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One out of three Wild Blue Indigo plants dead. Five out of six butterfly weed tubers (Asclepias tuberosa) nonviable. Butterfly weed plants I started from seed this winter from another source are growing well and flowering. With such a low viability rates, its not worth my time to call and request replacements.
On Jul 27, 2009, American Meadows responded with:
"On Aug 14, 2009 8:06 AM, American Meadows responded with:
Dear doctrtim, I'm sorry to hear about the poor results with your Wild Blue Indigo and Asclepias tuberose plants. We strive to supply the best stock possible with all our products 100% guaranteed with a full money back refund or replacement.
I’m glad our customer service team was able to contact you and resolve in a timely and satisfactory manner.
We take our role in the gardening community very seriously and always want our customers to be happy with our products and service.
Sincerely, Mike Lizotte, Managing Partner, American Meadows.
"
Last year I bought wildflower seeds (1/4 pound) and lathrus odoratus (1/4 pound). The wildflower seed did not germinate. Approximately 25% of the lathrus odoratus (sweet pea) germinated. I called the company 7 times between May 30, 2008 to June 20, 2008. I was never able to talk to an actual person. I had to leave a message. No one ever contacted me back. Furthermore, I made several attempts to contact the company by e-mail and regular mail. I STILL DID NOT RECIEVE A RESPONSE BACK! I then left messages via phone for a refund. I NEVER got anybody to call me back. I will not do business with this company again. I spent a total of $38.88 and got nothing for it. Based on this experience, I do not recommend this company to anyone!
On Jun 7, 2009, American Meadows responded with:
"On Jun 9, 2009 8:12 AM, American Meadows responded with:
Dear HerbLady9, We have made several attempts to contact you through you Dave's Garden account, but have not heard back. I'm sorry that you had a negative experience with our company and products. I can assure you that all of our seeds are tested for germination and our satisfaction rating is extremely high.
Your message indicates that you made at least 9 attempts to contact us, without a reply. I find that puzzling as we are here Monday-Friday from 9-5 EST and are in constant contact with customers. We have built our reputation for over 25 years by quickly responding to customer needs. We are always happy to honor our satisfaction guarantee to either replace your product or refund your money. We take our role in the gardening community very seriously and always want our customers to be happy with our products and service.
Please contact us at 877.270.5187 so that we may discuss your concerns. Thank you, Mike Lizotte, Managing Partner, American Meadows."
After placing (and paying for) an order for the first time with American Meadows on March 24, 2009, I reviewed the order status and realized that the items I am most interested in do not ship immediately, they ship in the Fall. I called customer service and asked to have the items shipping in the fall canceled and just keep the ones shipping in the spring. The customer service rep was very friendly and said he would cancel the fall portion of the order immediately.
On March 29, 2009 I checked my credit card account and noticed my credit card has not been credited, I check the order status online. The order is still showing current, not canceled. I call American Meadows once more, I speak with a customer service representative who apologizes profusely and tells me he is canceling the "fall" portion of my order, I should see a credit applied to my credit card in the next couple of days.
On April 3, 2009 - I check with my bank again, no credits from American Meadows have been issued. I call American Meadows, speak with a customer service representative who checks my order and tells me, I'm sorry your order has not been canceled. I explain to him the multiple calls I have made, he apologizes and tells me he is correcting the problem as we speak and issuing my credit card a credit, he offers to email me a confirmation email. I never receive an email. :-(
April 7, 2009 - I check with my bank again, no credits from American Meadows. I call American Meadows, speak with a very annoyed sounding customer service representative (first one that was not cordial of all my phone calls to American Meadows), I explained to her I wanted to cancel the fall shipment and just keep the items that will be received in the fall and that have made multiple calls in regards to my credit card not being credited and the fall items not being canceled. She informs me that my ENTIRE order was canceled and that my credit card was credited. She informs me that if there is no credit on my credit card, it is my banks fault. I asked her about an email confirming the order had been canceled as the previous customer service representative offered. She curtly informed me that if I wanted an email she would "type" one up for me, but it would just say what she is telling me. I said I will take that then. She reiterated, I insisted I was fine with an email from her... Checked my email, never received one.
April 7, 2009 - I call my credit card customer service. My account information was pulled up, the only transaction on my account is the one paying American Meadows on March 24, 2009. The customer service representative at my bank advised me American Meadows has not issued a credit of any kind.... My bank asked if I wanted to start a dispute or contact American Meadows one more time.... Calling again - if not disputing.
On Apr 8, 2009, American Meadows responded with:
"On May 6, 2009 9:29 AM, American Meadows responded with:
4/17/09: Dear Eve6, I’m so sorry that you had such a difficult time interacting with our customer service department. In reviewing the notes in your account and checking our bank transactions, I see that you were fully credited on the 7th of April and notified via email the same day. The fact that this didn’t occur sooner appears to have been a miscommunication - customers frequently call to adjust their orders and this procedure is common. I have reached out to you via phone to personally apologize and would appreciate having the opportunity to assure you that this was an isolated incident. During the busy planting season, we happily serve over two thousand customers per week. I’m very sorry that we failed to meet your customer service expectations. Sincerely, Mike Lizotte, owner, American Meadows."
On Sep 8, 2008, Portland1 (Judi)Portland, OR wrote:
As a new gardener I was enticed by the wildflower and "meadow" seeds available at American Meadows. I did order several varieties, including Queen Anne's Lace. At the time I didn't know that QAL is an invasive species and actually banned in many areas. This plant is not native to North America. I do not think that American Meadows should be selling invasive species!
On Sep 8, 2008, American Meadows responded with:
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On Oct 8, 2008 12:33 PM, American Meadows added:
Dear Portland 1: Please revisit our website, and you'll see that we make a special note that Queen Anne's Lace, Daucus carota, the biennial roadside weed, is invasive, and that we DO NOT SELL IT. If customers like the flower for their wild meadows, we suggest Ammi majus, or "Bishop's Flower" which is a benign annual that looks similar, is also often called Queen Anne's Lace, but has none of the bad qualities of Daucus. If you bought QAL at our site, you bought Ammi Majus. You can read our QAL page which explains all this by following this link: http://www.americanmeadows.com/WildflowerSeeds/Species/Queen... PLEASE change your negative posting since it is incorrect. Thank you, Ray Allen, Owner, AmericanMeadows.com "
In Early March I placed a large order from AM, it was shipped in 4 different stages and at no point was i notified that any of these shipments had been sent. So they sat on the front stairs which is practically on my sidewalk until I got home from work, it would have been nice to know they were coming so I could have had someone field the boxes. The first shipment was for seeds which arrived fine and they are growing nicely. The last was for bulbs and they came at the right time for planting, a few of them have started to grow so we will see with the rest. But from here it is downhill, I ordered 4 Shrubs which did arrive ok (shipment #2) which were nothing more than small sticks which was somewhat expected but none of them have done a thing and are DEAD, they claim they are going to issue a refund but as of yet no refund has been issued so we will see. The third shipment included two bareroot plants, poppies and bleeding hearts which looked DOA but I planted them and are as dead as the bushes, they claim to be sending replacements (different poppies as they out of the ones I origiannly ordered) but they also have yet to be seen and the free gift they were to include Hollyhocks were out of stock so I got a different free gift however i wanted the Hollyhocks but the free Iris was the best of the bunch of anything I ordered. If the bulbs grow successfully and I receive replacements and credit I will adjust this appropriately but for now it has not been a positive experience shopping at American Meadows
On May 24th, 2008, WinterStinks added the following:
Soon after leaving this posting (maybe 3 hours), I get a call from AM telling me they are going to issue a credit for the dead bushes (which should have been already done) and for the plants they were to replace (either thay cant replace them or dont want to but that is fine). But what do I find on my statement today they CHARGE me $46.80 then give me a credit for $46.80 so they really gave me nothing. Here is a copy of the statement details
05/21/2008 American Meadows Inc. 802-951-5812 Vt $46.80
05/22/2008 American Meadows Inc. 802-951-5812 Vt
-$46.80
That seems to work out well for them (they pocket my money)but very poorly for me (dead plants and no credit), so now I must call them AGAIN to debate this or just go to the credit card company to have the charge removed. I am now wondering if perhaps they are hiring from Wayside Gardens staff. Less time to plant with all this repeated phone calls to fix more poor customer service.On June 23rd, 2008, WinterStinks added the following:
As a final update after 3 additional calls on June 18th I finally received an actual credit from them for $46.80. As for their bulbs i received maybe 2/3rds to 3/4 are coming up nicely.On July 10th, 2008, WinterStinks added the following:
Well now th bulbs are beginning to flower(I would say that about 3/4 of them grew) I have some beautiful flowers but some of them aren't what they are supposed to be. I shouldn't be suprised but at least they are pretty mystery flowers. Now as I wait for the rest of them to pop open it will be a suprise to see what I ordered since it won't be what i thought !On August 8th, 2008, WinterStinks added the following:
Well here we are in August and now I have seen everything from American Meadows and here are my results. 3 dead oriental poppies, 3 bleeeding hearts 2 of which are hanging on, 4 dead bushes that arrived as pathetic sticks, 4 dinnerplate Dalhia's none of which were what they were supposed to be, 15 French Anemones De Caen some of which grew but never flowered, 4 Double Tuberous Begonia 3 of which grew and are pretty and the color they as supposed to be, 5 Babiana stricta none of which grew and a bag of wildflower seeds which are very pretty. So for my $119.08 (well i did get a $46.80 refund so for $72.28 I got some wildflower seeds and begonias, I guess I should be glad most of this stuff was "on sale" so I didn't spend more. I am really disappointed with AM from the reviews I expected much more but live and learn and hope you do better than me.On May 21, 2008, American Meadows responded with:
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On Oct 8, 2008 12:41 PM, American Meadows added:
Dear WinterStinks: I'd like to personally apologize for the problems with your spring order, and want you to know we do all we can to satisfy our customers. If you will send me your personal email, I'll be happy to send you some fall daffodils and/or tulips to make amends. ---Ray Allen, Owner, AmericanMeadows.com "
We ordered several varieties of irises. The specimens were some of the worst I've ever seen. Extremely small and absolutely dried out -- about the quality you'd see at a "bulb clearance" in your typical Walmart store. A waste of money - I would NEVER order from this company again.
On Apr 28, 2008, American Meadows responded with:
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On May 8, 2008 1:23 PM, American Meadows added:
So sorry your irises were unsatisfactory. This is rare for our irises, but we are anxious to replace them for you or issue a complete refund including shipping. Please let us know which type of iris you ordered.....Ray Allen, Pres. of AmericanMeadows.com."
I ordered three lily bulbs and one Dahlia (2-pack) from American Meadows. Of the four items only one item did not have an issue.
Of the three lily:
One died within a week.
The second arrived completely moldy - I called them and they replaced it. The replacement lily came in packaging that stated the correct name, red tiger lily, but when it bloomed it was orange. So you can't rely on the bulb matching with the labeling/packaging.
The third has not bloomed, has not even set buds, so I don't know if it is the correct color, but it was the only healthy bulb of the whole order.
They sent me the wrong Dahlia. I called them back and they sent me the correct one. The Dahlia come packaged two per package. I now had two incorrect Dahlia and two correct Dahlia. Of the four Dahlia, only two grew, two never even sprouted any growth at all. The Dahlia have not flowered so I don't know if they are the correct color.
American Meadow's customer service was very nice and helpful when I called them twice. Not only did they replace the moldy bulb and the incorrect Dahlia, they also refunded my money for the entire order.
Though I received my money back, I am very disappointed with my order from American Meadows. Only one out of the four did not have an issue – that I currently know of (some have not yet bloomed). To receive moldy bulbs, mislabeled bulbs, and two out of four Dahlia not grow at all ... I will not be ordering from American Meadows.
On Jul 8, 2007, American Meadows responded with:
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On Aug 4, 2007 8:06 PM, American Meadows added:
I have tried to contact this customer on August 4th to address the problem....Ray Allen, Owner, AmericanMeadows.com
My expewrience with American Meadows has not been a good one. They always have an excuse for item being shipped late and its always the carrier that damages their products. I have not received anything on time yet.
On May 24, 2006, beaker_ch Columbia Heights, MN (Zone 4a) wrote:
I made several orders with AM, but when I received the first one, I immediately cancelled the others. They didn't send the correct plants, and the ones they did send were near death. I thought they had a really good rating, but this was awful. I won't be ordering from them again.
On May 24, 2006, American Meadows responded with:
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On May 28, 2006 8:52 AM, American Meadows added:
Apology and full refund including shipping has been offered. After 25 years of successfully shipping seeds and bulbs, this spring was our first year shipping live plants, due to many customer requests. The plants sold out quickly, and most people were happy with their shipments, but some were not. The plants all began in great shape, but some serious mistakes were made in shipping. We are truly sorry, and if we handle perennials again, our system of shipping will be completely revamped. "
I agree with the last post. I order 2 clematis from this company and both of the plants I recieved were dried out, broken and looked dead. I am hoping that maybe I can coax some life out of them. What makes me sick, is 2 weeks ago, I bought a clematis from the grocery store that was 1000% better (it even had flowers) for half the price of these.
Never again.
On May 23, 2006, American Meadows responded with:
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On May 28, 2006 8:53 AM, American Meadows added:
Apology and full refund including shipping has been offered. After 25 years of successfully shipping seeds and bulbs, this spring was our first year shipping live plants, due to many customer requests. The plants sold out quickly, and most people were happy with their shipments, but some were not. The plants all began in great shape, but some serious mistakes were made in shipping. We are truly sorry, and if we handle perennials again, our system of shipping will be completely revamped. "
About Vermont Wildflower Farm -- I was disturbed to see how many of their "wildflower" seeds are actually alien plants. Some of these are considered invasive weeds in wild areas, where they displace native wildflowers. Of the twelve annuals and perennials listed in my invasive plants book, this company sells five of them! (For reference, the book is "Invasive Plants: Weeds of the Global Garden", put out by the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The five plants are cornflower, birdsfoot trefoil, crown vetch, foxglove, and dame's rocket.) It's not that I think people should never grow cornflower, etc, in their gardens. I just object to a company encouraging people to spread around invasive alien plants in large numbers. It suggests that this company either doesn't know much about wildflowers, or doesn't care.
On Feb 1, 1999, American Meadows responded with:
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On May 2, 2006 12:44 PM, American Meadows responded:
Vermont Wildflower Farm is no longer owned by American Meadows. This is a very old posting, and I have searched high and low for this customer, but she must no longer use this email. I'd like her to know that our current website lists the native area of every seed we sell, and we now have All-Native Wildflower Mixtures for each region in North America. She needs to know that a species that may be considered invasive in one region, may not be a problem in another. Our site now has extensive original information on how plants are regulated in the US, which are invasive, endangered, etc. --Ray Allen, Owner, AmericanMeadows.com"
