Shipping policy

Purchase, Shipping & Live Arrival Policies

Thank you for choosing Next World Exotics (NWE).

We want every order to arrive safely and every plant to have the best possible chance to thrive.

By placing an order through our website, social media, live auctions, or other sales platforms, you agree to the terms below.

IMPORTANT AFTER DELIVERY

Have an issue with your plant?

  • Contact us within 3 hours of delivery.

  • Send your full unboxing video.

  • Do not alter the plant before we respond.

See Section 2: Live Arrival Guarantee below for complete requirements.

 

 

1. Purchasing & Order Changes

Purchasing

  • Customers must be 18 years or older to purchase.

  • Repeated bidding without intent to purchase or failure to pay for an auction win may result in removal from future sales or auctions.

  • Giveaways, games, or similar promotional events cannot be exchanged or swapped. Participation indicates acceptance of the outcome.

Shipping Week & Order Cutoff

  • Orders can be combined: Friday –Thursday

  • Boxes close: Friday at 12:00 PM ET

  • Standard ship day: Tuesday

  • Standard Shipping: UPS 2 Day

  • Orders placed before Friday at 12:00 PM ET ship the upcoming Tuesday.

  • Orders placed after Friday at 12:00 PM ET fall into the next shipping week and ship the Tuesday after next—not the upcoming Tuesday.

    • Example: Orders placed before Friday, Aug 7th at 12:00 PM ET ships Tuesday, Aug 11th. Orders placed after Friday, Aug 7th at 12:00 PM ET ships Tuesday, Aug 18th.

Changes, Holds & Cancellations

All changes to orders must be made before Friday at 12:00 PM ET including:

  • Cancellations

  • Holds

  • Address changes

  • Shipping upgrades

  • Other order modifications

After the cutoff:

  • Your order may already be in the shipping process.

  • Changes or cancellations cannot be guaranteed.

  • Accommodated requests may be subject to a 20% restocking fee.

Combined Orders

Orders within the same shipping cycle are automatically combined when safe and practical.

For orders placed across multiple platforms:

  • Customer name and shipping address must match exactly.

  • Mismatched information will result in separate shipments.

  • We do not normally hold or combine orders across separate shipping weeks unless our team determines it is necessary.

  • Eligible shipping overages are refunded after shipment processing is complete.

Delivery Recommendations

  • Arrange for someone to receive the package, or

  • Provide the carrier with instructions for a safe, shaded delivery location.

  • Bring packages indoors promptly.

  • Do not leave live plants outdoors in extreme temperatures after delivery.

 

 

2. Live Arrival Guarantee

We guarantee the live arrival of plants shipped under appropriate conditions when the requirements below are followed.

Some shipping stress is normal. Temporary wilting, minor leaf loss, cosmetic damage, or yellowing does not necessarily mean a plant is unhealthy.

If You Have a Concern

Contact us within 3 hours of the carrier-confirmed delivery time. If your plants arrive in good condition or with normal stress you do not need to contact us.

To Remain Eligible:

  1. Purchase required weather protection when applicable. See section 4.

  2. Receive the package on the first delivery attempt or pick it up from the carrier the same day.

  3. Photograph the unopened package before opening it.

  4. Record the complete unboxing.

    • Video must show the package being opened.

    • Video must show the plant being removed and unwrapped.

  5. Contact us within 3 hours of delivery with:

    • Unboxing video

    • Photos/video

    • Description of the concern

  6. Do not repot, unpot, trim, treat, or alter the plant before we respond to your claim. Doing so will void eligibility.

  7. Do not file a third-party claim through Shopify, PayPal, or another provider before contacting us. This will void our guarantee. 

Whenever possible, contact us through the same platform where you purchased.

Video files may also be emailed to nextworldsales@gmail.com.

How Live Arrival + 30 Day Guarantee Works 

  1. A plant arrives dead → We replace it.

  2. A plant arrives with shipping stress and we confirm the plant is unlikely to survive → We replace it.

  3. A plant arrives and you have a concern and we confirm it will live → We provide care instructions and direct you to our Care Group to share continued updates. This triggers the 30 day guarantee.

    • Follow our instructions and terms → Guarantee extends for up to 30 days.

    • We can only guarantee our way of acclimating and growing plants, it would be impossible for us to cover how every one of our clients chooses to grow their plants. If you follow our instructions and it fails we are willing to cover it. We must be kept up to date to have an opportunity to adjust care if the situation calls for it.

    • If you do not follow our instructions this voids the 30 day guarantee. 

  4. If your plant does not survive after following our instructions and terms within the 30 days → We replace it.

The up-to-30-day coverage is an extension of the original Live Arrival Guarantee for the reported concern. It applies when our team has been contacted within the initial claim period, has assessed the plant, confirms the guarantee, and has provided care instructions.

Normal Shipping Stress May Include:

  • Temporary wilting

  • Minor yellowing

  • Bent or torn leaves

  • Minor blemishes

  • Broken or damaged individual leaves or petioles

  • Limited leaf loss

Each plant is inspected for overall health and condition before shipping. 

Minor cosmetic changes can occur in transit from being boxed and handled by carriers without light and adjusting to changes in temperature, humidity, and environment.

Cosmetic damage is not covered by our guarantee, but our team is always happy to provide guidance to help your plant acclimate successfully.

Guarantee Coverage May Be Voided If:

  • Live Arrival requirements above are not followed.

  • An incorrect or incomplete shipping address was provided.

  • Required weather protection was not purchased, see section 4.

  • The plant is altered outside of our instructions.

  • Specific care instructions are not followed.

  • Rude or abusive communication occurs with our staff.

Replacements & Returns

  • Replacement plants may be held and shipped with your next order to avoid an additional shipping charge for your convenience. Otherwise normal shipping rates apply.

  • We may request additional photos or information about your growing conditions. Be prepared to provide temperature, humidity, and lighting.

  • Return shipping is the customer's responsibility unless otherwise specified by our team.

  • Plants must be returned using proper shipping material and packaging methods.

  • Original shipping charges are non-refundable.

  • Orders delivered to an incorrect address provided by the customer are not covered.

  • Claims submitted outside the required 3-hour arrival window are not eligible for Live Arrival Guarantee coverage.

 

 

3. Plant Acclimation & Normal Shipping Stress

Shipping is stressful for plants. Even healthy plants need time to adjust to changes in light, temperature, humidity, and environment.

First 2 Weeks: Allow Your Plant to Acclimate

For at least 2 weeks after delivery, DO NOT:

  • Repot

  • Change growing media

  • Trim or cut leaves or roots

  • Divide the plant

  • Take cuttings

  • Make other unnecessary alterations

These changes can create additional stress and make it difficult to determine whether a problem is related to shipping, acclimation, or changes made after delivery.

Exception: Bare-root plants should be potted into an appropriate substrate after arrival.

During Acclimation

  • Provide appropriate light, water, temperature, humidity, and drainage for the species.

  • Allow the plant to adjust gradually.

  • Quarantine new plants before introducing them to your existing collection.

  • Contact us before taking corrective action if you are concerned.

If you contact us about a concern:

Do not repot, cut, trim, treat, or otherwise alter the plant until our team has assessed it and provided instructions.

 

 

4. Weather Protection

Weather protection may be required to maintain eligibility for our Live Arrival Guarantee.

Heat Pack Required When:

  • Forecasted high is below 60°F, or

  • Forecasted low is below 45°F

Cryo Pack Required When:

  • Temperatures exceed 95°F

Additional terms:

  • When insulation is necessary and the appropriate weather protection has been purchased, our team will add insulation as needed.

  • Failure to purchase required heat or cryo protection may void the Live Arrival Guarantee.

  • NWE may delay shipment during unsafe weather conditions even when weather protection has been purchased.

 

 

5. Plants Prone to Shipping Stress

Some plants naturally respond to shipping and environmental changes by dropping leaves.

High Leaf-Drop Varieties

May lose a significant amount—or even most—of their foliage:

  • Dorstenia

  • Begonia

  • Euphorbia

Leaf loss alone does not mean the plant is unhealthy. These plants recover and produce new growth after acclimation.

Moderate Leaf-Loss Varieties

May experience noticeable leaf loss:

  • Alocasia

  • Homalomena

  • Anthurium

There is no coverage for cosmetic damage. If you are unsure whether what you are seeing is normal shipping stress, contact us within the required claim window.

 

 

6. Pest Policy

Next World Exotics operates an outdoor nursery, and occasional pests are an inherent possibility when purchasing live plants.

Our preventative pest-management program may include:

  • Systemic treatments

  • Rotational treatments

  • Beneficial insects

When Your Plant Arrives

  • We strongly recommend quarantining every new plant before introducing it to your established collection.

  • If you notice or suspect bugs, contact us before treating the plant so we can recommend an appropriate course of action. We do use beneficials, you don’t want to kill those.

Common plant pests are not covered under the Live Arrival Guarantee and do not qualify for a refund or partial refund.

 

 

7. Carrier Damage, Delays & Lost Packages

  • Packages are insured for their eligible value at no additional charge.

  • NWE will assist with carrier claims.

  • NWE cannot control carrier delays, handling, or circumstances occurring after a shipment has been transferred to the carrier.

Damaged Package

If your package arrives damaged:

  1. Photograph the unopened package before opening it.

  2. Contact us within 3 hours of delivery.

  3. Continue recording while opening and unpacking the package.

Lost Package

  • Contact us so we can open a claim with the carrier.

  • We will provide updates.

  • Applicable replacement or credit will be handled after the carrier claim has been reviewed.

 

 


8. Shipping

Domestic Shipping

  • We ship throughout the United States.

  • Standard shipping is UPS 2nd Day Air.

  • Customers may upgrade to UPS Next Day Air.

  • Tracking is provided once the order ships.

  • We may delay shipments when weather conditions make shipping unsafe.

International Shipping

  • Available through DHL or Air Cargo.

  • Phytosanitary certificates are included when required.

  • Minimum order requirements may apply.

  • Contact us for current export requirements and terms.

How Plants Ship

  • Cacti generally ship bare root unless otherwise specified.

  • Other plants normally ship in their growing media.

  • Every plant and crystal is inspected before shipment.

  • We maintain packing documentation showing condition before shipment.

 

 

9. Crystal Orders

If a crystal arrives broken, contact us with photos of the item and packaging.

You may choose to:

  1. Keep the crystal and receive a 50% store credit toward its value; or

  2. Return the crystal, securely packaged and at your expense, for a full-value store credit.

 

 

10. Final Notes

We take the health of our plants and the experience of our customers seriously and genuinely want to help when something does not look right.

For the best opportunity to resolve an issue:

  • Contact us promptly.

  • Provide all required documentation.

  • Follow the care instructions provided by our team.

  • Contact us before altering a plant you are concerned about.

Situations outside of these terms may still be reviewed by our team on a case-by-case basis.

Next World Exotics

Where rarity meets responsibility — we're here to grow with you.