I don't think that there is anything wrong with asking when the seeds were sent. When I set up a trade with someone I tell them right away when I will be sending out, like "These will go out first thing in the morning" This usually gets a response "Yours are going out tomorrow too" I do my best to send them out right away, and I always try to tell them when I send out my envelope so they can know when to expect it. It only takes about two seconds to shoot off an e-mail saying "Seeds sent today" If I am running late I tell them that too. I think it should be expected to tell a person when seeds are sent and when they are received.

When did you send out yours? Did they receive it? How long have you been waiting?

Hi Scottrell,
I've really only been waiting about a week, they will probably be in the mailbox tomorrow ( :
However, I DO always send everyone an email when I send out my part of the trade.....there are just 2, that I haven't heard from. So, I'm thinking, if I don't hear or receive anything by the end of the week....I can email them and ask when they were sent out???
Thanks,
Linda

I would e-mail right away and ask when they were sent out. I do not consider it bad manners to ask when the other party plans to send out their end of an agreement. You sent yours out, right? Did they let you know they got it?
Sharon

...Yes, I did send my part out right away...but they haven't let me know if they received it or not. I'm finding that 'most' people (that I have been trading with) do NOT let me know if they received my seeds.

Hi Linda,

I wait two weeks from the time that we agreed upon the trade and then send an email like this:

Dear ABC,

I am curious about our trade, did I ever send you my address? By now, I hope you have received my seeds, but as I was searching for your original email I was wondering if I sent my info. If not---- please let me know one way or another.

Our trade was for my xxx seeds for your yyy, and I sent the xxx seeds to you on 11/29.

My address is:

Seedy Susan
123 Happy St.
Happy, CA

Thanks,
SusanC from Gardenweb

If they simply forgot about me, it gives them a 'save face' out if they want.

Hope that helps,
Susan

Thanks Susan.....I'm thinking maybe 2 weeks also.
Linda

Seedy Susan,

Love your addy!...but you forgot your zip...lol

Great follow-up email, btw.

Sue

Darn; I did forget my zip code. It's:

9(-:(-:(-:(-:

Linda,
I don't understand the not letting people know they received the seeds. A quick "thank you, they arrived" is all that is needed. I remember a discussion about this one time, and one poster actually said they don't have time. I didn't write anything since I didn't want to start a fight, but I was thinking what the heck?! How time consuming is it to thank someone and let them know the seeds came?
I also think 2 weeks and a happy letter like Susan's is a good idea.
Remy

I know the feeling about them not letting you know. That bugs the fire out of me, so I put in my emails to please let me know. If I haven't heard from them in a week or so, I email them asking. Remy, you're right, it doesn't take but a moment to drop a quick note and is much appreciated. At least I know that my end got there in good order.

Linda, I'm with the consensus, two weeks is long enough and I use a "format" similar to Susan's. I'll ask if I had remembered to send them my address (because I've honestly forgotten to once or twice!) and restate the seeds being traded. AS she said, it does give them a way to save face if they've not mailed yet and lets them know that I do follow up.

Occasionally things get lost in the mail, I had my first package that I've mailed get lost. After I mailed it, it still had not arrived after two weeks. We gave it the second week because it took a week for hers to get to me. But I kept tabs on it and I don't believe this person would tell me it hadn't arrived if it had, so I promptly mailed another set. In a day or two we'll see if it arrives to her. I hope so, because though I was able to completely make up the agreed trade, some of what I sent the second time were the last of what I had.

So, it does happen that things get lost, but staying in touch helps a lot. At the very least it lets the other person know that you're concerned about your trade and that you follow up and keep good communication going. I'm always more comfortable with someone who stays in touch. Even if it's to tell me that life has happened and they're going to be delayed.

Kathy

Re the letting people know the seeds have arrived. I am good about that, and it used to bug me a little when people didn't let me know. However, recently my mom had a really scary health crisis while I had some trades going on. I was so spun around that I did forget to thank a couple of people during that time. So now I realize that sometimes people might not let me know because something like that is happening to them.

I wonder if packages get lost because of errors reusing envelopes. If you forget to write the new address on an envy, it would go to the wrong palce and you'd HOPE that the person would let you know they got the seeds by mistake, although I suppose its likely the address already there is YOURS hee!

If you tape an address on the envy and it gets ripped off in the machines, it would never get where its supposed to go.