Without Question I would be paying you automatically.
All sale to first time customers from New Zealand have been suspended.
- Thread starter FmGrowit
- Start date
stic
Well-Known Member
Trust me, there was bugger all humidity involved in MY last treatment...bone dry doesn't even come CLOSE to describing it...
freedompiper
Active Member
I had the option of both. But that was back in December. I thought you could nominate any company you want, and the letter was just a suggestion for convenience.
stic
Well-Known Member
It's not a very transparent, logical, or particularly efficient system!
On top of this, should you try to communicate with them, you inevitably end up with a communication from one of the 'workers' there who is basically illiterate (at least in English)...
On top of this, should you try to communicate with them, you inevitably end up with a communication from one of the 'workers' there who is basically illiterate (at least in English)...
Amy1
Member
Hi new here has anyone ordered any whole leaf from Virgina Gold NZ? looks like a whole lot of burnt stuff from heat treatment on there at the moment but just wanting to know if the quality of the good stuff they have is any good since Iv missed the opportunity to make an order here damn!
freedompiper
Active Member
I have a pound sample of red virginia rehydrated "seconds" on the way. I don't think it's heat treated, just dried to a crisp for long term storage. Hopefully will be here next week. I will let you know.
Amy1
Member
Sounds good thanks
freedompiper
Active Member
Just got the red virginia rehydrated "seconds" and it does indeed seem to be heat treated - it has those sticky spots and leaves a dark residue on your fingers. It is VERY damp. Also has mold spots on about 4 of the leaves. Still smokable and smells nice though, if you like stoved red virginia.
Amy1
Member
Cheers for that thanks for the update
jonaray
New Member
Yeah, I did extensive research. Whilst it is a PITA, if you keep in contact with a customs agent and someone at the treatment center it can be relatively streamlined. I think the main treatment center in auckland only operates crazy days/hours. From memory it was like a Wednesday. As soon as you get word from mpi get in touch with them and try to work with a single officer. If you are lucky they might get your package to treatment the next day at which point you need to coordinate with the treatment center. Mpi dont take payment for such shenanigans so we need to email or call the treatment place directly. Once you pay for their services they will get it done at the next possible moment (next Wednesday perhaps if thats the day).I'm looking forward to hearing from customs / mpithis is my first try importing WLT. My tobacco has been quiet since it hit chicago. All very exciting. Has anyone had some positive experiences with customs & mpi?
My last package cost about $40 for about 5lb Leaf Then they added a further shipping fee as they had taken out whatever else I had ordered at the time and sent that on for delivery, perhaps it was a shreader and some casing or something? Wont happen if you only order leaf. That was only like $15 though. So, $55NZD or thereabouts and it was safely at my door. Again yes its a run around and yes it can take a while but if you keep in touch and pay whats owed then it can be relatively painless!
myboysarge
Active Member
They must have the same problems as us, sometimes it gets the heat treatment, sometimes it doesn’t.
I see they now sell the threshed leaves too, even using the same pic from WLT!
Pic from https://www.virginiagold.co.nz/
Pic from WLT
abec72
Active Member
Is this the official nz supplier for wlt?
Oldfella
Well-Known Member
Yeah me,
A year or so ago I thought I would try it. Delivery took 4 unanswered emails. It finally arrived however so that was something. It looked nothing like my VG. A sort of reddish black, the stalks weighed more than the leaf I'm sure it tasted nothing like VG, but I suppose you could say that it was smokeable. I'd never go there again.
Cheers
Oldfella
tommayo88
Active Member
My 3 pounds is in NZ and with MPI, they need me to decide who to use for the treatment process. The Rentokil form said Heat & Methyl Bromide treatment...does this sound right? Is it normally just heat treatment? Flick form had no mention of using Methyl Bromide in treatment....any thoughts
Orson Carte
Well-Known Member
Ask them if they'll 'visually' inspect the parcel, rather than have it heat treated.
This is what was recently happening with the parcels that were coming in through Fedex. It was actually cheaper than heat treatment and there is no risk of the destruction of product that Flick have been getting away with more times than you'd probably believe.
That 'Methyl Bromide' thing has always been part of the Rentokil sales pitch - not that they've been in the treatment game very long.
They, like Flick are far from satisfactory but do seem to burn it less often, if that's any help.
This is what was recently happening with the parcels that were coming in through Fedex. It was actually cheaper than heat treatment and there is no risk of the destruction of product that Flick have been getting away with more times than you'd probably believe.
That 'Methyl Bromide' thing has always been part of the Rentokil sales pitch - not that they've been in the treatment game very long.
They, like Flick are far from satisfactory but do seem to burn it less often, if that's any help.
abec72
Active Member
Every parcel goes through a visual inspection but if the mpi officer sees a disease you will have to get it heat treated.
Orson Carte
Well-Known Member
Well, that's certainly not how it was done up to about a month or so ago - in fact until the likes of Fedex started freighting it.
The parcels were originally never 'visually' inspected because usually the boxes hadn't been opened, yet had gone through the heat treatment process.
The parcels were originally never 'visually' inspected because usually the boxes hadn't been opened, yet had gone through the heat treatment process.
abec72
Active Member
It is all up to the MPI officer doing the inspection. If it complies with the biosecurity act then it doesn't need treating. These are the reasons for treatment, the treatment for tobacco is SPT4.
Orson Carte
Well-Known Member
There's not much point arguing the toss over this because it's pretty soon to be water under the bridge.
All I know, having imported WLT over several years, is that the process (up until the last month or two) is that, after clearing Customs, you'd receive a letter from MPI telling you that there were three options - have it heat treated (and up until quite recently there was only one provider, 'Flick'), have it returned to the vendor, or have it destroyed).
Only since Fedex started handling it a month or two ago, had MPI agreed to having it 'visually inspected'
When this was done it usually happened in a few days. And only if the visual inspection showed some 'contamination' did you have to then pay for heat treatment. If this happened you paid twice -for inspection AND treatment. In the past, most of the time the box hadn't been opened. It just went straight through Flick, etc with the seal in tact. (Which is probably why they never knew in most cases that they'd incinerated the contents).
As I was saying above, this is now pretty much academic.
And I was only offering the thought to anyone with a parcel still in transit that if MPI would accept it, a visual inspection was a better choice than heat treatment.
All I know, having imported WLT over several years, is that the process (up until the last month or two) is that, after clearing Customs, you'd receive a letter from MPI telling you that there were three options - have it heat treated (and up until quite recently there was only one provider, 'Flick'), have it returned to the vendor, or have it destroyed).
Only since Fedex started handling it a month or two ago, had MPI agreed to having it 'visually inspected'
When this was done it usually happened in a few days. And only if the visual inspection showed some 'contamination' did you have to then pay for heat treatment. If this happened you paid twice -for inspection AND treatment. In the past, most of the time the box hadn't been opened. It just went straight through Flick, etc with the seal in tact. (Which is probably why they never knew in most cases that they'd incinerated the contents).
As I was saying above, this is now pretty much academic.
And I was only offering the thought to anyone with a parcel still in transit that if MPI would accept it, a visual inspection was a better choice than heat treatment.
