Refund policy

Budding Obsession General and Dahlia Specific Policies (Tubers, Cuttings and Seeds) 

Last update 12/01/2025

This document contains important information relating to: Our General / Dahlia Refund Policy, Tuber Expectations, Dahlia Disease Mitigation Efforts – you will check a box prior to check-out stating you have read and agree to these policies.

We do not accept order cancellations after purchase. This applies to all items we sell as the majority are perishable in nature. Once your order is placed, it’s final—we get things moving quickly to ensure fresh shipping, so we can’t accommodate changes or cancellations after the fact.

2025/2026 Refund Policy for Dahlia Tubers

For the 2025/2026 Dahlia season, we’re offering a 24-hour store credit request window specifically for dahlia tubers (this applies only to tubers, not other items).

Every tuber is carefully inspected before it leaves our farm or goes into storage. We check for:

  • At least one visible eye
  • An intact neck
  • A firm body

Note: Some tubers may feel slightly soft upon arrival (not rock-hard). This is completely normal—it’s just a response to minor moisture loss during transit. As long as you plant or store them promptly based on your local weather and growing zone, they’ll be just fine.

If a tuber arrives in poor condition, you may request a store credit within 24 hours of USPS delivery confirmation (based on tracking data—not when you open the package). We strongly recommend inspecting your order the moment it arrives and noting any exterior box damage.

To request a credit:

  1. Email hello@buddingobsession.com within that 24-hour window
  2. Include clear photos showing the issue and our markings on the tuber
  3. We’ll review, follow up if needed, and determine viability

Shipping Loss or Damage: We don’t offer automatic refunds or replacements for lost or damaged packages. However, all orders include up to $100 in shipping insurance. Orders over $100 will automatically have additional insurance purchased to cover your entire order free of charge.

After 24 hours from delivery, all sales are final. We cannot offer refunds, credits, or replacements for any reason, including (but not limited to):

  • Tubers or cuttings that shrivel, rot, or die before planting
  • Tubers or cuttings that rot or fail in the ground
  • Tubers or seeds that don’t sprout
  • Plants that grow stunted
  • Lack of blooms
  • Any signs of disease

All sales remain final even after we’ve corrected any packaging errors or accounted for pre-shipping storage loss, as outlined below.

Packaging Errors

Please open and inspect your order as soon as it arrives. Verify you received the correct quantity and varieties.

If something is missing or incorrect:

  • Contact us within 24 hours at hello@buddingobsession.com
  • Include photos of everything you received
  • We’ll compare with our pre-shipment photos

If we made a mistake, we’ll correct it by sending the right items or refunding the missing ones. After 24 hours, we consider the order complete and accurate.

Storage Loss Before Shipping

Dahlias are living things, and even with the best care, some tubers don’t survive winter storage—especially certain finicky varieties. If a tuber fails between your purchase and shipping time:

  • You’ll receive an email notification
  • We’ll automatically refund the purchase price of the unavailable tuber
  • Any remaining items ship as planned (no substitutions, no shipping discounts, no order modifications)
  • If it was your only item, we’ll also refund shipping

We’re unable to offer replacements or allow order changes in these cases.

Our Tubers: Small, Ugly, Dormant—and Proud of It

We Sell Small Tubers All tubers are at least the size of a AA battery. That’s our minimum. Tiny tubers with an eye, neck, and body will grow just as strong as giants. We even cut larger tubers down to ~5 inches to fit into shipping boxes—providing you with the lowest shipping rate, it doesn’t affect growth. If small tubers aren’t your thing, we may not be the right farm for you.

We Sell Ugly Tubers Let’s be real: dahlia tubers are not pretty. They’re grown in dirt. Expect wrinkly, twisty, hairy, stained, or peeling skin. Some have end cuts or minor body dings from dividing. We regularly dock ends of tubers when dividing to help identify potential rot. We’ve handled thousands and know what’s healthy. If you want flawless, grocery-store produce vibes, look elsewhere.

We MAY Sell Tubers With Dormant Eyes Eyes wake up on their own schedule—just like people. Fall Shipping = likely dormant tubers,  early ship dates (Feb-Mar), possibly dormant or a mix. Spring shipping (late March - April) all tubers will have either a visible eye or actively sprouting. We will not ship dormant tubers in the spring. We know you’re excited to get going! Babysitting a tuber and waiting for it to wake up is a task I as the seller takes on for you prior to shipping.

You might receive:

  • Dormant eyes: Look like a crack, pimple, or blemish on the crown (they’ll wake up in the right conditions)
  • Awake eyes: Tiny pearl-like swells in white, green, pink, purple, or red
  • Sprouted eyes: Full sprouts emerging in various colors

Every Tuber We Ship Is Plantable We divide hundreds of clumps annually. If a tuber meets our standards, we either ship it or plant it in our own field. Our farm blooms beautifully every year from the smallest, wrinkliest, “ugliest” stock. Premium varieties often produce the wonkiest tubers—that’s just dahlia genetics.

Shopper Conduct Policy

It pains us to include this, but the online dahlia community has changed. Too many customers now air grievances publicly instead of reaching out privately. That hurts small farms like ours.

We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone who:

  • Sends rude, threatening, or abusive messages via email, DM, or chat
  • Publicly damages our reputation as growers or business owners
  • Initiates a chargeback without attempting resolution
  • Disparages any dahlia grower or seller online
  • Encourages others to file chargebacks against sellers

Consequences:

  • Immediate and permanent block from email, social media, and our store
  • Your name shared with other reputable tuber sellers (we maintain and honor shared ban lists)

Please handle concerns privately and politely. We’re a small, family-run farm doing our absolute best. Respect goes a long way.

2025 Dahlia Disease & Health Policy

We’re proud to be a Pennsylvania licensed nursery (#00BY5H) and have passed the state’s virus inspection, allowing us to ship nationwide.

The Truth About Virus in Dahlias Per the American Dahlia Society’s ongoing research, ~87% of healthy, asymptomatic dahlia plants carry at least one dormant virus. This is true across all growers—not just us. Our plants may carry dormant virus, but our goal is vigorous, symptom-free growth and blooming.

Our Pest & Disease Management

  • Zero tolerance for aphids and thrips (primary virus vectors)
  • Strict organic protocol: beneficial insects (in massive numbers), nematodes, hand removal, and targeted OMRI-approved sprays only as a last resort
  • Symptomatic, stunted, or underperforming plants are culled without exception
  • New introductions are isolated and monitored separately
  • Cutting tools sanitized between every clump
  • No public u-pick or visitor cutting allowed

We follow state inspector guidance on virus testing when required but do not pay for routine testing. Our focus: healthy, thriving, beautiful blooms—even if dormant virus is present (as it is industry-wide).

Please reach out to hello@buddingobsession.com if you need further information.  Wishing you a successful growing season!