Walcher Orchards FAQ
Here are some of the most common questions we receive about our peaches, our website and how to use our Shopping Cart.
Q. How long will fresh peaches last?
A. Peaches are very perishable, and ours are shipped absolutely tree-ripe. They should be kept in a cool dry place and eaten with two days after arrival. If they need to last longer, refrigerate them, but not more than a week. Caution: if left in a car or other hot place ripe fruit can rot within just a few hours.
Q. What can I use peaches for, besides eating them fresh?
A. Although the vast majority of our customers eat them fresh (often on ice cream or cereal), we have customers who cook with them, bake pies and cobblers, freeze and can them, even make chutneys and salsas with them. Check out the dozens of recipes on our site, and you will find lots of ways to enjoy these natural treats.
Q. Do you sell other products?
A. During the regular season peach harvest we concentrate all our energy on harvest the finest fresh peaches in the country. During the rest of the year we do offer gift baskets and other treats – some very popular holiday gifts. As soon as the harvest is over you will see some of these products added to the web site, so keep looking!
Q. Why do peaches have to be shipped by FedEx?
A. Some growers ship fruit by other carriers, even sometimes by snail mail. But the reason our fruit is so sought-after is that we only ship absolutely tree-ripe fruit like you cannot get anywhere else. Because they are so perishable, they need to get from the tree to the final recipient as fast as possible. FedEx can guarantee their delivery within two days anywhere in the continental U.S. Even though the cost is significant (in some areas even more than the peaches themselves!), we want our customers to know what a fresh ripe peach tastes like right in the orchard, so speed is everything.
Q. What is PayPal?
A. PayPal is an online, secure system for handling credit cards in the most secure possible manner. Our web site keeps your private information encrypted and secure, including your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address. PayPal checks the accuracy and validity of credit cards, encoding the information so it cannot be hacked, and securely banks the funds with maximum convenience to our customers. Many customers have their own PayPal account, which saves even more time, but it is not necessary to make a purchase.
Q. Why do I have to create an account to make a purchase?
A. Web sites can be frustrating for buyers, so we want ours to be as easy to use as possible. When you create an account the system can remember your information so you do not have to type it in again next time you visit. Duplication is the biggest frustration many people have with web sites like this, so we want to avoid it for you.
Q. Can I send a box to someone else as a gift?
A. Yes! Our web site is set up for this purpose. It requires that we have your name, address, phone number (in case we have questions) and e-mail address (so we can send you confirmation); and it requires that we have the same information for the recipient so FedEx can get the package delivered. But our site is arranged to take both sets of information as easily and conveniently as possible.
Q. Why do you need the recipient’s phone number?
A. Actually we do not need it, but to put it simply, FedEx will not deliver without it (sometimes their drivers must call for directions). The box where you enter this phone number appears in red because we want to make sure your order gets delivered. Because of a quirk in the way web sites sometimes work, you will see it appear again on the next page right where we also need you to enter your message for the gift card. Be sure to leave it there so it does not get erased – just add the message below it.
Q. Does the recipient have to be there to receive this package?
A. Not usually. We ask FedEx to leave the box without the need for a recipient’s signature, and if it is a safe location they will do so. However, you must make sure the recipient will be there during that week so the peaches do not sit outside very long.
Q. What if I want to send several boxes to all my friends?
A. Because this system calculates the FedEx shipping charges automatically, it can only handle one delivery address at a time. But you can still send several gifts from this web site.
If you are sending more than one item to the same address it is very simple.
Your shopping cart shows the quantity of the item ordered and you can easily change it from one to however many you wish.
If you want to send boxes to different addresses you will need to finish one order and then start over for the next one.
Be sure to fill in the recipient's phone number and the message you want on the gift card on every individual order so can correctly fulfill all your orders.
Q. How can I send a box every week to the same person?
A. This is the same as sending multiple orders. Our system keeps an address book of up to 20 different people you have previously sent to (this is private - no one but you can see it). You can also pre-fill the address book with all the addresses you wish to send our peaches to over time. So you simply place several orders to the same person, changing the shipping week on each. And on each new order you can justselect their name instead of re-entering it. This way, you can just place a separate order for each week.
Q. Can I send a particular variety?
A. We grow over a dozen different varieties, all of them selected for their high quality. It is impossible to predict in advance which varieties will be ripe on a certain date, and we guarantee all of them. But if you require a particular variety, please call in advance and we will work with you.
Q. Can I use my own gift cards or hand-written messages?
A. Yes. We are happy to put your personal message on our pre-printed gift cards (which have beautiful pictures of the orchard and the mountains on the front). But if you would rather use your own cards, or hand-write your own messages, just call us at (970) 250-5907 and we will gladly work with you.
Q. What if I want to use my own FedEx account number?
A. Some corporate customers want to do this because they get different discounts from FedEx. Just call us at (970) 250-5907 and we can easily arrange to send the boxes under your number instead of ours.
Q. Can I ship these peaches any time?
A. We ship by two-day air on Monday-Wednesday during the harvest (so the fruit can be delivered Wednesday-Friday). If it does not matter which date your box is shipped we will place your order on the next shipping date after we receive it. If you want it shipped a particular week, just select the week from the drop-down box on the shopping cart page, and we will ship it when you specify. Just make sure the recipient will be home that week, so the box does not sit on their front step and spoil!
Q. My shopping cart was deleted after I signed on as a new user or signed in with my user account.
A. We apologize for the inconvenience. Because of the high level of security we employ this error has been known to happen, although very seldom. This is most likely to happen if you have several browser windows open or have previously visited other websites and their "cookie" is still in your system and conflicts with ours. Sometimes browsers will rather be "safe than sorry".
if there is any doubt that security may be compromised. Simply log in again or purchase your item again and the next time around it should work just fine
Q. If I just can't make the site work for me, can you help?
A. Certainly, because we would rather pick your peaches than sit in the office all day. It may take us a few hours to get back to you, but we respond to all our emails. You can also email our webmaster for any technical issue you may have. And if all else fails, always feel free to call us.
Q. I have a question or suggestion about your site or product.
A. We'd love to hear from you. If you have questions or suggestions for the site, email our Webmaster. For questions or suggestions regarding our peaches or our orchard contact us or visit our About Us page. We usually answer all our emails within the same day or the next business day.
Q. I am interested in posting your site's link on my website.
A. Thank you for your interest in our site. Please email us and we will provide you with the appropriate graphics and HTML code to place on your site.
Q. I would like to have my site link on one of your pages.
A. We would be happy to list your site on our Links page if it can be mutually beneficial. Send us the link and we'll take a look.
Q. Do you share your customer's list with anyone else?
A. No. We value our customer's privacy and we do not share their information with anyone other than FedEx for shipping purposes or Paypal for payment purposes.
