I saw that post and emailed that exact question in to the powers that be several days ago. No response.

Let us know what the response is.
Pam

Notice those postings have now disappeared!

No, there's another new one today.
Pam

Still no response to my email to GW. I also posted this question on the Suggestions forum and no answer there either.

I don't see gift cards as "selling". For some of us advanced gardeners, it's hard to trade since we have everything. I've often posted to trade for Roundup, but people have said it's cheaper to send me a gift card to lowes and let me go buy it myself rather than them buying it and paying postage to ship it. Other people have bought me gift certificates to nice nurseries and let me pick out what I want. What a great trade!

NancyAnn

I don't mind it. But a gift card is the same as cash or a check. I'm just wondering if it's ok to do. Heck, I wouldn't mind trading hosta's for gift cards so I could buy more hostas - lol.

I am scratching my head thinking why on earth would anyone want to trade a plant for the likes of Roundup?
If one can afford to pay postage to trade then surely they can just buy their own Roundup or whatever!

Butterflychaser - have you taken the time ever to check the list re prohibited items that are not permitted to be mailed?
Without looking myself [I am familiar with airline no-no's so I'd say it would be pretty much the same], I am sure you would find Roundup et al are a BIG NO-NO to be shipped.

Interesting that you state clearly you will report traders to the authorities if they fail to keep their end of the bargin but you appear not to have taken the time to check postal regulations!

OMG, I have just realized you are the one who also trades for DVD's, filled ink cartridges, SD flash cards, battery charger, rechargeable batteries...

Crafty way of getting around the rules eh!

Currently I have a bunch of plumeria seedlings for postage - must change that to Roundup then tell them I have found out that it's a prohibited item to ship so they can send me a gift card instead ;->
Dam, I also need: another card for my digital camera; ink cartridges for my printer; Frontline for my pets;

Anyone?????

IIRC, I did see one recently that offered used clothing!

Wait, now. No need to go on the attack here. We have always been able to trade other items for plants. The only change there is it's not limited to just the Garden Exchange forum like it was before. The rules here seem to have been 'relaxed' (mild understatement) a bit.
I'm just curious about the gift cards and gift certificates.
And I'm not against them - I just want to know if it's an acceptable procedure now.
Pam

Sotexas, if you're concerned about mailing Roundup or other garden chemicals, then don't do it. Or better yet, inquire at your P.O. But nothing here:

http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/601.htm#wp1064962

suggests that Roundup can't be mailed. In fact, mail-order nurseries ship it and other chemicals all the time. You can order it in bulk and have it shipped right to your door. You can get crystal or liquid form, depending on preference.

And yes, I do trade for CDs and DVDs. Nothing illegal about that either. I don't accept copies, only originals. I'll also trade for anything else I can use. That's not against the rules at all. There's a forum, The Garden Exchange, set up just for such trades. It actually opens a bigger trading audience. Since I'm an experienced gardener with an entire yard full of plants (I have no lawn), I have almost everything I want. Trading for non-plant items gives people with no plants a chance to trade with me and get some plants they want. In return, I get something I need, which is what trading is all about.

You might want to fully read the rules here and talk with your postal clerk or Fed X clerk. You seem to have some misinformation.

Woodthrush, a gift card is NOT cash. You can't cash it in and go anywhere in town and buy something else you want. It is a gift card for one store and can only be used in that store. So I don't view it as cash at all. If someone sends you a gift card to a nursery, you can go select the plants you want. But you can't cash it in and go buy some new clothes or food with it. Sure, the other person shelled out cash for it. Would you rather send them a shopping list and let them go buy it for you and then ship it to you? A gift card is much easier for everyone. I hope Ivillage says it's acceptable. I haven't announced that I will accept them, but several people have freely offered them.

NancyAnn

lol - Hey, Nancy, that's all I want to do is make sure it's ok. Haven't we been slapped around enough this summer? - lol
Pam

Yep, we have, haven't we? Personally, I think anything two traders agree to is fine. Maybe we can't post some things on site, but what we do offsite is really our own business, isn't it? You and I both have more varieties of plants than we know what to do with. Gift certificates are the perfect solution, and it saves the sender postage as well as packing time. What's not to love about that?

I know in the past, I've traded for postage and extra stamps. One woman was willing to send me some water lilies for postage, and I sent the postage, plus an extra priority mail stamp so she could have free postage the next time she traded. And I've heard some people say that that's "selling". I saw it as trading--a stamp instead of a plant. No cash exchanged hands, and the stamp couldn't be cashed in for cash. What do you think?

N.

My view is the same as butterflychaser.I'm a advanced gardener myself and can't use the more common plants that are usually offered.I don't mind trading for other items that I can use.I'm always in need of potting soil,theres no way someone can ship dirt cheap so a gift card would be the solution.I recently did my first trade for large nursery pots and it turned out good.She got plants she wanted and I got the pots I needed.Debbie

Hey Debbie, have you checked with landscapers in your area for free pots? Some of them just throw them in the dumpster. Others will sell them for 5 or 10 cents each. That's often cheaper than shipping plants. Also if you have Freecycle group near you (www.freecycle.org), you can have people save them for you. Freecycle is great. There are three groups within a 15 mile radius of me. I bet there's a couple near you too.

N.

I didn't have to check w/FedEx as I just called my daughter who is a shipper/receiver for a major big box store.

She confirmed what I thought, Federal Govt requires them to undergo dangerous goods training before using shippers' services. FedEx et al are also subject to IATA regulations which is the one I am familiar with [we had to undertake the course every two years and be certified before putting our signature on any dangerous goods package going on an aircraft].

Depending on the contents of the item/s, they pay additional fees.

Shippers as in big box stores, online nurseries etc would ALL be subject to Federal law. It's certainly not just a matter of 'as a matter of fact/ship all the time'.

She said there was a page on FedEx's website regarding this - most likely others such as DHL and UPS have similar pages. This is FedEx's link:
http://www.fedex.com/us/services/options/express/dangerousgoods/hidden.html

Are you aware that even everday items such as nailpolish, cologne, perfume are classified as dangerous goods for shipment?

And yes, I have seen what people have tried to take on an aircraft with them in carryons or in checked luggage; then there are the items we come across 'after' the flight has landed and the item has either blown open from pressure or been squashed. Believe me, if you saw even half of what we used to, you wouldn't fly!

Next time you pass a vehicle with a diamond dangerous goods sign on, just remember, it's there for a reason! It's to inform the likes of firefighters etc what they are dealing with if anything goes wrong. People's lives are at stake if they did not know what the hell they were dealing with.

Remember the Valuejet crash in Florida caused because human beings did not accurately document the contents of a package? Had it been documented, those 100 plus people who lost their lives would still be alive today.

And yes, you can be charged for falsification.

Well, there's a good arguement for being able to accept a gift card in lieu of someone actually shipping a gal of Roundup to you. I can imagine what the shipping costs would be for that anyway! BUT, Nancy, PLEASE stop using that crap anyway!
In other countries, it's being taken off the market because it is being linked more and more to non-hodgkins lymphoma. Here, in the US, there are 55,000 new cases of nhl every year, more cases of cancer in dogs and cats, and no one 'knows' (wink, wink) why.

Sotexas, you're speaking of inflammable chemicals. Everything listed there can explode. Roundup, plant food, pesticides, etc, is not flammable. They are not listed on the site at all, nor on the postal service site. I do not knowingly break the law. Until I see their names in writing on a prohibited list, I'll continue to believe that they're legal. I do ask at my p.o. before I ship something I'm not sure about. They do accept liquids, just nothing flammable--no hair spray, perfume, spray paint (nothing in an aerosol can), lighters, nothing flammable.

Woodthrush, I'll quit using Roundup when I quit having bermuda, nutsedge, and other weeds trying to invade my gardens. Until then, there's nothing better to use. I have begun buying it at the farmer's coop. I get a generic that is much stronger and kills much faster. It's also cheaper. I can get 2 1/2 gallons for the price of one gallon of Roundup. So no need to trade for it anymore. Gift cards work for me!

NancyAnn

I just asked at my post office again if Roundup and other herbicides and pesticides could be mailed. They said YES, but only by ground, not by air, and not out of the country.

Now the real crime is: They want $40 to send my son a 5 lb package of his favorite things to Ireland!! I guess I'll just have to send him a plane ticket and tell him to bring an empty suitcase to gather up all his favorite things that he can't get over there. He and his wife are having my first grandbaby in Feb., so maybe a plane ticket is a great idea!

I hear I can package myself in an appliance box and ship myself to Ireland by Fed X cheaper than I could buy a plane ticket. Hmmmmmm...

Well to get back to the original question....I emailed GW/IV twice about this issue and no response. I posted the same question (ie, can we exchange plants for gift cards) on the "Suggestions" forum and they have removed my question without comment.

Should we assume we can now exchange plants for gift cards? I guess they are not interested in clarifiying this issue.

Hi folks,

The quick and easy answer here is no. You cannot offer anything other then plants or seeds for the Plant/Seed Exchanges. This includes cash cards, paypal, gift certificates, crafts, and anything else that isn't a plant or seed.

Best,

Tamara

GardenWeb Community Manager

Well, so how do we drum up interest in the Garden Exchange where we can exchange those things? Hardly anyone posts there, which is why we all post on the plant and seed exchange. Most people still don't know the forum exists even tho it's been here a while. It's not too frequented.

Tamara, can y'all put a direct link to it at the top of the seed and plant exchange forums, like there's a link to the Round Robin forum on those two forums. Maybe an announcement would convince people to check it out? I have way more plants than I need and have no room for more, so I'd love to trade them for something I can use. And I know many other oldies feel the same way. I believe that's why some of them have left.

NancyAnn

I haven't left, but I don't post trades much anymore. I'm usually looking for more unusual plants and the not so common.
I've pretty much settled into collecting hostas, heuchera, pulmonaria and lilies.

Yeah, me too, Woodthrush. And most of the people with those have moved onto more advanced sites I guess or just quit trading altogether. So many oldies with their great plants are no longer here. Many are now selling their extras to buy the special plants they want. I guess that's what we'll have to do since our hands have been tied. Even on the Garden exchange where we can exchange non-plant items, hardly anyone even notices posts there.

I'm still here too! But I have to say if we aren't able to exchange for non plant things, then I won't be here as much. Some of my best trades this summer have been for non plant items. It seems the plant exchange is so slow already and there aren't many people to trade with that have extensive lists, so why not trade with newbies who maybe don't have plants to offer, but lots of other things instead? I can see the reasoning behind the gift cards and paypal, but what is wrong with trading for a bird house or something? The person would have to pay for postage anyways to ship plants, why not send something I can use? I checked out the garden exchange, and there definitely isn't much activity there. I just hate to GW getting so slow. And this will lose alot more people if they can't trade their plants for anything they need. Teresa

Maybe I am seeing what I want but referring to Tamara's statement... "
You cannot offer anything other then plants or seeds for the Plant/Seed Exchanges."
That to me says we can only post plants or seeds for trade,(can't post birdhouses) but doesn't say we cannot accept them..
I haven't been to the other exchange but will pop over fast, last I knew, 2 years ago, it was only contributing members that could post there.. off to look now.

~Dusty~

Oh Good, That's changed! Anyone can post there now! hey, there's a lady there offering a great vacation at her bed and breakfast in exchange for plants!.. Anyone need a vacation?

~Dusty~

Remy posted on the Suggestions forum requesting a link to the Garden exchange on the other exchanges so people will know it's there and that we CAN trade non-plant items on that forum. Y'all might wanna go put in your vote. Maybe Ivillage will listen to us. I'd love to get rid of some of the "stuff" in my house--books, movies, magazines, cds etc. I have too much stuff just collecting dust. I want more garden stuff. Not that I really NEED more, but when the garden stuff collects dust, I can just spray it off with a hose. LOL

N.

A link from this exchange and from other exchanges, to the Garden Exchange, would indeed be nice.

Sue...off to post to the Suggestion Thread

Here is a link that might be useful: Suggestion for link to The Garden Exchange

Posted by butterflychaser z7 (My Page) on Mon, Jul 24, 06 at 9:03
>Sotexas, you're speaking of inflammable chemicals. >Everything listed there can explode. Roundup, plant food, >pesticides, etc, is not flammable. They are not listed on >the site at all, nor on the postal service site. I do not >>knowingly break the law. Until I see their names in >writing on a prohibited list, I'll continue to believe >that they're legal. I do ask at my p.o. before I ship >something I'm not sure about. They do accept liquids, just >nothing flammable--no hair spray, perfume, spray paint >(nothing in an aerosol can), lighters, nothing flammable.

It does NOT have to be 'flammable' to be a danger!
Where on earth you get that idea that it has to be so and appear to believe NOTHING else can be, is beyond me!
Did you not do basic chemistry in school? Do you not read labels on common household cleaning etc products as often just two of the 'wrong' ones can produce a dangerous result. Do you not read labels on otc medicinal etc products to ensure you can take them with any prescribed meds?
Are you aware that if you put dry ice, one of the commonest forms of dangerous goods that is shipped, in with animals it will kill them; does a darn good number on any plants or vegetable matter in the same area too!

Is this enough proof that there are idiots out there that don't bother to realize the consequences of what they are shipping? Just imagine the cost each of these incidents has cost!

Flour, sugar cause post office scare -
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. Â A woman who sent flour and sugar through the mail set off a major hazardous materials response when one of her packages leaked, police said. About 80 police officers and firefighters were sent to the local post office Saturday because of what appeared to be a menacing powder.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/4114086.html

3 Airport Workers Sickened by Odor
HOUSTON -- Three airport workers were sickened Friday by the odor of a liquid that spilled in the cargo hold of a Continental Airlines plane, officials said.

The Houston Fire Department was working to determine what the liquid was, said District Chief Tommy Dowdy. It was stored in a U.S. Postal Service bag on the plane at Bush Intercontinental Airport.
Rest of story at: http://www.kfmb.com/stories/story.59683.html

BTW are you aware that often the USPS sends surface mail via air?

Hello
Do you have the following plants?
1-Tomatillo-ground cherry (Physalis ixocarpa)
2-Cereus peruvianus
3-Pomegranate-wonderful (Punica granatum)
4-Jujube-(ziziphus jujuba)
5-Figs-(ficus carica) -black mission
6-Agave (mapisaga,salmiana, or marmorata)
7-Agave (angustifolia)
8-Agave (maximilliana) lechugilla
9- Mormon tea (ephedra viridis)
10-Sotol (dasylirion wheeleri)
11-Avocados hass
12-Passion fruit (passiflora edulis)

Please let me know how many you have, the prices and the sizes.
I need the smallest plants or bare roots. OR
Let me know what you have for sale
You can email me: bomber6e@hotmail.com

Thank you very much

interian did you notice that this thread is over 4 years old?