The scoop on 'Burgess Seed'

Company Profile   This company is affiliated with 9 companies: Direct Gardening House of Wesley Inter-State Nurseries Farmer Seed and Nursery Four Seasons Nursery Richard Owen Nursery / Exciting Gardens Kelly Nurseries Royal Dutch Honeycreek Nurseries Mailing Address: 905 Four Seasons Rd Bloomington, Illinois 61701 (United States) Phone: (309) 662-7761 Catalog Order Page: Hyperlink Paper Catalog Cost: Free Categories: Mailorder Gardening Association Member Plants: Fruit and Berries Plants: Ornamental Trees and Shrubs Click here to send email to Burgess Seed Click here to visit Burgess Seed's website Recent reviews: Past month Past 6 Months Past 12 Months Positive 4 9 11 Neutral 1 6 6 Negative 9 12 21

Feedback History and Summary   74 positives 34 neutrals 174 negatives

Comments:

Rating Author Content Negative Kimcoco33 (1 review) On May 7, 2008, Kimcoco33 Milwaukee, WI wrote: Unfortunately, I found this site after I'd already made a purchase. I kept my fingers crossed, but no such luck. I ordered 40 privet hedges, and received literally 40 sticks with roots sticking out the bottom. Paperwork was wet, thrown in the same package as the so-called privet "hedges", which I would not, under any circumstances, call a hedge or anything along those lines. I returned them in accordance with the return policy, within two weeks with the original shipping label. I sent with a delivery confirmation, received a delivery confirmation, but every time I called to ask about my credit, they could not tell me whether they received them (though I had provided them with the delivery confirmation #), and they would always reply, "well, IF you returned them and IF we received them,...." they were absolutely clueless. I gave them the delivery confirmation #, date, time, etc. via phone and email, and FINALLY (after threatening to dispute with my credit card company) they issued me a refund for product cost, MINUS return and delivery shipping fees. I WOULD NOT ORDER FROM THIS COMPANY IN THE FUTURE. Negative supeernana (1 review) On May 7, 2008, supeernana Abilene, TX (Zone 7a) wrote: Hi. Placed order with this company last year and then found this site. Was hoping I'd be able to post a positive, no such luck. I did try to do something another person had suggested, I planted some of the trees and shrubs in the ground and some in planters so they could be babied. Nothing lived. The plants looked dead to begin with but knew from reading here that had to be sure to let enough time pass for them to break dormancy or would get that line from the company. Well, sent a letter and the package label by certified mail asking for replacements, haven't heard from company yet. Bulbs didn't do well either as the glads had what looked like mold or mildew on them. Will wait and see but think I wasted my money with this company. Learnt a lesson the hard way, check things out first. Positive muskrat_ranch (2 reviews) On May 4, 2008, muskrat_ranch Alberton (Canada) wrote: We ordered trees 100 evergreens & approx 25 ornamental/berry/nut trees. Long way to ship, the Northernmost edge of Minnesota, but the trees arrived in good condition. Some of the hemlocks look rough (not fresh, dried out) but the bulk of the evergreens are pleasing, good size, roots, etc. Many of the ornamentals exceeded our expectations for size, root mass, esp. for the bargain prices. Will probably have to replace 3 runty Juneberries that are likely DOA & a maple with some root malady but we knew to save the shipping label & if we eventually get new ones with no hassle I'm cool with that. No breakage at all during shipping, probably getting a whole bunch of trees helped because they were all bundled together? I would not venture to buy more delicate items like perennials but would get trees again. If some catastrophe strikes & everything dies in June I'll post again. Bottom Line: Met our expectations for bargain trees, did not expect filet-mignon at these prices & so far are satisfied with what we received. Negative sparkymarky (1 review) On April 29, 2008, sparkymarky Rapid City, SD wrote: They offer a one year warranty. We spent nearly $100 on shrubs and all but a few of them died, most within weeks. We waited to warrant them until this spring to make sure the other few made it through the winter. Now, to spend nearly $100 you know there were a lot of shrubs at their price. Anyway, I saved and sent all the little tags in, and then they tell me they needed the PACKAGING...you know, those muddy plastic bags that they stuff all the little sticks in. So, I'm out the money, another year without shrubs around the perimeter of my property, and hoping I can afford to buy shrubs with my small gardening budget. BURNED!! Negative Helen_C (1 review) On April 29, 2008, Helen_C Gainesville, FL wrote: Extremely negative in my opinion. This is the email I sent them... "From Eroyal Dutch I ordered 4 Black Magic Elephant Ears (No. 32426747) From House of Wesley I ordered 2 Bat Flowers (No. 32426755) Both are part of your Company according to my research. First of all I am going to say that I find your customer service extremely poor. I ordered AND IMMEDIATELY PAID FOR the following ON APRIL 9TH. 4 Black Magic Elephant Ears in the total amount of $43.39 2 Bat Flowers in the total amount of $28.99 Grand Total I PAID is $72.38 I have called three times to find out where my plants are. I was given a “parrot” answer each time saying they have shipped and were shipped on APRIL 19th. No further effort was EVER made to find out WHERE my plants are. Well, here it is, April 30 and I have YET to receive my plants. So I called again today to get my money refunded and was rudely told that I could NOT get my money refunded and no attempt would be made to put a tracer on this shipment until MAY 19TH????????? A MONTH for a tracer on a shipment paid for (and supposedly sent on April 19th) is more than outrageous. This should have been done immediately after my first call. THAT’S customer service. I have also checked your rating with the Illinois Better Business and some other sites on the web and, not to my surprise, your rating is “unsatisfactory”. Had I known this, I would never have done business with your company. I intend to spread the word among my friends and fellow gardeners about your “customer service” and I how feel I have been ripped off. I know my order is small, but I do expect decent customer service. Well, I tried to call AGAIN and speak with Richard Owen, President of your Company, and was told he does NOT take calls from paying customers??? Interesting and I have duly noted that. Please make note that I have NO intention of ever doing business with your company again. I want a refund in the FULL amount of $72.38 credited to my VISA. I should not have to pay shipping on products that obviously I’m never going to receive. If I ever DO get these plants, I will be returning them to you and I want to be removed from your mailing list. I expect a timely response to this email or my next step will be to contact the Illinois State Attorney General’s Office" On April 30th, 2008, Helen_C added the following: Well, I called this "company" again today to find out why I still haven't received my plants. As per the norm, I got the usual song and dance from their so-called "customer NO service" so I asked to speak with a Manager. I was transfered to "Kevin", who sadly has no last name, and I was treated just as poorly as ever. I could not get any kind of an answer as to where my plants were and when I asked about a tracer being put on my order, I was first told that "policy" will not let them do a tracer for 30 days. THEN this clown told me that "we really don't have any kind of tracing policy with the post office". I also tried to explain that I had received dead plants and Kevin asked me how I assumed they were dead and not just dormant. I figured that when a plant crumbles in your hand after removing it from their "shipping package" that it is safe to assume that it's past dead. So Kevin tells me that it takes up to 6 weeks for these plants to start to bloom. How does a plant that crumbles able to bloom? I advised this Kevin guy that I'm finished talking with him and dealing with a company that does nothing but rip off people and my next step will be to file a complaint with the Illinois Attorney Generals Office, which I am doing today. I'm out almost 80 bucks for the order I'm never going to get, plus I'm out another 25 bucks for dead (not dormant) plants. DO NOT BUY A THING FROM THESE THIEVES AND RIP OFF ARTISTS!! Negative fred12345 (1 review) On April 26, 2008, fred12345 Bend, OR wrote: The plants I received from burgess were seedlings and the roses had a single pencil size cane. These people should take there operation to the swap meet where they belong. I am still waiting for the last part of the shipment, this is beyond fertilizer Positive jfshrub (1 review) On April 21, 2008, jfshrub Deatsville, AL wrote: I recently purchased 300.00 in trees and shrubs from this company, they were sent as described and I followed the directions for each tree and plant, I had less than 5 plants out of over a hundred that did not produce, I think that is outstanding for mail order, plus the fact that I have a green thumb (amature landscaper) but the money I saved was well worth the small loss and I will be ordering again next year. Jerry Neutral hoganhound (2 reviews) On April 17, 2008, hoganhound Albuquerque, NM wrote: Lots of stress in these posts about plants! Thats terrible and surprises me too...I Have ordered maybe 6 times 2007-2008 through burgess and friends, have had no problems as of yet. I see many posts regarding $100-$300+ orders...I would caution against such large orders from discount catalogs. If I dont know exactly what Im getting, nor in what condition it wil show up in, (IF I CANT PICK IT OUT!) well, then I would not spend an amount of money that would upset me if any problems arise. Rather, expect less from deep discounted sources, and you wont be (too) dissapointed. Having said that, I have ordered small quantities of trees, bulbs, in/out plants and, so far, no probs...Tree seedlings are a bit small for my taste. If I can get it locally I dont buy catalog stock. I want to say that if you want to dump $100 + dollars on plants, head to the local Native nursery and buy 2 really expensive, cool specimens and be much happier for it than with a large green bag full of "I forgot I ordered SO much" on your doorstep in 1-2-3 months. And, from time to times, for shts and gigs blow $10-$20 online...I and you will be happier and more confident/less stressed that way...isnt that the point of buyin plants? Good luck! Negative teddea (1 review) On April 15, 2008, teddea Chicago, IL wrote: I had a reorder place in Jan. 2008 for items thats didn't grow the previous year. I spoke to an agent on March 7th and she assured me that they received my reorder and it would be shipped in April because I'm in zone 5. Well, today after looking at this website I called to update staus only to find out that my order was shipped on March 19th. I haven't received the order so I asked to trace it. I was told that there was no way to trace the package until it's 30 days lost (april 19th). I expressed obvious concern that if this happened I would be planting in the first week of June the way they ship, and was greeted with 'there is nothing I can do'. I then asked to speak to shipping and was told that they can't contact shipping but wait until the 19th and they will trace our package. Well, if plants are sitting in a plastic bag within a plastic bag, in the back of a mail truck for 30 days, what kind of product will I receive? I asked why can I order something from Hong Kong and get it in a week, but I live in the same state as the company that sells the product and can't receive my product in a reasonable frame of time and got the 'there is nothing I can do'. There is no reason to keep dealing with this organizxation Positive gardenerKB (1 review) On April 15, 2008, gardenerKB Marshalltown, IA wrote: As explained in the catalog, the items ordered were sent at the appropriate time for planting. The bushes looked green and healthy and had nice root systems; the grasses were green and carefully packaged, also with nice roots. We chose Burgess because of the competitive prices and were not disappointed. Negative Freds_Garden (1 review) On April 11, 2008, Freds_Garden Varysburg, NY wrote: Last year I ordered plants and they never usurvided. They were basically dead by the time I got them. We tried and of course the plants didnt. This year I ordered some additional plants figuring ok. We will try again. Well the trees that came in were broke in half, no root stock and obviously were in that condition before they were shipped and they cracked like a dead twig. After writing to them, the reply was, well we have this quarantee, of course we will replace it ...... but....... return the label and we will either give you credit or replace the plant. Obviously by the time you get the paperwork, the plants will be gone. Maybe they are planning it that way and we should all let the attorney general know in your state as well. This will be the last time I ever deal with these people and I am not afraid to let anyone know to stay away from this company. Negative clemin (1 review) On April 11, 2008, clemin Grants Pass, OR wrote: First experience with Burgess seed were Blueberry plants which arrived broken and much smaller then the stated 12"-18". Decided to overlook it. Placed a second order for $110.00 worth of Trees, bushes ect. Called Burgess to ask if order had been shipped. No, it had not. Good, because I have had an unavoidable Emergency come up and must leave for a few weeks. I needed to Cancel the Order. I was told, I need to send in a written Cancelation request. And what if you send order in the mean time? Very uncaring customer service person said that was the best they could do. Very unhappy with this co. BEWARE-AVOID-once they get your money, you are at thier mercy and will see just how much they value thier customers. Positive Idahobio (1 review) On April 10, 2008, Idahobio Burley, ID wrote: Ordered 10 trees, 3 yuccas and 10 asparagus. All arrived healthy and free of mold. Some of the trees had a few small branches snapped. Overall OK. I think I will risk another order and see what happens. Negative amanda529 (1 review) On April 9, 2008, amanda529 Butler, PA wrote: Please save yourself the hassle and DO NOT order from this company. I wouldn't trust any of its affiliates either. I placed a $300 order with this company. I'm not going to go into every detail of my exchange, however, I will tell of the thing that ticked me off the most. I paid extra for a blueberry collection that was to be potted and delivered at 18-24" height. The cheaper/younger plants were stated as being 12-18" in height. The plants that they sent me and I paid EXTRA for were barely 8" tall, pot and all. I was nothing but pleasant and professional to them on the phone and only asked that I be credited the difference between the older and younger plants. They can't DO that at their call center and you must mail in that stupid all important shipping label and their billing department MIGHT take care of it. I told them that was rediculous in this day and age and I wouldn't be ordering from them again. Please save yourself the hassle. The enticing low prices and pretty pictures in their mailers are not worth the hassle. Spend the extra money and buy a plant from a more reliable and customer oriented business. Positive Maryweather1 (2 reviews) On April 6, 2008, Maryweather1 Marshall, MI wrote: I was terrified to get my order, because I ordered before I found out about this site. The negative reviews definitely had me thinknig twice, especially since I ordered about $150 worth of products. The only thing I'll say is that they sent me my products way too early. The bareroot things came when we had 7 inches of snow on the ground, so I wasn't really able to plant them. They also sent me the potted live plants, which I am keeping in a window and won't plant until May, because that's when we're out of danger from frost. Everything that came was in good health. I ordered 16 carnation plants and they're healthy, and the Hosta and Astilbe roots were quite substantial in size. The Lavender was good, and the Gladiolus bulbs were a good size and healthy. The potted Gaillardia were small, sort of wimpy, and the foliage was yellowish. But, I took them out, planted them in potting soil, stuck them in a window and gave them ample water, and in just about a week they've grown a lot and are green and healthy. I also ordered nine rose bushes, with mixed reviews. Some of them were small and wimpy, but some of them were huge with thick stalks and an enormous root system. Looked fairly healthy, but we'll see about that. Overall, nothing they sent me was dead and I was impressed by the quantity of items I received for the money. I've got lots of work to do! Neutral rmolby (1 review) On April 3, 2008, rmolby Norman, OK wrote: So far I'm going Neutral. I ordered $66 worth of plants from this company on 3/15/2008. I ordered online and have not received any other communications from them, nor have I receive any product. I emailed the about a week ago and never received a reply to my inquiry. I tried to call them today, 4/3/2008, and their line was busy every time I called, no voice mail options or anything like that. This is getting ridiculous. I then decided to come here and check to see if other have had problems as well, and after reading all the neutral and negative comments, I’ve decided I will NEVER, let me repeat that, NEVER EVER order from this outfit again. My final rating will depend on the condition of the product when it arrives, IF it ever does, and if any of it lives. R Neutral neon_sky (2 reviews) On April 2, 2008, neon_sky Tulsa, OK wrote: I ordered a Climbing Blue Moon rose. Well, a rose arrived. There was no advance notification from the company, so I had no idea when it would come. I came back from a business trip to find an unmarked plastic bag crammed into my mailbox with a bunch of other mail. You would think they could mark the plants so that the mailman has some idea how to handle them! He's amenable to leaving things on the porch if he knows he shouldn't crush them. Anyway, this poor squashed bareroot plant is not even the rose I ordered. It is a Climbing Blue Girl rose, according to its label. I know these are not the same thing, and I don't know if I'll like the Blue Girl. I received no notice from the company about any substitution. Sigh.... I've decided to plant it and see how it does, but I'm not happy with the company and wouldn't order from them again. Neutral Dredly (1 review) On March 31, 2008, Dredly Saylorsburg, PA wrote: I'm going Neutral as of now, it may turn negative later but will not be positive. I ordered over 150.00 in fruit trees (apple and "fruit cocktail), shrubs (Hardy Privet, Rose of Sharon), berry bushes (blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, strawberry) in early Feb. I was quoted a time frame of later April - Early May which was fine as I have a lot of work to do in the yard before planting (ie: fencing, mulching, etc) The first part of my order arrived on March 26th, the rest arrived on March 29th. IT is still freezing here, actually snowed today. The timing is way off. In addition many plants appear to be less then 1 year old, while others appear to be 2+. I have some pieces of hedge that are over 3 feet tall and others that are less then 1 foot tall. Also, I received 2 pieces of "sticks" that were labeled as Rose of Sharon, they have no roots at all, when i called and requested replacements I was told to return the shipping label... for a stick. Now I have to wait to plan the rest of my hedge due to their poor laborers. AS mentioned. If everything survives and I get my replacements for defective trees this will be a "neutral" and I will probably buy from them again as the prices are great. If the plants don't survive or the warranty isn't honored this will be a negative. I doubt I'll be buying from DirectGardening.com or Burgess anymore unless the plants I have perform extremely well Positive Idahoan (14 reviews) On March 29, 2008, Idahoan Boise, ID (Zone 6a) wrote: I have ordered from Burgess for years with no complaint. I placed an order this year and the seed portion arrived before the live plants. The live portion arrived today. I ordered creeping phlox and they arrived green and moist with new growth and the bulbs look just fine. I have no complaint about this company. Positive farmgrl32 (1 review) On March 29, 2008, farmgrl32 Shelby, OH wrote: I have ordered from Burgess Seed & Plant in the past. I am fully satisfied with my order and I am getting ready to place another order this weekend for over $150.00 worth of plants. My last order I placed was a smaller order of Colorado Blue Spruce and Wisteria. The pine trees arrived in the green bag, but was moist and all had very strong root systems. The wisteria upon first look I thought I was sent a stick, I did a scratch test and they was fine. I planted the wisteria, wisteria is a very slow growing plant they take about 5-7 years to actually get large flower blooms. They are still alive and about 4 ft tall now, for wisteria that is a very impressive growth rate. Two of the pine trees did die, but that is a chance a person takes even if they are buying from a well known greenhouse. I do not think 2 out of 12 plants dying are bad odds. Some of the pine trees upon arrival was a little rough with black needles and some needles falling off, but again for the price this is to be expected. However, I planted the trees despite some of their apperance looking a little frail gave them plenty of room for the root system and today they are all about 3 ft tall and they all look great. As with the wisteria, colorado blue spruce are slow growing as well but their growth rate has also impressed me. I also planted the free peach seeds and they were not only interesting but very flavorful as well. I will be sending another order to Burgess for some more plants and trees, I am very impressed with the prices and the plants. Buying from a greenhouse costs three times as much and you still take a chance of something dying. I have had great luck with Burgess. I also might add, Burgess cannot keep up with the weather in every state, as many states such as Ohio have many days that are unseasonable, I wait to place my order until it is time to plant, that way I avoid getting plants to early. Thank You Burgess for the great prices and great plants. Negative mcollum83 (5 reviews) On March 28, 2008, mcollum83 Hay Springs, NE wrote: Months ago I placed an order for two musa banana plants (grow bananas at home!)...but I was disappointed that shipping was only by date, not by weather. So a week later I found banana plants elsewhere! And I called to cancel my order and the "nice" lady that answered said that it is company policy to have me handwrite and sign a letter, and mail it to the company to cancel the order! I replied "you're kidding me" and in the most sassiest of all sassiness the lady replied "NO I'M NOT FRIGGIN' KIDDIN' YOU" so needless to say, I had an irate person on the phone, I asked what the price of the order was, it was under $20...and I said, fine just send them. Then the lady became nice...and started telling me how to take care of banana plants. She said that the leaves will appear dusty, and that I should take a child's toothbrush and rub the leaves clean, and then take the toothbrush and stick it in the dirt, and this is how I pollinate the plant, and this is what makes it produce bananas. Like a good girl I sat there and listened to this, knowing that that is impossible! And guess what? Edible bananas do not need pollinated! And had they been edible seeded bananas, the pollination is done with their flower! Not their leaves and the soil. Well, needless to say, that "dust" on the leaves is a waxy substance, that yes, it does need cleaned off, but it will not pollinate my plant. So I got off the phone with her (she told me I would get a big pamphlet on how to take care of my banana [in the first box she says, like it will come in it's own box...LOL]), her having taken me for a fool...turns out a week later my "plants" show up. During a cold week, with a box full of holes, the plants laying on their sides, bags over the pots (which did nothing to keep the soil in BY THE WAY), dirt totally covering the leaves...and plants that are all but dead! After over a week, they are still just dying! And one was an inch tall, the other maybe 2, both with only 3 leaves! And I know the problems not on my end, because I ordered 44 from somewhere else, and they are all doing fine! After finding this site, and having my own experience as well, I will never do business here again! Oh, and this pamphlet that tells me how to take care of bananas? No, it is a generalized pamphlet, a few sentences on every plant, nothing I wouldn't have known already, plant and water! Protect from cold...REALLY! Neutral rwand (1 review) On March 28, 2008, rwand Sparta, MI wrote: I rated my experience neutral, because Burgess fully kept its part of the agreement, which is what I expect when I do business with a company. I gave Burgess my money, and in timely fashion Burgess sent the seeds and plants I ordered. Compared with other experiences reviewed here, mine might be considered positive. On March 9, 2008, I placed an order that included largely seeds and bare-root trees. I was apprehensive after reading other reviews and placed only a modest order (~$40) for inexpensive items. My order arrived in two parts, seeds on March 25 and trees on March 27. The trees were small (appropriate for the price) but alive and mostly well-rooted. Our delivery person drove into our yard to deliver the trees. I was available to process them immediately by planting in a protected area, where they will remain until replanting during fall after they go dormant. Burgess really means 'bare-root'. The trees arrived with no protection to the roots other than the plastic bag in which the trees were shipped. Had my trees sat roadside on a hot day, their outcome might have been different, but since they were processed immediately I am optimistic over their survival. I will mention two minor disappointments regarding my order, the first of which is my issue, not Burgess'. I ordered their 'tree sampler', their choice of inexpensively-priced, overstocked trees. I dreamed of receiving exotic, flowering and ornamental trees that would adorn my yard at a remarkably cheap price. I received a fine assortment of trees, none of which fits well into my landscape. I hasten to add that Burgess did its part by sending live, well-rooted trees. I might advise, though, unless you have a large space to fill with any available trees, you might pass on the tree sampler, since I guess exotic flowering and ornamental trees are unlikely to be overstocked. A second issue I raise concerns a $3.95 packet of watermelon seeds that contained a total of only seven seeds. Instructions included with the seeds indicated that I should plant 3-4 seeds/hill and thin to a single plant/hill. At almost 60 cents/seed, I will not be following their planting instructions! If my seven seeds provide me with all the watermelons I want, I will be satisfied that I got my money's worth. Nonetheless, seven seeds for $3.95 might be a bit stingy, and I will keep my packing slip should ultimately I be dissatisfied with my purchase. Overall, at this point I believe that Burgess fully met my expectations, and if my satisfaction continues I will not hesitate to order from them again. Neutral engravogirl (3 reviews) On March 18, 2008, engravogirl Godley, TX wrote: Despite negative comments from other customers, I decided to risk $30.00 with Burgess seeds. I ordered one packet of seeds and 2 pairs of Elderberry plants in mid January from their web site. The seeds arrived in a timely manner, along with my free promotional Peach vine seeds and tomato seeds. I had not received my Elderberries by March 15th, so I e-mailed customer care to find out the status of my order. I received an e-mail the next day telling me I would get my order within 7-10 days. However, I got the package 2 days later on the 17th. Makes me think that customer care is not completely informed about shipping dates; or they are just telling customers what they think they want to hear. The Elderberry plants were packed in a green plastic shipping bag. I think a box would have protected them better - but they were in good shape despite this. A tiny scratch test on each bare root plant revealed that they were alive and well. They were a healthy size as well, with pencil width stems. I received a 2nd free set of the Peach vine and Tomato seeds in the mail with my Elderberries. This was probably an oversight on their part. Overall, I'm happy with the plants and seed, but I'm left with the feeling that I was lucky - this time. I will probably order from them them again, but I still wouldn't risk more money than I'm ready to loose. Also, this company does not send e-mail shipping notifications for customers who have ordered on-line. I hope this will change - it would help belay the wait and worry of dealing with a company with such negative reviews. Positive brigitteh (1 review) On March 15, 2008, brigitteh Middleburg, FL wrote: I ordered ten hybrid poplars and ten hybrid willows. When they arrived the shipping bag had been torn and the plants were dry and roots bare and dry. I was slightly panicked but I decided to soak them in buckets for a couple of days, then I planted them in my yard with a little compost, and to my surprise, within a week every last one of them has green leaves on them. I have ordered trees from more expensive companies, and even the arbor day society, but have never had this kind of success. I have an entire acre to replant, and will definately order more trees from you. I think a lot of people who order from mail order catalogs, expect these large blooming leaf filled trees to come in the mail, but with a little patience and dilligence, sometimes good things happen to bald dry roots with sticks attatched. Positive shoehorny (1 review) On March 11, 2008, shoehorny Hampton, NJ wrote: I ordered 2 Tulip Trees, 2 Willow Trees, 2 Concord Grape Vines, 1 Himrod Grape Vine, 1 Canadice Grape Vine, 2 Gooseberry bushes, 3 Heritage Raspberry bushes, and their strawberry collection. I ordered these plants on Feb 26 and they arrived on March 8 (a bit early for my area, NJ, but luckily the weather was ideal for planting). All plants look healthy and fresh. Many had new growth showing. Plants were moist. The plants did not have anything wrapped around the roots to contain moisture, so you really need to act fast to get the plants in the ground when they arrive. I am keeping a diary of how these plants grow at the following web site: [HYPERLINK@www.geocities.com] for those who are interested. If the web site gives you a data transfer message, please try back later. Thanks! Negative DASIYS (4 reviews) On February 20, 2008, DASIYS Mount Orab, OH (Zone 6b) wrote: I sent a mixed order of plants, bulbs, and seeds on Jan.9. I recived part 2 of the order first strangley enough containing the seeds with out the free seed ( you got bounus seeds if you ordered) so a few days later I called them. Customer service was very nice, and after finding my order in the system she told me that the free seeds would be sent with the plants and bulbs in package 1 witch will come in march. I will order again next year. On March 23rd, 2008, DASIYS changed the rating from positive to negative and added the following: I am writing this update because I just recieved part 1. In the plant and bulb catagory I ordered: 3 stargazer lilies, 20 gold potato sets, and 1 yucca. First of all, everything was very moldly and the yucca was NOT a yucca(I am very sure that it was just a weed, it was obviously DEAD). If the potato sets were and good they would weigh at least 5 lb., it weighed less then a pound and the lily bulbs were packed in 1 tsp. of peat and were, get this, 1 in. around ! I will NOT order next year! Negative joseph123 (1 review) On January 11, 2008, joseph123 Savage, MN wrote: I ordered The sub-zero rose collection and the Tree peony collection- cost me over a hundred dollars. The items died and the next Spring they sent me the same collection as a replacement. The items came a month early because there was a warmer spring in most the country...but I live in MN and it was still freezing when my plants arrived at my door. I called the customer care (ironically named) line. basically told me to keep the plants indoors til it was warm and then plant them. Long story short- they all died. I called and emailed Burgess every day for 2 months. They gave me the run around until finally I was told my warranty was up and they would not replace them cause I waited to long. It was impossible to speak with anyone with any authority. I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. I was sent a letter saying that Burgess was making me an offer for compensation but I never received ANYTHING! After months of emails, letter and phone calls, I finally gave up. Instead I make sure everyone I know never does business with this company. I hope everyone reading this doesnt fall for their "Low Price" garbage- because the Service and product you get is just that- GARBAGE! Negative bolek (3 reviews) On October 28, 2007, bolek Reseda, CA wrote: I ordered plants from Burgess. When they arrived mostly were dead, not dormant but dead! 4 out of 5 trees were dry out, branches braking like dead wood. Irys was switch to different one and completly dry. Few of daylilies had either cut off tops or dryied out, they wre only roots. I called the catalog saying I'm going to ship all back to them, I was told they don't want them, neiter me. I called my credid card to pay only for the plants wich I kept, those sent to me alive. the rest I sent back. No more orders for me from this catalog, not worth a penny . It cost me money for shipping both ways, but mostly the disapointment I got. It looks to me like someone played bad joke on me, for the money I was willing to pay for plants and shipping. Negative jonlundstrom (2 reviews) On October 26, 2007, jonlundstrom Saint Louis, MO wrote: Stay away from them. I ordered from them and the bare rooted stock is usually DOA and the guarantee is a pain to collect on. The only plants from them I have had luck with are the rose of sharon. The bulbs are OK too, but I would stay away from this company. Negative wisconsinfarmer (1 review) On September 17, 2007, wisconsinfarmer Chicago, IL wrote: I can not begin to tell the terrible experience that we have had with this particular seed company and would absolutely not refer Royal Dutch OR its affiliates. We have a farm and a city garden. We are very knowledgable gardeners/farmers and have had great success with nurseries in the past. Throughout the past 2.5 years we've ordered in excess of $1000.00 worth of plant material/bulbs through Burgess Seed and Royal Dutch. NOTHING has survived or even shown initial growth potential. On the first order we received 72 Giant Thujas, $500.00 worth of trees guaranteed to grow 18" a year. They immediately died. This year we ordered the peonie tree collection( and several other bulbs/plants/trees) and a landscape architect told us that it was all dead upon arrival. We have not been able to get refunded while we have followed their return credit/refund policies and as a result l feel that this company acts fraudulently. They keep your money and send you dead material. We are not interested in replacements as their plant material is a waste of time and money. I strongly urge people not to buy this product for they will surley be disappointed, out of luck and money. Negative halvkell (2 reviews) On September 13, 2007, halvkell Blair, WI wrote: Negative is putting it mildly I can tell you that. I'm telling everyone I know that gardens NOT TO ORDER from this company. I have ordered from seed companies by mail before, this was my first time with Burgess. It was quite a large order. Most of the items would have been shipped by other companies in the spring of 2008 when it was time to actually plant the items. Oh, no, not Burgess. They arrived quickly during a two week stretch of over 90 degree weather. The poorest packaging I have ever seen. No protection what so ever. Basically just thrown into a big plastic bag. I put everything in water for a few days to see if that would help. Nope, 96 percent of what I ordered did not live. I will never ever order from this company again. I guess that old saying is correct " if it seems to good to be true, it probably is." The next time I order, I will order from companies I can trust. Negative paragrad613 (1 review) On July 22, 2007, paragrad613 Lacon, IL wrote: To anyone contemplating using any Plantron catalog. A WORD OF WARNING. I worked for the company for several months a couple of years ago. First of all, their Customer Service department is made up of temporary workers who receive approximately 8 hours of training before taking the first phone call. Second, customer service representatives are blatantly told to lie to customers and maintain the company line about waiting weeks for plants. Third....plants are kept in a warehouse where they are quickly bagged and tagged and placed in large tubs to be picked up by the post office. Customer service reps have the most minimal information available to them when a customer calls. To be frank, I quit when they asked me to lie to a customer about her shipment. I refuse to compromise myself in that fashion. As far as the supervisors go, their job is to monitor the calls taken by the temps and they are always available, but they chose not to answer phones. Buyers Beware!! Just thought everyone would appreciate some honesty from a former contracted employee for Plantron and its subsidiaries. Negative earthsister (1 review) On July 20, 2007, earthsister Montague, MI wrote: My advice to anyone considering ordering from Burgess (or any of the number of plant/seed companies in their family) is DON'T DO IT. I ordered stock last year which died. They told me I had to wait until the following season (this spring)before they would reship. When THOSE failed to grow as well, I called about a replacement and was told to put the request in writing. I was assured replacements were available and would be sent within two weeks. That was in May. This week I called to track down my replacement order. I was then told, by both the operator and a supervisor, there is no replacement warranty, even though I have a copy of the shipping label which says "you must return this shipping label for the Replacement Warranty to be valid". I spoke with a supervisor about the negative implications for their poor public relations (even the operators are rude) when they fail to stand behind their dead products. He didn't care, even though I told him the first thing I was going to do after hanging up the phone from talking to him, was to write about this experience on the web. Actually, the first thing I did was to call them back to remove my name from their mailing list! Negative Currant (1 review) On June 25, 2007, Currant Milford, CT wrote: I am extremely disappointed with Burgess Seed & Plant Co. I purchased 2 dwarf june berry plants for $7.48 plus s/h. They arrived bare root in a green plastic envelope with the regular mail. There was no protection and the stems were broken. I planted them anyway, hoping that they would grow. I waited the recommended time of 6 weeks for growth but nothing bloomed. I called the company and explained my situation but I didn't realize that I needed to save the green plastic envelope with the shipping label for replacement or refund. I was then told to send a copy of my credit card receipt as proof of purchase and also state that I no longer had the green plastic bag. I mailed all the requested paperwork and waited for a response. After 2 weeks, I called them back to see any results but was told to wait another week because they hadn't received it. I called back after another week and was told I could not speak to a Supervisor and that a note would be written to check on the status of my plants. I called yet again after another week and was told they hadn't received the paperwork. This time the person said I should have written on a separate piece of paper that I no longer had the shipping label and not on the copy of my credit card receipt. I feel like I'm in a refund maze. I know for the money It's probably not worth the fight. I would appreciate being sent my second set of dead plants though. Negative heidic (1 review) On June 14, 2007, heidic Harrisburg, IL wrote: I requested a refund of the dead plants they sent me. They ask the customer to wait 6 weeks for the plants to thrive from their dormant state but yet they only give you 14 days to decide if you want a refund. This is the 3 bad experience I have had with them. Nothing I have received from them has lived. This is the last email I sent to them: "The plants did not die within 14 days. I could not have known at that time (within 14 days)that they would have died. I paid $98.01 (including SH and tax) on March 1. The plants did not die until the middle part of May, I emailed you the first time on May 24. If your directions are followed for planting, the dormant state that they are supposedly in, it could take that long to see if they are alive. This is from your website: BE PATIENT AND ENJOY! - Your gardening adventure is just beginning. Allow your plants 6 weeks to become acclimated to their surroundings and begin to thrive before implementing your warranty. Take proper care and sit back and enjoy your new plants! I would venture to say that 6 weeks is much longer than 14 days, second grader caould have told me that! You are telling the customer to be patient. I feel that I was more than patient. If this is your policy, you need to restate it, all you are doing is ensuring that you keep the money regardless of the "status" of the sickly plants you send. For the money I spent I could have bought fewer plants but they would have been much larger and healthier, and I would have had no problems with cash refund even if I did not like the looks of the plants. This is not the first time I have had trouble with you plants but I can guarantee it will be the last time you will ever receive money from me or anyone else I can come in contact with. This complaint will be entered in an Internet blog, that is one thing that will be guaranteed!" Negative lakecountrygirl (1 review) On May 23, 2007, lakecountrygirl Canandaigua, NY wrote: Warning!! Do NOT, NOT, NOT order from this company. They sent me my order 1 month earlier than I requested, and I could not plant because of below freezing temps and snow on the ground. While waiting for the spring thaw, my 12 canadian hemolcks died even though I stored them as they told me to. They would not send me a replacement unless I sent the shipping label back with a letter of explaination, which I did. From the time they received that letter, it took me 20 days to receive a replacement of my 12 trees. I opened the package immediately upon arrival excited to finally plant my trees, and 98% of the needles were black with many falling off!! I immedialtely called and requested a manager and was told they only correspond via mail. I was also told that I could NOT have a refund as I was requesting even though the plants were dead upon arrival, but they would resend 12 new trees after I sent ANOTHER letter. Now why would I waste my time again? This company is a disgrace and a waste of your time and money! Positive loveofdirt (3 reviews) On May 22, 2007, loveofdirt Plymouth, MA wrote: Well I got the burgess catalog with some prices too good to be true so I came here to check up on them. I saw that the more recent ratings were positive and decided to spend 30 dollars taking a chance. I did get an order confirmation but nothing after that so as the weeks went on I thought well, lesson learned. Today-3.5 wks after the order a green bag was on my doorstep. I was pleasantly surprised: all the dormant sticks were tagged with common/sci name, the thick green bag was still moist inside and some were sprouting, good root systems on the plants and the tubers were each in their own bags with the names typed on the outside. I also had some "bonus items" for my order and each clearly had their guarantee of plants/seed free from disease/insects/pests and will replace any free of charge. I saved my shipping label per instructions here just in case and put them in water while i prep more locations. I was concerned with the weigela but a scratch test gave me some green bark so I am hoping that means they might wake up. I got my feet wet with the really cheap plants (filler plants for my borders really) that look like they are going to do fine and would reach out a bit more now for the higher end things in their catalog with some confidence. I would note that though they have a "burgess guarantee" printed all over everything it doesnt state you need to have your shipping label to do so but from testimony here clearly you DO need it so hold onto it no matter what. I will order from them again. Positive malamutes (2 reviews) On May 17, 2007, malamutes Ripon, WI wrote: Just placed my 3rd order of the year with Burgess. Considering their prices, I'd have expected at least some dead or small plants but everything I've ordered from them so far has equaled or exceeded expectations. As much as I love to gripe about things, I have nothing bad to report about this company. Positive laxbeaver (1 review) On May 7, 2007, laxbeaver Onalaska, WI wrote: I ordered 100.00 worth of trees and plants from Burgess in March 2006, received them in April in good condition, and planted them. Over the summer, some died. I didn't panic, I just kept a tab of what died before winter and sent a letter detailing what died and the shipping label in late March 2007. After no response for about three weeks I sent an email regarding the status of my replacements. The 'form letter' I received as email response did little for reassurance, but I held tight and the replacements arrived last week. When I opened them, I was delighted to find that they were huge! Very healthy plants at least twice the size of last years survivors. Burgess was entirely true to their word in every respect. I will recomend them to anyone with this advice: Order plant species that you are familiar with or that you have already seen growing in your area. If a plant dies and you want a replacement, forget about it until next season, or pot it when it arrives during hot weather so it can be moved to the best location. Keep that label! At Burgess' awesome low prices, a little extra care is worth it. Negative Elizabethc (1 review) On May 3, 2007, Elizabethc Fitzgerald, GA wrote: This is my third experience with this company, and you know as they say...3 strikes you're out! Well everyone of my experiences has been a negative one, and I'm done, done, done. I placed my order in December 2006. As of today I have not received my order and no explaination as to where or when I'll receive it. Wish I had read these reviews before now. I just want a refund

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