Availability
All trees offered for sale on our website are subject to availability. We cannot guarantee that the varieties and formats you order will be available when we come to despatch your order, because trees in the nursery may fail to reach the expected size during the growing season, or become damaged in transit or otherwise unsuitable for sale.
Trees may become unavailable even after we have sent you a "despatching soon" notification because of issues which can arise during picking and packing and delivery. However if this happens we will let you know by email as soon as we are aware. We will not despatch alternative or substitute varieties without first discussing with you.
Your details
Please make sure your contact details, especially your email address and phone number, are accurate and kept up to date in your account details on our website, so that we can get in touch with you if there are problems with your order.
If you use a spam blocker on your email system, or an email screening service, please ensure you permit emails from any address @orangepippin.com.
Delivery
Trees are natural products and we can only ship them when they have reached the right size and weather conditions at our nurseries are suitable. However in most cases we are able to agree a week within the month when you would prefer delivery.
We cannot guarantee delivery, or delivery dates, or undertake to deliver on specific days or at specific times. Because of the size of our delivery packages the day of delivery may change even after we have confirmed despatch. We strongly recommend you allow flexibility in any further arrangements you may have, for example if you are booking a gardener to help plant your trees, and do not rely on delivery on a particular date.
It is essential you tell us in advance if access will be difficult for a large vehicle. We will then arrange for the trees to be sent on a smaller vehicle or delivered to an alternative address.
If you ask us to ask our couriers to leave the delivery cartons in a safe place or with a neighbour we cannot accept liability for loss or damage. We will pass your delivery instructions to the courier, but please note that it is entirely at the driver's discretion whether to follow them or not.
We can only deliver to residential addresses, or commercial addresses open between 8am and 6pm. We cannot deliver to allotments, PO box addresses, boats or other non-standard locations, nor addresses which are only connected to the public road network by un-made private tracks. Couriers cannot call ahead in advance of the delivery, and cannot arrange to meet you at a specified location.
We will advise you when the courier tells us the delivery has been completed. If you believe the items have not been delivered please contact us immediately so that we can follow-up with the courier - we would rather have a false alarm than be alerted too late.
If there is a problem with your order for whatever reason we will refund your payment.
If we make a mistake and deliver something different from what you ordered (as shown on your order acknowledgement), please let us know by email within 3 days. We will arrange a replacement or alternative if available, or a refund.
Any errors or discrepancies with the delivery must be reported to us within 3 days.
We do not accept any liability if your trees fail to grow, or do not reach the expected sizes, or do not produce fruit or blossom. However we will replace trees (if replacements are available) or provide a refund where it is clear we are at fault.
Damage in transit
Our trees undergo quality control procedures to ensure they meet our standards and we package them carefully to ensure they reach you in good condition. Please note that in some cases we may cut the trees back to fit the delivery carton - but we only do this for species where tipping the leading shoots does not harm the future growth.
Whilst we and our couriers want your trees to arrive in good condition, there can be minor damage, such as to the tips of branches. This may look unsightly but it will not affect the future growth of the tree.
However if the damage is serious we will make arrangements to refund / collect or replace the trees. In the meantime please look after them carefully. If they are bare-root trees please lie them on the ground in a safe place and cover the roots with garden soil.
Note that most bare-root fruit trees will need some pruning at the time of planting.
Refunds and replacements
Because of the shortage of trees since the start of 2021 it is extremely unlikely that a damaged tree can be replaced.
Cancelling your order
Please note that in most cases we reserve stock for you even if we have not taken payment, therefore if you wish to cancel your order please let us know promptly so that we can make the stock available for other customers.
You can cancel your order at any time up to the point within 24 hours after the date when we send you a "despatching soon" notification. After this point your items will have been packed and readied for shipment. If you still wish to cancel after the "despatching soon" notification please see "Returns" below - but contact us as quickly as possible as we may still be able to cancel the delivery.
For large orders ( more than 20 trees) or trade orders we require a 50% deposit payable in advance with the balance in the week prior to delivery. If you need to cancel the order a re-booking fee will apply. The re-booking fee is lower at the start of the season (5% of the deposit), and progressively higher towards the end of the season (up to 50% of the deposit).
Returns
NB. It is not possible to return bare-root trees, or trees which have been removed from their pots for shipping, because they are perishable items, so please check your order acknowledgement carefully.
Payment issues
Online payment systems are constantly being updated by the banks to improve protection for consumers. To minimise problems please make sure you supply full address details on your order as this information is used by the banks to verify your credentials. The delivery address does not have to be the same as the billing address, but PO Boxes cannot be used.
We also reserve the right to cancel an order after payment has been made if post-authorization checks by our bank reveal problems with the transaction. We will refund the original amount in this situation.
Delivery destinations
We can only deliver trees to the mainland UK. Delivery to Highlands and Islands is generally not possible because of the size of our delivery cartons.
Please check our delivery areas and surcharges before ordering.
Once we start to prepare your order for delivery it is impossible to change the delivery address. If your order has been dispatched and you wish to change the delivery address it will usually require the items to be returned to us and sent out the following week, and there is a charge for this. If you have paid by credit/debit card or Paypal we may have to cancel your order and take a new order in order to comply with bank security procedures.
Other general terms and conditions
Title to the goods remains with Orange Pippin Limited until full payment has been received and the goods have been delivered and accepted by you.
We reserve the right to cancel your order for any reason at any time up to the point of delivery. Any payments received would be refunded in full.
We do not accept liability if we do not supply the trees you have ordered because of production or delivery problems or other reasons, although we will of course refund you in this situation.
We reserve the right to change these terms and conditions at any time.
Your responsibilities
In order for your trees to grow successfully we ask you to note the following responsibilities:
- Plant the tree promptly.
- Ensure the tree is watered in accordance with its needs over the spring and summer.
- Ensure the ground around the tree is kept clear of grass and weeds for the first few years.
- Do not store the tree in a heated house at any time.
- Most importantly ... please check your tree regularly, and notify us promptly of any issues or concerns.