don’t have to deal with the same problems like customs? Unless 2 time around is the charm i don’t know if i would try business with them again maybe Canada is just too far for them. I would like to thank Ben at aquaspot world for dealing with all my problems he has to be tired of me:redface: i think aquaspot world has a good customer service program! and i hope problems like mine don’t arise very often . Thanks for listing to what i have to say!


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## Aquaspot World

Actually Canada is one of the easiest country to ship live plants to, as long as you have all the proper documents. We are still waiting for DHL to get back to us on when/how this certificate was 'lost'.
However, they told us that you have already arranged for a broker to handle the shipment?

And no, Ben is not sick of you yet.  In fact, everyone at Aquaspot World will try our best to make this transaction right. However, there may be some matters that are beyond our control. But we still try our best.


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## D.gilly

Yes I replied that they found the photo sanitary certificate I’m just emailing you the story of what had happened I will add it to this post as well. Yes i have "arranged" for a broker to sort it out well what I really did was phone 200 million different people and sort it out:icon_roll And if Ben isn’t tired of me he must be a very tolerant person :icon_roll 



I’m not sure if you got my last email but they found the photo sanitary certificate very quickly so the must have missed it the first time around and in turn it was held up all weekend and throughout the week. Once the person received the photo sanitary certificate they forgot to enter it. I contacted another person at the time not knowing what was wrong and they said they would update me tomorrow. The next day i was told the duties page that had been filled out and signed needed to be paid for so I paid the 21 dollars and we let it sit for a day. Then another, And finally I phoned again they said they do not have the photo sanitary certificate so i told them my story. They transferred me to another person and they talked to the person that had found the certificate. Today it has all been cleared up thanks to thousands of phone calls they have told me it will be shipped out on Monday. so that’s a total of 12 1/2 days Not good for the plants !

Well thats the story. I hope all goes well from here :icon_roll


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## D.gilly

you know just when you thought it couldint get worse, it hits you ! Guess what ? now they want more money for an "import certificate" when does it end :icon_roll im so frustrated im hysterical tomorrow im moving up and talking to the supervisor about my hassle... DHL get ready for me :flick:


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## gnatster

It's called a phytosanitary certificate.


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## D.gilly

*Gnatster * if you are refering to my last post no they want me to buy another certificate......if your talking about my spelling, could you believe that wasn't in microsoft word 98's dictionary:icon_roll




EDIT: they want 35 dollars for an import certificate and according to them aquaspot world was supposed to fill it out


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## mrbelvedere

I just received e-mail confirmation that it was shipped. Looking forward to it in less than a week. Unfortunately, the US has a heat wave right now (global warming isn't real my ass!) and I worry, even though Anubias are tough as hell.


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## plantbrain

Aquaspot World said:


> Actually Canada is one of the easiest country to ship live plants to, as long as you have all the proper documents. We are still waiting for DHL to get back to us on when/how this certificate was 'lost'.
> However, they told us that you have already arranged for a broker to handle the shipment?
> 
> And no, Ben is not sick of you yet.  In fact, everyone at Aquaspot World will try our best to make this transaction right. However, there may be some matters that are beyond our control. But we still try our best.


I will say ASW communicated well and likely sent some nice stuff, the shipping company also did well.

But.......the damn USDA got a hold of it, they should inspect and then give it back, that's why we have PS certificates. 

Instead, they kept it for 3 days, then gave it back to DHL Firday late so it then st all weekend, according to DHL in the desert heat unrefrigerated.

So I cannot blame ASW, nor DHL, I will file a claim or else sue the USDA though for plain outright negligence.

They will pay either through a normal claim form or through the court of CA.
One day delay for a PS is the max reasonable time and then when it's in their possession to not handle and store it correctly is plain negligence.

There will be accountability for this order.

But on behalf of ASW, they tried and communicated well, that can make a big difference.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## D.gilly

OK i just like to iform you about a couple of things according to CFIA aquaspot world should have know about the import permit as they were supposed to fill out the info. I would have gladly have payed at the time but after this much time theres no point receiving dead mush!

As for DHL it took the broker 5 seconds to find the phytosanitary certificate but according to them it wasint even there so someone either need new glasses or is just plain lazy, and not to mention forgot to enter the certificate causing further delay. Apparently customs still has the plants because they will not finish the inspection until the certificate has been sent.

I dont really know who to blame right now!

*Plantbrain* Im kinda confused are you part of asw? i will thank you if you are filing a claim.


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## mrbelvedere

My order came in today. 

I ordered 15 barteri rhizomes and 5 rhizomes of nana "Eyes".

Order total was $60 shipped.

The barteri was in perfect shape. And 15 rhizomes is a ton of Anubias. 

The "Eyes" had all melted. The leaves had all melted off. The rhizomes still serviceable.

I am happy with the order. It was excellently packed. It had a cold pack (still cool), good insulation, and the plants were wrapped well. The melting was probably no one's fault. It was very hot outside, and it had traveled many miles over several days. 

I would suggest ordering from them if possible. Just accept the fact that it may melt and you may be disappointed.


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## Aquaspot World

We apologize for the condition of the Anubias nana 'Eyes'. It has been noted and we will gladly send you more in your next order.  
But glad to know that you got the Anubias barteri in excellent condition!

The Anubias nana 'Eyes' is a new cultivar. From recent experience, they may not be able to withstand heat as well as the rest of the other older Anubias cultivars. 
However, their rhizomes should still in in good shape and they will soon sprout new leaves given good conditions.


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## mrbelvedere

Yeah, I figured as much.  Barteri is indestructibe anyway. No matter, a you said the rhizomes are still cool. I would definitely order from you guys again.


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## plantbrain

My Order was not insulated, no cold packs, and it was a 600$ order. Lost 100% everything.

The listing for the plant species for the USDA did not delay the order, nor did customs etc, there was a long delay due to DHL, but the USDA folks saw the mush bag of plants 2 days after shipment(sent from SG 7/25 arrived to USDA 7/27).
The specific inspector sees 100's of time sensitive plant material every day and knows what aquatic plants in general should look like. He pulled the paper work up and read his notes about the box. "Plants rotted, no viable material". 

I think *2 days *is a very short shipping time frame.
So while perhaps some fault can be assigned to the shipper, 2 days is really not long to have the order turn to mush.

I lost 600$ and each is pointing the finger at the other guy(ASW and DHL, both blamed the USDA, sorry, that excuse is now over and confirmed not to exist), the USDA I have no reason to doubt, they are impartial and I spoke to the person on the phone that specifically opened the box and inspected the contents. They had their paper work and everything in order. The USDA got and returned the box the same day to DHL.

DHL just has transfers on their time track sheets, they did not inspect. 

At this point, I do not want replacement plants, I want my money back.
I did not ask/request send the plants without insultation nor without a cold pack. I had an impartial person look at the plants 2 days after shipment.
If you send plants in the future, add cold packs/insultated boxes etc for folks or at least ask if they want to risk it without. You cannot blame me in anyway here, you can blame DHL perhaps for those 2 days, so you need to re evaluate the shipper, file a claim with them etc or ship better plants/insulated boxes/cold paks etcm you can charge for that, but a large order full of rotten mush will piss someone off who is much less understanding and less knowledgeble about the shipping plant business.

So I'll leave you to consider who was to blame or not here.
2 days is not long..........and 600$ is not a small order.

At this point, hopefully I'll get the $ back from DHL, they don't do inspections and sent the box very late after getting it back from USDA.

If I did not have the paper work and confirmation from the USDA and having spoke to the person that did the inspections, I would not know and would assume it was entirely DHL.

But I have the USDA's notes and paper work confirmed directly from the source in the chain of custody and inspection.

Blame who you want, I have conformation of a 2 day order that was mush.
I just will not order from ASW again when/if I get my $$$ back(ASW or DHL, I don't care who) and that will be the end of it. 



Regards, 
Tom Barr









Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## mrbelvedere

A $600 order!? What all did you order Tom?


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## plantbrain

Bunch of weeds, what else?
I redo some large tanks for folks once a year.
So I need lots of weeds.

In defense of ASW, they have emailed me, and will resend the entire order. 
That's good service.

I will still work and see about DHL and file a claim with them and reimbruse ASW any $$$ we get from DHL.

That was a very nice offer and got my respect as far as service and taking care of a customer.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## fresh_lynny

well I sent pictures and emails about the MUSH I got and have still received no reply, no refund, no ANYTHING!
Very Dissatisfied!


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## Robert H

Tom, don't you work for the USDA? And you can't get any special preference to get your plants cleared faster? At many ports of entry, it takes a minimum of 2 or 3 days just to clear the USDA. At some port/ airports the USDA facility is miles away from the airport. My shipments arrive into Seattle on a Monday or Tuesday, and do not get released by the USDA until Thursday or Friday. The USDA lost part of my shipment, held Alternanthera reineckii because they thought it looked like sessilis, I usually loose anywhere from 10 to 30 percent of the plants on each import. 

I'd say Tom you were lucky you got your plants in two days, and the access you have to the USDA documentation is not typical. On APC there are people who waited days or weeks for their plants to arrive, just as a couple people here have said. If you are importing 600 dollars worth of plants, I am sure you have an import license from the USDA, which I am guessing 99% of other people don't have. Bringing plants in from another country is never easy for any body.



> OK i just like to iform you about a couple of things according to CFIA aquaspot world should have know about the import permit as they were supposed to fill out the info.


In this country at least, it is you the buyer who has the responsibility to get the import permit/license before the plants come in, not the person overseas sending the plants. The USDA is supposed to flag plant shipments that do not include a copy of the permit. You are supposed to make th arrangement with them yourself,



> The Anubias nana 'Eyes' is a new cultivar. From recent experience, they may not be able to withstand heat as well as the rest of the other older Anubias cultivars.
> However, their rhizomes should still in in good shape and they will soon sprout new leaves given good conditions


Thats odd. I imported a large amount of these from Singapore, and never lost one single plant. It has the best shipping record of any plant I have imported. They are full, bushy, 10 to 20 leaves at least, some with a six inch rhizome.


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## Momotaro

*No one* has more experience shipping and receiving plants than Robert.

Robert, would you suggest refraining from ordering certain types of plants from overseas seller? Are stems typically riskier than say, Anubias or mosses?

Do you think it is a bad time of year to order plants from overseas? The hot summer temperatures must come into play somewhere.

Do you have any tips on the best way to get those plants or questions a hobbyist should ask a seller?

Mike


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## fresh_lynny

fresh_newby said:


> well I sent pictures and emails about the MUSH I got and have still received no reply, no refund, no ANYTHING!
> Very Dissatisfied!


anyone??? Bueller???
I want my money back!


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## Lissette

I'd rather buy my plants from within the U.S. (Internet, or from LFS).

I could never go through all of this. I'd lose my patience to quickly. 

Sorry, but that's how I feel.


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## kotoeloncat

ookay, so I just found out about this thread after I placed an order with them

ordered a few patches of HC, wondered if they are going to be ok


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## heavyD

*Aquaspot order*

If you want very detailed information about my experience, not that I am more special than anyone else, go check out my thread on APC in regard tio buying HC from Aquaspot. If you just ordered 2 patches, I don't know. I'm not exaggerating when I say predicting success with these guys is very iffy at best. I finally recieved my order, after they had 2 previous unsuccessful trys and when they finally did get it right, I gave them their dues, after waiting 31 days for 10 patches of HC. 

There is a large base of evidence now that demonstrates why *not *to buy from Aquaspot. Watching people have to take their displeasure public is one of them. When an order turns to mush, dies at the hands of DHL, UPS, or anyone else in the delivery chain, takes a month to arrive, etc., a customer should not have to start threads to get a refund, or a prompt communication. On top of that, when they are not happy with the negtive publicity they get, they jump into their competitors forums and post negative publicity!!!! 

That said, good luck with your HC order.


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## Aquaspot World

plantbrain said:


> Bunch of weeds, what else?
> I redo some large tanks for folks once a year.
> So I need lots of weeds.
> 
> In defense of ASW, they have emailed me, and will resend the entire order.
> That's good service.
> 
> I will still work and see about DHL and file a claim with them and reimbruse ASW any $$$ we get from DHL.
> 
> That was a very nice offer and got my respect as far as service and taking care of a customer.
> 
> Regards,
> Tom Barr



The whole issue has been resolved and Tom has received his order. We still do not know what really happened the last time, but we want to thank Tom for giving us this chance to make things right.

Hope to see you with us again soon!


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## D.gilly

Where’s my service it’s been 2 months? i know I didn’t make a 600 dollar order but mine was 160 Canadian before duties and an Import certificate ? That you seem to known nothing about? I have given you 2 months is that not enough time for you to make this right? I had the same experience as tom DHL says you should have know about the import certificate (witch I agree) you say its all DHL's fault (and it partially is for loosing the phyotosanitary certificate) and customs says it both of you faults! You say you are going after DHL for a re-fund but I think it's just more finger pointing! I’ve pretty much given up any hopes of receiving anything! Tom you are lucky that they sorted it out so quickly, and you actually recieved something i dont think my plants where into toronto for about a week ! I don’t care who give me my money back but I want all the money I spent back, for the phyoto sanitary certificate as well as the duties I had to pay ( for nothing may I remind ). I have spent hours on the phone and computer typing up emails and phoning people and that hasn’t got you me very far. If you can’t give me my money back re send me my plants! Things like this ruin peoples interests in aquariums I was looking forward to having my nano setup this summer and breed some shrimp to pay off this costly order, I had been saving up since Christmas for these plants and now I neither have plants or money to order plants from somewhere else! You know what the right thing to do is! I mean come on I’m 14 what you're doing is like stealing candy from a baby! 


PS. ASW if what I have said in your mind is unfair I’m sorry but this has put a lot of tension on me, If what I am saying is incorrect please tell me this is how I see it at the moment but I could be wrong.


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## plantbrain

I recieved a nice order Sat from AS.

While the first order had shipping issues, AS took care of it and sent the next one free and I'll reimbruse them once DHL reimbruses me/us for the damages.

AS took care of the customer in my case.
So stuff happens, that much I do know, but how they handle problems is really the bottom line, problems are going to occur with perishable products.


Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## Aquaspot World

D.gilly said:


> .....
> 
> 
> PS. ASW if what I have said in your mind is unfair I’m sorry but this has put a lot of tension on me, If what I am saying is incorrect please tell me this is how I see it at the moment but I could be wrong.


We have checked with DHL and they have admitted that it is their fault. They should be in the process of processing a refund to you anytime soon. We will check with them again on the delay and get the refund to you as soon as possible.

Please understand that there is a limit to what we can do, but we are always trying our best.


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## kotoeloncat

well, I got my order from aquaspot today, and i guess I should share with the rest of the community my "review"

I should say I am quite satisfied, I would give an 8 out of 10

Positives : 

1. My order arrived quick, quite a reasonable time considering it comes from singapore
2. 2 out of 3 plant order come in excelent shape considering the distance travelled
3. great packaging, still cool

Negatives :
1. I ordered HC, Ludwigia glandulosa and Myriophyllum mattogrossense. but instead of Myriophyllum mattogrossense I got limphomilla aquatica and it is mushed

here are some pictures


































all in all, i wouldnt mind buying again, not bad

not bad at all


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## beliveau

*Aquaspot World is unethical. I have proof. BEWARE!*

I bought plants from 2 sources last month, and what a contrast. Aquadise sent live plants (the ones I actually ordered and paid for) and with the shipping service they collected for. Aquaspot World, on the other hand, took my money for overnight shipping (the box I saved is most DEFINITELY not overnight service) shipped slowly (5 baking days), and pocketed the difference without any qualms. Some auctions I won and paid for were either not included or summarily reduced at their discretion. Of course that's moot since the plants arrived DEAD, as seen in the pic posted on my auction of the fermented green slime I received for my $70. Please, please, please read my auction listing their dead and invisible plants for the whole story--before you get the treatment I did (along with others who are emailing me similar stories of horror and frustration--and boy, some are replete with a string of colorful epithets).
http://www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/aucti...tsr&1158705954

BEWARE! I'll be happy to share my entire file of emails with Aquaspot World so you'll know exactly what treatment to expect.


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## beliveau

*Report Aquaspot World to Paypal and your credit card companies*

When I filed my complaint against Aquaspot World with Paypal, they informed me that if enough complaints come in, their account will be suspended. If you were victimized (and I'm getting plenty of emails from others who were), please file a complaint. I doubt they'll be able to screw many more people if they can't accept electronic $$ transfers. One thing is clear--these people display a so-sue-me attitude while hiding in distant Singapore. We can make the difference together. Please report them and together we can force them to suspend a business that is a disservice to honorable sellers.


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## Momotaro

beliveau, seems you have lodged the same complaints against Aquaspot World over at APC under the guise of gretzky. 

I am not defending Aquaspot World or condemning them. I have no experience with them personally. I will say your position would be more credible if you logged into both sites under the same name (unless you are just a hopless NHL fanatic :icon_wink ). All four posts in total are negative posts about Aquaspot World. 

Please PM me with your information. I'd like to hear it.

Mike


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## Aquaspot World

Since when have we decided to screw you? 
We already told you that our trans-shipper made a mistake with the shipping service for your order and that we would reship your order once you send us the photos. Btw, we have weekly schedules to USA. 

We have already been very patient with you in our emails and we always try to resolve any issues with our customers calmly. So what are you trying to achieve here?

You sent us 4 seperate emails with intentions we don't really understand. Do you not accept our proposal or are you just out to get us? 
Maybe we should post them here to let the rest of the forum members see what your intentions are.



> From APC:
> 
> Ben,
> 
> Again, so nice to bump into you here. Another day, another disclosure.
> 
> Bye-bye
> Eddy
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Ben,
> 
> And so it begins... I'm looking forward to disclosing your business ethics (or lack thereof, in fact) online--everywhere! Actually I should thank you for my new focus. This will be fun.
> 
> Purchasing from aquaspot?? - Aquatic Plant Central- aquascaping...a living art
> 
> Best regards,
> Eddy
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> From Aquatic Quotient:
> 
> Ben so nice to see you on Aquaticquotient. Go ahead and assume I'll keep finding you endlessly, even though I won't bother notifying you anymore. Thanks again Eddy
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> From eBay:
> 
> Ben,
> 
> So glad to find you here on eBay. I look forward to tracking you down on all your outlets. I look forward to a long future together. Fortunately, retirement allows me to make you my new hobby.
> 
> wineguy
> 
> Click to expand...
Click to expand...


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## mrbelvedere

I'm siding with Aquaspot here. It is rather difficult to send living things across borders, especially with US customs, which are notoriously stringent. It isn't impossible, but the catch is making it affordable. We can't all afford next day airmail. 

They also do their business an entire ocean away. Problems can be difficult to solve immediately, and I am sure they are trying their best. And, they actively participate in forums, which shows a dedication to customers, and that they want a rapport with their clients.

Aquaspot, are you not a fledgling business? It may take some time to get all the details and problems hammered out.


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## Aquaspot World

We do admit that we are relatively new in USA but we have nothing to hide. Shipping has never been easy, and we all know that US Customs are very strict. But that didn't deter us. We wanted to go ahead and bring the selection to USA, direct from Asia.

We do not know how our emails were misintepreted by this buyer here, but for those who have dealt with us, you know that we always deliver even if the deal is not always done the first time. 
Believe us, we are having a hard time dealing with someone who has 4 different nicks in 4 different places.

Threads like these are always damaging, no matter what can be done to resolve the whole issue. And too often, it arises from the buyer's impatience. We are not some super big company but you are not the only order we are dealing with here. 

We wanted to be more pro-active in forums so that more people can get interested in this hobby. But if this is the kind of support are are getting on forums, we think it would be wiser for us to spend our advertising dollars elsewhere.


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## fshfanatic

ok, I could have bought your story untill this comment:


> Believe us, we are having a hard time dealing with someone who has 4 different nicks in 4 different places.


Who the hell cares what he goes by? You deal with electronic invoices, I assume, their forum name means nothing. Now you are grasping at straws to try to blow over this issue.


> We wanted to be more pro-active in forums so that more people can get interested in this hobby. But if this is the kind of support are are getting on forums, we think it would be wiser for us to spend our advertising dollars elsewhere.


What is it costing you to post here? Jesus, you are reaching now.



Have a nice day.


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## Ryzilla

fshfanatic said:


> Quote:Aquaspotworld
> We wanted to be more pro-active in forums so that more people can get interested in this hobby. But if this is the kind of support are are getting on forums, we think it would be wiser for us to spend our advertising dollars elsewhere.
> 
> What is it costing you to post here? Jesus, you are reaching now.
> 
> 
> 
> Have a nice day.


The cost of them posting here is the time they spend here. Their time is a cost because it can be used spending money in other areas in advertising. Just because this forum is free doesnt meen that it is free for other people to post here. This is their opprotunity cost. I hope this clears that up a little fishfanatic. Dont take this as an attack fishfanatic, but economicaly speaking I just dont agree with you on this economic topic. A brief definition of opprotunity cost is - "The cost of doing an activity instead of doing something else" The cost of spending time here is the productivity they could gain by allocating resources in other places.

Im with aquaspot on this. Anyone who devotes time to damaging business expansion into the US is not sound minded. A huge majority of the US complains about out-sourcing and when a company decides it wants to export its product and make contacts to expand its business in the US we should be open arms even when they make simple mistakes like issues with shipping over a HUGE ocean. Just MHO.


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## fshfanatic

Ryzilla said:


> The cost of them posting here is the time they spend here. Their time is a cost because it can be used spending money in other areas in advertising. Just because this forum is free doesnt meen that it is free for other people to post here. This is their opprotunity cost. I hope this clears that up a little fishfanatic. Dont take this as an attack fishfanatic, but economicaly speaking I just dont agree with you on this economic topic. A brief definition of opprotunity cost is - "The cost of doing an activity instead of doing something else" The cost of spending time here is the productivity they could gain by allocating resources in other places.
> 
> Im with aquaspot on this. Anyone who devotes time to damaging business expansion into the US is not sound minded. A huge majority of the US complains about out-sourcing and when a company decides it wants to export its product and make contacts to expand its business in the US we should be open arms even when they make simple mistakes like issues with shipping over a HUGE ocean. Just MHO.


I understand what you are saying, however, he made it sound like his posting here was costing him advertising dollars, which it isnt. 

Personally, I couldnt give a damn where I spend money as long as I am getting quality merchandise and service. If Joe Shmoe can give me the same product and the same service and they are in BFE, they will get my business. From reading numberous posts on numberous boards, this isnt the case. 

No offense taken.


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## Ryzilla

fshfanatic said:


> I understand what you are saying, however, he made it sound like his posting here was costing him advertising dollars, which it isnt.
> 
> Personally, I couldnt give a damn where I spend money as long as I am getting quality merchandise and service. If Joe Shmoe can give me the same product and the same service and they are in BFE, they will get my business. From reading numberous posts on numberous boards, this isnt the case.
> 
> No offense taken.


BFE cant grow plants like Singapore


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## fshfanatic

Ryzilla said:


> BFE cant grow plants like Singapore


Ah, but if they come as black slime, who cares?


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## Aquaspot World

Ryzilla said:


> The cost of them posting here is the time they spend here. Their time is a cost because it can be used spending money in other areas in advertising...



Thanks Ryzilla. 

Besides the time cost, we are also sponsors on this forum so we are also paying actual dollars in advertising.

A lot of misunderstandings can be avoided if you bother to find things out first before posting.


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## D.gilly

Just thought id bring something up. ASW refunded me but only the money for the plants so like 60 american. I replied and they said they will not refund shipping. So no im out 100 dollars 60$ for shipping/ handleing, 32 $for phyoto sanitary and 25 dollars for duities. So basically im screwed i have practically no money and no plants. I can understand that they state no refunds for shipping and handling. But what happens when due to circumsances the plants die you ask for a refund do they pay for the shipping and handling you spent or just for the plants. And not to b***h but im a very young aquariust and i had been saving up for this for 2 years! Now i cant set up the nano i wanted to i have had the worst summer ever due to headaches and letdowns that this company has caused. I cant say very good things about DHL either because they couldint find the phyotosanitairy certificate then they lost it. I will probabily never get the rareish plants i had ordered. Personally if you dont want headaches and problems dont order form ASW. Im sorry if i am not putting 2 and 2 together, And id like to thank ben for his help through all these problems. Im sorry but i am not in a very good mood it seems like up here in canada plants just arent as easy to come by as in america, And ASW was my one hope for getting them.


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## Betowess

I had 50% alive and healthy and 50% DOA on two orders with Aquaspot. I believe its probably customs and the long distance. Professionals in horticulture (like my wife) deal with dead plants due to US Customs all the time. And the fact that the plants need to be "bare root" doesn't help. Overall, I could tell ASW has top grade plants. But personally, I had too high of DOA rate. In hindsight, if ordering from them I suggest paying extra for the express ship rate.

I did let them know my DOA rate, and never heard back from Ben. So for me, I will certainly do business elsewhere. Luckily, Fresh Newbie RAOKed me some nice Eriocaulon cineriums, as my five from AS were pure mush. I really don't blame ASW, just shipping distance, heat, species, and chance.


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## aesthetics808

d.gilly the duty fee is your cost not aqua spot worlds.they don't charge the duty fee nor have anything to do with that fee.its definitely not part of the shipping and handling fee they charge and has more to do with customs. if it was dhl's fault you should be going after them for shipping handling and duties but i doubt you can make a very good case with out aqua spot world helping you with documentation.
personally i have had very little good experiences with chinese shippers as there are lots of scammers and crooks.i belive they tried to make things right with you and to pay for shipping or duties is beyond what they are responsible for.you will be charged duty fees no matter who you order from whether it be u.s. or china.the shipping party is never responsible for it.


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## D.gilly

I was not expecting ASW to pay for the duities i was simpily stating that i had to pay 25 dollars in duties for plants i never got not ASW's fault entirely but this has been a huge mess up. DHL is ASW shipper i get no choice in who i ship with... i was not told by ASW that i am going to need a licence to bring them into the country and i think that with the " tons of international shipping" ASW does they might know this ? If i had have known i would have bought one but there is no purpose buying one a month after the plants have been siting in a wharehouse im not going to waste 30 more dollars on brown sludge. I believe that ASW chose a crappy shipper and we are the ones who pay for it. It is ASW's chosen shipper obviously they have a problem with what is needed and keeping track of everything. It is ASW's responsability to take up matters with DHL its their shipper not mine... if i had have chosen to ship with UPS or Purlator then i would have been responsable for chasing them down tho get my money. Also i would like to add that i persoanlly think that ASW is getting refunded for all of the shipping charges when things go wrong and keeping them for their selves. My reason to believe this is that when i was wating for my 60.00 to be refunded ASW said we are wating for DHL to refund us as soon as they do we will forward the money to you. ASW should be refunding me for my plants. I Think DHL refunded them for the phyotosanitary certificate, shipping, handleing, and the cost of the plants and then they gave me the 60.00 for the plants. I think this is a huge scam and we are being jipped off.


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## Aquaspot World

When we shipped your order, we were new to the whole thing of Canadian Customs needing you having an import permit and that it was not enough with a phytosanitary certificate. We have since ceased shipping to Canada unless the recipient has an import permit.

We were waiting for DHL to resolve the complaint but DHL did not refund us a single dime for the mentioned transaction. We refund the $60 entirely out of our own pockets to resolve the case. And you are calling this a scam after getting the money for your plants back?

Also, we have already closed our accounts with DHL and have been using a dedicated freight forwarder for our live plants shipments since December last year.


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## D.gilly

Thanks for the response, I am glad to know that you now know you cant ship to canada without an import license no more canadians will be dissapointed and out of money. As for DHL the horrible quality of shipping and the numerous orders screwed up by them they where you shipper not mine and therefore it is not my problem but yours you must have known that after the first few orders being messed up there would be more, not to mention you said you had shipped to canada without problems but yet did not know about the import liscene? I am gratefull that you returned the 60.00 for the plants but i lost over 100.00 US dollars in this transaction you lost 60.00 The plants cost less than the shipping and ect.'s anyways if DHL had not refunded you yet why hadn't you already gotten a new shipper or at least told me you where having problems with them before i spent 200.00 USD on plants i never got ? I hope future transactions are less disapointing to enthuastic planted tankers especially young ones who had saved up for a year. thanks for your time.


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## Robert H

Dgilly, why are you still picking a fight and complaining about aquaspot when the issue has been resolved and you got your money back? You call them a cheat and a con artist when they are the ones out the money. They did everything you asked them to do to resolve it, even though they had no obligation to do so. It is NOT their responsibility to tell you your government requires you to have an import permit. You are supposed to know the laws of your own friggin country. I'm no fan of these Asian companies selling plants to hobbyists in my country, but you are just being ridiculous here. You were at fault. You broke the laws of your own country by not having a permit. There must be a penalty for breaking the law. Be glad you didn't get charged with something.

You are required by law to pay an import duty on recieving any commercial product from outside your country. The person/company sending the product to you has absolutely no knowledge of the duties. They do not know the dollar amount, how you pay them or anything. I have been shipping product to Canada for five years and I don't have a clue how the duties work, and I don't want to know. Its your problem, not mine. I do know that some internet businesses and ebayers BREAK THE LAW by cheating on the customs forms by declaring it as a gift, or stating the value as being far below the actual value so that the duty will be low or next to nothing. Some people have come to expect this and have even asked me to do this. You can not fault a business for following the law and doing what is honest and right just so you will not have to spend a few dollars. It is not DHL, FEDX or any other carriers responsibility to explain how the duties work to you either. Take some responsibility for your self. I realize you were out a lot of money, but that is the chance you take when you buy plants from outside your country.


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## D.gilly

this is not about the duties...its about the fact that despite DHL messing up numerous orders and ASW still using them as thir shipper and telling me that they had shipped here but they where unaware of the need of an import licence. I needed a phyotosanitary certificate, as well as an import licence to bring them into Canada. I paid the duties and them DHL could not figure out what was wrong. They called back said i nedded a phyotosanitary certificate which i did have and they lost. Then once it was sorted out they forget to enter it and my plants where delayed. After a week they told me i had to pay another 35.00 for the licence ( which is only needed in canada not america ) for brown mush it took thwm almost a month to sort out what i had and what i needed ! I never broke the law either! The plants didint make it out of the Canadian import area so i broke no laws! I paid the import duties as well and after the 200.00 USD i spent they wanted me to pay another 35.00 import licence for plants tht had sit in an office for a month. DHL for loosing the photosanitary certificate and not knowing for a month what was wrong despite me calling them and staying on hold for hours each day, was obviously extremely incompetent at shipping ASW products and since ASW chose this shipper it is their problem not mine. IF ASW has gotten no compensation for these mess ups they should be taking DHL to court not me. I in no way asked them to lie and say it was a gift nor did i find a way to skip the duties. Hell i paid for the duties and got nothing im not asking ASW to pay up for the duties if i want the duties i paid i will have to spend 4 hours on hold trying to explain i paid the duties for a package i never got ! When i say import licence i dont mean Import duties im talking about a 35.00 form each time you order live plants and animals to certify that you are not going to realease them into the wild and do other illegal stuff with them and ect. IF ASW is not aware of the rules and regulations and DHL will not tell them then they shouldint be shipping to countries that they know wont be allowed to take the plants. ASW said they had shipped to Canada anyways if they had they would have run into this problem ! please take the time to read previous posts and if you dont know what you are talking about don't reply Sorry but if you had have read any of my other posts you would have clearly seen me saying this please take the time to read previous posts and if you dont know what you are talking about don't reply.



> I was not expecting ASW to pay for the duities i was simpily stating that i had to pay 25 dollars in duties for plants i never got not ASW's fault


thanks


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## aquanut415

where are the pics of the plants you are selling coming from? are they property of aquaspotworld?


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## Crispino L Ramos

*4 Plants Out of 8 DOA*



Betowess said:


> I had 50% alive and healthy and 50% DOA on two orders with Aquaspot. I believe its probably customs and the long distance. Professionals in horticulture (like my wife) deal with dead plants due to US Customs all the time. And the fact that the plants need to be "bare root" doesn't help. Overall, I could tell ASW has top grade plants. But personally, I had too high of DOA rate. In hindsight, if ordering from them I suggest paying extra for the express ship rate.
> 
> I did let them know my DOA rate, and never heard back from Ben. So for me, I will certainly do business elsewhere. Luckily, Fresh Newbie RAOKed me some nice Eriocaulon cineriums, as my five from AS were pure mush. I really don't blame ASW, just shipping distance, heat, species, and chance.


I ordered 8 packets of plants from Aquaspot World and 4 of them were dead on arrival. I sent Ben pictures of the dead plants but he just blamed basic shipping as the cause. Unfortunately, I didn't see the small print stating that basic shipping is not guaranteed for live arrival. I think they shouldn't use that kind of shipping if the survival rate is only 50%. That is a lot of money wasted for the customer considering that their basic shipping is a horrendous price. I would rather buy within the US if I knew how inconsiderate their system works.


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## jazzlvr123

Im never ordering plants from these guys again. I just got a big order form these guys (about $200) and it all arrived FROZEN and dead brown mush totally unrecoverable. They shipped the plants in a flate rate box with absolutely no insulation just plants in a box. and it took a week and a half to arrive Was shipped Monday did not receive the plants until 10 days later even when paying "for express" shipping. aquaspot is bad news. they did no effort to insulate their packages mine was just very tiny plants carelessly thrown into an empty box. I sent them several E-mails and to took about two weeks for them to finally reply just to tell me they were NOT going to refund my money because they would lose money. so if you want good plants order from a place in the USA. I for one am never ordering from there again and am advising everyone I can to do the same


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## Saraja87

Anyone have experience with ASW shipping dry goods? I've been eyeballing their manifolds, bubble counters, and check valves. It seems to me that since there would be nothing living in my order, I probably wouldn't have any issues with shipping but I wanted to check just the same.


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## ColeMan

I'll just say this: read through this thread. Do you want to deal with a company like this? If so, pony up the cash and see what happens. Like you said, at least nothing can die.


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