This user has been deleted.
Error: You must enter a message to post.
I noticed a lot of bids on Ebay for fig cuttings from overseas don't know if bidders are from USA or not? Just a friendly reminder for the folks out there in the USA not aware like myself last mounth. I got a phone call from USDA SITS officer asking me about cuttings I received from Turkey Nov 23. He drove an Hour to my Home and picked up a fig that I had growing for 2 months and confiscated it for destruction. I wasn't home had to work left on front porch for him to pick up, he seemed nice on phone and left info for me about post entry quarantine. I tried to get money back from Ebay but since it was over 30 days I was denied.Lesson learned the hard way!There are a few topics on this forum about same thing but I didn't notice til afterwards. A lot of new members may not be aware. It just seems odd to me that the USDA knows that its happening and that Ebay lets them monitor their website and then they wait a few months til they call or visit.If the plant did have a disease or beetle infestation it could have been released by then! Just saying
next time give them the BT instead. LOLKidding aside... Do NOT order anything from outside of US.... We have enough varieties here.
Be safe, click on US Only and make no mistakes. I have created a shortcut on the desktop that automatically opens with figs US Only. EBay, in my opinion, gives information to APHIS/USDA. Good luck and be careful.
Hate that it happened, Brian. Thanks for reminding everyone, as it needs to be mentioned more often.
If you are going to get cuttings from overseas don't do it through eBay lol..seriously though what's the point of burning them if they have been here a while? The disease or beetle would have already spread.
Had the same thing happen Brian. Because the material was openly for sale I made the incorrect assumption that the sales were legal, and the sellers had clearance from the USDA. My question to the USDA was, "why does the USDA let Ebay allow overseas sales postings of plant materials (this includes seeds BTW) if the receipt of these materials is illegal?" Seems like a waste of time and money to have the USDA calling and driving all over the place to confiscate these cuttings plants and seeds if they are illegal in the first place. They had no answer to my question. Simply said they "work with Ebay" and are "working on preventing these sales". Apparently that is not going well.
I can only imagine how many other different plant and tree collectors are purchasing overseas without knowing legalities?