The scoop on 'Tall Pines Greenhouses'

NIGHTMARE--dealing with Tall Pines Greenhouses--

I dealt with this company on ebay. Prices were too good to be true....First off, I bid for some colocasia, and a musa basjoo (4 plants total). I also bid for a pH meter, but realized I wanted another type. I emailed right away, saying that I bid for it by mistake, and was happy to pay the charge of getting it relisted, or if it was a huge hassle, I'd just pay for it (a whole $10). An email was sent back a few days later saying that they had just had a tornado, violent weather, yada-yada.(And of course I understand that happens, and was cool with waiting a reasonable amount of time). The seller kindly told me that the meter wasn't a big deal, they just had to file it under an unpaid item, but that we were both agreeable about it so the dispute would close amicably. THANK GOD I HAD THIS STATED IN AN EMAIL and had sent a copy of it to my regular email.

After waiting TWO WEEKS for the plants, I sent an email asking about the ETA of the package. Nothing more, nothing less. I understand that they were having crappy weather...I just wanted to be kept in the loop.

TWO more weeks go by, and now I don't even want the plants. Most of the summer is gone, and I will have more than enough house plants to keep myself busy. I sent an email just stating "cancel my order. Thank you".

Lo and behold, no apologetic email, no communication whatsoever, just an email from ebay telling me that the plants shipped the NEXT day....a THURSDAY. Which of course means that the plants will be sitting in the post office, frying for the weekend. THANKS.

I get the plants on Monday, and they are half-dead. So I file a dispute thru paypal.

You guessed it. The seller then filed an "Unpaid Item Strike" against me. Lovely business practice, right? THANK GOD i had a copy of the email communication with the seller in my regular email, because of the MONTH waiting for plants, the original ebay emails had been deleted from my ebay account.

I just can't believe that this seller would go thru all this crap for $40. It would have been so easy to send me an email telling me that they were sorry, etc, etc, here's a refund, here's a coupon towards a next purchase...and I most likely would have bought from them next growing season.

There are so many businesses out there...avoid this one, unless you want to save a couple of dollars and wait a month for half-dead plants and no customer service.

They won't answer their emails unless it is a new order. Then they will send you a total. I have 2 orders with them. I don't know where the first one is. I'm not paying for the second one until I receive the first one in good condition. They just don't answer their emails.

I placed an order 4/4/08 on the internet. I still have not received it. I emailed them several times before getting an email reply about 3 weeks ago. They told me they had a problem getting their emails and would ship my order the following monday. I still have not received my order. I have emailed them twice more since I last got their email. They have not replied. I live in the same state (Georgia) as they do. I guess I will have to drive to their nursey and demand my money back!

I recently ordered a (fairly hard to find) fern from Tall Pines Greenhouses. The plant arrived promptly and in great shape !