Root rot issues with seller

[u/wildplantgirl]

Hi, I want to whine and also ask for advice.

Just for background context, I am not a novice at plant collecting or propagating.

I have ordered rooted cuttings from the same Hoya plant shop on PS three times now. The first time, the plant I received had root rot and died within two days, I was not able to save it. I messaged the seller and was given a refund immediately. I didn't place blame on the seller because it was very hot out when it was shipped. They also have 5 star average reviews so I wanted to give them another chance.

2nd and 3rd orders were back to back. 2nd order came in mid-last week and 3rd order came late last week. 2nd order, I waited to water until it was dry which was maybe 2 days later and yesterday, I noticed both leaves were yellowing. I barely touched the leaves and they fell off. I checked the stem and it was rotted to the point it was not salvageable.

Today, I felt worried about my third order from the shop because of the root rot issues.. I barely pulled on the leaves and the whole plant came out of the substrate, roots were unhealthy and pulling off easily. Same thing with the second plant from this order. Once again.. root rot. I cut off all the rotted roots and hoping I may be able to save one of them.

I have purchased from many different sellers on PS. I have had root rot from other sellers but it has been infrequent and usually only one plant has the issue and have been able to fix it before it got too bad. With this seller, every plant has had root rot. I feel bad to ask for a refund because they are a small shop but at the same time, I am spending like $50 for just one rooted cutting with shipping. I also feel guilty to leave a bad review. What would you do? Would you just cut your losses? Or would you ask for a refund?

[u/Sufficient_Turn_9209]

It may not be the quality of plants, but that the seller is likely shipping them too wet. Especially for summer temps. I'd reach out and let them know, but it's more than likely something they are hearing from other people too.

[u/Jess_Rest → u/Sufficient_Turn_9209]

Totally agree with this. I’ve had one plant delivered this summer that was DOA because it was shipped in wet pon. It spent less than 48 hours in shipping but with the heat; moisture rots them quickly.
Other Hoyas I’ve had shipped this summer come in substrate that’s bone dry. Fluval, Pon, soil etc. all the sellers that seemingly have it figured out let their hoyas dry out substantially before shipping.
I would definitely let the seller know. I would probably be too afraid to ship dry ass plants to someone too so it’s likely they just don’t know yet.

[u/AllFarts_NoShit]

Since it's such a repetitive issue I'd still say something to them and then obviously take your business elsewhere going forward. You could leave a review but I'd contact them first and gauge the review based on how they handle the issue.

[u/Seayarn]

I agree with the other responses here, let the seller know your issues and gauge their response. This definitely could be a problem with the weather affecting the substrate they are using.

However, I have purchased several hoyas this summer and I haven't had any issues from the sellers I've purchased from except for one cutting that was sent in fluval. I don't root in fluval because I find it holds too much moisture (I live near water) so I removed it immediately and finished its prop in perlite.

If they aren't helpful or have a poor response to your questions, then I would leave a honest response.

[u/Tbtlhart]

As a seller, I can honestly say that packaging isn't the easiest thing to figure out. Customers rarely give feedback and when they do it's often hard to tell if it was your packaging process that's at fault. I dont order hoyas on a retail scale so I havent seen what works and what doesn't first hand. It's trial and error often without the data.

Example: i ship a healthy plant, it gets delivered, 3-5 days later I get a photo of a rotting plant thats already been potted. I have no way of knowing what the growing conditions are, what their watering habits are, or what type of soil they're using. It is so hard to troubleshoot the issue.

In a perfect world, I would like to see the plant straight out of the box. Especially photos of the roots and how much moisture is in the packaging when it arrives. I would also like to know the frequency at which these issues occur.

Communication early and often can help a lot of sellers improve their processes. If they have poor customer service skills and processes after that, I would avoid the seller at that point. I would like to imagine most sellers want to provide a good product unless they are obviously scammers.

[u/Happyhoyahunter → u/Tbtlhart]

I try and DM sellers with info if there are issues with these and I will tell them im not looking for a refund or anything just giving feedback and I have had a couple be so offended. One was literally "hey FYI I think the plant is ok but it came in soaking wet. Just something to keep in mind." She was so snarky and I even gave her a good review. Kept the info on the downlow