Refund policy

Return and Refund Policy

1. Definitions

Seed Products: Items consisting of seeds sold by Alliance of Native Seedkeepers.

Non-Seed Products: All other products sold by Alliance of Native Seedkeepers, including but not limited to tools, accessories, and merchandise.

Order Placed: The date and time your order is successfully submitted.

Return Authorization (RA) Number: A unique identifier issued by our customer service team when a return is authorized.

Business Days: Monday through Friday, excluding weekends and public holidays.

2. Contacting Customer Service

Before initiating a return, refund, replacement, cancellation, warranty claim, or delivery claim, please contact our customer service team for guidance and authorization. Failure to do so may result in delays, denial of the claim, or refusal of the return.

Mailing Address:
Alliance of Native Seedkeepers
124 S Main St
Colerain, NC 27924

Contact Form: Click Here

We will make a good-faith effort to work with customers toward a fair resolution within the terms of this policy, our Shipping Policy, and our Terms of Service.

3. Claims Subject to Verification and Policy Compliance

All refund, replacement, return, store credit, warranty, germination, damage, delivery, and missing-item claims are subject to review, verification, and compliance with this policy, our Shipping Policy, and our Terms of Service.

We reserve the right to deny, limit, or condition any claim that we believe is:

Fraudulent
Abusive or made in bad faith
Untimely
Unsupported by reasonable information or evidence
Inconsistent with our posted policies
Connected to forwarding or reshipping activity
Connected to customs, agricultural, or regulatory enforcement
Otherwise prohibited by law or policy

We may request photographs, planting details, order information, shipping information, carrier documentation, or other supporting information before approving any claim.

4. Processing Time

Seed Products:
Refunds, credits, replacements, or other approved remedies for seed products may take up to 30 days to process after any required review is completed and, where applicable, after returned items are received and inspected.

Non-Seed Products:
Refunds, credits, replacements, or other approved remedies for non-seed products may take up to 30 days to process after the returned item is received and inspected.

5. Inspection Process

Once we receive a returned item, if a physical return is required, it will go through the following steps:

Receiving and Logging:
The return is logged into our system and assigned a case number.

Visual Inspection:
The item is examined for visible damage, use, alteration, missing parts, or wear.

Functionality Check (Non-Seed Products):
Non-seed products may be tested to verify whether they function as intended.

Condition Assessment:
We determine whether the item meets the eligibility requirements for refund, replacement, repair, or store credit under this policy.

Decision and Communication:
We will determine whether the claim qualifies under this policy and notify you of the outcome.

Photographic evidence may be requested for damaged, defective, incorrect, missing, or mispacked items, including seed packet issues.

6. Customer’s Initial Inspection

Upon receiving your order, please open and inspect your package as soon as possible for:

Damage in transit
Incorrect items
Missing items
Packaging defects
Other obvious issues

If you encounter a problem, notify us promptly so we can review the issue and determine the appropriate next steps.

7. Lost, Stolen, Delayed, or Misdelivered Packages

Delivery Confirmation:
If a package is marked as Delivered by the shipping carrier, responsibility for the package generally transfers to the customer, subject to applicable law and our posted policies.

Liability:
Alliance of Native Seedkeepers is not liable for packages that are lost, stolen, or misdelivered after the carrier confirms delivery to the address provided at checkout, except where required by law or caused by our error.

Recommended Steps Before Contacting Us:
Before contacting us regarding a delivered package you cannot locate, please:

Check with household members and neighbors
Look around porches, side doors, mailboxes, and other common delivery locations
Contact your local post office, as USPS may be able to review GPS data from the final delivery scan

If the Package Still Cannot Be Located:
If, after completing the steps above and waiting up to 48 hours from the delivery scan, the package still cannot be located, contact us so we can document the issue and, where appropriate, assist with a USPS Missing Mail Search or provide further guidance.

Case-by-Case Courtesy Consideration:
While we cannot guarantee replacement, reimbursement, or store credit for packages marked Delivered, we understand that genuine delivery issues can occur. For first-time incidents or lower-value orders, we may offer a one-time courtesy reshipment, replacement, or store credit at our discretion after the recommended steps have been followed.

Reporting Requirements (Delivery Issues):
Claims regarding delivery issues must be reported within:

14 days of the package being marked Delivered, or
30 days from the ship date,

whichever comes first.

This timing helps ensure that carrier information remains available and that claims can be reasonably reviewed.

8. No Refunds or Replacements for Certain Shipping and Compliance Issues

Except where required by law or caused solely by our error, refunds, credits, replacements, and reshipments will not be issued for:

Packages sent to an incorrect, incomplete, outdated, or undeliverable address provided by the customer
Packages refused, unclaimed, abandoned, or not returned to us by the carrier
Packages affected by freight forwarding, reshipping, export circumvention, or the use of intermediary delivery services
Packages delayed, intercepted, seized, confiscated, refused, destroyed, returned, or otherwise affected because of customs action, agricultural inspection, destination restrictions, regulatory enforcement, or missing permits or documentation
Packages reported outside the required reporting window
Claims that are fraudulent, abusive, unsupported, or made in bad faith

Original shipping charges are non-refundable except where required by law or where the issue was caused solely by our error.

9. Germination Guarantee

We warrant that, when properly stored, handled, planted, and cared for, our seeds will:

Germinate at reasonable rates for one (1) year from the date of purchase, and
Grow true to type based on the variety purchased

Because many factors affecting seed performance are beyond our control, this guarantee does not cover issues caused by conditions such as:

Temperature
Light
Watering practices
Soil type or soil fertility
Weather
Pests, disease, or animal interference
Improper storage after delivery
Improper planting or care
Gardener experience or local growing conditions

If you experience poor germination and believe you followed reasonable planting practices, please contact us with relevant details and, when possible, photographs.

Approved remedies under this guarantee may include replacement seeds, store credit, or refund of the purchase price of the affected product, at our discretion and subject to this policy.

This guarantee does not cover crop loss, yield expectations, business loss, labor, or other indirect or consequential losses.

10. State, Local, and Destination Restrictions

Customers are solely responsible for understanding, verifying, and complying with any local, state, federal, tribal, provincial, national, customs, agricultural, quarantine, import, or export laws and restrictions that apply to the purchase, possession, receipt, planting, forwarding, resale, or transport of seeds and related products.

We are not responsible for orders delayed, seized, confiscated, refused, returned, destroyed, restricted, or otherwise affected due to destination-specific laws, regulations, permit requirements, or enforcement action.

11. Limited Warranty

Seeds:
We warrant that seed products will germinate at reasonable rates for one (1) year from the date of purchase and grow true to type when properly stored, handled, and planted.

Non-Seed Products:
We warrant that non-seed products are free from defects in materials and workmanship for 30 days from the ship date.

Exclusions:
This Limited Warranty does not cover:

Damage or loss caused by incorrect planting, misuse, negligence, or neglect
Environmental conditions such as weather, drought, flooding, frost, or similar events
Damage caused by people, pets, pests, wildlife, or disease
Issues caused by improper storage after delivery
Normal wear and tear
Cosmetic issues that do not affect function
Issues arising from use contrary to instructions or ordinary purpose

Duration:

Seeds: 1 year from purchase date
Non-seed products: 30 days from ship date

Coverage:
This warranty applies only to the original purchaser and is not transferable.

Service Procedure:
If you believe a product does not meet this warranty, please contact us at:

Email: HERE
Mail:
Warranty – Alliance of Native Seedkeepers
124 S Main St
Colerain, NC 27924

We may request that you:

Return the product, and/or
Provide photographic evidence or other supporting documentation

Remedies:
If a claim is validated, we may, at our discretion:

Repair the product, when applicable
Replace the product
Provide store credit
Refund the purchase price of the product

Limitation of Liability:
Our liability under this Limited Warranty is limited to replacement of the product, store credit, or refund of the purchase price actually paid for the product. We are not responsible for incidental, indirect, consequential, or secondary damages, including loss of crops, loss of profits, loss of use, or other related losses, except where required by law.

Exceptions:
Due to the perishable, variable, and regulated nature of seeds, additional restrictions or exceptions may apply and may be stated on our website, at checkout, in product listings, or in related policies.

12. Return Procedure

To initiate a return, please follow these steps:

Contact Us:
If you experience an issue with seeds, non-seed products, shipment contents, or delivery, contact us as soon as possible for review and instructions.

Authorization:
Request a Return Authorization (RA) Number from our customer service team within 30 days of purchase for non-seed products, or within a reasonable time for approved seed quality issues under our germination guarantee or warranty process.

Returns will not be accepted without prior authorization.

Return Instructions:
If a physical return is required, our team will provide return instructions. Returned items must be received by us within 14 days of the date the RA Number is issued, unless otherwise specified in writing.

We reserve the right to refuse returns that are unauthorized, late, improperly packaged, materially used beyond inspection, altered, damaged by the customer, or otherwise ineligible under this policy.

13. Refund Options

We may offer store credit, replacement, exchange, or refund depending on the nature of the issue and the remedy we determine is appropriate.

Store Credit:
Customers who receive store credit will generally receive up to 100% of the approved product value, depending on the circumstances of the claim.

For approved returns where we determine the issue was caused by our error or a verified product defect, we may cover return shipping costs at our discretion.

Credit will be applied to the customer’s store account and may be used for future purchases.

Refunds to Original Payment Method:
Refunds issued to the original payment method may be subject to a 10% restocking fee where permitted by law, depending on the nature of the return and whether the issue was not caused by our error.

Customers are generally responsible for arranging and paying return shipping unless we state otherwise or are required by law to cover it.

Refunds may take up to 30 days to process after inspection and approval.

Non-Refundable Costs:
Except where required by law or caused solely by our error, the following are non-refundable:

Original shipping charges
Return shipping charges paid by the customer
Carrier surcharges
Interception fees
Handling fees
Restocking fees
Other costs associated with refused, returned, intercepted, or non-compliant shipments

Note: Return shipping is not provided for international orders except where required by law or where we expressly agree otherwise in writing.

14. Abusive or Fraudulent Claims

We will not tolerate abusive, threatening, harassing, discriminatory, fraudulent, or bad-faith conduct toward our staff in connection with refund, return, warranty, delivery, or customer service claims.

We reserve the right to deny claims, refuse service, restrict communications, cancel pending orders, suspend or terminate accounts, preserve records, contest chargebacks, or take any other lawful action where a customer engages in abusive conduct, false claims, chargeback abuse, policy evasion, forwarding activity, or other misuse of our services.

15. Dispute and Escalation Process

If you experience a dispute or delay in processing your claim:

Initial Follow-Up:
Contact our customer service team with your RA Number or case number to request an update.

Escalation:
If unresolved after 7 business days, you may request escalation to a supervisor or manager.

Final Resolution:
We will make a good-faith effort to provide a final decision within 14 business days from the date of escalation, though more complex matters may require additional time.

16. Return Address

All authorized physical returns must include a valid RA Number clearly printed on the outside of the package.

Return Address:

Attn: Returns Department
Alliance of Native Seedkeepers
124 S Main St
Colerain, NC 27924

17. No Amendments by Agents or Individuals

No agent, employee, contractor, or individual is authorized to change or amend this policy verbally.

Any exception, waiver, accommodation, or adjustment must be made in writing by an authorized representative of Alliance of Native Seedkeepers and shall apply only to the specific matter for which it is granted.

18. Eco-Friendly Practices

Where practical, we encourage customers to reuse packaging when returning items in order to help reduce waste and environmental impact.

19. Agreement

By making a purchase from Alliance of Native Seedkeepers, you agree to this Return and Refund Policy, as well as our Shipping Policy, Terms of Service, and any other applicable posted policies.

20. Contact Information

For questions or assistance regarding returns, refunds, replacements, germination claims, warranty claims, or related matters, please contact us: