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The company charges shipping on ORIGINAL price of sale items, which is some 40-60% more than my purchase price. I've never encountered an online store that does that. I'm skipping on Wayside on principle.
On Nov 3, 2009, kinchen beaumont United States wrote:
On Sept. 24, 2009, I received three butterfly bushes from Wayside Gardens. I found the plants to have been loosely packed in shipping peanuts. The plants had fallen over and soil had been dislodged. All three plants were damaged; stems were broken, most the leaves were off the stems, and tips of some stems were black. When taken out of the containers to plant, soil fell from the roots, and I realized the root systems were not well developed. I notified Wayside Gardens of the plants' condition, and was assured the plants had well developed root systems. On November 2, I notified the company that the plants had no leaves, no stems, and not much in the way of root systems, and asked for a refund. Wayside Gardens refund was a few dollars more than the cost of the plants, but not as much as the plants plus tax or those items plus shipping. I asked Wayside Gardens to explain the amount of refund, and am waiting for a reply. I have lost confidence in Wayside Gardens and will not buy from them again.
On Oct 23, 2009, prlevy Belmont, MA (Zone 6a) wrote:
After several years of decreasing satisfaction with Wayside/Park, I decided to take one more shot and ordered plants from the fall sale on 9/6. When the phlox finally arrived (after several phonecalls from me) they were in the expected 6" pots, but looking small. As soon as I tipped them out I saw why: they were rootbound plants that had been overgrown in small pots and only recently stuffed into large pots with new soil which fell away instantly. The clematis, which did not arrive until 10/20, was in a 6" pot under equally false pretenses and with dead foliage to boot. The sambucus was a poor specimen and the heuchera, after a wait of three weeks, was declared not available. My shipping should have been but was not reduced with the elimination of the heuchera. This is by no means the first time I have had such an experience with Wayside Gardens /Park Seed. Their list of excuses for nondelivery are many and various, including, 'held for quality control', 'on the shipping floor', 'expected soon', 'a problem with the grower', 'error in availability status', etc., and are the rule in my experience, not the exception. Poor plants, poor service.
On Sep 22, 2009, SharonKWinter Las Vegas, NV wrote:
I thought it was my problem when I ordered numerous plants from Wayside and they would die immediately. This has been happening for many years. Then I started to plant them in my holding garden for a year and then the plants were fine. One day my brain kicked in and said HELLO. They are shipping very small plants and I have to nurture them for a year in order to immigrate them into my normal landscape. But I am paying top prices. No more, Wayside is off my list. I love the idea of using their catalog and taking it to your local nursery and having them order it. With their shipping charges, special order will probably be cheaper. However, cheaper was never my goal...
What can I say good about this company. Nothing. I ordered 4 Louisiana Iris in May, received early June, they were tiny sickly looking plants but I decided to plant them anyway. I waited and waited. One made a slightly green showing then promptly died, the others never came up. I sent the company an email requesting a refund or replacement. To my surprise I discovered they only have a 30-day guarantee. I received a "so sorry but" return email from them. So, my advice to anyone considering an order from this company is to STOP right now and don't waste your money.
On Aug 24, 2009, DaughterNature Shrewsbury, MA wrote:
I made a purchase last fall from Wayside Gardens. Plants ordered were Lonicera Sempervirens 'John Clayton', the Coreopsis collection (Coreopsis 'Heaven S Gate', Coreopsis 'Moonray', Coreopsis 'Snowberry'), and the double Echinacia collection (Echinacea 'Coconut Lime', Echinacea 'Cotton Candy') - for just over $98.00. When shipped, the Coreopsis collection resulted in one 5"+ pot and two very tiny pots with one stem for one and three stems for the other. As there wasn't any guarantee for pot sizes, and I scratched it up to "buyer beware," but I was extremely disappointed with the quality of the two small plants. We had a very wet spring in the Northeast so I gave more time than their June 30th policy (which I only found out about just prior to lodging a complaint). I called their customer service within the past week, as none of the plants had made a showing (including foliage). I told them I had ordered perennials from three other suppliers (Paradise Garden, Plant Delights, and Oakes Daylilies) within a week of my order to Wayside and all their plants came up. Wayside's explanation was that Echinacea don't like wet conditions (What about the Coreopsis and Lonicera? What about the five other Echinacea in that bed - on a hill, by the way - that did come up? Four of them were planted that same fall.)
Their customer service associate had an immediate attitude of "we can't help you," however she did consult their horticulturist (after prompting) who came back with the "blame it on the weather" attitude.
I have never posted a complaint for either mail order or local nurseries prior to this, as I understand that sometimes the plants just don't adapt to the new environment. I consider that the risk of the gardener. However, in this case, 0 plants surviving when other suppliers have 100% survival rate under the same weather conditions and in the same bed, I have no doubt as to the lack of quality. I have requested they save their money and not mail me another catalog. I will NEVER order from them again and I recommend that those who read this save their money and order from other more reliable suppliers.
I read the negative posts, but decided to order anyway. I put in an order on a Tuesday and was willing to pay for expedited shipping so that the plants would not sit on a truck someplace and they would arrive for the weekend. As of Sunday I have not received an email confirmation about my order, nor did I receive an order number so I could find out what was happening. I've canceled my order.
I agree with those who say Wayside has gone downhill in the last few years. This year, I bought 3 miniature verbascum from a late spring sale. When they arrived, it was obvious that 2 were dead as doornails, and the other looked good. I planted all 3 within hours (literally) of arrival. The 2 dead ones stayed dead, and the other is now blooming nicely. I emailed them on June 29 to ask about a refund/replacement for the 2 dead ones, and was told that the warranty had expired. Their website says to notify them by June 30 - which I did. Granted it was close, but it was still within the time limit. I have asked them to honor the warranty since they were indeed contacted in a timely manner, and I haven't heard back yet, but I just replied to their "no refund" email. We'll see what happens, but I think I am done with Wayside Gardens plants. I've had numerous plants arrive in very bad shape over the last 3 or 4 years, and things are not getting any better. It's too bad, because it used to be a good company to do business with.
On Jun 16, 2009, WDMgardener West Des Moines, IA wrote:
-----Original Message-----
From: ___
Received: 5/15/2009 11:31 AM
To: gardener@waysidecs.com
Subject: RE: order #___
Dear Wayside,
I'm writing about order #___.
I have been very disappointed with the Hydrangea "Incrediball" that I
ordered. The first plant arrived with leaves that were black-ish
green and slimy. I called customer service and they sent me a
replacement. It arrived two days ago in poor condition - almost
completely wilted. I watered it right away, but it is not coming
back. I'm attaching a photo. The right hand side is the original
order, the left hand side is the replacement.
- - - -
Dear ___,
Wayside Order ___
Thank you so much for contacting us here at Wayside! We value our customers' comments and questions very highly, and we appreciate hearing from you.
We apologize for the condition of the hydrangea upon arrival. It is not uncommon for the tops to be wilted upon arrival, from the shock of being in shipment without light. Please check the root system. If it has a good root system, it should put on new growth in about 3 to 4 weeks for planting time. Please let us know if it fails to grow by the end of this month.
Again, thank you for writing to us. If you have any further questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact us (number and address listed below). And thanks for gardening with Wayside!
Barbara
Wayside Gardens Customer Contact Team
1 Garden Lane
Hodges, South Carolina 29695
Telephone: 800-845-1124
Fax: 800-817-1124 http://www.waysidecs.com
email: info@waysidecs.com
- - -
I wrote back to say that both hydrangeas are absolutely dead and as of June 16, 2009, I have not heard from Wayside.
After almost 20 years of doing business with Wayside Gardens, I am saddened to report that they have turned into one of the worst catalogue companies in regards to customer service and quality of plants.
I ordered 3 passiflora. One was obviously dead, but I planted all 3 anyway. After about a week, they all turned black and pulled up from the rootball.
I immediately contacted WG. They did the standard "those plants are just dormant and in 4-6 weeks, they'll start growing!" Well, they did not, so I contacted them again. The poor little things were ONE WEEK in transit to me on a hot UPS plane/train/truck/whatever, as I live in California and the plants came from the east coast. It's a miracle they were even green, albeit withered, when I got them.
They sent me one plant. It is doing fine, but when I try to get the other two plants, they are now sold out. They tell me they'll give me a credit. I ask for a refund. Suddenly, my emails are not answered.
I wait a week and again email them, asking them for a refund, and letting them know that they're getting LOTS of negative reviews on the 'net.
I get a very snotty-toned email back from Josh, saying that if I would've asked for a refund, that's what I would've gotten, and that my money would be refunded in 3-5 "working days". I forward the original email I wrote to them, asking them to refund my money.
Well, it's been over two weeks now and still no refund to my bank account, PLUS they do not respond to any of my emails.
I agree with others in that their catalogues make great reference resources, and I will now be taking them to the local nurseries and asking the very nice people at said nurseries to special order plants for me.
It's very sad that after all the good experiences I've had with them, I guess Park Seed's buyout has brought with it some very bad customer service. Why the quality of their plants has gone downhill, I know not.
I notice that several negative reports on this website have been answered by a VERY lame cut-and-paste response from WG. They are not fooling any of us. I won't be surprised when this company goes "tats" (sic) up, as there seems to be very little they're doing to prevent this.
The Incrediball Hydrangea I ordered from Wayside arrived in very poor condition. All the leaves and most of the stems were black. When I contacted them they told me that this was normal and that it would sprout new growth in 4 weeks. A plant stressed like this does not do well and takes years to recover if it does not just outright die. Because of the poor service and the line of bull that they are feeding me, I will never buy from Wayside again and not recommend them to anyone.
My first disappointment with Wayside Gardens was that, although their catalogue said several varieties of echinacea were for sale, their web site said they were sold out and wouldn't be available until the fall. So, I chose another variety. Of the nine plants ordered, only five were in good shape. The other four were bone dry and their leaves were completely black. In other words, the plants were dead. When I complained to Wayside, they said the plants were dormant -- ludicrous! -- and that they would come back next year. By next year, if the plants don't come back, I'm sure Wayside will say they have no control over conditions in my garden...
I agree with other posters' comments that Wayside's prices are higher and the plants smaller than other mail order companies.
I ordered from Wayside before I found the Dave's Garden site. For the prices that I paid, I expected bigger plants. Half of my order arrived in very poor condition. The Echinacea died and had very poor root structure when it arrived. The same was true with their Caryopteris. When I contacted the company, the Echinacea was never replaced. The Caryopteris was sent again in the fall, very late for planting in PA and did not survive the winter. I contacted them again this spring and was told that the one replacement was all that I would get even though they sent the plant at an inappropriate time. The My Monet Weigelia has survived but it does not look like their pictures in the catalogue, and at present is a very poor specimen. All in all, a great disappointment.
Wayside Gardens used to be one of the better mail order companies, but my last three experiences with them have been terrible. These included three dead ferns, some shoddy Vinca, and an order that was never delivered. I won't be ordering from them again.
I wish I had been aware of this website when I ordered from Wayside. I paid a total of $66 for a cornus alternifolia which did arrive in a timely manner. However, it was the most pathetic tree imaginable short of being absolutely dead, which it isn't quite yet. They responded to my distressed e-mail saying that the tree was shipped in the condition that is standard for mail order trees. Sorry, but I've had excellent success with other companies. Any reputable nurseryman would have declined to send this particular speciman. I will never take a chance with them again. If I had seen this tree in a local nursery I wouldn't have paid $5 for it.
I don't know why anyone would order from this company. When you order in the spring, they charge your credit card right away, but do not tell you that they don't have anything in stock. When you call about the order, they cannot tell you when to expect them.
Over 6 weeks after my order, my plants finally arrived--dead. They replaced the plants but those were dead as well, except for one.
I have ordered twice from Wayside. Both times the plants have been extremely small for the price charged. When you buy online you expect to save some money yet still get a reasonably sized plant in the process. I had no problem with the health of the plants. Size does matter when paying top dollar prices. The only thing I can see that is very good is the Wayside catalog. It's great for reference.
I ordered the three new winter-hardy camellias last spring. They only had two, which they shipped in mid May, 2008. They grew throughout the summer, and made buds. However both died during the winter, though they were supposed to be hardy in my zone (6) and I had protected them with a wind guard and mulch around the roots. When I emailed this to the company, they stated that they were sorry but the guarantee had expired. I again wrote to explain that there was no way to tell until winter was over, but they said they had changed their "very generous past warranty" and now 6 weeks was the length of time to tell, and after that, it was your fault. Maybe that is true with some plants, but ones that are advertised as new and "winter hardy" for your zone should be just that.
Also, do not order for fall planting, because lots of the plants do not reappear the next spring.
Ordered Ice Plants (Table Mountain) and Gaillardia Fanfare in March. Finally shipped and received this Mother's Day weekend (Zone 5, according to their site should have shipped late March) after several inquiries into expected shipping date. Ice Plants were stacked on top of each other, waterlogged, several stinking rotten. The little Gaillardia were packed in with the large, heavy Table Mountain and several were broken. Planted them anyway, hoping they might make it...I wished I would have read about this company before I ordered.
On May 9, 2009, dirtdiggingdiva Colorado Springs, CO wrote:
Don't waste your time and money ordering from Wayside Gardens. The buddleia and the lilac that I ordered arrived nearly dead. The strawberry lemonade Buddleia was delivered in a smashed box and the plant was in really bad shape with dying leaves. The Bloomerang Lilac was waterlogged and branches rotting off. I sent them a photograph to document the condition of the plants upon arrival. They made no offer whatsoever to replace, refund, or credit. All they did was email me back claiming how many satisfied customers they have and how excellent their products are, and how they appreciated my "feedback". Having spent over $50.00 I would expect to receive better quality plants and customer service. I will never recommend this company to anyone, nor will I ever place another order with them or their affiliates (Park Seed) again. High Country Gardens and Territorial Seed do a much better job.
On May 4, 2009, roninnobunaga The Colony, TX wrote:
I have to agree with the hundreds of negative comments, don't waste you time parking your money in their bank account. I noticed a post saying the person got what they ordered and assumes they have cleaned up their practices, but I dare say you, sir, are one of the lucky few.
I have ordered from Wayside four seprate times over 3 years and only had two orders actually arrive and out of those two only one arrived the same year as I placed my order. Let's be frank here, how can every product be out of season or product quality "not up to their standards"?
They have the most beautiful catalogs but the worst track record for getting the product to the customer.
I ordered some trees for my mother for Mother's Day and they arrived nearly on time only to die that winter. I don't understand a japanese evergreen not being able to sustain in snow or a thuja giant, which is supposedly drought resistant and deep snow resistant dying in light snow.
I ordered a combo special of japanese sky pencil holly and a helmond pillar that took at least six months to arrive only to on the verge of death. The Helmond pillar died within two weeks of arrival and the holly soon after.
My other orders never arrived and after a year waiting for each i cancelled and got my refunds.
I had no issue with customer service when i called but often wonder why no one informs you when they decide not to send your product due to "quality" issues. It all smells so fishy. How do you get so big that you lose touch with those you do business with. They have lost out on hundreds if not thousands of dollars I may have spent with them, that I spend at local nurseries now.
Among this ranting I would like to add that I use chileplants.com to order my chili peppers and have never, in 6 years, had any issues what so ever. Someone is doing it right, why can't Wayside?
On May 4, 2009, StellysPapa Dothan, AL (Zone 8a) wrote:
I had placed a rather large order, over a hundred dollars with wayside, various plants and shrubs. Got a confirmation showing the order had been placed and received....this was done in February of 2009. I was told that my plants would be shipped at the correct planting time for my zone. Well, that time came and went. I sent numerous e-mails checking on the order status, and got no replies. I called them, only to be cut off. I asked that my order be cancelled and finally got an e-mail informing me that orders could not be cancelled. I finally got 3 of the evergreen trees ordered, and I must admit that they were all in good condition. However, after waiting and waiting for the rest of my order and been given the run around so many times, I asked again for a cancellation with no reply. I then get a post card in the regular mail, saying that the rest of my order had been sold out. This was the last straw. How can a place stay in business when they go around selling items that someone else has already bought? I finally asked for another cancellation, I told them I was very upset, etc. etc. and then I get a reply saying my credit card would show a refund in 30 days. I tried to print a copy of that e-mail but, apparently they have a block on their site, cause it came out all un readable. It has not been 30 days yet. But, I can assure you that if I do not get that refund, Wayside will be hearing from people higher up than myself, like my lawyer for example and the Better Business Bureau.
My best word of advise to all who are reading this, STAY CLEAR OF WAYSIDE GARDENS......THEY ARE A RIP OFF
On May 14th, 2009, StellysPapa added the following:
This past monday May 11, was the 30th day since Wayside sent the email saying I would receive credit to my card within 30 days. I checked online with my credit card company, and no credit was issued. I still have the copy of that e-mail, and even though it is hard to read, it can be read...I just went to the wayside website to try and see what they now have under my account and order status, but when I entered my e-mail address, it said it was valid, but due to changes in the website, I would have to create a new password, and I clicked the button and it said they would e-mail me a temporary password within the next few minutes. I have not yet gotten that password, and it's been about 2 hours now. I have a feeling, I will not get a password, cause they know who I am, and do not want me to get into my account, cause they know they have lied and cheated me. Funny thing is, if you go to the website, and on the left side, scroll down to Shipping Info. click on it . you will read, " Please note that credit cards are billed at time of shippment ". That is a bold face LIE. If that were true, then why has my card been charged ?. They owe me $142.00 and by golly, one way or another, I will get it back.On May 19th, 2009, StellysPapa added the following:
Here it is May 19th. Wayside never did send the password. So, this past weekend, on the 17th, I went online to the BBB for that area in South Carolina. and let them know the entire story. Today. May 19th, I get an email update from the BBB. Attached was a reply from John Owens, Customer Service Administrator, of Wayside Gardens. here is what it said
" Thank you for bringing these concerns to my attention. Please extend my sincere apologies reguarding his ( me ) Wayside Gardens order experience. I have refunded his mastercard $142.25......etc etc. "
Needless to say I will never do buisiness with them again, but at least I do have the refund.
Anyone else who care to report them to the BBB here is that website address info@greenvillebbb.org
Now. I am waiting to hear from the BBB in Georgia, reguarding TyTy Nursery. I have a strong feeling the BBB will not get a reply from them near as quick as from wayside.On May 22nd, 2009, StellysPapa added the following:
The refund was posted on my credit card, on May 20th. But, just because they did honor the refund request, I still will not do anymore buisiness with them and I strongly advise everyone else to stay clear of them.
Just as a followup for TYty nursery, I had requested through the BBB for a refund, but, instead, TyTy sent the palm, I got it this past Tuesday. Stay clear of them too, and all their other nurseries.
This is possibly some of the worst customer service I have ever received. I placed my order on the 20th and today (May 1, 2009) I called to check on the status. I was told by the rude, bored-sounding customer service rep that my plants had been shipped nine days ago via UPS and were due for delivery today. Anyone who thinks those plants are still alive, raise your hand. His response to my concern? "Well, they were alive when we shipped them. That's all that matters." Okay then. Thanks for that. :crosses wayside gardens off list of business that will ever get my business again:
i ordered brunnera kings ransom, coreopsis red shift, hakonechloa nicholas and ligularia osiris cafe noir. the plants arrived in two inch peat pots, like parks. the ligularia was not the one ordered, instead i got two pots of osiris fantasie, which i already had. these were lined out in a nursery seedling bed and mulched so i could keep an eye on the tiny things. they plants arrived in late august, which should have been plenty of time to establish. the plants went dormant within a few weeks, or so i thought. i gave them plenty of time this spring before diggin them out, all of them were dead. i called and was told the guarantee only covered 60 days, but i could talk to a horticulturist, (which coincidently is what my degree is in also) this would have put the plants into october which is when plants are dormant in michigan, so there was no way i could have known. i will never order from this company or any of their affiliates. i've asked to be taken off of their catalogue list and will make sure everyone i know is aware of this site and the experience i've had.
since merging with Park Seed, customer service is as bad as theirs. still waiting for an answer on my two orders. Will not be ordering from them again. Other companies with better sized and healthier plants and better prices than this company. I consider them on an even par with Springhill Now.
On April 28th, 2009, plantgnome added the following:
This company sucks. Do not order anything from them. nothing is ever in stock when shipping time comes. Awaiting my last two orders. And thats it for them.
Beware this operation. I wish I had read these reviews before I ordered. I ordered a Clematis from Wayside. When received, it was less that 1" tall and the three shriveled leaves were wilted. When I went on line to complain, I noticed that they had reduced the price of this item to $12.99 from the $19.99 that I had paid. They never satisfactorily addressed either the quality issue or the pricing issue. Stay away from them!
Paid $23.16 (w/s/h) for 1 single Eryngium 'Jade Frost'. What arrived was the tiniest of seedlings that they had crushed under excelsior when packing. The poor seedling had been smashed to death and reduced to mush.
On April 18th, 2009, BinghamJFLowe added the following:
Well, my Caryopteris Collection from Wayside arrived this week. I usually order my Caryopteris, Salvias, Perovskias and other xeriscape plants from High Country Gardens, Holly Hill Nurseries, and others, but thought I'd give Wayside another shot.
Big mistake. Huge.
The plants were DOA and looked as though they'd suffered a slow and agonizing death. Their week in transit was not kind to them or they were sent out that way - I don't know which. In contrast, I also received several Caryopteri (is that the plural?) this week from HCG which were picture perfect. I think HCG is a little bit more expensive that many nurseries, but out of 30+ good-sized orders (and lots of small orders) I've placed with them, I've yet to receive a dead plant.
Wayside sent me an email telling me that the DOA plants were just dormant. :-) If this is the case, then I can rejoice in the knowledge that my relatives who have passed on are only "dormant" too and will put in an appearance at our next family reunion.
On Apr 7, 2009, julianchandler Stillwater, OK wrote:
In my recent order from Wayside Gardens, there were three different tags stuck into the dirt of each potted plant.
The first tag gave the plant height at 21".
The second tag gave the plant height at 24-30".
The third tag gave the plant height at 3-4'.
Yes, you read this correctly. The given plant height for the same plant ranged from 21 inches to 4 feet. This was not a case of mistaken identity--the same plant name and variety was printed on each tag.
To top it off, in each pot there was also a small slip of paper that stated, "I'm Not Dead -- I'm Dormant! I am a dormant bareroot plant, which means that I'm "sleeping" right now. Dormancy is the best time to ship plants, because we need less water and fresh air. To wake me up, just follow the instructions enclosed with your order. I'll be up and growing before you know it!"
Very nice, except for the fact that the plants were not bareroot and they were not dormant. This was not a case of mistaken identity either. My order included only two plants, they were both the same variety, they both came in a pot with dirt, they both had little green leaves, and they both included this please-wake-me-up-I'm-bareroot-and-dormant message.
I will never order anything from Wayside Gardens again unless it is the only place on earth where I can get what I am looking for!
WAYSIDE GARDENS IS AN INFERIOR NURSERY. THE PLANTS I HAVE GOTTEN THUS FAR HAVE BEEN SUBSTITUTES, SLOW SHIPPING, OFTEN DIE EVEN WITH THE BEST CARE. JUST LIKE PARK SEED A HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPT. THE ONLY THING THEY ARE GOOD AT IS TAKING YOUR MONEY. I WILL NEVER SPEND ANOTHER PENNY AT WAYSIDE. LOCAL NURSERIES FOR ME FROM NOW ON. I HAVE HAD TREMENDOUS LUCK WITH MUSSER FORESTS OVER THE YEARS.(MY STATE PA)
I ordered daffodils last fall - they ran out of the item that I ordered - but didn't tell me that when I placed the order over the phone. Instead they sent me a different variety that I didn't want. I had also ordered the mixed crocus bulbs last fall - they are coming up now. In the catalog picture the colors are yellow, blue and white - but they only sent me white and yellow bulbs - very unattractive. I won't be doing business with them again.
On August 3,2008, I ordered plants which were all noted "FOR FALL SHIPPING" I received three of the four items, very small, scraggly plants which I will know soon if they are living. Hopefully they will come up. The main item I wanted, the Platycodon "Fairy Snow" was not included with no explanation. I waited a couple of weeks and kept checking the online status, which still said " to be shipped". I emailed and then called. I finally got the message that this item had been discontinued. Until I actually called again and got a real person on line, no mention was made of refunding the $20 I had paid (credit cards are charged when the order is placed). I was told I would get a merchandise credit. It never showed up, so i asked for a refund. I was then told it would take approximately four weeks for it to show up on my credit card. Still hasn't. HOWEVER the new status on the order shows it "to be shipped". I have still not had a reply from the company on any of my calls, unless I actually waited on the phone for them. They have not called or emailed me.
On April 20th, 2009, MaggieA added the following:
I did, finally, after much persistence, get a refund posted to my credit card. My local garden shop makes a point of defending this company because they have been overwhelmed with orders this year and can't handle them. It is past time for the company to either take steps to be able to handle the increase, or at the very least change the policy to charging the credit card when the order is actually being filled.
Once Parks took over, Wayside has become the worst. I placed an order, gave my phone and e-mail, checked on it days later and found that almost everything was going to be canceled/delayed. Why do they ask for the phone and e-mail if they don't contact you? What once was one of the best has become the poorest. In these times, they better think ahead!
I ordered 13 POTENTILLA MANGO TANGO. Just about all of them arrived in awful shape. Six were dead. So they sent replacements. However, the remaining ones (7) needed to be nursed back to health. When some (4) of these plants died, they refused to send replacements. According to them, the "guarantee has expired"!
Not only have I lost money on this, I am left with bare areas in my beds which will be difficult to fill.
On a previous order, I had received dead plants and some that died after planting (they were too far gone to survive). I should have learned my lesson and avoided using Wayside. But gave them the benefit of the doubt.
One would expect a reputable company to stand behind their product.
I made the mistake of ordering 3 Kordes Moonlight from Wayside Gardens this past spring. They arrived and they were very healthy roots. I planted them and they took off but when they bloomed looked nothing like the picture. They were bright bright pink! Not an ounce of yellow except when they first started to bud. Also the description said Moonlight was thornless. Not these - big massive thorns.
I thought at first that maybe they sent me the wrong rose but to send me THREE wrong roses? I don't know. At any rate, it was certainly not what I ordered or was led to believe I ordered from the picture and description. I made them give me a refund but let me tell you it was a major hassle - it took months. And they would not refund my shipping. The roses ended the season with quite a bit of black spot. I'll be shovel pruning these roses come spring. I will NEVER order from Wayside again.
In late September I found Wayside Gardens as part of an internet search and simply ordered 3 cryptomeria trees for $60 plus change. Days became a couple of weeks and nothing arrived. When I called Cusotmer Service they told me that my shipment had been "back ordered to next spring which was the optimum plating season". I had not been contacted in any way by Wayside Gardens with this information and was surprised to hear this. When I initially ordered the trees, the agent told me that the trees could be planted beautifully in the fall. Since I wanted these trees this fall, I immediately asked for a refund so I could order the trees from somewhere else. They told me I could only have an "in- house credit". I balked and was able to get a committment for a refund on the card I used. Weeks passed with no refund. Another phone call to Customer Service revealed that they can "take up to 30 days to process the refund". Well 30 days came and went. Today (November) I called them again about the fact that no refund had been issued to my card. They told me an "in-house" refund had finally been issued. WHAT?!?! They would have never told me this had I not followed through and called again. I do not want an in house refund. I actually do not want to do business here again. At this point, I am awaiting a promised refund to my credit card. I hope it comes before 2009.
My opinion is not to order from Wayside Gardens.
Since then, I found another on-line nursery and ordered 4 cryptomerias and 6 forsythias...they were very inexpensive and beautiful...have already been planted...And yet, I still cannot get my money back from Wayside Gardens. That's the plain truth.
On Oct 25, 2008, arcadiacove Maggie Valley, NC wrote:
I have had poor experiences with WAYSIDE GARDENS and have finally requested to be taken off their mailing list. My last order I cancelled after waiting for months for the order... and then finding that what "customer service" was telling me was not factual. I would most certainly avoid WAYSIDE GARDENS. There are many other reliable mail-order retailers.
After 25 years, I decided to order from Wayside Gardens again. I was allured by two Hosta that I wanted - Hosta plantaginea 'Venus' and 'Aphrodite'. Through a web search, I found that Wayside Gardens sold both of them. "What could have been more convenient?" That is where I went wrong! My package arrived today; I am disgusted. The 'Venus' which cost $19.95 was 75% rotten with two very small viable axillary buds. It was not worth my time to plant. The 'Aphrodite' which cost $12.95 was so small that I barely found it amoungst the tightly wadded wood shavings. The plant was actually two shreds of a plant comprising two miniscule crowns - both rotten.
I called the Customer Service number and complained and they promptly refunded my purchase price - but would not refund my $12.45 for shipping the dead plants. When I explained that I should not have to pay for shipping of items that I essentially did not receive - the agent said that it was not the policy of Wayside to refund shipping.
So the long and short of it - I paid $12.45 for two dead plants. I will never shop from Wayside Gardens. And that includes their affiliated companies such as Parks Seeds and Jackson & Perkins.
I have intentionally not read any of the other reviews yet, before I wrote this review.
I knew it was probably a shaky idea to order from such a catalog but I thought, what the heck, and ordered a few things that I didn't know if I could find at local stores.
They first charged my credit card immediately in full, and would not respond or tell me when the items were shipping. They have order checking on the website, which I tried and which they promised in an auto reply they would inform me in 24 hours of the status of the order. I did this three times and received no answer whatsoever.
I e-mailed them and they did answer in a few days, saying that this "years harvest was late".
Then they sent me two items, with 3 bulbs backordered. One plant was substituted without warning for another plant in which I have no interest. The plant rootball (the substitute plant) was smaller than the smallest plant you would buy from a local nursery, at twice the price! It is like a "plug".
The two things I received were VERY small, and along with the expensive above average shipping cost (the box weighed 1 lb) was a very poor value overall. I feel mostly ripoffed. Hopefully they will send the exact bulbs instead of substituting whatever they have extra on stock, but I don't trust them. I don't know if they refund. Don't order plants from this place. I have ordered from many places on the internet, and I've never had such shady service as Wayside.
On October 21st, 2008, noki added the following:
They sent me an answer to an e-mail.... apparently they do not refund you credit card, they may just issue credit, so you would have to make another order to claim a refund.
The living plant I got was pathetic and barely alive, sort of a "you gotta be kidding" type of reaction. Not worth the bother arguing with them over a few dollars, they would never refund the $20 in shipping anyway (also, I upgraded to Fed Ex 2 day when I ordered, they sent it USPS Priority a month later, substituting the shipper also?). I know now to never bother ordering from them again. On December 5th, 2008, noki added the following:
More than two months later and snow on the ground, they still had not shipped my bulbs so I complained again about this order and they actually refunded all my money.On Oct 20, 2008, Wayside Gardens responded with:
"
On Oct 24, 2008 1:56 PM, Wayside 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 am a 3rd generation Wayside customer who grew up with the Wayside catalog being treated as the gardening bible. Had many informative conversations with the Wayside customer service department in my younger years but since Parks took over EVERYTHING has changed. At first I excused them because of the transition but after so many disastrous orders and the increasing prices as the plants got smaller I have completely stopped ordering from any of the Parks family companies.
My mother and I truly miss what Wayside was.
