Trouble wwith Australian Customs.(seeds)

[bonica]

I sometimes buy flower seeds from eBay sellers.A beautiful range is available.

But recently i ordered 3 packets of Impatiens from 3 different sellers ( to get the colours i wanted ), as well as some other seeds.

Customs has confiscated them all, giving a different reason in every case.

Other packets of seed came through.

The Customs website ( AQIS) used to be so easy to navigate - you just visited the website , and could easily look up all prohibited seed.Now one can't find the list at all !

Is this so Customs can say what they feel .like saying ?

[nouveau_retro]

with seeds you're better off buying from within Australia.

[putney32]

maybe its to do with which country you imported them from, and if the seller has a licence / some sort of spraying/control???

[freshwater-2]

I have been aware of the customs restrictions since a friend sent me a commercially sealed jar of mixed herbs.  The problem was the bay leaves.  Customs phoned me when they came in and explained about the bay leaves and asked if I agree to chuck the jar.

I was most happy to do this as I am aware of what herbs and seeds can bring into Oz from overseas, and Customs is the first line defense.

[donkeynomad]

I do a lot of importing of seeds. To find out if you can import the seeds you want go to: http://www.aqis.gov.au/icon32/asp/ex_querycontent.asp

If the permitted species page says 'condition C7100' then you can import it as long as the seed is clean and labled correctly with the common and botanical names

[aldebaran3003]

I'd love to import some Paeonia suffruticosa seeds from Hong Kong. They are legal. I'd really appreciate advice on what needs to be done. Do they have to supply a phytosanitary certificate and do I have to notify AQIS or customs that I am ordering them? It's a bit confusing?:| Cheers!

[kopenhagen5]

If the info is difficult to find on the link, perhaps give them a call. Their customer support number is at the bottom of this link.

http://www.customs.gov.au/site/page5653.asp

[zanadoo_56]

Were the packets seeds vacuum sealed?  Did the rest of the wrapping satisfy the regulations?

I've never bought seeds but I ran afoul with Customs after a US seller posted my purchase in an old fruit box. X-(  It caused no end of trouble...and my purchase was damaged when the authorities here opened the parcel with a box cutter. But what especially annoyed me was the note I got from Quarantine that implied it was all MY fault the packing was against regulations. Grrrrr.

But.....it was also mildly amusing (once I'd calmed down) when the note also explained to me why I couldn't have the fruit box.  Classic.  Why they thought I'd want it I can't imagine.

[kopenhagen5]

Hi zanadoo, this thread is 9 mnths old, I was responding to post 5 whom thought this was the place to ask the question.

With your story, customs standard responses are stern as they often don't know who has done what. I hope you got your item in the end. 🙂

[zanadoo_56]

Yes I got my item in the end.  Quarantine (or whoever) replaced the fruit box with an enormous cardboard one that took me a while to cut down to a size that would fit in the recycle bin!

Sadly, my item was damaged with the vinyl slashed.  This damage was not in the original photos (which were numerous) or description by the seller, so I can only conclude when they cut open the fruit box my purchase was a casualty.

Also....I decided to do the right thing and warn the seller not to use that kind of packaging again if they ever post to Oz.  I decided to include the links to Customs and Quarantine as supplied in the brochure they so thoughtfully included.  All the links were 404 File not Found!  It seems they not only apply a big stick to innocent buyers, they also take the opportunity to get rid of obsolete pamphlets.