Category:Seed Order

• PayPal, as the fastest and the safest way. All PayPal transactions are executed through the secure PayPal website.
  

• US and CAD cash or personal checks (only Canadian and US banks).
• Interac e-transfer option is available only for Canadian customers. Please choose 'check' payment option and email us your Interac transfer.
  

• No money orders payments are accepted. We cannot cash US money orders in Canada.

Seed packets

• Seeds are packed in transparent plastic ziplock bags (2X3" and 3X4"). Label with detailed variety description is included, often with a color photograph.
• We recently switched to new labels where we print the year the seeds were collected. This should give you a good idea on how long the seeds can remain viable if properly stored. For example, tomato seeds can retain very good germination rates up to 10 years or longer, if stored in a cool and dry place (refrigerator). They would lose viability much faster at warmer temperatures and higher humidity, or if exposed to direct sunlight.

Packaging and shipping options

• We provide adequate packaging to protect seeds from crushing in the mail. For larger seeds (like cucumber, squash, melon, and beets) we use bubble wrap packaging, and for smaller seeds we use less expensive and 100% recyclable custom padding. If you are ordering small seeds only, the default packaging option is set to 'custom padding', but you can choose more expensive bubble warp option, if you like.
• We reuse and recycle packaging materials, as we take any opportunity to protect our environment.
• All orders are shipped by regular mail via Canada Post. No tracking option is available.
• Shipping cost is calculated based on the size of the order, packaging type, and the destination. Unfortunately Canada Post raised the postage cost significantly after April 1, 2014, so we had to readjust the shipping fees.
  • from $2 (small standard) to $7 (very large, bubble mailer) for Canadian customers
  • from $3 (small standard) to $9 (very large, bubble mailer) for US customers
  • from $4 (small standard) to $12 (very large, bubble mailer) for International customers (outside of Canada and USA)
• Additional variable handling fee is included for all PayPal orders.

How quickly do we ship?

* All the orders are mailed once a week, on Tuesdays. We are sorry for any inconvenience, but we are in a remote location and do not have a quick and easy access to the mail box, especially in the challenging stormy my weather.

Shipping to Canada

• We are located in Canada, therefore there are no restrictions on shipping seeds to Canadian addresses.

Shipping to International and USA addresses

• It is the responsibility of the importer (=the purchaser) to ensure that the seeds you ordered are not on a restricted list within your country, and you have obtained all necessary documentation to allow the import.
• As we ship only small seed packets, phytosanitary certificates are not required when sending seeds to the USA, but US customers may want to obtain a Small Lots of Seed Permit from the USDA prior to making the purchase, as there is a small chance that the seeds can be confiscated and destroyed by the US customs, especially if they are sent in a bubble wrap mailer. The Import Permit is free, could be used for multiple shipments, it is valid for 3 years.

• We never share your email address, home address, or phone number with anybody else. This is the personal information you entrusted us when you placed the order, so please stay assured that under no circumstances it will ever be passed by us to any other person, business, or organization.

• In our catalog and on the new package labels, we clearly state the year when the seeds were collected. Not many seed vendors do that, and we realize that this can be confusing for some of our customers. Please keep in mind that if other seed vendors have 'packaged for <next year> ' on their seed packets, it does NOT necessarily mean that the seeds were collected in the previous year. It only means that the seeds were germination-tested and passed the test, but they could have been collected a few years ago and kept in a cold storage. This is a common practice.
• The majority of our seeds are collected in the last 3 years. We also offer a small selection of older seeds, collected 4-6 years ago - but ONLY IF they passed germination tests! Our older seeds have been kept in a cool storage and have high viability. They will germinate very well for you, but it may take a couple of days longer than fresher seeds, because they are drier. Any seeds that fail germination tests are removed from our seed catalog.
• We stand behind our seed quality.

• Please contact Tatiana if you have any problems with germination or seed crossing/mixups, as it is very important for us to ensure that correct varieties and viable seeds are being circulated.
• We answer all the emails very quickly, within one day or much faster. If you have not received an email response from us, your email invoice, or the shipping notification, it usually means that these emails are getting caught by your spam filter. Please check your Spam folder and make sure that emails from Tatiana's TOMATObase are not filtered by your email program in the future.

We signed the Safe Seed Pledge at CRG.

"Agriculture and seeds provide the basis upon which our lives depend. We must protect this foundation as a safe and genetically stable source for future generations. For the benefit of all farmers, gardeners and consumers who want an alternative,

We pledge that we do not knowingly buy or sell genetically engineered seeds or plants. The mechanical transfer of genetic material outside of natural reproductive methods and between genera, families or kingdoms, poses great biological risks as well as economic, political, and cultural threats. We feel that genetically engineered varieties have been insufficiently tested prior to public release. More research and testing is necessary to further assess the potential risks of genetically engineered seeds. Further, we wish to support agricultural progress that leads to healthier soils, genetically diverse agricultural ecosystems and ultimately healthy people and communities."

January 25, 2010

By placing your order, you are accepting the following terms of service.

• Under no circumstance can we be held liable for more than the purchase price of the seeds.
• We test seed germination and guarantee that we meet or exceed Germination Standards. In those very rare cases when germination rates are less than perfect, we add more seeds to the packet, so you still have enough to grow. These packets will be clearly marked.
• We cannot guarantee the germination of seeds purchased one year and not planted until the next year or later. Customers are responsible for storing seeds under the proper conditions if they want seeds to remain viable past the purchase year.
• We package the seeds with enough padding to avoid potential crushing in the mail sorting machines. However, seed germination may be negatively impacted by extreme weather conditions while the seed package is in the mail. Please make sure that you do not place your order when extreme temperatures are forecasted in your area. If you are unsatisfied with the seed germination within 120 days from placing the order, we will be happy to send you a replacement packet of the same or a different variety, or issue a refund for the problematic seed packet.
• Cheque purchases: We wait for a check to be cleared by the bank before shipping the order. Clearing US checks may take up to 10 days. There will be a $20 charge for a dishonored ("bounced" or returned) check.
• We do not substitute varieties.

Shipping to International and USA addresses

• It is the responsibility of the importer (=the purchaser) to ensure that the seeds you ordered are not on a restricted list within your country, and you have obtained all necessary documentation to allow the import.
• As we ship only small seed packets, phytosanitary certificates are not required when sending seeds to the USA, but US customers may want to obtain a Small Lots of Seed Permit from the USDA prior to making the purchase, as there is a small chance that the seeds can be confiscated and destroyed by the US customs. The Import Permit is free, could be used for multiple shipments, it is valid for 3 years.
• Overall, we have been very successful shipping seeds safely to France, South Africa, Hong Kong, Japan, Germany, United Kingdom, USA, and within Canada.
• We ship ONLY by Canada Post regular mail, no tracking.

Refunds

• Shipping and handling fees are non-refundable under any circumstances.
• PayPal fees are only refundable within 60 days from the payment date.
• We are not responsible for any damage to the seed order once it leaves our farm. We provide proper packaging, but if the seeds are still damaged in the mail, we cannot be held responsible. This also applies to the cases when the seeds are intercepted and destroyed by the customs. Having said that, we will be happy to mail you another package, if this ever happens. In this case we will only charge you the additional actual shipping cost.

Note to our customers (October 2014)

Dear customers,

2014 was a great year for us, and we managed to collect seeds from over 350 varieties of vegetables, the largest number since 2005.

The new varieties are being added to the seed catalog, and we are hoping to get all the tomato, pepper, and lettuce seeds available before the end of October.

I hope you had a good season, and you will come back to us for more seeds. We are so thankful for all your support and the very kind words we receive from many of you. The proceeds from the seed sales help us to fund our seed preservation efforts and Tatiana's TOMATObase website maintenance and updates. Without you, we could not have made it happen! THANK YOU.

We will likely be increasing the prices of tomato seed packets for 2015.

Warmest regards, Tatiana and Stan