David - My experience with WLT is really only recent but I have to say that your experience seems quite unusual.
In recent weeks myself and two different friends (all here in NZ) ordered six pounds each of whole leaf tobacco, from Don. Mine was the first order made, and I'm still waiting to receive it from Quarantine inspection. A second friend, who made exactly the same order two weeks after me received his parcel twelve days, by courier at the door, twelve days later. The third friend received his today, and it took just nine days from the date he ordered it. Neither of these packages had been opened - and both had a Customs label saying it was cleared.
Back to myself, and the Quarantine; Around two weeks after it reached Auckland I received a letter telling me they were holding my package because it 'showed signs of disease'. (In reality I think this is just pure bs! However, I am compelled to play their game, which is -
1. I can pay ($45) for 'heat treatment' - following which, I presume it will be sent on to me by courier at no extra cost, or
2. I can return it to sender, at the cost of $85.62 (which is out of the question because I will have by then paid well over $300 and received nothing, or
3. I can have the parcel destroyed (at no cost)
Makes it a pretty simple choice, doesn't it?
It appears that they give you one month to decide and then, in the absence of any reply, simply carry out the third option. It seems pretty odd to me that they will have returned your parcel to it's sender.
My guess is that somehow or other they either didn't send you a letter, or they did, and it was somehow not delivered to you.
It is also becoming obvious that they only open some of the parcels and then impose the 'treat it or lose it' threat.
I's also be interested to know just how big your consignment was/is. Smallish amounts appear to slip through under radar, whereas I don't think large quantities would.