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Massillon, Ohio

Anyone successful with this? I always mark "gardening supplies" on my customs slip and I was rejected for the first time ever. Came right back. Thank goodness they didn't destroy the seeds b/c I realize that could've happened.

2/9/2010 3:10:02 PM

Ohio

Hey baseball6, that is the same phrase I put on a bubble being sent to Italy as well. I had a request for some of my seeds from out there. The postman said it could take up to one month for it to arrive due to customs restrictions, I am also qurrious to see if it arrive ok. I'll let you know if they return mine as well.

2/9/2010 3:32:55 PM

Massillon, Ohio

i sent it nov 24th so it definitely took it's good old time getting there and getting back to ohio! LOL.

2/9/2010 3:35:10 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

bb6, I have sent a pkg to Italy, this year...with the same protocol, that you did, and it made it thru!!! What did you put in the "value" column!!! I would suggest, trying it again!!! The USPS...is an odd lot of folks!!! Last time I was at the PO, the guy behind the counter said..."the last S in USPS, should be banned...as there is no Service anymore, should be named the USPostal System"!!! Peace, Wayne
PS...thanks for the seeds!!! Serious Thanks!!!

2/9/2010 4:46:41 PM

Sharon, MA

Hi Christy:
I sent some seeds recently to Germany, Belgium, France Italy, Africa etc, and marked them as "free gift seeds" and they all made it. Can't guarentee it will always work, but so far so good.

-Steve

2/9/2010 5:09:29 PM

canal winchester ohio

mark it decorations.

2/9/2010 5:30:38 PM

Massillon, Ohio

wayne, it wasnt the united states with the problem, it was italy! i said the value was $1; the box they checked with their "reason" isnt in english so i'm not even sure what they were trying to say. i'll try an online translator. haha.

2/9/2010 5:59:14 PM

Woodburn, Indiana

I always put "pumpkin seeds" and check gift with a value of $0.00. Never had one come back. Maybe someone in Italy saw your Colbert shoutout LOL.

2/9/2010 6:53:40 PM

South Hero, VT

Don't even hint of sending anything organic thru the mail, domestic or foreign. You might be plotting to wipe out all life in the world. Innocent pumpkin seeds might be the carrier of the end of life as we know it(no sex, drugs, or rock and roll).

By the way, Wayne, I work for the USPS, and I've been fighting the system for about 10 years to give great service to customers. The System is concerned with keeping postal management employed, and numbers mean more than people.

Fortunately, I discovered growing giants, and now I'm happy again.

Strength and honor.

2/9/2010 6:54:16 PM

Hot West Tennessee

Vt I do to, other countrys customs are out of our control. Its always our fault? I agree service has taken a back seat to numbers, but I work hard everyday 6 days a week . But thats not what this post is about. Just had to jump in

2/9/2010 7:25:38 PM

South Hero, VT

Thanks, I needed that. Sorry to vent, folks. I promise to stick to the subject(s) in the future without puking politics in the workplace.

Most of the USPS workers, almost 800,000 or so, are dedicated, hard-working individuals who are conscientious and caring. Some are almost saints.

You can rest assured that we, at the bottom, will do our best to ensure accurate, speedy, safe delivery of the mail.

We just have to fight sometimes to put the Service in the USPS

UPS and FedX workers are in the same boat.

2/9/2010 8:56:39 PM

Port Elgin, Ontario, Canada

and I'm positive you two guys - when you see the return address of a HH or a pumpkin club or even recognize a bubble for what it is - you treat it with extra special care - yay to the postal service and couriers - I would be devasted without them - btw - Bon Scott was a postal carrier in Australia

2/9/2010 9:37:38 PM

Port Elgin, Ontario, Canada

ha! - wiki'ed it - "famous mail carriers" - so was Ace Frehley and John Prine

2/9/2010 9:39:17 PM

Mcminnville, Or. ([email protected])

I have written in the box "Cucurbit Supplies" with no problem, in fact, I had seeds delivered to Germany & Italy in two days last year.

2/9/2010 10:12:45 PM

Hot West Tennessee

I allways treat everything as if it were mine. Fragile , do not bends whatever it may be. Some things are beat up before it gets to me. Good old automation. My postmaster makes me payfor them if I damage any packages . Yes its true silly seeds Bon Scott, former lead singer of AC/DC was once a 'postie' in Australia.

2/9/2010 11:37:27 PM

Udine, Italy

In my case most of seeds shipment arrive without problems. Anyway, I suggest to indicate the scientific name of seeds (Cucurbita maxima) because indication seeds is to much generic and there are some species of seeds that need special permission for import here. In Italy customer value zero is not accepted, I suggest to indicate 1 $

2/10/2010 2:11:05 AM

Bristol R.I. USA

I've sent seeds to Family Members overseas. I mark the customs declaration as a gift. Never Had a problem with getting them there. I suppose it has something to do with what you write...

2/10/2010 9:26:13 AM

Hamilton Nj

chrissy ive sent a bubblepak to italy about a month ago and it just got there the other day i wrote guitar picks on the bubble and marked it as a gift and it goes right through pizza hope that helps!!!

2/10/2010 10:24:40 AM

Marshfield, Ma, USA

Christy

You were lucky to get the seeds back.

Several years ago I was involved in a seed trade with an Italian grower. He never got the seed I sent. I did get his. I made good later by sending him seeds that were of similar popularity. But he never got the seed he really wanted, and I missed out on a few I would rather have kept. Don't remember what I declared on the form, but it certainly didn't have anything to do with gardening

2/10/2010 10:37:40 AM

Cortona Toscana Italy

i'm italian, so i'm part of the game:
Christy i've asked for seeds ata lot of growner(you to!)
and i have recived los of seeds for my first year lineup..but..we have ever a but.. lots of bubbles are stopped at the customer.
the key is to not write seeds, never!
here in italy we have the need of a phytosanitary certificate that is impossible to have for us simply grower!
ps: venari i've looking for you in chat to advert you that your bubble is arived some days ago!
some airport office are more "dangerous" or simply more offective on controlling the mail like milano and other les strict like roma
so if you want to have the best hope to see your bubble at destination writhe something like guitar pics that work for me, or gift! but never seeds!(with seeds if you hare lucky and your mail pass from rome is ok, but from milano... no way!
i've send some olive oil of my production in us(that usualy is not legal) simply using two smal glass bottle and i've writed simply gift and write glass bottles, value none. i dont realy lie, simply obmit part of the true. hehehhehe
but the pack arrive safe and in a week!
so using a bit of fantasy.. all is possible!

2/10/2010 3:11:46 PM

Cortona Toscana Italy

ps
Chriss my english is not perfect but if you want a translation of the letter ou recive send me the text and i send you back the best translation i can!
[email protected]

2/10/2010 3:13:20 PM

Long Island,New York

Most ebayers won't even consider sending anything to Italy anymore.

2/10/2010 5:59:56 PM

Cortona Toscana Italy

LI sadly i know this...it sucks ..realy! living in italy is something i like, but i see that lots of crazy thinghs happens here....:-(

2/10/2010 6:10:56 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

BB6, on my customs declaration form, I put garden supplies...and for value I put $2!!!
PS..Kudo's to you for how far you have gone to help out this year, auctions, and lil folks like myself!!! I can certainly understand, the burnout yer goin thru!!! Best wishes to you, Nick & your new to be AG grower!!! Keep us posted!!! Grow em/er BIG!!! Peace, Wayne

2/10/2010 6:57:19 PM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

Gardening supply SAMPLE and marked Gift, and no value; has worked to almost every country I send to out of US.

If you mark something Gift or 'commercial sample no value' do not insure it. That will automatically get them to open it and probably reject it.

2/11/2010 2:00:43 AM

ExtremeVegetables.com

Hello Mrs. Harp I am occifer Stedanko of the United States Postal Service. You have been charged with the crime of international seed trafficking. I'm afraid I am going to have to confiscate the remainder of your pumpkin seed collection as evidence.
I will contact you via email regarding where to send your pumpkin seed collection.

Your husband is also currently under investigation. If he sends in his tomato seeds we'll drop the charges against you both.

2/11/2010 1:55:01 PM

Cologne Brescia Italy

Ciao ho lo stesso problema tha ho bolla del Tom's premuto per la dogana di Milano, dopo un cumunication dal doganali circa la bolla, ho avuto modo di scrivere una dichiarazione su di esso ho scritto Cucurbita maxima, e 5,00 dollari di valore, tutto questo 2 settimane fa
Oggi ho ricevuto una telefonata dalla dogana loro mi ha detto che ora è ok li invierà la bolla per me, ma dovrò pagare per la clearence
a pagare non è un problema, la cosa importante è avere il suono bolla e sicuro
L'anno scorso non sono stato così fortunato la bolla Jutras Othe e una copia è stata rispedita al produttore, può essere il problema era che io ho scritto il declaratin valore di $ 0,0 può essere .......
Sorry for the bad english
Sergio

2/11/2010 2:41:37 PM

Cologne Brescia Italy

Hello, I got the same problem with the Tom's bubble this year after a cucmunicatin from the Milan custom that the bubble was hold, I got to writen a declaraton, on it I writen Cucurbita Maxima and a $5 of value, all this a copy of week ago, Today I got a call phone from the customs, them told now is ok, them will send the bubble to me but I will have to pay for the clearence, to pay is not a problem, the important thing is to have the bubble sound and safe
Last year I was not so lucky the Jutras bubble and some other were sent back to the grower, may be the problem was that that I have writen $0.0 value may be
sorry again for the post above I don't know how it's happened, google translating is start alone
LOL..........

2/11/2010 2:56:58 PM

Cortona Toscana Italy

yes, for italy value 0 is not allowed!
write 2dollars and is all ok!

2/11/2010 4:45:47 PM

Ohio

I am suprised mine got thru emanuele, I am not sure but I thought I did put 0 or nill. Well I am glad it got to you ok, have a good one.

2/11/2010 6:12:05 PM

Cortona Toscana Italy

you are realy gentle to send me seeds of your pumpkins, i hope to do the best of your seeds and share the result with other people, if lady luck help me this spring i think i can do good things! i have the moral and tecnical help of all the person in this forum...who can be skarry?
best wishes to all!

2/12/2010 4:25:18 AM

South Hero, VT

Instead of being disgruntled, I thought I would ask if anyone has contacted Italian customs to find out what and what cannot be sent through the Italian mail system. I deliver a lot of registered letters and packages from all over the world to USPS customers here in VT, and I was wondering if registered mail has a better chance of getting through than normal mail.

Registered mail is recorded and documented every step of the way, and I have NEVER in 25 years seen a package or letter that is registered arrive in a damaged conditon.

2/12/2010 3:46:21 PM

Cortona Toscana Italy

dear vt the problem is not being damaged, is being stopped!
every seeds can be a problem( italy is a crazy place, i love to live herebut you can never belive me wen i tel you all the crazyness that happenshere!nothing realy sure, granted! )
we need simply to be more smart tan the sistem(and usualy we are! ;-) )
that is realy sad but unfortunatly is true!

2/13/2010 4:24:28 AM

Gold Hill, Oregon

bet they wouldn't have a problem making it to oregon. wink wink. wink wink. just send them to me i'll take care of them. wink wink. ok i had to have a little fun. lol.

signed
broken pumpkin heart

2/13/2010 6:31:46 AM

Owensboro, Ky.

A lil while back,someone suggested labeleing them as "organic guitar picks"...watcha think? Peace, Wayne

3/8/2010 10:29:15 PM