---
title: How does the alive-on-arrival guarantee work?
url: https://heavenlyplants.ae/questions/alive-on-arrival-guarantee-how-it-works
updated: 2026-09-14
type: question
---

# How does the alive-on-arrival guarantee work?

**Short answer:** There are two, and they cover different things. Alive on arrival: if a plant reaches you damaged, wilted or unhealthy, send a photo on WhatsApp within 24 hours of delivery and we replace it free, no forms or return shipping. The 14-day settle-in promise: if the plant is still struggling in its first 14 days and you followed the care card it shipped with, message us and we replace it once.

Live plants are fragile in transit, and no packaging is perfect in a 45°C summer, so we take the risk instead of you. Snapped stems, crushed foliage, spilled soil that damaged the root ball, or a plant that is clearly diseased on unboxing all qualify. Take the photo as soon as you open the box.
Replacement is usually the same plant on the next available delivery; if it is out of stock we offer a similar plant or store credit. You keep the original, since many recover with care. Missed deliveries where plants were left in the heat at your request, or transit damage reported after the 24-hour window, fall outside the arrival cover.
The second promise picks up where the first stops. A new plant often sulks for a week or two while it adjusts to AC air, and most recover. If yours is still going backwards inside its first 14 days and you have followed the care card it shipped with, message us on WhatsApp: we will troubleshoot first, and if it is not recoverable we replace it once, free. Neglect, no drainage, repotting straight out of the box or pest damage brought in from another plant are not covered.
Beyond 14 days our WhatsApp care support continues for the life of the plant: send a photo and we will tell you what is wrong and how to fix it. The full policy is on the [returns and replacements page](https://heavenlyplants.ae/policies/returns), and what to expect in the first two weeks is covered in [why a new plant drops leaves](https://heavenlyplants.ae/questions/new-plant-dropping-leaves-after-delivery).