Ordering, Payment & Shipping

We're still learning this part. By far the majority of sales we've made to date have been cash or cheque on delivery or pickup. This has the advantage of being quick and easy, with limited accounting complications to tax my feeble brain.

If you are well established, with a fixed address (so I know where to send the bailiff to impound your bobcat if you default) we can do the usual 30 day account stuff.

The best customer is the one who brings his truck with him on a visit. He can pick and choose his stock. I'll help him load. We'll double check the count, and he pays us.

Can't come in person? We prefer orders by email. By all means phone us first to confirm availability, check price, your account status, but it is ever so much better for preventing future confusion if it's all put in writing. (In fact we'll insist on having it all in writing before the trees go to their new home.)

Reserving Stock

The purpose of any business agreement is to provide some future certainty for both sides. You want to be confident that you will get your trees. I don't want to be stuck holding trees that someone ordered but didn't come and get. The following is negotiable, but I think provides fairness to both of us. Each side has to pay a price for inconveniencing the other, but the price is small enough that neither party will be ruined.

Normally stock is sold on first-come first-serve basis.
We will reserve stock for spring delivery subject to 10% payment with order.

In the event we cannot fill the order, due to winter losses, rampaging moose, or meteor strikes, we will inform you of our inability to fill your order at earliest opportunity, and will refund your deposit. We will also issue a credit for 5% of your order.This gives me incentive to make sure that I don't 'over sell'

If you cancel an order before 1 February, we will cut you a cheque for your deposit, less $50.

In the event that you cancel an order after this, but before 1 May, the nominal start of spring operations, your refund will be in the form of a credit. If you only get a credit, you are less likely to cancel an order lightly. If you cancel, I'm inconvenienced, and may have lost sales to other buyers. Since it's a credit, you're going to buy something from me which partially makes up the inconvenience.

If you cancel after spring operations are already started, your deposit is forfeit.

Unacceptable Quality

Perhaps your idea of a good tree and my idea differ. You may refuse a shipment and receive a full refund, including any deposit. You can refuse an order either at our farm by coming out and inspecting the order, or by not taking delivery. In the latter case, you are responsible for the cost of shipping both ways. First time buyers will want to inspect the trees before loading. I want happy customers.
I'm confident that I have good trees, but there are perfectionists out there who get disgruntled by a missing bud.

Does this mean that if you want to cancel your order at the last minute, you can come out, inspect and say that they aren't good enough, and that I'll give you your money back?

Yes.

But I won't accept a deposit for holding stock from you for a while.

Delivery Options.

Pick up.

We prefer that you pick trees up. You can pass judgement on each tree you load.

Local Trucking.

For large orders in the Edmonton area we use Buckler Transport. By default we will use a closed van to protect the plants from windburn.

SF Delivery.

Smaller orders can be delivered by pickup. There is a minimum shipping charge of 50 in the Edmonton area.

Anyone who considers protocol unimportant has never dealt with a cat.