Has there been a better time to relinquish traveling to a store, and go for buying online instead? We’re habitual of ordering items online, from groceries to electronics. And we are sure that for plant lovers ordering a plant online maybe most tempting.Especially if one is considering a specimen that’s hard to get locally.
In this blog post are discussed some factors worth paying attention to before buying plants online.
Seller Reputation
Word of mouth is indeed a good place to start. Talk to your friends and family whether they’ve bought a plant such as a Fiddle Leaf Fig from a specific retailer. In case you have a specific retailer in mind, you can pose a question in online groups/forumssuch as – what other buyers’ experience was? You should check some online reviews to find what other people say about a certain company.Look for reviews that mention how the plant was packed and shipped.
One pointnot to forget especially online is, not all reviews are genuine. To say the least, shoppers are more likely to leave a review if something goes wrong with a purchase. On the contrary, there are hundreds and thousands of fake reviews floating online.
While doing your survey, check whether the company offers anymoney-back guarantee. If the plant is delivered to you in a bad state because of the seller, will they replace it? Many plant companies offer a 30-day guarantee as a replacement or a refund.
Plant Specifications
Moving on to the next point, you will have likely noticed that this complaint appears, very often in plant seller reviews –“nice plant, but I thought it would be bigger”.
Same as fashion retailers utilize the retouched photos of an attractive model to tempt customers, into buying a shirt or a stylish pair of pants, so do plant retailers. Of course, not real models but plant models. The images that plant retailors use in their online stores might not, exactly reflect the plant that you’ll be receiving. Model plants often are larger, shinier, and with no yellow leaves or blemishes visible.
So, you must read the fine print regarding the size and condition of your precious purchase. Are you buying a mature Fiddle Leaf Fig or a baby? Will it be delivered bare-root or potted? Will it accompany care instructions, or do you need to download them separately?
Final Word
After having decided that you’re buying the plant that you want from a reliable retailor, have an up-close look at the shipping information. Firstly, is the seller allowed to ship to you at all? If you live in the US, for example, you just cannot import plants from other countries as an individual. Hence, you must buy from sellers that ship from the US. Most respected plant sellers outside the US will know about these restrictions. They will not allow you to place an order. However, the smaller retailors should not be expected to know about country-specific regulations. They’ll ship your plant and take your money; however, your plant will probably die a sad death in Customs.
