Frequently Asked Questions

Ordering from Mail Shop

1. How do I order from you?

   You can order by post by writing to Mailshop, PO Box 637, York, YO26 0DQ, or by calling our UK call centre on 01613 331 615 (Calls charged at 5p/min plus your network provider's access charge), or of course order through this secure website. Note - the Phone number does not work from all Mobile Phones.

2. How can I pay for my order?

   Online, we accept most major credit cards, except Diners Club and American Express. We also accept Amazon Pay and PayPal. By post, we accept Cheques made payable to Mail Shop. We are unable to accept National Garden Gift Vouchers at this time.

3. When do you charge my Account?

   We only charge your Credit Card when the products are actually dispatched, unlike many other mail order companies. Cheques are cashed soon after your order is received. PayPal Accounts are debited when you order as well.

4. Will I get an Order Confirmation?

   If you order online, and provide a valid e-mail address, you will get an automatic order confirmation e-mail. For post or phone orders, we will send a confirmation e-mail if you provide your e-mail address. We will not send Confirmations out by Post.

5. Can I change or cancel my order?

   If for any reason you need to make changes, please call Customer Services urgently on 01613 331 615, and we will endeavour to help, if it has not already been dispatched!

   Delivery

6. When will I receive my order?

   Your order will normally be sent within 5-7 working days, subject to availability. We always send your plants nursery fresh in in perfect condition to thrive when you plant them, so we avoid dispatching over Bank Holiday weekends. Our couriers are Yodel, or Royal Mail, depending on product characteristics. With Yodel, it is possible to arrange for your parcel to be left in a safe place. However, whilst you can of course leave your parcel in a secure location, we do need to warn you that, whilst unattended your parcel will not be covered for loss or damage. Our experienced Nursery Manager may also hold your order if adverse weather is forecast that may affect your plants - most plants are very tough and will not be affected by all but the most extreme frosts or heatwaves.

   Where we are selling stock for a month or so in advance, we will always indicate this clearly on our adverts, in our catalogues or on the website, and your credit card will not be charged until the goods you have ordered are dispatched. In some cases, your order may be split, and arrive in 2 or more parcels, which will be shown clearly on Dispatch Notes.

7. Can I Track my order?

   If you provided us with an e-mail address, we will confirm shipping to you when your parcel actually leaves the nursery pack house - for larger items, sent by couriers, this confirmation e-mail contains a link enabling you to track your order's progress. If you have not received goods a week after the shipping e-mail, please call Customer Services on 01613 331 615 who will help you. Royal Mail (postal) orders are unfortunately not able to be tracked at all at present.

8. How much does Delivery cost?

   P & P is charged according to the costs levied to us by the various carriers we use, which are based on a parcel's weight and size. The P & P charge is clearly shown in your Shopping basket online, and you will only pay one P&P charge irrespective of the number of items bought. Some items due to their size and/or weight require additional charges, however these are highlighted in the product details page and in the basket. See 'Delivery Charges Fully Explained and Demystified' in our terms & conditions for more details.

9. How do my plants arrive?

   Lightweight orders, like plug plants are often delivered to your door by Royal Mail, with your normal post. These usually arrive the day after sending for maximum freshness. Our plants are frequently sent in specially designed mini-greenhouses and strong boxes that have been designed for the purpose. Moreover, our nursery team are very experienced at packing live plant orders and have perfected how to ensure your plants arrive nursery fresh with the minimum number of issues.
   
   As you would expect, both Royal Mail and our couriers help deliver our promises - on the rare occasions things do not arrive perfectly, please let us know so we can quickly resolve any issues you have. All contact details are noted below. If you work during the day or no-one is usually at home, our delivery drivers are instructed to leave the parcel somewhere safe and will post a card for you explaining where your goods have been left, so there is no need to wait at home to receive your order.

10. What if all my order is not ready at once?

    Occasionally we will send your order in more than one consignment, especially if you order a number of products that are ready for despatch over an extended period. Don't panic though - you will only be charged one lot of P & P in this instance - charged when the first part of your order is dispatched. Your Dispatch note should confirm what remains outstanding with an indication of when you should expect to receive the balance of your order.

11. Substitutes:

    On very rare occasions, when we approach the end of a stock line, we occasionally run short of a variety, or find the quality is not to our usual standards. In such cases we reserve the right to send a substitute of a similar variety, of equal or higher value than the original ordered.

12. Is there anywhere you cannot send plants?

    We only deliver to the United Kingdom. For Plant Health reasons, in common with most mail order companies, we cannot deliver fruit trees to the Channel Islands, or seed potatoes outside UK mainland.

13. Where should I send any Returns?

    Please do not send any goods back to us by return, unless specifically requested to do so by a member of our Customer Services team.

14. Ordering Machinery?

    Although we hold the majority of our products in our nursery, some of our product range is sent to you directly from our trusted specialist suppliers. We despatch all items as soon as they’re available so parcels may arrive separately.

What happens if things go wrong?

With live and perishable products, things will occasionally go wrong in the delivery system, especially in periods of extreme hot or cold weather. Please let us know of any issues as soon as you can, so we can put it right quickly for you. We normally resolve any issues within a day or so and will agree with you whether you would like a replacement, an alternative item or a refund. Your statutory rights are unaffected by this undertaking - your satisfaction is our priority, so in the unlikely event that we get something wrong, make sure you tell us immediately.

In such cases where a refund is provided, our liability is strictly limitted to the cost of products supplied, and delivery charges made to you.

This is in addition to your Statutory Rights under Distance Selling Regulations. We want you to buy with confidence, so for ALL hardy plants, we are proud to offer our unique Lifetime Guarantee. Click here to see the detail - if at any time in the future, you are not happy with your hardy plants, call us and we will replace the product for FREE - all we ask is you pay the original P & P only.