Geographic Address
Payment Methods
I accept the following payment methods, in order of preference:
- PayPal (bob_b@bsquared.demon.co.uk)
- UK Postal Order
- Personal Cheque - UK Bank in Pounds Sterling
- International Money Order - Encashment Fees apply, currently 18 US Dollars or
12 Euros
- Personal Check - US, Canadian, Australian or European Bank - Encashment Fees Apply, currently
18 US Dollars or 12 Euros
You will notice that some methods incur fees.
These must be borne by the buyer and payment will only be accepted where this is done,
in the case this rule is not followed the payment will be returned to the buyer
and an alternate method (PayPal) requested.
Please also note that the UK banking system is one of the most
restrictive/expensive when it comes to non-sterling payments and the charges
levied.
Postage and Packing Charges
Your goods will be packed in appropriate packaging. For seeds
this means a Jiffy Bag. UK customers should note that an empty Jiffy Bag
exceeds the 5mm letter width and has to be sent via Large Letter. Overseas
customers note that these are airmail approved and that baggage compartments on
modern Airliners are pressurised and heated - so no complaints about 'frozen
seeds' will be entertained (as I have had in the past).
I only charge the exact cost I need to for packaging, no profit
whatsoever is made here. For multiple packs no extra charge is made, even
where it costs me more to send than the amount charged for postage. I may
offer postal tracking as an option on smaller orders. On larger orders it
may be added as a required item. If declined, then please do not ask for
tracking numbers etc as none will be available.
Dispatch
Dispatch will be by the stated method and is charged at cost. I
now use SmartStamp™ which enables very rapid
generation of postage labels. I endeavour to dispatch all orders within 24 hours
of payment, although in the Spring this may not always be possible due to the
high volume of orders.
The method of carriage is as shown below:
-
For the United Kingdom this will be by Royal Mail 1st class post
- unless the buyer has requested 2nd class.
-
For international orders the delivery method will be Royal Mail
Airmail. The estimated times for this service are 3 to 5 working days
for Europe and 5 to 7 working days for Rest of the World.
-
For larger orders 'Signed For' services will be added at cost.
For the UK this generally means orders over 10.00 GBP, for international
orders the trigger is 15.00 GBP (except for the countries noted in the
section about unexplained losses). This is for every ones piece of
mind and is compliant with PayPal/eBay rules over tracking of orders.
Goods should be considered lost in the post after the following
periods (please note these are working days ie Mon - Fri):
-
UK - 15 working days - Royal Mail Rules - Sorry
-
EU - 21 working days
-
USA/Canada/Australia/New Zealand - 28 Working Days
-
Everywhere else - 35 working days
I will not entertain claims within these minimum periods as I cannot
claim from Royal Mail until the stated periods have past. At this point
you will be given 2 options. A full refund or a 2nd dispatch. This
is a one off deal, if the 2nd dispatch does not arrive, there can be no 3rd or
subsequent claim as something is clearly going wrong (Customs? Postal Service?
Wrong Address?...). In the event of a postal loss, you may be asked for
information to assist with any claim made with Royal Mail to assist with their
investigation.
Surface mail to any international location can take up to 8 weeks,
therefore these goods will only be considered lost after 12 weeks. As this
is outside of all claim/refund periods used by eBay - buyers should be aware of
this policy when requesting goods be delivered by Surface Mail.
Packets received but goods confiscated by customs
This happens sometimes and, where I will endeavour to replace such
items, this is entirely beyond my control. Agencies like the USDA and AQIS
are literally laws unto themselves and they do not seem to have any pattern or
logic to the manner in which they confiscate and destroy imported goods.
Lists of prohibited items change continuously and as such I cannot be expected
to keep up with all of the rules. It is therefore down to you, the buyer,
to know the rules for your country. If in doubt either don't buy or accept
the risk of confiscation. To give you some idea of the issues here I noted
the following for the year January 2008 to January 2009:
-
USA - 350 consignments - 4 confiscations - all successfully
replaced (to the best of my knowledge)
-
Canada - 45 consignments - 0 report confiscations
-
Australia - 32 consignments - 2 reported confiscations
-
Rest of World (except EU) - 120 consignments 4 reported
confiscations
Whilst it is unfortunate for those affected it is a small problem and
in the same period I had 32 items claimed as being lost in the post to
international destinations. It is therefore more likely that the postal
services will lose your package than it is for Customs to intercept it.
The bottom line is I will do everything I can to ensure that your
goods arrive, but I cannot cover every eventuality.
The following countries are proving to be particularly problematic in
respect of unexplained postal losses:
-
Brazil - I now cannot send to Brazil due to the number of
claims for non-receipt which is approaching 100% - Eu já não enviarei a Brasil - nenhumas exceções
-
Chile - Customers from Chile must use a signed for service -
orders are only accepted from Chile on this basis - again this is due to
losses in the postal system.
-
Italy - All orders over 5 GBP in value must use signed for
services - no exceptions - again this is due to losses in the postal system
-
Switzerland - Buyers from Switzerland should be aware that
unexplained losses have occurred.
Buyers in these locations should consider this when ordering.
Warranty of Seeds and Plants.
- I guarantee that the seeds I sell are fresh, from the latest available harvest. I will always test germinate batches and, where germinations rates are lower than normal, I will indicate this within the item description.
- I guarantee that the plants provided are free from disease and pests when they are dispatched and that all cuttings have been taken in the optimum fashion.
Notwithstanding these guarantees, the cultivation of seeds and plants is subject to many factors including, but not limited to:
Time of year, light, warmth, water, soil, feeding, hygiene, proper observation of routines given for cultivation or the breaking of dormancy and the skill of the
individual grower.
As such, these factors are completely outside of my control and I will not be held responsible for cultivation failures where these cannot be attributed to the breach of the two guarantees given above.
In this I am no different from any of the large seed companies, who I now note
have withdrawn their unconditional guarantees.
Returns
My goods fall into 2 categories in the terms
of the Distance Selling Regulations - Perishable and Non-Perishable.
Regardless of the category I require all goods not required to be returned at
the buyers expense. Notwithstanding this, I will process the refund
separately as required by the DSR's. These terms only apply to domestic
customers in the United Kingdom. For all other locations only the terms of
eBay's Significantly Not As Described process applies.
The category will be clearly defined within
the official returns section and the broad policy will be stated. The
purpose of this section is to explain exactly how I will deal with returns in
order to give you added confidence.
Non-perishable goods will be subject to a no
quibble refund policy. Seeds will be sent to you in clear Ziploc bags
which will enable you to see exactly what you have got. Unless you intend
to keep the seeds, you must not remove the seal and open the bag.
Although I will still process the refund, if the tamper seals are removed I will
claim against the buyer as if the seeds had not been paid for (non-paying bidder
etc). This is because when I seal the packs, I do so in a 'clean'
environment and by opening the packs you may well have unwittingly introduced
pathogens etc.
Perishable goods are exempt from the
Distance Selling Regulations right to cancel and will only be refunded where
they are significantly not as described. In this case a full refund or a
replacement will be offered (buyers choice). Should you wish to make a
claim here, please provide full details of the problem.
Where a mixture of perishable and
non-perishable goods are involved, separate policies will apply to each
category. In this case postage/packing will be refunded pro-rata for the
non-perishable items when these are being returned under the no fault policy.
Feedback
Feedback will be given on the receipt of an accepted payment method.
Please try to resolve all problems by contacting me first, before leaving adverse feedback. My contract with you is to provide you with fresh seeds and/or healthy plants/cuttings. If I have
succeeded in this aim please feedback appropriately. I have had adverse feedback in the past which has been left right on the
60 day limit where seeds have not germinated - this is clearly unfair as I make no warranty with respect to the seeds once they have left my
possession. I will assume that negative feedback is the end of my contract
with you - no further negotiation will be entered into at that point.
Non Payment
Please only buy or bid if you are serious about paying. I will follow
up non-payment to the limit allowed for by eBay and this includes issuing non
payment strikes. If you forget to pay, you will get at least two reminders
before I start the process. If you feel I have issued you a strike
unfairly, then contact me so we may resolve this. I am always prepared to
negotiate, but it should be on a mutual 'give and take' basis. If you want
your strike removed, then you should be prepared to pay for the items at that
point - I can always issue a PayPal invoice. | 
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