Shipping policy

Shipping & Delivery Policy

Highland Crops ships farm-fresh roses direct from farms to your door. We handle everything — customs clearance, phytosanitary documentation, cold chain packaging, and carrier management — so you receive flowers ready to arrange, not paperwork to sort.

This policy covers how we ship, what to expect, and exactly what happens if something goes wrong.

How We Ship

All orders ship via FedEx or UPS with full end-to-end tracking. We use temperature-controlled packaging rated for 2–5 day transit across all US climate zones.

Carrier selection is determined by your location, transit time, and service availability. We select the carrier that delivers your roses fastest and in the best condition — you don't need to choose.

Shipping Timeline

Transit times are estimates, not guarantees. Carrier delays due to weather, volume surges, or service disruptions are outside our control. If your order has a hard event deadline, contact us before placing — we'll recommend the right service level.

Order Cutoff Times

Why we don't ship Friday–Sunday: Fresh flowers sitting in a carrier hub over a weekend degrade. We hold Friday–Sunday orders to ship fresh Monday rather than risk quality.

Expedited orders placed after cutoff: Contact us directly. We can sometimes accommodate same-day packing for expedited shipments placed before 1:00 PM EST — reach out before assuming it's not possible.

Shipping Costs

We offer free shipping on all orders

Packaging & Cold Chain

We take the cold chain seriously. Here's how roses travel from farm to your door:

At the Farm (Ecuador)

Roses cut early morning at peak hydration
Immediately placed in nutrient solution and refrigerated at 2°C (35°F)
Graded and quality-inspected before packing
Bunched, sleeved, and packed in humidity-controlled boxes
Loaded into refrigerated transport for same-day departure

In the Box

Insulated liner rated for 2–5 day transit in typical US climate conditions
Gel cooling packs or dry ice (depending on season and destination temperature)
Hydration packs to maintain moisture during transit
No loose soil or water — clean, contained, professional packaging

Tracking Your Order

You'll receive a tracking email as soon as your order ships. This includes:

Carrier name and tracking number
Direct link to carrier tracking page
Estimated delivery date and window

Order notification flow:

✅ Order Confirmed
📦 Packed & Ready to Ship
🚚 Shipped (with tracking link)
📍 Out for Delivery
✔️ Delivered

If you haven't received a tracking email on your expected ship date, email us at Hello@highlandcrops.com or check your spam folder.

Receiving Your Order

What to Do When Your Box Arrives

Open immediately — do not leave the box in a hot entryway, loading dock, or outside
Inspect all stems — remove roses from packaging and check for damage or quality issues
Photograph everything — take photos of all blooms (together and individually) and the farm label on the box before conditioning. This is critical for any claims.
Condition your roses — trim stems at a 45° angle, place in fresh water with flower food, store in a cool location out of direct sunlight

Your responsibility as a B2B buyer: You are a professional. Proper conditioning — clean buckets, fresh water, correct temperature, immediate unboxing — directly impacts vase life. We ship peak-fresh; how you handle them from the box determines the rest.

Vase Life Expectations

Properly conditioned roses typically last 2–3 weeks. Vase life depends on:

How quickly you condition after delivery
Water quality and freshness
Temperature at your facility
Flower food / preservative use
Variety (some varieties naturally have shorter or longer vase life)

We can't guarantee vase life beyond delivery quality. What we guarantee: roses arrive at 90%+ condition, hydrated, at peak bloom, free of disease.

Damage Claims Process

Window: 24 hours from delivery

After 24 hours, we cannot verify that damage occurred in transit versus post-delivery handling. Claims reported outside this window will not be accepted.

Step 1: Document Immediately

Before doing anything else, photograph:

All flowers laid out together (group shot)
All damaged or poor-quality blooms separately
The farm/origin label on the box
The shipping label on the exterior

Step 2: Contact Us

Email: Hello@highlandcrops.com
Subject line: "Damage Claim — [Your Order Number] — [Delivery Date]"
Include: Photos, order number, description of the issue, quantity affected

We respond to claims within 2 business days.

Step 3: Resolution

We'll assess your claim and offer one of the following:

Resolution	When Applied
Replacement shipment	Significant quality issues where replacement is practical given your timeline
Full or partial refund	When replacement isn't feasible or damage is extensive
Store credit	At your preference

If the flowers weren't right, we fix it.

What voids a claim:

Reported more than 24 hours after delivery
No photos provided
Damage caused by improper conditioning or post-delivery handling
Normal variation in bloom stage (some tighter, some more open is normal — not a defect)

Peak Season & Holiday Orders

Fresh flower supply gets constrained during peak holidays. Carrier capacity also tightens significantly. Plan ahead — this is real, and it affects you.

Key Peak Dates

Holiday	Order Lead Time Required	Notes
Valentine's Day (Feb 14)	10–14 days in advance	Highest demand period. Carrier capacity extremely limited Feb 10–14.
Mother's Day (2nd Sunday in May)	10–14 days in advance	Second-highest demand. May 8–11 shipments highly constrained.
Easter / Spring Holidays	7–10 days in advance	Farm supply variable; order early
Prom Season (April–May)	5–7 days in advance	Concentrated demand in specific zip codes
Wedding Season (May–October)	Standing orders recommended	See Standing Orders section
Christmas / New Year's	7–10 days in advance	Carrier network at capacity Dec 20–26

Peak Season Shipping Notes

Expect +1–2 day delays on standard ground shipping during Valentine's Day and Mother's Day weeks — even with normal carrier performance
We do not guarantee specific delivery dates during peak periods, even with expedited service. If your event cannot flex, contact us and we'll work out a contingency plan.

Our recommendation: For Valentine's Day and Mother's Day, treat it like inventory management — order 2 weeks out, ship to arrive 3–4 days before the holiday. Flowers condition beautifully with proper care.

Standing & Recurring Orders

Established accounts can set up standing orders for automatic weekly or bi-weekly shipments.

Benefits of a standing order:

Preferred packing slot (your order goes first)
Consistent delivery schedule you can plan around
Dedicated account contact
Volume discount (discount tier set by account agreement — contact us to discuss)
No re-ordering friction — set it and focus on your business

How it works:

Contact us to establish your account and schedule
We agree on variety, quantity, box count, and delivery day
Your order auto-processes on your schedule
Payment charged after each confirmed shipment
You can pause, adjust quantities, or cancel with 72 hours notice before the next ship date

Minimum commitment: No minimum contract period — we earn your repeat business every week.

To set up a standing order: email Hello@highlandcrops.com or reach out via the contact form.

Delivery Attempt Policy

Carriers make one delivery attempt for fresh flower shipments.

Flowers are perishable. A second delivery attempt the next day often means compromised quality. We do not request second attempts.

If you miss a delivery:

FedEx and UPS will hold the package at a local facility for pickup (typically 1–2 days)
You must pick up within the hold window — unclaimed packages are destroyed
We are not responsible for quality degradation due to a missed delivery

Recommendation: Designate a receiving person for your expected delivery day. If your delivery address is unmanned during business hours, consider shipping to a staffed location.

Signature requirements: For high-value orders, we may require signature confirmation. This will be noted in your order confirmation.

Undeliverable Packages

A package is considered undeliverable when:

Address provided was incorrect or incomplete
Package was refused at delivery
No one was available and hold period expired
Recipient location was inaccessible

Highland Crops is not responsible for undeliverable packages due to incorrect addresses or missed deliveries. Fresh flowers cannot be reshipped after a failed delivery.

If you believe your address is unusual or has known delivery issues (gated facility, loading dock requirements, etc.), include delivery instructions at checkout or contact us before your order ships.

To correct an address after an order is placed: contact us immediately at Hello@highlandcrops.com. We can update the address before shipment if we catch it in time. Once shipped, address corrections are subject to carrier fees and are not always possible.

Weather Holds & Delays

We monitor weather along transit routes and at origin. If conditions threaten product quality, we act proactively.

Triggers for a weather hold:

Extreme heat (95°F+) in the transit corridor
Freezing temperatures at destination without adequate insulation
Severe weather events causing carrier network shutdowns
Farm-side weather disrupting harvest or packing (flooding, frost, etc.)

What we do:

Notify you immediately by email with the reason and new estimated ship date
Upgrade packaging (additional cooling/insulation) where possible
Switch to faster service to reduce transit exposure if practical
If hold extends beyond 48 hours, we discuss options with you — including cancellation with full refund

What we don't do: Ship into conditions that will damage your order just to hit a ship date. A 1-day delay is better than dead flowers.

Geographic Restrictions

Continental US (Lower 48)

We ship to all addresses in the contiguous 48 states. Standard and expedited services available.

Alaska and Hawaii

Shipping to AK and HI is available but requires special handling:

Extended transit: 5–7 business days typical
Higher shipping cost (calculated at checkout)
Expedited service strongly recommended
Contact us before placing your first order to discuss options

US Territories (Puerto Rico, USVI, Guam, etc.)

International

We currently ship within the United States only. For international wholesale inquiries, contact us — we may be able to accommodate via custom arrangement.

Customs & Import Compliance

You don't deal with any of this. We handle it entirely.

Every Highland Crops shipment includes:

Phytosanitary certificate — issued by Ecuador's agricultural authority (AGROCALIDAD), confirming flowers are free of pests and disease
USDA customs clearance — all required import documentation
Tariffs and duties — included in product pricing, no surprise charges at delivery
Cold chain documentation — temperature logs available on request

By the time your box arrives at your door, it has cleared US Customs. You open it and start conditioning.

Liability Limitations

We are responsible for the condition of your flowers at the time of delivery. Our liability is limited to the value of the order placed.

We are not liable for:

Lost revenue, lost event bookings, or consequential damages resulting from a shipment delay or quality issue
Carrier delays beyond our control (weather, volume surges, carrier network failures)
Quality degradation resulting from improper conditioning, handling, or storage after delivery
Damage caused by the customer's facility conditions (extreme heat, freezing, etc.) after receipt

Carrier liability note: FedEx and UPS standard carrier liability for perishable shipments is limited (typically ~$100 per shipment). We purchase additional declared value coverage for high-value orders. If you have concerns about coverage for a large order, contact us before shipment.

Our commitment: Within the limits of what we control — farm quality, packing, cold chain, carrier selection — we stand behind every order. If we caused it or could have prevented it, we fix it.

Returns & Refunds

Flowers are non-returnable. They're perishable — returning them is not practical or meaningful.

What we offer instead:

Situation	Our Response
Damage upon arrival (reported within 24h with photos)	Replacement shipment or full/partial refund
Significant quality issue (not damage, but not right)	Partial refund or store credit
Wrong product shipped	Full replacement + expedited shipping at no charge
Carrier lost the package	Full replacement or refund
You ordered the wrong thing	No refund — order carefully; reach out and we'll try to help
Late delivery (carrier delay, not our error)	We file the carrier claim; refund or replacement based on outcome

Cancellations: Orders may be cancelled for a full refund up to 24 hours before the scheduled pack date. After packing begins, we cannot cancel — product has been committed to your order.

FAQ

Q: Can I pick a specific delivery date? A: Yes — use the delivery date picker at checkout to select your preferred arrival date. We work backward from that date to schedule packing and shipping. For events, select a date 2–3 days before the event to allow conditioning time.

Q: What if my order is damaged? A: Email Hello@highlandcrops.com within 24 hours of delivery with photos of all flowers and the box label. We'll respond within 2 business days and make it right.

Q: Can you guarantee delivery by a specific date? A: Standard shipping timelines are reliable under normal conditions but are not contractual guarantees. For hard deadlines (events, holidays), use expedited service and order early. Contact us — we'll help you choose the right service level.

Q: Do you ship on holidays? A: We do not pack or ship on major US federal holidays. Orders placed around holidays follow the next available business day. Check our site or contact us for specific holiday schedules.

Q: Why didn't my Friday order ship Friday? A: We don't ship Friday–Sunday. Orders placed after the Thursday cutoff ship Monday. This is intentional — roses sitting in a hub over a weekend arrive in worse condition than roses that ship Monday and arrive Tuesday. Quality over speed.

Q: What's the warmest climate you can ship to? A: We ship to all US climate zones. For high-heat destinations during summer, we add extra cooling and may recommend expedited service. If you're in Phoenix in August, talk to us before ordering — we'll make sure the right service is used.

Q: Do you ship to businesses only? A: Yes. Highland Crops is a B2B wholesale supplier. Our customers are florists, event planners, and wholesale buyers. Orders are shipped in farm boxes, not consumer gift packaging.

Q: Can I split an order across multiple addresses? A: Yes. Multi-destination orders are available — contact us to set up. Shipping costs apply per destination.

Q: How far in advance should I order for Valentine's Day? A: 10–14 days minimum. Order early, store properly, and you'll have excellent roses. Waiting until Feb 10–13 is a gamble on carrier capacity and farm availability — don't do it.

Q: What happens if no one is at my location when the delivery arrives? A: The carrier leaves the package or holds it at a nearby facility for 1–2 days pickup. Do not let perishable packages sit unclaimed — pick them up the same day. We cannot be responsible for quality after a missed delivery.

Questions & Contact

Email: Hello@highlandcrops.com

For urgent shipment issues: mark your subject line URGENT — [Order Number] and we'll prioritize.

Highland Crops ships farm-direct. Every box is our reputation.

Premium cut-to-order flowers sourced directly from South America's finest farms and delivered to your door. No middlemen. No compromises. Just exceptional quality at wholesale prices.

Why Highland Crops

The wholesale rose market is broken. Massive distributors dominate through scale, passing middleman markups down to florists. Quality suffers. Service is impersonal. Relationships don't exist.

Highland Crops was built to fix that. We source directly from premium farms in South America and handle logistics ourselves. No layers between grower and florist. That means fresher flwoers, better pricing, and a partner who actually knows your business.

We're not a marketplace. We're a supplier you can count on.

Browse our catalog

Where Our Flowers Come From
Our premium flowers are sourced from carefully selected farms across the world's most renowned flower-growing regions. We partner exclusively with growers who share our commitment to quality, sustainability, and ethical farming practices. Each box is hand-selected to ensure it meets our exacting standards for beauty and longevity.
Our Source Farms
High elevation, cool nights, rich volcanic soil, and year-round equatorial daylight create the perfect growing conditions. The result: large, colorful, long-lasting blooms
Key Stats:
- Elevation: 2,400–2,800 meters
- 100% certified sustainable practices
- Average farm age: 25+ years of expertise
- Daily quality inspections
- Fair trade certified operations
Our farms employ over 1000 skilled workers and maintain the highest environmental standards in the industry.
Our Process
From harvest to delivery, every rose is handled with care. Our process includes:
- Harvest: Hand-picked at peak bloom, early morning when stems are fully hydrated.
- Processing: Immediate hydration and conditioning
- Quality Check: Rigorous inspection for perfection. Only the top 90%+ of harvest meets our standard
- Packaging: Flowers are bunched, placed in nutrient water, and refrigerated to 2°C to pause aging and extend vase life.
- Delivery: Fast, temperature-controlled shipping with tracking from source to your door.
This ensures your roses arrive fresh and beautiful.