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On Jul 6, 2006, SweetGranny Mena, AR (Zone 7a) wrote:
I have done business with the House of Wesley. The products purchased were guaranteed to live and did not. I requested a replacement and sent original shipping label to them as per their request. The replacements did not live. I have notified them by phone of this problem twice. The representative informed me in our phone conversation that the problem would be corrected if I sent a letter explaining everything with pictures and copy of cancelled check to them. I have complied with this request. Everything that I have sent to them they have returned to me but have refused to replace replacement trees that have died. They have never addressed the strawberry plants or asparagus plants that died. I sent the original label before time for the experation date which was returned in the back of the package. I fell the company has shown unethical business and advertising practices. I am very disappointed and angered by their lackadaisical attitude. This leads me to believe that whomever grafted the products for 2005 have made an error in grafting the 5-in-1 fruit cocktail trees.
I called Richard Owens, CEO, of House of Wesley and was
told that he did not come to the office but he would return
the call yet he never did. I shall never use any of these
companies again!
The latest company “Richard Owens Nursery” 2300 East
Lincoln St. Bloomington, Il 61701-6100 has raised its
prices and add $1.00 on its shipping charges. Instead of
addressing the current problems this company continues to
open new company names with same merchant for the unsuspecting public.
The following is a list of the House of Wesley
(309) 663-9553 listed with the BBB:
905 Four Seasons Rd Bloomington, IL 61701
905 Four Seasons Rd Bloomington, IL 61701-5996
1700 Morrissey Dr. Bloomington, IL 61704
1704 Morrissey Dr Bloomington, IL 61704-7107
1706 Morrissey Dr. Bloomington, IL 61704
1708 Morrissey Dr. Bloomington, IL 61704
1800 Hamilton Rd. Bloomington, IL 61704
2300 East Lincoln Street Bloomington, Il 61701-6100
On Jul 6, 2006, House of Wesley responded with:
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On Aug 10, 2006 3:55 PM, House of Wesley added:
The guarantee for our products as stated in all of our publications is for one year. It does not extend with each replacement issued. If this were the case, it could be extended indefinately.
The majority of this customers orders were out of warranty at the time she contacted us. She claims that she returned her original shipping label for replacements on strawberries and asparagus when she was within the one year time frame, but that we returned the information to her for clarification of her needs. We have repeatedly requested that she return the paperwork to us with clarification of how many of each is dead, but she continues to ignore our requests.
We would also like to note that House of Wesley was started in 1954. We have continued to advertise and sell nursery stock every year under this same name."
I ordered few plants from this company on march third,2005 when my order arrived I was surprised to see they did not send plants but little twigs in good faith I planted these twigs but needless to say most of the sticks did not make it I sent them e mail telling them my problem they requested the original shipping label which I sent, they did replaced the sticks with cutting no bigger than a pencil head again I planted these things in pot with good soil because I did not think they would have a chance in the ground but no shoots came up. I waited till our weather in Oregon got better to see if any of these twigs would make it nothing sprouted and there were no sign of these twigs in the pots, so On May first I e mailed the co. telling them the problem but no response from the 4seasons nurseries, then my son found their customercare e mail and forwarded all my e mail to them, they responded they need to have the original of the second shipping label So I did send the label,again there was no response from them I kept e mailing them till finnally they answered me by saying your gurantee was expired, the company may give you some leeway since you live in area that warms up later in spring. I waited and waited but no plants came. So I e mailed them again this time they said they will not replace these plants because the gurantee expired in April but on the shippment label it says the gurantee is good till June 30, 2006.
I am going to have my attorney deal with this crooked company. I am 70 years old and my only hobby is my little garden. I am going to make sure no one will deal with them in Oregon..
On Jun 20, 2006, House of Wesley responded with:
"
On Jun 24, 2006 10:10 AM, House of Wesley added:
We have a one year replacement guarantee on all of our product. From the details the cusotmer has written her guarantee would probably have expired in March 2006. There is nothing on the label which would have indicated that her guarantee expired on June 30, 2006. However, every label is printed with an explanation of our nurserystock dealer license (all mail order companies must indicate this) and our license must be renewed on June 30 of every year. "
On Jun 13, 2006, brucedog West Palm Beach, FL wrote:
I ordered plants from a mailing I recived and have have had a very good experiance. All plants were packaged very well and arrived in perfect conditions. I read the negative comments on this sight, after I placed my order, but I must say they come from new guys in the gardning community. If you don't understand don't complaine.
On Jun 10, 2006, carolrees Arlington, VA (Zone 7a) wrote:
I received one of their catalogs in the mail. They do have a stunning catalog and had some items that I hadn't seen elsewhere so I decided to try them. This was before I found this web site. I also don't have a problem with items being shipped bareroot if they are healthy and grow.
I ordered on 3/30/06
2 pink hardy fuchsia
2 red hardy fuchsia
6 poker primrose
4 pink hollyhock
1 weeping tree rose
The packaging was bad. The primrose and hollyhock were small plants but they are thriving and doing well. The weeping tree rose never budded after several months so I dug it up and replaced it with a tree rose from Jackson Perkins which was way cheaper and was also shipped bareroot but is budding and doing nicely. Only 2 of the fuchsia ever sprouted and they're still very small.
I didn't try complaining since they have a bad return policy but I definitely won't be ordering from them again.
On June 16th, 2006, carolrees added the following:
It shouldn't be necessary to return a shipping label that I'm sure most customers promptly throw away along with the plastic package. You have my order info in your computer and I've got a PDF of my receipt so that requirement in my opinion is solely done to discourage customers from requesting refunds for bad merchandise. On Jun 10, 2006, House of Wesley responded with:
"
On Jun 12, 2006 4:10 PM, House of Wesley added:
The customer would have a one year guarantee on the product. She simply needs to return the original shipping label and let us know how many of which item is dead and needs to be replaced. She could also select different items if she would like for the value of the credit. We do not require that the plants be returned and hope she will reconsider taking advantage of our guarantee.
On Jul 7, 2006 3:03 PM, House of Wesley added:
A followup dmail was sent to the customer on 6/22/06 offering an adjusment. We have not yet had a response."
I placed a good sized order with House of Wesley quite some time ago. A few plants arrived fairly soon after. From the condition of the plants and the way they were packaged I had a premonition that this was not a reputable company. The plants I received were in pretty bad condition and had rubber bands wrapped around them so tightly that they damaged what plant material had survived. I didn't even recognize one as a plant...it looked like a pile of wet dead leaves. Planted these plants...amazingly three have survived; the other two promptly died.
I checked this website and that gave me an idea of what would happen next. Weeks went by and then yesterday the rest of my "order" arrived....a sad pile of distressed "plants" or piles of dead sticks with labels. I have thrown better looking material in my compost pile.
What a complete fraud this company is. The saddest thing of all is that they are preying on gardeners with their catalog with pretty pictures and descriptions. When I think of how I carefully chose my plants and placed my order. How can these rip-off artists sleep at night?
Shame, shame, shame on them. They will say that they will replace plants that die for one year...well, I for one, don't want another pile of dead plants sent to me...it's too depressing...and they know full well that people will just give up...that's what they count on.
I will report them to the FTC and BBB. Why are they still in business. That's what I want to know?
On May 31, 2006, House of Wesley responded with:
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On Jun 9, 2006 1:45 PM, House of Wesley added:
We wish this customer would refer to our guarantee. If she wanted a refund, she need only have returned the plants and the original shipping label within 14 days of receipt. Otherwise, we are still happy to issue replacements for which the customer need return the original shipping only (not the plants) and let us know how many of which item is dead. We can then issue a replacement or merchandise credit. The majority of our orders do arrive in good shape and most customers are happy with them. Every mail order company survives on repeat customers, and we have been sending plants through the mail since 1954."
Charged my CC long before it was shipped, it took them over a month to ship, they never responded to my emails, they never answered the phone. When I recieved my shipment it was in yellow trash bag with no padding or support, most of the plants looked damaged or dead, but somehow most of them made it.
I recieved 28 plants:
3 butterfly weeds - 2 are alive and doing well, 1 is dead
2 bloodroot - Its past its time, so I'm not sure if its dead or alive
3 Ligularia - 3 alive and doing well
2 Black barlow Columbine - Both Alive and doing well
1 Golden Chain Tree - DOA
1 Cardinal Flower - DOA
3 Trillium - All are past, so unknown
1 jack in the pulpit - alive and doing well
1 Virginia blue bell - Alive
6 Robin hood roses - all alive
1 Gunnera - dead
4 Free Lillies - all alive
19 alive and well
5 unknown
4 dead
I will not be returning the dead plants, its not worth the effort (time & shipping cost) the customer service is non-existent. I will not order from them again, nor from any catalog of this kind, its a gamble, yet in the end I do not feel I was robbed. The price I paid for 2 alive & 1 dead, butterfly plant is equal to what I would of paid for 1 plant elsewhere. I lost a couple of dollars on the other plants, the big loss was the gunnera which when I think about it was a silly purchase in the first place.
WHAT A WONDERFUL ONLINE EXPERIENCE.WE ORDERED 10 HYBRID WILLOWS,AND 1 BURNING BUSH ON 4-19-06....THE COST WAS ONLY $21.20.WE RECEIVED THE TREES,AND BUSH ON 5-24-06.ALL IN GREAT CONDITION .PACKED LIKE TREES SHOULD BE,AND MOIST.THE BUSH WAS WRAPPED SEPERATELY...IN FINE CONDITION.I HAD EMAILED THE COMPANY TWICE ABOUT MY ORDER,AND RECEIVED A RESPONSE ,THE NEXT DAY......THIS COMPANY REMINDS YOU SEVERAL TIMES TO KEEP THE ORIGINAL SHIPPING LABEL,AND IF ANYTHING GOES WRONG FOR UP TO A YEAR.THEY WILL REPLACE IT FOR FREE.HOW GREAT IS THAT????..BOTTOM LINE IS WE RECEIVED GREAT PRODUCT.IN A TIMELY MANNER,IN PERFECT CONDITION....FOR A TERRIFIC PRICE...WHAT MORE CAN YOU ASK FOR????? WE WILL PURCHASE FROM HOUSE OF WESLEY AGAIN.....THANK YOU....................................................
On May 27, 2006, bleedinghearts Bloomington, IN wrote:
indeed, this business should be called house of rip off and rudeness. please save your money, and support a local or reputable company, I wasted $200 on moldy dead sad plants, and I know that I'll never get a refund. I wish I found this site b-4 ordering. live and learn.
On May 27, 2006, House of Wesley responded with:
"
On Jun 12, 2006 4:13 PM, House of Wesley added:
We do have a one year guarantee on all of our product. The customer need only return the original shipping label within one year and let us know how many of which item is dead. We will then be happy to send either replacements or a merchandise credit that can be used to purchase other items of his choosing.
Butte, Mt Placed order on April 14, 2006 and received order on May 16, 2006. All items were there and everything was in good shape. Nothing rotted in fact the rose bushes had brand new growth. I did call them after the 3 wks just to find out when to expect delivery as we have a very short growing season here. I got right through and was told I could expect shipment to arrive the following week. Shipment arrived as stated. I feel for those who have had problems with this company and I must say I was worried. But as for me I was very pleased.
I had ordered 24 Thuja Green Giants totaling $137 and some change. Two days after I had placed my order, I found this website and got scared. My husband was the first to call to cancel our order and he was informed that it was already cancelled. When I got home that day, I found this to be odd. So I called again to make sure it was cancelled because I definately didn't want the trees. The girl that I spoke to said that it was strange and said that she couldn't guarentee that my order would be cancelled because it was already in process, but she would put the request to cancel through. About 2 days later, the money was taken out of my account, so I thought that they would be shipped and I would send them back as soon as they came. After about 2 weeks, I called again to check the status of my order. The girl who I spoke with told me that it did not ship yet and I told her that I had put a request to cancel it. She put me on hold and came back to tell me, "I'm sorry that you were misinformed, but if you wish to cancel, you must send a letter through the mail to cancel." I found this completely ridiculous since I placed the order on the internet and had to cancel it via snail mail. Needless to say, my husband called. I'm not quite sure how that conversation went, but he told me to send and email to customer care to cancel it. (I do know that he asked the girl that he spoke with to talk to her manager and she wouldn't let him....imagine that. There probably isn't one since all the employees apparently don't know the policies.) The next day, I sent my email. In my email, I simply told them that this entire experience was ridiculous. I said that I understand that everyone has a Cancellation Policy, but ALL of their employees need to know what it is. I told them that if my money was not credited back to my account by May 3, 2006, that I would be turning them in to the Better Business Bureau. Needless to say, my money was deposited back into my account on May 6.
I guess you have to get a little tough in order to get the service that you deserve. Although the company did refund my money before my trees were actually shipped, the whole experience was one big nightmare and headache.
after I purchased I found this sight & read it with great fear, I called house of wesley to ask about return policies and such. the lady on the phone was kind. They cashed my check april 14th, today may 11 I recieved every item I ordered, 20 spruce and 8 vines. They were all damp and had roots. along with the order I recieved a step by step booklet on how to make the plants thrive. I can not wait to order more, for these prices you can not expect oprah's personal gardener (you get what you pay for)
In May 2005
I ordered 4 climbing shell vines for $ 22.00 from House of Wesley. They arrived in June.
They were in flimsy packaging and the tiny cheap pots they were in were crushed. The four vines were dried out twigs. I called and they said they were dormant and to give them some time to start growing. By July there was no sign of any growth and they had even disentigrated to dust.
I called to complain and I was told I could qualify for a replacement IF I tore the original mailing label off the box and returned it to them. By then I though I had thrown it away.
never mind that I had the invoice and credit card receipt. That wasn't good enough for them.
I finally did get my four shell vines in a plant & seed swap, when a nice man from NC sent me four seeds and they grew immediately.
Ironically, I found the box in March 06 on my utility room shelf. I had some things stored in it.
Not that it would have done any good if I had returned the mailing label last year. I' m sure I would have gotten more dead twigs.
Of course they will never get my money again.
They should be called, "House Of Rip off"
Dawn
On May 7, 2006, House of Wesley responded with:
"
On May 13, 2006 10:08 AM, House of Wesley added:
A d-mail was sent to this customer on 5/9 reminding the customer of our one year guarantee. She would simply need to return the label and let us know what died. Since she already has the shell plants, she could use the merchandise credit to purchase something else. We have not yet had a response from the customer."
House of Wesley, Inc.
Richard Owen Nursery
Four Seasons Nursery
Burgess Seed & Plant Company
Honeycreek Nurseries, LLC
Royal Dutch Gardens
Direct Gardening
Farmer Seed & Nursery
Kelly Nurseries
Plants that I received were in VERY BAD condition and more than 90% didn't come up at all. Packaging was so bad I couldn't believe, some plants were mold and completely destroyed in shipping. I contacted them for replacement but never heard from them back. Also I spend at least 5 hours on phone trying to reach them but it is always busy.
Called better Business bureau and learned that complaints are filled daily against them. I don't know it filing complaint with BBB help but will try it as well.
Don't waist your money and time with this company !!!!
It is unbelievable that they are still in business, they are nothing else but cheaters.
They should be put out of business
On May 7, 2006, House of Wesley responded with:
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On May 12, 2006 4:58 PM, House of Wesley added:
We sent a d-mail to this customer on 5/9 offering assistance in checking on the status of the replacement. To date, we have not had a reply.
We have become aware that many customers who have found Garden Watchdog and sign up only to make a posting are not familiar with Dave's Garden "d-mail". This is Dave's form of e-mail and the only way in which we have to contact customer who have made a posting in an attempt to assist them. We would suggest to all Garden Watchdog users to check their Dave's Garden mail box periodically.
"
I ordered $ 90 of merchanise ($27 dollars was a credit slip from your company) on March 1st and have yet to receive ANYTHING....Also i have tried to reach you by phone for several hours for several days and the line was busy.. I had the operator check and the line was "not working". ..I would like either to receive my shipment or money returned to my credit card in a timely fashion or I will be contacting my attourny and the better business bearuea ...thank you kindly
On May 3, 2006, House of Wesley responded with:
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On May 12, 2006 4:50 PM, House of Wesley added:
Our phone # does work, although we have been very busy. We sent a d-mail to this customer on 5/4 requesting more information and offering assistance in checking on the status of her order."
I ordered crown vetch and creeping red sedum on 3/29/06 and paid on-line with a debit card. I sent an e-mail on 4/18/06 asking when they would be shipped. On 4/19/06, I received an e-mail back advising they were still getting plants from the fields and I was scheduled for spring shipping. This is 5/2/06 and I have heard nothing else, nor have I received any plants. I will post another comment when, and IF, I get my plants.
On June 6th, 2006, msstaten2003 added the following:
I received my order shortly after posting my comment on 5/2/06. The products were moldy and to this date, there is no sign of any of it living. I am making a list of all companies affiliated with this company and will make sure I don't order anything else from them. I kept my shipping label, but in cleaning out the garage, my husband threw it away, so I've lost my money this time, but it's the last time. On May 2, 2006, House of Wesley responded with:
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On May 10, 2006 4:56 PM, House of Wesley added:
A d-mail was sent to this customer on May 3, but they have not yet responded so we are unable to check on the order. Most of the orders placed the first week of April were shipped last week."
I ordered from this company on 3/31/06. As of yet I have not received any thing. I would really like to get my plants or my money back. I have tried to call and call I have already sent then 2 e-mails. I will not do business with them again.
On May 2, 2006, House of Wesley responded with:
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On May 10, 2006 4:58 PM, House of Wesley added:
A d-mail was sent to this customer on May 3, but they have not yet responded. Most of the orders placed at this time frame were shipped last week, but we are unable to check on this customer's order specifically without more information."
I had never ordered flowers from mail before so I was going completly by faith that I would be delt with fairly. I do not consider myself to be naive. I do how ever find it very hard to swallow that this company is still in business how much would it take of people losing money and complaining before the powers that be cuts these companies off from the money racket they are running it shouldn't be hard to do I mean after all if I dont pay my bills or if I break into someones house and take things which is exactly what this co. is doing they would throw me in jail before night fall, Yet these companies can make no steal millions from consumers and all we can do is write this e-mail knowing the whole time they are stealing more money from people even at we type! I think we should contact a laywer and since we apparently are not going to see live plants or our money we could give the lawyer all of the money that we are awarded. I know we are still not getting what we have coming to us but atleast they dont get it either. I think we have to hit this company where it hurts. Hit them where they hit us in the pocket book that will get there attention either they will have to close or start dealing with people fairly. I only lost like 35.00 I almost sent another order before I got my last one when I thought I would look up wesley house on the internet and see if I could see the status of my order. It had been ordered 4-ever. BOY I am glad I did or they would have took me to the cleaners again.
On May 1, 2006, House of Wesley responded with:
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On May 3, 2006 11:00 AM, House of Wesley added:
We have sent a d-mail to this customer asking for clarification of their problem. It doesn't sound as though the customer has tried to contact us with his problem and we hope he chooses to do so in order that we might help.
House of Wesley has been in the mail order nursery business since the 1950's. We ship hundreds of thousands of packages each year to satisfied customers. "
i odered asiatic lillies, bi color butterfly bushes climbing blaze roses they look great large healthy plants for very little money I don't know how they do it but the plants look great and my yard will be the envy of the block.
I ORDERED SOME TREES FROM HOUSE OF WESLEY ON 3/29/06. SENT A CHECK WITH THE ORDER. TO THIS DAY HAVE NOT HEARD ONE THING AND NO TREES. TRIED CALLING THE TELEPHONE NUMBER LISTED ON THE CATALOGUE AND ALL I GOT WAS A BUSY SIGNAL FOR A DAY AND A HALF. YOU CAN'T RESOLVE A PROBLEM OR FIND OUT ANYTHING IF PEOPLE WON'T ANSWER THEIR PHONE. THIS IS THE LAST TIME I USE HOUSE OF WESLEY AND WILL TELL ALL MY FRIENDS TO BEWARE.
BOB
JACKSON, MO.
On Apr 26, 2006, House of Wesley responded with:
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On Apr 27, 2006 10:50 AM, House of Wesley added:
We have sent a d-mail to this customer asking for more information to help him with his order. Our phones have been very busy. We do have extended phone hours at this time of the year. In addition, customers may email us from our website or from the email link provided by garden watchdog in our company profile. We typically respond to emails in 1-2 business days."
Despite warnings to the contrary, I ordered a Patio Tree Rose and Climbing Shell Plant from House of Wesley. The rose arrived 6 weeks after ordering, shipped in a thin plastic bag with absolutely no padding or moisture control. Many of the branches and roots were broken off in shipment due to the poor packing. I was very saddened to have to clip it back, but the branches could not be saved. The resulting plant was very sparse and unbalanced. I had no hope for it. I planted it in a large container and wished it the best. After only a couple days of being planted, the rose started to sprout buds. I have been watering it regularly and giving it plenty of sunshine, and it seems to be doing great. The broken branches have not started to regrow, but I'm not sure how long that takes since this is my first tree rose.
The Climbing Shell plant was shipped three weeks after I received the rose. It arrived in perfect condition in a small pot. I have no complaints about this purchase other than the fact that it spent 8 days in a box with no sunlight. Despite that, it seems to be fine.
Although the rose does appear to be growing, I will not order from House of Wesley again. Their poor packing is just unacceptable, and they charged my credit card 4 weeks before they actually shipped the item. I gave them a neutral rating, because my experience seems to be better than most.
I guess that I got off easy as I only lost about $50 from House of Wesley. When my original order came, most were dead and some were even moldy. Some of the Blue Spruces survived but NOTHING else. I sent back many plants and after not receiving anything for 9 months (yes a full season later) I called and complained and they sent me more dead trees. How can these folks stay in business? I guess by naive folks like me - I mean, did I really expect to receive beautiful plants like they show in their catalog? But one thing that bothers me is that they claim that a lot of their shrubs "grow 2 to 3 feet (or more) per year". That is a blatant lie!
On Apr 10, 2006, House of Wesley responded with:
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On Apr 27, 2006 11:19 AM, House of Wesley added:
Without specific information regarding this order it is hard to know the exact situation. Typically, we stop shipping trees/plants from Nov.1 each year until March 1 of the following year. As long as plants are available we ship every other month of the year based on climatic zone unless requested by the customer.
Our information on growth rates is supplied by many sources including growers, planting guides and respected horticulturalists. All growth rates can vary based on growing conditions in a given year. This customer is simply wrong to say that no shrubs can grow 2-3 feet per year."
On Aug 31, 2005, carrielamont Milton, MA (Zone 6a) wrote:
I've been fooled by these goons a number of times. Each catalog is slightly different, so you think you have to order from one or the other to get what you want! This was a few years ago, when I was a rank beginner. When my order arrived looking like sticks and mush I thought it was my fault. (I remember solemnly planting three dead redbud sticks in the front yard with my kids, and carefully planting mushy Christmas and Lenten rose bulbs.) They did send me vinca one time that grew, but I was too naive to plant it. Since then, I've learned a lot, and found a lot of BETTER mail order companies. I'm delighted to see that my four favorites are in your top 30!!!! Plants should NOT arrive needing immediate intensive care - they should be able to survive if your neighbor puts the box upside down, or if you're sick in bed and can't wait on them hand and foot!
On Aug 22, 2005, Jeanniemtc Roan Mountain, TN wrote:
How does this place stay in business? I ordered plant material from these guys and it arrived mostly dead and rotted. I contacted them and was advised I would have to communicate by mail and return the plants and the original packing slip. I did this, stating the problems. I was advised by mail that it had been more than 14 days, so the best this company could offer would be a replacement certificate. Well, the replacements arrived and they too were dead and rotted...Should I go for a third round? Probably not. That was just $150.00 blown to the wind.
Like many people we see posted we placed two orders for plant stock from the house of wesley. Our plants took a very long time to get here and when they arrived in multiple shipments most of the order was dead. All of the calls to their customer service number were for not. We were treated rudely and told "We will not refund your money unless you send back the shipping label and the plant stock". I offered to call my mastercard company and complain about the items and stop payment, to which I was told that would be stealing and they would send me to jail.
Never again will we do business with these people. There has been no effort from them to make things right or to correct their flawed customer service and wimpy plant stock.
ALL THE PLANTS WERE DEAD. SOME WERE EVEN MOLDY. HOW DO YOU STAY IN BUSSINESS?
On May 7th, 2005, RUFFIE64 added the following:
HOUSE OF WESLEY IS NOTHING BUT A HOUSE OF RIP OFF. I HAVE NEVER SEEN SUCH TRASH AS WHAT THEY SENT ME. IT WOULD TAKE AN ACT OF GOD FOR IT TO GROW.
RUTH WILKERSON
BELLEVUE, NE.
On Jan 13, 2005, bbc Chesterfield, NJ (Zone 6b) wrote:
I had a recent fiasco with another Plantron co., Farmer Seed, so I thought I would also add my comments on a purchase from H.O.W. that was a few years back.
I purchased 20 various daylilies, 12 blue spruce, 3 weeping willows, and a blue moon rose back in the early summer of 2002. Everything was dry on arrival and very poorly packaged. The lilies were clearly dead or diseased, and the rose lasted part of the summer with one flower that looked diseased. One willow looked like it was alive, but never grew a leaf. It is now almost 3 years later, and everything is dead except 2 of the blue spruce, which still have not exceeded a height of a foot and are under constant intensive care. I paid $42 for this mess and I have two runt blue spruce to show for it. You do the math.
I purchase thousands of dollars each year in trees, shrubs, and bulbs from various local nurseries and many online suppliers for my on-the-side landscape and nursery business. I deal with a lot of very small bare-root trees from places like ArborDay.org where you can get them cheap, but they arrive wet and alive and grow like crazy. I've never seen a level of poor quality like the Plantron companies stick you with. And, if you have a problem, they will not make it right. It is not worth any amount of savings for this amount of aggrevation.
On Nov 10, 2004, Posiehead juneau, AK (Zone 7a) wrote:
I placed a order with this company last may.It is now mid November and the ground is frozen,and I received six wisteria and four Dog tooth violets.What the heck are they thinking?these plants are dry roots.Two of the violets rotted before they got here.the other two look healthy but it is to late to put them in the ground so I have to try to over winter them in pots in the garage,same with the wisteria.NEVER ORDER FROM HOUSE OF WESLEY OR ANY OTHER COMPANY THAT IS TIED IN WITH DIRECT GARDENING.The prices are cheap but the product you receive is not even worth the cheap price.The service and refund policy of this company is the worst I have ever seen.These people will rip you off.The plants that I mentioned here were surposed to go on back order until next may because I thought I made it clear to them that it is to late to plant any thing else and it will die,they shipped anyhow with NO reguard for my wishes.I also ordered 12 giant primroses and I am sure I will probably receive those soon,very dead in a ugly green plastic bag,possibly frozen.so I plan on spending the rest of this winter trying to get a refund for the dead plants they sent me.
I purchases a Walking stick and it was sent dead. I have etried to e-mail, then called and I have to jump through hoops to get my money returned. I not even sure that I will and no one has contacted me. Buyer beware
On June 16th, 2004, shano added the following:
I was right I lost 20.00 So please buy beware!They won't refund my money
I ordered 24 three-foot-tall Siberian Elm trees. In about four weeks, I received 24 three-foot-tall Siberian Elm trees.
Yes, they were dormant root stock and yes, I put them directly into a bucket of water in a shady spot on my deck. In about a week, all of the seedlings had sprouted leaves.
I just planted them this week, and they are happily thriving. This is better luck than I have had with National Arbor Day Foundation stock (although NABF is very responsive about replacing dead stuff immediately.)
I agree with a couple of the comments here that remind customers not to expect plants and shrubs that look just like the catalogue pictures. The company states clearly in its literature that it delivers dormant root stock, and that is exactly what they send.
I have had great success with ordering trees and shrubs mail order (as my neighbors will attest). You just have to be patient, plant when the ground is warm enough, and over-water.
No complaints on House of Wesley from
Dave in Maryland
In April I ordered red sedum in the amount of $19.00. When I received it the crowns and roots were rotten with white mold on it. It was useless. I then found your web site and realized I had put faith in a company without any integrity .I had planned to order other items but now I'll check with "Garden Watchdog" first. Thank You for this service. Naive
I placed an $80 order with House of Wesley on April 1, 2004, then I discovered this site and was very concerned. Although I don't doubt the negative reviews, in all fairness my experience has been good. I ordered via internet and checked my order status on April 6th, I recieved a prompt reply and then recieved my order on April 13th.
Every item I recieved was exactly what I ordered and expected. This is a "bargain" priced company, and the items are in fact "bare root" dormant, which is what I expected. My mother has ordered from them in the past with good results. If you are expecting to see plants which look like the ones at the garden center, then I would suggest you not order from House of Wesley or any of its other names/versions. Because the plants are dormant, small, and bare root, and they may be mishandled in shipping (a distinct possibility) it is easy to understand some of the horror stories on this site.
As an experienced gardener I was excited and pleased when I recieved my plants yesterday. They are what I expected, and I will take care with handling and planting. They all look viable to me, and at a fair bargain.
My recommendation is to examine your expectations and if you want garden center, more mature plants, then only order from the more "high end" mail order companys. Be honest do you really expect to get what is in the brochure picture delivered throught the mail, come on! Maybe Santa can deliver it down the chimney.
I'm going to go with Neutral for right now.
I live in Wisconsin were the winters are very cold. I ordered three plants from House of Wesley in the winter of '04, One 3-in-1 Dwarf Citrus Tree and Two Paw Paw trees. The order cam in when the weather was nice, in late March. My Dwarf Citrus Tree was very Dwarf, about 4 inches tall. It had many leaves and buds on it and was packaged nicely. But my Paw Paw trees cam in this big green bag that did not protect the trees from the elements at all! I took out the two trees and they looked dead, broken branches, not an ounce of life to them. I reda the directions and they said that they would be dormant to reduce stress on the plants. So I planted them and gave them some Tender Love and Care, 3 weeks later, there is still no sign of life. About 1.5 weeks ago I ordered again, thinking that the Paw paws would still be coming around, from a catologe that came. I ordered a Daisy Tree, Magnolia Tree, Bleeding Heart Bush, 6-in-1 Fruit Tree, 8 Rose of Sharon Hedges, and got a free Hydrandia Tree with my order. The order didn't cokme in yet, but I'm not too worried just so soon. But just finding this site I'm a little worried. I'll see what happens.
I like another customer found this site after my horried experience with House of Wesley. I too received what was called "dormant" plants with the exception of a rose bush. To me they looked dead and nothing survived. They shriveled up within days of being planted. The rose bush which was touted as a Blue Moon and was shown blue in the catalogue bloomed pink. I did contact them 3 times to receive money back. At first I was sent a credit. Now why would I want that when everything died and my experience was so awful. Did they honestly think I would order again? The 3rd letter asked for a complete refund and was never answered. So the rose cost me a whole lot more than if I went to the local nursery. I also asked to be taken off their mailing list and that has not been done. I cringe every time a catalogue arrives. I would never do business with them nor recommend them. I get garden catalogues now and I check to make sure they are not connected in any way to House of Wesley. Sure would like the name of a reputable company.
Today I received the first part of my order : in a green plastic bag in my mailbox..I opened it with great astonishment and I found the smallest tiniest bit of stick with a leaf. I planted it immediately and it says it will grow till 4-6 meters this year...*smile*..from what?
I then tried to find the people I ordered also lavender from (I am very new in the USA (from France) and I did not know that my money was going to be taken and nothing I would get in return. When I logged on the internet, I found this website and to my great worry I see so many of you have the same experience!
These people have already taken the money from my creditcard, 2 months ago, and I am still waiting for the lavender. I do not even have an order number, because they did not give me that when I had called them.
I truly hope that the other plants I ordered, arrive but if they dont, I know for sure that this company is a very bad example of a mailorder company and they should be stopped by your government.
I think I shall buy some plants at HomeDepot, right now.
I am leaving a neutral rating because I have not attempted to contact the company in regards to my order. I take partial responsibility because I should have better researched the company instead of ordering from them on faith (though that's what mailorder is all about, isn't it?) Also, none of my items were clearly dead or rotten. What I did get ($50 worth) was crammed into my mailbox in a single plastic envelope. What was inside was laughable. To say I felt ripped off was an understatement. The twelve daylillies I ordered were teeny little 3-bulb rootlets that will take years to produce anything worthwhile, should they live. The three pink pampas grass were crumpled in the envelope (in the mailbox!), but did have a healthy root system. Some would say that what you get is fair for the price, but I would disagree. If I had spent the $11 (for Wesley's "three" pink pampas grass) at the local nursery, I could have gotten a 1-gallon pot with a big, tall, well-rooted plant and could have divided it to make 6 or 8 of the "Wesley" sized version (and would have money leftover). Same with the shasta daisies. I think that their version of a "plant" is more what we would consider a very stingy perennial division. There is something rather shady about the fact that this company has so many names... trying to avoid the "bad press" being attached to a single name? I can't say what their reasoning is, but it makes one wonder. The bottom line: I had lowered expectations because of how cheap some of the stuff was, but the itsy bitsy "plants" that you get don't justify even the itsy bitsy prices! And, just in comparison, I received a daylily order from Gilbert H. Wild the same day and the daylillies that cost me less from them were four times as big and healthy as the Wesley version. Don't be lured by the prices: these are no bargains. These folks give mailorder a bad name.
I ordered four Royal Japanese Cherry Trees from this company and recieved four dead sticks. Judging from the previous responses, I will not even bother to waste my time trying to get replacements. Throw thier catalogs away!!!!
The plants I received arrived dry with very little dirt on their roots. The packaging was poor but I was still optimistic. After planting my hostas, clematis and tomato plants I was disappointed in their growth. I contacted the House of Wesley about money back for the clematis (which never did make it) and was treated rudely. I went to the store in person and found a group of workers who knew next to nothing about horticulture. I am an easy to please person but this group of employees were very rude. I would NEVER GO BACK AGAIN...
This is a copy of the letter I sent to MailOrderGardening. com which lists House of Wesley as a member. They also say that their purpose is "The ultimate goal of the MGA is to provide the finest gardening products, information, and service through the catalogs and magazines of its members."
To MailorderGardening.Com:
Along with a Thompson-Morgan order, I received a postcard touting your site.
In order for your site to be truly valuable, you have to provide a way for consumers to critique your members.
You list of House of Wesley as one of your members. This company -and the 10 or so companies owned by the same people- is an absolute disgrace to the industry.
Go to Gardenwatchdog.com and read some of the overwhelmingly negative comments consumers have listed for DirectGardening.com/House of Wesley.com. They have absolutely the worst records in every category, and on Gardenwatchdog.com they have the greatest number of negatives (by far) of any of the 2,000+ companies on the site.
My own experieces are noted there as well. My letters to the owner have gone unanswered. Their plant products are tantamount to mulch, and their fulfillment process borders on the criminal.
I am going to list your website on Gardenwatchdog.com and recommend that others share their thoughts with you as well. DUMP THEM!
Regards
Bob Marino
THIS IS THE REPLY I RECEIVED:
Dear Mr. Marino,
It is unfortunate that you have had a negative experience with House of Wesley. For every bad experience, there are many good ones. I am sorry that you had a bad one.
A trade association such as ours cannot legally be an enforcement agency. The law doesn't allow it. The purpose of our organization is to educate businesses and to encourage them to follow a code of business ethics.
A trade association cannot kick out a dues paying member unless they have conducted proven illegal activities.
We frown upon those companies who may not provide the quality of product and service that we encourage however there are many companies that do an "excellent" job. You will always find criticism, however, there are many consumers who have had positive, fruitful experiences with other gardening mailorder firms.
Our site is meant to be a resource for the gardener to find rare, unsual and hard to find plant products and hardgoods.
I cannot speak for the House of Wesley and its ownership but I can say that there are many companies who invest in our education programs, participate in our surveys and strive to excel in customer service.
I am sorry for your misfortune and hope that you will try some of the other companies listed on our website.
Sincerely,
Camille Cimino, Executive Director, MGA
Mailorder Gardening Association
5836 Rockburn Woods Way
Elkridge, MD 21075
410-540-9830
Fax 410-540-9827
MY COMMENTS: Most trade and marketing associations have a Code of Ethics that would allow members to be ousted for failing to meet association standards. It is antithetical to promote the organization as having lofty goals while simultanesouly claiming an inability to police said members.
We must all use all resources (BBB, trade associations, news outlets, etc.) to let them know how House of Wesley and its many off-shoots (Direct Gardening, et al) mislead and deceive consumers.
On February 5th, 2004, Ramnyc added the following:
EVERYONE should use this link to report ALL of the related companies to the Illinois Attorney General:
