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I haven't received my order yet. But I ordered a catalog the week of the 3rd of August, midweek I believe. Called and was told it was put into the system on the 11th and would not get sent out till the end of the week. It's now the 31st of August and still haven't received it. Maybe I am impatient, but on the phone it didn't seem like they cared whether I got one or not. They were quite casual about it, like I was ridiculously demanding. I have already placed an order so I was not asking for a free catalog. Not my idea of good customer service. I won't place a negative until I get my order and it isn't up to par. I've ordered from 4 other companies in the same time period: all catalogs received promptly and Oakes was very nice on the phone with questions. Bluestone is always great to deal with. I'm not crazy about WFF but have never had problems with my orders and they respond very quickly by email to questions. (Bluestone Perennials, Oakes Daylilies, White Flower Farm!)
On October 16th, 2008, crocus1 changed the rating from neutral to negative and added the following:
Today I received my first order from B&B. The box was completely crushed by UPS. And yes the bulbs were just mauled a bit, but if the order had been plants, at least half would have been significantly damaged. When I called the woman had the gall to start off by announcing that I was the exception to the rule, that UPS was actually an excellent carrier. Since last year they left a box of dahlias marked NO FREEZING and NO EXCESS HEAT on the outside in front of my door with an outdoor temp of 33, I was not mollified by this response. After explaining the problem, it was made clear that B&B was going to do nothing unless my bulbs were destroyed. So much for customer service and support from the CLIENTS of UPS. Bad enough that when I called initially I didn't get a catalog in the mail until I complained on this site. (And I will say that the soon-to-be-owner did take the trouble to send me a catalog on his own after this comment was posted--unlike the office who simply sent a catalog in the first order box.) But to basically blow me off because I was lucky enough that the crushed box didn't destroy my bulbs really made me angry. I realize they are not responsible for UPS or its carrier employees; but they should in my humble opinion offered to send a letter of complaint to the company. Silly me. I guess this is not the sort of thing anyone does anymore. When my dahlia order from Old House Gardens was left in freezing weather, the original CSR also seemed indifferent. However, after finding out about it, the owner of OHG took the time to call and leave a personal apology and offered to reimburse me for the dahlias. That is my idea of good customer service, and I probably will not be ordering from B&B again--which is too bad as they have a lot of bulbs not usually available elsewhere. The quality of the bulbs did not seem any better than John Scheepers, however, and JS was very nice on the phone.
I'm sure most people have had good luck with B&Bs and maybe they have such an established clientele they don't care about new customers. Whatever. When I said flat out to this woman that apparently she didn't care about my crushed box one way or the other (I assume she thought if the bulbs were fine, what was my problem?)--she went into a very fake rap about how of course she cared. She did not offer to do anything about it one way or another. I finally said, so basically I have to wait until UPS destroys some bulbs before you will pass on a complaint? She didn't say yes in so many words, just filibustered on if in future I had damaged bulbs.... In effect, UPS gets away with shoddy service like this in my area because none of their clients care unless they have to legally replace a bulb or other destroyed item. A sad commentary on customer service in this country.
As it happens, most of the bulbs from OHG are bigger and more interesting anyway. So in future I will order from John Scheepers and OHG.On October 16th, 2008, crocus1 added the following:
I probably should have waited a day to post my comment as I sound like a crank. In fact, I am the kind of person who is very bad at complaining because I was brought up to be super polite. So when I do finally complain, I usually am conflicted about it and sound strident rather than firm. Maybe I am being unfair to B&B. I do think, however, that huge corporations that have monopolies on delivery get away with this kind of thing because they know that their clients are only going to complain when having to replace or reimburse a large number of products. B&B also uses DHL. I am unfamiliar with them (except for the news stories about all the people in OH who lost their jobs when local companies were sold to DHL--not likely to endear me to them as an alternate). Strictly speaking B&B can legitimately say it is not their problem or their responsibility, especially if I just happen to live in an area with lousy delivery people. But I won't be ordering from them again even so.
I ordered from Brent and Becky's Bulbs because they were so highly rated on this site. Unfortunately, my experience was not positive.
I ordered tulip bulbs and dutch iris bulbs. The tulip bulbs were the smallest I've ever planted in a decade of planting tulip bulbs. Only about 10% of the tulip bulbs came up and bloomed. It was a dismal display.
When I called Brent and Becky's to report my dissatisfaction, I was quizzed about my prechilling and planting methods. When they could find nothing wrong with my methods, I was told that I would need to call back when Brent was available and speak with him. They seemed to be at a complete loss as to how to handle a customer complaint! I called back the following week to try to speak to Brent. Again, he was not available. Finally, Brent and Becky's refunded the money that I had spent on the tulip bulbs.
I have been planting tulip bulbs in my southern California garden for 10 years. Every year I have great displays except for the year I ordered from Brent and Becky's. I will NEVER order from Brent and Becky's again.
On Apr 2, 2007, JeffGardener Charlottesville, VA wrote:
There seems to be a problem in the supply department at Brent and Becky's. About 70% of my order, although labeled correctly when I planted in the fall, came up this spring totally unlike what I had ordered. When I called, I was informed that this was extremely unusual, and made to feel like it was MY problem. This is a LOT of mislabeled merchandise. They should check out their suppliers!
On Dec 8, 2006, ku9296 Cambridge, MA (Zone 6a) wrote:
I ordered 3 kinds of bulbs from them on-line and the next day I received an email noting that one kind has been sold out. I wanted to add something else to morning) they had already processed the order so the only thing I could do was to create a new order (thus paying extra shipping cost). I received the rest of the order a few days later so I was grateful that they processed and shipped very quickly but I wished they have an on-line system to indicate when something is sold out so that I could've ordered something else instead in that same order. I will keep my rating neutral for now and re-rate after the spring--the bulbs looked like they were in great condition so hopefully they'll all bloom!
On April 23rd, 2007, ku9296 changed the rating from neutral to negative and added the following:
I ordered miniature daffodils from B&B and I suspect they sold me substandard bulbs. Given that other daffodils purchased from another bulb company were all poking up, I thought I'd dig up the mini daffodils and see what was going on. They were all rotten! Upon contacting B&B and explaining the situation, they only shot back a short email blaming the weather. I'm pretty sure it's NOT the weather because I have so many other bulbs in the same bed that are ready to bloom (in fact they all bloom later than the mini daffodils I got from B&B). I wasn't pleased with the initial transaction and now I'm very unhappy with the way they are addressing this problem. I will never buy any bulbs from them again.
On Oct 18, 2006, moonewe Springfield, MO (Zone 5b) wrote:
Called in on a Friday to ask a simple, yet time-sensitive question and was told by Becky or the operator that Brent would call me that same day - 5:00 rolled around and I called back in hopes to ask my question before the weekend started, assuming I would have to wait until Monday to hear from them and the bulbs I had were already late to plant because of an emer.surgery I underwent. I was told they were open on Saturday and Brent would definately call me then. Saturday came and went and because I wasn't given a return phone call & because of my post-op soreness, I had to discard $50+ worth of bulbs over the weekend that may have been salvaged with a simple phone call to tell me that he felt they could be saved or not. Given my post-op physical condition I reiterated to the operator (Becky?) , I definately feel like B&B could care less about their customers and I will never be ordering again from a company that treats their customers like dirt. $130+ order and can't even get a phone call from them w/2 days notice. Top 20 company? Whatever
On Jul 11, 2006, Needlepoint142 Gloucester, VA wrote:
I have known Brent and Becky for over 20 years. In the 1980's my step-father bought a large amount of daffodil bulbs to plant on our road. The bulbs were diseased and had to be burned. It was a waste of money unfortunately.
My house is quite close to their business. As people (personal) Brent and Becky are very nice. They used to go to the same church that we belong to. As for buying their merchandise, no, I would not buy anymore of their bulbs.
On Jul 11, 2006, Brent & Becky's Bulbs responded with:
I've thought about this one all day......and I still don't quite know what to say. And I'm not one to be rendered speechless very often! But, I'll give it my best shot....(ahem)
Since I am now 38 and I was somewhere between 12 and 18 years old when this happened, I can't recall the actual event. But our guarantee does state:
We guarantee that the bulbs you receive from us will arrive in good condition. IF NOT, PLEASE LET US KNOW WITHIN SEVEN (7) DAYS SO THAT WE CAN REMEDY THE SITUATION!!
Since this was 20 years ago (or more), I don't think we'll refund any lost money. And I'm sorry that this one event, experianced by a family member in the '80's, was enough to affect the bulb buying choices of the rest of the family even to this day.
Thank you and God bless! (How was that?)
Jay Hutchins
General Manager
Brent and Becky's Bulbs"
This was my first year to order from B&B's. Overall I was somewhat disappointed with the experience.
The positives: The astilble, scadoxus, eucomis, liatris, and a few of the other bulbs were good sized, and looked good. They came up and have performed well so far.
The sandersonia, traepoema (sp.), were I believe, doa. They were planted as instructed in the booklet sent with each order, but they never came up. The sandersonia I found at another company. It was cheaper than B&B"s and arrived as a shoot 4" tall. It is thriving. I was able to replace the traepoema.
The rain lillies I ordered were virus infected. Only one bloom ever appeared before they died. I ordered more from another company. When they came, they were larger, healthier, cheaper and continue to surprise me with blossoms after rain or heavy watering.
I ordered a xanthosoma which I never received. Their original responses were "they have to grow out some more". In the end, they finally said "crop failure". After much searching, I found this at another company, and it arrived large, leafed out and is thriving on my patio.
The bletilla I ordered may or may not be bletilla. So far I've had one pitiful bloom, which didn't really look much like a ground orchid.
They were rather pricey. I found many of the same bulbs at other companies for much less. When received, they were HUGE, much larger than B&B's, all have done well.
Emails were not answered in a timely manner. Some were not answered at all. Most were I had to follow up with a phone call.
I did not call the company regarding the problems. In their planting info there is a statement that indicates "we sell them, the rest is up to you". Up to a point, I agree, but if I order identical plants, from several companies, and those from companies A, B, and C do well, and those from company D fail miserably, it is most likely the plant and not the planter.
I would order from them again, but only those items I cannot find elsewhere.
On June 21st, 2007, tj0504 changed the rating from neutral to negative and added the following:
After thirty + years gardening, I've done business with exceptional gardening companies, and with those once was enough to last forever.
To borrow their phrase "there seem to be trends" in how they respond to negative posts. Ridicule is one trend, and the other is condescension. Personally, I feel neither is appropriate.
This company has been placed into the never again category.
I am leaving a neutral comment about B&B's, only because their customer service was outstanding. I ordered several items from them, including 2 varieties of gloriosa lilies, several trumpet lilies, cannas, and alstroemeria last spring.
I had to call several times to receive the bulbs, as they were several weeks late in getting to me. I finally received them in May. The canna rhizomes were smallish with 1-2 eyes, but looked healthy. The Alstroemeria was in terrible shape, with most of the bulbs (bulbils?) about the size of an "O" . The trumpet lilies were ok...some discoloration, but they bloomed out fine. And the gloriosas were shriveled with no eyes at all.
When I called the company, they were always very nice and helpful. I did end up receiving refunds on everything but the cannas and lilies, but still had to pay the shipping on all of it. I won't order from them again, because it seems their stock is just not that great. The catalog looks incredible, and it makes me want to buy everytime I look at it, but it's just not worth the trouble. The prices are really reasonable compared to PDN, but, you get what you pay for, and I'd much rather pay $20 for a full size plant that will definitely make it, than $7 for something that won't.
Of course the Alstroemerias and Gloriosas never did anything. The lilies bloomed, and the Stuttgart cannas didn't come back this year. Oh well, lesson learned.
On June 27th, 2006, hedgwytch changed the rating from neutral to negative and added the following:
Well, I am changing my rating to negative, as my remaining pink canna I ordered from them had streaking on the blooms last year. I assumed it was stress, snapped the blooms off and let it rest. They are still streaked this year. The foliage looks great, but I was informed by a professional canna grower that it is canna virus. I was sent a canna with canna virus! I specifically bought a canna from a "reputable" nursery so it would be clean.
I wasted so much time, energy, and money on this order that it's ridiculous, and now I have an infected canna in my garden. Lovely. Never again!
On Dec 20, 2004, pierreone Carol Stream, IL (Zone 5a) wrote:
After reading all the positive feedback on this site I confidently placed my first order with Brent & Becky's Bulbs for 50 Kissproof Daffodils. Unfortunately, my experience has not been as good as what I've read. My order arrived only a week late, but 32 of the 50 bulbs were completely rotten. I called the company immediately and asked them to credit my card, which they said they would do. However, when my next credit card statement arrived, there was no credit. I called a second time and asked for the credit, and they told me they would do it and would even have someone call me to let me know it was taken care of. No call ever came and my most recent credit card statement shows no sign of a credit. It's been two months since my first call and nothing has been resolved. The combination of rotten bulbs and bad customer service means my first order was probably my last.
Sorry that I am the first to voice negative comments about B& B bulbs but it must be done. In particular, since I ordered from this company based on the positive comments I read about them here at PBM.
I ordered 3 or five (? cannot remember how many failed)dark burgundy Dahlias from them, only one emerged, though Dahlias usually become huge monsters in my garden. This one did not get more robust even in its second year.
I was supposed to receive about 10 Alstromeria tubers, I got some tiny things - cannot call them tubers, they were not. The info said they would not do too much in the 1st year but after that... I planted them with extrem care. I am still waiting for at least one to emerge. Alstromerias I got elsewhere do fine.
More than half of the purple Oxalis I received came up - I consider this a good result compared to the rest of my purchase.
If I remember correctly when I checked their warranty policy it seemed to me that they had none. Maybe I am wrong but I want to forget this episod. The price I paid for these bulbs& tubers was high to begin with; considering the result: extremely high.
I am afraid, my frist order with B&B was the last one.
I started to order from Brent & Becky's Bulbs a few years ago and have been very pleased with all the bulbs and service. The price was lower than Park's, higher than Van Engelen, but all the bulbs were exceptional. Most of the time I would rather pay more, because I have more trust in their quality than Van Engelen's.
I don't know about planting lilies in the fall. I didn't usually have good luck with fall deliveries from other companies. The lilies were oftentimes mushy upon arrival. If I hesitate to order for fall, I can always order from B & B for the following spring planting.
I highly recommend B & B to anyone who still hesitates to give them a try. You will not be disappointed.
On April 23rd, 2003, nunoi added the following:
Love Brent & Becky's bulbs. 29.5 lbs of them arrived over a week ago. Every single one of them was great looking.
The Lilies were enormous as usual, moist, with no rotten parts like the ones from other places. Much cheaper and much larger too.
I will enjoy the fragrance and the blossoms this summer.
I already compiled a long list to order from them for fall planting. On August 22nd, 2003, nunoi added the following:
All the bulbs grew beautifully. There were numerous blossoms on each lily whereas lilies from other outfits would have only 1 or a few. One Lily Regale album carried 23! They perfumed the entire garden in the evening. I received the most compliments ever for them and have acquired more than one customers for B & B.
The fragrance for Freesia was heavenly.
Placed an order for over 2000 bulbs for this fall planting. The biggest order from B & B yet. Can't wait to see my garden next spring.On Dec 23, 2004, nunoi changed their rating to neutral and added the following:
I have been a Brent & Becky's customer for several years and was very pleased with their bulbs, customer service & prices.
However, these past two years the delivery was late. Last year, a few of the bulbs were moldy. The customer service was short when I called about the bad bulbs.
Their lily bulbs are always excellent, though, always the largest in size.
With all the accolades, I wonder whether they thought they had all the customers in their hands, though, because this year the prices jumped at a breathtaking rate.
Their prices used to be comparable to Van Engelen. Now there is a HUGE difference. Only a few of B & B's items were sold at a lower price this year.
I used to split my order equally between the two. This fall, I only ordered from B & B those bulbs that I could not find at VE or the few that were lower. The bulk of my $1,500.00 bulbs order went to VE. Only about $150.00 was spent on B & B.
Too bad. I am waiting to see whether the lilies will cost much more next spring. I already saw a big jump from last spring to this fall on the same lilies.On May 2nd, 2006, Pitimpinai changed the rating from neutral to negative and added the following:
I am sorry to say I will have to rerate Brent & Becky's. I have ordered so many Lilies from them for many years that my collection grew. I ordered another large collection last year. What a disaster. Several of the Orientals were infected with virus. They in turn infected my existing collection. I called the customer service and was told someone would get back to me. To date I have not heard anything from them.
Nice bulbs, very healthy. Wished the prices were a bitlower but pleased over all.
On May 25th, 2003, miss_amy changed the rating from positive to negative and added the following:
I cannot believe this company! I placed a order on 5/20 after receiving an email from them advertising 25% off all remaing bulbs a few days earlier. I placed my order and then on 5/23 I get another email saying that it is now 50% off!! Obviously the stock is exactly the same. I called the next day to ask for the discount to be applied to my order since it didn't seem fair to be punishing customers to replying earlier to the 25% off offer. Becky actually answered the phone and essentially told me it was too bad, they just "suddenly" to lower the prices more. She said curtly she would "see what she could do and contact me later". Of course she never called back. They have lost one loyal customer. I hope to be able to refuse the shipment and get a refund but who knows. On May 28th, 2003, miss_amy added the following:
Dear New2it, I don't think a savvy shopper is one that waits for the last possible minute... You were just a lucky shopper. I think a savvy shopper is one that shops at companies that cares about their customers and not risk turning off them off by boucing prices up and down. There are plenty of stores that do give price adjustments within 30 days if a item you bought was marked down subsequently( Stop n' Shop supermarkets is one example). All this pricing boucing does to the company is make their customer base wait until the last possible moment to buy and not consider paying full price there again.
