Some snails aren't so harmless. Those tiny tropical orchid snails aka bush snails aka
Zonitoides arboreus can be as devastating as infestations of mealybugs, scale or spider mites.
My own opinion is this: pests happen; it's part of life...HOWEVER, lindafrog's seller should have replaced the words
"it's an ongoing process this time of year as I'm sure you are aware" with
"I apologize for sending you a plant with snails and insects on board. Is there anything I can do to make this right with you?"
The "thank you" which lindafrog received from the seller was made trite by the glib attitude expressed toward the pest situation. An expression of apology and concern would definitely have been better along with an offer to somehow rectify the situation. I probably would not buy from that seller again unless they were offering something I absolutely couldn't get anywhere else. I find their reply to lindafrog to be far more offensive than the snails and bugs they sent with the plant!
Pest control is an ongoing problem for everyone. Sending out a plant with snails and bugs and using the excuse lindafrog's seller used is just plain poor business practice. The seller obviously doesn't give enough of a damn about their customers to make that extra bit of effort. Being in business isn't just about raking in the bucks. It's about earning an honest income by providing a quality product or service of good value to the best of your ability to satisfied customers who will hopefully give you their repeat business and/or recommend you to their friends, families and/or business associates. As a businessman I want to be the best I can be. I don't aspire to be the BP of my trade.
oke:
If I were to receive a plant which was healthy and squeaky clean with no evidence of insect damage but which several days later developed a sudden inexplicable infestation of mealybugs or mites, for example, I would reasonbly be able to deduce that the seller had at least been making an effort to manage a recent infestation by not allowing the bugs to remain and feast on their plants. Even in that type of situation, however, a heads-up from the seller about the potential for a recurrence of pests -- before the sale is finalized -- would be the nicest thing to do, and I'll be even more blunt: it's the only truly honest way to do business. Honesty in business dealings is a rather rare thing these days.
(Standardized disclaimers in microprint to cover any and all possible shortcomings don't necessarily constitute true honesty in my opinion.)
A seller who doesn't want to admit they've had a recent problem with some sort of insect infestation or disease in their greenouse should instead make several consecutive applications of pest/disease control products and make absolultely certain that all pests/eggs/spores or whatever have been completely eradicated and that their plants are still healthy after the process before placing their plants for sale on the market. Thereafter a regimen of routine maintenance-spraying and good housekeeping to assure a continued state of good plant health and freedom from diseases, insects, snails and parasites is the normal course of action to be expected of any plant grower, supplier and vendor.
I am old school about things like this. I will go above and beyond whatever is necessary to insure to the very best of my knowledge and to the very best of my ability that any plant I sell or give away or otherwise ship out or deliver or hand over to anyone is free of any and all pests and/or diseases. If I found out I had screwed up, I would sincerely apologize in no uncertain terms and offer to make things right. End of story.
Maybe I'm a jerk, but that's how I feel about it. Honesty is always the best policy.
That being said, I usually try to be reasonable about it all and give someone who has sold me a buggy plant the benefit of the doubt, as long as the plant is salvageable and hasn't been set back in its life-progress by leaps and bounds. It's also quite likely I will send a friendly note to the seller informing them that I found bugs on their plant but that I was able to successfully eradicate the problem. Whether or not they respond, and what they say in that response will likely be the determining factor when deciding whether or not I will ever purchase from them again. :wink:
