Returns & Refunds

We want you growing, not arguing with a return form. This page explains exactly how returns work, what they cost, and how long each step takes. Read the section that matches what you bought — the terms genuinely differ, and we'd rather be clear than clever.

The short version

Contact us before shipping anything back. Returns without an authorization number are refused at the dock.
Damaged or short on arrival? Tell us within 24 hours. Strict, and we explain why below.
Changed your mind on equipment? 20% restocking fee plus return shipping.
Defective or dead on arrival? Costs you nothing.
Our own products — Drops of Balance, BAM, and Organishield — have no restocking fee.

Part A — Our own family-made products

Applies to: Drops of Balance, BAM (Badass Microbes), and Organishield.

We make these ourselves and hold the stock, so we decide the outcome directly — no distributor in the middle.

30 days from delivery to request a return.
No restocking fee.
Unopened and unused, with the seal intact.
You pay return shipping unless the item arrived damaged, was defective, or we shipped the wrong thing.
Refunded to your original payment method within 1–2 business days of us receiving it.

Sealed-product exception. Once opened, Drops of Balance and BAM can't be returned — they're consumable liquid and microbial products and we can't resell an opened bottle. If something's wrong with the product itself, that's not a return, that's us making it right. Contact us.

Organishield — additional restriction. Organishield is a registered plant-protection product. Once the seal is broken it cannot be returned or resold under any circumstances. This is a regulatory requirement, not our preference. Unopened Organishield follows the standard 30-day terms above.

Part B — Equipment and supplies

Applies to: lighting, tents, ventilation, climate controllers, hydroponic systems, irrigation, growing media, pots and containers, harvesting and post-harvest equipment, tools, and all other gear.

These ship from our distribution partner's warehouse. Their return terms govern, and we pass them through to you as written rather than promising something we can't deliver.

1. Damage or shortage on arrival — read this first

Short window, and unforgiving.

Inspect the delivery before the driver leaves. Check cartons for crushing, punctures, or water damage. Count boxes against the packing slip.

Note damage or shortage on the delivery receipt before you sign. A clean signed receipt makes a carrier claim nearly impossible to win.

Tell us within 24 hours with your order number, what's wrong, and photos of the outer carton, packing material, and product. Keep all packaging until the claim settles — freight claims are routinely denied without it.

Why so tight: the warehouse allows only 48 hours from delivery to report shortages and damages. Past that the loss isn't recoverable. Giving you the full 48 leaves us no time to file.

2. Defective and dead on arrival

Dead on arrival: replaced at no cost, prepaid return label provided. You pay nothing.

Defective under warranty: warranty runs from your purchase date, not from when the warehouse received it. Keep your order confirmation — proof of purchase may be required. On defective items of meaningful value, a prepaid return label is provided.

Tested and found working: if the item comes back functional, shipping both ways is charged and no credit is issued. So before you send it, let us troubleshoot with you. Fifty years of growing means there's a good chance we solve it in a message and save you the freight.

3. Changed your mind

Ordering errors and change of mind carry a 20% restocking fee plus shipping costs. That fee is set and charged by the distributor, not by us.

Double-check sizes, fittings, and part numbers before ordering — that's where most of these come from. Ask us if you're unsure; we'd rather answer a question than process a return.

On low-value items the restocking fee plus freight can exceed the refund. We'll say so plainly rather than let you spend money for nothing.

4. Authorization — required

Request within 30 days of delivery. We issue a return authorization (RMA) number, typically within 1–2 business days.
The return must arrive at the warehouse within 30 days of the authorization being issued. Don't sit on the box.
One shipment per authorization. Items not listed on it receive no credit — don't add extras.
Write the authorization number on the outside of the carton. Unauthorized returns are refused on arrival.
Non-defective returns ship prepaid by you.
Ship to the address we give you — not the address on the original package. Returns often go to a different facility.

5. Condition requirements

Unused and uninstalled — no mounting holes, zip-tie marks, or residue
Original manufacturer packaging with all inserts, manuals, hardware, and accessories
Boxed properly for transit. Items damaged on the way back may be refused or credited at reduced value.
No tape or labels applied directly to the product box — use an outer carton
Freight items on pallets: keep all pallet and packaging material. Incomplete packaging can void the return.

6. Items we can't accept back

Opened nutrients, additives, and any sealed liquid or powder
Opened growing media and soil amendments
Opened pesticides and registered plant-protection products
Live goods and propagation material
Special-order, custom, and made-to-order items
Clearance and final-sale items
Gift cards
Anything returned without prior authorization

7. Refund timing

The honest version, including the parts we don't control:

Authorization issued: 1–2 business days from your request
Transit back to the warehouse: carrier and distance dependent
Inspection and processing: up to 10 business days from receipt. Credit is issued only after inspection — this is the distributor's timeline and the longest step.
We refund you: 1–2 business days after that clears
Funds on your statement: 5–10 business days, set by your bank

Refunds go to the original payment method. We can't refund to a different card or account. Original shipping charges are non-refundable except where the return is our error.

Applies to every order

European Union — 14 day cooling off period

Notwithstanding anything above, if your order is shipped into the European Union you have the right to cancel or return it within 14 days of receipt, for any reason and without justification. The item must be in the same condition you received it, unused and in its original packaging, and you'll need your receipt or proof of purchase.

Orders placed through Walmart

If you bought a Perfect Gardens product on Walmart.com, Walmart's return policy governs that order, not this page. Start it through your Walmart account. We can't authorize, process, or refund a Walmart order directly, and shipping one to us only delays your money.

Cancellations

Most orders ship the same day when placed before noon — usually good news, occasionally inconvenient. Once an order reaches the warehouse it often can't be stopped. Contact us immediately and we'll try, but if it has shipped it becomes a return under the terms above.

Exchanges

We treat an exchange as a return plus a new order. That gets the right item moving to you sooner than holding it until the wrong one arrives back.

Questions

Ask before you ship. We're growers, we answer our own messages, and we'd rather solve it than process it. Email admin@perfectgardens.com or use our contact page.