Exchange within USA?

[John Curran]

I'm starting to feel left out... esp. after Mark's post about trading with members!

I would be happy to hear from other members here in the USA interested in trading seeds and plants...

Thank you!

John

[Diane Whitehead]

John,

Can you change your subject to Exchange within USA?

The Pacific Bulb Society frequently offers seeds and bulbs
that are donated by members.  They are distributed for
the cost of postage.  The list of what is available is posted
on the PBS list  http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php
and the offerings are usually all gone in a couple of days.

Since the beginning, in 2002, there have been 230 BXs (Bulb Exchanges)
You can see what was offered by going down to the bottom
of this page:  http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/bx.html

[John Curran]

Changed the subject line, that should be a bit more accurate, thank you, Diane.

Thanks also for the link to the Pacific Bulb Society, I will check them out now.

I'm feeling somewhat less left out, having now had a reply here, and some friendly e-mails as well!

[Lesley Cox]

I know how you feel John. Unfortunately exchanging plants and seeds with friends and fellow forumists is not so easy as it once was, though within a country is still not so bad, even given the vagaries of the postal system. I remember Tony Hall from Kew saying to me back in 2000 that "exchanging plants used to be such fun." But with Kew's new regulations and NZ MAF's rules, his giving me a few juno irises was an almighty nightmare.

[johnw]

John - If you join the PBS be warned they do not accept money orders.  My subscription payment was returned as "being too costly to cash".  I find it hard to believe they would not challenge a bank for charging to cash a draft or money orders.  I haven't bothered to join unfortunately.  Suppose we need our own Canadian exchange but there are so few of us here that we probably know most of the growers anyway.

johnw

[Diane Whitehead]

Yes, unfortunately banks have very high service charges.

However, PBS has a secure site to pay online with a credit card.
This is a lot easier and cheaper than buying a money order which
costs about $10.

[johnw]

Yes, unfortunately banks have very high service charges.

However, PBS has a secure site to pay online with a credit card.
This is a lot easier and cheaper than buying a money order which
costs about $10.

Diane - Banks should not be charging to cash drafts or money orders, the money is guaranteed and can be considered currency.

With my BNS chequing account Sterling drafts mercifully are free. As I buy about 60 a year that amounts to a big saving.  The tellers don't look forward to my arrival as it takes a good 10-15 minutes to fill the draft out and then 3 signatures are required.

johnw

[Diane Whitehead]

I've found out what is happening regarding money orders and U.S.
financial institutions:   they won't accept money orders because
they are an anonymous way of moving money around.  So the three
signatures from Canadian bank officers hide the sender's identity, who might
be a drug dealer laundering the proceeds of crime.

[johnw]

Diane - This is indeed true for postal money orders. Anyone can walk into a post office and get an anonymous money order.

Bank money orders and drafts are an entirely different matter.  There is a heap of paper work they do for every transaction and copies are sent to head office for micro-fiching and they are entirely traceable.  The copy they keep of my receipt portion shows my name, address, account number, date, total, exhange rate.  No wonder they dread my autumn appearances when society memberships come dues.  

I once received a bill from Glendoick Gardens a year and a half later for an invoice that had been paid.  Unfortunately the taxman had my receipt for the draft.  I went to the bank and they said it would take some time to trace.  They went through every transaction on my account and couldn't discern which withdrawal matched.  Four months later they came back with all the records, even the bank account where it was deposited in Edinburgh and who signed the deposit slip there.  The funny thing is that a year later I went into the bank to get another draft and got a rookie teller who had never done a draft before.  He got out the branch manual for all the required paperwork.  No charge. I was trying to read the manual upside down and lo and behold was that my name? And what was the template they were using?  My draft to Glendoick Gardens!  Had they looked in their own manual all the serial numbers were right there and would have saved months of research.

It would seem the US banks are pulling a fast one.

Afraid my amounts are not of laundering size though a few snowdrop orders might equal some very big dry cleaning bills.

johnw  

[Diane Whitehead]

One more weird thing about the U.S. and money orders:

When I get my plants inspected in the U.S., I can't pay for the phyto
with cash, as government employees are not trusted to handle cash. 
If I were a U.S. resident, I could pay with a personal cheque, but as a tourist,
the only acceptable thing for me to do is to go to a convenience store
and buy a Western Union money order. (the old telegraph company, I think)
The inspector in one town makes it easy for us, and does the inspection
in the parking lot of the closest 7/11 store.

[maggiepie]

John - If you join the PBS be warned they do not accept money orders.  My subscription payment was returned as "being too costly to cash".  I find it hard to believe they would not challenge a bank for charging to cash a draft or money orders.  

johnw

John, I bought some seeds from the US a few years ago, paid with a postal order in US $  from the post office.
I had asked whether this was ok before I ordered.
6 months later it was sent back to me with a note asking me to send US dollars in cash as it was going to be too costly to cash the money order.
I couldn't believe it. The money order was for 20 something dollars.
In the end I sent it back to him.

[johnw]

One more weird thing about the U.S. and money orders:

When I get my plants inspected in the U.S., I can't pay for the phyto
with cash, as government employees are not trusted to handle cash. 

Diane  - I had forgotten about that. The same thing happened the last time I bought plants at the RSF and had them inspected just south of the garden.  I had to go to the bank while the inspector did the paperwork and get a bank money order for $13.25!  Positively no money.  Previously he had given me the total over the phone and I brought the BNS money order with me.  I wonder what happened when they went to the bank with them?

Amazing the hassles we go through to get plants.

johnw

[John Curran]

Maybe I should change the title of my hijacked thread again???

[Maggi Young]

Maybe I should change the title of my hijacked thread again???

 Sorry, John, I have moved some of the posts... leaving those I thought more relevant to the practicalities of your subject.... yes, I know swapping doesn't involve costs other than postal, but the cross border stuff for permits/certificates is fair enough, isn't it??  

[John Curran]

John wrote: "I would be happy to hear from other members here in the USA interested in trading seeds and plants..."

How does that relate to all the banking issues?  Clearly, this is more of a UK site, so I'm off~