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Rare Palm Seeds - RPS


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130 members have voted

  1. 1. How would you rate this seller?

    • POSITIVE - Would recommend to others
      92
    • NEGATIVE - Would not recommend
      37


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Update: I apologise regarding the RPS shopping cart: it does save the cart contents, I had some technical issues with browsers and the PC and now seems resolved. The rest of my above post remains solid.

Average day temperatures: +17°C in the winter and +24°C in the summer. Typical Summer: 68F to 77F (20C to 25C). Typical Winter: 55F to 64F (12C to 18C). Record Low (past 5 years): 45F or +7.7C (once a winter, some winters). Record High (past 5 years): 83F or +28C (some days only). Elevation 140 m (459 ft.) to 160 m (525 ft.), latitude 38.54º. Sunset Zone: unknown

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well all of EU now requires phyto for seed importation from mid December last year

New is not as new as it was.

Would add cost to seed obviously

Luckily I have collector friends who can send direct.

Steve

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10 hours ago, Neil C said:

When did RPS start charging for postage on small seed packets?

Regards Neil

RPS started charging postage (even on wholesale purchases) and also VAT on top of that (plus I pay the foreign transaction fee of 3% to my card provider as well), after they changed their website design. The new website is interesting to browse and has useful info, but it is very slow to browse.

Although I am a collector I decided to place another wholesale order with RPS and here what the costs involved in the transaction are:

Priority Shipping (dispatches seeds in 5 days): about 11% of the total amount
VAT: 7%
ITF: 3% (for using a US card in Europe)


 

  • Like 2

Average day temperatures: +17°C in the winter and +24°C in the summer. Typical Summer: 68F to 77F (20C to 25C). Typical Winter: 55F to 64F (12C to 18C). Record Low (past 5 years): 45F or +7.7C (once a winter, some winters). Record High (past 5 years): 83F or +28C (some days only). Elevation 140 m (459 ft.) to 160 m (525 ft.), latitude 38.54º. Sunset Zone: unknown

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Hi all,

as a German guy the delivery times of RPS aren't that long for me. Their seed quality varies a little bit but if seeds are new the germination rates are acceptable. For me it seems to be the only source for Chamaedorea seeds as during all my searches on the internet I couldn't find another reliable source.

I know that we have some members from Central America but my requests for seeds remained unheard.

So I will still go on with RPS. Unfortunately not so common Chamaedorea seeds are seldom on sale or extremly expensive.

Stay healthy.

Eckhard

Edited by Palmensammler
  • Like 2
  • Upvote 1

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  • 3 weeks later...

Update...

~$200 worth of seeds were stoped at Australian bio security due to 1 of the species not allowed. So they sent all seeds back to RPS :(

I have been emailing RPS to resend Ill pay postage but no reply for weeks now....

Went from happy with seller to sad with seller.

 

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12 hours ago, Palms Brisbane said:

Update...

~$200 worth of seeds were stopped at Australian bio security due to 1 of the species not allowed. So they sent all seeds back to RPS :(

I have been emailing RPS to resend Ill pay postage but no reply for weeks now....

Went from happy with seller to sad with seller.

 

Sorry to hear that. It must be frustrating. Doesn't RPS have a phone number for their (repeat) customers? In my case ALL deliveries stopped in my "area". Now I don't even see advert fliers in my mail box. All the live plants, seeds, goods, medicines, food ordered online 2-3 months ago did not arrive (yet). I am afraid palms after 1+ month in the mail will not be doing fine and are not to be risked to be planted as they may be weak and dying on me later.  I also ordered RPS seeds again and they shipped them via DHL about 8 days after I paid with card. Good, but now it's been 16 days and no (DHL) delivery so far. Not the fault of the RPS though. I hope they still arrive and hopefully Portuguese postal services are not all shut down yet, because of a worldwide virus drill. Otherwise I see massive claims and refunds are waiting for me to be processed. I decided not to spend a penny anymore, in order to help the world economy and to help stop the worldwide drill that's been all but fair to the human population.

Average day temperatures: +17°C in the winter and +24°C in the summer. Typical Summer: 68F to 77F (20C to 25C). Typical Winter: 55F to 64F (12C to 18C). Record Low (past 5 years): 45F or +7.7C (once a winter, some winters). Record High (past 5 years): 83F or +28C (some days only). Elevation 140 m (459 ft.) to 160 m (525 ft.), latitude 38.54º. Sunset Zone: unknown

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  • 2 weeks later...

I purchased seeds for 4 different types of tropical plants from RPS.  I live in South Florida so practically anything tropical grows here.

I planted each set of seeds in a different pot to allow them to sprout, with the intention of transplanting the seedlings.

Not a single sprout of any kind.  Nothing.  After 8 weeks I emailed RPS and told them that nothing sprouted and I was very disappointed -

and I never received a response back.  I know we can't expect 100% with seeds, but a 0% germination rate indicates a problem, and

not even responding to my email told me this is not a very reputable company.  Do not reccomend.

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The mail deliveries continue again, although at a much slower speed. Receiving living plants via mail seems no longer practical. Thermometers hygrometers ordered from China (via Amazon.com) 2 months ago did not arrive yet. RPS parcel (DHL) with 600+ seeds well packed and well marked arrived today. DHL took almost a month to deliver the parcel. Suppose this wasn't a speed courier delivery at €15 shipping cost. All the RPS seeds in the parcel seem to be fine looking at them through the packaging. Will update on germination rates in a few months time.

Edited by SoulofthePlace

Average day temperatures: +17°C in the winter and +24°C in the summer. Typical Summer: 68F to 77F (20C to 25C). Typical Winter: 55F to 64F (12C to 18C). Record Low (past 5 years): 45F or +7.7C (once a winter, some winters). Record High (past 5 years): 83F or +28C (some days only). Elevation 140 m (459 ft.) to 160 m (525 ft.), latitude 38.54º. Sunset Zone: unknown

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  • 2 weeks later...

Very mixed feedback on my side. Sometimes the seeds are very fresh and result in a 100% germination rate, sometimes they aren't fresh at all (despite being advertised as new on the website) and result in poor germination rates. I guess it doesn't really depends directly from RPS, but from their source, even though they are the one that put the name and should care about the quality of their products.

To give an example, these are the germination rates on my last few orders:

Beccariophoenix Alfredii - August 2019 - 90% germination rate - N/A

Livistona Drudei - August 2019 - 100% germination rate - N/A

Brahea Nitida - August 2019 - 0% germination rate - Normally take quite a lot to sprout, even though 9 months is a bit longer than usual

Howea Belmoreana - September 2019 - 0% germination rate - Normally take quite a lot to sprout

Livistona Mariae - October 2019 - 100% germination rate - N/A

Livistona Lanuginosa - October 2019 - 10% germination rate - Normally sprout very quickly if fresh, as per other species in the genus

Jubaeopsis Caffra - December 2019 - 45% germination rate - N/A

Lanonia Poilanei - February 2020 - 0% germination rate - Normally take quite a lot to sprout

Lanonia Verrucosa - February 2020 - 0% germination rate - Normally take quite a lot to sprout

Kentipsis Piersoniorum (germinated) - February  2020 - 40% survival rate - received 6 plants of which 4 already dead due to mold

Macrozamia Moorei - March 2020 - 10% germination rate - Max germination rate achievable on this batch is 90%, as one seed was already dead when i received them

Phoenix Rupicola - March 2020 - 60% germination rate - N/A

Trachycarpus Latisectus - March 2020 - 63% germination rate - N/A

Ravenea Glauca 'Andringitra' - March 2020 - 10% germination rate - Received 20 seeds of which 15 were floaters

 

  • Like 2

Ciao

Giovanni

Noci (BA) Italia

350m a.s.l.

Zone 8b

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  • 2 months later...

I am very conflicted about negative posting, as I greatly appreciate the efforts to offer such a service.  Our Moderator suggests that we attempt to resolve any complaints directly.  However I have sent email to RPS three times over the last few years and never received a response.  Once I provided an palm image requested by RPS,  but no acknowledgement. 

(I don't remember if they used my image or not.)

  My most recent purchase was about 15 species, for a total of  190 seeds.  One seed germinated in a period of five months, and subsequently damped off from fungus.  This was a 124 euro transaction.  In the past I have received seeds so fresh that they still had odor, and some were germinating in the shipping envelope.

   I would advise others to only purchase seeds listed as 'new arrivals'.   Earlier today I attempted a small order only to discover that the current minimun shipping is 24 euros, and phytosanitary of 29 euros, so customers will have a base transacton cost of 53 euros before any seeds are selected.   Caveat emptor !

  • Like 3
  • Upvote 1

San Francisco, California

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24 minutes ago, Darold Petty said:

  I would advise others to only purchase seeds listed as 'new arrivals'.   Earlier today I attempted a small order only to discover that the current minimun shipping is 24 euros, and phytosanitary of 29 euros, so customers will have a base transacton cost of 53 euros before any seeds are selected.   Caveat emptor !

I agree Darold! My last couple of RPS orders were of seeds listed as "fresh." Still, one has to accept that some of these species may have low viability following their initial collection and storage, and take a long time to germinate, if they ever do (I'm watching you Hydriastele ramsayi!). :unsure:

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  • 2 months later...

Voted positive. In July I ordered 10 seeds of Copernicia macroglossa and 5 of Jubaeopsis caffra (the last in stock!). Both arrived about 6 weeks after ordering, as expected.

Since soaking and placing in their germination mediums in early August I have had 1 Copernicia germinate; nothing yet from Jubaeopsis. I'm not surprised at the germination rate I've had with the former species, as a recalcitrant it doesn't have much time for viability while the seeds likely spend months being collected/stored/shipped. Jubaeopsis caffra is generally reputed for slow germination so I'll hold my breath on that. I would be stoked to get at least 1 to germinate! A more detailed account of germinating these species.

Kudos for the massive inventory! I could spend hours browsing through there...

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  • 2 months later...

Placed first order with RPS 12/27/20 of seeds listed as IN STOCK with order confirmation sent.

That is the last I've heard from them. No tracking number ever sent, no response to emails inquiring about my order. Is this the norm for this company?  so far, not good customer service if they don't reply to direct emails.

What is the norm?

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2 hours ago, sashaeffer said:

Placed first order with RPS 12/27/20 of seeds listed as IN STOCK with order confirmation sent.

That is the last I've heard from them. No tracking number ever sent, no response to emails inquiring about my order. Is this the norm for this company?  so far, not good customer service if they don't reply to direct emails.

What is the norm?

Be patient, this is XXI century, thus things are SLOW. That's called progress. RPS will most likely process your payment in about a month from order submission and then after another month will ship the seeds to you. You should receive the seeds in another 1 to 3 months. Convid event must slow it down further as well. You did the right thing to submit your order early. When I submit it during spring I only receive my seeds late, sometimes during the summer. If you did not order fresh seeds, the germination could be none to a couple percent. I wasted a lot of money with RPS where seeds did not germinate or germination was 3%. From now on I will request a credit for the non-germinated seeds.

Edited by SoulofthePlace
  • Like 1

Average day temperatures: +17°C in the winter and +24°C in the summer. Typical Summer: 68F to 77F (20C to 25C). Typical Winter: 55F to 64F (12C to 18C). Record Low (past 5 years): 45F or +7.7C (once a winter, some winters). Record High (past 5 years): 83F or +28C (some days only). Elevation 140 m (459 ft.) to 160 m (525 ft.), latitude 38.54º. Sunset Zone: unknown

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1 minute ago, SoulofthePlace said:

Be patient, this is XXI century, thus things are SLOW. That's called progress. RPS will most likely process your payment in about a month from order submission and then after another month will ship the seeds to you. You should receive the seeds in another 1 to 3 months. Convid event must slow it down further as well. You did the right thing to submit your order early. When I submit it during spring I only receive my seeds late, sometimes during the summer.

Thanks  after reading so many negative reviews especially about customer service I wish I had not ordered from them.

 

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, sashaeffer said:

Thanks  after reading so many negative reviews especially about customer service I wish I had not ordered from them.

RPS are fine.  Much like many, many sellers of palm materials - it's our expectations that are the issue.  These guys aren't Amazon, and are generally just one person...and it's not just RPS.  Stick to new material, and you will find viable seeds at RPS you will find nowhere else...that alone is worth some patience.

Ben Rogers

On the border of Concord & Clayton in the East Bay hills - Elev 387 ft 37.95 °N, 121.94 °W

My back yard weather station: http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/hdfForecast?query=37.954%2C-121.945&sp=KCACONCO37

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2 hours ago, Ben in Norcal said:

RPS are fine.  Much like many, many sellers of palm materials - it's our expectations that are the issue.  These guys aren't Amazon, and are generally just one person...and it's not just RPS.  Stick to new material, and you will find viable seeds at RPS you will find nowhere else...that alone is worth some patience.

 Communication as easy as it is these days is paramount to any business right up there with customer service. Lack one or both of those? business won't thrive.

That being said, a little update.  Received email from Lauri from RPS today explaining the wait time for phytosanitary certificate as well as some ever changing possibly even newer rules or regulations that might start soon.  Thanked her for her reply and her 2nd reply right away to question that I had. 

People expect a wait for their seeds outside of Germany but important to keep communication quick and easy goes a long way.

A disclaimer would also help eliminate a lot of emails as well.

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4 hours ago, sashaeffer said:

 Communication as easy as it is these days is paramount to any business right up there with customer service. Lack one or both of those? business won't thrive.

That being said, a little update.  Received email from Lauri from RPS today explaining the wait time for phytosanitary certificate as well as some ever changing possibly even newer rules or regulations that might start soon.  Thanked her for her reply and her 2nd reply right away to question that I had. 

People expect a wait for their seeds outside of Germany but important to keep communication quick and easy goes a long way.

A disclaimer would also help eliminate a lot of emails as well.

I mean, I agree - but this kind of communication is very much the exception in the palm community, in my experience.

RPS have never failed to send me my seeds, so you should be good.  I do expect to wait 6-8 weeks on average.

Ben Rogers

On the border of Concord & Clayton in the East Bay hills - Elev 387 ft 37.95 °N, 121.94 °W

My back yard weather station: http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/hdfForecast?query=37.954%2C-121.945&sp=KCACONCO37

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On 4/11/2020 at 4:54 PM, Palms Brisbane said:

Update...

~$200 worth of seeds were stoped at Australian bio security due to 1 of the species not allowed. So they sent all seeds back to RPS :(

I have been emailing RPS to resend Ill pay postage but no reply for weeks now....

Went from happy with seller to sad with seller.

 

Update.. I did eventually get in contact. No responses to emails until I called them from Australia on phone. I was provided a different email address and received communications.

Seeds were then stopped from sending due to Covid... (lost this order and seeds) 

I did recently recieve another batch from them which took a while due to biosecurity in OZ holding them up for weeks.

RPS added equivalent value of seeds lost in first order to make up the loss. 

My overall view. Will contiune to order, seeds might not be too fresh mainly due to shipping companies and biosecuirty holding it up. I actually have a decent amount of seeds that germinate in the post but shrivel by time I get them.. wish the postage could be faster. But thats not RPS fault.

Edited by Palms Brisbane
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2 hours ago, Palms Brisbane said:

Update.. I did eventually get in contact. No responses to emails until I called them from Australia on phone. I was provided a different email address and received communications.

Seeds were then stopped from sending due to Covid... (lost this order and seeds) 

I did recently recieve another batch from them which took a while due to biosecurity in OZ holding them up for weeks.

RPS added equivalent value of seeds lost in first order to make up the loss. 

My overall view. Will contiune to order, seeds might not be too fresh mainly due to shipping companies and biosecuirty holding it up. I actually have a decent amount of seeds that germinate in the post but shrivel by time I get them.. wish the postage could be faster. But thats not RPS fault.

Duzz RPS have FedEx as a shipping option? That would be a great way to ship albeit expensive. Fresh palm seeds deserve to be shipped quickly via a speed courier. Let's talk!

  • Like 1

Average day temperatures: +17°C in the winter and +24°C in the summer. Typical Summer: 68F to 77F (20C to 25C). Typical Winter: 55F to 64F (12C to 18C). Record Low (past 5 years): 45F or +7.7C (once a winter, some winters). Record High (past 5 years): 83F or +28C (some days only). Elevation 140 m (459 ft.) to 160 m (525 ft.), latitude 38.54º. Sunset Zone: unknown

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  • 2 years later...

Maybe Rare Palm Seeds should change their way of operating, at least for some orders. They could do business as usual but also offer a way of doing things like Inge Hoffman in California used to do. It worked like this. You chose, from Inge's large list of palms,  the seeds you desired, and she would send them fresh when (and if) available. You would send her a pre-payment (however much you wanted to send) that went into your account with her, then when she obtained those seeds she sent them and deducted the payment from your account. It could be a week after you sent payment or it could be a year or two for hard to get seeds. RPS could go ahead and get the paperwork, forms, shipping labels, etc. partially filled out and do anything else that could be done ahead of time, that would be reasonable for them. 

Another way would be for RPS to have a person in the U.S.A. to send larger batches of "fresh only" seed to. Then that person would redistribute using the Inge model, to the people who had requested those type seed, when available. That would save a ton of paperwork and shipping charges. This second way of obtaining larger batches combined with Inge Hoffmans way of distribution could also be copied by someone here in the U.S. as a small business or just a hobby. And this business would not need to just do palm seeds. A waiting list business model works great. I remember coming home after many hard days of work and picking up the mail expecting more bills or junk mail and finding a small Inge Hoffman seed packet that I had forgotten I had even ordered and it just brought me so much joy and brightened the rest of my day as well as many more days as I checked for sprouts and repotted them. So anyone out there with the time to do this?

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