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Posted on November 14, 2009, updated November 28, 2009
I placed the order in the end of August. At the end of September we realized that it takes forever to get the shipment and we canceled the order. In the end of October the mailman brought the partial order from Breck's that we rejected right away. I called Breck's and asked one more time to cancel my order and refund the charge. As of today November 14, I still can not get my refund. When I call Breck's they say that their system does not show that I canceled the order and that they never received the rejected order. This is a very negative experience with this company.
On November 28th, 2009, felichka added the following:
It's been 12 days since I was promised by the company that they will take care of this issue but alas, there is no sign that they are going to make a refund in the near future. How long will the story continue ? On Nov 28, 2009, Breck's Bulbs responded with:
"On Nov 16, 2009 10:32 AM, Breck's Bulbs responded with:
Thank you for your inquiry. Please accept our sincere apology for any inconvenience we may have caused. Our Customer Service Team is checking into the issue you had with your order and will do our best to rectify the problem in a timely manner. We will be contacting you directly with a resolution."
On Oct 21, 2009, Heathwalker Saratoga Springs, NY wrote:
I placed a $200 order, which was lost. It was then allocated an account number different to the one I use. I could not find my order status as a result. Called - call centre in a faraway land it seemed, as could not really make myself understood, was told I had not placed order then told was lost then told found but that order would not go out rushed as had be promised on phone as most items were not in stock. By time they would have been delivered is too cold where I live (near Lake Placid) to garden, and was then given a prepared speech on how to garden and the lifecycle of bulbs. I was then told I could not get my money back for 3 weeks as they could not recredit my credit card. This is all beyond words bad. I have not included account no as no idea which one is being used for me. I've spent several hundred dollars with them recently and was trying to spend 200 more but they accused me or error, oversight and not knowing how to garden. This is NOT the way to treat a customer. Frankly being lectured to from India on upstate New York gardening is a bit much. To say nothing of the hours of my time I have wasted on this.
Won't use again.
On Oct 21, 2009, Breck's Bulbs responded with:
"On Oct 30, 2009 2:26 PM, Breck's Bulbs responded with:
Thank you for your inquiry. Please accept our sincere apology for any inconvenience we may have caused. Our Customer Service Team is checking into the issue you had with your order and will do our best to rectify the problem in a timely manner. We will be contacting you directly with a resolution."
On Sep 30, 2009, sherry_butcher Colorado Springs, CO wrote:
Have had previous experiences, some okay, others not. Never any terrific ones. Timing is always an issue. In the Spring I am sent items I have ordered to Zone 5 in March-our last freeze date is in May. In fall I get things at off times, including having bulbs freeze on my door step while out of town.
However, this year we added some new beds and did some interesting landscape designs that included a $385. order from Brecks. The order was originally to ship Oct. 1-14. This was fine for Zone 5. I placed the order the first part of August to assure I would not have things canceled as I have in the past (originally was told I had them reserved but...) When I checked back about shipping status last weekend the items were backed up for shipping as far out as the middle of November. Not acceptable in Colorado! I called (no 800 number so this was on my nickel) and talked to a representative once I got through the automated system (still on my nickel). The customer service gentleman told me it was unfortunate but he would be happy to place a rush on the order as a courtesy rather than have me cancel the order. I agreed. Two days later when I checked on the status the order was $40. higher, apparently reflecting a rush order charge! Again I called (of course on my nickel-apparently a now $425. order doesn't warrant the courtesy of an 800 number) and this time when I finally reached a customer service rep he tried to tell me that the amount was not more than previously. When I told him I was looking at my e-mail confirmation and a print out from three days prior he backed off. I asked about the shipping status, he could not give me one and I subsequently canceled the order. I have spent the day locating the items at other vendors but was not able this late in the season, nearly two months after my original order, to replace all of the items unfortunately. The good news is that after finding this site and reading the abundance of negative comments I am thankful not to have to wait for Brecks. Apparently business is so good that my little $400. order is insignificant. Looking forward to order from the other place I found here on Dave's site-they had very few negative reviews. Happy gardening all-happier without this family of gardening sites Brecks/Spring Hill and affiliates.
On Sep 30, 2009, Breck's Bulbs responded with:
"On Oct 14, 2009 10:35 AM, Breck's Bulbs responded with:
Thank you for your inquiry. Please accept our sincere apology for any inconvenience we may have caused. Our Customer Service Team is checking into the issue you had with your order and will do our best to rectify the problem in a timely manner. We will be contacting you directly with a resolution."
On Sep 19, 2009, nutsaboutnature Algonquin, IL wrote:
Before this recent order, I had ordered twice from Brecks with mixed results. This order, however, will be my last.
I carefully chose bulbs to be suitable for my planting sites and spent enough money to use two coupons together. My order with shipping was about $90.00!
I live in Zone 5A where our average frost date is October 15th. On September 9, 2009 I received an e-mail from Brecks saying my order was shipped that day, but on that same day my bulbs showed up about a month before I could even consider planting them!!
I immediately called Brecks customer service and was told that Zone 5A is right next to Zone 4 so this is the correct time!! The representitive was unfriendly and refused to admit that there may have been a mistake made. She finally agreed to have the bulbs reshipped.
At first I thought it may have worked out in my favor and stole the whole bottom of my refrigerator to store the early shipment. Then, one week later on September 17th, I received another e-mail saying my order had been shipped. A partial order showed up the same day and the rest will probably show up next week!
So now I have more bulbs then can possibly fit in my fridge and they'll probably all go bad before I can get them in the ground. In my area, west of Chicago, It's still summer here. I have no idea what they could possibly be thinking, but to verify, I checked with another company I have an order with (one of Dave's top 30), and they won't be shipping my order until about October 9th.
Since I know you contact the company I am including my order # 91191813700 & account # 30602552.
This is the first negative review I have ever left anywhere!! But the arrogant attitude combined with what seemed an unacceptable mistake for a mail order nursery to make and then receive the order again one week later is something I feel that other gardeners should know about. If you choose to order from Brecks, you should at least be aware that this can happen.
Thank you Dave's Garden for this wonderful site that allows gardeners to compare notes and experiences.
On September 19th, 2009, nutsaboutnature added the following:
I'm not sure I was clear enough when I mentioned the "second" shipment. This was actually the "reshipment" that I was told wouldn't be shipped until early October, 2009 (the time I requested). Also, the refrigerator space I am now using for bulbs has displaced all my fruit & veggies so I probably won't be able to keep the bulbs in there very long. I certainly don't have any place for the reshipment which is almost as early as the first!! Unless we have an early frost I'll probably lose both shipments and still be out almost $90.00!!!On Sep 19, 2009, Breck's Bulbs responded with:
Thank you for your inquiry. Please accept our sincere apology for any inconvenience we may have caused. Our Customer Service Team is checking into the issue you had with your order and will do our best to rectify the problem in a timely manner. We will be contacting you directly with a resolution."
We ordered Geraniums from you in early June. We sent you a check for $16.85 on June 7, 2009. The check was cashed and cleared, as we have received rthe cancelled check. But we never received any flowers. We would like our money back.
Thank you for your inquiry. Please accept our sincere apology for any inconvenience we may have caused. Our Customer Service Team is checking into the issue you had with your order and will do our best to rectify the problem in a timely manner. We will be contacting you directly with a resolution."
On Jul 27, 2009, CritterResistor Independence, OH wrote:
Highmaitfmale, Dezdmona, and others:
Here was my latest experience with this company:
I received a letter from Michigan Bulb stating that my reorder would not be honored due to my having frequent reorders for plants that failed to appear after planting, and they informed me of their connection the Michigan Bulb and Breck's Bulbs.
Here is a copy of the correspondences:
5/28/09 Breck's
Thank you for your email. I apologize for the inconvenience. A reship has been issued for the item(s) requested. Your order number is 91480052300. Please allow 2-3 weeks from 09.14.09 for processing and delivery depending on the availability.
If we can be of further assistance, please feel free to contact us.Sincerely, Sharon Customer Service
6/4/09 Michigan Bulb
Thank you for your email. I apologize for the inconvenience. A reship has been issued for the items requested. Your order number is 91551404400, and your order should ship in September as it is a fall planting item.
7/22/09
I must tell you that I was incensed and insulted by a letter I received 7/22/09 from Michigan Bulb. I was informed that my request for replacement plants would NOT be honored by your company, as you are a "partner" company with Michigan Bulb and Spring Hill Nursery. The reason stated in the letter was that I had requested replacement of more than 50% of the plants I purchased over the past several years. I must say that I have ONLY REQUESTED REPLACEMENT OR REFUNDS FOR PLANTS THAT FAILED TO COME UP.
I consider this attack on my honesty and integrity inexcusable, in poor taste, and the worst possible customer service I have ever received from a company. You obviously don't stand by your guarantee, and I intend to inform not only the attorneys general for the states in which your companies are located, but also the Better Business Bureaus.
I will post your letter along with my response on any and all sites I encounter regarding the products your sell and YOUR INTEGRITY in honoring your guarantee.
You need not contact me any further or send me any more junk mail, sweepstakes offers, etc.. Remove me from your mailings lists.
One honest and irate former customer,
7/22/09 Breck's
Thank you for contacting Breck's. Your questions and comments are very important to us. Rest assured one of our Customer Care Representatives will respond to you as quickly as possible. As always, we pride ourselves on our world class customer service and we back all of our plants with a lifetime guarantee.
7/27/09 Breck's
Thank you for your email. It appears that our company's products are not a good match for you, and we regret that we have been unsuccessful in satisfying your gardening needs. We're somewhat puzzled by this, because we do strive for 100% customer satisfaction, and in most cases, achieve it. This can be evident by our devoted customers who purchase year after year from us and by the many testimonials we receive from them.
Again, we're sorry our products have not met to your satisfaction. Your account has been closed and we have removed you from the mailing lists.
Response to above:
Paul,
Did the thought ever enter your mind that I got some bum corms last year? I have ordered many products over the years from Breck's, mostly iris. This is the first time I have had a problem with them (if you check your records) and the first reorder that I have requested. I have had problems with Michigan Bulb and Spring Hill (bare roots and a few bulbs that did not take) but not YOUR company.
Your response to my request for a replacement for last year's irises is unacceptable! It clearly states in that order confirmation that you offer a lifetime guarantee. Obviously, it is worthless. What is evident to me is that some customers count and some don't, and that insulting a customer's integrity is no problem for you. As I stated in my initial response to your letter, I will make sure no other customers are victims of your "guarantee," I will further inform the attorneys general of YOUR misrepresentation of your integrity.
I will state that one positive outcome resulted from removing my name from your mailing lists: a tree may be spared.
An honest ex-customer,
Tha't it. I want to warn everyone on this site that all three companies are worthless. You want good plants, go to Bluestone Perennials.
On July 28th, 2009, CritterResistor added the following:
My last reply bounced (they never accepted it). Hello Attorney General.... Hello Better Business Bureau.....
Ordered their hardy Amaryllis collection. Confirmation of order took over a week from their website. I notice they have it listed to be shipped in 9 months. I ask and they claim that Amaryllis cannot be shipped unless it is spring because it won't grow.... Ok, whatever Amaryllis can't be grown in containers. So I check again after a month and notice that they have canceled out my order without even informing me.
The iffy shipping times on plants and poor contact regarding orders makes me hesitant to deal with these big catalog companies. I have had much more success dealing with individuals. I ordered from an Amaryllis company for similar type plants and they were shipped to me in one week.
Thank you for your inquiry. Please accept our sincere apology for any inconvenience we may have caused. Our Customer Service Team is checking into the issue you had with your order and will do our best to rectify the problem in a timely manner. We will be contacting you directly with a resolution. "
My story, that I have repeated to various CSRs over this time period is as follows:
In April 2009, I ordered, via mail, a variety of plants for myself and my neighbour. At that time, I dispatched with the order, a cheque in the amount of $66.51.
Many weeks went by and I attempted, electronically and via the phone service (the wait on the phone line was more than 20 minutes, so I did hang up on a couple of occasions), to see if I could track the order since the cheque had not gone through my bank account. I did send a request on the on-line customer service page, but I never received a response.
In the middle of May, my neighbour and I decided to go to the garden centre to buy plants for the season; the idea that they had even received my order was not a possibility at this juncture.
On June 11, 2009, according to my bank statement they had cashed my cheque. No product; no contact – thjey just took my money.
Now I am appalled to discover that the refund of this money is not going to be in my possession (if ever) until probably well into August. I spoke with a CSR at the end of May and she told me I would not be receiving this cheque until July. I called today, and spoke with Angie the Accountant and she tells me that the cheque will not arrive for at least another 3 weeks, since it has to be sent to head office for approval.
This organization, and their administrative practices are appalling. How dare they hold on to my money for all these months! They need to closely look at their deficient service, since this writer will make sure all of her gardening friends NEVER EVER order product from Brecks Bulbs.
(Earlier on, I had requested a catalogue to be sent to my house via mail. I never received a single copy - I should have been warned by that failure of service.)
Thank you for your inquiry. Please accept our sincere apology for any inconvenience we may have caused. Our Customer Service Team is checking into the issue you had with your order and will do our best to rectify the problem in a timely manner. We will be contacting you directly with a resolution. "
I ordered a collection of tulip firesprays and a couple of tall hybrid phlox mixtures last fall. None of them came up this spring. I have contacted Breck's twice in the last 10 days about replacements. No response. Needless to say, I won't be ordering from them ever again.
The order # is 82550292600 if this incompetent company happens to read this.
On Jun 6, 2009, Breck's Bulbs responded with:
"On Jun 8, 2009 10:28 AM, Breck's Bulbs responded with:
Thank you for your inquiry. I apologize for the delay in responding to your concern. A reship has been issued and your order will ship out this September."
On May 31, 2009, StellysPapa Dothan, AL (Zone 8a) wrote:
Right now, I give them a neutral rating, because always in the past, I had no problem with them. I have bought a bit already this year and received the order on time and in good condition. However, earlier in May, they sent me a sales e-mail. I ordered some Black Knight Canna rhizomes, with the understanding they were in stock and would ship this spring. I just now went to their website to check the order status and discovered they have the shipping date listed as february 2010. I have sent an e-mail asking them to ship now, or just cancel the order.
Why have a spring bulb sale, and then not send the order till next year ? I think it is extrememly poor buisiness to not put such information on the website, so that we will know the situation ahead of time. If I had known the order would not ship till 2010, I would not have placed it.
On May 31st, 2009, StellysPapa added the following:
If Riosamba, received their cannas, then why can't I get mine ? My order was placed on May 18th, today is the 31st. Brecks has had plenty of time to send me mine.
If they reply to my e-mail and say they can't send them till 2010 or are out of stock.....I'll give them a big fat negative and never do buisiness with them again.On June 1st, 2009, StellysPapa changed the rating from neutral to negative and added the following:
I have changed to a negative. I got a reply to my e-mail, and they are saying my order will be shipped at the proper planting time in 2010. Even though I have already paid for them and asked for them now, they simply said no. So, I got a bit nasty with them and told them, I have paid for them, they are mine and I want them NOW !!!
We will see.On June 2nd, 2009, StellysPapa added the following:
Brecks was quick in replying to my first e-mail.....got an answer the same day I sent it. But, since I asked for a cancellation, and said I want no more to do with them, I get no reply. Just shows what scum they really are.On June 13th, 2009, StellysPapa added the following:
Brecks is owned by Park Seed, apparently so. I say this only because today I get a post card from Park Seed and it has a code number on it to be used as a " Credit Certificate ". Now, I am really confused, they either lied to me...which is most likely the case.......or they are giving me credit for something I haven't bought. On the 2nd of June, after the above post, I get an e-mail saying that my order had been canceled as requested, and since they do not charge your credit card till time of shippment, they claim my card was not charged and therefore, no refund is needed. Yet, I get this credit certificate today, and it's like, what is this for?
My best advise is just to stay clear of Park and any buisiness they own.
On May 13, 2009, highmaintfmale Sheboygan, WI wrote:
I ordered several hundred dollars in merchandise from all three companies, Brecks, Spring Hill and Michigan Bulb extremely early due to needing the plants growing and healthy for a very large Garden party event in late July.
Being in Wisconsin, our growing season is considerably shorter than that of Indiana, Ohio, and southern Michigan where the companies claim to be, my plants and bulbs have been thriving for three weeks many of which are in bloom, so imagine my suprise when I didn't recieve the majority of the things I ordered, easy stuff like petunias clemitis, and turmpet vines, and upon calling was told "due to bad weather" the shipments have been delayed, humm seems to me they should have alerted me to this early on so I could replace the items from local nurseries, parts of my orders were not shipped at all, other parts were shipped in horrible dead condition, bulbs that should have been in the ground long ago still haven't arrived, what a mess!
Upon trying to figure everything out while on the phone with customer service the person I spoke to was uninformed and completely ignorant about even when I MIGHT expect the missing plants and bulbs to be sent.
I was very upset and asked for a contact number or address directly to the company which he refused to give me, I asked a second time and was again denied.
I asked to speak to a supervisor because of the mess at hand was terrible and represented several hundred dollars that was absolutely charged to my credit card, I was put on hold and he came back telling me that his supervisor said ... and than just repeated the same nonsense he had spewed, I was even more angry and demanded again to speak to a supervisor, I was than told his supervisor was busy, I asked SEVEN more times before finally being connected to a supervisor who was disinterested short and curt.
I have planned and saved for this event for two years, and been working on my garden for 8 years, I am so incredably disappointed in all three of the companies, their broken promises poor customer service, lack of shipping, lack of timely shipping, lack of problem resolution, poor quality of the few things I have gotten, the entire matter has me heatbroken.
My advise would be, if your ordering from them in hopes of actually GETTING what you order, prepar to be bitterly dissappointed, and when you call to complain, be prepared to get little or no help, and again don't expect your missing order anytime soon.
In the future, I'll find more reliable options and not bother with any of the three.
I am done ordering anything mail order from Brecks. I have ordered at least $1000 worth of merchandise over the last 3 years and generally have had to have the product reshipped because the product was bad when I received it. My first year I ordered 50 Mixed Perennial Tulips only to have all of them come up yellow. When I spoke with customer service they told me that is the risk you get when you order mixed. It is whatever they have leftover. They have been good at replacing moldy bulbs if I saved my receipts (I literally ordered so many that I can't always find the receipts. Last years anenome and freesia never came up. I ordered last year a collection of Lily Tree's that never shipped and when I inquired they said they ran out and to re-order next year. I was going to do this but the price was three times what the price was the previous year. I planted a few Lily Trees this past fall and I hope they come up or I will get my money back.. My last order was for Mixed Coral Bells. When I received them there was one that had the reddish brown leaves and the rest were green. The brown one was completely dried out and the green ones were damaged. They also arrived during a cold spell so I couldn't plant them. They said they would replace them. I waited and waited and nothing arrived. When I went online I found out that they are not shipping until next fall. That doesn't help me at all since the new landscape mound I have created was finished without their coral bells. If I cancel the order I will lose my shipping and there are a couple of other plants due this spring. I am holding my breath since I doubt they will show up in good condition. Their bulbs are good but their plants are bad. Getting replacements you have to wait until the next season which is too late for me since my gardens are planned in advance and look funny saving spots for the replacements. (Also, how do you hold spots for bulbs in a 1000 bulb garden)? If I ever plant bulb gardens again I may come back to Brecks but the savings on a mini plant isn't worth it. Buy it from a nursery or local store. Most have a year warranty for their products.
On April 3rd, 2009, jampinot added the following:
I was asked by a Manager who worked for Brecks what they could do for me to make me satisfied. I told them that they could cancel my current order that was on the books and refund my order or the Coral bells. I also said that they could ship me their Lily Tree Collection and replace the Garden Pleasure Trees that didnt come up. The manager said no problem. I received a check for the coral bells and the products I requested were placed on order. I just got an email telling me that the product I had cancelled was shipping a month late. I then went online to check the replacement order for the Lily trees and found out that it had been cancelled and I wasnt notified.
The first customer service person I spoke to couldn't find my order that is shipping a month late and I know will show up. They also said that the Lily Trees had been cancelled because they were out of season and even though they were cancelled they were shipped in the fall. I didnt believe him so I called another representative and told her that I could place an order now and get the same product. She told me that the orders that were placed were discontinued items and that is why they were cancelled and they wouldn't ship. I gave her the new sku numbers and she first told me that I couldn't have the new product because it was now more expensive according to their supervisor. I asked to speak to that supervisor. After waiting over 10 minutes on line the representative came back on line to say that they would place the order at the new price and will ship it to me now. The fact that these wont ship for 4 to 6 weeks will mean that they probably won't even grow and I will be doing this all over again in the fall.
Why can't Brecks hire some knowledgable people. The fact that I could order the product now and it would ship in 4 to 6 weeks after being told that it was cancelled in the first place because they can't ship Lily Trees in the spring means that he hasn't a clue as to when product ccan ship. He didn't even look online to find out that they were currently shipping the product. The fact that it took two supervisors to approve a replacement of $65 when I should have demanded a refund for the 10 sales orders I provided the manager with for product that didn't grow, arrived unsatisfactory or were only one color would have amounted to easily over $350.
I won't be ordering from Brecks ever again. I found Stargazer lilies at a garden store that were bigger and looked better for only $6.97 for 7 bulbs will send me back there. They also had all the ones availabe at Brecks along with two new ones I haven't seen at Brecks for the Oriental and Asiatic Lilies. I also bought some Hyacinths and Tulips for over half the price of Brecks at the same store and they out performed the Brecks product again for a fraction of the cost. I brought back my receipt for one package out of 12 that didn't perform as well as the others and was issued a credit immediately, not told they would reship it to me the following fall.
At least Springhill issued a check to me this year for product that shipped while there was a major snow storm in the midwest and it showed up dead.
I will never spend another dime at any online store selling plants or bulbs. The perennial plants that Brecks send for $10 as a 3 inch pot can be bought at Home depot full size (1 gallon) for $7.97.
My advice for those who are buying from any of these huge online stores is to check their local gardening centers and if they don't have what they like then get them from a local nursery or one in the states close to where you live. You should see the beautiful tuilips my neighbor bought from Skagit Valley (Mt. Vernon, Washington). They were the tallest and most beautiful tulips I have seen. I am going up there in April and to a show in Woodburn, Oregon to order my bulbs I can't find in my local stores or for those that Brecks claim to grow 24 inches(never happens) and are assorted colors (7 of one and one each of the other 3 or 5.
There is nothing worse than bad customer service. Being an avid gardener, I look forward to bulb catalogs arriving in the mail in the early spring, placing my orders, and waiting with anticipation for delivery. So it was with great anticipation that I ordered from Brecks Bulbs this spring. The items that they offered looked fantastic and the prices were reasonable. So in the order went in March. Then I waited.
I waited until at least the end of May to receive my order...longer than most other catalogue places. But I had faith that the order was going to surpass my expectations.
I could not have been more wrong.
Here's the letter that I sent them on June 24:
---------------
Dear Brecks,
It is with great regret that I email you today. Being an avid gardener I was waiting with anticipation for my order to arrive this spring. When it did, I was less than pleased with the quality and size of the plants and bulbs that you sent.
The "Lily Tree Collection" that you so wonderfully advertised in your catalogue, arrived looking like someone had stepped on the bulbs. They were almost flat. The size of the bulbs measured out at only 2" in diameter and I certainly thought that they were going to be larger based on the catalogue pictures and description. However, I planted them as soon as I received them and I hoped for the best. I have to report that as of this afternoon when I didn't see any growth, I dug them up and all 4 had rotted.
The 'Blue Star' Dahlia arrived and it was a single tuber with no growth end. Typically when I buy Dahlias, there are usually 2 or 3 tubers attached to a growing end. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. What I received looked like a tuber had been removed from a clump and placed into a bag with some moss. Again, I planted it and hoped for the best. Sadly, it too didn't make it…although I certainly don't think it had a fighting chance to begin with.
Being an Iris fan, I was also really looking forward to the Irises that I ordered. The Louisiana Iris 'Bold Pretender' arrived looking like a mangled collection of dead leaves. I have certainly seen Irises come that way before, so I wasn't too concerned when I planted it as the tuber felt relatively firm. There wasn't a stitch of green to be seen, and hindsight being 20/20, that should have been a clue that I was going to be disappointed yet again. True to form, there has been no growth to date, no green has appeared, and no new roots have made an appearance. I think it's safe to say that it too has died. The Iris 'Rikugi Sakura', on the other hand, did have a bit of green and has since produced a rather week leaf. But I am not giving up on it and have hopes that it will survive. It's worth mentioning however, that the size of the tuber was close to being the smallest that I have ever seen for an Iris. Had I seen it in a garden shop I certainly wouldn't have bought it and would have chosen something a little more healthy.
On the subject of plants that did survive, I can safely say that the Amethyst Astilbe has made it and is doing fine. Although you will have to forgive me when I say that I am concerned that the colour will not be the amethyst that I saw in the catalogue. But it hasn't flowered yet, so it too gets the benefit of the doubt.
The largest disappointment was with the Phlox that I ordered. I have never, in my considerable years of gardening, seen such small, mangled and unhealthy divisions. Both the 'Tenor' and the 'Blue Boy' were no bigger than a Loonie and arrived in a wet bag of moss and were entirely black. There were no growing parts and no healthy roots to be seen on either one of the two of each types I ordered. I did plant them into small pots and gave trying to grow them a try, but the completely rotted away in a matter of a single week. When I checked this morning there was nothing left in the pots other than soil.
To say that I am disappointed would be an understatement. I honestly had high hopes that the order that I placed with you would have produced plants and bulbs that were of a caliber an order of magnitude better than what I received.
I am saddened that this is the first time I have ever asked for a refund on a plant order. So it is with a heavy heart I kindly ask that my order be refunded. If you must subtract the price of the Astilbe and the one Iris I will understand. My order number was XXXXXXXXRAP. My address information is as follows:
(Blah blah blah)
I sincerely apologize for having to send this note to you and I hope that this matter is investigated on your end as my thoughts are that your quality control took a holiday on the day my order was processed.
Sincerely,
(Signature)
---------------
This was sent via regular post as well as email. I figured that someone would look at it and deal with it accordingly.
Again....couldn't have been more wrong.
It's now August 23rd and I have heard nary a word. Nothing. Zip. Nadda. So I decide to give them a call. They have an 800 number and I had the time. So armed with my invoice in hand I dial the number.
Brecks: Brecks Bulbs
Me: Good morning. Could I speak with someone in customer service?
Brecks: What can I help you with?
Me: The order that I received in May was somewhat unsatisfactory. I sent a letter and an email on June 24th and I haven't heard back from your organization.
Brecks (sounding terse): What's your invoice number?
Me: I take it that's the number in the top right hand corner of the pink slip? (It's just a floating number on the page)
Brecks (sounding annoyed): The number beneath where it says invoice number.
Me (choosing not to loose my patience): XXXXXXXX
Brecks: We haven't received a letter from you.
Me: Well it was sent via both email and regular post on June 24.
Brecks (sounding increasingly annoyed): Well we didn't get it. What was wrong with the order?
Me: Nothing grew from what you sent.
Brecks: What do you mean "nothing grew"?
Me: Nothing grew. The lily tree collection looked like someone stepped on it, the Phlox was dead on arrival, the Irises......
Brecks (cutting me off mid sentence): Why didn't you call us?
Me: I assumed that when it says in all of your material that one can contact you via post, email or phone call...that 2 out of the three would have resulted in something happening.
Brecks (sounding really annoyed): Well you should have called. What do you want us to do.
Me (Tired of being treated like crap over the phone): Just refund the order please.
Brecks: Fine. We'll refund you the order minus the shipping cost.
Then he hung up on me.
So...a word to the wise. Do NOT order from Brecks Bulbs. Their inventory is beneath sub-standard and their customer service is beyond pathetic. My Mother in Ontario had an almost exact experience with them and has also vowed never to deal with them again.
I won't hazard a guess to say what their problem is...but you would have thought that being in the gardening business would have instilled a bit of patience, humility, humor and charm. Most gardeners come by these characteristics after spending a bit of time in their gardens. Clearly Brecks Bulbs didn't go down that garden path...as it were.
Now...if you are into ordering bulbs and the like for your garden and you are looking for a great company to order from...go with Botanus (http://www.botanus.com/). Fantastic company. Their catalogs are a treat for the eyes, their stock is EXACTLY how it's described...or better, their prices are really, really good, the orders arrive with plenty of time for the plants to get established and bloom, and my contact with them always leaves me with a smile. They know how do do the whole bulb catalogue/online sales/customer service thing RIGHT.
Brecks Bulbs...you could learn a thing or two (or a thousand) from them. Take my advice: If you are that miserable doing what you do...do something else. Clearly being in the industry you are in isn't doing you any favors.
As an addendum to this story, it appears that Brecks owns Spring Garden, another mail-order catalogue store. I used to love Spring Garden...now the catalogue is in the recycle pile...unopened.
My daughter gave me a Brecks certificate for 25.00. She stated a door to door person came around selling them. She also gave me a catalog that the person gave to her, for me to order from. When I was ready to order I spoke to a gentleman on the phone. He stated I could also use the 25.00 coupon on the book. He stated my order came just under 50.00. He then asked for the number on the back of the coupon,,there wasnt one. He then stated that no one he knew of ever went door to door with coupons and stated he had concerns over this being A FRAUD. He stated to send the coupon in anyway and they would still honor it, and that he wanted to see what the coupon looked like. He stated to write a letter with his name on it,,the order number,, and to mail it asap. I mailed it that day. He stated that there was just a slight credit of a few dollars on the account due to going over. I recieved my package about 3 months later. About another 2 months later I recieved a bill from their collection office stating I owed 12.73. I called and spoke to a female there, she stated there was nothing noted on my account that she could find of any letter. She then appologised and stated they would just take care of this due to my inconvience. She stated she would transfer this to another department and if I didnt recieve a phone call from them within a week, to just disregard the bill. NO PHONE CALL,,NO ANSWERING MACHINE MESSAGE. I then 3 weeks later was checking my email...yes...i'm not a everyday checker..I try not to get on the computer much..as it takes alot of my time...my correspondence it through the phone...What did I find on my email...yes another notice that I needed to pay the bill. With a itemized statement. I promptly sent back a notice of my dis satisfaction on the entire ordeal. I was also told in this email from Brecks, that my coupon wasnt even the amount I sent in! I should have just used my better judement, and not even ordered anything when the first person stated the coupon was fraudulent. I wound up paying for something that I was told there was no balance on in the beginning.. and got the runaround from 3 different people. NOW AT LEAST I HOPE THE BULBS I PLANTED COME UP!! As I had never before, and will never again, order from this company. I have read in several negitive reports on this site of the run around people get with this company. My garden club has been made aware of the ordeal and will spread the word also.
On Nov 21, 2008, GEORGIAGARDENE Ringgold, GA wrote:
I placed an order with Breck's this past spring using the $25 coupon, no strings attached. I, of course had to pay for shipping. In September I received a letter from them saying my credit card was no longer valid (the date had expired, it had been so long) and to
call them and update the credit card. I did so and received an email showing an unpaid balance of $0, which said my bulbs would be shipped around 9/23/08.
I still haven't received the bulbs. I sent Breck's an email and received a reply that my credit card was out of date and that is why the bulbs weren't sent and they were sorry I hadn't received the letter requesting me to call. I replied that I had received the letter and had called and updated my credit card and was told the charge had cleared and even attached a copy of the receipt showing a balance of $0.
I have heard nothing else from this company and would advise anyone consdering ordering from them to reconsider. It's not worth the hassle
I used to really enjoy receiving their catalog and planning what to buy. Now it will just go in the trash.
On Oct 29, 2008, Marta_Toronto Toronto Canada wrote:
I called Breck’s Bulbs today to inquire about some orders placed in June and July this year via their website using 25$ “no strings attached” coupon in Canada.
To recall for some of you, it was a coupon included in Brecks’s 2008 Summer Advance Sale catalogue.
It said: “$25.00 Gift Coupon. No strings attached. Use this bulb reservation form inside this Dutch Bulb Guide to order as much as you like, and use this Gift Coupon to deduct $25.00. If your order total is less then $25.00, you’ll get your order absolutely FREE! To validate, please enclose this coupon with your order, or mention it when you place your phone order. To take advantage of this offer online, just enter your account and key numbers from the back cover.
OFFER EXPIERS AUGUST 22, 2008 // ONE CERTIFICATE PER CUSTOMER, PLEASE. Cannot be combined with any other offer.”
That’s all it said, word by word. I placed about 5-6 orders using this coupon, because nowhere it said that I cannot. I only placed ONE for myself as per instructions on it “ONE CERTIFICATE PER CUSTOMER, PLEASE”. I placed it on line and additionally paid about $250.00, then shared my catalogue with friends (being green and all)… I also used the coupon (paying additionally by cc) to order some flowers for my closest family and a couple of friends. I thought it would be a great idea for those with no green thumb to introduce to Breck’s Bulbs so they can try their product hassle free with “no strings attached”. When my stuff came in couple of weeks ago and theirs didn’t, I called Breck’s customer Service to inquire about the missing orders. I was called a scammer and a thief by Erin (from On-line ordering) and told that my orders (even those I paid for with my cc) were simply cancelled. No one bothered to call or email me with any questions or concerns prior cancelling the orders, they simple decided that they will not ship them. Great business they are conducting there, no question.
Over the past two years I have ordered merchandise from Breck’s worth over $900.00. After being called a scammer and a thief I will no longer conduct any business with them and I will inform my coworkers, friends and family about the type of business they conduct to save them the future hassle and embarrassment of being called names, just because they used the coupon Breck’s so unfortunately send them – to use:-)
I only used their coupon because it was offered to me, presented a great deal and I had a good experience with Breck’s and their products in the past, otherwise, I wouldn’t recommend any company or their product to my close ones, having a coupon or not.
Kind regards,
Marta
On Oct 29, 2008, Breck's Bulbs responded with:
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On Nov 5, 2008 3:54 PM, Breck's Bulbs added:
I sent this customer a D-Mail explaining how to contact Brecks of Canada to help her with her complaint. We are two seperate companies and our comapny is located in the US."
Don't waste your money. I have been purchasing perennials and bulbs online for 15 years. Breck's consistently sends bulbs that are rotted and bare root plants that are dried up. Even the plants that look okay fail to come up. I will never order from them again.
Ordered bulbs on 30 Apr 2008 and 30 days later they still have not shipped, and show an estimated receipt date in July. I will never order from Brecks again! I emailed them and received no response.
On May 29, 2008, Breck's Bulbs responded with:
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On Jul 31, 2008 3:04 PM, Breck's Bulbs added:
Contacted Customer on 6/16/08 for possible resolution; as of today have received no response. "
I have been ordering from mail order for many years. This year has by far been the worst year ever. We had cold weather until just recently and it has been hard on the plants, especially when they are seedlings to start with.
All the plants I bought from Brecks this year were tiny seedlings and they are not going to make it. They usually are excellent with replacing plants but I am unhappy with the size of the plants. Some were dried out and some were moldy.
They were shipped too early and did not like to wait in their little small containers even though I tried to save them.
It was not just Brecks but also Springhill and Michigan Bulb.
By the time I pay for the shipping and it will be at least two years before the plants that are left to catch up, it will be a long wait. Granted they were advertised as potted plants, which they were, but tiny does not work for me.
I learned a vauable lesson, you get what you pay for. Never again.
I placed an order with Breck's mid April. Since then, I have had the shipping date change 4 times and it may again yet! And I never receive any notification that the ship date changed. I only know from checking my order status. I also have no idea what is the cause of the delay. I'm currently scheduled to get my bulbs in July!. I doubt that I will have a chance to plant these and even have them flower this season. My email inquiries are responded to but most have standard explanations (i.e. coming from Holland) but nothing substantive. I'm contemplating canceling my order. I'm very disappointed.
On May 23, 2008, Breck's Bulbs responded with:
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On Aug 1, 2008 3:47 PM, Breck's Bulbs added:
Customer was sent a Gift Certificate, and I am also shipping her Allium and Cannas at no charge."
Last spring I was excited to get the offer for Astible, and promptly ordered several. They arrived, but failed entirely. I have contacted Breck's for a credit or refund. They have not replied. I see now this is not uncommon. Last fall I ordered a lot of bulbs - over 100. Only about 1/3 have come up, and the plants are frail and not performing well at all. In contrast, I purchased five tulip bulbs locally from O'Tooles, planted at the time in the same conditions, and they are doing very well - large, healthy, strong, and blooming. I will not order from this company again. I had better luck with tulips I brought home from Amsterdam, forgot about for a year, and then planted at the wrong time of year! Those are thriving still!
On May 5, 2008, Breck's Bulbs responded with:
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On Jun 25, 2008 1:33 PM, Breck's Bulbs added:
I emailed the Customeron May 17 for a possible resolution (whether it be reship, credit or refund); have not received a reply as of today."
I've purchased bulbs several times over the years from Breck's. For 8 years I've lived on a different farm that may or may not affect the growing of bulbs but, regardless, I have had poor luck with the bulbs I purchased from Breck's. I received some replacements or refunds but last year I emailed regarding some day lillies and I received two different email answers. One said I would be receiving replacements the other said "It appears that our company's products are not a good match for you....We're somewhat puzzled by this, because we do strive for 100% customer satisfaction, and in most cases, achieve it." This has angered me no end because it seems I'm being accused of trying to scam them. In the meantime I thought perhaps the email that said I would get replacements was the correct email but I never received anything. I now have received a catalog so I called to see why they would send me a catalog but not honor their gaurantee and was told, "No you aren't receiving any replacements." Gee, thanks a lot! Looks like if they really wanted to satisfy THIS customer they would've honored that guarantee or given me a refund of all plants that didn't live. And these plants didn't die the next year or something like that; it was the same season I planted them.
On May 29th, 2008, blufour added the following:
To update my comments regarding Breck's Bulbs: I tried once more to get some customer service and get a refund on one day lily out of a collection that I had purchased in 2006. The first person (a lady who was not a "lady") hung up on me right after finding out my "history" so I tried again and talked to a very nice young man. There was no argument; merely an agreement to credit my card with the one day lily. I am waiting to see if the credit actually gets to my card. I have not changed my opinion of them. Their guarantee states that those plants are guaranteed to grow for as long as you garden so I recently emailed them to ask if that is exactly what it means and they wrote back saying it is exactly what they mean, "we will issue a replacement or a credit". I did not use my usual email address or anything so they assumed I was a potential new customer. There is no mention in their guarantee that they will tell you you have had too high a rate of failure and they don't want you as a customer any more. It used to be that there were only a few of these mail order nurseries that were no good. Now they all seem to have no customer service and send out plants that are more often than not poor quality.
On Apr 27, 2008, Miarka Ware Neck, VA (Zone 7b) wrote:
NOTHING I ever planted from Brecks came up. Beware.
On Apr 27, 2008, Breck's Bulbs responded with:
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On May 1, 2008 8:25 AM, Breck's Bulbs added:
Because we do guarantee our bulbs/plants, all we ask is that the Customer contact us if something does not grow. I did contact this Customer and asked for a list of plants; she did respond that her order contained bluebells. I issued a refund for the entire order. "
I ordered plants. Plants did not arrive as scheduled. UPS tracking "had no information on shipment". Emailed Brecks 5 times and got no response. Spent over 1/2 hour on hold using long distance number, no answer. Their 800 number doesn't work. Their webmail customer form does not work. Finally got person to answer by calling the "place order" number. Person explained, "shipment must still be on a boat somewhere". Informed them to cancel order, which they refused to do.
Brecks and other alias (Audubon Workshop, Breck's Bulbs, Fields, Henry, Gurney's Seed & Nursery Co. , Henry Field's Seed & Nursery Company , Michigan Bulb Co., Rocky Meadow Orchard & Nursery , Springhill Nursery ) are all run from the same Gardens Alive boiler room operation.
There are currently 219 complaints in the last 36 months registered against this company, which the BBB labels as an unsatisfactory company.
Deal with them at your own risk!
On Apr 18, 2008, Breck's Bulbs responded with:
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On Apr 24, 2008 9:46 AM, Breck's Bulbs added:
Customer's order could not be cancelled as it had already been shipped and it was in transit from Holland. Since we do honor our 100% satisfaction guarantee, the Customer was refunded for his entire purchase price, including shipping and handling of $7.93. The customer used a Free $25 coupon and was told to keep the bulbs with our compliments. Although we are a member of the Garden Solutions Club along with the above mentioned companies, Brecks is not an alias and each company is it's own entity."
I have ordered from Breck's for the past two years and I plan to order again from them this fall.
I have ordered the 'Spring Rain' collection (tulips and grape hyacinths), Grecian Windflowers, Poppy Anemones, Mountain Lilies (Ixiolirion), and a 'Super Sak' of tulips.
All the bulbs have come up beautifully and I am very pleased by their size and intense color. I did have trouble with the windflowers the first spring. I don't know why, but they did not come up. I simply emailed Breck's and they replaced the bulbs which are doing fine this year.
The bulbs that are coming up for the second year are just as lovely, and in fact more so (bigger and more flowers) than last year. I have discovered that one flower bed is not doing as well as another one, but that is MY fault, not Breck's.
All the bulbs were large and healthy. I did not receive any moldy or otherwise unhealthy bulbs and I do not expect to do so.
I found that the catalog and website both are very clear in the time of arrival and place of origin (Holland) of their bulbs. I did not have any problem with the time that the bulbs arrived. In fact, I held them in the refrigerator for a week or two before I was able to plant them both years, and they did not suffer any ill consequences. All shipments have always come with a planting guide that clearly explains the best location and planting depth of every species. Also, with multiple shipments, I have only been charged one shipping fee.
I will certainly continue to order from Breck's this fall and in the future.
On April 19th, 2009, ratlover1 changed the rating from positive to negative and added the following:
Well, I've decided that Breck's is not so great. They have always been great about replacing bulbs that don't grow, with a lifetime guarantee. But I've found that over the years, the bulbs from Breck's either don't return in the spring, or aren't true to type when they do grow. This spring a group of tulips that I planted last fall are growing well and lovely, but abnormally small--a couple are only a few inches high. I'm sure they won't come back well, if at all, next year. Sure, I could have Breck's replace them all, but what would be the point of spending so much time and effort to plant a hundred new bulbs that probably won't do well either?
This spring I will order from Brent & Becky's bulbs for the first time, for bulbs to plant this fall. I suspect that I will be pleased. It's also funny to compare catalogs, for example Breck's to Brent & Becky's or McClure & Zimmerman's (not a top 30 on this site but has majority of positive ratings); and look at the prices--Breck's always charges much more for essentially the same product. We'll see how it goes!
For years we have enjoyed products from Breck's, that is until now when we started getting nasty calls from a collection agency stating we did not pay our bill to Breck's! A call to Breck's customer service informed us that they had turned over an unpaid balance of $26.94 to collection. I said we had not received any bills, after going around and around I requested a supervisor and tried to explain this was a mistake and just wanted to clear our account. The attitude of the supervisor (named Anne) became demeaning telling me that they had sent us 6 monthly billing letters, which she said, we ignored! Can you imagine that? The fact that we did not receive anything and were calling to clear things up meant nothing. The big issue here is that our good credit has been tarnished and there was no attempt by Beck's to help us resolve the problem. A call to the collection agency was greeted by a vial man who demanded the bill (now $62.27) be paid at once and that it was up to Breck's to clear our name with the credit bureau. Another call to Breck's was they would do nothing. They seem to have no customer loyalty and no desire to help in what was obviously a mistake on their part. So now I have to pay $62 to a rip-off collection agency and try to fix our otherwise stellar credit. What a terrible company Breck's is. AVOID this company!!
On Apr 16, 2008, Breck's Bulbs responded with:
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On Apr 22, 2008 9:11 AM, Breck's Bulbs added:
The customer's package was delivered to them on October 4, 2007 at 3:33 pm. The package included a bill, and it is our policy to send monthly statements/bills for six months before a collection agency is contacted. Because we received no response, the account was turned over to the collection agency. The collection agency charges additional fees for their cost. I have contacted the customer to let them know that this will not be reported to any credit bureau, so their credit is not damaged."
On Nov 27, 2007, Eric_OH Columbus, OH (Zone 6a) wrote:
I'm a bit loath to rate this company negatively based on an order using a free coupon, but am doing so based on two things.
1) The company does not state in its catalog (at least, nowhere prominently) that many if not all of its bulbs are shipped from Holland. This makes orders rather slow to be filled.
2) My order came with a multi-page ad circular for a quack medical treatment (a "colon cleanse" product), filled with false and potentially harmful information. Any company that participates in the dissemination of health fraud will not be getting my business in the future.
The few bulbs I got with the coupon looked viable. We'll see what may come up in the spring.
On Nov 27, 2007, Breck's Bulbs responded with:
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On Mar 26, 2008 1:23 PM, Breck's Bulbs added:
The Customer was contacted on 12/29/07 with the below response:
Dear Customer,
I apologize for any problem you have encounted with our company. Our catalog does state on the order page and on the Fequently Asked Questions that our bulbs ship from Holland.
I also apologize for the ad you also received in the package. This was not meant to be harmful in any way. I will certainly pass along your suggestion.
Brecks and Spring Hill are both owned by the same company. This is an email I received from Spring Hill today after sending a message to customer service about a cancelled order:
Dear Mark:
Thank you for your email. Unfortunately, we are unable to assist you in this matter, as your account has been closed because of more than 80% returns of our merchandise. Please accept our apology this may have caused to you.
If I can be of further assistance please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Nancy
Customer Service
So, if you take advantage of the 100% satisfaction guarantee, they close your account, and if you write to customer service to find out what is going on, they can't help you because your account is closed.
I have done business with many of the affiliated companies of Gardens Alive! for 20+ years. I placed one order from Spring Hill last year that arrived late and in very bad condition. After planting them, only 9 out of 24 plants survived. The CS agent I spoke with decided to credit me for the entire order, so that is the 80% returns they are looking at. They have not looked at the fact that I have spent thousands of dollars with their companies over the past 20 years!
The guarantee they offer is a joke and the products they are currently selling are of questionable quality. They used to have very good product, so I don't know how the CS used to be. I only know that, right now, they are not providing good products and the customer service is the worst I have seen in many, many years.
On Nov 27, 2007, Breck's Bulbs responded with:
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On Mar 26, 2008 1:49 PM, Breck's Bulbs added:
We contacted the Customer via email on12/10/07 for a possible resolution; still waiting for a reply."
I GOT MY FIRST ORDER (LATE SPRING SAMPLER COLLECTION) ON 08/25/05.THE FOLLOWING SRING, NOT EVERYTHING CAME UP, SO I CALLED & TRIED TO RE-ORDER ONLY 2 ITEMS FROM COLLECTION, ONLY TO BE SENT WHOLE COLLECTION AGAIN AT NO CHARGE ON 8/30/06.THERE ARE PLANTS THAT HAVE STILL NOT COME UP FROM BOTH COLLECTIONS!MEANWHILE, I GOT THE ASTILBES COLLECTION 4/11/06 AND 1 PLANT DIDN'T COME UP.THIS TIME THEY LET ME RE-ORDER THE 1 PLANT ONLY & I GOT IT ON 9/13/2006 AT NO CHARGE.AT THIS POINT, I ALSO GOT GROUNDCOVER TULIPS & 3 ASTRANTIA MIX ON 9/01/06.NOT ALL THE TULIPS CAME UP AND ONLY 1 OF THE 3 ASTRANTIA MADE IT.WHEN I CALLED TO RE-ORDER BOTH, I PLACED AN ORDER FOR ARUM ITALICUM AND WAS TOLD THAT THE TULIP GROUNDCOVER WAS NO LONGER AVAILABLE, YET IT WAS STILL IN THE CATALOG UNDER A DIFFERENT NAME AND #!THEY WOULDN'T GIVE ME A CREDIT NOR REPLACEMENT BECAUSE I HAD USED A COUPON AND SINCE THEY BROKE UP MY PAST ORDER IN DIFFERENT BILLING PERIODS, IT LOOKED LIKE I GOT THEM FOR FREE!AFTER SPEAKING WITH THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR 1 HOUR, WE FIGURED OUT THAT I HAD INDEED PAID FOR THE ITEMS, BUT THEY STILL COULDN'T DO ANYTHING FOR ME...A HUGE WASTE OF MY TIME.STUPID ME, I LATER GOT ANOTHER COUPON, SO IN GOOD FAITH..I DECIDED TO TRY THEM AGAIN!I GOT SUNNY TWINKLE ALLIUM & DRUMSTICK ALLIUM ON 8/31/07.I WAS STILL WAITING FOR THE DWARF DAY LILY COLLECTION & LILY TREES, WHEN I NOTICED THAT THE DWARF DAY LILIES WERE TO BE SHIPPED OUT AT THE END OF NOV. AND THE MIDDLE OF DEC. FOR THE LILY TREES!!I LIVE IN ZONE 5..ILLINOIS, TOO LATE TO PLANT ANYTHING!I CALLED THE COMPANY TO ASK IF THEY COULD BE SHIPPED OUT IN THE SPRING INSTEAD AND I FOUND OUT THEY WERE CANCELLING MY ORDER BECAUSE I CALLED TOO MUCH FOR RE-ORDERING PLANTS!!!I TOLD THEM TO COME SEE MY GARDEN AND/OR I CAN E MAIL PICTURES TO SHOW THEM THE PLANTS DIDN'T COME UP.I WAS THEN TOLD I SHOULD MAKE MY FUTURE PURCHASES AT A NURSERY SINCE THINGS WEREN'T GROWING AS THEY SHOULD!KEEP IN MIND I HAVE ORDERED FROM OTHER MAIL-ORDER COMPANIES AND HAD NO PROBLEMS GROWING THINGS!! (AUDUBON WORKSHOP & SPRING HILL NUSERIES)BRECKS LIFETIME GUARANTEE STATES "IF, FOR ANY REASON, YOUR AREN'T PLEASED WITH ANY PLANT UPON RECEIPT, AFTER PLANTING OR ONCE IT GROWS, JUST CONTACT BRECKS ANYTIME, (NO TIME LIMIT), FOR AS LONG AS YOU GARDEN.NO NEED TO RETURN ANY PLANT.WE WILL REFUND YOU EVERY CENT YOU PAID FOR THAT PLANT OR SEND A REPLACEMENT WITHOUT CHARGE-WHICHEVER YOU PREFER." I TRIED TO GET THIS COMPANY TO HONOR THEIR GUARANTEE BECAUSE NOT EVERYTHING CAME UP AND NOW I CANNOT ORDER FROM THEM AGAIN...BEWARE OF THIS COMPANY!!!!I WILL BE HEARING BACK FROM A SUPERVISOR AND I WILL UPDATE YOU ON HOW THEY HANDLE ME...I AM ASKING THEM FOR A COMPLETE REFUND SINCE I DIDN'T GET ALL MY PLANTS TO GROW AND THE HORRIBLE SERVICE I HAVE GOTTEN FROM THEM....BEWARE OF BRECKS!!!!
On November 20th, 2007, MINNEPOOH added the following:
THIS IS A FOLLOW-UP EMAIL FROM THE COMPANY:
Ms Hansen,
I attempted to call you this morning but was unable to reach you. I have reviewed this order and find that although the ship date was changed to March 30, 2008 it will not be shipped. The reason is that your account has had too many reships for product that has not grown. It appears that a lot of our products are not a good fit for your property and do not grow well there. Gardens Alive wishes all of our customers to be successful gardeners and it appears that you are not achieving that goal with our products. I would suggest that you work with a local nursery that supplies products that will be successful in your area. While Gardens Alive regrets the loss of you as a customer, we want you to be a successful, happy gardener. I have cancelled the above mentioned order and will issue refunds for the open reship orders. Gardens Alive will no longer reship plants to you. We can refund your money if you are not satisfied with a product.
Sincerely,
Chuck Van Buren
Coordinator
F.Y.I. I HAVE ALSO ORDERED ITEMS FROM SPRING HILL, AUDUBON WORKSHOP AND MICHIGAN BULB.BRECKS & MICHIGAN BULB ITEMS ALWAYS SEEM TO HAVE PROBLEMS GROWING IN MY YARD!YET, PLANTS FROM AUDUBON WORKSHOP, SPRING HILL, (BOTH MAIL ORDER) WAL MART, HOME DEPOT AND LOWES ARE GROWING WELL.IF MY CHEAPER BULBS FROM WAL MART ARE COMING UP EVERY YEAR AND BRECKS LATE SPRING SAMPLER COLLECTION DIDN'T ALL COME UP BOTH TIMES IT WAS PLANTED...WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE BULBS???THIS TIME YOU DON'T GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR IF THE CHEAPER BULBS PERFORM BETTER (FROM WAL MART) AND THE CUSTOMER SERVICE WAS RUDE & HORRIBLE ON THE PHONE (BRECKS) BUYER BEWARE..LOOK AT HOW THE NEGATIVE POSTINGS ARE ALMOST THE SAME NUMBER AS THE POSITIVE!!
On Nov 10, 2007, pyracantha San Francisco, CA wrote:
Not a fan. I bought $400 worth of tulips, daffs, lillies, and Dutch Iris bulbs last year. Some for my clients, some for my mom. They arrived a little late which was unfortunate since in my zone (8) I have to chill the tulips at least 6 weeks so my planting was late. My moms' arrived on time, she is in zone 6, and I planted hers for her.
The bulbs were for the most part sad looking. Some moldy, some shriveled. The best performers were the Iris. The tulips and lillies were marginal at best. The daffs......I'd give mine a C+ but..... not a single one of my moms' came up! Not one daff!
I phoned to discuss this and the rep. told me that maybe I just don't know how to plant bulbs. Being a professional gardener for the last 10 years, I think I can tell the business end of a bulb when I see one, but that did not seem to matter to the rep. They have also sold my name to every yahoo out there. I assume they have cleared a whole forest to print the crap they keep sending me. I will not be using Breck's again.
On Nov 4, 2007, sobamoyashi San Francisco, CA wrote:
I wish I had read this rating before ordering bulbs from Breck's.
I placed my order at the end of August. Estimated shipping dates were late September. That was fine, but everytime I logged on to the site, shipping dates were pushed back.
Two days ago, I finally received all of the bulbs I ordered. I live in zone 5 and it's LATE to plant though the weather this year seems to be warmer than usual.
Not only they did not deliver bulbs promptly, but also I was overcharged. I received three separate shipments and three separate charges. The total of the three charges exceeds my order total. There is no explanation from Breck's on this issue.
Moreover, allium bulbs I received are too small to be considered as premium.
I will not buy from Breck's in the future for sure.
WE HAD BEEN BUYING FROM bRECKS SINCE 1992. WE BOUGHT A LOT!
Well the last two years like anyone else the shippments were getting later I am talking late November. Well I live in ski country (Idaho). Which eveyone knows that in November its snowing so the last 2 years we have had some bad BULBS. Just this last month we have received moldly iris's and day Lilies. In fact I had a horticulturist look at them. She told me not to plant them because they would contaminate my other flowers. We happens to be a small garden club. Well we started having problems with shipping, quality of plants, and the lateness of the plants. We write and ask for them to ship earlier and they state not until our shipping dates. The next insident they use is they banned us from ordering from them because they stated we were unhappy with there plants try but what it came down 2 is they said we had 50% of our orders reshipped...WRONG the only way that happened is they counted every bulb. Today they had 50% off of Bulbs but the 50% was not given to us who ordered the bulbs. We received an order 3 types of daffadils they were soggy and moldy same as the iris's. I have had tree Lilies ordered since Sept. I still havent received them.
BEWARE there Quarantee means nothing they will break your contract and you will never see the Bulbs. I have had several Customer Services tell me different answers to my questions. Now they have tagged my account as financial problems which is not any where right it is more financial against them. Remember if they do this to you they will count every bulb to try and get out of the contract with you. Remember where there is nothing written in there contract about dropping you if you have to return your plants or bulbs you are not protected even with the Life contract they will still try to find as many things basicallyie: how many blubs and plants you have returned and there late shipping does not count if you have question please email me. But remember that quarantee only works for small items.Remember thy will count bulb by bulb. Thanks for listening ladybell100@hotmail.com
On November 3rd, 2007, ashleeluv21 added the following:
I noticed that 2006 another clients of Brecks got Rotten Daffadils. They sound just like the ones I got. Whats so bad is they will not replace them. They are trying to place just block me. I have been waiting for the Lily Trees since Sept. They told me they lost them in shipping but a friend who ordered them the same day will get hers next week and mine is schduled for the end of Nov. and first of December. This is insane and I wrote frozen earth no time for them to get established please sens ASAP but they aren't and I have 3 orders out there for them. everyones dates have been changed until Nov-Dec 15, 2007. I just feel like I can't warn people out there enough.On November 3rd, 2007, ashleeluv21 added the following:
I also forgot to mention I had 3 shipments that were never received but yet they were charged. Please if you have a question for me use my email address I posted my aunts. She will be commenting later today Mine is ashleeluv21@hotmail.com Thank you I hope these comments will help someone not to get burnt. Another thing if you use one of the coupons and ask for $$$$ back they will subtract even if it may not have been used on one of the plants on that order.On November 6th, 2007, ashleeluv21 added the following:
My aunt has ordered Liliy Trees from Brecks, starting on 7/25,10/5/11/07. Brecks has kept pushing back her date for dilivery now until 12/3-12/22/07. If you think about when she ordered and when she is to receive the ground here in Idaho is froze. We have a neighbor who ordered in Oct. and she now has her bulbs for Lily trees both orders first were substituted. The Bulbs were so small I couldn't believe it. I will tell you a secret There are better places to buy bulbs ike Van Bourgondien. Theres are nicer and a heck of a lot bigger. They were 1 inch in diameter what a laugh. I told my aunt to cancel them they are getting to be a laugh!!!!
I received the 25 coupon and as others have stated the key# they said to use did not work. I contacted them and they said to put the order through and they would credit the account. Of course that did not happen. Now I have to be aggravated contacting them and my credit card to get the credit.
I will not order from them again. If this is any indication of honesty as a business I want nothing else to do with them. No 800 number so it cost me more calling them than their 25 coupon.
On Oct 18, 2007, TimothyBuchanan Manitou Springs, CO wrote:
I was sucked in by the $25 coupon and ordered bulbs. Five weeks later, as the ground begins to freeze, they still haven't arrived. I'll never order from Breck's again, and I'll never order from anyone without checking Dave's first!
3 yrs ago, my husband ordered me the Reblooming Iris collection as a surprise. They came very late in the year, and died during the winter because they didn't have time to get established. They replaced them, they arrived very late in the year, and they died. Year 3 now, and they are supposedly being held up in customs, but should be arriving in a week or so.
Irises in Zone 4 need time to get established because the rhizomes will remain somewhat exposed to the elements. They should have arrived 6 weeks ago. How can it take so long for them to get here?
When next spring rolls around and they're once again all dead, I'm just asking for a refund.
I got one of the catalogues with the $25 coupon also, and had the same experience as Grandpa - the website wouldn't take it. I went a step further and called the company; they placed the order without further ado. However, when I opened my email I had two Order Confirmation messages - one from Breck's citing my order, and another from Spring Hll Nurseries for $47 order of stuff, and including my full name and address, account no. etc. The whole nine yards. I've not ever ordered anything from Spring Hill and this was nothing I wanted, so ended up having to call *them* long distance also (I can see why neither company provides an 800 number) and cancel the order. The SH person acknowledged they are affiliated with Breck's but maintained he had no idea how this could have happened. I will never order from either company again. And if a charge appears on my card from Spring Hill, stand back everyone.
On Aug 23, 2007, grampapa Wheatfield, NY (Zone 6a) wrote:
I have been reluctant to order from Breck's because of all the negatives. I recently received a catalog with an offer of $25 worth of product free so I thought it was a good way to try and see what the quality of the bulbs is. I went to their web site to order and it would not accept the account and key code printed on my catalog. I checked that I typed it correctly. This is an extremely negative experience. If they are trying to entice customers they should ensure that the mechanisms are working.
Last spring I received a coupon offer from Breck's to get a $ amount deducted from an order. I placed an order for some bulbs and bulb food and with the offer deduction, I should have owed Breck's about $3.50. In the fall realizing I never received the bulbs, I emailed the company. Customer service was cordial and said they didn't know why I didn't receive them but I would soon. I never received the bulbs again. However, I began getting billed from Breck's for the full cost of the order. I made several attempts to contact them and explain I did not receive the bulbs and I had a coupon anyway. All my efforts were ignored. Soon I started getting billed for the charges plus a late fee and interest until the bill was over $60. Still all efforts to clear the situation were ignored by Breck's. Next, I started getting billed from a collection agency. I managed to get in touch with the collection agency and talk with a representative, explained the situation. The collection agency cleared my account, however, I received a rude letter from Breck's that I would remain on their deliquent list and I stilled owed them some ridiculous amount. I continued to try to contact Breck's by calling - I did this 3 times. They do not have a toll free number and there a numerous recordings to listen to a wait session before getting an attendent. All 3 times I attempted to speak with a supervisor, I was told one would call me back within 48 hours but this never happened as you might guess. It is my greatest desire that this company go broke. They are rude and inconsiderate and lacking in moral.
i wont order from them again. i ordered last year and the poppys or dafodils didnt come up. didnt really expect them to. the yellow and wht dafodils where drie and not to large, though thought that might be as that they was a smaller flower.
the purple and the white poppys had mold on them and was a bit soft, and was only about 3/4 in accross.
when i asked about this i dont know if the sales rep was having a bad day or what but was told they dont send out bulbs with mold and that they only sell the largest bulbs. that these was the size that they was supose to be, and the mold prob happened because i didnt plant right away. i got them one eve and planted not the next day but the day after that.
