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| Feedback History and Summary |
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Comments:
| Rating | Author | Content |
| Positive | JiminPA12
West Pittsburg, PA
(1 review)
October 5, 2009 | I could not find the Sunny Knockout locally, so after a long search, I purchased on-line from Brighter Blooms. Delivery was fast, and the plant arrived in great shape. Over the summer, the rose continued to grow quickly and produce large quantities of blooms all season. The flowers were beautiful and brightened my garden. My experience with BrighterBlooms was a positive one and I highly recommend them. | | Positive | D1nONLY
Amanda Park, WA
(1 review)
October 2, 2009 | I was very skeptical of this company but i must say the plants i ordered (3 frost proof gardenias) were packaged very nicely, the plants were as green as they could be. I am VERY happy with this company and plan on buy more from them in the future. | | Negative | driftwood858
Edmond, OK
(1 review)
July 27, 2009 | I have made several orders with Brighter Blooms - bought 4 bazoo bannana trees and not one came up. 2 bushes that have died (may have been the oklahoma heat) but we followed all the planting and water instructions.
Decided to give them one last chance - ordered a empress tree and have not recieved any info on the delievery date. We did send an email enquiring about any other problems with people that order the bannana trees, have not gotten any reply.
My hopes are that Brighter Blooms will respond to this post and make right the problems we have had. Then we can change our experience to positive. | | Negative | DeeAnne
Nashville, TN
(1 review)
July 11, 2009 | I ordered 3 Annabelle Hydrangeas from BRIGHTER BLOOMS. They arrived, more than 4 feet tall, spindley, few blooms, broken, damaged leaves, and the poorest example of a hydrangea I had ever seen. I promptly contacted the company, and they agreed to replace the sick and broken plants, and now 2 and a half weeks later, I received replacement plants that are in WORSE shape than the original plants they shipped me. I have contacted the company again, and will change my negative experience to a positive if they FULLY rectify the problem.
D.Proctor
Nashville, TN | | Negative | blubryhill
Bel Air, MD
(1 review)
June 22, 2009 | We ordered 42 dwarf boxwood bushes because it said they were in stock and could order now with shipment in the next week. The total was almost $800. That was fine but after I ordered and checked in to my order number, it read 42 ordered, and 0 available........delayed shipping item! No shipment date of any kind. That means they could wait until 2012 to ship if they want to! We decided to cancel since reading the negative feedback and their lies of having them in stock before we ordered. Guess what??? There is a 15% cancellation fee even if you cancel the very next day. What a way to make money! So I have gone to our credit card company and they said they will take care of it. Since then, they have sent me an email and given me back 15% less of what the total was. The credit card company has the money in a holding space, they don't even have it but keep lying and then even when the credit card company went to them, magically, they sent me an email and said 42 ordered, 42 available, BACKORDER FILLED. That was their way of trying to get the $$ out of the credit card co. Of course there was no hint of a shipping date. Just that the order had already been filled. This is one of the most dishonest websites I have ever ordered from. Please, don't believe their lies that these items are in stock, they aren't and they will try to keep atleast 15% of your total you ordered. | | Negative | Rhodo123
Newark, DE
(1 review)
June 22, 2009 | Don't waste your money with BrighterBlooms.com, which also goes by the alias of fast-growing-trees.com. I ordered a 1 gallon Rhodo from them, and what arrived was a 7" seedling with a root ball the size of my fist in a half gallon container which contained mostly loose mulch. A 1 quart container could easily have contained this plant. I contacted BrighterBlooms customer service, explained my situation and forwarded pictures of both the pot and the plant. After giving them every opportunity to correct the "mistake" by either shipping a plant that met the specifications on their website or by offering a discount, they were completely unrepentant -- even offering up the explanation that pot sizes vary depending on the plant and that a half gallon pot is the correct size for a one gallon Rhodo.
Go elsewhere! | | Negative | LilasLilies
Baldwin, WI
(2 reviews)
May 27, 2009 | I ordered 150 of the "mistake" daylilies last spring. When they arrived in one bag in a tangled mess I was surprised. I followed the directions that came with them which told me to soak them in a bucket of water before planting and then I planted them directly. They were difficult to separate without pulling apart other plants. I know several were damaged but since I had 150 I figured if I lost a few it would be alright.
Over the summer I tended to them nicely. I fed them with a good fertilizer, I watered them often and I still lost 50 of the plants. I thought maybe I would get them back in the spring and the roots would recoup. This spring I counted what came up and I am down to 47 plants, total! Yikes, I have been gardening for a long time and I have hundreds of perennials for any type of sun or soil. I know my parenting wasn't the problem so I contacted Brighter Blooms via email.
After 2 weeks of not hearing a thing, I resent the email with more information and begged for a response. I finally got the email message stating it was their busy season and it may take 2-3 weeks before they got back to me. When 21 days passed I sent another email in which I included the first 2 emails and still I got no response. So last week I called their customer service line and spoke to one of the representatives there, she was shocked that it had been over a month and no one had gotten in touch with me, further, she informed me that their policy is on 90 days on the plants. However, since my service was terrible and my order was large she told me to email "Wendy" the manager with all of my concerns. So I did. That was Friday and I still have not heard a word. I will never purchase from this company again and I will tell all of my gardening friends to avoid them at all cost!!!! Do NOT buy from them; there are companies out there that will do whatever they can to give you the best service. As a professional salesperson I would like to just add that the customer is always right, if you think they are wrong, I tell you they are right, and the best way to resolve any situation is to acknowledge the problem and work WITH the customer to find a solution that you both can live with.
| | Negative | kgreen6
NYC
United States
(2 reviews)
April 25, 2009 | I ordered a "frost proof gardenia" from this company. Well....they aren't frost-proof in my zone (zone 7) even though the site says they should be. This plant was planted in an area that receives full sun. The soil is well drained and mulched heavily. I have zone 8 plants in this area that survived. The plant died over the winter. I contacted the company by email indicating the problem and that I wanted a refund or a replacement. They finally answered my email after I emailed them 3 times. In their response to my email, they asked me to be patient and added that "someone" would contact me shortly. Well, no one has contacted me in almost 2 weeks and I still don't have a refund or a replacement. Never again will I order from this company.
On May 3rd, 2009, kgreen6 added the following:
I have reported this incident to BBB and I am currently awaiting a response. | | Negative | LindaYoung
Ronan, MT
(1 review)
January 22, 2009 | Early fall 2008, I ordered 24 ivy plants, an order for over $100. The website states usual shipment within two weeks. However, my plants didn't arrive in the fall, and I assumed they would be shipped in the spring.
On January 16, in Montana, with the ground frozen and minus-20-degree weather, my plants arrived. I immediately emailed the company and asked why, in the middle of a Montana winter, were my plants shipped. I received no answer, but instructions to purchase a large pot and potting soil to plant them in and store them outdoors near a building where they will recieve runoff water.
I emailed again, telling them pots and soil in a rural area in Montana are impossible to locate in the middle of winter.
They kept giving the same instructions. I finally suggested they ship the items necessary to keep my plants alive, or to refund my money.
Their response was to instruct me on how to store my bare-root tree in an unheated garage.
I've never experienced such stupidity and dishonesty with a company like this until now!
On March 26th, 2009, LindaYoung added the following:
Since adding my negative comment for Brighter Blooms, I've had to report them to the Better Business Bureau for a satisfactory solution. Their Customer Service Representative disregards part of their own policies, and points out those parts that will benefit Brighter Blooms, only. It was a struggle, but we came to an agreement I am happy with.
For those interested, Brighter Blooms is also known as Paulownia, and they have several complaints lodged with the Better Business Bureau.
On June 2nd, 2009, LindaYoung added the following:
The agreement Brighter Blooms and I made via Better Business Bureau was that they send 24 more ivy plants in May. They've once again failed to live up to their promises. I've reopened my case with Better Business Bureau against them.
Pay attention folks. This business is a BAD one. My transaction with them as been a nightmare.
On June 22nd, 2009, LindaYoung added the following:
After re-opening my case with the BBB, Brighter Blooms sent 18, not 24, plants. Again, through the BBB, I reminded them they agreed to send 24 plants.
I received the final six plants three days ago.
Brighter Blooms customer service rep., Wendy, handled this matter with insults and dishonesty.
This transaction would never have been completed without the involvement of the BBB. | | Negative | tessh
Dallas, TX
(1 review)
September 25, 2008 | It took too long for my plants to arrive. When they did, they were almost dead with withered brown leaves and broken plastic pots which had spilled most of the soil.
I immediately sent photos and was assured by someone named Trish that replacement plants would be rushed to me.
That was more than 2 weeks ago. Now, when I call, I get the recorded message and a "hang up".
I would never do business with them again and certainly will never recommend them to anyone.
What a terrible way to run a business! | | Negative | pokerfossa
Irvine, CA
(1 review)
August 27, 2008 | I ordered $400 worth of plants. I had a terrible experience with them.
The plants came with half of the leaves brown, and 1/3 of the leaves had fallen off. The stems are brown and dry.
The customer service is horrendous. I emailed them right away with the problem. They didn't respond for 5 days. They said that the plants were normal, and that they were growers, not florists.
I've ordered from 4 other online nurseries and never had a problem with any of them except BrighterBlooms.com. This is by far my worst experience ever with any online venders. | | Negative | cjparker
Kennewick, WA
(Zone 7a)
(7 reviews)
August 7, 2008 | Warning: If you get their email about the "bizarre nursery mishap" that "Mischeivious Grandchildren turn $11.95 Daylilies into 1.99 ones."
The daylilies that they say "Many are Premium grade, collector quality plants that easily sell for $11.95 or more." will show up in a box that weighs a total of 9 pounds.....for one hundred so-called daylilies. That's because the box will contain a couple of cups of slimy mold and a few pieces of green stuff. The "daylilies" are about the size of a blade of grass, if that, and look like this year's sprouts. All of this mess will be in one plastic bag. Nothing else, just the slimy stuff that is supposedly a hundred daylilies.
I got a refund in a timely manner, but that does not change the fact that they are advertising slimy blades of grass as daylilies comparable to ones that would be worth $11.95. Nor does it change the fact that my husband and I spent two full days preparing a site for these so-called plants before they arrived.
My first order was my last with Brighter Blooms. | | Positive | mzoppa123
Belmont, MI
(1 review)
July 17, 2008 | I ordered a purple wisteria vine in June of 2008. It took a couple of weeks to arrive, but I followed the planting instructions and planted the wisteria. Almost immediatly the leaves started to fall off. i emailed customer service and I got a reply the next day suggesting miracle grow. The customer service dept. made a note of my trouble for the future. The miracle grow is working and now my vine has grown about 4 ft. since planting. My husband liked the vine so well he wanted another one so my pergoda has dual vines. I ordered it July 3 and it arrived today. This vine is fuller and taller than the first. I am expecting the leaves to fall; customer service said it was trauma from travel for the plant. I planted it using miracle grow. I will let you know how it does | | Negative | joywolfe
Rogers, AR
(1 review)
July 14, 2008 | I also orderd over $200 worth of plants from Brighter Blooms, and also had a very bad experience. Daylilly bulbs were moldy, knock out roses were dead, and one plans is still on backorder after over two months. I, too, got the "This is our busy time, please try back later." message followed by a hang-up when I tried calling. Emails went unanswered. I finally did get through on the phone and was told that it was my responsibility to take pictures of the damage and send them using the contact us link on the website. I did, and heard nothing for two weeks. I finally got another person on the phone who asked me to send the pictures to her email. She reviewed them and promised to send a replacement for the knock out rose. It still hasn't arrived. She also promised that the backordered honeysuckle would be in that week and shipped the next. Haven't seen it. She didn't mention the molded bulbs, so I emailed her back about it. She didn't respond.
Something else to be aware of when ordering is that you'll get a message about it being their busy time of year, so don't expect your order any time soon. They weren't kidding either. It took a long, long time for my order to come. This, of course, comes up only after you've placed the order and given them your credit card.
I feel this is a case for the Better Business Bureau and North Carolina's Attorney General to look into. Other than sending a note to them about my experience, I don't feel there's much more that I can do to get this matter resolved. | | Negative | lovepat906
Havre De Grace, MD
(1 review)
June 5, 2008 | Where to begin? I ordered close to $200 of plants from this company in early April. When the plants arrived (at the end of the first week in May) they were all crammed into a long, narrow box. They were stapled to the box from the outside with more than 30 large staples. Most of the plants had broken branches. One plant was nearly dead and another was missing altogether. Three of the bushes that were supposed to be in gallon containers were in quart pots. I am generally not a complainer-and the plants seemed to be salvageable- so I waited for the arrival of the final plant and tried to revive the worst of the lot. The final straw was when the last plant finally arrived- yet another three weeks later(end of May) bare rooted in a plastic bag with no packing protection whatsoever. What was left of the plant was a few etiolated broken stems, a ball of bare roots and some loose dirt. Frustrated and upset, I decided to call the 800 customer service number. I got a recording that concluded with a hang up. I e-mailed my complaints and got a response asking why I hadn't complained about the original shipment earlier. When I tried to respond, my e- mail bounced back-multiple times as undeliverable. I even tried to email through their website- and that bounced back as well. I have continued to call -with no luck. Because of the size and condition of the plants I recieved, the terrible packing , the lengthy wait, as well as the inability to communicate with them, I would never do business with this nursery again. | | Negative | JPride1127
Detroit, MI
(7 reviews)
June 2, 2008 | I ordered two annabelle hydrangeas from this company, then when I went to prepare the holes I realized it was taken over my dead tree roots, so I called to get a tree removal service to do stump grinding on the spots, they told me two weeks, so I decided to cancel/postpone my order, then I was told by Judy "Yes, I will take care of this for you. As per our terms of service, orders
over 24 hours that are canceled are charged a 15% cancellation fee." I'll never order from them again. | | Positive | nnolan2138
Webster, NY
(1 review)
May 2, 2008 | I ordered a flowering almond bush from Brighter Blooms because I can't seem to find them at any local nurseries. The plant I received was healthy and huge; I don't think I've ever gotten a bigger plant through mail-order. | | Neutral | Timwv
New Haven, CT
(1 review)
April 16, 2008 | Brighter Blooms may be a good source of plants, but there lack of communication leaves a lot to be desired. I ordered a plant 2 months ago, they never emailed to advise what was going on with the order, so I called and was told it would be shipped by April 15, due to weather. I called again this week, this time I was told the plant is on back order. In my opinion this is poor customer service, as Brighter Blooms, never sent emails advising of status of order. | | Positive | hbzou
Whippany, NJ
(2 reviews)
December 3, 2007 | I bought a Fragrant Tea Olive tree. It's very good in package and pot and shipped very quickly. |
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