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Stay away. Their products die in the short term, and they don't offer a fair resolution. You will be throwing your money away. Avoid at any cost. Buy local.Company representative comment on April 26, 2012: On Apr 26, 2012 8:33 AM, Nature Hills Nursery responded with:
sooopr,
We are certainly sorry to hear that you experienced a loss with your order. We do guarantee that our products arrive to you safely and in viable condition. If there was an issue with the shipment, we would certainly be happy to look into the matter. Other than that, we do offer a one year replacement for half price plus shipping and handling if the plant dies after it is transplanted.
Posted on April 24, 2012, updated April 24, 2012
Long story short. DO NOT BUY from this company. If you still want, read their terms VERY carefully before placing even a 5$ order.
If you place an order then cancel it, they will charge you a 10% fee of the TOTAL ORDER PRICE which includes shipping and handling and handling oversized items (well ... if your order is less than 100.50$ you'll pay a 10$ fee ... calculate their profit if your order is 5$ ). Hmmm... the S&H + HOI is approx 35% of the order... They make a good profit from cancelled orders charging fees for shipping before shipment.
If you place an order at night (I did it at 7 PM ET), then cancel it 3 hours (well, in my case it was 3 hours 45 min - hahahaha) they will recommend you to read their terms and provide you with a statement similar to :
----------------------------------------
Bill:"All of the plant
material you ordered was removed from inventory when you submitted the order, and so it was no longer for sale on our site. When you submitted the order you had to agree to the terms and conditions to submit the order. Here is the cancellation part that you agreed to.
-----------------------------------------
It's hard to believe someone at Nature Hills was moving twelve 3# and 5# containers (I was that much stupid to order) from inventory last night.
Better Business Bureau B(-minus) is too high for them. I think if everyone submitted the BBB claim against Nature Hills the rating would be less than F
Additionally, they do not just refund your card ... like normal companies do if the order is cancelled ... they want you to give them the credit card details to complete the refund. On April 24th, 2012, nea2012 changed the rating from negative to positive and added the following:
I've changed my review to positive. After exchanging some emails, Bill, the manager I have been contacting to, informed me that I will get a 100% refund. This decision, in my case, makes sense. However I still recommend to read the terms& conditions before placing the order. I take my angry comment back.
Thank you Bill. Company representative comment on April 24, 2012: On Apr 24, 2012 10:28 AM, Nature Hills Nursery responded with:
Dear nea2012,
We are sorry you had an issue with the order. Our system works in real time, and once the order is placed, it is live in our system. This time of year, we ship thousands of plants, and orders are sent to our warehouse's shipping queue almost immediately so we can ship orders as quickly as possible.
If we can catch an order before it is sent to the warehouse, we certainly can accommodate order changes and cancellation requests, but it isn't always possible when the order goes to shipping. The cancellation fee is charged when we have to pull an order from the shipping department. The fee is 10% of the order total (before shipping and handling), so we apologize if there was a miscommunication / miscalculation of the fee when you initially contacted us.
We were able to catch the order, and complete the cancellation request. Since you did contact us the same day as the order was placed, we issued the full refund. We appreciate you revising your post here, and we are glad that we were able to correct the situation to your satisfaction. We apologize for any inconvenience. We hope you consider us for future purchases.
Posted on March 13, 2012, updated April 9, 2012
Posted on March 4, 2012, updated March 13, 2012
I ordered a Northern Red Oak from this company, was sent a 4.5 foot twig with no branches. I read the return policy before ordering, but was really hoping I would get what was described. Considering I paid almost 40 bucks for this twig all told, I did not.
I did not contact this company, they know what they sent me. I just cut my losses, I didn't not want another tree at half price, I should never have been sent this stick to begin with.On March 13th, 2012, Citro added the following:
I wish I could take a picture of the BENT twig you sent as a 40 dollar Oak. The branches were not pruned, they were completely dead and just snapped off. I have left it in the ground for almost 2 years now, with only a few very small leaves jutting out of the top. I am now pulling it up and replacing it with a real Oak. Shame on me for ordering it knowing of your ridicules return policy.On April 9th, 2012, Citro added the following:
The two stunted leaves jutting out of the top of the "tree" were not enough to keep the oak alive. I waited, after reading your response, to pull it up. It is dead. I've wasted two growing seasons trying to get this twig with no branches to live. And yes, you keep talking about how all of us knew the return policy, but buying online is a leap of faith, ordering from your company is a leap off a cliff. Shame on you.Company representative comment on March 14, 2012: On Mar 6, 2012 2:49 PM, Nature Hills Nursery responded with:
We are certainly sorry to hear that you were disappointed with your tree. When planting bareroot trees, it is not uncommon to have a 4 to 5 foot tree that has minimal to no branching. In fact, branching is often pruned on younger trees in order to keep the branches higher on the trunk. This promotes a more upright tree at maturity, which is typically desired when planting what will become large shade trees like an oak. We do send out 4 to 5 foot Red Oak trees, and that is the measurement of the leader above the root system. Typically, it only takes a season or two for significant branching to take place.
Thanks,
Nature Hills Nursery
On Mar 14, 2012 10:01 AM, Nature Hills Nursery added:
Citro,
We apologize if your order was damaged when it arrived to you. If we are notified within 48 hours of the item arriving damaged, we can submit a damage claim with the shipper and reship the item for you. If you have had the tree for 2 years now, unfortunately, we are unable to start a claim with the shipper at this point as we are past the deadline. Did you notify us of the damage / bend in the tree within the 48 hour time frame? If there was something we missed on this end, we apologize, and we can certainly investigate further (please call customer service at 1-888-864-7663 option 2).
Unfortunately, we don't all returns on live material. Plants can only endure so much time in shipping, too often, they don't survive the trip back when they are returned. That is why all sales are final with plant material. We do state this on the website, and it was part of the terms and conditions that are agreed upon when the order is placed.
As far as the tree goes, if there are leaves jutting out of the top, then the tree certainly sounds like it is alive. Oak trees, by nature, are slow growers. It does take some time for them to get established. Slight bends can be corrected with staking, and we would be happy to offer advise on that if that is an option. We would hate to see a tree be tossed aside if it can be saved. If you decide that you want to replace it with a larger tree, then that is your decision.
Please let us know if we can offer any further assistance.
Sincerely,
Nature Hills Nursery
Negative
sjacobs DE MOSSVILLE, KY (1 review) January 10, 2012
Nature Hills is overpriced and have poor quality products. You do not get what you pay for. You just pay more and get less.
I bought a peach tree in April. We had plenty of moisture in the spring and summer, but it never took off. The tree may have gotten 4 leaves. It never branched out or did anything. I was very disappointed, since I paid almost twice what I could have gotten the same tree from another company for. When I called the customer service, they said they needed a soil sample. I had one taken just that spring, so I had that. After looking it over, they determined the soil was fine. But I couldn't get a full replacement - they only offered me 50% off if I ordered another one and I had to pay the shipping. The problem I have is that I can get a tree for half their price and that company will give me a full replacement, no questions asked if the tree dies. So why would I pay twice the price to get nothing.
I will never buy anything from them again - even if it is 50% off.Company representative comment on January 12, 2012: On Jan 12, 2012 11:28 AM, Nature Hills Nursery responded with:
Management is attempting to contact the customer, in order to try and resolve the issues with the order.
Ordered 4 Hazelnut trees in #2 containers -- trees came well packaged but one of the trees was damaged. Called customer service and was treated very professionally and received more than I expected. Will use them for all my plants in the future. Will reccomend them strongly.
I ordered 250 Honeyo Strawberry plants from these folks the week before last and they came in last Thursday. They were planted in raised beds with shade cloth in this extremely hot weather. I think I have 100% taking. Maybe two per bundle of 25 were a little puny compared to the others and a few had about half of their roots sliced off about 1 1/2" from the crown. Some were still almost dormant upon arrival. They all looked tough, even the puny ones. I had Bill as a customer representative and he was fantastic about all my questions and quite resourceful. As these plants were on sale with free shipping and I had some low expectations, sure glad I took a chance. They look great!
Posted on May 21, 2010, updated June 7, 2011
First time ordering from this company. The live shrub Nature Hills sent me was large and in very good shape upon arrival.
So, I'm very happy with my purchase!On June 7th, 2011, jim1961 added the following:
Ordered a live plant of a Lo and behold butterfly bush!
Arrived just fine! Planted it and it's growing really good...
I've ordered live plants a few times from these guys with no trouble and received excellent plants!
Neutral
ignatz713 White Plains, NY (1 review) June 6, 2011
Posted on June 2, 2011, updated June 6, 2011
Don’t buy from Nature Hills catalog company. And don’t buy shrubs online.
I repeat, DO NOT BUY FROM NATURE HILLS CATALOG COMPANY. AND DON’T BUY SHRUBS ONLINE.
You still want to take a chance? Go ahead. Plunk down your hard-earned money for inferior products and abysmal customer service. Hey, it’s your dough.
But, if you want to listen to me, here’s why. It was April of 2010, you’ll find out later why I remember the date so well, and I ordered a double flowering plum and a flowering almond shrub from Nature Hills. I received a crabapple and a flowering almond. *sigh* So I emailed them. They told me to keep the crabapple – I later found out why – and sent me a double flowering plum. The plum was THE saddest shrub you have ever seen. I planted, and watered, and waited. Nothing. The spring waned, the summer faded, and nothing. I emailed them to tell them of my sad little do-nothing plum and it’s only a little better almond. They offered to send me a new plum at 50% of the cost – WOW, what a return policy! - but being a schmuck, I said I’d let it go until spring of this year. MIStake.
Spring comes and the crabapple – free, remember? – flowered and then promptly went into hibernation. The almond is only doing a little better. The plum? No flowers, no foliage, gone, in the trash. I emailed Nature Hills, IN MAY, to tell them.
OH, they said, your year of – get this – a 50% replacement on a new shrub has expired and now you’re out of luck.
So, I repeat. It’s your dough. But, my advice:
Don’t buy from Nature Hills catalog company. And don’t buy shrubs online.
I repeat, DO NOT BUY FROM NATURE HILLS CATALOG COMPANY. AND DON’T BUY SHRUBS ONLINE. On June 6th, 2011, ignatz713 changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following:
An update to my experience with Nature Hills.
I was contacted by the head of the customer service department, as apparently this site is a live one and my note made a difference. It prompted the result I had hoped for initially, and I have to give credit where it is due. Sadly, whomever was online when I tried to resolve my year-long issue was ill-equipped to handle the matter, and went by the book.
As my conversation with the CS professional revealed, this was an unusual issue and had been ongoing since I first planted the products. I had tried to give the product(s) a chance, but to no avail. One out of the three seems to be growing well.
Ultimately, I will be receiving a refund for the plant which struggled last year and died this, and am duly enough satisfied with Nature Hills to exhort everyone to give them a try but to not go quietly when told to go away.
Thank you to Nature Hills and the head of the CS department.
I live in the Mountains of NM classified as zone 6. At 7300 ft elevation we have a fickle growing season.
I worked with Jeff at Naturehills and bought 44 bare root fruit trees in many varieties that we researched together. We looked at what would pollinate the other and what would do well in the area.
Every single tree has great new growth. Even the tree the dog ate in half before I could get a cage around it.
If you know how to plant and care for bare root trees, Nature hills is a great place to buy them. Great selection, excellent communication and a fair price.
Thank you for such a great tree. I received my 6 ft. Crimson King Maple tree today and it looks absolutely great. The roots were packed nicely, and there are buds all over it. It is much taller than I anticipated too, after planting it I measured it at 6'4". I am very pleased with my purchase from you. I am so excited to watch it grow now.
Positive
nutsfornuts Alplaus, NY (Zone 6b) (1 review) May 13, 2011
This is where I should have ordered from all along! Thanks guys!!!
I received my Hosta's yesterday from Nature Hills Nursery, and was very pleased with them, so Thank You so much for sending the wonderful plants! The plants are nice large plants and the packaging was excellent. I had also ordered 2 hosta's from a different company and they did not compare to the ones that I had ordered from Nature Hills. I will definitely order from them again
I ordered a Rugosa Rose. It was advertised as 18" tall.. I received a beautiful multi-branched robust plant 4 feet tall and very well packaged. I would definitely order from Nature Hills again.
Positive
anakinson Eau Claire, WI (4 reviews) April 22, 2011
Three years ago I ordered from Nature Hills. I just discovered this forum and decided to praise them for their service and quality. I botched my order when I placed it and they were very polite in changing it for me. Everything (small and large fruits) arrived in decent packaging and good condition. Their prices are kind of steep, but their quality is exceptional. Apples fruited last year and everything else is looking to fruit this year if their vigor is any indication, despite the crappy spring we've had. So I'll say that the folks at Nature Hills take some pride, as well they should. The next time I want a special specimen or two, I'll be ordering from them.
Ordered Salvia 'Black and Blue.' Plants arrived in good condition and when Nature Hills said they would.
Positive
magicj423 East Petersburg, PA (1 review) April 19, 2011
I received my Weigela "Fine Wine" today. The plant arrived in excellent condition. It couldn't have been better if I'd have picked it up at a local nursery! Thank you, Nature Hills, for your outstanding service and products! I would recommend you to anyone!
Positive
irsetter Defuniak Springs, FL (1 review) April 13, 2011
I ordered a 6 foot Weeping Cherry. Inspection upon arrival revealed the tree was broken in half. This was no fault of Nature Hills. The tree was securely packaged, but the shipping company allowed the container to be bent in half. I contacted Nature Hills, and Bryan answered my email. He made sure another tree was sent out promptly. Imagine my surprise when I opened the new tree to find a larger tree enclosed to prevent breakage AND the tree has blossoms. This is my first time ordering from Nature Hills, and I am impressed. I would highly recommend this company to anyone wanting to order plants and trees! The most amzing thing is that I put the two halves of the first tree together with wound dressing and repair tape, and the tree is doing great. Thanks Nature Hills and Bryan!
I purchased a 5-7 foot tree from Nature Hills. When it arrived it was only 4 feet tall. I called customer service and they immediately mailed me the correct sized tree. They also told me to keep the small one and plant it. Trees are expensive. The new tree was reasonably priced and now I have planted two for the price of one! My trees are already budding. No complaints about this company. Great customer service. I will definitely use them again.
Positive
Geoffrey_79 Gautier, MS (4 reviews) March 12, 2011
Freaking Amazing. Ordered 2 Flavor Grenade Pluot trees. Ordered in Jan or Feb and they were shipped in March. I freaked out and worried about how many days it was on the UPS truck and checked it's tracking number daily to see if it had moved. When they got here on the 10th I was truly impressed. I did my homework and read the reviews here first but still ordered with this company and I'm glad I did. Now I'm starting to think if you have to read the directions on how to plant bareroot trees ... why the eff are you buying bareroot trees online? These trees were from Dave Wilson nursery. They were 5/8 and ~1/2 cal. Heavily branched and packed with common sense in rotted sawdust and shredded paper all wrapped in plastic. I say common sense because even the way they tied it together with rope had the knot snug but a quick release when you pull on it so I didn't even have to cut it. The roots were out of control. Of the 35 fruit trees I got these two have the best roots upon arrival. I guess my rating would be more for DWN than for natue hills but i purchased from NH so they get the watchdog. Dmail me for Photos.
People ... order at the right time of year. feel free to dig the hole before the plant gets there so you're ready to go asap. It's roots are beat until they grow back ... you need to water it regularly so it doesn't die.
My experience with this company has been good. My Fuji apple tree purchased in spring 2009 is doing fine. My Ginkgo purchased in May 2010 is also doing great. I purchased a Barlett pear at the same time, but it did not survive the summer. I can't blame Nature Hills though -- I knew I was pushing my luck planting a young tree in my front yard (which gets full sun) only about 1 1/2 months before our scorching hot Mississippi summers. I just had to try... In any case, I have ordered another Barlett pear from Nature Hills which due to arrive this spring. I have every reason to expect it to do fine since the tree will have 3-4 months to get established before the summer sun gets its hottest.
Just received my second order, it arrived as ordered and came fast. Can't wait to plant my maple tree, my last tree is doing great!
Negative
nogrowjoe Patterson, CA (1 review) November 2, 2010
I purchased a variety of trees, shrubs and roses from this company in mar 2010, totaling close to $300.00. I now have only three holly tress, still alive. Almost everything I received was bareroot stock, just a brown stick and many months later it was still just a brown stick. I have replaced all of these from a local supplier. I originally wanted to get a few more holly trees with my store credit, so to speak, but they did not have any available of the size I had purchased earlier. I then sent an email to the replacement web site to see if I could get tulip and daffodil bulbs for the credit I supposedly had and I was told NOooooooo, that I still had to purchase brown sticks as I had done the first time. As they say hind sight is alway 20/20 and what do I find when I look at the Better Business Bureau web site, they are listed at a (F). Now why does this not surprise me. I will never do business with this company again and you can believe that I will not have anything good to say for them.Company representative comment on November 4, 2010: On Nov 4, 2010 8:05 AM, Nature Hills Nursery responded with:
nogrowjoe,
We are sorry if you do not like our replacement policy, however it was stated in the terms and conditions that you agreed upon when you placed the order online. Any failed items in the first year can be replaced for half the current selling price plus shipping and handling, no questions asked.
As stated before, typically we only replace item for item. When you originally lost 2 trees, we were willing to offer a different "like item" at half price to send in its place. When you e-mailed back 7 months later to report a total loss from the original order, we stuck with our no questions asked policy and again offered to replace the failed items with different species, as long as they were "like items" (so you would have to select bushes and shrubs). This is well above and beyond the standard replacement policy that you agreed to when you placed the order online. Bulbs are in a different category and they can not be sent as replacements for trees and shrubs.
If you no longer have a need for trees and shrubs because you sourced them elsewhere, that is not grounds for Nature Hills Nursery to change the replacement policy that you agreed to when you place your order with us. I assure you are standing with the BBB is not and "F" rating, and we have been more than fair with you regarding this order.
Posted on July 30, 2010, updated October 15, 2010
Posted on July 28, 2010, updated July 30, 2010
Buyer beware! DO NOT BUY FROM THIS COMPANY!!! Do not be fooled by the selection or the free shipping. My complaints are the same as the other 65 negatives: this company is in the business of selling dead plants and then charging you 150% and double shipping. I ordered 6 lilacs; one was dead ( not dormant) upon arrival, the other three had green buds, which immediately wilted and fell off after only 9 days! The customer service people seem to love to spend their whole days either giving or writing lengthy boilerplate defences for their shoddy products and their even worse "guarantee". It's not a guarantee, it's a set-up: if your dead plant stays dead, you can pay an additional 50% plus shipping to get another dead plant. The BBB gives this company a C-, they lost their accredidation on 6/03/2010, and they have had 36 complaints.
Their sacred "terms and conditions" run over 1,000 words and it's purposely misleading and obtuse- the refund policy is hidden in the middle; it's surrounded by lengthy disclaimers and it's a true marvel of legalese to make suckers out of many of us.
Considering the 65 negatives, Nature Hills has had plenty of opportunity to make their terms and conditions transparent and concise: their refusal to do so is a clear indication that the company has no intention of being a reputable business. On July 30th, 2010, uhw added the following:
Nature Hills made NO OFFER to replace the dead plants other than their standard one of an ADDITIONAL 50% plus shipping to the 100% plus shipping I already paid. Sorry, but that does add up to 150% plus double shipping for dead plants!
The rest of their ranting is pure and simple lies and, again, typical boilerplate. ( My garden has been in TWO garden shows over 25 years, so don't patronize me with the obvious about soil, temperature, blah, blah, blah)
I made two additional phone calls to the very busy and very hard working customer service representative and received no reply
I e-mailed the president and received no reply.
Again: isn't it unbelievable how much time and energy Nature Hills spends trying to defend their inconscionable business practices to scores of dissatisfied customers?
63 negatives on Dave's Garden!!!
36 complaints on Better Business!!!
The company purposely misrepresents their merchandise and makes false claims and promises about their plants. Then they engineer a marvel of legalese to be removed from all liability for false claims and promises because they have only created a hope without making a real pledge. The top of the site states " Buy plants and trees online guaranteed by the Nature Hills Family since 2001"
The real scoop ( guarantee) is: BUYER BEWARE : OUR RECORDS HAVE SHOWN THAT A LOT OF OUR DORMANT PLANTS ARE ACTUALLY DEAD OR DIE A PREMATURE DEATH. BUT, WE WILL MAKE YOU PAY THROUGH THE NOSE ANYWAY.
I am also taking this matter to my credit card company and I urge all the other dissatisfied customers to do the same.On October 15th, 2010, uhw added the following:
I just received my refund from American Express for the 4 dead sticks I received from Nature Hills Nursery. For all of you dissatisfied customers out there; DO NOT GIVE UP!!! Their return policy is illegal; the catch phrase is: Implied Warranty of Merchantability.
An applied warranty of merchantability is an unwritten and unspoken guarantee to the buyer that goods purchased conform to ordinary standards of care and that they are of the same average grade, quality, and value as similar goods sold under similar circumstances. In other words, merchantable goods are goods fit for the ordinary purposes for which they are to be used. The Uniform Commercial Code ( UCC), provides that courts may imply a warranty of merchantability when (1) the seller is the merchant of such goods, and (2), the buyer uses the goods for the ordinary purpose for which such goods are sold ( &2-314)
Thus, a buyer can sue the seller for breaching the implied warranty by selling goods UNFIT for their ordinary purpose.
Dead sticks are unfit for being used as ALIVE garden plants.
Good luck. Don't give up. There is justice out there.
Thank you, American Express!!!Company representative comment on July 29, 2010: On Jul 29, 2010 1:59 PM, Nature Hills Nursery responded with:
uhw,
This response is longer and more in depth than what we would typically post in this forum. However, there were false statements made in your post that we simply could not leave unanswered. We will start by saying that we are sorry that you felt that your experience with Nature Hills was such a negative one. We have attempted to resolve this matter with you, even to the extent of going well above and beyond the terms and conditions that are stated on our site. We understand that it is your right to post your views on public forums such as this, but we do not appreciate using false information in your post.
We are most certainly not in the business of "selling dead plants and then charging you 150% and double shipping." First and foremost, you stated yourself that all but one of the lilacs from your order arrived with buds (and you stated in a phone conversation with our customer service manager that the one that didn't initially have buds had budded within the first 2 weeks of being planted). Obviously, the material was not dead when it arrived to you. Secondly, our replacement policy states that material can be replaced for half the current selling price plus shipping and handling within the first year. The figures of "150% and double shipping" are absurd, and completely false. We offer a replacement policy as there are many factors, such as soil composition, moisture levels, insects, disease, weather conditions, as well as many other factors, that could lead to the failure of an item(s). We can ensure viable material arrives to your door, but we cannot guarantee growth (especially with such a wide array of variables). Because there is always a risk of loss when working with live material we offer the replacement policy of half price plus shipping and handling.
Nature Hills Nursery, as a company, has been in business since 2001, and has shipped millions of plants (tens of thousands annually). We staff our Customer service department for at least 9 hours a day, with a trained staff to offer assistance to any customers having issues with their products. Within the industry, we offer the longest amount of customer support on the phone than any of our competitors. While it is discouraging to receive negative feedback, 65 comments over nearly a decade of business is relatively low. We have worked in accordance to the BBB guidelines to resolve all issues that were presented to us through their organization. We have taken ownership of the times when mistakes have been made on this end, and offered resolution to several of the posts in this forum.
In regards to this situation, it is clearly an instance where there was loss due to transplant. Our replacement policy is spelled out clearly in our terms and conditions, despite your comments, and you agreed to these terms and conditions when you placed the order online. The terms and conditions, as a whole, is slightly over 1,000 words long. It includes the topics of our guarantee, issues with shipment, returns, cancellations, loss claims / replacements, and information on dormant material. That averages out to less than 200 words per topic, and all of the information included in the terms and conditions is pertinent to placing an online order. Considering your post is close to 250 words, that doesn't seem unreasonable. Furthermore, during our phone conversation you stated yourself that you did not read the terms and conditions when you ordered. It seems to be a stretch to call the terms "obscure and obtuse" and to go on to blame us for making you a "sucker" over something that you didn't even read. And despite all of this, we offered a solution that was well above and beyond of the previously mentioned terms and conditions to resolve the matter (a detail that seems to have been conveniently left out of your post).
We will take this post as you opting not to accept the offer that Nature Hills has extended to resolve the matter. You made good on your threat to post negative comments about Nature Hills Nursery online. Although it is your right to post your thoughts, shame on you for purposefully posting false information and excluding details of our effort to resolve the matter. It is easy to paint our company in a negative light when you don't offer the truth, or the whole story. As a company, we feel strongly about being true to our word. That is why we spell out our policies in our terms and conditions, and why we work within the terms and conditions when issues arise. We expect our customers to work within the terms that they agreed to them when they ordered online. In this case, we even went as far to going above and beyond the said terms, in an effort to mend the relationship with you, our customer. And as a company that stays true to its word (regardless of the nature of your post), we will leave that offer open should you choose to take advantage of it.
Thanks,
Nature Hills
Positive
LARE63 Pine Bush, NY (1 review) September 20, 2010
I ordered two large shrubs, and received nothing but stellar customer service. I received the order very timely & very well packaged. Both shrubs were in excellent condition, and I intend on placing many orders with this company. Thank you,
Laura Reynolds, Pine Bush NY
Negative
whiteowl333 Greenfield, MA (1 review) September 8, 2010
I ordered a Mandarin Honeysuckle Vine from Nature Hills Nursery in March 2010. I was assured it would be shipped when it was safe to plant in my area. It arrived in April. I live in western Massachusetts where anything planted before Mother's Day is in danger of frost, so I immediately put it in a pot adequate for the size of the plant, with good potting soil. The plant looked like a dead stick on arrival but that didn't worry me because I was told it would be shipped "dormant". Religiously, I put the plant out on my sunny deck on nice days and brought it back in at night. I did this for 6 weeks, with no sign of life. Not a speck of green. When I contacted Nature Hills, I was told that their policy on "failed" plants was for me to pay half price and full shipping for a replacement. I told them it did not fail, it was dead on arrival. I even sent them a picture of the completely brown, shriveled plant. Now, I already paid $22.95 plus $11.95 shipping for a dead stick, and they were asking me to send them another $23.45 so they could possibly send me another dead stick. I don't think so. I offered to pay full shipping, again, but I felt they owed me a replacement plant. My repeated emails were ignored, but I did still get their advertising emails!! I have since special ordered a Mandarin Honeysuckle Vine with a local nursery (which I should have done in the first place) and it is happy, healthy and about 4 feet tall now. I cannot wait to see it bloom next year! So...I am only adding my entry here in hopes of preventing other gardeners from making the same mistake I made. Nature Hills will never see another order from me.Company representative comment on September 9, 2010: On Sep 9, 2010 10:30 AM, Nature Hills Nursery responded with:
whiteowl333,
We are certainly sorry to hear about the issue from the order. We do offer the one year replacement for half price plus shipping and handling on all failed items. However, if there was an issue from the start, it may qualify for a full replacement. It sounds like you notified us right away about the issue and sent a picture. We would be happy to review the case and see if there was something that was missed ont this end.
Please let us know. Just e-mail info@naturehills.com and mention this post (along with the name on the original order). Again, if it was just that the plant didn't take, it would fall under the standard replacement. If we were notified of issues from the start, then we will review the account and try to resolve the issue.
Thanks,
Nature Hills
Negative
RufousDog New Hyde Park, NY (2 reviews) September 7, 2010
Posted on August 31, 2010, updated September 7, 2010
Posted on August 28, 2010, updated August 31, 2010
Everything that was said recently about this company is true. In June I ordered a tree that arrived with virtually no roots. After 6 weeks there was no growth, despite daily watering. Bare root stock is one thing, but dead is another. Their replacement "guarantee" is absurd and it is not a guarantee at all. It is merely a way of selling you another dead plant at half the amount plus the full amount of the inflated shipping (which can be almost as much as the item itself). It is meaningless to the purchaser.
There is no reason to tolerate defective merchandise or such clever "policies" of slick merchants. There is a very simple solution in dealing with a company like this: simply explain it in writing to your credit card company and request a chargeback. I did, and I was refunded the entire purchase price of the tree and the shipping. Needless to say I will never deal with this company again.On August 31st, 2010, RufousDog added the following:
Here is the relevant legal concept:
Implied Warranty of Merchantability
Implied warranties come in two general types: merchantability and fitness. An implied warranty of merchantability is an unwritten and unspoken guarantee to the buyer that goods purchased conform to ordinary standards of care and that they are of the same average grade, quality, and value as similar goods sold under similar circumstances. In other words, merchantable goods are goods fit for the ordinary purposes for which they are to be used. The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), adopted by most states, provides that courts may imply a warranty of merchantability when (1) the seller is the merchant of such goods, and (2) the buyer uses the goods for the ordinary purposes for which such goods are sold (§ 2-314). Thus, a buyer can sue a seller for breaching the implied warranty by selling goods unfit for their ordinary purpose.
The merchant is pretending that his 'policy' or 'terms' override this universal, unwritten warranty. It cannot and it does not. Don't let anyone try to fool you. Their imposed, self-serving "guarantee" does not negate your basic legal right to receiving merchandise that is not defective or less than merchantable.On September 7th, 2010, RufousDog added the following:
I notice that your company reps read our reviews and relentlessly respond to all the negative ones in an effort to salvage your now well deserved, poor reputation.
"We are certainly sorry to hear that you experienced a loss from your order. If there is an issue with your plant material upon arrival, we need to be notified within 48 hours so that the appropriate actions can be taken (typically a reshipment)."
Whom are you kidding? You are not "sorry". Nor will I ever be about stating the truth. You do not "need to be notified within 48 hours" so that you can try to shift the blame to a shipping company and never issue any refund for the defective merchandise you sell.
"If we are not notified of any issues, we assume the order arrived in an acceptable conditions and our standard replacement would take place."
Fortunately for us as consumers, a credit card company (unlike your company) does take our complaints more seriously than you do. They make no such assumptions. Only you do that ("assume") in an attempt to intimidate, dominate and bamboozle your customers.
"One thing that is alarming from your post before was your statement saying: "After 6 weeks there was no growth, despite daily watering." There aren't many situations where a tree would require daily watering. In fact, in most cases that would be way too much. Over saturation can cause the soil to compact and the roots will never set (therefore the tree will never break dormancy). I would suspect that was the cause of the failure of your plant / tree, and not the viability of the stock."
Most of us here have successfully planted bare root stock. We are not all idiot as you apparently assume. Most of us are well experienced, despite your grasping at straws to CYA. Your assumption that I watered too much (or had I not mentioned it, you would assume it to be too little?) shows your scheme of always having a ready rationalization to shift the blame to anyone but your own company. It just doesn't work - any more than your dead, worthless merchandise does.
"We are sorry that you felt that you no longer wanted to work with us and contacted your credit card company. We will respond to your credit card company's chargeback with the terms and conditions that were mutually agreed upon at the time of the sale."
You are not "sorry" about how I or anyone else "feels". The only thing you are sorry about is that that the chargeback was granted and you have a lot of backpedaling to do in a public forum. Maybe flooding this board with suddenly glowing positive reviews is your latest strategy. But we are not stupid. Your reputation is largely based upon shipping defective merchandise, and our numerous complaints in response and your strategy of ongoing, elaborate defensive rebuttals speaks for itself.Company representative comment on September 8, 2010: On Aug 31, 2010 10:23 AM, Nature Hills Nursery responded with:
RufousDog,
We are certainly sorry to hear that you experienced a loss from your order. If there is an issue with your plant material upon arrival, we need to be notified within 48 hours so that the appropriate actions can be taken (typically a reshipment). If we are not notified of any issues, we assume the order arrived in an acceptable conditions and our standard replacement would take place.
One thing that is alarming from your post before was your statement saying: "After 6 weeks there was no growth, despite daily watering." There aren't many situations where a tree would require daily watering. In fact, in most cases that would be way too much. Over saturation can cause the soil to compact and the roots will never set (therefore the tree will never break dormancy). I would suspect that was the cause of the failure of your plant / tree, and not the viability of the stock.
If there wasn't an issue with the material on arrival, and the tree didn't just take to the transplant, then it would fall under the standard replacement policy (half price plus shipping and handling). This policy was stated in the terms and conditions that you agreed upon when you placed the order online. However, if you filed with your credit card company we would have to handle the situation according to their processes and resolve the issue in that manor. We are sorry that you felt that you no longer wanted to work with us and contacted your credit card company. We will respond to your credit card company's chargeback with the terms and conditions that were mutually agreed upon at the time of the sale.
Thanks,
Nature Hills
On Sep 8, 2010 7:46 AM, Nature Hills Nursery added:
RufousDog,
Our terms and conditions are clearly stated on our website and in the order process. Simply put, any time you take a plant from its natural environment and move it to a new location, you have a risk of loss (whether the material is bareroot or otherwise). The material could have been completely viable, and you could have given it the perfect environment. That does not guarantee growth. Unfortunately, there is a chance (although a small one) that in ideal conditions the material won't survive the transplant.
We were not trying to "shift the blame," however no plant in nature receives daily watering. We were offering a suggestion as to a potential issue with the transplant. From our years of experience, daily watering often leads to loss. Logic would suggest that your cause of failure was due to excessive watering, however it could have been other factors.
Regardless of why the material didn't take, our policy for replacement is half of the current selling price plus shipping and handling. It is a no questions asked policy, so it doesn't matter whether the failure was caused by mistreatment or if the plant simply didn't take to the transplant. Plant material is not defective simply because it doesn't take to the transplant.
We do guarantee safe delivery of all our material, and ask that we are notified of any issues within 48 hours of the material arriving (indicated in the terms and conditions and on the front of your packing slip when the order arrived). You stated that you are experienced with bareroot material, and if there was an issues with the material (regarding root structure or any other issues), you should have notified us of the potential problem. Instead, you waited 6 weeks before contacting us to tell us the material was "defective." If the material was viable upon arrival, then you needed to notify us immediately. If the material arrived in acceptable condition, but didn't take after the initial 6 weeks then it would fall under our replacement policy that you confirmed that you read and agreed to when you placed the order online.
Our decision has been made, and we will must abide by the terms and conditions that were agreed upon when the order was placed.
Thanks,
Nature Hills
Positive
jayhawk_60 Olathe, KS (1 review) September 5, 2010
I love this place! I just finished planning my fall beds and placed another order with Nature Hills Nursery. They quickly responded to my e-mail inquiries, and when I called in the order the representative was very polite and patient.
I have received nothing but excellent quality stock from Nature Hills, whether it is canned material or bareroot. I have been ordering from mail order companies for years, and I can say Nature Hills has some of the best stock I have seen. They also take the time to carefully pack their plants, which isn't always the case with other companies.
I was so impressed with their service, I thought I would write a post about my experience. I was a little surprised at some of the negative comments here. I will say they are strict about adhering to their terms of sale, but really the policy makes sense. They guarantee everything arrives safely, and after that will replace a plant at half price if it dies. As any gardener knows, you win some and loose some when it comes to transplanting. Judging from some of these other write-ups, I would guess that these folks hadn't worked with bareroot stock before. I remember being a little skeptical the first time I received a dormant plant in the mail.
Other nurseries may replace for free, but I would rather take my chances with good quality stock from the start instead of okay quality that I might have to plant twice to get something to take. That is just this gardener's opinion.
Bottom line, if you want great quality plants, give these guys a try. You won't be disappointed.
I received an order the first part of June and made the following two observations: 1- The flowering pear tree had no roots - it was just a bit of club growth at the base of the tree. I followed the instructions to "sweat" the tree before planting - which I did, but all to no avail. I then planted it anyway to see if the sunshine would help it bud-out, but after 8 weeks it was obvious that it would never leaf-out. 2- I also ordered two varieties of blueberries. The "Northblue" blueberries looked fantastic, and they leafed out right away. The "Northcountry" plants, on the other hand, were so small I almost didn't recognize them as plants - they were more like dry twigs. In good faith, I planted them anyway having full confidence that they would leaf-out, but never did. Once it became evident that the pear and blueberries were defective stock, I called Nature Hills to get replacement stock. They told me if I have defective stock I have 48 hours to notify them. The problem is that there is no way of knowing until you plant something if it will grow or not. So once I knew that these plants were not going to grow, I called customer service and was told that I had to pay half the original price plus shipping to get replacements. I was told there were no exceptions. My perspective is the following: 1- The stock was defective to begin with. 2- There is no way to know if something is going to grow in 48 hours. It appears that their 48 hour notification policy is simply engineered as a method to side-step any fiscal responsibility in "guaranteeing" their stock. In other words, Nature Hills Nursery, simply does not have a viable guarantee - there is really no way for a customer to know if stock is good or not in 48 hours. So the question I have is if something doesn't leaf out within a few weeks of planting, then why won't Nature Hills make good? If I bought an appliance from Wal-Mart and it wouldn't turn on after I unboxed it several weeks later, Wal-Mart would make good and exchange it for a model that works. Why won't Nature Hills do the same?Company representative comment on August 31, 2010: On Aug 31, 2010 12:02 PM, Nature Hills Nursery responded with:
KortB,
We apologize that there were issues with items from your order. When we spoke yesterday, I explained that we have time frame to work with when submitting a claim for defective plants. We state in our terms and conditions (and state in bold print on the front of your packing slip) that you need to notify us within 48 hours if there are any issues with the material upon arrival. Your yesterday was 10 weeks after the material was delivered.
The argument from our quality control department would be that there is no way that we can verify the condition of the plant upon arrival so long after the time the material was delivered. Unlike your analogy of an appliance, plant material is perishable. We are not trying to "side-step financial responsibility." A plant could dry up within weeks after arrival, even if it arrived in perfect condition. If we are notified right away we can check the remaining plants on this end for any issues, double check with the person that packaged the plants, and potentially could send a return label (should something need to be inspected). After 10 weeks, we don't have that ability. If there was concern with the material from the start, it should have been reported.
With that being said, you stated that one pack of the blueberries was dry and brittle when it arrived. That is not typical of blueberry plants. I will authorize to have them replaced at our cost. In regards to the tree, our crews inspect each root system before the trees are packaged. If they don't meet our standards, the material is discarded. We cannot determine if there was an issue with tree based on your description, so that will fall under the standard replacement policy (half price plus shipping and handling). You call customer service number (1-888-864-7663) so we can reference the original order, arrange delivery of the blueberries, and decide whether or not you would like to replace the tree.
Nature Hills sent me a dead plant too, and I tried to resolve this with one of their rude, sarcastic reps, but the rep claimed that the plant shipped dormant. The plant they sent me never came to life in spite of me babying it and trying to breathe life into it...dead is dead and based on what I've read on this site, this is a common problem with them. Furthermore, I believe the plant was dead when they shipped it instead of "dormant." I will never do business with this company again. They got my money once but never again.Company representative comment on August 17, 2010: On Aug 17, 2010 7:51 AM, Nature Hills Nursery responded with:
Good Morning,
We certainly apologize that there was an issue with your order and that you feel you mistreated on the phone. Some of our material does ship dormant, this would be the case with any bareroot material that would be ordered.
If there was an issue with the plant upon arrival, and we were notified within 48 hours of the arrival of the order (as stated in our terms and conditions), we might be able to submit a damage claim and have the item reshipped. If you would like us to look at the order again, feel free to call 1-888-864-7663 or e-mail info@naturehills.com.
If there wasn't an issue with the plant upon arrival, and it simply didn't take to the transplant, it would be eligible for our replacement policy of half price plus the shipping and handling. We still have that to fall back on if there wasn't an issue with the shipment.
Thanks,
Nature Hills
Negative
robdodi Klamath Falls, OR (1 review) August 9, 2010
Like most people here, I received a dead tree from this company and was not given a refund or even a credit. I bought several other trees and shrubs with this order and they were all of poor quality. I would recommend that you thoroughly explore your local nurseries first.Company representative comment on August 9, 2010: On Aug 9, 2010 3:10 PM, Nature Hills Nursery responded with:
robdodi,
Thanks for the post, and we are certainly sorry to hear that there was an issue with your order. It looks like you had the same user name in our system, so I was able to pull up your order and look at the notes.
It seems the Tulip Poplar never broke dormancy. You had called a couple weeks after it had arrived, and the rep spoke with had you lightly scratch the bark. At that point, there was a greenish coloration below the bark indicating that the tree was most certainly alive. It looks like in a later note, the tree had never leafed out.
Unfortunately, sometimes tree don't take to the transplant (as was the case here). We do try to offset this risk of loss with a one year replacement policy, as stated in the terms and conditions. Any failed item can be replaced (no questions asked) for half the current selling price plus shipping and handling in the first year. We are offering the Tulip Poplar tree for fall shipping. If you would like to replace the tree at the half price discount, just call our customer service department at 1-888-864-7663. We would be happy to assist you with placing your replacement order.
Recently I ordered 5 plants. They arrived promptly and I immediately unpacked them but 2 of the plants were very stressed out. I set all 5 plants outdoors and watered them. I did not read any of the enclosed paperwork but emailed the company, described the condition of the 2 stressed plants and merely asked them for suggestions as how revive and plant the plants that had way too many yellow leaves and broken stems. To my great surprise they answered post haste and told me that they were sending me 2 new plants as per their guarantee. WOW !!! After reading the paperwork that came with the plants I discovered their promise and they really kept it. An honest company in this day and age ???? Plants were replaced, they are all growing nicely and I would recommend this company to anyone and everyone.
I ordered three bare-root Japanese Tree Lilacs 6/4/2010. They arrived in a timely manner with some yellow leaves trying to sprout and almost all the roots cut off. The smallest of the three arrived with a split at the base of two branches. I planted them within 48 hours with a mix of the native soil, top soil and organic starter fertilizer and watered regularly. While I wanted a smaller size, 5 foot trees were the only ones available. They all began with the leaves turning green, but one soon began to wilt and now shows no signs of life. The other two still only have the original leaves. When I called about the guarantee, I was told it is half price plus shipping and only 4 ft trees are now available. In addition, they cannot ship until the first or second week of November - too late to plant here in Cedar Rapids. Or I can wait until next spring.
The sad thing is I ordered these to plant as a group of three to break up a large blank side of my house which faces the street as I'm on a corner lot. The one that appears dead is the middle tree so my landscape is looking pretty goofy now. I have no intention of paying more money to put a smaller tree in the center of a group of three which may or may not survive.
At this point, if I can't get another one through a local nursery, I may plant a redbud tree in the center of the group or start from scratch.
It's very disappointing to plan a landscape around an order and end up starting all over. I have seen these Japanese Tree Lilacs planted in groups of three in a mobile home community near me and really was hoping to copy that look for my home. Company representative comment on July 23, 2010: On Jul 23, 2010 2:37 PM, Nature Hills Nursery responded with:
cdcrumba,
I remember speaking to you about this order yesterday. When we spoke, you mentioned that the plants started to grow, but one of the plants didn't take. We do offer replacements for half the current selling price plus shipping and handling in the first year (as per our terms and conditions). However, at no time during the conversation there was no mention of any of the plants being split or arriving do you damaged (there was also no record of this being reported prior to yesterday. Is that the one that didn't survive? If so, we may be able to get a damage claim submitted for the item. That would make the plant eligible for replacement at no charge.
In regards to the root system on the plants, in some cases the roots are pruned prior to shipping. However, this is done by professionals with years of experience. Again, this was not communicated to us in any conversations that we have had about your order.
As far as the replacement of the failed item, it was bareroot material which is shipped dormant in either late fall or spring. Because the material is dormant, it could be planted in November in zone 5. Since we have to wait for the material to go dormant before it is harvested, it just isn't available for shipping before that time. If you feel that is too late for planting in your area, the other option would be in the spring.
The 4 foot size of the plant is an estimate, and wouldn't be too far off of the 5 foot size that was sent this year. They would all even out over the next season or so (you could even prune the others to make them similar in size if needed).
We would be happy to happy to continue work on this issue if there are matters that have yet to be resolved. Our phone number is 1-888-864-7663.
I ordered a Blacklace Elderberry Bush. It arrived on the date I was told that it would (so I was able to have the hole dug and ready), and it is BEAUTIFUL! It had all of its leaves and a very healthy root ball! It has been planted for a week now and already has two new leaves! I am very happy! Thank you!
Positive
lansbermudez San Dimas United States (1 review) June 30, 2010
I have to take a moment to tell you how phenomenally impressed I am by my experience with Nature Hills Nursery! I was skeptical about purchasing a fruit tree on-line to be shipped in the California heat, knowing how boxes get tossed about in transit. Well I have to tell you, the box and the tree arrived in mint condition. They way they secured the tree to the bottom of the box and bound the roots in a sawdust looking mixture to retain moisture but not leak in the box if turned upside down....it was unreal! You could not have packaged a tree for shipment better than this tree was packaged! The apple tree looked beautiful, healthy and even had the beginnings of leaves all over! We planted it immediately and could not wait to see it this morning to see if anything had greened! This tree is better looking than ones we found at local Nurseries for double the price!!!
The whole process, from ordering to shippment was easy and every question I sent was answered quickly.
I am so happy and so impressed with Nature Hills Nursery. I will definitly recommend Nature Hills Nursery to others and I will, myself, be back as a repeat customer!
Posted on June 26, 2010, updated June 29, 2010
I received a "Harry Lauder's Walking Stick" in early May and planted it according to directions and kept it watered. It has not shown any signs of life so I called last week and explained this to them. I was told there were no more in stock at this time and the only warranty I got with the plant would be a replacement at half price when they get them in stock-possibly this fall. I'm extremely disappointed that for almost $50. there is not a free replacement where it failed to root from the beginning. It's a poor way to do business and was just told when I called "it was in the disclosure". I am one dissatisfied customer who will not be back and will advise my friends to shop where the company stands behind their product...not this company.On June 29th, 2010, sltza1635 added the following:
Upon reading their last 12 months reviews were 50% negative I'm obviously not the only dissatisfied customer. Having bought plants online for years I've never had any problems until now. This site is great and has taught me a lesson not to put my trust in a new company without doing my homework. It's hard to believe they'll be around a long time with their policies and lack of customer satisfaction.Company representative comment on June 28, 2010: On Jun 28, 2010 8:24 AM, Nature Hills Nursery responded with:
Nature Hills does stand behind their products and we guarantee that material will arrive safely on your doorstep. We inspect our material for weight, coloration, root structure, and pliability to ensure that viable stock is shipped.
However, when working with live material, there is no guarantee how it will adapt to the new environment that it is transplanted in. There are so many factors, such as soil drainage, insects, animals, plant disease, nutrient deficiency, and weather (just to name a few) that can lead to the loss of a plant. We try and offset this risk by offering a no questions asked replacement for half the current selling price plus shipping and handling.
We are sorry that you feel this is "a poor way to do business," as this policy was agreed upon when the order was placed. We state our terms and conditions on every page at naturehills.com, including the confirmation page of the checkout process (that you must read and agree to before ordering). We are upfront about this policy and we would never recommend a customer agreeing to terms that they don't feel comfortable with.
I bought 4 Dakota sunspots for over $100, shipped bareroot. Two had a tiny sign of life and two had none. I planted and watered them with all four going completely brown. I contacted them and received notice of the 50% payment required for replacements, and have elected not to pay more for more questionable plants. Will not do business with them again.Company representative comment on June 28, 2010: On Jun 28, 2010 8:27 AM, Nature Hills Nursery responded with:
Bareroot material is shipped dormant, and in some cases will start to push new buds in the box durring shipment. However, this is not always the case. Bareroot material can take several weeks to break dormancy after being transplanted. If the plants arrive viable, yet do not survive the transplant, we offer a 1 year (no questions asked) replacement policy. Any failed item can be replaced for half the current selling price plus shipping and handling. We state this policy in the terms and conditions that we have posted throughout our website.
Thanks,
Nature Hills
Positive
scottfolkerth Pottstown, PA (1 review) June 23, 2010
I just received my order today from Nature Hills Nursery, which was to replace one Meidiland® rose that had died from an order that I purchased from another nursery. I was extremely impressed with the quality of the White Meidiland® Rose that was sent! This is an excellent example of what should be shipped to customers. I now wish that I had purchased all of the other roses from your nursery. I will definitely be a return customer to Nature Hills!!! Thanks so much for your great care and service!
Negative
pookerella Bellmore, NY (Zone 7a) (9 reviews) June 3, 2010
Posted on June 11, 2006, updated June 3, 2010
I have ordered many things from Nature Hills. For the most part, I was satisfied. They have a nice selection and the photos on their website are really good. The trees they send are sometimes TOO large! :) I ordered a 3-4 ft tree and got an EIGHT foot tree!
Other than one or two plants, I was satisfied with my purchases. I feel they are a little slow shipping wise. With one order I had to remind them twice that they were past the shipping date and I also have not received replacements or credits on 2 plants that died. Customer service is a little below average. They are nice, but they are very slow to respond.
There were a couple of issues re: their website that were not good. First issue, in order to search you cannot use the enter key (how would you know this!?) you have to press the "go" button. (99.9% of all websites, these 2 things are the same.) Anyway, second issue, many times you will type in a name and it will not find it (even though the page IS there; you can access it via another plant); third issue, their email confirmation is in one continuous line which is almost impossible to read. Fourth issue is that they allow you to create an account, yet it is absolutely meaningless, because you cannot use it for anything and does not store your info when you check out.
I would like to give them a positive because their plants are very good, but they are a bit pricey, their website is difficult to maneuver and they are not the greatest with the customer support.On June 3rd, 2010, pookerella changed the rating from neutral to negative and added the following:
Update: While their plants CAN be nice, and they did replace a plant that arrived dead, they have the worst service for dormant plants. Be careful that you do not order any "select" plants, i.e., ones that do not come with a "pot" size, which is their "code" for a dormant plant. If you plant your dormant plant and doesn't take, they charge you about 50% of the original price PLUS shipping, even if they are running a "free shipping with any purchase" deal. I think that's deplorable service. 99.9% of all other nurseries replace the plant in full, free shipping. I filed a claim with my credit card company to have the amount charged back to them, regardless of what their "policy" is, and I am assured that because the item is faulty, NYS law overrides their policy.
Also, here's a tidbit about them. They're not really a nursery, more like a nursery service. That's why you have to pay them first before they even send you anything (again, DEPLORABLE). You'd be better suited purchasing directly from places like Garden Crossings, an A1 rated nursery, where you will not only get your items shipped to you faster, but they care about their customers and they will replace anything dormant that won't grow. In other words, their intentions, I suppose, are OK, but steer clear of Nature Hills.Company representative comment on June 3, 2010: On Jun 3, 2010 2:18 PM, Nature Hills Nursery responded with:
Pookerella,
Let me start by saying that we are indeed a nursery. However, when you offer over 5000 species of plants it is impossible to grow them under one roof. We do work with other nurseries, and we contract them to grow species of plants that thrive in their region.
There are several items that we offer that are shipped bareroot (indicated as a select plant), which will be shipped (and will arrive) dormant. Dormant material is not "faulty," it has been stored in a manor to keep the plant dormant until the time that it ships. This information is stated on our website. Garden Crossings, which is an outstanding nursery, does not offer bareroot material so the comparison is not "apples to apples."
Our replacement policy is also stated on the website, and it was stated in the terms and conditions that you agreed upon when you placed your order online. We can replace any failed item, no questions asked, for half the current selling price plus shipping and handling. Shipping promotions don't apply to replacement orders (and the promo was free shipping on live plant orders over $85, so it wouldn't have applied anyway). We are upfront with this policy from the time the order is placed. We guarantee that our products arrive safely to you. As you mentioned here in your post, we replaced a plant that arrived dead because it was overly stressed from shipping (you reported it right away and we replaced it at our cost).
The plant that was shipped dormant, was one that was grown by one of our contracted nursery that has been in the business of shipping plants since 1897 (they have over 100 years of experience). They inspected the plant for root structure, coloration, height, weight, and pliability to ensure that the material was arrival when it shipped. There were no reports of any issues with the dormant plant when it arrived. If a plant is damaged, or arrives in a fashion that it can be deemed "faulty" from the start, it would be replaced. However, the issue of survival didn't come up until weeks after it was planted in an environment out of our hands.
We feel our policy is one of the best in the industry. It is a no questions asked policy. We don't ask for pictures, we don't ask for you to send back the plant, or for you to return the failed item to our location. There are several factors that can contribute to plant loss (weather, soil conditions, amount of moisture, insects, and plant disease just to name a few). Even if your plant fails because it was run over by a truck it can be replaced under our policy (at half the current selling price plus shipping and handling). We are sorry that you no longer agree with the terms that you agreed to when you placed the order, but there is nothing more we can offer.
After I placed my order for a Pink Lady apple tree through Nature Hills I discovered this site while researching another that totally scared me to death. I searched for Nature Hills and found an unsettling amount of negative feedback. I was uneasy about my purchase at that point, but I must say, so far everything is fine with our Pink Lady. UPS delivered the tree as we were heading out of town for the weekend so I unpacked the tree and put it in a pot with some garden soil, watered it and let it sit through the weekend. When we got home Sunday, we immediately dug a hole and put it in the ground. We used a mix of garden soil and dirt from the hole we dug. I then inserted a Miracle Gro fruit tree fertilizing spike in the ground on the outer edge of the hole. We watered it daily and kept an eye on it. It's now 11 days later and leaves have sprouted on every branch! I know its a little soon, but after reading all the negative comments, I am pleasantly surprised. I was hoping for the best, but prepared for the worst. So far, my first experience with Nature Hills has been a pleasant one.
Positive
Danny_Hansen West Jordan, UT (1 review) May 17, 2010
After reading many many comments, I decided to keep my order from this company. I knew what I was getting into. I read every negative comment that was offered and several positive comments. I enjoyed Nature Hills Nursery as they had a large selection that just was not available in my area. It would seem that the majority of comments were about poor customer service and that what the customer expected, visually, a plant or tree to look a certain way and what they received were two different things.
I ordered a Gingko Tree, a Chestnut Oak, and a Northern Catalpa tree. I had researched what trees would grow in my area and I found that NHN website had great resources that could help me find the best trees for my area, I also just googled the trees that interesed me to get the most infomation I could on them. I had also researched how to plant bare root trees and what to expect and how to care for them. I am kind of new to this whole thing. I had actually ordered my trees then I had found this website (which is and was a great tool) and I was nervous and was going to cancel my order as a 30% negative rating is not very good. One thing that was nice is that NHN seemed to try really hard in resolving thses issues. However I emailed NHN and I also opened up a ticket on their website. In less than 24 hours I was contacted by Brian on both of my electronic communications that I had sent. It was mainly a question regarding shipping. He responded letting me know that my order was shipped and on its way. I was pretty happy about that, as most people complained that they could not get a response with regards to the communications they had sent in. So in this area they score high points. And I really wanted to see for my self if they had bad service. If they did not respond the way they had I would be leaving a negative comment now.
My trees arrived and the Chestnut Oak had buds on it! I checked the roots on all of my trees to determine if the were still alive as that seemed to be another major complaint. I would figure that I would call them ASAP if I felt the trees were dead. It is easy to tell if they are dead or just in a "dormant state". Needless to say my trees were alive and packaged very well. The peat moss (or what every they use) was very moist, even 6 days latter. I unwrapped the trees and I soaked them in water for 1 hour and planted them and babied them. My wife was a little mad at me as we were leaving later that day. Then I went on vacation for a couple of days. I was not expecting much to happen but when I got back the Gingko tree had buds and the Catalpa had buds just starting to come in. Realise that it depends on the time of year for your tree and when you get them planted as I can now see why it might take 60 days to break dormancy. I was most worried about the catalpa tree as it was literally a stick (another complaint I frequently saw). I had read much about people getting a "stick" in the mail. So I was not surprised. I would suggest to NHN that they list that on their website that some trees are "sticks" so don't be surprised if you get one and mabey put a picture up of what to expect. The root ball on the Catalpa was the biggest and the most healthy looking of my other 2 trees. So far they are doing well. I am also aware of the refund policy. NHN did a great job of letting you (me)know the estimated shipping date and the refund/return policy. I had recieved my trees sooner than the estimated ship date. Another plus. I figure that for me, the cheaper prices and huge selection is worth the potential of having to pay for 1/2 the price of the original tree if it does not make it. Just to give you an idea Gingko trees on other sites were at least 70-100 dollars for a 5 foot tree. I paid 29.99 and even if it dies and I have to buy another one it is still cheaper even with shipping the 2nd time. I suggest to all that you read everything when ordering from NHN so there will be no surprises. I am very pleased with my overall experience. And wish you all the same experiance. I will be ordering more trees in the future.
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