The scoop on 'Buried Treasures'

Company Profile   Buried Treasures Buried Treasures has 68 products listed in PlantScout. Buried Treasures is a Watchdog 30 company. Mailing Address: 2806 Brucken Road Valrico, Florida 33594 (United States) Phone: (813) 857-8839 » E-Mail them » Visit their website Recent reviews: Past month Past 6 Months Past 12 Months Positive 0 18 50 Neutral 0 1 3 Negative 1 7 9 This company offers a variety of bulbs and plants. This company specializes in: Plants: Caladiums & Elephant Ears Plants: Tropical & Tender Perennials Other helpful information: Accepts retail and wholesale orders

Company Comment, posted on February 06, 2003:   We're a small, family owned business, whose goal is to bring bulbs and rhizomes that are typically being offered to the wholesale nursery trade for trial, directly to the public. We've recently expanded our selections to include some bare root plants, and have upgraded our site to a secure server, so you can order with confidence, and peace of mind, knowing your information is protected.

Feedback History and Summary   424 positives 8 neutrals 16 negatives

Comments:

Rating Author Content Negative cjcjmass (1 review) On June 11, 2009, cjcjmass Snellville, GA (Zone 8a) wrote: I truly feel ripe off by this company. I've left them several e-mail and numerous voice mail message until today no return call. Now i'm out of 60.00 for several hibiscus that I never recieved. Neutral irisloverdee (19 reviews) On June 02, 2009, irisloverdee Lebanon, OR wrote: I have tried several times to order via the internet and one phone call, and as another small business both are how we are doing the lions share of business these days. I never received one word from them and now will never order. Denise Positive PeterMorris (1 review) On May 27, 2009, PeterMorris Vergennes, VT wrote: A favorite plant(s) which lived on the windowsill above our kitchen sink got some sort of fungus and quickly died. We had acquired the plant on two occasions at Logee's Greenhouse in CT, adding one plant to the other, but we never knew its name. Logee's no longer carries it because they had difficulty getting them to flower. They remembered it was a Hippeastum. Well, that's a help. An Amaryllidaceae (Amaryllid). That's a huge family and none it seemed as dainty as the plant we loved and had lost. Thank God for the Internet. After pages of plant pictures, I was able to identify it as a Cyrtanthus mackenii, also known as a Ifafa Lily from South Africa. The first vendors who listed it were sold out. Then I came across Buried Treasures. $5 for three. I bought nine. I had read that they don't bloom in their first year and that grass fires play a role in their native habitat. I didn't know what to expect. My order was confirmed. I was notified of my shipment and when to expect delivery. Totally professional. Nine little bulbs arrived. No leaves but a number had a flower shoot. We planted them in two pots, watered them and set them on the window sill. The flower shoots withered, some of the bulbs looked dried and dead. Two had a tiny tip of green leaf. The days passed and we began to wonder. Then, after about two weeks, they all started to grow. At least two look as if they will flower before showing leaves. We are quite satisfied, pleased and delighted. Thank you, Buried Treasures. And, if you are reading this and don't know what an Ifafa Lily looks like, do yourself a favor and look up Cyrtanthus mackenii. It's a delightful little plant (about 12" tall) with graceful thin leaves. For us, in Vermont, it produces a flower stem which rises above the leaves bearing multiple little trumpets just when we need them. And now you too know where you can buy them: Buried Treasures. Negative Qwilter (1 review) On May 26, 2009, Qwilter Severn, MD//Flem Is, FL, FL (Zone 9a) wrote: This is my 2nd try for ordering. The 1st was through a Co-op and the delay in shipping caused me to cancel my order. This time I ordered on my own. Placed my order on Mother's Day with a credit card. Noted that I wanted delivery "now". Got confirmation and the tracking number that evening. Tracking number did not work. 8 days later I got "confirmation of payment received". I though I had gotten that 8 days prior. And the email stated it would take 2-3 weeks to ship. And a different order number. Neither one can be tracked on their site. I find this very bad customer service. How can it take that long to process a shipment of 4 plants? I can't cancel as I ordered these as a belated Mother's Day gift but I will not order from them again. Positive iris28 (19 reviews) On May 12, 2009, iris28 (dana)Owensboro, KY (Zone 6a) wrote: im happy . id order here again . my emails were answered promptly and my plant arrived promptly as well. it was a bit on the small side but then again it was at a very reasonable price. the roots were excellent . i have no complaints Positive adeniumlover835 (1 review) On May 11, 2009, adeniumlover835 Port Aransas, TX wrote: This is my third or fourth order and I've alway been completely satisfied. My latest plant arrived in excellent condition, well packaged - within a couple of days it has new leaves sprouting! I will be a customer of this company as long as they are around -- and hopefully, that will be for a long, long time! Thanks for your good products and service. Positive LynnWeidman (1 review) On May 08, 2009, LynnWeidman Buckley, WA (Zone 7b) wrote: I received my order today was was extremely pleased with the size and quality of the plants. They were packaged very carefully, thus, the plants arrived in great condition. I will definitely buy from this company again. Negative zanann (9 reviews) On April 29, 2009, zanann Onarga, IL (Zone 5b) wrote: I placed an order March 2nd and asked if they could hold on shipping as it was still too cold here. Gretchen responded to my e-mail saying they would ship April 6th. After two un-answered e-mails and no sign of my plants, I'm curious. How did this company get in the top 30??? Negative crystalseen (1 review) On April 20, 2009, crystalseen Mount Ida, AR wrote: I ordered on April 1st. After a week of their tracking page not working, and not getting any replies to my emails, I called and talked to Chris. He informed me that they were a little behind but my package did ship and I should receive in on Mon. the 13th. Here it is the 20th and I still don't have my package. No replies to my emails and when I called again, I find that they are out of town selling at a fair. I'm a bit upset that they didn't ship my package before leaving to sell at a show! They had plenty of time to ship before leaving, especially after talking to them on the phone and being assured that it had ALREADY been shipped! On April 29th, 2009, crystalseen added the following: Well, here is is at the end of the month and I still do not have my order, nor have they returned my emails or calls. I have had to file a chargeback to get a refund. Never will I order from them again! On April 29th, 2009, crystalseen added the following: Well, here is is at the end of the month and I still do not have my order, nor have they returned my emails or calls. I have had to file a chargeback to get a refund. Never will I order from them again! Negative jade132007 (1 review) On April 17, 2009, jade132007 Tucson, AZ wrote: I ordered online 8 plants (euphorhia) from this company on March 30,2009. When I ordered, i recieved a reciept right away with tracking number. Four days later, I used their tracking number provided online to locate my order. It still says processing...So I emailed the company. "Chris" replied my email. YOU can read my email below back and forth with this whole experience and you decide if you want to order from this company. Chris making lots of excuses, at least this is my opinion. But he must have very good reason why he he is doing this to me. He is the only one knows. At his moment.. I am still did not recieve my order for about 3 weeks now and Chris stopped replying my email. I asked the company to refund my money but never hear from them again. I do not understatnd why people act like this. THey could have tell the truth. Bad experience with this company. I am still trying to get my money back. But I do not know.. They are not responding. RE: Order EuphorbiaThursday, April 16, 2009 7:52 AM From: "Hermie ContactsTo: "Chris Moore" Chris, I didn't hear from you? What is going on? It is Thursday already not recieve the order that you told me was sent Saturday. Didn't recieve tracking number from the post office. I see u advertised your plants on Ebay. Wow was tempted to buy more but my question is? I still not recieve what I had order online from you 16 days ago. I hope I hear from you soon. Wednesday, April 15, 2009 12:11 AM From: "Hermie ContactsTo: "Chris Moore" Chris, It has been 15 days since my order. What is going on???? I understand that you sound very busy. Do you have the plants? You just keep telling me from day and to the next day. I am just keep waiting. I am a little upset with this whole thing. What would you feel if you were me? If you didn't send the order yet. Please refund my money. If you did send them please provide tracking number from the post office. From: "Hermie ContactsTo: "Chris Moore" Tuesday, April 14, 2009 4:49 PM Chris, It is Tuesday already still I didn't recieve my order. Can you please check if it got sent Saturday? Did you guys send it? IF not lplease send them.. Thanks From: Chris Moore Subject: RE: Order Euphorbia To: "Hermie Date: Sunday, April 12, 2009, 7:56 AM Wthout being at the office, I can't look it up. Forty packages went out yesterday, so i'm assuming it was. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Hermie Sent: Sunday, April 12, 2009 10:45 AM To: Chris Moore Subject: RE: Order Euphorbia Did you ship the order yesterday ? From: Chris Moore Subject: RE: Order Euphorbia To: "Hermie Date: Sunday, April 12, 2009, 6:19 AM Hi hermie, I have the DC # at the office and will email it monday when I get back in town. Regards, chris chris -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Hermie Sent: Sunday, April 12, 2009 9:02 AM To: Chris Moore Subject: RE: Order Euphorbia Chris, This order was shipped yesterday? I hope this time you shipped it as you told me. I have been waiting this order to arrive. I didn't know it will take this long for an order. Do you have the tracking number from the post office? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Chris Moore Subject: RE: Order Euphorbia To: "'Hermie Date: Thursday, April 9, 2009, 5:48 PM Hi Hermie, I’m sorry. Your order is still in the que. I didn’t take into account a large co-op order we had going out this week, when I emailed you earlier. We didn’t ship any regular orders this week due to this co-op. We finished shipping the co-op prders yesterday, and are shipping orders tomorrow and Saturday, to catch back up. We can ship yours on Saturday, which will get it there on Monday. I know this is your first order with us, and apologize for the less than stellar first impression. This is certainly the exception to the rule. We’ll have them in your hand on Monday, and will send the DC number over the weekend. Regards, Chris Chris Moore Buried Treasures http://www.buried-treasure.net chris@buried-treasure.net 813.857.8839 From: Hermie Sent: Thursday, April 09, 2009 8:23 PM To: Chris Moore Subject: RE: Order Euphorbia Chris, I checked again the tracking number it says processing. THe email below you said that it will be sent on the 6th. Was my order being shipped? Do you have a tracking number by the post office? Thanks. Hermie --- On Thu, 4/2/09, Chris Moore wrote: From: Chris Moore Subject: RE: Order Euphorbia To: "'Hermie Date: Thursday, April 2, 2009, 8:33 AM Hi Hermie, We pack on Sunday and Monday to ship on Monday and Tuesday, with the occasional Friday for the west coast. Your order came over at 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday, so it was scheduled for the following week, April 6th. That would get it to you a week from today via Priority Mail. Thanks, Chris Chris Moore Buried Treasures http://www.buried-treasure.net chris@buried-treasure.net 813.857.8839 From: Hermie Sent: Thursday, April 02, 2009 11:24 AM To: chris@buried-treasure.net Subject: Order Euphorbia Hi Chris, I ordered 8 Euphorbia online on Monday. I paid it through paypal. Is this order being sent? I checked the tracking number it only says processing. Let me know. Hermie Positive JodiKo (1 review) On March 24, 2009, JodiKo White Heath, IL wrote: Purchased 4 Sprekelia bulbs through Ebay... they arrived well packaged and healthy, and in a timely manner. I'm very pleased, and will absolutely do business with them again! Positive skippersbrat (1 review) On March 16, 2009, skippersbrat Ashland, MS wrote: I E-MAILED CHRIS AND GRECTHEN ABOUT SOME PLANTS I WANTED FOR MY MOM'S BIRTHDAY.THEY HELPED ME PICK OUT THE PLANTS AND THEN SHIPPED THEM VERY QUICKLY.THEY ARRIVED PACKAGED VERY WELL AND VERY HEALTHLY.THEY ANSWERED ALL MY E-MAILS QUICKLY AND EVEN ANSWERED QUESTIONS FOR ME AFTER I HAD RECIEVED THE PLANTS.THEY WERE VERY HELPFUL.AND I WOULD NOT ONLY DO BUSINESS WITH THEM AGAIN BUT WOULD RECOMMEND THEM TO EVERYONE.THEY ARE GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Positive joan30157 (1 review) On March 16, 2009, joan30157 Dallas, GA (Zone 7b) wrote: Received nice ginger rhizhomes as pictured. Positive jimmy2 (14 reviews) On March 11, 2009, jimmy2 live oak, TX (Zone 9a) wrote: on march3 i ordered curcumas pink grande,siam ruby,roscoeana orange all were well pack and label, shipped by and recieved by march11 nice bulbs, great coustomer service, .fast delivery will order agian next time Positive Junsei (1 review) On March 09, 2009, Junsei Middleburg, VA wrote: I ordered ginger rhizomes from Buried Treasure and was very, very pleased with the quality of the materials I received. The rhizomes were healthier than products I had purchased from other suppliers and Buried Treasures prices were their real selling point. I was also surprised and pleased by how attentive Buried Treasure owners were. I received three emails regarding sale and shipping prior to receiving my purchases (which took less than a week) and received one email upon receipt of shipment making sure I was pleased with my purchase. I will certainly purchase from this company again. The only request I could ask of them would be to expand their selections!!! Positive GerBo (3 reviews) On March 03, 2009, GerBo Davis, CA (Zone 9b) wrote: I just ordered from BT for the first time and had a very positive experience. Communication (very important) was prompt and friendly. I would buy from them again. Positive mattiesue (1 review) On March 03, 2009, mattiesue Leland, NC wrote: Ordered Plants With Free Shipping. They Arrived Within A few Days. Beautiful Plants,Im Very Satafied Will Surely Buy From Again. Thank You Positive michaelwalters4 (1 review) On March 03, 2009, michaelwalters4 Dayton, OH wrote: This was my third order with Buried Treasures and I have been very pleased with all three. Unusual varieties, excellent prices and great service! Positive drmilby (4 reviews) On February 26, 2009, drmilby Houston, TX (Zone 9a) wrote: Great bulbs for the price with rapid delivery. Initially there was a mix-up about the payment, but problem was rapidly resolved. I will order again without hesitation. Positive RODICAP (1 review) On February 24, 2009, RODICAP Phoenix, AZ (Zone 9b) wrote: I have only praises for this company. I received everything that I ordered in time and in perfect condition. I will definitely purchase from them again. Positive Hollihaus (1 review) On February 20, 2009, Hollihaus wrote: My experience with Chris and Gretchen has been quite positive. They are pleasant to talk with and have been been helpful in my plant search. The order arrived promptly in good condition, and the plants are as advertised. I would not hesitate to recommend Buried Treasures to other gardening friends. Positive MyZone8 (6 reviews) On February 13, 2009, MyZone8 Collins, United States wrote: I Ordered 2 adeniums very healthy and quickly shipped. Thanks buried treasure Positive astcgirl (9 reviews) On February 12, 2009, astcgirl Brandon, FL (Zone 9b) wrote: I ordered lots of different bulbs from Chris last week, some I had never heard of before seeing them on the website. I received them in record time. Great fresh bulbs with clear instructions on planting...I couldn't have asked for better service. Thank you. Positive flowerfantasy (10 reviews) On February 10, 2009, flowerfantasy Washington, IN (Zone 6a) wrote: I ordered bulbs from Buried Treasures one day last week and recieved them Sat. Very quick work Chris and appreciate it. Hope the co-op goes well for you. Negative cateinafrica (1 review) On February 10, 2009, cateinafrica Luanda, Angola wrote: I placed an order in January 2009, I received a confirmation with a tracking link (that did not work). I keep waiting for the package but realized that it was not going to make it before I left town and called. Spoke to Chris who said he was sorry that they had not been shipped on time and agreed to cancel my order and refund my money. I told him that I would place another order when I returned in June. I have been waiting for my refund. I have written several times and tried to call multiple times. Today I get an email that the bulbs have been shipped to my house and they want to know how happy I am with my order. I am very confused. I will reverse this negative review if I could finally hear from them and have my money refunded. Until that time, I could not recommend doing business with this company. Company representative comment on February 10, 2009: On Feb 10, 2009 2:39 PM, Buried Treasures responded with: Hi Catherine, I just sent you an email, that I'll copy below. I wish you'd given us more than 13 minutes to respond though. Chris. Hi Catherine, I’m so sorry. I made a note in the order, but Gretchen missed it. I had surgery on Thursday, and she was trying to help out while I was down. Don’t worry though. The refund was already processed and will reflect on your next statement. Not sure if you have someone checking your mail or not, but if you do, let them know they can open the plants, and keep them if they’d like. Regards, Chris Negative azreno (10 reviews) On January 15, 2009, azreno Mesa, AZ (Zone 9b) wrote: This company had a sale on November 29 and they sent an email out to customers stating as such. I placed my order and paid within 20 minutes of the email going out. I got my order on January 14. They were swamped with orders from the sale and could not get them out in a timely manner. Throughout many emails I was promised I would receive my order by January 1, promised it would ship on January 5, after inquiring about not getting a 'shipped notification' like promised I was told that it did in fact ship on January 5, no response when inquiring why it never arrived that week, then finally a 'shipped notification' on January 11 and arrival of my order on January 14. It was made clear they do not pack and ship orders based on the order in which they were received but rather by location and content of the order. Considering that people with similar orders as me that lived farther away and ordered after me did get their order nearly a full month before me that makes no sense and I said as much and got more excuses as to why the order was late While it was clear my 'patience' was 'appreciated', at no time did I ever receive a direct apology. This is the closest they came to an apology in any email "We apologize for not being as proactive as we strive to be with our customers during the past holiday season." At no time did I feel I was valued as a customer. Plants did arrive well packed and with healthy roots and were well labeled. Several of the plants have mites, puckered leaves, and some have chew holes even on new leaves, I did even find a bug (I don't know what, I promptly killed it) on one plant. Positive bigbubbles (1 review) On January 02, 2009, bigbubbles Austin, TX (Zone 8b) wrote: Ordered 6 hibiscus Nov 29th, rec'd conf # and tracking # (which didn't work). Waited till Dec 16th to contact them as the hibs were part of a large BT sale, and I figured they had overextended supply. No returned call, so I D-mailed and asked that my order be canceled as I had not heard from them, figured they'd overextended, and would rather cancel order than leave negative feedback. Rec'd answer that indeed they had had not anticipated response to sale, but would send the order AND refund payment hopefully by Dec 19th, "although not making promise of that date." I waited till Dec 28th to remind that plants, ...or refund had not been sent. No response. Today is Jan 2nd and I will contact credit card company as I have paid for plants in good faith. It's the lack of communication that irks me. On February 10th, 2009, bigbubbles changed the rating from negative to positive and added the following: I finally received my hibiscus and they were well packed and healthy. I still truly believe Chris didn\'t anticipate the response he received from his Dec. sale. That said, I think most of us affected would have understood the delay had we just received an e-mail. As part of a previous co-op, I was pleased with healthy plants from Buried Treasure. Hopefully this was just a blip. I would order from this company again. Positive Fla_Chick (2 reviews) On December 15, 2008, Fla_Chick Citra, FL wrote: Placed an order on 12/3/08. Received an email with tracking information; however, the tracking information didnt work and didnt indicate the order was sent. Ive sent emails and called, and have received no communication or no plants. I had ordered 4 hibiscus, and when the email came back, it indicated that 3 of them were sold out, yet I was charged, and paid, for all 4 of them. On December 16th, 2008, Fla_Chick added the following: I filed a Paypal Dispute, and have received, once again, mail from Buried Treasures with Tracking Information for today that doesnt show any item shipped, and 3 of 4 items sold out. And no communication other than automated email. Very disappointed here. On December 23rd, 2008, Fla_Chick changed the rating from negative to positive and added the following: Received plants today. Vendor stated they had sent them Dec. 19, and indeed they had. Plants are very nice. I believe this would have been a non-issue had they only communicated the problems they were having. The delay was understandable as long as they explained that there was an issue. Positive rmc22196 (1 review) On November 19, 2008, rmc22196 Clearwater, FL wrote: Bought plants through E-bay. Great communication, with good plant handling instructions. Plants as described. Would recommend Buried Treasures as a very reliable plant source. Positive lsuplido (1 review) On November 13, 2008, lsuplido Dededo, Guam (USA) wrote: Hi! I am from Guam and it really happens that shipping could take more than 7 days. All the plants I ordered (Euphorbia miliis, Adeniums, Hibiscus, Mandevillas) have arrived in good condition. Of course, some leaves were dry but they were able to survive. Most of the plants I ordered from May up to November of this year are blooming now. If there was any plant that died on me, I would just email Chris/Gretchen and they would replace them on my next order. I am happy with my transactions. It was so easy to communicate with them by phone or emails. I would definitely buy again when I see new ones online. Thank you very much, you guys are making this world more colorful! Positive debo450 (1 review) On November 09, 2008, debo450 Farmerville, LA wrote: Plants were as described with culture/care instructions included. Good notification of shipment. Positive Somkuan (1 review) On October 29, 2008, Somkuan Sumter, SC (Zone 8a) wrote: Great product. Euphorbia Mille. Last years purchase won 1st place, Horticultural Excellence and Best in Show at county fair. Expect this years purchase to do the same next year. Slight delay in shipment this year, but, Chris and Gretchen made it up most graciously with additional plants. Highly recommend this company. Positive maureen1952 (4 reviews) On October 26, 2008, maureen1952 Worcester, MA wrote: Sometimes one's 1st impression of a company isn't the most important. I ordered and adenium and a euphorbia. Bothe came without instructions for care. The adenium graft was wrapped in plastic and when I took it off, the graft fell off. The euphorbia was in good shape. I e-mailed Chris and he was quite responsive - send another plant and care instructions. 2nd plant is well-grafted and appears to be doing well. I am waiting to hear about the euphorbia as it is now losing it's leaves. Hopefully Chris will continue to be as responsive. The combination of his quick response and the quality of the plants is what causes me to give a positive review. Positive Asia_Alexandra (2 reviews) On October 23, 2008, Asia_Alexandra Miami, FL wrote: I purchased my first adenium from Buried Treasures and my experience was nothing short of wonderful. It arrived in PERFECT condition, well packaged and is growing strong! They were very friendly and helpful in answering questions that i had. I will definatly be shopping with them again! Positive JBPataki (1 review) On October 19, 2008, JBPataki Tucson, AZ wrote: Adeniums look healthy. Nice caudexes. Positive alxprez (1 review) On October 19, 2008, alxprez Pasadena, CA wrote: I am very happy & pleased with the desert roses that I have purchased from buried treasures (4) they are great, they all are alot bigger for the price then others I have bought on e-bay.overall Great customer service, plants,communication,& price I will buy more thank you Positive shoppa101 (1 review) On October 17, 2008, shoppa101 Keaau, HI wrote: Great product and prices, excellent customer service and communication. I'm a very satisfied, repeat customer. Thanks, will be back, Aloha from Rob in Hawaii! Neutral Ruth8147 (1 review) On October 17, 2008, Ruth8147 Ormond Beach, FL wrote: I bought 5 adenium in 2 orders. They both arrived promptly and the first order came well pack and I planted them right away. But the 2nd order was shipped very badly and I pruned them the next day after planting. I am seeing some sprouts, so I guess they are ok. Perhaps in the future, the packing be handled with care.. The plants looks good and healthy. Thank you, Gretchen!! Neutral pklender (1 review) On September 11, 2008, pklender Saint Peters, MO wrote: I was pleased with the contact/response initially . Plants came, speedily, and overall, everything seemed fine! But, I had emailed the company to discuss an issue I was having with one of the plants I had purchased from their online catalog... and no one responded! I emailed twice about this issue, with no response. Although initially I was pleased, their lack of handling of my emails/plant problem is very negative. I wouldn't feel "safe" ordering from them again. Positive pbraynon (1 review) On September 10, 2008, pbraynon Opa Locka, FL wrote: I was very happy with my purchase from Buried Treasures. I ordered the 3 colors of rain lilies they sell and received all of them in great shape. They even reduced my shipping cost when the automated system charged me to much for my order. I will use them again.

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