Shipping policy
Shipping Policy
Definitions & Terminology
Business Days: Monday through Friday, excluding weekends and federal holidays.
Order Placed: The date and time your order is successfully submitted.
Shipped: The date your package leaves our facility and is accepted by the carrier.
Delivered: The date the shipping carrier confirms in its tracking system that the package has arrived at the shipping address provided at checkout.
Order Acceptance, Fraud Screening, and Address Requirements
All orders are subject to review and acceptance. To help protect against fraud, unauthorized transactions, forwarding activity, export or regulatory issues, and other misuse, Alliance of Native Seedkeepers reserves the right to hold, verify, limit, refuse, or cancel any order before shipment.
We may request additional information to verify identity, billing information, payment information, shipping information, or intended destination. If requested information is not provided in a timely manner, we may cancel the order and issue any applicable refund to the original payment method.
We ship only to the shipping address entered at checkout and approved with the order. We do not guarantee that address changes requested after purchase can be made.
If you need to change your shipping address, contact us as soon as possible HERE. We may, at our discretion, update the address before shipment, deny the request, or require cancellation and placement of a new order.
Once an order has shipped, we cannot guarantee that the address can be changed, the package can be intercepted, or delivery can be rerouted.
Customers are solely responsible for providing a complete, accurate, and deliverable shipping address at checkout. Alliance of Native Seedkeepers is not responsible for delays, losses, returned packages, or delivery issues caused by an incorrect, incomplete, outdated, or undeliverable address provided by the customer.
No Freight Forwarders or Reshipping Services
Because seeds and other plant materials may be regulated depending on destination, we do not ship to freight forwarders, package forwarding services, reshippers, export brokers, virtual mailbox services, or similar third-party receiving locations. The shipping address provided at checkout must be the order’s final destination.
We reserve the right to hold, refuse, cancel, intercept, recall, or stop delivery of any order if we suspect fraud, forwarding activity, export circumvention, evasion of customs duties, evasion of agricultural or import laws, or other misuse of our services.
Once a package has been transferred to the carrier, interception or rerouting may not be possible and is not guaranteed. Any carrier, return, interception, or handling fees may be deducted from any refund where permitted by law.
Order Changes and Cancellations
Changing Shipping Address:
If you need to request an address change, contact us as soon as possible HERE. We will make a reasonable effort to help before shipment, but we cannot guarantee changes can be made.
Cancellation Policy:
Orders may be canceled before shipment and are subject to a 10% cancellation fee. Once an order has shipped, it cannot be canceled.
Adding or Removing Items:
Because we try to ship orders as quickly as possible, once an order is placed we cannot add or remove items. You are welcome to place an additional order for anything else you need.
Undeliverable, Returned, Refused, or Unclaimed Packages
If a package is returned to us, refused, unclaimed, abandoned, or deemed undeliverable because of an incorrect or incomplete address, failure to claim the package, forwarding activity, customs or agricultural compliance issues, or other destination-related restrictions, original shipping charges are non-refundable.
If a returned package is received back by us and reshipment is requested, additional shipping charges will apply.
If the carrier does not return the package to us, a new order will be required.
Packages that are refused, returned, intercepted, confiscated, or not delivered due to forwarding activity, destination restrictions, customs action, agricultural inspection, or missing required documentation are not eligible for refund or replacement except where required by law or caused by our error.
Shipping Times and Methods
Order Processing Time:
We aim to ship orders within 1-2 business days. During peak seasons (October-April) and special sales, processing times may extend to 5-7 business days.
If there are significant delays beyond these timeframes, we will notify customers by website banner and/or email when reasonably possible.
Shipping Carriers:
We primarily use USPS, including USPS Ground Advantage for most orders. Larger or heavier orders may be shipped via FedEx or UPS, depending on package size and weight.
Estimated Delivery Time (U.S. Orders):
Orders within the U.S. generally arrive within 5-10 business days after shipment. Actual delivery times may vary based on location, weather, carrier workload, and carrier service levels.
Stuck or Delayed Tracking:
Occasionally, a package may appear stuck in transit when there are no new scans for several days. If your tracking shows no new USPS scans for 7 days or more, please contact us so we can investigate and help with next steps.
Handling Shipping Delays:
While we strive to meet our estimated timeframes, unexpected delays may occur due to factors beyond our control, including but not limited to severe weather, natural disasters, technical or logistical issues within the carrier network, civil unrest, labor disruptions, customs processing, or regulatory review. These delays are outside our control and are not guaranteed grounds for refunds.
USPS Ground Advantage - Important Note:
Many of our orders ship via USPS Ground Advantage. USPS does not allow formal loss claims on this service until several weeks after shipment, and claim approvals are not guaranteed. Because of this, we generally work directly with customers to resolve long-term delays through reshipment or store credit when appropriate, rather than requiring customers to wait for USPS to complete its claim process.
High-Risk Orders
We reserve the right to delay shipment, request additional verification, refuse expedited shipping, require signature confirmation, limit quantities, or cancel any order that presents elevated risk.
Examples of elevated-risk factors may include, without limitation, mismatched billing and shipping information, repeated failed payment attempts, unusual order quantities, forwarding or export-related address patterns, rerouting requests, or other indicators of suspected fraud or misuse.
Tracking and Receipt
Order Tracking:
Tracking information is sent to the email address used at checkout as soon as a shipping label is created.
If you do not see this email, please check your spam or junk folder, or log into your account on our website to view your order status.
Receiving Your Order:
Please open and inspect your package promptly upon delivery.
If you notice damaged items, missing items, or other order issues, please refer to our Refund Policy for instructions on reporting and resolving claims.
Lost or Stolen Packages
Delivery Confirmation:
If a package is marked as Delivered by the shipping carrier, responsibility for the package generally transfers to the customer.
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 Customer Steps:
Please take the following steps if your package shows as delivered but cannot be located:
- Check with household members and neighbors.
- Look around porches, side doors, mailboxes, and other common delivery areas.
- Contact your local post office. USPS may be able to view GPS coordinates associated with 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, you still cannot locate your package, please contact us.
We may assist you in filing a USPS Missing Mail Search or provide guidance based on the circumstances.
Case-by-Case Review / Courtesy Resolution:
While we cannot guarantee replacement or reimbursement for packages marked delivered, we understand that genuine delivery issues can occur. For first-time issues or lower-value orders, we may offer a one-time courtesy reshipment or store credit at our discretion after the recommended steps above have been completed.
Reporting Requirements (Delivery Issues):
Claims relating to delivery issues must be reported to us within:
- 14 days of the package being marked Delivered, or
- 30 days from the ship date,
whichever comes first.
Seed and Destination Compliance
Seeds and related plant materials may be restricted, delayed, inspected, refused, returned, or prohibited depending on destination and applicable law.
By placing an order, the customer represents that the shipping address provided at checkout is the final destination for the order and that the items ordered are lawful to receive there.
Customers are solely responsible for knowing and complying with all local, state, federal, tribal, provincial, national, customs, agricultural, quarantine, and import requirements that apply to their order.
We reserve the right to refuse, limit, hold, or cancel any order that may require permits, certificates, declarations, treatment, inspections, or other compliance steps that we do not provide or cannot verify.
Except where required by law or caused by our error, Alliance of Native Seedkeepers is not responsible for delays, holds, refusals, confiscation, destruction, return, or other losses resulting from customs action, agricultural inspection, destination restrictions, missing documentation, or the use of a forwarding or reshipping service.
International Shipping
Current Status:
International shipping outside the U.S. and Canada is temporarily suspended while we complete our move and logistical updates. This section will be updated when broader international service resumes.
Canada:
We currently ship to Canada.
Flat shipping fee to Canada: $20.00
Delivery times may vary and can take several weeks, depending on customs processing and carrier performance.
Customers are responsible for all customs duties, import fees, taxes, and for knowing local regulations regarding seed imports.
We do not currently offer phytosanitary certificates.
We reserve the right to limit products or cancel Canadian orders that may require import permits, phytosanitary certificates, declarations, inspections, or other compliance steps that we do not currently provide.
We cannot ship garlic, live plants, tubers, or bulbs outside the U.S.
Additional Information
Seed Viability and Storage:
For best results, store seeds in a cool, dry place.
Germination Guarantee:
We guarantee that our seeds will germinate at reasonable rates for one (1) year from the date of purchase when properly stored and planted. Please see our Refund Policy for details.
Seasonal Availability:
Some varieties are seasonally available or limited in quantity. Availability may change throughout the year.
Environmental Commitment:
We are committed to sustainability. Our packaging is recyclable or biodegradable where possible, and we continuously seek eco-friendly practices in our operations.
Contact Information
Mailing Address:
Alliance of Native Seedkeepers
124 S Main St
Colerain, NC 27924
Contact Form: Click Here