Marketplace Policy

Sellers set their own prices, shipping, and (where offered) their own protections, within the rules below. SlowStem provides the tools — listings, offers, checkout, order tracking, ratings — and payment processing through Stripe. We don’t take possession of plants or guarantee any transaction, but we do set the baseline rules here so the marketplace is predictable.

• Buy now. A sale forms when the buyer completes checkout and payment is authorized by Stripe. If the charge fails, no contract forms and the order does not proceed.
• Offers.When a seller accepts an offer, the buyer is committing to buy at that price and the buyer’s payment is charged or captured to complete the order. If that charge fails, the order is void. Sellers should not accept more offers than they have stock to fill.
• Before shipment. Either party may cancel an order before it ships if both agree, or as allowed in the cancellation rules below. Once a plant ships, cancellation is handled as a return or dispute, not a simple cancel.

• Handling window. Sellers must ship within 10 business daysof a completed order (weekends and U.S. holidays don’t count), unless the listing clearly states a different handling period or an agreed weather hold applies. Sellers must have a reasonable basis for their stated handling time; if they can’t meet it, they must get the buyer’s consent to the delay or refund the order.
• Tracking. Add carrier tracking to the order. An order counts as shipped when the carrier scans it, not when a label is created.
• Weather holds.Live plants can be held for unsafe heat or cold. Tell the buyer, agree on timing, and don’t hold indefinitely. If the parties can’t agree on a weather-hold date, either party may cancel for a full refund before shipment.
• If it never ships.If a package gets no carrier scan within a reasonable time and the seller can’t resolve it, the order may be cancelled and the buyer refunded. Under federal mail- order rules, if you can’t meet the promised (or default 30-day) shipping time, the buyer must be able to accept the delay or get a refund.
• Lost in transit. A shipment is treated as lost if tracking shows no movement for 7 days after the last scan (or never reaches the buyer). The seller must open a carrier trace/claim, and the buyer is entitled to a replacement or refund. The risk of a lost, undelivered, or unscanned carrier shipment sits with the seller, who packed and dispatched it — not the buyer.

• Report quickly. A buyer claiming damage or a plant materially different from the listing should report it within 48 hours of delivery, with clear photos — the packaging as received, and the plant — and, where possible, an unboxing photo or video. This reporting window helps us and the seller evaluate condition-at-arrival claims and does not limit any consumer right that cannot lawfully be waived.
• Normal variation isn’t a defect.Live plants change; new growth, seasonal condition, and minor cosmetic blemishes are expected and aren’t grounds for a claim. A claim is about material misdescription or damage, not ordinary variation.
• Weather and carrier delays. Sellers may exclude damage caused by carrier delays or extreme weather outside their control, provided the plant was packed appropriately.
• Remedies.Where a claim is valid, the remedy may be a refund, partial refund, or replacement, normally at the seller’s reasonable choice. Where the parties can’t agree, SlowStem may determine the appropriate remedy — a refund, partial refund, or replacement — subject to the payment provider’s dispute procedures and applicable law. Returning a live plant is generally not required and often isn’t practical.
• Mediation.Work it out through SlowStem messages first. If you can’t, report it to us; we may help mediate at our discretion but don’t guarantee an outcome, and your right to dispute a charge with your card issuer is unaffected.

• A seller-initiated cancellation, or a failure to ship within the handling window, results in a full refund to the buyer.
• When an order is refunded or cancelled, the SlowStem platform fee for that order is refunded too, so a cancelled sale carries no SlowStem fee. Stripe’s own processing fees are handled per Stripe’s terms.
• Refunds are issued to the original payment method through Stripe.
• How refunds are funded.Payment for each sale goes to the seller’s Stripe account and is paid out to their bank on Stripe’s standard schedule. Where a refund is due while the funds are still in the seller’s Stripe balance (not yet paid out to their bank), the refund is drawn from that balance. The seller — as the merchant of record — is responsible for issuing refunds in all cases; SlowStem can help mediate but can’t force one. Your right to dispute a charge with your card issuer is unaffected either way.

Sellers are paid out through their Stripe connected account. To run the marketplace and manage risk, you authorize SlowStem (working with Stripe) to:

• delay a payout until tracking or delivery is confirmed;
• hold a rolling reserve on an account where the risk warrants it;
• reverse transfers and recover amounts sent in error;
• deduct or offset refunds, chargebacks, dispute fees, taxes, and other amounts you owe from current or future payouts;
• offset a negative balance against future payouts, and debit the connected account where permitted;
• withhold funds during a fraud, safety, or legal investigation; and
• recover amounts you still owe after your account closes.

As the merchant of record you own chargebacks and disputes on your orders. Stripe’s processing fees depend on the payment method and are shown to you during onboarding and in your dashboard.

To operate a lawful marketplace, SlowStem may collect and verify seller information, including banking, tax-ID, and contact details, and may receive verification data from Stripe or another provider. Where the law (such as the federal INFORM Consumers Act) requires it for higher-volume sellers, we may require additional information, obtain annual certifications, display certain seller information to buyers, keep the related records, and suspend selling until you comply. We use this information only as the law permits.

The marketplace is limited to live plants, cuttings, corms, tubers, seeds where legally permitted, and nonregulated plant-care accessories we approve. Pesticides and regulated chemicals, controlled or prohibited plants, animals and animal products, hazardous materials, counterfeit goods, and anything needing a professional license we haven’t verified are not allowed. See the Terms, §11, the plant-law rules, and the Community Guidelines.