Hi Mindy,
So sorry to hear that your plants are being held/siezed. Only knowing the little bit you posted I am not so sure it was Fedex who goofed. Especially if it was an international shipment. They may have been directed to take the package there.

There could be lots of reasons for it so I would just say I think you have a fair seller if they are refunding your money.

What country did they come from?

california

That's really strange. Perhaps they suspect they are medical marijuana? LOL

Mindy,
I'm sorry about your plants. I've heard that California has become strict on bringing in plant material, but shipping out...????? You might be able to get more information if you talk to a person at FedEx. Maybe even find an avenue to save the them. At least, you'd be able to determine the problem for future acquisitions. If you find anything out, please let us know.
Gail

Florida has strict import laws I now know. I knew about citrus and fruit trees but never thought of Plumerias. Oh well you learn something new everyday. Like I said I am upset seller lost good plants.

Mindy,
Did you get an official printed notice from the Ag Dept in FL?
Usually if your order gets confiscated by the Stage Ag dept you will get an empty box with a notice attached or you will get written notice without the box.
I had a package of cuttings I ordered in Sept 2004 and it was confiscated by the Ag dept without notice. Come Feb 2005, 5 mon later I receive a package and low and behold it was my order from Sept. The package had been opened and taped back shut and there was a letter/notice in it and my cuttings. Unfortunately out of 12 cuttings only 5 were semi hard the rest were all dried out not viable. There is a chance unless you received a written notice that you may still receive your package at some point and time.

Good Luck

when you said government I immediately thought federal and assumed it was international. that why I asked what country.

wow florida is pretty strict.

Too funny... California can seem like a foriegn country to many.

I have not gotten a notice. I will wait and see what happens.

Mindy,

If you do not get an empty box with a notice or a notice mailed to you then Id wait and see as the Ag dept has to send something. There may be just a hang up for what ever reason. At least the seller refunded you, the seller I bought from did not so it was a pleasant surprise to get even part of my order even 5 months later.

Cheers

When I lived in Hawaii I still paid the bills on my house here in Texas. The cable company sent my check back with a note saying they didn`t accept checks from foreign countries! Perhaps noone ever told Florida that California became a state?
Tally HO!

So I have looked into this and found a really great resource: nationalplantboard.org. Further, in speaking with the inspectors that check on things at the farmers markets, I have learned Florida has strict control on ag products in order to prevent the spread on brown snails. Such good information! Cannot blame them, snails are everywhere here, do you have many where you live Mindy? FL actually requires a 30 day quarantine on all plants shipped to the state unless you have a certain type of certification. I found this shocking. Haven't some of you exchanged plants to people in FL without this kind of trouble?

Anyway, thanks for posting this thread Mindy, very interesting stuff.

Wendy

yes I do have alot of snails. I don't know what would be special about other states brown snails. Mine that get into veggie garden are brown.

It's possible that people who have exchanged with Floridians didn't mark the packages as having agricultural products in them, just mailed a Postal flat rate box like any other box sent.