Refund policy
REFUND AND RETURN POLICY
Last updated: 10/06/2026
OUR APPROACH
We want you to be happy with your order. Because many of our products ship directly from our supplier partners, a few situations are handled differently from a traditional store. This policy explains exactly what we do, so you know where you stand before you buy.
MISSING ITEMS AND SPLIT SHIPMENTS
If part of your order appears to be missing, please check your tracking emails first. Items may ship from different supplier partners, so one order can arrive as several packages on different days. If the rest of your order has not arrived within 3 business days of the first package, email us at ginkgoexotics@proton.me and we will track down the outstanding items or refund them.
DAMAGED, DEFECTIVE OR INCORRECT ITEMS
Please inspect your order as soon as it arrives. If a non-perishable item arrives damaged, defective, or is not what you ordered, email us within 48 hours of delivery with your order number and clear photos of the item and its packaging. Once we've confirmed the issue, we will replace the item or refund you. For small or awkward items we will often refund you without requiring a return; if we do ask you to send something back, we will cover the return shipping.
LIVE PLANTS (24-HOUR DEAD ON ARRIVAL)
Live plants are perishable, so they are covered by our 24-hour Dead On Arrival policy rather than by standard returns.
- Report a DOA plant within 24 hours of delivery.
- Email ginkgoexotics@proton.me with your order number and photos of the whole plant, a close-up of the damage, and the packaging it arrived in.
- If the claim is approved, we will send a replacement, subject to availability, or refund you.
Plants reported after 24 hours from delivery cannot be replaced or refunded. Please note that ordinary transit stress, such as slight wilting or minor leaf drop that recovers after a normal settling-in period, is not considered Dead On Arrival.
WHAT CANNOT BE RETURNED
- Live plants and other perishable goods, except where a valid DOA claim is made within 24 hours as described above.
- Opened food, supplements, or live food such as insects.
- Sale, clearance, and gift card purchases.
- Custom or special-order items.
RETURNS FOR UNUSED NON-PERISHABLE ITEMS
Because most products ship directly from our supplier partners, we are not always able to accept returns for change of mind in the way a traditional store does. If you would like to return an unused item, email us within 14 days of delivery and we will confirm whether a return is possible for that specific product. Items must be unused, undamaged, and in their original packaging. Where a return is approved, return shipping is the customer's responsibility.
REFUNDS
Once a refund is approved, we will issue it to your original payment method within 3-5 business days. Your bank or card provider may take a further 5-10 business days to post the funds to your account.
We are unable to refund:
- Orders returned to us as undeliverable because of an incorrect or incomplete shipping address. In that case we will contact you to arrange reshipment, and additional shipping charges may apply.
- Delays caused by the carrier, including weather, holidays, and mechanical issues, as these are outside our control.
EXCHANGES
We do not process direct exchanges. The fastest way to get a different item is to complete the process above for a replacement or refund, then place a new order.
BEFORE YOU OPEN A DISPUTE
If something has gone wrong, please email us first at ginkgoexotics@proton.me. We resolve these quickly and directly, and we would much rather fix your order than have your bank or card provider handle it.
QUESTIONS
Email ginkgoexotics@proton.me and we will usually reply within one business day.