Shipping Policies
Shipping is done in batches on designated shipping date(s) as listed on the Dr. Bill's Orchids Home page. Shipping dates vary (especially with federal holidays on Mondays).
Shipping is dependent upon the weather- in cases of extreme heat or cold that may otherwise be unsafe to ship the plants, we will be in contact to establish a new shipment date. Shipment tracking information will be provided once the item is shipped. If you know you will not be available to receive your package during any point in time, please contact sales@drbillsorchids.com to coordinate shipping arrangements. Orders will be held only when weather is not conducive to shipping- however, if ordered during cold weather, we will not hold orders for an undefined length of time "Until it's warmer". Orders will only be combined when a customer has placed multiple orders during the same shipment period- in other words, combining subsequent orders that have been placed prior to the shipment of the first box/order. For cold weather shipping, please see the Winter Shipping Policy page.
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When checking out, all orders will be charged for shipping costs at time of purchase. Multiple orders can still be combined to one shipment, however, if you place multiple orders before your box is shipped, shipping will be combined and any overpayment in shipping will be refunded when your order(s) are shipped. In the event that the amount already paid to ship your order(s) does not cover the total shipping charges, a separate invoice for the difference will be sent. Any/All shipping invoices or costs must be paid before any/all orders will be sent.
- It is the Buyer's responsibility to check the next shipping date to ensure that someone will be available to receive the shipment and/or notify Dr. Bill's Orchids to delay shipping. If the Buyer is unavailable to receive his order (vacation, holidays, etc) and does not contact Dr. Bill's Orchids to delay shipment: Dr. Bill's Orchids is not responsible for any shipments that were shipped while the Buyer was away on holiday without written notification (email) to hold shipment until the Buyer's return.
- For those of you who live in/near the Greater Chicagoland area, or are driving through- in-person pickup of orders is available BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. Dr. Bill's Orchids is not open to the general public for non-scheduled viewing/purchasing. We will do our best to accommodate requests given in advance, but please remember that we do not have a storefront and have a constantly changing schedule.
- In person shopping is currently SUSPENDED. This due to problems with plants have "walked off". If there is something that you would like to see in person before purchasing - set an appointment and we will pull the item(s) for you and meet you outside of the growing area. 99% of the available plants are posted to the website at any given point in time. If there is something special that you are looking for and think we may have - send an email to sales@drbillsorchids.com.
Dr. Bill's Orchids, LLC has a live plant arrival guarantee, with limited coverage of "Scratch 'N Dent" plant sales, and specific coverage conditions for Winter Shipping (see Winter Shipping Policies). If there is any problem with the plant(s) upon arrival, Dr. Bill's Orchids, LLC must be notified and provided with pictures of the damage within 24 hours of arrival/delivery as detailed under "Damages" of the Refunds page. Anything beyond this time, we cannot guarantee any compensation for the damage (replacement, refund, etc).By the time the plant is sold and the buyer receives the plant, the flowers can be spent. Also note that although plants are carefully packed, spikes, buds, blooms, or flowers are not guaranteed through the shipping process, nor are leaves of botanical plants guaranteed to be free of cosmetic damage from the shipping process. Once the package is delivered to the UPS, USPS, or other shipping service, we have no control over its handling and are not responsible for the damage incurred during the shipping process.
The buyer assumes all responsibility for any import regulations that their state's Department of Agriculture may have**. The seller, Dr. Bill's Orchids, LLC and its staff, are not responsible, nor liable for reimbursement of any sort, if the product is seized or destroyed by regulatory authorities.
**Buyers in Hawaii need a phytosanitary certificate to receive plants out of flask, this cost is borne by the customer ($100) and Hawaiian customers need to send me their import paperwork.
Updated 7/28/23