The scoop on 'Breck's Bulbs'

Company Profile   Breck's Bulbs Mailing Address: P.O. Box 65 Guilford, Indiana 47022-4180 (United States) Phone: 513-354-1512 Fax: 513-354-1505 » E-Mail them » Visit their website Recent reviews: Past month Past 6 Months Past 12 Months Positive 0 12 18 Neutral 1 3 6 Negative 1 6 9 This company is affiliated with Gardens Alive! This company offers a variety of bulbs. This company specializes in: Bulbs: Spring-blooming Bulbs: Summer-blooming Other helpful information: Member of Mailorder Gardening Association

Feedback History and Summary   184 positives 63 neutrals 138 negatives

Comments:

Rating Author Content Neutral eyfng (8 reviews) On June 08, 2009, eyfng San Gabriel, CA wrote: I have ordered calla lily, gladious, iris, double freesia and baby's breath this spring. Because of back order, it took me so long to get my iris and double freesia. Breck's ships the orders from Holland, so the shipping time is usually longer than usual. Once the shipment arrives to USA, no further tracking for the shipment. The baby's breath are rotted. 6 freesia are dead and 6 are turning yellow and dying. I have just requested for a refund. The planting instruction is not detail enough for the baby's breath. I called the customer service when I received the shipment. I was asked to describe the look of the bare root. The representative said' " I THINK the bean sprout liked part is the top, the stick is the root. Put the whole thing a couple of inches below the ground." Seeing that she's not quiet familiar with planting, I requested to talk to someone more experience. She said:"That person is gone for the day (Friday). I will ask him to contact you next Monday." I then provided her my phone no and email address, but I've never heard any reply from them. When I ordered the baby's breath, I called the company to find out the planting details. One representative couldn't find the information. I called again, another represenative was able to provide me the spacing, height, ... Overall, the customer representatives' manner is not so friendly. The iris, gladious and calla lily are growing well. I received the 3 irises on 4/8/09. One has already produced 2 flowers. The other two are still growing. Hopefully, the gladious and calla lilies will produce flowers. I have both good and bad experience with the products. Negative jstang93 (1 review) On June 06, 2009, jstang93 Dublin, OH wrote: I ordered a collection of tulip firesprays and a couple of tall hybrid phlox mixtures last fall. None of them came up this spring. I have contacted Breck's twice in the last 10 days about replacements. No response. Needless to say, I won't be ordering from them ever again. The order # is 82550292600 if this incompetent company happens to read this. Company representative comment on June 08, 2009: On Jun 8, 2009 10:28 AM, Breck's Bulbs responded with: Thank you for your inquiry. I apologize for the delay in responding to your concern. A reship has been issued and your order will ship out this September. Positive mgross1968 (1 review) On June 03, 2009, mgross1968 Irvine, KY wrote: I have ordered several items from Brecks and have always been very pleased not only with the bulbs, roots, tubulers when they arrive but also with how the plant does. Although shipping does take a little long at times. Negative StellysPapa (25 reviews) On May 31, 2009, StellysPapa Dothan, AL (Zone 8a) wrote: Right now, I give them a neutral rating, because always in the past, I had no problem with them. I have bought a bit already this year and received the order on time and in good condition. However, earlier in May, they sent me a sales e-mail. I ordered some Black Knight Canna rhizomes, with the understanding they were in stock and would ship this spring. I just now went to their website to check the order status and discovered they have the shipping date listed as february 2010. I have sent an e-mail asking them to ship now, or just cancel the order. Why have a spring bulb sale, and then not send the order till next year ? I think it is extrememly poor buisiness to not put such information on the website, so that we will know the situation ahead of time. If I had known the order would not ship till 2010, I would not have placed it. On May 31st, 2009, StellysPapa added the following: If Riosamba, received their cannas, then why can\'t I get mine ? My order was placed on May 18th, today is the 31st. Brecks has had plenty of time to send me mine. If they reply to my e-mail and say they can\'t send them till 2010 or are out of stock.....I\'ll give them a big fat negative and never do buisiness with them again. On June 1st, 2009, StellysPapa changed the rating from neutral to negative and added the following: I have changed to a negative. I got a reply to my e-mail, and they are saying my order will be shipped at the proper planting time in 2010. Even though I have already paid for them and asked for them now, they simply said no. So, I got a bit nasty with them and told them, I have paid for them, they are mine and I want them NOW !!! We will see. On June 2nd, 2009, StellysPapa added the following: Brecks was quick in replying to my first e-mail.....got an answer the same day I sent it. But, since I asked for a cancellation, and said I want no more to do with them, I get no reply. Just shows what scum they really are. On June 13th, 2009, StellysPapa added the following: Brecks is owned by Park Seed, apparently so. I say this only because today I get a post card from Park Seed and it has a code number on it to be used as a \" Credit Certificate \". Now, I am really confused, they either lied to me...which is most likely the case.......or they are giving me credit for something I haven\'t bought. On the 2nd of June, after the above post, I get an e-mail saying that my order had been canceled as requested, and since they do not charge your credit card till time of shippment, they claim my card was not charged and therefore, no refund is needed. Yet, I get this credit certificate today, and it\'s like, what is this for? My best advise is just to stay clear of Park and any buisiness they own. Positive riosamba (12 reviews) On May 27, 2009, riosamba Marlboro, NJ wrote: This week two orders of cannas were delivered. The rhizomes were a nice size and expertly packaged. I have had no problems at all with this company. I wish all of my purchases would arrive like these two. Negative highmaintfmale (1 review) On May 13, 2009, highmaintfmale Sheboygan, WI wrote: I ordered several hundred dollars in merchandise from all three companies, Brecks, Spring Hill and Michigan Bulb extremely early due to needing the plants growing and healthy for a very large Garden party event in late July. Being in Wisconsin, our growing season is considerably shorter than that of Indiana, Ohio, and southern Michigan where the companies claim to be, my plants and bulbs have been thriving for three weeks many of which are in bloom, so imagine my suprise when I didn't recieve the majority of the things I ordered, easy stuff like petunias clemitis, and turmpet vines, and upon calling was told "due to bad weather" the shipments have been delayed, humm seems to me they should have alerted me to this early on so I could replace the items from local nurseries, parts of my orders were not shipped at all, other parts were shipped in horrible dead condition, bulbs that should have been in the ground long ago still haven't arrived, what a mess! Upon trying to figure everything out while on the phone with customer service the person I spoke to was uninformed and completely ignorant about even when I MIGHT expect the missing plants and bulbs to be sent. I was very upset and asked for a contact number or address directly to the company which he refused to give me, I asked a second time and was again denied. I asked to speak to a supervisor because of the mess at hand was terrible and represented several hundred dollars that was absolutely charged to my credit card, I was put on hold and he came back telling me that his supervisor said ... and than just repeated the same nonsense he had spewed, I was even more angry and demanded again to speak to a supervisor, I was than told his supervisor was busy, I asked SEVEN more times before finally being connected to a supervisor who was disinterested short and curt. I have planned and saved for this event for two years, and been working on my garden for 8 years, I am so incredably disappointed in all three of the companies, their broken promises poor customer service, lack of shipping, lack of timely shipping, lack of problem resolution, poor quality of the few things I have gotten, the entire matter has me heatbroken. My advise would be, if your ordering from them in hopes of actually GETTING what you order, prepar to be bitterly dissappointed, and when you call to complain, be prepared to get little or no help, and again don't expect your missing order anytime soon. In the future, I'll find more reliable options and not bother with any of the three. Neutral Lawbabie (2 reviews) On May 03, 2009, Lawbabie Arlington, VA wrote: I have ordered numerous bulbs and perennials from Breck's, with mixed results. The larger bulbs (tulips, hydrid daffodils) have all done very well, though being expensive they should! The smaller bulbs, like crocus and some other plants, seem to be hit or miss. I've been most disappointed with their perennials - some lillies of the valley didn't even come up at all, and the hostas have been very slow to get going. I also think it helps to order well in advance of the season, so you are in line for shipping early. Everything I've ordered in season (in the spring) has taken weeks to arrive - too long when American Meadows ships so promptly and includes stakes with pictures of the plants so you can mark your garden! Positive terrahappy (2 reviews) On April 29, 2009, terrahappy Redmond, OR wrote: YAY!!! Brecks has proven to be the best place that I have ordered from so far. I would give them a 5 star rating overall. I had ordered from them about 4 weeks ago. This company kept me informed all the way through with emails stating when they recieved my order, when the order was shipped is when they deducted the funds from my credit card. and I have to say that although I ordered only bulbs from them I have recieved top quality bulbs. The order came to my home via UPS (quite worth the extra cost in my opinion) and it was 2 weeks earlier than they had told me it would be here.. I have more bulbs coming in the fall and look forward to this order arriving . I would definately order from this company again in the future. High marks for Brecks from me.. ::)) Positive A12 (3 reviews) On April 24, 2009, A12 Lexington, KY wrote: I ordered dahlias and tuberous begonias. The shipping is slow (about 3 weeks), but I think that should be expected with bulbs coming from the Netherlands. Everything appears healthy, although one begonia tuber seems a little shriveled. I will wait to see how it fares. Overall I am pleased with Breck's and would order from them again. Positive Sabrina1978 (5 reviews) On April 24, 2009, Sabrina1978 Gibsonburg, OH wrote: I used the coupon for 25.00 with no strings attached. I had a total of 1.00 charged to my credit card. I got three gladiator allium. I planted them in the fall. They are now up and have a bud on them. I was very pleased with the bulbs I received! Thank you Breck's! Positive jnaakins (6 reviews) On April 15, 2009, jnaakins Othello, WA wrote: Over the years, Ive ordered a couple of times from Breck's catalogue. So far, I've been very pleased with the bulbs I received. Positive briebrie (3 reviews) On April 12, 2009, briebrie Old Fort, NC (Zone 7b) wrote: I have only ordered Spring blooming bulbs from Breck's. I order about 200 each year and they've all turned out just fine. Having ordered online and not had any concerns, I haven't had to communicate with their customer service people, so I can only speak to the quality of the bulbs, which have met my expectations. Positive MaggieA (4 reviews) On March 18, 2009, MaggieA Charleston, SC wrote: I ordered two of the astilbe collections which I had seen advertised in a mailer. For each collection (red and white) there was a free lavendar and peach. I expected to have two of each color. I received four of each color. They were delivered quickly, in great shape and I have just planted them. I have great faith that they will be absolutely beautiful. Neutral kittshouse (4 reviews) On March 14, 2009, kittshouse Lynn, MA (Zone 6a) wrote: I would give this company a neutral rating. I have had orders that have surpassed my expectations, as with their begoia collections. Alas, I have also have had orders that have simply been rotted/moldy upon delivery. I have also experienced bad online ordering. Placing merchandise in my cart, then applying a coupon code, only to be told that those items were out of stock. If they were out of stock, then they should have noted such on their web page before I placed the order. I feel that if you are trying to save money using a code you will be disappointed. I will try the begonia collection again. However, I will find my other blubs at local nurseries so that I can actually see and feel them. Positive NativeSusan (6 reviews) On March 09, 2009, NativeSusan Decatur, GA (Zone 7b) wrote: I ordered about seventy daffodils from them, which came in late September or so. The bulbs were huge and firm. There wasn't a single bad bulb in the whole bunch. They are blooming now and are absolutely beautiful. I have already ordered my fall tulips from them, and I will contine to order from them in the future. I can't stress enough how wonderful the quality of the bulbs were! Positive chefj (2 reviews) On February 27, 2009, chefj Huntington, TX wrote: I wrote 3 companies for info on edible flowers. Brecks is the only one who wrote back with a complete list, and other helpful info. the other companies told me to go online and look it up. Chef Negative jampinot (1 review) On February 25, 2009, jampinot Vancouver, WA wrote: I am done ordering anything mail order from Brecks. I have ordered at least $1000 worth of merchandise over the last 3 years and generally have had to have the product reshipped because the product was bad when I received it. My first year I ordered 50 Mixed Perennial Tulips only to have all of them come up yellow. When I spoke with customer service they told me that is the risk you get when you order mixed. It is whatever they have leftover. They have been good at replacing moldy bulbs if I saved my receipts (I literally ordered so many that I can't always find the receipts. Last years anenome and freesia never came up. I ordered last year a collection of Lily Tree's that never shipped and when I inquired they said they ran out and to re-order next year. I was going to do this but the price was three times what the price was the previous year. I planted a few Lily Trees this past fall and I hope they come up or I will get my money back.. My last order was for Mixed Coral Bells. When I received them there was one that had the reddish brown leaves and the rest were green. The brown one was completely dried out and the green ones were damaged. They also arrived during a cold spell so I couldn't plant them. They said they would replace them. I waited and waited and nothing arrived. When I went online I found out that they are not shipping until next fall. That doesn't help me at all since the new landscape mound I have created was finished without their coral bells. If I cancel the order I will lose my shipping and there are a couple of other plants due this spring. I am holding my breath since I doubt they will show up in good condition. Their bulbs are good but their plants are bad. Getting replacements you have to wait until the next season which is too late for me since my gardens are planned in advance and look funny saving spots for the replacements. (Also, how do you hold spots for bulbs in a 1000 bulb garden)? If I ever plant bulb gardens again I may come back to Brecks but the savings on a mini plant isn't worth it. Buy it from a nursery or local store. Most have a year warranty for their products. On April 3rd, 2009, jampinot added the following: I was asked by a Manager who worked for Brecks what they could do for me to make me satisfied. I told them that they could cancel my current order that was on the books and refund my order or the Coral bells. I also said that they could ship me their Lily Tree Collection and replace the Garden Pleasure Trees that didnt come up. The manager said no problem. I received a check for the coral bells and the products I requested were placed on order. I just got an email telling me that the product I had cancelled was shipping a month late. I then went online to check the replacement order for the Lily trees and found out that it had been cancelled and I wasnt notified. The first customer service person I spoke to couldn\'t find my order that is shipping a month late and I know will show up. They also said that the Lily Trees had been cancelled because they were out of season and even though they were cancelled they were shipped in the fall. I didnt believe him so I called another representative and told her that I could place an order now and get the same product. She told me that the orders that were placed were discontinued items and that is why they were cancelled and they wouldn\'t ship. I gave her the new sku numbers and she first told me that I couldn\'t have the new product because it was now more expensive according to their supervisor. I asked to speak to that supervisor. After waiting over 10 minutes on line the representative came back on line to say that they would place the order at the new price and will ship it to me now. The fact that these wont ship for 4 to 6 weeks will mean that they probably won\'t even grow and I will be doing this all over again in the fall. Why can\'t Brecks hire some knowledgable people. The fact that I could order the product now and it would ship in 4 to 6 weeks after being told that it was cancelled in the first place because they can\'t ship Lily Trees in the spring means that he hasn\'t a clue as to when product ccan ship. He didn\'t even look online to find out that they were currently shipping the product. The fact that it took two supervisors to approve a replacement of $65 when I should have demanded a refund for the 10 sales orders I provided the manager with for product that didn\'t grow, arrived unsatisfactory or were only one color would have amounted to easily over $350. I won\'t be ordering from Brecks ever again. I found Stargazer lilies at a garden store that were bigger and looked better for only $6.97 for 7 bulbs will send me back there. They also had all the ones availabe at Brecks along with two new ones I haven\'t seen at Brecks for the Oriental and Asiatic Lilies. I also bought some Hyacinths and Tulips for over half the price of Brecks at the same store and they out performed the Brecks product again for a fraction of the cost. I brought back my receipt for one package out of 12 that didn\'t perform as well as the others and was issued a credit immediately, not told they would reship it to me the following fall. At least Springhill issued a check to me this year for product that shipped while there was a major snow storm in the midwest and it showed up dead. I will never spend another dime at any online store selling plants or bulbs. The perennial plants that Brecks send for $10 as a 3 inch pot can be bought at Home depot full size (1 gallon) for $7.97. My advice for those who are buying from any of these huge online stores is to check their local gardening centers and if they don\'t have what they like then get them from a local nursery or one in the states close to where you live. You should see the beautiful tuilips my neighbor bought from Skagit Valley (Mt. Vernon, Washington). They were the tallest and most beautiful tulips I have seen. I am going up there in April and to a show in Woodburn, Oregon to order my bulbs I can\'t find in my local stores or for those that Brecks claim to grow 24 inches(never happens) and are assorted colors (7 of one and one each of the other 3 or 5. Negative Sleech (1 review) On February 05, 2009, Sleech Vancouver, Canada wrote: There is nothing worse than bad customer service. Being an avid gardener, I look forward to bulb catalogs arriving in the mail in the early spring, placing my orders, and waiting with anticipation for delivery. So it was with great anticipation that I ordered from Brecks Bulbs this spring. The items that they offered looked fantastic and the prices were reasonable. So in the order went in March. Then I waited. I waited until at least the end of May to receive my order...longer than most other catalogue places. But I had faith that the order was going to surpass my expectations. I could not have been more wrong. Here's the letter that I sent them on June 24: --------------- Dear Brecks, It is with great regret that I email you today. Being an avid gardener I was waiting with anticipation for my order to arrive this spring. When it did, I was less than pleased with the quality and size of the plants and bulbs that you sent. The "Lily Tree Collection" that you so wonderfully advertised in your catalogue, arrived looking like someone had stepped on the bulbs. They were almost flat. The size of the bulbs measured out at only 2" in diameter and I certainly thought that they were going to be larger based on the catalogue pictures and description. However, I planted them as soon as I received them and I hoped for the best. I have to report that as of this afternoon when I didn't see any growth, I dug them up and all 4 had rotted. The 'Blue Star' Dahlia arrived and it was a single tuber with no growth end. Typically when I buy Dahlias, there are usually 2 or 3 tubers attached to a growing end. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. What I received looked like a tuber had been removed from a clump and placed into a bag with some moss. Again, I planted it and hoped for the best. Sadly, it too didn't make it…although I certainly don't think it had a fighting chance to begin with. Being an Iris fan, I was also really looking forward to the Irises that I ordered. The Louisiana Iris 'Bold Pretender' arrived looking like a mangled collection of dead leaves. I have certainly seen Irises come that way before, so I wasn't too concerned when I planted it as the tuber felt relatively firm. There wasn't a stitch of green to be seen, and hindsight being 20/20, that should have been a clue that I was going to be disappointed yet again. True to form, there has been no growth to date, no green has appeared, and no new roots have made an appearance. I think it's safe to say that it too has died. The Iris 'Rikugi Sakura', on the other hand, did have a bit of green and has since produced a rather week leaf. But I am not giving up on it and have hopes that it will survive. It's worth mentioning however, that the size of the tuber was close to being the smallest that I have ever seen for an Iris. Had I seen it in a garden shop I certainly wouldn't have bought it and would have chosen something a little more healthy. On the subject of plants that did survive, I can safely say that the Amethyst Astilbe has made it and is doing fine. Although you will have to forgive me when I say that I am concerned that the colour will not be the amethyst that I saw in the catalogue. But it hasn't flowered yet, so it too gets the benefit of the doubt. The largest disappointment was with the Phlox that I ordered. I have never, in my considerable years of gardening, seen such small, mangled and unhealthy divisions. Both the 'Tenor' and the 'Blue Boy' were no bigger than a Loonie and arrived in a wet bag of moss and were entirely black. There were no growing parts and no healthy roots to be seen on either one of the two of each types I ordered. I did plant them into small pots and gave trying to grow them a try, but the completely rotted away in a matter of a single week. When I checked this morning there was nothing left in the pots other than soil. To say that I am disappointed would be an understatement. I honestly had high hopes that the order that I placed with you would have produced plants and bulbs that were of a caliber an order of magnitude better than what I received. I am saddened that this is the first time I have ever asked for a refund on a plant order. So it is with a heavy heart I kindly ask that my order be refunded. If you must subtract the price of the Astilbe and the one Iris I will understand. My order number was XXXXXXXXRAP. My address information is as follows: (Blah blah blah) I sincerely apologize for having to send this note to you and I hope that this matter is investigated on your end as my thoughts are that your quality control took a holiday on the day my order was processed. Sincerely, (Signature) --------------- This was sent via regular post as well as email. I figured that someone would look at it and deal with it accordingly. Again....couldn't have been more wrong. It's now August 23rd and I have heard nary a word. Nothing. Zip. Nadda. So I decide to give them a call. They have an 800 number and I had the time. So armed with my invoice in hand I dial the number. Brecks: Brecks Bulbs Me: Good morning. Could I speak with someone in customer service? Brecks: What can I help you with? Me: The order that I received in May was somewhat unsatisfactory. I sent a letter and an email on June 24th and I haven't heard back from your organization. Brecks (sounding terse): What's your invoice number? Me: I take it that's the number in the top right hand corner of the pink slip? (It's just a floating number on the page) Brecks (sounding annoyed): The number beneath where it says invoice number. Me (choosing not to loose my patience): XXXXXXXX Brecks: We haven't received a letter from you. Me: Well it was sent via both email and regular post on June 24. Brecks (sounding increasingly annoyed): Well we didn't get it. What was wrong with the order? Me: Nothing grew from what you sent. Brecks: What do you mean "nothing grew"? Me: Nothing grew. The lily tree collection looked like someone stepped on it, the Phlox was dead on arrival, the Irises...... Brecks (cutting me off mid sentence): Why didn't you call us? Me: I assumed that when it says in all of your material that one can contact you via post, email or phone call...that 2 out of the three would have resulted in something happening. Brecks (sounding really annoyed): Well you should have called. What do you want us to do. Me (Tired of being treated like crap over the phone): Just refund the order please. Brecks: Fine. We'll refund you the order minus the shipping cost. Then he hung up on me. So...a word to the wise. Do NOT order from Brecks Bulbs. Their inventory is beneath sub-standard and their customer service is beyond pathetic. My Mother in Ontario had an almost exact experience with them and has also vowed never to deal with them again. I won't hazard a guess to say what their problem is...but you would have thought that being in the gardening business would have instilled a bit of patience, humility, humor and charm. Most gardeners come by these characteristics after spending a bit of time in their gardens. Clearly Brecks Bulbs didn't go down that garden path...as it were. Now...if you are into ordering bulbs and the like for your garden and you are looking for a great company to order from...go with Botanus (http://www.botanus.com/). Fantastic company. Their catalogs are a treat for the eyes, their stock is EXACTLY how it's described...or better, their prices are really, really good, the orders arrive with plenty of time for the plants to get established and bloom, and my contact with them always leaves me with a smile. They know how do do the whole bulb catalogue/online sales/customer service thing RIGHT. Brecks Bulbs...you could learn a thing or two (or a thousand) from them. Take my advice: If you are that miserable doing what you do...do something else. Clearly being in the industry you are in isn't doing you any favors. As an addendum to this story, it appears that Brecks owns Spring Garden, another mail-order catalogue store. I used to love Spring Garden...now the catalogue is in the recycle pile...unopened. Negative tootiep (1 review) On February 01, 2009, tootiep Edgecomb, ME wrote: HORRID COMMUNICATION My daughter gave me a Brecks certificate for 25.00. She stated a door to door person came around selling them. She also gave me a catalog that the person gave to her, for me to order from. When I was ready to order I spoke to a gentleman on the phone. He stated I could also use the 25.00 coupon on the book. He stated my order came just under 50.00. He then asked for the number on the back of the coupon,,there wasnt one. He then stated that no one he knew of ever went door to door with coupons and stated he had concerns over this being A FRAUD. He stated to send the coupon in anyway and they would still honor it, and that he wanted to see what the coupon looked like. He stated to write a letter with his name on it,,the order number,, and to mail it asap. I mailed it that day. He stated that there was just a slight credit of a few dollars on the account due to going over. I recieved my package about 3 months later. About another 2 months later I recieved a bill from their collection office stating I owed 12.73. I called and spoke to a female there, she stated there was nothing noted on my account that she could find of any letter. She then appologised and stated they would just take care of this due to my inconvience. She stated she would transfer this to another department and if I didnt recieve a phone call from them within a week, to just disregard the bill. NO PHONE CALL,,NO ANSWERING MACHINE MESSAGE. I then 3 weeks later was checking my email...yes...i'm not a everyday checker..I try not to get on the computer much..as it takes alot of my time...my correspondence it through the phone...What did I find on my email...yes another notice that I needed to pay the bill. With a itemized statement. I promptly sent back a notice of my dis satisfaction on the entire ordeal. I was also told in this email from Brecks, that my coupon wasnt even the amount I sent in! I should have just used my better judement, and not even ordered anything when the first person stated the coupon was fraudulent. I wound up paying for something that I was told there was no balance on in the beginning.. and got the runaround from 3 different people. NOW AT LEAST I HOPE THE BULBS I PLANTED COME UP!! As I had never before, and will never again, order from this company. I have read in several negitive reports on this site of the run around people get with this company. My garden club has been made aware of the ordeal and will spread the word also. Positive gnomehome (1 review) On January 14, 2009, gnomehome St.Andrews,Manitoba, Canada wrote: I have ordered bulbs from Brecks for about 10 years. I have been very happy. The bulbs are large and healthy. and always grow. Some of the special Iris collection plants did not survive the first winter. . They were replaced with no problem. I did have to wait to late summer but that is the correct time for Iris. one time a lily was a different color than ordered , but was replaced for fall planting. Also when the growing sprouts of a couple of lilies were broken in transport.they were replaced immediately. I will continue to order from Brecks because I have more faith in them than most of the other mail orders. Positive dirtyshovel (1 review) On January 11, 2009, dirtyshovel Lake Mary, FL (Zone 9b) wrote: I ordered five 12 cm size Persian Blue Allium bulbs and received my order on time, but the bulbs were 3.5 cm size; not even close to what was described. After I notified the company, I was told they would send the correct size, but very near the delivery date I was notified that my order had been cancelled, due to unavailability of the bulbs, and that I would be issued a refund, which I did receive. However, I lost the $7.00 shipping that I paid and I will be surprised if these very small bulbs will ever produce viable plants. If my original order had been shipped correctly this could have been avoided. Sadly, I read the negative comments too late to cancel my original order and I could only hope that Breck's would come through, but I learned my lesson too late. On February 5th, 2009, dirtyshovel changed the rating from negative to positive and added the following: When Breck\'s became aware of my complaint about the wrong item being shipped, and then the promised replacement order being cancelled, they promptly refunded my money for the order as well as the postage that I paid on the original order. Therefore I am changing my rating from Negative to Positive, and in the future will order again from Breck\'s. Positive PGH_Garden_Girl (1 review) On December 31, 2008, PGH_Garden_Girl Pittsburgh, PA wrote: I have recieved plants from several mail-order companies, and Breck's is by far the best. The quality of their plants is top-notch. Last year I ordered 3 bulk sacks of bulbs and out of 250 bulbs, only 3 were bad...in my opinion, that's pretty darn good. Some of them even started peeking out a few weeks after I planted them; I guess they couldnt wait until spring to say hello! Shipping can be a bit slow, and they often push back the delivery date without telling you, but I dont know of any company that doesn't do that. Usually its only a difference of 2-4 weeks. For me, its a fair trade-off...I'm willing to wait a bit longer because I know when I get my order, it will be top quality. Their customer service people are pleasant and relatively helpful; they were able to tell me what my 'new ship date' was upon inquiry, and I wasn't on hold for very long. They will also help find you extra 'freebie' deals if you ask when you place your order. While they do have some minor pitfalls in the customer communications relam, overall I am very pleased with my dealings with them. I would certainly reccommend Breck's to a friend (if any of my friends were gardeners :P) Negative GEORGIAGARDENE (1 review) On November 21, 2008, GEORGIAGARDENE Ringgold, GA wrote: I placed an order with Breck's this past spring using the $25 coupon, no strings attached. I, of course had to pay for shipping. In September I received a letter from them saying my credit card was no longer valid (the date had expired, it had been so long) and to call them and update the credit card. I did so and received an email showing an unpaid balance of $0, which said my bulbs would be shipped around 9/23/08. I still haven't received the bulbs. I sent Breck's an email and received a reply that my credit card was out of date and that is why the bulbs weren't sent and they were sorry I hadn't received the letter requesting me to call. I replied that I had received the letter and had called and updated my credit card and was told the charge had cleared and even attached a copy of the receipt showing a balance of $0. I have heard nothing else from this company and would advise anyone consdering ordering from them to reconsider. It's not worth the hassle I used to really enjoy receiving their catalog and planning what to buy. Now it will just go in the trash. Negative Marta_Toronto (1 review) On October 29, 2008, Marta_Toronto Toronto, Canada wrote: I called Breck’s Bulbs today to inquire about some orders placed in June and July this year via their website using 25$ “no strings attached” coupon in Canada. To recall for some of you, it was a coupon included in Brecks’s 2008 Summer Advance Sale catalogue. It said: “$25.00 Gift Coupon. No strings attached. Use this bulb reservation form inside this Dutch Bulb Guide to order as much as you like, and use this Gift Coupon to deduct $25.00. If your order total is less then $25.00, you’ll get your order absolutely FREE! To validate, please enclose this coupon with your order, or mention it when you place your phone order. To take advantage of this offer online, just enter your account and key numbers from the back cover. OFFER EXPIERS AUGUST 22, 2008 // ONE CERTIFICATE PER CUSTOMER, PLEASE. Cannot be combined with any other offer.” That’s all it said, word by word. I placed about 5-6 orders using this coupon, because nowhere it said that I cannot. I only placed ONE for myself as per instructions on it “ONE CERTIFICATE PER CUSTOMER, PLEASE”. I placed it on line and additionally paid about $250.00, then shared my catalogue with friends (being green and all)… I also used the coupon (paying additionally by cc) to order some flowers for my closest family and a couple of friends. I thought it would be a great idea for those with no green thumb to introduce to Breck’s Bulbs so they can try their product hassle free with “no strings attached”. When my stuff came in couple of weeks ago and theirs didn’t, I called Breck’s customer Service to inquire about the missing orders. I was called a scammer and a thief by Erin (from On-line ordering) and told that my orders (even those I paid for with my cc) were simply cancelled. No one bothered to call or email me with any questions or concerns prior cancelling the orders, they simple decided that they will not ship them. Great business they are conducting there, no question. Over the past two years I have ordered merchandise from Breck’s worth over $900.00. After being called a scammer and a thief I will no longer conduct any business with them and I will inform my coworkers, friends and family about the type of business they conduct to save them the future hassle and embarrassment of being called names, just because they used the coupon Breck’s so unfortunately send them – to use:-) I only used their coupon because it was offered to me, presented a great deal and I had a good experience with Breck’s and their products in the past, otherwise, I wouldn’t recommend any company or their product to my close ones, having a coupon or not. Kind regards, Marta Company representative comment on November 05, 2008: On Nov 5, 2008 3:54 PM, Breck's Bulbs added: I sent this customer a D-Mail explaining how to contact Brecks of Canada to help her with her complaint. We are two seperate companies and our comapny is located in the US. Positive crazy_gardener (42 reviews) On October 09, 2008, crazy_gardener Wainwright, AB (Zone 2b) wrote: I’ve ordered about three times from Breck’s Canada, I will only order from them if I receive a coupon or if something is on sale, otherwise I find that their regular prices are way too much compared to other mail order companies. Today, I received 10 healthy, good size OT lily bulbs, a little late to be sending here in zone 2b, but I will just pot them up and store them in the cold room for the winter and plant next spring. Negative swanc02 (4 reviews) On September 23, 2008, swanc02 Minneapolis, MN wrote: Don't waste your money. I have been purchasing perennials and bulbs online for 15 years. Breck's consistently sends bulbs that are rotted and bare root plants that are dried up. Even the plants that look okay fail to come up. I will never order from them again. Positive aubshay1 (2 reviews) On September 14, 2008, aubshay1 Johannesburg, MI wrote: Last fall, I ordered a whole bunch of Oriental lily collections and Elodie lilies for my wedding. I also ordered 3 butterfly amaryllis and parot tulips. Some of the lilies arrived moldy, so they sent replacements that were also moldy (there were only 3 bad bulbs out of about 100). They just sent me 9 replacement for those original bad ones. The bulbs are gigantic. I wonder if it had to do with them being shipped a little later in the fall. This Spring, I had several bulbs lillies that never came up, and they are replacing them. None of the parrot tulips came up, so they credited me for them and I didn't like the butterfly amaryllis (also, only 2 of the 3 came up), so they gave me credit for them. I have not had any experience so far where they have been anything but polite and well, kind of joking around with me on the phone. The other comments that I have read do make me nervous, but so far they have kept their guarantee. It doesn't really bother me to have to wait for replacements because I realize that I am dealing with living things and things happen. The lillies that I have purchased at Wal-Mart, Lowes, Home Depot, etc. have come up, but they have never matured to have the thick stems and number of blooms that they lilies that did come up from Breck's have. Though not every bulb bloomed, the quality of the ones that did is definately superior. Neutral Yankee_1 (1 review) On September 11, 2008, Yankee_1 Weymouth, MA wrote: Placed an order in August of 2008,changed my mind after seeing the reviews a week later and canceled the bulbs.order was confirmed canceled by e mail. They did offer me a discount and thought that was very nice of them but said no.I even canceled the credit card I used.For some reason I didn't trust them.So after two confirmed cancellation notices. I recieved bulbs yesterday Just left at my back door (9-10-08). I sent them an e mail. Then got a bill today. wow was I mad I hadn't even opened the box since I didn't order from them.I spoke with Keith on the phone yes it was a long distance call which pissed me off. So to make a long story short I was told to keep the bulbs and that my account would be cleared ( lets hope it is cos Im not paying for something I canceled a month ago). They really should keep better track of there customers especially the loyal ones I read about.Almost forgot I did cancel because the original date of delivery would have been at the end of Oct. Then they said they would rush the order,I still said no. I found cheaper bulbs at the store today 30 for $10. At Bjs and they looked great .Im going to stick with buying my plants and bulbs locally .. Karen P Neutral emandem (1 review) On September 06, 2008, emandem Fergus, ON (Zone 4a) wrote: I've been a loyal Breck's customer for years, but this year was not good. The begonias I ordered (10), only 1 has come up. Some of the bulbs were mushy when they arrived- not impressive as they usually are. And of the 8 lily trees, only 3 came up. I called and was told 6 weeks ago that new ones would be shipped, but I haven't received any replacements yet. Up until this year, I had never had a problem with bulbs from this Company, but now I question whether or not I should order from them again. Their sister Company is no better. I've been waiting 2 months for that order- although the cheques were cashed immediately! Positive CandL (5 reviews) On August 21, 2008, CandL Reynoldsburg, OH wrote: I've always had good exeperiences with Brecks. If they ship me the incorrect plants, I simply call and get the correct plants. I also get to keep the incorrect ones. Double your pleasure! If something doesn't come up, I call and they replace it no questions, no problems! When something doesn't come up, I don't automatically 'blame' the company. Could be a cold snap during planting season caused the plants to have a delay in planting, which they don't like. Could be I didn't fertilize enough, too much, or not at all. It's called gardening people. You can't plant it and forget it. Plants need TLC to grow. Brecks has always been very good about working with me to replace plants that died, or are weak and unhealthy. Friendly customer service as well. Remember, you catch more flys with honey than vinegar, so if your nice, they will be too! Neutral Catzpjz (1 review) On August 04, 2008, Catzpjz Jefferson, WI wrote: I just (this morning) placed large orders with both Spring Hill and Brecks; then, suspecting they were the same company, located this forum...yikes. I'm a little nervous about my orders after reading through these comments. I ordered oriental lilies, daylilies, bittersweet, and irises...I called back because I've received no e-mail confirmation from Breck's and the operator insisted my first name was different than it is, finally recognizing she had it wrong. Has anyone had good/bad success with these specific bulbs/plants? I'm wondering if I should cancel my orders. Positive pagosagarden (2 reviews) On July 31, 2008, pagosagarden Pagosa Springs, CO wrote: I purchased two orders of starlight lilly bulbs, and they were shipped on the date that was quoted on my order confirmation. After the bulbs arrived I was pleased with there size and condition. I planted them this spring as soon as they arrived. I have ordered bulbs from Brecks several times in the past and and have never been disappointed. Except this time. Most of the bulbs did not grow, and the ones that did bloomed yellow. Not the color I ordered, or expected. I e-mailed customer service with the complaint and requested the order be corrected and replacement bulbs.The next day I recieved a response from Brecks telling me a new order was placed at not cost, and the bulbs would ship next spring as I expected. I was very satisfied that it only required one e-mail to customer service to resolve this issue. I only hope I get the right color this time. As long as I recieve this kind of service I will be a happy customer. Positive AgDrgn (1 review) On July 09, 2008, AgDrgn Hamden, CT wrote: My bulbs for tulips and Asiatic Lilies came for an Autumn planting. Winter was wet and warm (for Connecticut) and some of the rains made me wonder if my bulbs would even remain in the ground where I put them! They did and everything is blooming wonderfully. Later I ordered some other plants including irises and ornamental grasses. The grasses are growing slowly but nothing has happened with the irises (except two of them so far died). I have not yet contacted the company but will do so if the whole season passes without them flourishing. I expect good service from Breack's and so far have not been disappointed. Negative cascrown (1 review) On May 29, 2008, cascrown Clifton, VA wrote: Ordered bulbs on 30 Apr 2008 and 30 days later they still have not shipped, and show an estimated receipt date in July. I will never order from Brecks again! I emailed them and received no response. Company representative comment on July 31, 2008: On Jul 31, 2008 3:04 PM, Breck's Bulbs added: Contacted Customer on 6/16/08 for possible resolution; as of today have received no response. Negative Hostafarmer40 (4 reviews) On May 27, 2008, Hostafarmer40 Zeeland, MI wrote: I have been ordering from mail order for many years. This year has by far been the worst year ever. We had cold weather until just recently and it has been hard on the plants, especially when they are seedlings to start with. All the plants I bought from Brecks this year were tiny seedlings and they are not going to make it. They usually are excellent with replacing plants but I am unhappy with the size of the plants. Some were dried out and some were moldy. They were shipped too early and did not like to wait in their little small containers even though I tried to save them. It was not just Brecks but also Springhill and Michigan Bulb. By the time I pay for the shipping and it will be at least two years before the plants that are left to catch up, it will be a long wait. Granted they were advertised as potted plants, which they were, but tiny does not work for me. I learned a vauable lesson, you get what you pay for. Never again. Negative espj13 (1 review) On May 23, 2008, espj13 Thiensville, WI wrote: I placed an order with Breck's mid April. Since then, I have had the shipping date change 4 times and it may again yet! And I never receive any notification that the ship date changed. I only know from checking my order status. I also have no idea what is the cause of the delay. I'm currently scheduled to get my bulbs in July!. I doubt that I will have a chance to plant these and even have them flower this season. My email inquiries are responded to but most have standard explanations (i.e. coming from Holland) but nothing substantive. I'm contemplating canceling my order. I'm very disappointed. Company representative comment on August 01, 2008: On Aug 1, 2008 3:47 PM, Breck's Bulbs added: Customer was sent a Gift Certificate, and I am also shipping her Allium and Cannas at no charge. Positive Little_Ra (3 reviews) On May 17, 2008, Little_Ra Pulaski, NY wrote: I have been very happy with the bulbs I've gotten from Breck's and have been a customer since 1993. I've ordered all kinds of daffodils and they have been large and healthy. The customer service is wonderful, too. When I've had bulbs fail to come up I've never had any problem getting them replaced and when I had a mix come up as all the same thing I called about it and was given a mix without any problems. Once I had a substitute daffodil sent and when I called to ask about it I was told to keep the substitute and had what I originally ordered sent to me the following year because it had run out of stock. Positive zkmayo (2 reviews) On May 14, 2008, zkmayo Matthews, NC wrote: Had received emails, coupons, and catalogs from Brecks for several years after a Christmas gift of tulip bulbs I received a while back. Although I have had good success with the tulips I was wary of ordering from them because of all the negative reviews. I needed some daylilies, and seeing that none of my neighbors had any to divide, decided to place an order with a $25 coupon. Plants arrived, bare root in peat moss. First impression, was disappointment but I also remember its called gardening, not growing or flowering. So I planted them and to my pleasant surprise they are doing very well. Growing vigorously and with a few blooms already. Again, we're talking daylilies here so my 3 year old could probably grow them, but Id have to say that its safe to order daylilies from Brecks. Neutral gavinsmom (3 reviews) On May 10, 2008, gavinsmom Lakewood, OH (Zone 6a) wrote: Just FYI, Breck's is currently offering $25 for free (no strings attached) if you rec'd the coupon in the mail. I used mine because what have I got to lose, BUT I ordered 2 "tree lily" bulbs 4 weeks ago and my ship date isn't until late May. A little late for lily bulbs, but maybe I can enjoy them next year. So far as I have seen, Breck's is the only place that has the tree lily bulbs. Brecks is always hit or miss. That's why I only get what's free. On May 27th, 2008, gavinsmom added the following: It is May 26th and I am still waiting. A rep from Breck\'s contacted me through the forum and checked into my order. Apparently my bulbs are just now being \"flown over from Holland.\" I\'m supposed to get them in about 3 weeks. This is really aggrevating because I ordered in March and I will not get these plants/bulbs until June, far too late in the season to be much good for this year. While I appreciated the response from the rep, I am still not very happy. Maybe people who order the \"freebies\" get put on the backburner. Company representative comment on June 25, 2008: On Jun 25, 2008 1:30 PM, Breck's Bulbs added: Orders are shipped in the order they are received, whether it is a "freebie" order (this Customer paid about $3.00) or a $200+ order. Bulbs can only be shipped after they are harvested (we don't keep bulbs around from year to year - each shipment is freshly harvested and either transported by freighter or flown over from Holland). The Customer's order was delivered on May 29. Neutral lemonwater (8 reviews) On May 10, 2008, lemonwater Mountain View, CA wrote: I didn't read any reviews of this company until after I had already placed my order, so I decided to wait to see what would happen before commenting. I found their site through Google while searching for English bluebells. I couldn't the English bluebells anywhere else, so I decided to order them through Breck's, I thought they seemed reputable at the time. Along with my "English" bluebells, I ordered two different varieties of crocus. My crocus all came up fine, they were what I ordered, and I didn't receive any moldy bulbs. But the English bluebells which were the reason for my entire order, were unfortunately Spanish bluebells. I'm not usually very picky about these things, and I hate leaving negative reviews, but I'm very very disappointed. I gave away some of my bulbs as a gift, to someone who grew up with in Britain with English bluebells and loves them, so I'm not the only person that's disappointed. Furthermore, only one bulb out of the 15 has flowered despite all being given the same care. I certainly won't be ordering from Breck's again. On July 4th, 2008, lemonwater changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following: Debbie from customer service contacted me regarding my negative experience with Breck\'s. I found her to be very helpful in trying to correct my problem of the mislabeled English bluebells, which I was told will be shipping during the fall. I am changing my rating to a neutral for now, and I will update it later after I see how everything goes.

Read the rest of the comments

Return to the Garden Watchdog homepage

Learn how to link to this page