General Policy Information
When Do We Ship? How Do We Prepare the Package?
Shipping is done nearly all year long, depending on the item availability, how well an item will ship, seasonal factors, etc.. Our goal is to have the order delivered quickly once your order is confirmed by us, But, timing is not a guarantee. We can not guarantee shipping or delivery dates, but we will certainly make every effort to meet the estimated ship time and your delivery needs. We try to get your order confirmed and shipped as quickly as possible, but that will depend on the season, your location, the type of payment made, the order volume, and other factors. Do expect delays in communication... that is normal, but we try to get a reply back to you as quickly as possible. Bad email addresses, blocked or filtered messages will also slow down correspondence with you, so make sure your contact information is correct, and that we are not blocked by your mail server. We take no responsibility for emails not received.
Shipping and delivery is Not guaranteed by the package carriers, so might consider adding delivery confirmation or insurance. Fed-Ex offers delivery insurance, and Priority Mail offers similar services. These services add to the total cost, but they improve the chances your package will get delivered. For the best order security, do consider our Plant-Insurance program (learn more below).
We can Book orders early to ship at a later date. We can Book an order up to a year in advance. We will give you an estimated ship date in your order confirmation, but that date is subject to change, and during the spring, delays are common due to the order volume. We try to ship the southern states early in the year, and the northern states typically starting early/mid-April. We guess at the best date for your particular area, but you are better able to tell us when your last (or first) frosts happen for your area. You can always add notes onto the order forms. All order forms have Comment Boxes (and PayPal has a Notes section), so if there is something we should know, do tell us... We read all notes, and hand-process all orders, watching for specific requests and information.
Spring Delivery Delays: Delays will happen in the spring (most commonly), and email replies can slow to a crawl due to the heavy order and email volume. All orders, booked or scheduled, are subject to delays because of the order volume, so Please have patience. If you need to cancel or change your order, please do so 14 or more days prior to the estimated ship date on your order confirmation message. After that time, we can not be held responsible for the changes or additional delays that may cause. Errors are relatively few, so if there is a delay or concern, please have patience, we will get a response to you just as soon as we can.
Packaging: Package preparation can be a long and involved process depending on the items ordered. When plants are leafless and dormant, they are easier to pack and ship. Some items are held in cold storage, others are not, and this changes depending on the item and timing factors. During the spring through early fall when the plants are actively growing, the items may be "trimmed for transport". This is a technique we use to reduce stress and transplant shock for most plants. Every plant is different, so what we do to prepare each may vary. We keep all plants in cold storage, beds, or containers until we lift them and prepare them for packing. They are kept in water and shade until packaged, and the current leaves are typically removed, as well as the length cut to best fit the packaging. Some items get little or no trimming before packaging, other items will be cut to resemble bare sticks. Once trimmed, they are bundled and wrapped with a moist media, then packed in plastic bags. We add a moisture absorbent to the bag to help keep the media moist, and also to reduce excess water from leaking out. Items may have sleeves, ties, tape, or additional packing materials added. The trick is to have the roots moist and secure, yet allow some air circulation around the stems. The boxes are vented to reduce heat build-up and allow some air-flow inside the box. All packages are tagged and marked, then kept in a cool place until picked up by the shipping carrier.
You can order a single seedling, or as many as you want. You will receive "good" and verified seedlings, plus general planting instructions. Your plants will be handled with the finest of care. We offer high-quality trees and plants, ready to grow for you, and we do so at a price that is affordable! They may look like sticks when they arrive, but each plant is examined before packaging.
Comments: On the order form, we have a box for Comments. Should you have a "preferred shipping date", a different ship-to address, a Gift request, or other information we should we know, then use the box. This helps us schedule our shipments and meet your needs. If the order is a Gift, that would be important to know. Otherwise they will be shipped as soon as possible to the address given. We do not take responsibility for errors made when you place your order. Incorrect address payment information may add delays or other complications. Fees may be charged for returned or re-directed packages.
Shipping and Weather: Many items can be shipped all year long, and others have limited shipping windows. The supply of some items may be limited, or an item becomes less successfully shipped, it may be pulled from the order forms without notice. You can order at any time, using any order form, and we will try to ship at the best time for your area, but we can not guarantee the timing. You know your area best in regards to frost and other seasonal limits, so let us know if possible. Please note - we do not cover weather-related problems. Every year, late snows or freezes create problems with plants received, and we do not take responsibility for that. If in doubt, tell us to ship it later. Better safe than sorry... Also, consider getting our Plant-Insurance!
We will Not cover weather-related losses, and we are not held responsible for weather-effects. Winter effects, drought, flooding, and other acts of God, are something we are unable to cover in our limited policy. Do you have Plant-Insurance? Those coverages are different.
We will ship your order the most efficient or practical means possible. The packaging may vary depending on the size of the order, but it will be packaged well. Please do not be alarmed when you open the box and find "sticks", dry-looking roots, leafless, or smashed-looking plants. Unless the plants are damaged in shipment, they should be alive. Most items will recover from the shipping with minor "transplant shock" within a few weeks. We do our best to assure live plants, and they are processed with special handling procedures, and inspected before actually being packaged. This assures that when they leave our care, they are in a good healthy condition. Once out of our control, we can Not guarantee the plants! We have a very high success rate, but should a problem arise, let us know immediately. Our concern is for the health of the plant, not a pretty store-bought appearance.
SEASONAL DELAYS We are swamped with orders and email from mid-winter to mid-spring, so delays in shipping will happen. Although we may give you an estimated ship date, and you may select a faster service, due to volume, we may not be able to get it sent on time. Please bear with us during the busy parts of the season. During the Spring, everyone wants their orders immediately, and that creates a bottleneck. We try to get the orders sent as quickly as possible, and they are handled in the order they are received. Contact with us will be slow at this time also, so do not expect a fast reply. Please be patient!
Customer Responsibilities: By placing your order, you have agreed to the policies and terms stated herein. For success with your order, please make sure your name, address, email address, payment information is correct, and any other information you provide is correct, current, and accurate. Once your order arrives, let us know of any problems or concerns immediately, so we can start any replacement or assistance procedures.
Once the Box Arrives: A good way to help your plants recover is to dip them in water once they arrive, and keep them in a cool and shaded area until you are ready for planting. If they are immediately planted, you can give them temporary shade by using a piece of cardboard attached to a stake (or other materials), to block the mid-day sun until you feel the plants are established. Water the plants, but be careful not to overwater them. "Moist to touch" is a good rule of thumb to follow. Also, make sure you add a thick mulch layer around them to add further benefits to the plants new surroundings. Even with the best of care, some trees or plants may not initially survive. And in that case, please let us know ASAP.
For commercial or wholesale orders, other sale-specific terms and conditions will apply.
As strange as that sounds, we do now offer a one-year replacement policy for the plants you order. An "almost" no questions asked coverage of your plants for one year replacement policy. The terms and conditions are different than those stated below, so learn more about Plant-Insurance by clicking the link at the page bottom.
The best way to reach us is to drop us an email. It is the most efficient means for us, but many people do ask, "Why can't we call in our order, or ask about its status?" We did have customer phone support in the past, and we may again in the future. Although phone support does help with the communication, it slows down the order-filling and other duties we have. Almost all questions and concerns are handled by email, using our contact-form, if not already answered from the various webpage information. Besides, having everything in writing reduces errors and misunderstandings.
Spring is our busiest time of the year, and if we answered the phone, we would never get anything else done. Our staff is limited, and the workload (during the spring in particular) is huge. In the past, too many order delays prompted us to drop the phone support (at least for now). We are not listed in the local phone directory under the nursery name, but we do sometimes call customers if its important. Spring time will delay your email inquiries also, but we will get to you as quickly as possible.
Delays are a fact of life in this industry, but we do our best to get the orders out as quickly as possible, so please have patience.
There are several ways to pay for your order. We gladly accept checks, money orders, cashiers check, Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal (send payment to: nursery@cdr3.com). We do not suggest sending cash. Sorry, no C.O.D.'s.
Once we receive your order and payment, we will process the order. Orders are checked by hand, and processed in the order they are received. Be assured that using your credit card is safe. We use several security systems to make sure your card number and All personal information remains in the strictest of confidence. That also applies to all forms of payment and information you provide to us. When sending credit card information, we need: the credit card number, the cardholders full name (including the middle name or initial), the expiration date on the card, and the three-digit security code on the back of the card. Yes, your credit card information is secure, especially when using our Secure Order Form. Errors in your card information or address, will cause delays, so double-check it before clicking the form send button. It is your responsibility to make sure All information given to us is true and correct.
Additional Charges: Late fees, monthly finance charges, returned check fees, additional credit card processing fees, shipping costs, and other fees may be incurred. If payments are not received in the agreed-to time, a late fee may be added. Should financing be offered, the rate is 1.5% per month (18% annual percentage rate). There will be a $30 Returned-Check charge. Credit card re-processing (due to customer errors) will be subject to fees. Added shipping costs for Air-delivery, large and long, or oversized boxes, may be added as stated above. All shipping costs and any additional fees are the customers responsibility, and not subject to refund.
Your payment is safe and secure! We have been in this business for over thirty years, and have rarely had a security problem.
You choose how to pay for your order. You can pay by: check, money order, cashiers check, PayPal (send payment to: nursery@cdr3.com), or credit card (visa or mastercard). We do not suggest sending cash. Sorry, no C.O.D.'s.
Place your order using the Secure Order Form, the non-secure order form pages, send it an e-mail note, or print out the form page and mail it in to us. We try to confirm on-line orders by e-mail, but seasonal delays will slow the confirmations. For mailed-in orders, we typically will not confirm them. For credit card orders, we suggest using the Secure Order Form. For all other types of payments, use the non-secure form or other form pages. It is your choice.
If you order by regular mail, you simply enclose payment at that time. You may choose to pay by credit card filling in the Order Form. For credit cards, we accept Visa and Mastercard.
If you are concerned about credit card safety, here are several ideas:
1) Use the Secure Order Form;
2) Use the regular order form to mail-in the order; or,
3) Send your credit card number and expiration date, in two or more e-mails.
We use a security handling system for all information you provide us. This security system is unfortunately necessary in today's world, but you can be assured that your privacy and
information will be kept safe and strictly confidential.
This also means that we will NOT sell or make available any information about you to anyone, at any time! We like our privacy, and we respect that right about you too!
We will not send you junk mail or SPAM. If you ever get a piece of spam with our email address (@cdr3.com) then please let us know.
We typically send out order confirmations, follow-up messages, and regular email replies. We may periodically send pricing information, special offers, and other information through regular mail.
We will try to provide you with planting instructions, but the planting is very easy, so there is no need to worry.
We invite your questions and comments, but most of them should already be answered. You can find more questions and answers in the FAQ's section, or drop us an email note.
We're adding items all of the time... things change, we run out of some items, add some, drop other. We try to keep our webpages updated, and updates will be made as needed all year long. We do make errors once in a while, but we are human! Also, if there is something you want that is not on our price list, do ask! We experiment with a wide range of plants, and many items never make it onto our list. Ask... we may have it, or be able to get it for you!
We thank you for your patience and understanding, and do let us know how you feel. We do want to hear from you!
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Last Update: 09/04/2007
Web Author: See the Catalog (http://www.cdr3.com/catalog)
Copyright ©2007 by 1997 by Empire National Nursery, LLC - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED