Latest FAQ's

Have you received my email, I have not yet had an acknowledgement or a response?

Thank you for sending in your query, our current response time is between 3-5 working days at present. Please ensure that you check your junk or spam folder for any communication from us, including confirmation that your email has been received safely. We appreciate your patience during this difficult time.

When will my order be delivered?

We're working hard to despatch all items according to the date promised when you placed your order, however there are some delays of around 2 weeks on some items. Please rest assured that your order is being looked after and will be on its way as soon as possible, as soon as they are ready. You can check on your order via My Orders and we'll also send you an email to let you know your order is on its way.

Where is my refund?

Refunds are taking in the region of 7 days to process. If you originally paid by cheque you'll need to allow us a little longer to process these; currently up to 14 days. We're doing all we can but we do need to ask you to be patient as we have less staff on hand than normal. If your refund is more than 10 days old and you still haven't received it, please do get in touch.

I am missing items from my order, what do I do?

You can check if we've had to cancel an item by logging into 'My Orders' by clicking the following link https://www.vanmeuwen.com/my-orders or via our website. If they have then a refund will be issued and you do not need to get in touch. If items have not been cancelled, but everything has been despatched and you have allowed time for the delivery to reach you, please get in touch and we will be happy to look into this further.

Why can I not see my order on My Orders?

If you have recently placed an order with us, please allow 24-36 hours for this to appear on our My Orders page. If your order still isn't showing after this time, please get in touch.

Ordering

I am unable to log on to the My Orders facility online

To have access to our My Orders page, please ensure that you register an email address with us. If this is the case, please enter the details as they appear on your account.

How can I pay for my order?

We accept Visa and MasterCard or PayPal as payment for your order online. If you wish to pay by cheque, you would have to mail us your order.

Am I charged for the items as soon as I order them?

All orders by debit or credit card and PayPal are debited on receipt.

Can I get a VAT receipt?

VAT receipts are available once you have received all your goods.

Will I receive a confirmation of my order?

If, when placing your order, you provide us with your email address you will be sent an email confirming your order has been received. This will confirm product details, delivery address, delivery instructions and anticipated delivery dates.

Can I trace my order?

You can track the status of your order online at My Orders .

Can I cancel or change my order? How?

To cancel your order please click here for our customer service contact details, unfortunately, we are currently unable to amend payment details or other order details once an order has been submitted.

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Delivery Information

I have received an email confirming my order had been shipped but it has not arrived yet?

As you have received a despatch notification, please rest assured that your order is on its way. Please allow up to 4 days for the delivery of your goods, however if this time has passed, please get in touch and we will happily look into this matter for you.

My order has not yet been despatched and I am going on holiday?

If you are planning to be away during the time your plants are due to arrive, please let us know and we will happily add an alternative delivery address or delivery instructions to your order. Due to the nature of our products, we are unable to suspend or speed up deliveries.

I have not yet received my order, when will it be despatched?

We aim to have all orders despatched within the month advised at the time of placing your order. Please note that deliveries will be sent throughout the whole of the advised month. If for any reason we are not able to fulfill these promised dates, we will be in touch by either letter or email.

How will my order be delivered?

All products are despatched in carefully tested secure packaging either by 1st or 2nd class post. Some items, such as potatoes, fruit and other heavier products (as well as orders for the Channel Islands) may be sent by courier.

How soon will my order be despatched?

We aim to despatch seed orders within a maximum of 5 working days unless otherwise stated and depending on the time of year. Fruit, potato, mushroom and plant orders will be despatched as stated. However, as growing conditions vary it may be necessary to ship potatoes, plants, fruit and bulbs outside the indicated dates. Please note that for logistical reasons, items may be shipped separately, do not be concerned if you do not receive all the items you have ordered in one parcel.

Can potatoes be delivered to a UK address not on the mainland?

Currently, we are not able to process online orders for delivery outside the UK mainland, for UK deliveries outside the mainland, please contact our customer services department for assistance

The following four potato varieties cannot be sent to Northern or Southern Ireland - Cara, Orla, Rooster, Shannon and Druid.

Can fruit plants and trees be delivered to a UK address not on the mainland?

Please contact our customer services department for assistance.

What countries can I send plant orders to?

We currently only serve UK which includes Channel Islands and Northern Ireland and Scottish Islands. Please note, that for orders outside of the UK mainland, you will need to contact our customer services department . Please see our Delivery page for more details.

If part of my order is out of stock, do I have to pay an extra delivery charge when it's sent to me?

No. If we cannot fulfill your full order, we will despatch items as and when they become available. You will not be charged any additional fee for this. For seed orders, you will receive a despatch note with your order that lists any varieties that are to follow. Your plant order confirmation will give you a list of approximate despatch dates for each variety ordered. For plants it is likely that you will receive different varieties on different days as they are despatched at the best time for planting.

I'm going on holiday, can you delay the delivery of my plants please?

Unfortunately due to the number of plants that we send out at any one time, we are not able to speed up or postpone delivery for before or after a specific date. All of our plants and live products are grown with the utmost of care and are despatched when they are in the best condition for travelling and for you to grow on successfully. If you are likely not to be at home when the items are due to be delivered, please do let us know of an alternative delivery address at least 3 weeks before the delivery period given and we can ensure that your plants arrive safely.

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Requesting a Catalogue

How do I request a catalogue?

Please click here to request a copy of our printed catalogue, please note that some catalogues are not available all year round, we will retain your request and send you a copy of the new edition as soon as it is printed.

I have received a catalogue, but would like to place my order online. How do I find the products?

You can either enter the variety name, or the catalogue number into the search box online if you want to find out more information on the varieties you have selected. Alternatively, you may use our Quick Shop where you can enter the catalogue numbers directly into the quick order form, and the items will be added to your basket.

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My Account

Do I need to create an account?

No, you can either choose to create an account or you can checkout without creating an account. The benefit of creating an account is that you do not have to enter all of your details each time you visit our website to place an order. In addition you can added additional delivery addresses e.g. work, home and you can view what you have ordered in previous orders. Please note that we do not store your card details.

How do I create an account?

You can create an account at any time by clicking on the 'My Account' link at the top of any page. Alternatively you can add your items to the basket then click on the 'My Basket' link and then the checkout button on the Basket page. Once you have completed your address and payment details and confirmed your order, you will see an order confirmation page. At the bottom of this page you will have the option to add a password to create an account.

Will you automatically create an account for me when I place an order?

No we don't automatically create an account for you as you need to confirm a password that is unique to you. Please follow the instructions below for 'How do I create an account?'.

I have moved to a new house. How do I change address details on my account?

If you have recently changed your address, and you would like to amend your details on your account, simply go to https://www.vanmeuwen.com/account and click edit under your billing and delivery address. From here you can enter your new address. Please note that this will not update any orders that have been placed and are in progress, please contact us and we can amend the address on any outstanding orders for you.

How do I change my password?

If you have forgotten your password, please click 'forgot password?' on the login page. Please enter the email address linked to your account and we will send you a email where you can update your password. This link on this email is only valid for 24 hours, so remember to check your junk folder.

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Product Information

How long can the plants stay in their packaging?

We would recommend that all our products are potted on as per the cultural instructions provided. However, any product provided in a tray, can happily be kept for up to 2 weeks as long as they are watered lightly and kept in the light, away from extreme temperatures. Ensure you remove the cardboard sleeve and keep the plants upright. For the best results always follow the instructions provided. It is usual for the foliage of plants that have spent some time in the postal system to become slightly discoloured. This will return to normal once the plants have been given nice light conditions.

How big will my plant be when it arrives?

We offer young plants at various stages of growth and therefore in different sizes. Our products can vary from mini-plugs to 7cm plants right through to small trees. This information is clearly shown within our catalogues, on all offers and on-line. For more information take a look at our How We Send Your Plants page.

How should I look after my plants in the winter?

All plants vary depending on variety, whether they are perennial or annual and whether they are hardy. Again, all specific advice is provided in the individual cultural instructions provided.

Will it flower this year and how will I know how deep to plant?

All our products come with a comprehensive guide on all the specific requirements on planting, including depth, width and soil type, necessary for successful results.

Are your seeds genetically modified?

Van Meuwen do not stock any Genetically Modified or Genetically Engineered crops and have no plans to sell them in the future.

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Other Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my basket empty after I have taken time to order many items?

Ideally you should enter our website with the URL: https://www.vanmeuwen.com . However, this is not essential and you may come from a bookmark or a search engine link. We use cookies to link your computer to our order database. If you have not got cookies enabled we cannot make this link. In Internet Explorer, if you go to 'Tools', then 'Internet Options', and set Security and Privacy to 'medium' it should solve the problem.

Sometimes security programs you may be using will block the cookie connecting. As a rule on ours and other websites it is always best to check your Shopping Basket/Cart once you have added one or two items to check everything is working okay.

Is it safe to shop online?

Our website uses best practice for our web security. In addition, when you Check Out your personal and credit card details are encrypted - our URL will start with 'https'. You can view our security certificate by clicking on the closed padlock showing at the lower edge of your browser. As long as you take care with your computer's security we feel that shopping online is amongst the most secure forms of transaction.

Do you accept National Garden Gift Vouchers?

We are sorry, but we no longer accept National Garden Gift Vouchers.

Why have you sent me a substitute?

Under exceptional circumstances and to try and avoid any disappointment by not receiving a product at all, there may be times where we send out carefully selected substitutes if we have not been able to fulfil part of your order. We aim to choose a product that is as similar to the original as possible and of course if you are unhappy with this decision, please do get in touch and we will be happy to help.

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