Order windows
This shop is a small operation, so it’s not open for orders all the time. Instead there are one-month order windows a few times a year. Everything is restocked at the start of the month, so order as early as possible to make sure what you want is available. If there’s plenty of stock left then prices will be reduced towards the end of the month.
The next order window is not scheduled yet, but will be some time in early 2025. Follow the mailing list or social media to get updates.
Delivery works differently depending on whether you’re ordering from inside the UK or internationally.
UK delivery
You can choose from two postage options:
- Royal Mail 1st Class (£2.50). Delivery generally takes 1-2 days from dispatch, but can rarely take up to two weeks.
- Royal Mail Special Delivery (£7.50). Delivery is guaranteed by 1pm the day after dispatch.
Orders may take up to a month to be dispatched. If you want your order sent before or after a certain date, let me know and I will do my best. But be aware that 1st Class doesn’t give a guaranteed delivery date.
For orders of up to around ten cuttings, I usually use flat packages which fit through a normal letterbox. Bigger orders may be in boxes. All orders come with a plant passport as required by UK law.
International delivery
Exporting plants legally requires expensive inspections and phytosanitary certificates. Sending a batch of orders at the same time reduces the fees and makes the admin easier. So international orders will be processed and exported all together after the order window closes. In the unlikely event that there aren’t enough international orders to cover the fees by the end of the order window, I will cancel and refund all of them.
The delivery cost for an international order is £30 for shipping, plus £30 for phytosanitary certificate fees. This price is the same for anywhere in the world, and covers any quantity of any plants. I don’t make a profit from these fees, they are purely to cover how much it costs me to export and send the order.
When you place your order, you’ll be given the scheduled dispatch date for exports. You’ll get an email with the tracking information a couple of days before dispatch. Deliveries are always sent fully tracked with UPS, which is generally meant to take 3-4 working days from dispatch. In practise because of time spent in customs, it will sometimes take up to two weeks.
If you have already placed an international order and you want to add to it before the end of the month, choose the “add to existing order” shipping option, which will not charge duplicate shipping fees. Make sure you use the same email as you used for the previous order, or write your order number in the note at checkout, to be sure I add your extra items to the correct order.
For international orders, I provide the phytosanitary certificate as required by export law. But you are still responsible for meeting any import law requirements in your location. Check your local laws to find out whether you need to have the delivery sent to a particular place, arrange inspections, pay additional taxes, or notify authorities about the delivery. I can’t help you with this part, because the laws are different everywhere. So make sure to check the requirements and prepare for your import in advance.
If there’s a problem
Plants are perishable items, so they are exempt from the UK Consumer Contracts Regulations right to cancel and I cannot accept returns if you change your mind.
If your plants are lost, damaged, or dead on arrival, contact me straight away at hello@tradescantia.uk or by replying to any order email.
I will provide a refund or replacement if the issue was caused by:
- The courier losing or destroying the package –
- If Royal Mail 1st Class takes more than two weeks to arrive
- If Royal Mail Special Delivery takes more than two days to arrive
- If a UPS investigation concludes the package is lost or destroyed
- Sending incorrect or unhealthy plants (make sure to send photos of the problem straight away)
- An invalid phytosanitary certificate or other export paperwork
I cannot refund or replace for issues caused by:
- A mistake in the address you gave when ordering
- The way you cared for the plants after they arrived
- A delay at customs which is not because of a problem with the phytosanitary certificate or export paperwork (e.g. because you did not do something that was required for the import, or just because there was a long queue for processing)
