FAQ - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. I have not received the order email confirmation, what should I do?
2. How soon will I receive the products purchased?
3. I followed all your instructions, but the seeds that I bought didn't germinate!
4. What is CITES?
5. What are the European regulations about protected species?
6. I am a collector, can I give the seeds harvested from my plants to a friend as a present?
1. I have not received the order email confirmation, what should I do?
Please wait a few minutes and check the mailbox provided at time of purchase. Also check your spam folder and verify the configuration of spam filters: our mail often goes to spam folder, especially at your first order. Add the address info[at]seedscactus.com to your address book. If after performing these operations and after waiting 24 hours you still have not received the confirmation email, please send us an email and we will check the proper registration of the order.
2. How soon will I receive the products purchased?
Orders are processed as soon as possible and in accordance with the succession of registration. Usually we can make the shipment within one working day after the execution of the order, but during periods of high workload might need some more days; shipping is done in any case within 7 working days from the order date, except exceptional cases.
Depending on the type of shipment selected, delivery times (indicated on the page for choosing the type of shipment) vary. If you chose a traceable shipping, we will provide the link to track the shipping status (only active for travel to Italian border); on the contrary, for not traceable shipments (such as not registered mail, which is not recommended) the travel at the risk of the purchaser and, from experience, not offer certain delivery time. Read our Terms and conditions of sale for more informations.
3. I followed all your instructions, but the seeds that I bought didn't germinate!
By company policy, we are committed to selling the freshest seeds and highest germination rate. Studies show that, with rare exceptions, the germination probability of a seed decreases with the age of the seed itself: for this reason, on the site only seeds collected exclusively during the last growing season are for sale (for example, in 2012 we sold seeds harvested not before 2011). The seeds unsold at the end of the season, however, are put on sale in a special section of our website, or given as a present, or given away to enthousiast associations. That said, the seeds may not be germinated due to unfavorable environmental conditions (relative humidity , lighting, terrain, etc.) that are not under our control, and that despite the advices given in the Tutorial section, may not have been complied with in full. However, do not despair! Some seeds may require up to several months before germinating.
The acronym CITES means "Convention on international trade in species of wild fauna and flora threatened with extinction". It is usually called, for short, "the Washington Convention". It is an agreement signed by the governments of almost all countries in the world created to regulate and monitor the for-profit exchange of animals and plants in danger. The Convention lists animal and plant species at risk of extinction, and the list is updated on a periodic basis by a committee of biologists and researchers from around the world. The species are divided into 3 Appendices (I, II, III) depending on the level of protection. For more informations see also CITES section of our website.
5. What are the European regulations about protected species?
Constituting a very large market because of its size and its level of modernization, the EU has decided to implement CITES regulations by acquiring Regulations that, for certain species, are also more restrictive than CITES. They are the Council Regulation (EC) n.338/97 of the Council of 09.12.96 and following amends and supplements. In Europe, the species at risk are divided into four annexes (A-B-C-D) depending on the level of protection. For more informations see also Regulations section of our website.
6. I am a collector, can I give the seeds harvested from my plants to a friend as a present?
There are two possible cases:
- if you've collected the plants whose seeds are included in Annex A or B (EC regulation 338/97 of 09.12.96 and a.s.) you can give, exchange, transfer or sell the seeds only if you hold the "Register Detention Species of Wild Fauna and Flora" under the Decree of the Italian Ministry of the Environment January 8, 2002; in addiction, collecting the seeds of a plant in Annex A or B forms part of the artificial propagation and must be authorized (in different ways depending on whether it's plants in Annex A or B) from the Italian State Forestry Corps (obvious all this is valid for Italy);
- if you have collected the plants whose seeds are not included in Annexes A or B, you are free to manage the collected seeds as you like because they are not subject to restrictions.
7. Can I place an order if I live outside the EU?
Sure! We ship worldwide. Please note that seeds part of Appendix A of Reg.CE 750/13 and Annex I CITES are not sold outside EU.
