Terms of Service: Payment, Costs, Shipping, Guarantee & Returns Information
Plant Costs and & When Do I Pay?
Payment is due at the time you place your order.
Our customers pay for their plants at the time they are ordered in order to reserve their shipping windows. We will send an invoice and you call with payment info. Without pre-payment, substitutions will be made with similar varieties if your first choices are sold out. Shipping windows are first-come, first-served and must be reserved by payment in advance.
Our organically grown seedling prices begin at $7.95
each.Prices are noted on the 'available varieties' page next to their names. Some of our plants are grown from extremely rare or very expensive seeds, or are challenging to grow from seed, and are higher priced.
Minimum order for shipping is 4 plants.Where's the Shopping Cart?
We do not use an online shopping cart due inventory control and variable plant size, thus variable shipping weights and shipping costs so each order is calculated individually.
Substitute Plants
IMPORTANT NOTE: Occasionally we will need to substitute a similar plant variety if your first choice is not available. If you don't specify alternate choices Laurel will personally substitute a very similar wonderful variety which will do well in your area. If you do not give us your list of alternates or do not want Laurel to choose a to substitute, we cannot take the order.
Make a list of the plants and garden products in which you are interested, then call or send an email listing them, along with any questions you have. During October through mid-March, we will respond within 72 hours with your cost and payment options.
We gladly accept PayPal,Visa, MasterCard and Discover, American Express and E-checks. (We do not accept paper checks.)
Minimum credit card or PayPal order is 4 plants.
To Order With Credit Card or Debit CardTelephone: 310 534-8611
We accept VISA, MasterCard, American Express & Discover
To pay by credit card or debit card, call or FAX your order with this information:
If by FAX: Your name, address, telephone number, email address, credit card info, exp date, and CV2 code to FAX #310 494 0518.
EMAIL: Your name, address, telephone number, email address. We will send an invoice and you call or FAX with payment info.
During April and May, emails get backed up for several days so it's much faster to call in your information during those 2 months.
We are in Los Angeles, hours are Pacific Time (PDT).Telephone: 310 534-8611
When it's 9:00 in New York, it's still 6:00 a.m. in Los Angeles, etc.
HOURS:
Monday---- 9:00 to 5:00
Tuesday---- 9:00 to 5:00
Wednesday- 9:00 to 5:00
Thursday--- 9:00 to 5:00
Friday ----- 9:00 to 5:00
Saturday--- 9:00 to 1:00
Telephone: 310 534-8611
FAX 310 494 0518IMPORTANT: If you are ordering or inquiring by email, please, oh please, include your name, address, zip code, and most important, your telephone number. Without this information, we cannot take your order.
Server conflicts, spam catchers and firewalls occasionally block email access, making it difficult or impossible to respond to your email.If you have not heard from us within 4 business days, it may mean we could not reach you by email, so please call us to check.310 534 8611Shipping Charges and Packaging Technique
We will advise you of your estimated shipping cost when you place your order, but here is some basic information:
Fertilizers and other non-perishable products are normally shipped via the least expensive method.
We ship via Priority Mail, 2 to 5 days or EXPRESS mail 1 or 2 days (48 to 64 hours), customer's choice.
Please be sure have a delivery address where someone can receive your plants Monday through Saturday. If you use a business address and are closed on Saturday, you must let us know this when you place your order.
IMPORTANT: IF WE ARE SHIPPING EXPRESS:
EXPRESS MAIL PARCELS NEED TO BE SIGNED FOR. PLEASE FOLLOW YOUR TRACKING INFORMATION CAREFULLY!
IT WILL TELL YOU WHEN YOUR PLANTS ARE ARRIVING.
WE ATTACH 2 LARGE NEON GREEN LABELS STATING 'NO SIGNATURE REQUIRED' BUT SOMETIMES A CARRIER WILL INSIST ON A SIGNATURE.
If no one is there to sign, the plants go back to the PO for you to pick up. :(
We do not ship UPS or FedEx
Shipping to P.O. Boxes is fine; be sure your post office knows you are expecting a package so they notify you if it arrives early. It is solely the customer's responsibility to know your post office hours and delivery schedule.
We cannot and will not be responsible for Post Office Box pick-ups. You will get an email the moment your plants leave our nursery and you will be responsible for retrieving them at your Post Office. If our records show the plants were delivered at your post office we will not send replacements if you cannot find them at your Post Office.
We ship in containers specially designed by Laurel to protect uyour plants from in-transit roughness.
Our No Shift-No Crush PLANTSAFE© Custom Packaging costs are $2.85 per plant which is in addition to plant cost.
(Please see below for packaging and handling cost details.)
We do not conceal shipping costs in the price of your plants as many companies do because our customers are adults and expect to know the actual costs, so all shipping fees are actual Post Office charges.
The packaging costs reflect our cost of boxes and other packaging materials which ensure safe arrival of your plants.
Actual shipping cost may run anywhere from $15 or morer than our estimate according to actual package weight and dimensions on shipping day. Your credit card will be charged or credited accordingly on shipping day. You will receive a receipt for the charge at that time.
We do not ship to Canada.
Yes, we ship to Hawaii, Alaska & Puerto Rico but only via Overnight Express.
Plants are from 10" to 20" tall and ship in large heavyweight corrugated shipping cartons-- these cartons cost us from $1.00 to $3.50 apiece, wholesale.
Plants weigh 1 to 1½ pounds each; some are heavier.
Each plant is carefully enclosed in its own individual custom designed No Shift-No Crush PLANTSAFE© packaging designed to get your plants to you safely.
These containers are heavy, very sturdy and add weight to your package. A carton of 12 plants will weigh 13 to 16 lbs.
Our No-Shift© custom packaging costs are $2.85 per plant in addition to plant cost.
Calculating Your Cost For EXPRESS Shipping, 1 to 3 days From Los Angeles:
Average cost per 10 plants including the plant, packaging/handling and shipping to the East Coast and Southern states - about $250.00 Grand Total
Average cost per 10 plants including the plant, packaging/handling and shipping to the Mid West states - about $240.00 Grand Total.
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Average cost per 10 plants including the plant, packaging/handling and shipping: to the Western states - about $230.00 Grand Total.
Some plants cost more and will increase your total $2 to $3.
Calculating Your Cost For PRIORITY MAIL Shipping, at least 3 to 5 days From Los Angeles:
Average cost per 10 plants including the plant, packaging/handling and shipping to the East Coast and Southern states - about $180.00 Grand Total.
Average cost per 10 plants including the plant, packaging/handling and shipping to the Mid West states - about $160.00 Grand Total
Average cost per 10 plants including the plant, packaging/handling and shipping: to the Western states - about $150.00 Grand Total
Some plants cost more and will increase your total by a $2 to $3.
Why we don't ship UPS or FEDEX
We ship via Post Office Priority Mail or Express.
UPS and FEDEX have a 12" ( square footage) shipping policy, so parcels shipping UPS OR FEDEX that are larger than 12" x 12" x 12" -- as most of our packages are -- cost at least $100.00 more than the Post Office to ship in a timely method.
We try our best to keep your shipping cost as low as possible.
We cannot know, at the time you order, how tall your plants will be when they ship.
If your plants are taller than 12" or 15"they require a taller box and it costs us more to ship.
16" to 18" or even 20" plants cost more to ship and we will charge you for any additional actual shipping cost we have to pay the post office.
For more information about shipping cost, please ask Laurel, 310 534 8611
And our legal department insists we include the following Terms of Service:
Rush Orders
Need it right away? Our customers begin ordering in mid August for their spring plants and by March 20th our shipping slots are starting to fill for April, and May -- first come, first served.
Rush orders are available by telephone only. For the fees listed below, we will stop the line for you and arrange to have your order shipped during our current shipping week.
To get your order bumped up into an exact week, we schedule overtime hours for our packaging personnel. The fee for this service is:
Rush Orders/Expedited shipping:
$35.00 per order of 1 to 5 plants
$45.00 for 6 to 10 plants
$55.00 for 11 to 20 plants.
$65.00 for 20 to 30 plants.
More than 30 plants is $2.50 per plant.
SUPER EXPEDITED SHIPPING:Exact day shipping fee for any number of plants is $80.00 plus $2.00 per plant.
Please do not ask us to ship earlier than your chosen shipping period unless you are willing to pay this expedite fee. We will not.
Delivery Schedule and Saturday Delivery Concerns
Delivery on an exact date cannot be and will not be guaranteed without rush order fees. See chapter above.
IMPORTANT: We must have a delivery address where someone can receive your plants from Monday through Saturday. If you cannot receive your plants on a Saturday please let us know. If you are not home when your package arrives we will not be responsible if the plants sit too long and do not survive. You may choose to be sure you plants do not arrive on a Saturday for a small service fee.
We schedule your shipping for the 15 day window of your choice. Please order early to reserve your shipping time. Plants will be shipped during that time frame to arrive 1 to 3 days later depending on distance. Shipping windows for April, May and June fill up quickly.
IMPORTANT Shipping to P.O. Boxes is available, please be sure your post office knows you are expecting a package so they notify you if it arrives early. It is solely the customer's responsibility to know your post office hours and delivery schedule. We will not be responsible for Post Office Box pick-up problems.
Did You Move?
IF YOU HAVE MOVED between ordering and shipping and have not spoken on the phone directly with Laurel we will not have your new address. DO NOT EMAIL YOUR NEW ADDRESS as emails can get lost. You must call and get a confirmation that your new address is on file. If you do not call to confirm, and we ship to an old address we have on file, we cannot and will not be held responsible for the shipment.
Going On Vacation?
If you are going on vacation during your shipping period, please call us in time to let us know; we will try our best to delay shipping so your order will arrive when you are back home. Fees may apply.
How To Know When Your Plants Are On the Way
We notify you automatically by email when they have left the nursery and are on their way to your door. Be sure we have your correct email address.
Need Your Package Left at Your Door?
If you would like your package left at your door, just let us know when you place the order. We will note on your package: DEAR CARRIER, PLEASE LEAVE ON SIDE PORCH BY THE OAK TREE or a similar message of your choice. No extra charge but be sure the deliver area is secure!
If Post Office or GLS tracking shows that the plants were delivered to your shipping address, we will not be responsible if you cannot find the package and will not issue a refund. Be sure your parcels are protected. It is solely your responsibility to have a safe and secure place for your plant delivery.
Picking Up Your Plants
We have plants for sale here on most Sundays during March, April, May and June.
Hours and days will be announced at the website. All are welcome for those events. Call for info: 310 534 8611
Plants may be pre-ordered by telephone and are available for pick-up on Fridays & Saturdays and Sundays at our main nursery in Southern California south of Los Angeles, ¼ block from the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Western Avenue in Lomita.
No drop-ins except on Sundays when we have open-house sales from mid March through mid June.
Your will-call order must be placed by phone at least 4 days in advance and will be ready for pick-up when you arrive. We do not have a store or 'shopping' type nursery, no walk-ins.
Please call to make your appointment, 310 534-8611. Phone hours are Monday - Saturday 9 to 5. Please ask for Laurel.
Packaging and Handling Costs
Our custom-designed No-Shift© containers ensure the safe arrival of your plants.
Laurel designed our packaging system to be extremely careful, elaborate, strong and crush-proof to protect your plants.
Each plant comes in its own 4" deep pot, carefully wrapped and padded for maximum safety and airflow, enclosed in its own very sturdy individual No-Shift© container to keep it from shifting or moving in any way during its journey from Los Angeles to your door. These custom designed containers are carefully arranged and protected in a heavyweight carton, surrounded by cushioning material, picked up and shipped immediately by EXPRESS MAIL or GLS to assure your plants arrive in perfect condition within 1 to 3 days.
The US Post Office is mandated to move one package or more per second so ALL packages get tossed around. Unless a forklift plunges directly through the parcel, if the outside carton is tumbled or dropped many times during its journey via any carrier, your plants should be held still and steady at all in our custom designed No-Shift© packaging.
For outlying areas, you can expect a possible 3 day delivery time. Please notify your rural carrier that a perishable shipment is expected.
Packaging for our technique is costly, $2.20 per plant for each custom cut plant container. This is in addition to plant cost and shipping costs detailed above.
Confirm Your Shipping Address!
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT: You must confirm your shipping address!
Shortly after you place your order, make your payment and get your shipping period reserved, you will get a copy by email of your receipt with your address and all pertinent information along with a cover letter asking you to be sure your address is accurate.
PLEASE INCLUDES GATE CODES
You may have moved since last season -- let us know!
It is solely your responsibility to carefully read the email we send. We will explain this when you place your order by telephone by saying we are emailing a copy of your order, to please be sure all information is accurate, if not please call right away to let us know.
If you have not carefully read the email cover letter attached to your emailed order and have not noticed an error in your address and informed us via high-importance email and by telephone, we cannot and will not be responsible for incorrect name or delivery address. If the plants are returned to us undeliverable because of an incorrect address, it is your responsibility to pay for the order again if you wish it reshipped.
If you have not received a copy of your order within 5 days of ordering, please us call right away. This means we may not have your correct email address. 310 534 8611.
We must have a delivery address where someone can receive your plants Monday through Saturday from the post office carrier. Your plants will not normally arrive with your daily mail, but in a separate delivery by mail truck. If you cannot receive plants on Saturday, let us know!
If you have called and spoken to Laurel or AJ to correct an error in your shipping address, and we make a mistake and mis-address your package, your entire order will be re-shipped ASAP at no cost to you whatsoever.
If the address you supply is incorrect or you have moved or in any other way changed your shipping address or put a hold on your mail and not informed us by telephone and gotten a confirmation number within 5 days before your shipping window begins or during your 10 day shipping window, we will not be held responsible for mis-delivery or non-delivery and will not send replacements.
Under no circumstance whatsoever will we be liable for any cost outside of the actual plant cost, shipping and handling.
Privacy Policy
We never share any of your personal information with anyone, ever.
Substitute Varieties
Sometimes we must substitute a similar plant variety if your first choice is too small to ship.
You must list some alternates for us to choose from.
If you do not list alternate choices, Laurel will personally choose a very similar and delicious variety which will do well in your climate.
If you choose back-order, there will be additional shipping cost and service fee of $30.00 per order.
If you do not choose a few alternates or do not request hold-for-growth-back-order, we cannot take your order.
Wish List Orders
If you order after May 1st, your order is likely to be designated a Wish List which means your first choices may not be available and Laurel will choose similar varieties for you. No exceptions.
Pre-Payment Policy
All plants and shipping must be paid for when you place your order to have them reserved in your name and tended by our nursery specialists.
Order Cancellation
Cancellations must be by direct telephone contact with Laurel -- not by text, voicemail or email.(310) 534-8611 from 9 to 5 Mon - Sat. Pacific Time.
Cancellation of live plant orders and products must be made within 72 hours of ordering. Within 72 hrs. of ordering, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel for any reason after 72 hrs. (except during shipping time as noted below) you will receive the shipping cost refund and a refund for the plant and products less restocking fee of 45% and credit card processing fees.Cancellation must be by direct telephone contact with Laurel -- not by voicemail, text or email.
(310) 534-8611 from 9 to 5 Mon - Sat, Pacific Time.You may also choose store credit or a gift card.
PLEASE NOTE: We do not issue refunds at anytime during the 15 days ahead of or during your 15 day shipping period, or at any time for plants placed on cold-hold and held specifically for you until weather permits safe shipping.
You may choose store credit or a gift card instead. No exceptions.
If you cannot get through on the telephone, you may send an email with a time stamp and your direct phone number where you can be reached easily.
You may choose store credit or a gift card instead. No exceptions.
Cancellation must be by direct telephone contact with Laurel -- not by text, voicemail or email.(310) 534-8611 from 9 to 5 Mon - Sat Pacific Time.
Orders are pulled and transferred to our Pre-Packaging Station 10 to 20 days before your shipping time.
There they are prepped for shipping: watered, fed, groomed and notated with their destination and any special handling needs.
Garden products are taken out of stock and packaged just for you.We also do a Weather Check for each order's destination to be sure they do not encounter freezing temperatures in transit.
Our plant varieties are in great demand; many are quite rare and some are of very limited availability.
Your plants are selected from only the finest stock, taken out of inventory in your name when you place your order and custom shipping folders are then ordered for your plants from our supplier.
Cancellation of live plant orders and products must be made within 72 hours of ordering.
If you cancel after 72 hrs., except during shipping time as noted below, you will receive a refund less restocking fee of 45% of purchase price and packaging materials.PLEASE NOTE:We do not issue refunds at anytime during the 15 days ahead of, or during, your 15 day shipping period or for plants placed on cold-hold and held for you until weather permits shipping.
You may choose store credit or a gift card instead. No exceptions.
Custom/Special orders are not refundable at anytime for any reason.
Plants refused at point of delivery will not be refunded for any reason.
Will-Call orders can be canceled or changed within 72 hours of ordering . Reducing a will call order within 3 days of, or during pick up incurs a restock fee of $3.00 per plant.
Our Guarantee
We guarantee your plants will arrive in good condition.
Currently this means we are using EXPRESS SHIPPING, GUARANTEED 1-2 DAYS in transit during the current pandemic slowdowns.
If you do not want EXPRESS SHIPPING we will ship at the lower cost of PRIORITY MAIL requiring a disclaimer and no guarantee of live plants.
We ship GLS 1-2 day to CA, AZ, NV, OR, WA, ID., UT and parts of NM.
We do not ship FED EX or UPS.
IMPORTANT: Because of the many variables in climates, biological conditions, garden condition, individual soil conditions, conditions in your unpacking area when you receive the plants, your handling, weather and plant care methods; we cannot and will not for any reason be held responsible for their condition after they are in your care for 24 hours or more unless you notify us per information below:
Plant Arrives Damaged?
If a plant arrives damaged for any reason except natural disaster, pandemic crisis, act of war or a hold placed on your mail, we must be notified both by email (tomatoplants@pacbell.net) and by telephone (310 534 8611 within 24 hours) of delivery time per post office records in order to send a free replacement or refund.
If you receive a damaged plant and decide to plant it anyway, you must let us know by email (tomatoplants@pacbell.net) within 24 hours of delivery that you have decided to do this, and send us photographs of the plants. We ask that you give the plant 7 days to begin to recover; we will be happy to advise you about the best way to help them thrive.
Because we grow organically and do not use harsh insecticides, occasionally there may be a few aphids on your plants. No organic nursery can guarantee bug-free plants. We inspect each plant before shipping and give it a spray of neem or other natural and organic spray to control bugs but nothing can control all insects on live plants; that's Nature. Insects are easily controlled with neem oil or another good organic insecticide or just by a sharp spray of good dunk of water.
Check your plants when they arrive and if necessary, spray for insects before planting out. Another easy and very effective way to control insects is to simply hold the plant --in its pot-- upside down, keep your hand over the soil, dunk the foliage in clear water and swish it around for 5-10 seconds or so to rinse off the foliage in running water. This natural method will eliminate them.
Lost or Missing Plants
If Post Office, UPS or GLS tracking shows that the plants were delivered to your shipping address, we will not be responsible if you cannot find the package, thus we will not issue a refund.
Be sure your parcels are protected! It is solely your responsibility to have a safe and secure place for your plant delivery. Parcels can be stolen or damaged by weather, pets or careless handling by residents or neighbors; please be aware of the safest place for them to be left and notify your carrier of that safe place.
If we have your address correctly printed on the shipping label and your plants are mis-directed by the carrier and get lost, we will send you free plants ASAP; you pay shipping. No exceptions. This way we share the pain.
Refunds for damaged plants
Please call us within 24 hours of receiving damaged plants. You will be asked to send photographs immediately of damaged plants and prepare them for return.
Refunds or Credits are only issued for plants or products that have been returned to Laurel's Heirloom Tomato Plants. Return the product only after receiving a return materials authorization number (RMA) by email or by phone or US mail letter to your shipping address from Laurel's Heirloom Tomato Plants.
We do not accept unauthorized returns of plants for any reason and will not issue refunds without your return materials authorization (RMA).
We require that you return the plant(s)in their original shipping container and at the regular ground-shipping rates of USPS, FEDEX, GLS or UPS. We understand they will not be in their original condition.
If necessary place the original box inside another box to ship back.
When the plants are returned to us, and we determine our mistake caused the damage, you will receive a refund of your purchase price. We do not cover return shipping.
After the return of your order to us in the original shipping package, we will inspect the product and determine if it was damaged or defective before it was shipped to you, or if it was damaged by the carrier, and will gladly give you credit for return shipping cost on your next order with Laurel's Heirloom Tomato Plants. We do not pay for return shipping but are happy to offer a credit for your next order.
If you are not at the delivery address to receive your plants when they arrive or have put a hold or forward on your mail, we will not be held responsible if your plants are damaged or delayed.
If you choose to get replacement plants rather than a refund, we will send replacement plants if we have them. The shipping and packaging costs will be the responsibility of the customer. No exceptions. If plants are not available we will give you credit for plants -- not shipping-- next season.
If for any reason we have a crop failure and cannot ship some of your plants during the current season, we offer full credit for your plants the following season plus a bonus of a free plant next season. If you would prefer a refund instead of a free plant, please allow 30 days from the date you notify us for your refund to be processed.
IMPORTANT: Because of the many variables in individual soil conditions, climates, biological conditions, weather and plant care methods; if your seedlings are healthy when they arrive or when you pick them up, we cannot and will not for any reason be held responsible for their condition after they are in your care and will not send free replacements unless the plant arrives damaged and you notify us within 24 hours of delivery, (according to shipper tracking records), send photographs and return the plants A refund will be made accordingly when the plants are returned.
Please allow 30 business days for any refund to be processed.
Consultations
During business hours we are always available for telephone or email consultations for customers who have placed orders or who are calling to place an order. After-hours consultations, after 5 PM Los Pacific Time for urgent care are available, a fee may apply at our discretion. 310 534 8611
All customers are entitled to a free 10 minute consultation when placing their orders. After that, a fee may apply for extended consultations.
For consultations without placing an order, the fee is $120.00 for any part of one hour.
If you call or email in need of consultation but not to place order, Laurel will be happy to advise for you. We will begin the consultation with your credit card number and bill you for $120.00 at the beginning of the consultation.
Growing Tips
Please refer to the detailed planting tips and information at this website or the booklet included with your order, and feel free to call or email if you have any questions about planting or cultivation.
Our ultimate goal is that you are happy and successful with your plants and have a bountiful harvest. We are more than happy to help you as much you need. For extended consultations ask for Laurel. 310 534-8611
Copyright 2001 - 2021 No portion whatsoever of this website may be copied without express written permission of Laurel Garza.
**Note: It is the sole responsibility of the customer to be sure the agriculture regulations of your state allow you to receive live plants from California. If you have a concern, contact your state's Department of Agriculture; phone numbers are available online. At this time, September 2020, we are unaware of any restrictions on vegetable plants to any states.
Under no circumstance whatsoever will we be responsible for any cost outside of the actual plant cost, shipping and handling.