BY ORDERING FROM US, YOU ARE ACCEPTING ALL OF OUR TERMS.



GUARANTEE AND TERMS:

We are very proud of the plants, seeds and products we sell. We guarantee all of our plants to be healthy and true to name. We make no claim as to the performance of the plants or seeds sold, once they leave our nursery. And, if there is a claim, we can not be held responsible for any more than the original cost of the item, less shipping and handling.



SHIPPING AND HANDLING:

SEED-ONLY ORDERS are shipped USPS First Class - $4.95 shipping and handling.

PLANTS, SUPPLIES AND GIFTS are shipped via USPS Priority (2 day) - $6.95 handling + the actual USPS shipping charges. We do use USPS Flat Rate Boxes whenever possible, and we can usually fit 4 (four) 4" plants to a Small Flat Rate Box and up to 6 (six) 4" plants into a Large Flat Rate Box. Please be forewarned that some 4" potted plants (IE.some trees and shrubs) are much too tall to fit into a flat rate box.

WE ALWAYS TRY TO CHARGE THE ACTUAL SHIPPING COST.

CUSTOMER BEWARE: As some feel that shipping and handling should be a free service, and is "part of doing business" - we would like to point out that (first, we are not Walmart or Costco), and that with all the time involved in processing orders, selecting and preparing the plants and other items for shipping, packing and all the materials used, not to mention the gas to get to the post - WE DO NOT MAKE MONEY ON SHIPPING OR HANDLING OF ORDERS!! As a matter of fact, we do and will always try to save our valued customers money by using the smallest boxes and/or USPS flat rate boxes whenever possible - generally, the more plants ordered, the cheaper the shipping breakdown for each plant. Plants in larger pots are heavy - they are plants in damp soil. We grow our plants in the soil that is best for the plant, not necessarily what's best for shipping rates. During the fall and winter months, many items are completely dormant and may easily be shipped bareroot, making the orders much lighter and less costly to ship.

If you would like to know what the actual shipping charges will be for an order, please feel free to inquire BEFORE ordering. If you order without inquiring, we will automatically assume that you are accepting whatever the shipping charges will be.

Shipping costs are crazy (insane, even), and they will always be more than any of us think they should be (and, by the look of it, they will continue to climb!) We set the handling fee, but we have absolutely nothing to do with shipping costs. We have found that USPS Priority is more cost-effective than either Fed Ex or UPS, and we have found them to be the most gentle with packages! We have also discovered that sending plants first class barely saves any money at all, and can take 10 days or more to arrive, which is not good for the plants. Some people have asked us about Fed Ex, USPS or UPS Overnight deliveries - we are in a relatively remote area, and there is no guaranteed next day shipping service out of Fort Bragg.



CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS will be charged 8.5% sales tax.

DELIVERY: We try our best to ship orders within a week (even one or two days), but please allow two to three weeks for delivery. We are a small, family-run business and between January and June,(our heaviest shipping season), shipments may be slightly delayed - we appreciate your patience and understanding. If you need it quickly, please feel free to let us know, and we'll try our best to oblige.

SUBSTITUTIONS: We do not substitute unless we are instructed to do so, or after we have first OK'd it with you.

PRICES AND FEES SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE (Please, rest assured, we certainly will not raise prices in the middle of your transaction.)

DAMAGES AND CLAIMS: We take great pride in the wrapping and packing of orders, to ensure their safe delivery to your door or P.O. Box. The methods in which we pack our seeds and plants for shipping are among the finest in the industry, and many customers have said that, "opening a package from Hortus Botanicus is like opening a present". Any damage due to shipping must be dealt with through the carrier. However, there may be something we can do for you, so please email us first at hortusb@comcast.net or phone (707) 964-4786. Please have your order number ready to help us serve you more quickly. Thank you.

HOW TO BE A GOOD CUSTOMER: Being a good customer is just as important as us being a good company. We try our best to please all of our customers, as we want everyone to be happy. We also know this will not always be possible. If something does go wrong, we expect you to be courteous and respectful, just as we will be to you. We always treat our customers with kindness, and if there is an issue, it is always easier to handle it in a calm and peaceful manner. Mean people will be sent to the back of the line. Nice people will have our full attention! We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.

Being a good customer is also being realistic. A broken stem, a slightly chewed leaf, no flowers, or no foliage upon arrival does not warrant a replacement or a refund. We are dealing with living things; pots of roots and stems. In the winter, plants may be dormant, and the plants may not look perfect. When we pack your plants and seeds they are in excellent condition, for the time of year that it is, in our climate. Some plants don't perform in pots, and will require planting in the ground to look well. We do not ship unhealthy or damaged plants; we only ship them if we would be happy to receive them the same way. We can not be responsible for the way they are treated during shipment, nor for the treatment of them once they are received... If you wait a week to open your box of plants, and they're not happy, they will probably perk up, unless they were left sitting in the sun, or in a hot car - one simply can not expect that to be our responsibility. If a stem gets broken in transit, yes, it is annoying, but it will regrow. We truly want you to be successful with everything that you purchase from Hortus Botanicus - but plants do die, and seeds do refuse to sprout, for whatever reasons; the responsibility of care and culture is out of our hands the moment the package is taken to the post. With all of this said, please know that if you have brown thumbs, we're here to help you turn them green!

THANK YOU FOR READING - WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME!