Dahlia Pre-Sale FAQ
What Do You Charge for Shipping?
The initial package is $9.50 which covers the actual cost plus my time assembling your order, packaging it, labeling it etc. I don’t build this into the price as this would mean I would be over-collecting on orders with lots of tubers. This initial charge should cover up to 2 or 3 tubers, depending on the tuber’s normal size. After that, the rates stair-step up in increments of 50-75 cents. So the more tubers you purchase, the lower your shipping per tuber rate is.
Can I Add On to My Order?
Certainly. In your dahlia order confirmation email, you will receive a discount code for reduced shipping on your next order. This will be available up until I ship your initial order or April 15th 2024, whichever comes first.
Please don’t share the code online or with a friend, as when I get an order using the code, I search for the initial order to combine them. If I don’t find one, I will ask the person that placed the order to pay the difference, plus $2.00 for misusing the code and my time.
When Do You Ship?
I ship when the tubers wake up and I ship the orders in the order in which they were received. In a perfect spring, I will start shipping in early April and work at a reasonable pace until all the pre-sale orders are shipped by the end of April. After that, new orders go out a couple days after they are received.
2023 was the opposite of a perfect spring as the tubers didn’t start waking up until mid-May. By then, many customers were tired of waiting and let me know in no uncertain terms. As I was shipping all the orders in two weeks, I was working 10-12 hours a day and receiving cranky emails. It was awful for everyone.
Am I Guaranteed a Tuber if I Shop the Pre-Sale?
Almost. A pre-sale is occurring long before we get a hard count on the number of tubers that will wake up next spring. We keep records, we make an educated guesstimate, we put about half that guesstimate on the website, and we hope for the best. If the tubers don’t survive the winter and/or don’t wake up, there is disappointment all around. Perhaps even more on my end than on yours.
What if You Can’t Send My Tuber?
When you place your order, you will be (or were) asked if you want a substitute, or a credit/refund.
Substitutions — we try to send you a equal or greater value tuber of the same color family.
Credits are in the form of a discount code unique to your order and worth the value of the missing tuber + $1.00 for your trouble. We write the discount code on your paperwork and send your order off. Because we are so busy packing orders, we don’t stop to send an email. Most people use their discount code on an other tuber, or — if luck prevails — on the missing tuber when it finally wakes up and we restock the website.
Refunds are sent only when someone lets us know that they won’t be using their credit; we often don’t get caught up on these until the shipping season is over, as shipping orders out takes priority.
What if I Want to Cancel My Order?
All canceled orders are subject to a 15% fee.
Why Did You Sell Out So Fast?
Some varieties I only have a few plants — the goats got out and mayhem ensued, it was a tough day — so I will only have a few tubers. I guesstimate what I will have and put half that number on the Pre-sale. Next spring, when I can see what over-wintered, I will put half that amount on the website in a Restock, so be sure to sign up for the Wishlist for any varieties you missed.
