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On Apr 3, 2009, sanrocci Dover Foxcroft, ME wrote:
I ordered before reading all the reviews and was totally bummed out cause the order was for $75 worth of seeds. Lucky for me, they came in as planned and none were backordered so I have to give them a positive review for this order. But after reading all the comments, I'd be CRAZY to re-order anything so that is a negative comment which equals out to neutral!
On Mar 13, 2009, 1indyfan North Salt Lake, UT wrote:
Here is some info. that might be helpful to those who negative issues with Park Seed Company. I have just placed two orders with the business and will keep you all updated with my experience. Anyway, if you go to the Better Business Bureau US Organization you will find some helpful numbers and find that Park has a "B" rating, due to number of complaints, and there head honchos name, Mr. Chas Fox. Hope this helps those frustrated, and might I suggest that in your future communiques with Parks, you mention the BBB.
Order number 5532805
I am really dissappointed for myself but more so for Park Seed. I am a second year customer that they are very close to losing for good. In my business if you tell a customer you are going to do something and you dont you lose them as customers. If you dont return emails follow thru on what you say you are going to you lose customers. Customers are tough to get and a lot easier to lose Its too bad because I enjoy their website, catalog and product. I have made numerous phone calls sent numerous emails ultimately getting no where on the last item on my order the corn mirai collection. At the beginning of February I called and was told it was going to ship in mid February. It didnt. At the beginning of March I sent emails got no response and called again and was told that inventory was being done and would most likely ship in the following days. It didnt. I followed up with another phone call on sunday March 8. I asked what was up and was told they were waiting on seed from their supplier. Shandra the manager had no explanation of why I was told it would ship in mid February and did not.. Although very nice she could not handle my objection. Instead she offered me twenty percent off on my next purchase. Essentially I construed it as a backhanded sales pitch. I told her I didnt feel it was appropriate to pitch me when I had a negative issue pending.
They are great at sending numerous emails selling their websites products many times per month but do not have the technology to handle customers concerns in a prompt resposible manner. I am considering cancelling the last item on my order (corn mirai collection) and considering sending my business elsewhere in the future. I wonder if I will get a satisfactory response to this statement. I would like to hope they can turn around the negative feedback that is prevelent on this website. If not they endanger losing people like me.
On March 21st, 2009, brettl added the following:
Order number 5532805 I was told the corn mirai was going to ship this last week on March 14 and was even told the seed was in and shipping would be expidited that week. Today March 21 I called out of curiousity to see if it shipped and was told that the seed had not even arrived from the supplier ! For the second time I was given what sounds like a canned answer that they were doing inventory and it may be in but were not sure. Its too bad Park is able to brush aside customers with false misinformation.
I have wasted enough time and told them to cancel the item although I wanted it At age 41 I figure I have a lot of years of gardening left in me and I was well on my way to buying with them every year. I dont think that is going to happen. To be honest the rest of the order went well with only Pincushion flower shipping late. I didnt even need the corn until May but was so put off by Parks false promises that I cancelled the last item. Genuinely sorry the company is having such problems with reviews on this site but am thinking they may be justified. I have not heard back from anybody at the company yet and at this point do not expect to. If I dont get any response I will not only probably stop using Park but not even give all of there affiliates such as Wayside, Jackson and Perkins, Dollar Seed Store, Parks Landscape, or Perfect Plant a look. With a different approach by customer service and just a straight forward answer that the seed had not been recieved from the supplier I would have been fine till May when I would plant. Very bummed because the actual product is great !On April 4th, 2009, brettl added the following:
April 4 - Called Park today because I got a response from one of my emails but the response was what I suspected a form response. The customer service rep for surely did not read my email. It upset me so I picked the phone up and spoke to someone who was actually very,very responsive. I told him my story and he actually advised me that two of the three Mirai corn had been in stock the whole time one type of the three was not. I asked why no one told me that and he was straight up that some customer service were not experienced. He explained that everyone in the United States has decided to grow a garden and that they werevery busy. I explained my dismay in the customer service and he offered me the two Mirai corns in stock. They finally did the right thing. The question is will they charge me ? If they dont they lose me as a customer. I undrstand the people at Park are working hard. That impressed me and if they follow thru they keep me as a client and I change the rating. I guess we will see !On April 12th, 2009, brettl changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following:
Apr 11, 2009 Although having to bird dog Park has sent me two of the three Mirai collection (corn white and yellow free of charge and shipping ) . Also, I had problems with germination of begonia and columbine seed. After getting off the phone with them I still wasnt completely clear what they were going to to do but I was assured what was wrong would be fixed and I would be treated properly. I have not still recieved a refund on my credit card but they have finally begun to work with me. Because life is not perfect I have decided to upgrade my rating from a negative to a neutral. I believe that in the future this company will work with the customer if you work, and work with them. I am going to hope that this kind of customer service continues because they will be able to retain customers like me and stay a prominent source for the foreseeable future...
I wonder what's become of Jay Johnson, Customer Contact Representative for Park's. He has not been responding to negative reviews for quite a while now. (Yet another reason for people not to be spending their hard-earned money on Parks products.)
On Feb 20, 2009, 2racingboys Bartlett, TN (Zone 7b) wrote:
I ordered a Will Goodwin clematis early last summer and didn't received it in the fall, yet they said it would ship immediately. Not only that but this clematis was TINY. Be careful what you order from Park Seed. I personally don't recommend them at all.
Placed order in November for some seeds and bio-dome supplies. Web site showed all items should ship within 10 days. Only received partial shipment. About two weeks later placed another order for additonal supplies. Showed should ship in 10 days. Now I have two outstanding orders waiting for supplies to ship. Called and was given a shipment date in January. After that shipment date passed I called again and was given another shipment date. Items did finally ship out on third shipment date promised. Once received, items were as described. Packaged very well.
I might add, the first several phone reps I spoke with were useless. They spieled the standard lines and showed little concern as you would expect from a phonebank worker (sorry if I offended any phonebank workers). Only after speaking to a supervisor did I get any honest explanations as to why the order was delayed and what to expect.
Luckily, I had ordered all supplies well ahead of when they were needed. I certainly would not want to depend on this company if I needed something in a bind. I would search out other companies, and pay more, before ordering from this company again.
On Jan 10, 2009, emeraldblue70 West Sacramento, CA wrote:
Attention California Residents - Please be aware Park's is charging CA sales tax on vegetable and fruit seeds, and food producing nursery stock (roots, crowns, strawberries etc.) that should be exempt from sales tax. In California purchases of the items above are exempt from sales tax. Therefore another state should not charge CA sales tax for these items. If you order from them and they charge sales tax, call them to have it removed. I am not an advocate of any organization or anything, but just a fellow gardener and customer. It's more the principle of the matter than anything else. Why should we be charged for sales tax on items from another state when these items are exempt in California? (Reference: CA Revenue and Taxation Code 6358)
This is a 3 part experience. I've ordered the past 5 years from Park. Have only ordered seeds, and they have nice moisture proof packaging. A few of the varieties did not germinate, but it happens to all companies. I love the bio starts. They work wonderfully on annual plants. Be forwarned, that they only work on annual plants. Do not use them on Perennial plants, since they pop out of the ground. I lost a considerable amount of money with this product. After complaining to them, they said I didn't plant the plants early enough for the roots to hold it into place. I planted the plants in August. They still popped out of the ground. Even annuals which have had all summer to grow, pop out of the ground. They said they would post a note on this product warning people of this possibility. To date they have not.
Last complaint is the price of garlic. Give me a break. The price went from 7.95 for half a pound, to 19.95. Their response was the lower price served 2008, and the higher reflects 2009. Many other companies still offer the lower price. It appears this company is getting greedy.
On Jun 22, 2008, That_bob_guy_2 Kansas City, MO wrote:
Surprise surprise, fairly good news about Parks. Like a lot of you the only thing growing from Park's was my disgust with them, but they had a Day lilies Moses Fire & Startle that I wanted, so I decided to give them one more chance. The plants are growing and Startle is sending up a flower shoots. That's the best results I have had from a Park's plant in in the last 4-5 tries.
On August 10th, 2008, That_bob_guy_2 added the following:
The Startle Day lilies did good I got 4-5 flowers from a first year plant, but what was supposed to be the Moses Fire was even close, Park has promised to send the right one this fall so we'll see what happensOn August 10th, 2008, That_bob_guy_2 added the following:
The Startle Day lilies did good I got 4-5 flowers from a first year plant, but what was supposed to be the Moses Fire was even close, Park has promised to send the right one this fall so we'll see what happensOn Jun 22, 2008, Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) responded with:
"
On Jul 16, 2008 8:09 AM, Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) added:
I am happy to hear that you enjoyed our products so much.
We would love to forward your compliments; if you would send us your order information, we can let the appropriate department know that their efforts were recognized and appreciated. Please email me your zip code, last name, and order number.
Thanks again,
Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Department
e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com"
On Jun 16, 2008, june_nmexico Albuquerque, NM (Zone 7a) wrote:
Park Seed has now added a "fuel surcharge" to products ordered on line. I ordered some "sticky labels" which totaled $11, plus shipping, PLUS an extra $2.50 for the "fuel surcharge". I couldn't find the product locally but will look for a new resources that doesn't add unreasonable fees. I can understand a fuel surcharge for products that are delivered, but not for mailing a packet of labels.
I ordered about $100 of perennials, mostly Gaillardia. The plants arrived in good condition, already blooming! Only problem? More than a month before our average date of last killing frost. What I am supposed to do with these plants for a month before it's okay to put them in the ground is a mystery to me. I don't have all that much indoor sun. I guess we'll see how that goes.
Also, there was no advance notice on the shipping. The box just showed up one day.
And another thing -- the plants are sold as coming in "3-inch pots" or "4-inch pots," but this has no relationship to the size of the plants in the pots. Some are enormous and others are tiny! Since they are all going in the same garden, it would be nice if they were a uniform size.
I also ordered a Buddleia. Being more brittle than the Gaillardia but packed exactly the same way, all its twigs were snapped. It does seem to be healthy and vigorously growing new leaves, though, so again I'm willing to see how that goes.
On Mar 12, 2008, cloverlymd Silver Spring, MD wrote:
I ordered from Park's this year as I have a number of time before, and my order was delivered accurately and promptly, as usual. However, I have been disappointed with the decreasing selection and increasingly puffy text in the catalogs. It's hard to justify the premium prices for material that has become more and more ordinary.
Like many of you, I too have been a Park Seed customer for many years and have seen their level of service compromised in recent years. I lieu of this I thought I would share with you some information that I became aware of during the past year as it may explain. Living in SC we always visited Park Seed every June and this past June during our visit we noticed a definite change in the atmosphere at the company and its employees. Subsequently, we learned that the Park family is no longer involved in day-to-day operations and that there is in fact a nasty law suit ongoing between Karen Park Jennings and the investor who took over managing ownership.
It is only my opinion, but these things can only have a negative impact on a company. Nor is it an excuse for the level of service being experienced, but it may explain why the companies level of service is so far below what many of us had come to expect.
Although I am well aware of the negative ratings of this company, I was enthralled with it's lovely catalog, and they do have items I haven't seen elsewhere. I placed my first ever order this month. I ordered 3 "rosea" summersweet and 3 "ruby spice" summersweet shrubs. The order arrived quickly, but I think the plants are really small for the price and shipping. The roseas could be considered an acceptable size, about a foot tall, but the ruby spice are barely 4 inches tall, and VERY fragile-looking. Packing was very good. I hope these shrubs make it!
On February 22nd, 2009, magic8balltx added the following:
Only 3 of the 6 shrubs I ordered survived the summer. The survivors are small and frail. I watered them religiously throughout our drought-stricken growing season. I ordered 2 mushroom kits a month ago which arrived quickly and are about to show some production. But...I hate the fact that Park's unapologetically takes your money BEFORE they ship you something. Seems like it would be difficult or impossible to get your money back if something turned out to be not available. Anyway, it's very tempting to order since they have lots of variety.....but they are high priced for the size of the plants and with this many recent bad reviews I guess I won't. I'm surprised the company isn't worried about all those upset customers!
On Feb 29, 2008, tabasco Cincinnati (Anderson Twp), OH (Zone 6a) wrote:
I should have checked Watchdog before I ordered, but I thought that Park's was a well-established old line family company who had its act together. Not so. First of all, I tried to order the mat set that someone else mentioned below and was treated to the 'bait and switch' , too.
Then I decided that I would order the heat mat alone since the website said it was in stock (and no other company on the 'net seemed to have it in stock). OK., I ordered that and the thermostat and an alfalfa bean sprouter. All was fine. Then several days later I called to see where my order was and the customer service rep said 'Oh, it was delayed until Feb. 29. mats not in stock'. Well, by then I was odd girl out, but I wanted the sprouter and I thought I could borrow a mat to get started and just hold off until March for the Park's mat.
Well, by darn, today if I didn't get an e-mail saying my sprouter, which before they had e-mailed to say it was 'set aside' for my order, is not in stock!
So I called and cancelled the whole shootin' match. The customer service lady was quite accommodating, by the way, and I could tell she had been through this before!
I found a heat mat at 'Worm's Way' for $10 less, too.
For the high shipping and handling Park's charges, you'd think they could get their inventory in order and sync it up to their website properly! No more shopping at Park's for me.
I first ordered fall bulbs from Park Seeds last summer. I knew they wouldn't ship until mid-September. A number of the bulbs I ordered needed to be refrigerated for 2-3 months before being planted (Northern California), so it was pretty important that I receive the order no later than early October.
Come the ship date, the bulbs didn't ship. I sent several e-mails and made a phone call to the company (which were all answered quickly), and was repeatedly told that the bulbs were delayed. The company did agree to ship me those bulbs that they had in stock in a separate order (of course they charged me an extra shipping fee). Those bulbs (fall-blooming crocuses) all sprouted, but only 2 flowered.
By late October, the bulbs still weren't in stock. I cancelled my order and purchased my bulbs from a local nursery. It took about 2 weeks for my refund to be processed, despite repeated calls to the company and assurances that they refund would be processed within 24 hours.
I tried Park Seed again in January for all my spring bulbs. On the web site, all the bulbs I ordered were listed as "in stock." However, after 3 weeks and a few e-mails, I was told again that there was a hold-up in their nursery and the bulbs were not in stock. They had no idea when the bulbs would ship
I ended up cancelling my order and purchased my bulbs from another web site. (Again, I was assured this refund would be processed within 24 hours and it hasn't showed up on my online statement yet).
The customer service is pleasant enough, and my e-mails are always answered promtply, although all the e-mails I received offered generic answers to why the bulbs were delayed, and they could never provide me with even a ballpark ship date.
I won't use Park Seed anymore.
On Feb 8, 2008, Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) responded with:
"
On Feb 14, 2008 9:09 AM, Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) added:
I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.
Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]
On Feb 20, 2008 12:23 PM, Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) added:
I am concerned that I have not yet resolved the issue at hand and would like an opportunity to do so; however, I have not yet received a reply from you concerning this matter. Please contact us at your earliest convenience. Customer satisfaction is very important to us.
Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]
"
My first orders from Park Seed in the spring were of mixed results. First I ordered plants that were received dried out, broken and of poor quality. These were ordered as gifts and I had little time to replace them locally. They did offer credit on a fall shipment order. I never received the last of that replacement order. Now it is bit late for fall planting. The large group of seeds that I ordered were disappointing. Only about half of the packages sprouted. They either were fine or no sprouts at all. My overall experience tells me to stay away from them. Also, their shipping charges for seeds seems excessive.
On Jan 7, 2008, Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) responded with:
"
On Jan 11, 2008 10:52 AM, Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) added:
I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.
Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]
"
On Dec 11, 2007, michaeljo West Norriton, PA (Zone 6b) wrote:
I just placed an order for seeds and bare roots plants. Order number 4972685. I'm hoping everything arrives in good health and in time. I want to use the seeds to do some Winter Sowing this December. The seeds on the website say "ship now", so I'm hoping the seeds arrive in the next week or so. I found a few of the bare root plants $3 dollars cheaper at Bluestone Perennials, so I hope I'm not disappointed. I'll keep you posted on how satisfied I am with my first order from Park Seed.
Your Order Status
Order # 4972685 Processed
CAMPANULA PEARL DEEP BLUE (BELLFLOWER)
LIATRIS FLORISTAN WHITE (BLAZING STAR)
STOKES BLUE ASTER (STOKESIA LAEVIS)
COLUMBINE CLEMENTINE BLUE (AQUILEGIA)
CONEFLOWER (ECHINACEA) PARADOXA YELLOW
COREOPSIS SUNFIRE
PENSTEMON STRICTUS (ROCKY MTN PENSTEMON)
AQUILEGIA RED STAR
AQUILEGIA ORIGAMI MIX (COLUMBINE)
RUDBECKIA GREEN WIZARD
EVENING PRIMROSE INNOCENCE (OENOTHERA)
BLUE HIMALAYAN POPPY (MECONOPSIS)
VACCINIUM BLUEBERRY SUNSHINE BLUE
GERANIUM JOHNSON'S BLUE
POLEMONIUM HEAVEN SCENT PPAF
LAVANDULA MUNSTEAD
VERONICA LILAC FANTASY
CUCUMBER PEARL HYBRID
On December 19th, 2007, michaeljo added the following:
On 12/12/07, spoke with Ann on the customer service line, very pleasant and helpful. Inquired about my order, and Ann told me my seed order would arrive in 3-4 business days. Received my seed order on 12/18/07 ... very timely. Bare root plants to be shipped mid-March.
I wanted to take advange of the 35% off seed sale that Park's is having but I'm pretty cheap. I think 11.95 shipping is a bit excessive a charge for a few seed packets. Most everything I have ordered in the past however is been good.
On Nov 14, 2007, Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) responded with:
"
On Nov 20, 2007 2:04 PM, Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) added:
I would like to further research your above posting. To do this I must request that you please e-mail me with your full name and address. If applicable please provide an order reference number. Thank you.
Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Department
e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com
"
On Nov 2, 2007, 75751 Fort Mill, SC (Zone 7b) wrote:
Very close to negitve. I placed an order (#4873216) on
7-27-2007 for 2 varieties of Helleborus. I received one
variety mid Oct. However, I still have not received (43383).
I have been checking the status of this order since 9-06-07
and the status is always "to be shipped". When?
This plant needs to be planted NOW! I have placed many
orders with Park Seed and Wayside Gardens over the
past few years. The quality of the plants are steadily declining.
This is very disappointing. I used to get great perennials and bulbs from both companies.
The only product that I possibly would order in the future is a rose,
because they have been of good quality and have been beautiul.
After seeing so many poor reviews recently, I was reluctant to order again.
No, I will not be ordering again from this company.
c&nn
On Nov 2, 2007, Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) responded with:
"
On Nov 20, 2007 2:06 PM, Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) added:
I have located your order and I am in the process of reviewing your information. I would like you to know that I will be contacting you via e-mail shortly. We will make every effort to resolve this issue.
Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]
"
On Aug 20, 2007, that_bob_guy Kansas City, MO wrote:
Park Seed used to be they were a great company for "one stop" plant shopping, but they have been in slow decline over the last 20 years. Let me tell you my latest experience with them. Last fall I ordered a peony from them and it came to $32 & change, a bit high but OK if it's good plant. I get a root with 6 eyes -great - but it had been in storage for sometime and started sprouting going into winter and the shoots were killed. I contact them and am given a Monty Python Dead Parrot like routine - give it time - its going to come out of it - etc. Figuring it will be too late by the time I convince them I order another in the spring figuring I can get my money back later, but they don't have the same cultivar and the second root I get has one tiny eye which has gone brown - don't know if the root is still alive. To make matters worse they only refund the cost of the first plant, but not the $8-9 I paid for shipping.
On September 13th, 2007, that_bob_guy changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following:
They gave me a full refund so I changed my rating to neutralOn Aug 20, 2007, Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) responded with:
"
On Aug 21, 2007 8:53 AM, Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) added:
I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem, I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.
Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]"
On Jun 2, 2007, onewish1 Denville, NJ (Zone 6a) wrote:
I ordered quite a few times from Parks both seeds and plants... in the past I have seen a 50 / 50 chance that the plants will arrive in good shape... the last order seemed to improve in the quality of plants and shipping methods
All arrived in good shape and not the largest of plants but not the smallest either
I am happy to see improvement over the last 3 years that I have placed orders with them... and I love the dollar seeds
On March 27th, 2008, onewish1 changed the rating from positive to neutral and added the following:
I changed my rating to neutral... I thought the shipment was sent way to early for my zone... it is supposed to snow here on Saturday.. we are not looking at planting temps. for at least 3 weeks... I am glad I have grow lights to hopefully keep this plant alive until then... but it did come packed well but it was smaller than I expected for $10.00
I ordered a few packets of seeds in January and was floored by the cost for shipping. The site had actually calculated the shipping incorrectly. I emailed the company and because my card had already been charged (in under 24 hours from ordering) they issued me a credit for the difference. I still waited almost a month to receive a mere 4 packets of seeds. I highly doubt I will ever order from this company again, except to redeem my credit, and even that is dubious.
On May 28, 2007, Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) responded with:
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On Jun 7, 2007 10:34 AM, Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) added:
I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.
On Jul 27, 2007 10:17 AM, Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) added:
I am concerned that I have not yet resolved the issue at hand and would like an opportunity to do so; however, I have not yet received a reply from you concerning this matter. Please contact us at your earliest convenience. Customer satisfaction is very important to us.
I had already read about Park before I placed my order, so I knew what I was getting myself into. I ordered some bare root strawberry plants and growing bags from them a few weeks ago. I had to stay on top of them to get things like my tracking number for the package. That's not really a problem, just a fact of life with nearly any company.
The plants arrived on time and bone dry. After getting everything sorted out, a few of the plants seemed as though they might be rotten. Turns out I was right. About half of the plants have not come out of dormancy nearly 3 weeks later (though I still have hope for a few of them). One of them was in such bad shape that when I went to check on it, the whole crown squished under my fingers, while the plant adjacent to it was actively sending out new growth.
When I first got the plants, I called to figure out what the cultivar I had been sent was. It apparently is one created by the people at Park's, but they don't seem to really know anything about it. One email (pre-sale) told me I would be getting everbearing varieties, but my chat with a horticulturist after I received the plant turned up nothing. She could only tell me a few bullet points about the plants, and had no idea what sort of strawberry it was, which sounds like poor record keeping on the part of the nursery.
I was wary after that experience, but when I called to talk about the 50% survival rate of my plants, they offered to either send me new ones or give me a credit. It's really too late for new plants (the ones they sent me in the first place really should have been checked out a bit more closely before shipping) but the credit will come in handy. I don't think I would buy bare root plants from them again, but I'll probably end up using that credit they gave me. They don't have the best plant material, but I found their customer service to be pretty decent overall.
On Apr 28, 2007, winterrobin South Dennis, NJ (Zone 7b) wrote:
I wasn't aware that Parks and Wayside are affiliated (should have checked here first !), or I wouldn't have ordered plants from Parks. I stopped ordering from Wayside long ago, because of their weak, tiny plants, most of which died shortly after arrival, if not dead already when the box was opened. How is it that plants that I've ordered from other companies, far north of Parks/Wayside's warm and cozy southern exposure, are husky and healthy, but the Parks/Wayside plants are inferior and spindly? Something's wrong here.
I ordered 3 geranium "Purple Pillow" - two of them DOA. I also ordered two butterfly weed "Ice Ballet". They are both about a quarter inch high, but at least they are alive.
I e-mailed Parks about these plants and my total disappoinment. They did reply, and are sending replacements for the "Ice Ballet", but since they no longer have "Purple Pillow" in stock, they could only give me a credit to use on my next order.
Website has many problems. It took me 3 days to successfully order and I was only able to place a partial order (all seeds). I have tried many times now to replace the rest of my order and have not been able to do it. The system places many more items in my cart and duplicates items so it is nearly impossible to get the cart to work. Once I finally did last night the website froze in the second step and would not let me place my order, after trying a few more times I gave up. Possibly it is a good thing after reading the posts here (I was planning on getting biodomes, heatmat, and other non-seed items). It is really too bad as the site is easy to navigate and they seem to have decent items for reasonable prices.... I am half thinking of canceling my first order if my seeds are not going to be shipped promptly as some posts seem to suggest....We will see how my 1st order goes and I will update.
On April 17th, 2007, mlanzone added the following:
Just received an email saying my seeds were shipped, so so far everything looks OK. I also talked with a sales rep on the phone today who was very helpful and I also was able to place the order for the biodomes and other things I wasn't able to online. We'll see what happens and if they ship promptly and I will update...On April 19th, 2007, mlanzone changed the rating from neutral to negative and added the following:
So, supposidly my seeds were shipped.... I tracked them and the DHL website said that there was a problem and to call. I did and DHL said Park Seeds never got the package to them. I called Parks and the person I talked with said that "it must have gotten lost" and "we can have them shipped out to you again...it will only be 2-3 weeks" WHAT! So you supposidly ship the seeds one day...and then they get lost-somehow- and then it will take 2-3 weeks to ship them again?!? I told her this was unacceptable, and besides, I paid for express shipping and I wanted them shipped out now. She said she would make sure that happened. So tonight I get an email saying my seed shipped again, this time Fed-Ex. What is it??? ONE SEED PACKET out of 37!! What is wrong with this picture?
I hope this works out, but at the current rate it is NOT looking good, and I hope for their sake they make this right.
One more thing, I stupidly placed another order with them before all this nonsense started and they said it was scheduled to ship today..... Guess what... it didn't. And for the record Park's my order numbers are 4714777 and 4720246, so you should be able to find it.... On April 19th, 2007, mlanzone changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following:
Someone at Parks straightened this out and most of my shipments are on their way...or so it seems... I will keep my fingers crossed!
I'd placed an order for a specific seed packet (assorted colors for watermelons) and had added a few other packets to help defray the shipping and handling charges. I'd gotten an order confirmation email including all of the seeds I'd ordered, but once the package arrived, I was short the one thing I actually wanted.
They didn't charge my credit card for the missing item, but if I'd known that the "Item is no longer available" then I wouldn't have made the order to begin with.
If their ordering system is this screwed up, then I won't bother buying any more of their products. Also, I'm now getting their spam mails for my trouble...
On April 26th, 2007, BrienDavis changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following:
Mr. Johnson (their customer service representative) was nice enough to find some of the seeds that I'd ordered, but not received and then charged them to my card and promptly sent them to me. I wish I had contacted their customer service before placing this review.
I'm pleased to change their rating. I do still think that their online ordering system could be improved, though, and that this would help their reviews in the future.
~BrienOn Apr 14, 2007, Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) responded with:
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On Apr 18, 2007 10:55 AM, Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) added:
I have located your order and I am in the process of reviewing your information. I would like you to know that I will be contacting you via e-mail shortly. We will make every effort to resolve this issue.
I ordered from Parks April of 2006. I got a partial order of my seeds, they told me the Ranunculus and Lisianthus were on backorder. I finally recieved the Ranunculus (which never grew) but I never got my Lisianthus. After several phonecalls and always getting the reply that it was on backorder I gave up.
Funny though, they still are advertising it, must be some backorder.
On March 21st, 2007, jewelz changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following:
I was contacted by Parks and they are offering me credits to make up for the Lisianthus AND the Ranunculus.
thank you for doing this for meOn Mar 20, 2007, Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) responded with:
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On Mar 20, 2007 1:39 PM, Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) added:
I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.
Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]"
I placed an order 3/07/07 (order number 4608281) I purchased 15 packs of seed; I did receive my order rather quickly. Out of the 15 packets, at least 4 were shorted on the seed amount (those that could be counted); example the Easter egg packet was supposed to have 25 seeds, there was only 11. Well anyhow I have already winter sowed them in containers. This was my first ordering from them, not sure if I will again.
On Mar 18, 2007, Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) responded with:
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On Mar 19, 2007 2:20 PM, Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) added:
I have located your order and I am in the process of reviewing your information. I would like you to know that I will be contacting you via e-mail shortly. We will make every effort to resolve this issue.
Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]
"
I live in Greenwood and have purchased from Park's on several occassions, either from the Garden Center on site or by phone. Park's is prompt in replacing items, but they are hesitant to issue refunds and sometimes merchandise credits, but from speaking with some of the CS reps I know that this is because of those customers who call year after year requesting refunds/credits for merchandise they claim didn't survive. Some up to FIVE YEARS after the purchase. In the past, Park's/Wayside replaced these items no questions asked, but have recently had to change their gaurantee and refund policy. They simply ask that you let them know that your seeds failed to germinate as soon as you reaize they are not germinating which should be no more than 10 or 12 weeks; and that you let them know that your plant died as soon as you realize the plant isn't "healthy looking" or that it was dead when it came. You can't expect a company to replace 2 year old plants that could have died for any number of reasons since you received them. Also, the company can tell you if the plant is expected to bloom the first year. So, if it isn't suppose to bloom the first year, it won't and it's not their fault; it's nature.
On Feb 28, 2007, Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) responded with:
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On Mar 7, 2007 2:23 PM, Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) added:
I would like to further research your above posting. To do this I must request that you please e-mail me with your full name and address. If applicable please provide an order reference number. Thank you.
Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Department
e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com
"
On Feb 20, 2007, cannaqueen Mantua, OH (Zone 5a) wrote:
I ordered the new zenith red marigold, which was expensive,50 seeds@@5.85. The seeds were treated with
a green coating of some kind....no information on what this
is..the packet states seed origin is England..packet states not
to open until ready to sow....wonder why that is...not able to
reseal packet once opened like other seed packets...
Ordered butterfly weed seeds...origin is Holland...this company evidently does not grow some types of seeds...
Plan to start these seeds in peat pellets with the use of a
grow light unit....
On Feb 20, 2007, Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) responded with:
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On Mar 1, 2007 2:10 PM, Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) added:
I’ve looked into the coating you mention in your post. This coating is an inert polymer; by applying this to your seed we receive the following benefits.
1) This allows the seed to flow better through an automatic sowing machine.
2) And allows the seed to show up better against the media.
I hope this clears up the confusion. If you have any more questions please let me know.
Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]"
Ordered seeds and, I thought, bare roots. The seeds arrived in fine shape, but the roots are another matter. Three of the bare roots are plants in pots (I went back to the website and checked that I received the correct plants and that they are indeed listed as bare roots; yes, they are the plants I ordered and, yes, they are listed as bare root). The bare roots that I ordered arrived wrapped as bare roots. When I opened them the had more green growth than roots, and everything was very badly tangled together. I had to half bury the green growth to get the roots adequately covered. I've never seen such a tangled mess. Yes, I know I could pack it all up again and request a refund, but time is money, too, so next time I'll shop elsewhere (I bought a much nicer version of one of these bare root plants at Lowe's, it's sort of sad to say).
On Feb 18, 2007, Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) responded with:
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On Mar 7, 2007 2:24 PM, Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) added:
I would like to further research your above posting. To do this I must request that you please e-mail me with your full name and address. If applicable please provide an order reference number. Thank you.
Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Department
e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com
"
Because I have been dealing with Park's for years, I decided to report this as only a 'Neutral' vs 'Negative'. On 12-24-06 I order 10 Permanest trays and one package of seeds. The seeds were shipped and arrived within a week and I figured they trays would soon follow since upon checking my order on the website they showed "In Stock and Reserved" On 1-10-07 they still had not showed shipped so I e-mailed regarding the item. I received a quick reply stating "In reviewing our records, I see that the Perma-Nest trays are being processed. They should arrive to you next week." On 1-15-07 I received my credit card bill which showed the total order which had been posted 12-27-06. As of 1-16-07, they still had not arrived or show shipped. Another e-mail and again I received the reply "I am sorry that the Perma-Nest Trays have not shipped. I have requested immediate attention to this problem and expect these items to be shipped tomorrow or Thursday at the latest." They were finally shipped on 1-19-07 and arrived 1-26-07 -- 5 weeks after placing the order. I will say that customer service did get back to me quickly with return e-mails.
On Jan 26, 2007, Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) responded with:
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On Mar 7, 2007 2:26 PM, Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) added:
I would like to further research your above posting. To do this I must request that you please e-mail me with your full name and address. If applicable please provide an order reference number. Thank you.
Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Department
e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com
"
On Dec 29, 2006, JenniferLuther Grove City, PA (Zone 5b) wrote:
Operates an EBAY store called PerfectPlants.
On February 22nd, 2007, JenniferLuther changed the rating from positive to neutral and added the following:
My main problem with Parks is they use DHL, the absolute downright worst shipping company on the earth.On Dec 29, 2006, Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) responded with:
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On Feb 20, 2007 5:49 PM, Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) added:
I am happy to hear that you enjoyed our products so much.
We would love to forward your compliments; if you would send us your order information, we can let the appropriate department know that their efforts were recognized and appreciated. Please email me your zip code, last name, and order number.
Thanks again,
Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Department
e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com"
On Nov 27, 2006, jessmerritt Roswell, NM (Zone 7b) wrote:
I have only ordered seeds from this company. While their selection is interesting, the germination rate of the seeds is abysmal. For future purchases, I will only buy from them if they have something that I simply cannot get anywhere else.
On Nov 27, 2006, Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) responded with:
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On Mar 7, 2007 2:27 PM, Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) added:
I would like to further research your above posting. To do this I must request that you please e-mail me with your full name and address. If applicable please provide an order reference number. Thank you.
Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Department
e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com
"
On Oct 22, 2006, FrangipaniAz Phoenix, AZ (Zone 9b) wrote:
I visited Park Seed this past summer (2006) and loved the experience I had. Then a few days later I decided to order some of their plants online and have them shipped. I bought about 4 corkscrew vines and 2 brugmansia. When I received my order there were no leaves on anything. I immediately emailed the company about the condition of my purchase. It took them about a week and a half to respond, which I understand because they are a large company and receive hundreds of emails and phone calls. They told me that replacements would be sent as soon as possible, this was after telling me that they should still pull through, which they didn't. Life went on, I became busy and forgot that a replacement was supposed to be sent. About a month later I emailed them again and they told me they didn't have that plant in stock anymore, but they did credit me the money I spent. I'm giving them a neutral for their lack of communication and the poor shape the plants arrived in. The brugmansia are doing fantastic now. I recommend stopping by their site if ever you are in Greenwood, but would not necessarily recommend buying plants from this company online.
On Oct 21, 2006, gardenpom Melbourne, FL (Zone 9b) wrote:
I have been ordering from Park Seed for a good 30 years, since moving to Florida in 1975. They have always provided fast service, excellent seeds and plants, and excellent customer service. I just received two Verbena plants last week that looked OK upon arrival, but within 24 hours had shriveled folaige and now appear dead. I have e-mailed them about this, so we'll see if they are still the company they used to be. I expect they will be good to their word, and if they aren't I will be back to let you know.
On October 22nd, 2006, gardenpom changed the rating from positive to negative and added the following:
Well, I'm back to update my recent post about Park Seed. In reading the letters from other people I was dissapointed to find out Parks is no longer a family run business. That may explain how the company has changed for the worse. I e-mailed them to tell them my two Verbena I received died practically overnight...they tried to tell me the plants have simply gone into dormancy (overnight). The plants are DEAD. I am not going to fight with them over $7.95. The bad publicity they get will hurt them more than the money will hurt me. They are no longer the wonderful seed company I dealt with for YEARS. Enough said!On January 23rd, 2007, gardenpom changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following:
I will not let one bad experience undo all the years of pleasure I had ordering from this company. I wish they were the same trusted company they used to be, but since they are not I will no longer order from them. I will change my rating to NEUTRAL. On March 16th, 2008, gardenpom added the following:
Against my better judgement I did order once more, from Wayside Gardens, only because I wanted a Butterfly Rose bush and could find it no where else. My credit card was charged and I waited for my Rose. I never heard anything so I finally e-mailed them as to the whereabouts of the Rose bush. They explained the ones they had been sent were not up to their standards and were sent back. To make a long story short, the Rose I ordered in spring did not arrive till fall. It was a decent sized and healthy plant when it finally did arrive. Most reputable companies will not charge a credit card until they ship an item, but Parks wastes no time getting their money up front. I am leaving my rating at neutral only because of the years of good service I had from Parks companies. But I will NEVER order from this company again. There is NO EXCUSE for not keeping a customer informed about their order.On January 26th, 2009, gardenpom added the following:
Very sad reading all the reviews here, because this was ONCE a wonderful company. I eagerly read through the winter catalogs, checking off what I wanted, and would order a few times a years, always getting excellent service. I still receive their catalogs, but now they go straight to the trash.
On 8/10/06 I placed a small order with Park for a fern. After thinking it over I decided that the shipping was just too much for one plant. The plant was $14.95 and shipping was $7.95 for a total of $24.90. I called on 8/17/06 and cancelled the order and was assured my card would be credited. Around 9/8/06 I received a card stating that I had a "merchandise credit" with them. I called and was assured that an error had been made and a full refund would be made to my card. On 9/18/06 this had not happened. I called again and was told that "credits had to be entered manually when they were not busy answering the telephone" and it would happen. Today (9/24/06) - still no credit has posted. I plan to call tomorrow and start going up the line - no more being put off. I have bought seeds from Park for over 30 years, but that relationship will be ended here and now if they do not refund my money tomorrow! What is the matter with those people - do they have so many customers they can afford to drive away people who have stuck with them for so many years? Not getting my money back is bad enough - being given a deceptive sounding story is an insult.
On October 3rd, 2006, stillwood changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following:
I need to modify the rating. I finally got a Customer Service person (Diane) who bothered to check with their credit department and found out the credit has been issued. It turns out my bank had made an error. It is unfortunate Park people did not look further when I called the first two times and merely told me to keep waiting. So I was blaming them incorrectly. They got some bad publicity by not really bothering to check into my request. Diane was very polite and took the extra step to find out what was going on.
