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On Nov 9, 2011, tanaquil Hendersonville, NC wrote:
Posted on November 8, 2011, updated November 9, 2011
Posted on November 8, 2011, updated November 8, 2011
I too am a very unhappy customer of DiMeo Farms. I found them on the internet and they looked great with all the videos etc. I was very impressed with everything I saw on their site. I especially liked the following descriptions directly from the website:
3 Year-Old BIG Bearing Blueberry Plants ($10.00) NOW ON SALE (5 plant minimum) these are the beautiful blueberry plants that most home growers buy. They are perfect for home growers. The average homeowner usually buys 10 plants. Many order more. Yes, they will fruit this summer. Yes, we have over 32 varieties available, more than anyone else. Scroll DOWN BELOW for more details. We will automatically give you a nice variety mix! AVAILABLE FOR MAIL ORDERS or PICK-UP ORDERS.
Ask about our "DiMeo All Season Variety Pack" to harvest fresh blueberries all summer long. Our family farm will sell you 10 blueberry plants that will harvest early, mid, and late in the growing season, giving you fresh blueberries throughout the entire summer season. This way you will grow the below (3) popular varieties for 90 days of fresh blueberries all summer long.
I called them to order my plants on Oct 13/2011 and was told I had to send a check along with a statement of what I wanted. I was given a price of $148.56 for ten plants including shipping. I received my order on 10/26/2011 and was very upset that nothing was labeled, so I had no idea what I received! I called to complain about this and find out what I was sent.
The man who answered refused to discuss any complaint – after informing me that the call was being recorded. He said I had to send my complaint in writing in an email and they would respond within 24 hours.
The answer I got the next day was totally condescending (We are mostly wholesale and your order was small so we do not label such small orders)!!! WHAT TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE!!! They go out of the way to hype the "DiMeo All Season Variety Pack" that consists of 10 plants and then call that such a SMALL ORDER. I am now being completely ignored in my attempts to find out what varieties I was shipped.
PLEASE DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THESE PEOPLE – They do not care about you at all once they get your money. On top of that they attack anyone who complains about them in this or any other forum. Save yourself the frustration and just buy from a local nursery where you know the people and can get some real customer service. I know they will not miss you (or your SMALL ORDERS) but believe me you will not miss them either.
Below you can see every email that was sent between myself and DiMeo Farms. I have removed my address and phone number for privach reasons. It will be interesting to see the response to this public complaint.
NOTE: You have to read the emails from BOTTOM TO TOP.
I know this is a very busy time of the season for you and maybe my email request of Oct 28 got lost in the confusion.
Could you kindly check my order of 10/14/2011 and let me know what varieties, and number of each, of Blueberry bushes you sent me.
Thank you for your consideration in this matter.
Bob Wright
==========================================
From: Bob & Margaret Wright
To: "dimeofarms@gmail.com"
Sent: Friday, October 28, 2011 5:53 PM
Subject: Re: Reply: to Robert Wright (order concerns)
Thank you for returning my email quickly. Since it is not your policy to label orders could you at least please review my order and tell me what three varieties you sent me so that I can identify them when they are ready next year. I should be able to tell which is which by the dates they are ready to pick.
Thank you
Bob Wright
=============================================
From: DiMeo Blueberry Farms
To: Bob & Margaret Wright
Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2011 6:12 PM
Subject: Reply: to Robert Wright (order concerns)
Dear Mr. Wright,
We are sorry to hear that you are not pleased with the fact that we function mostly as wholesale operation and do not label the plants for small orders like yours. However, we will consider doing so in the future at your recommendation. Thank you. Stay well.
Sent via BlueBerry by DiMeo
============================================
From: Bob & Margaret Wright
Date: Thu, 27 Oct 2011 06:00:25 -0700 (PDT)
To: dimeofarms@gmail.com
ReplyTo: Bob & Margaret Wright
Subject: Complaint
My order was just delivered on 10/26/2011.
I called this morning but the person who answered refused to discuss any problems with me.
Here is the letter I inclosed with my check on 10/14/2011
Inclosed is a check (#4464) for $148.56 for a 10 plant order of your 3 yr old Extended Harvest Season Variety Pack to include 3 early season, 4 mid season and 3 late season plants.
Thank you
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am upset that none of the plants were labeled.
How am I to determine if I got what I ordered?
How do I determine what varieties I received so I know what to order in the future?
I would like to plant the early season plants together, the mid season plants together and the late season together. How do I do that? It looks to me like I have to plant them without knowing, and wait till next season to tell the early from the mid season etc.
There was not even any invoice to tell me what I got.
This is the first time I have ever gotten anything from a nursery that was not marked.
I am also upset that when I called, the man who answered refused to discuss any problems with me. He said I had to send an email and I would be answered within 24 hours. In my opinion this is VERY POOR customer service. I can understand wanting things in writing but I can't understand the refusal to talk with a customer who has a complaint.
Sincerely;
Robert Wright
On November 8th, 2011, tanaquil added the following:
OOPS - somehow the address on my account is wrong - I am in HENDERSONVILLE, NC. SorryOn November 9th, 2011, tanaquil added the following:
I want to thank Dimeo Farms for all the great free advertising of our web site. The difference between their comments on us and our comments about them is that we have actually done business with them but they have never done business with us and have no idea of Handcrafted Jewelry quality. But it is nice that he mentioned us so many times. Why no "Google" us and come see for yourself what our jewelry is like.
By the way - yes they do state deep in the company policies that they must receive requests in writing for plants to be labeled - but how many people read all that "small print" - obviously I should have.
This just goes to show everyone how well this company accepts criticism. It didn't take them very long to answer this post but they refused to answer my polite requests for answers on what varieties they sent me. Notice that they have not addressed that complaint about them - they simply attacked me.
Forgot this one more thing. At no time, either on the phone before the sale, after the sale or in writing at any time did they tell me that requests for labeling must be in writing. On Nov 9, 2011, Dimeo Blueberry Farms responded with:
We also do not recommend Margaret & Bob Wright of [deleted] in Hendersonville, North Carolina. We do not recommend [deleted] as Robert Wright has not been honest in our dealings with him, as it states on our company policy, all customers must request varieties to be marked in advance of ordering if it’s a small order. He was told this but neglects to add this to “his side” of the attack story. [deleted]. Please do not do business with Robert Wright of [deleted] and call us first to discuss Mr. Wright’s character and his ways of doing business. We recommend that you buy from a local jeweler where you know the people and can get some better buys than buying from [deleted] on the Internet.
Editor’s Note: Our website policies prohibit member conduct that invades other members’ privacy, as well as actions that are harassing or intimidating. Accordingly, we have redacted the personally identifiable information originally included in this rebuttal."
Posted on October 27, 2011, updated October 27, 2011
My husband and I found DiMeo Blueberry Farm on the internet while researching blueberries and looking for places to purchase 3-year old plants.
We watched the videos and looked at all the information on their website.... which led us to believe DiMeo was a big operation. So when my husband called to place our order, we were very surprised to be told they do not take credit card payments and therefore can not take orders by phone. We were told to write down what we wanted and mail the note with a check.
We did so and waited for our blueberry bushes to arrive. They did package and ship quickly and they did arrive in decent condition (though they were crammed into a small box and the shipping charge was high - we paid much more than the $12 it cost DiMeo to ship that box). I was surprised they did not have more root base, but I have not seen other 3 year old plants so do not have anything to compare them to..... they could have a normal root base for all I know. I have not purchased any plants from other venders so I have no idea how the quality compares to others.
My complaint comes from the fact that in our order, we specified one each of 10 different varieties (we sent a specific list with our check). The plants all came together in one box and were not marked. So I have no idea what varieties they shipped and which plants are which variety. There was nothing in the box or on the plants to indicate what varieties they shipped to us.
We purposely chose to order 10 different varieties to see which plants would grow and produce better in our area and which blueberries we preferred (taste). Our plan is to purchase more blueberry plants in the varieties that we like from these ten and possibly start our own U-Pick blueberry farm in the near future. So it was rather important that we know what variety each plant is. Now we have no way of knowing what varieties we have .... DiMeo did not even include a packing slip listing what they shipped.
I wonder..... does DiMeo even know what variety or varieties they shipped to us?!!!
My husband has attempted to contact DiMeo and sent an email explaining why we are not happy with our order.
I will update with any response we receive.
NOTE: I am a REAL customer of DiMeo Blueberry Farm and I have no affiliation or personal interest in Dave's Garden. As a matter of fact, I just came across Dave's Garden website today for the first time and I haven't even taken time to look at the website. I found Dave's Garden by searching for "DiMeo and Better Business Bureau". I became curious about their business rating after receiving our plants and being unhappy with the shipment..... I should have done this before placing our order!
On October 27th, 2011, lauras67 added the following:
Update to DiMeo Blueberry Farm
Yes, my name is [deleted] and I am the wife of [deleted] and WE are real customers. My a/k/a name is [deleted], which happens to be my maiden name. I'm so glad that you were able to obtain that information from my IP address and if you would like to check again....yes, I am writing this post from a different IP address, but we are the same Mr. & Mrs. [deleted]. It certainly doesn't bother me that you disclosed our names.... we have nothing to hide and we are honest people.
I never said that not accepting credit card payments was a problem, I simply stated that it seemed odd for a business of your size.
When my husband called to place our order for 10 plants, he asked about available varieties and was instructed to mail a list of varieties with our check. He was not told that a 10 plant order was too small to request different varieties.
I do know for a fact that my husband enclosed a note that specified one each of the following varieties and listed each of them. If you do not ship small orders of ten plants that way or if you had any question about what we were requesting, you could have given us a courtesy call to clarify things before filling our order and shipping. Treating all your customers with courtesy would go a long way.
As to taking our business elsewhere.... we certainly will. We've done enough research now to know that there are many highly rated companies out there that sell high quality plants and provide excellent customer service and are happy to help growers get started.
Best of luck to you in your business.
NOTE: A lesson learned ...... I will be checking with the Better Business Bureau in the future BEFORE dealing with any mail order companies I am not familiar with. Dave's Garden is not the only place you will find complaints against DiMeo Blueberry Farm.On Oct 27, 2011, Dimeo Blueberry Farms responded with:
OUR COMPANY RESPONSE TO ABOVE POSTER: This person is the wife of [deleted] who is actually a real customer, her full name is [deleted] a/k/a [deleted] according to her IP address. Mrs. [deleted], if you or your husband did not like the fact that we currently do not accept credit card payments then you should have not placed the order in the first place. FIRST: We just checked your order card and it simply states 10 plants and that’s exactly what we sent. You even admitted in your post that all were in good shape and quickly shipped. SECOND: We never send 10 different varieties for such a small order of just 10. Let it be known to everyone out there that if you want 10 different types with only a 10 order, then we are not the company to order from; and you will need to go to one of our competitors. I’m happy to give them the business, lots of them sure need it. THIRD: We will save both you and Mr. [deleted] some time and update you here on DG. We sent you the 10 plants. We don’t include invoices for such small orders. We don’t label for small orders unless requested to do so in writing in advance. Lastly, if you or any other future DG posters actually think that we are going to work with you after you trash us on the internet – it’s never, ever going to happen. We give Dave’s Garden posters 0% control and influence over our fair business decisions. Respectfully Mrs. [deleted], if you were really serious about starting a PYO business then you would get on plane and invest the $250 plane ticket to fly out here and learn A to Z from the best; instead of playing a guessing game with a few mail order plants.
Editor’s Note: Our website policies prohibit member conduct that invades other members’ privacy, as well as actions that are harassing or intimidating. Accordingly, we have redacted the personally identifiable information originally included in this rebuttal."
My Name is Jeremy Bevans. I live in Columbia mo. I wish I had taken more time to investigate Dimeo farms before I purchased from them. I deeply regret waisting my money, time, and the energy buying these horribly sad blueberry plants then dealing with the worst customer service I have every had in my life. I ordered 7 three year old blueberry plants on 10/03/11. Had I taken the time to read all of the reviews I would have never ordered. They shipped all 7 plants in 1 box with these dimensions...length 24in width 12pm and hight 6in. All 7 plants were folded from root to tip and shoved in the box. I was terrified when I saw the box was from Dimeo and though at first that maybe the got my order wrong but nope...there they were 7 bent dying blueberry plants with litteratlly almost no root system in a box that could barely contain them. I paid $108.12 for them. 70 for the plants and 38.12 for shipping. The sad thing is they sent it ups for $17.45. I took pics as soon as I opened the box of the box and all the plants. I called Anthony and calmly started trying to explain what I got and He immediately cut me off and said he could tell where this was going and he didn't want to argue about it. I was shocked because my demeanor was polite and sincere. He told me he shipped thousands of plants like that and I just needed to get them in the ground like the instruction sheet said. I did just that. Most of the leaves were already yellow and brown and dry from the box. After planting them and watering as per instructions there has been no change. It's now 10/24/11 and only one plan has greenish leaves but they are all falling off. The other plants look dead but I will just hope and pray the they will live through the winter. I called back several days later to give him one more chance to make things right. He then directed me to his rediculas return policy where the customer is hit with the cost of overpriced shipping and other charges. Please read those policy's for yourself. They are outrageous and hidden in the websites privacy policy. All in all I am upset at myself for not reading enough of the massive amount of reviews and controversy surrounding Mr. Anthony Dimeo and his grandfathers farm. I will be posting my experience on YouTube and hope to spare other innocent, trusting customers. I am not a competing business and am planning on getting plants next year from home depot as I have had bad experiences with 2 mail order companies but at least the plants I got from the other company are still alive from 2 years ago. As for these I don't think they will make it. Email me at dallasjdb@aol.com if you don't believe I'm real as I'm sure Anthony will caim I'm not. I have been ripped off before but never ever treated as bad as by Anthony. The last thing he said to me after I said I was going to post my horrid experience from his company is that he does millions worth of business and no one will care or believe me because of the big companies he does business with and his other positive reviews on merchantcircle. In my opinion (because he likes to threaten to sue) he is a spoiled rich kid who never worked hard in his life and doesnt care about the little people like me who makes a measly 25thousand a year with a wife and 2 kids. 108 dollars is no small thing to us and I resent being treated like
I was. Buyer beware.
Jeremy Bevans
On Oct 24, 2011, Dimeo Blueberry Farms responded with:
OUR COMPANY RESPONSE TO ABOVE POSTER: Mr. Bevans is actually a real customer. The plant leaves are falling off because the plants are going dormant for the winter. Common sense. If he cut the plants back properly and followed the instructions, the plants would be just fine. Mr. Bevans called our company and was calm, but he then started to make direct Dave’s Garden threats. The very second he childishly threatened to post here on Dave’s Garden, I did cut him off and said for him to not waste my time with his threats, but to go ahead and post. BOTTOM LINE: What Mr. Bevans and other past, present and future posters will eventually realize is that we will NEVER, ever reward posters like him with any kind of replacement plants just because they threaten to post bad comments on Dave’s Garden. We do what’s right and what’s fair…not because we have to, but because we always want to do the right thing. Rewarding or giving in to posters like Mr. Bevans who think they can use the “Dave’s Garden threat” as a weapon is something that will never, ever happen on my watch. The inflated and unfair words of Mr. Bevans and others, intended to be “online weapons” of financial destruction are almost instantly trumped by years of repeat customers and constant referrals from across the US and around the world. "
On Oct 20, 2011, eastennessee Dandridge, TN wrote:
I just received my blueberry plant order from Dimeo yesterday, and as their planting suggestion paper stated, I planted them all this morning. I purchased 100 of their $1.95 sale plants. I have to say that I was not at all satisfied with at least 50% of what I received. After speaking with Mr. Dimeo on the phone before placing my order, I was expecting a lot more than I received. If your believe Dimeo you would think that the plants would at least have some roots. There were 25 plants that only had a callus ends with no roots; 25 more that had some roots, but consisted of an 8 inch twig. The other 50 I would classify as barely acceptable. When I spoke to Dimeo, he described the plants as rooted, 18" to 22" tall, super hardy varieties. I wish they were. I can only hope that my blueberry plants have as much atitude as Mr. Dimeo, in which case they will probably take over my garden and kill the rest of my plants. Needless to say, this will be the last time I purchase from this company.
On Oct 20, 2011, Dimeo Blueberry Farms responded with:
OUR COMPANY RESPONSE TO ABOVE POSTER: All the plants we sent out have nice root systems. The same exact plants we sell are the same plants that we use ourselves to pot up for retail, or to put directly in the field. You should take a ride up in the month of November and see the new fields we are planting with the same exact plants that we sold you. As for the attitude comment, I actually thought that was kind of funny -- thanks for the laugh."
Posted on October 15, 2010, updated October 10, 2011
Posted on June 5, 2010, updated October 15, 2010
HE THREATENED TO SUE ME WHEN I SAID I WOULD LEAVE A NEGATIVE COMMENT
In my opinion, this is the worst customer service I have ever experienced. I purchased 14 bushes from him via check (I have canceled check as proof, also proving that I‘m not another blueberry farmer trying to make him look bad like he claims). He does not take credit cards, so unfortunately I had no recourse through the credit card company. He told me in his email that he will send me "the nice ones". When I got them, which is just as described by a couple of reviewer's on Daves Garden, they were severely pruned (I called them blueberry sticks to my friends) and in a tiny dirtless rootball in a plastic bag with a gel like substance. They were all planted within the next day to third day of receiving using the directions accompanying the bushes. Two were for me, the rest were gifts for 6 friends (2 each). When I received them, the bushes were marked either B or D, indicating which variety they were (you need two different varieties for cross pollination). One of the varieties was much punier and unhealthier looking than the other. Of the punier looking variety, 6 of 7 of them have died in the approximate month since I got them. All 7 of the other variety are small but alive. Both varieties were planted near each other in every instance (for cross pollination) and used the same exact dirt mixture and the same planting method (I helped in 5 of them because they were gifts and showed the other two how to do it and they did the same thing). So it wasn’t the planting method, soil, watering, or location that caused them to fail, or the other variety should have died too. The one of the puny variety that did live was the one that was actually planted 3 days later, go figure.
I called Dimeo Farms and spoke to Anthony Dimeo, he immediately wanted to talk about his return policy. I had read on the paperwork that had come with the blueberries that he does not provide any warranty and once the berries leaves his location they are my responsibility. That was the first I knew of the policy, after the purchase was completed. Subsequently I have searched his internet site, and the return policy is buried on the page labeled Privacy Policy on the menu bar to the right. I have saved to my hard drive every page of the website to prove this should I need to. On the internet, the return policy differs a little in that you have 3 days to contact him, although you will end up still paying at least 25% of the replacement cost ($20 min) plus shipping, both to return the bushes and get your replacements. In my opinion, putting the policy on a page nobody will read looks like you are trying to hide something. Also it is a VERY strict policy that seems excessive and would not be needed if the majority of the plants lived.
I said I understand that is his policy, but in this case that there was nearly all of 1 variety died, I thought I should call. He reiterated his policy. I said Ok, well I called to give you the opportunity to provide customer service before I post a negative review. He immediately asked for my name and phone number, when I asked why he said it was to look up my file. The he said he was recording the conversation and stated his and my name and date and time of call. Then he said that I “threatened” him and that he would take legal action against me. When I asked what was the threat, he kept talking over me. He never would say what my threat was, but I repeated that my “threat” was to post my negative experience on line. He then threatened to call me every day and to sue me and said he doesn’t care if it costs $3500 and it gets dismissed he will do it. At this point I hadn’t even posted anything, what can he sue me for? He wouldn’t answer that either, but maintained he would and it wasn‘t the last I had heard from him. He said when someone threatens him he takes immediate and aggressive action. I felt like I was being intimidated and coerced to not post my truthful experience by being threatened with the cost and expense of a lawsuit that he didn’t even care if he won. In my opinion, if someone is that ready to record a conversation, states the parties, time, and date beforehand and uses words like that, then this is not the first time he has ever tried this. In fact I googled him and found a LOT of interesting information him and his PR company and reputation in Philadelphia (I recommend you do too if you are considering buying from him). And in his response post on daves garden, he also mentions legal action against those customers’ complaints. I’ve never been threatened with a lawsuit for just SAYING I was going to leave a negative post. I noticed another reviewer on google said he threatened to sue him too. BTW, if you are another customer and he is suing you, please contact me and I will be happy to give a depo.
But since I have proof of the dead bushes (photos and the bushes themselves), his website, his paperwork that came with the bushes, canceled check, and 6 witnesses (the others who received the bushes) and I know that truth is an absolute defense against libel, I am comfortable posting.
On October 15th, 2010, amymsoh added the following:
Two more of the plants have died, so out of the 14 I bought, only 4 survived. One of those still alive is one I kept (12 of them were gifts) and is barely any larger than when I got it, about 14" in height now and it was about 12" when I got it. I can share photos with anybody that wants them to prove they had never been decent sized in the first place. I ended up buying bushes from Lowe's to replace the ones that died for those who I had gotten them for gifts, and those are all doing much better than the Dimeo farms. I also can tell you that the Garden Watchdog people have told me that the owner has been caught posting fake positive reviews in the past, which were neutralized. They catch them by looking at the IP addresses, so he has clearly caught on to this and posted them from other addresses. If you want to do someone that posts their own fake reviews, sends poor product, does not accept accountability, and then threatens to sue you if you complain, then this is your guy. On October 10th, 2011, amymsoh added the following:
Still can't believe anybody buys from this guy. I am guessing it was because they couldn't find the reviews before they bought. With other vendors with good reviews, I don't see why anyone would bother. You might be one of the lucky ones to have an okay experience, but why gamble? I have tried numerous times to review him on Google Places but he keeps deleting his account and opening another one. The four plants that survived are all still alive, but no flowers or berries this year on any of them. Still very spindly looking compared to the replacement Lowe's bushes which did great. I bought two organic raspberry bushes last November from Backyard Berry in Indiana and what a great experience. The owner was so helpful and the bushes were large and hardy. A much much bigger box for just two of those bushes than the 14 I got from Dimeo. Those have fruited for the last couple months and are delish. I would definitely buy from them again. BTW, his threat that I hadn't heard the last of him and he would sue me was completely empty. I have not heard word one from him in the 18 months since I posted my review.
Anthony was rude everytime I talked to him. I ordered 8 plants in mid-May and was told they'd ship when my check was received. They cashed my check on May 15th, and as of September 6th I still have not received the plants. I was told they would produce fruit for me this year. I left 4 messages requesting the status of my order. I was told in August that they only ship in the fall. That is basic information I should have been told when I placed the order. I would have found an alternative locally. I DO NOT recommend doing business with them. They don't care about their customers. They hide behind a 'company policy' of all sales are final. Since when do customers have no rights? Dimeo Farms is a disgrace.
On Sep 6, 2011, Dimeo Blueberry Farms responded with:
We kindly advised you of the status of your order, but instead you continued to call 4 times to have us repeat ourselves again and again which was not necessary. We do care about our customers, and we don't hide behind a company policy, but yes our sales are final and that's a public fact. Common sense should also tell you that we did not ship the plants once the weather got hot because the plants would not ship well or transplant well, thus we held the order for a suitable shipping time; in the best interest of the customer as well as the plants. Thank you."
THIS IS NOT A FAMILY FARM! it is only run by Anthony DiMeo III, who is using his deceased grandfather in the logo design to make it look like it was the same farm as his grandfather had, as well as posting video of other farms to make it look like his own! Even as a friend of the family, I know his grandfather is probably rolling over in his grave knowing about all the harassment and abuse he causes his family and customers, giving the rest of the family a BAD NAME since he is calling it a "family farm". I noticed on here that he even signs something as "M. DiMeo"! Like I said, as a friend of the family, the only M. DiMeo I know is Mildred DiMeo (the grandmother) and the poor woman has Alzheimer's and is incapable of even using the Internet or a computer for that matter! He farms on land that isn't even in his name and REFUSES to leave or even pay rent for the farm and living!! No wonder he acts like he's a rich snob that doesn't have the time of day for anyone (multiple opinions). All in all, this matter is under close investigation.
Posted on August 8, 2011, updated August 8, 2011
Posted on May 10, 2011, updated August 8, 2011
Posted on April 16, 2011, updated May 10, 2011
I found Dimeo Farms after searching on the net, and like many of you watched their you tube videos. I ordered, and sent my check in the beginning of March with the understanding that my plants would ship at the end of the same month. The day i called, i spoke to a gentleman and he took at least 5 minutes of his time to talk to me about the plants. I ordered 13 blueberry bushes, 4 duke, 4 blue crop, 2 chandler, and 3 assorted heirloom varieties.
I called at the end of March since i had not heard anything from Dimeo fruit farms. They let me know that they received my check, and would be shipping very soon. We had some colder than usual weather the first week of April in the mid-atlantic so I was ok with them shipping a week or two later than expected. I received a phone call from them on Friday, April 8th letting me know they would be shipping my plants on the following Monday or Tuesday. I received them the following Thursday. I am not sure what more you could ask for, the company provided me with good communication.
The plants that came in were exactly what i expected. Think of the blueberries you see for sale at a place like Home Depot, that you regularly see for sale for $15. The ones from Dimeo were slightly taller, much greener, and most had a thicker stem. The Duke and Chandler varieties were the largest bushes (about 30-34" tall), with the thickest stem and branches compared to all the other varieties. The assorted heirlooms were the smallest (around 26"), and had a couple small sections of woody branches, which i will prune off after they have been in ground a bit. The rest of the bushes were 100% green and looked very healthy. I have heavy clay soil here in PA, so i amended my soil before hand, and planted with a mixture of 50% sphagnum peat and 50% organic soil. i then layered the top of my soil with a 3" mixture of pine needles, canadian peat moss, pine bark and organic soil. I am really looking forward to watching these guys grow.
Shipping is fairly costly, so if you live close, i would recommend picking the plants up to save yourself some money. Shipping comes out to roughly $4.00 per plant. The plants came with about a fist size of roots covered in some gel and wrapped in plastic. In comparison i just had 16 plants (including fig trees) shipped to me from another highly rated dave's garden farm, and the shipping only cost me $33.50, These plants were also shipped in 1/2 gallon containers.
I was not sure what to expect after reading all of the reviews here, but i was very satisfied with my experience here. I have tried to be thorough in my review to help any fellow gardeners who were on the fence concerning Dimeo fruit farms. I would most definitely order from Dimeo again, and was happy with my order.
On May 10th, 2011, Pitcom changed the rating from positive to neutral and added the following:
These plants have not taken to the uprooting and shipping at all. Most of the plants look like barren sticks. It is now almost mid-may and all of my non-Dimeo blueberry bushes are showcasing beautiful foliage, where as the largest leaf on the Dimeo plants are no larger than a dime. ALL of the leaf buds that were on the plants that i received turned brown, and there has been no leaf growth. the two Chandler's i got look like they will all but die, they do not have 1 leaf anywhere on them. The 3 heirloom plants i got, also have about 3 leaves each on them. Four of the plants t, went to a friend, who added these to his existing blueberry garden. They as well look like sticks with 6 leaves being the most on any 1 plant. I just bought beautiful 4 foot bushes from Happy Valley in NJ, for 15$ and next to the Dimeo plants they look like filet compared to chopped liver. My soil sports a ph of 4.7 and my pre-existing early season blueberry bushes have wonderful foliage and berries on them. In all fairness I am going to leave my review as Neutral and give the plants a full growing season to see how the turn out. Two of the plants had 4-6 flowers on them, which i pulled off in hopes to encourage root growth. I will cross my fingers and hope for the best.On August 8th, 2011, Pitcom changed the rating from neutral to negative and added the following:
These turned out to be a horrible investment. Of the 13 blueberry bushes we planted, 3 actually look like they may be worth keeping. Many of the tops of the twigs turned black with rot, and the leaves have all remained very small with no new growth. However, all of these twigs are being replaced this fall. For anyone considering spending money at Dimeo, do yourself a favor and go elsewhere. The videos, and hype about "premium" blueberry bushes, that Dimeo portrays in his videos is a complete and total scam. I tried to be positive with my reviews, especially in my first comment stating i was happy with the process. However, I would sooner tape a picture of a blueberry bush to a stick and plant that in my garden than one of these "not so premium" sticks that Dimeo sends out. Buyer beware, that is all i can say.
And by the way, I've seen 2 foot of growth from some of the other bushes I've purchased from other highly rated vendors here. and the bushes i purchased from HV. I'm so glad I did not place my entire blueberry purchase with Dimeo Farms. On August 8th, 2011, Pitcom added the following:
Here are pictures of the premium bushes i received from Dimeo.
Posted on May 11, 2011, updated August 8, 2011
I finally found the courage to send this review that I wrote last fall.
October 2010: Let me just say, I have no reason to write this other than to warn others what they may be in for when dealing with DiMeo Blueberry Farms, specifically the owner himself Anthony DiMeo. I have never met him and first heard of him when I searched online to purchase some blueberry bushes for my backyard – I am a mother of 4 kids and we love blueberries.
I sent an e-mail order to DiMeo Blueberry Farms in Sept 2010 for blueberry bushes and sent my check which was promptly cashed. Excited to begin planting, after 1 ½ weeks, I sent an e-mail asking when my plants would arrive. No answer. Two days later I decided to call to ask the same question. The man on the phone said, “I have 300 orders to go through, since we don’t do anything by computer, wait while I go through them.” Having no idea how long this would take, I asked if he would call me back, he said ‘No – just wait.” Several times when I tried to speak, he rudely cut me off with “Do you want me to help you or not!?” His tone was condescending and hostile so I asked if there was anyone else there I could speak with that could help me. He said, “I’m Anthony DiMeo the owner and I will NOT let you speak to anyone else!” He insisted I had an “issue”, and I was taking it out on him. Issue? Really? All I wanted to know was when my plants were being shipped. He then began quoting the number of minutes he had been on the phone with me (apparently this was taking too long for him.) Never once did I raise my voice to him – quite the opposite, I was fairly quiet, trying to wrap my mind around why he would be treating me so horribly.
Completely stunned that he was indeed the owner and could actually be THIS rude to customers, I became practically speechless. But when I tried to speak, he interrupted (never did listen to me) and insisted he was “trying to help me.” THREE separate times he reminded me how many minutes he had been on the phone with me. He also said the call was being recorded. Not sure why that mattered but it will be proof of the despicable manners of Mr. DiMeo. At this point, I was BEYOND SORRY I had even placed this order, and the only thing I could do think to do was to quietly ask for a refund.
He then began to quote his cancellation policy – no refund, period. (I now understand their “old-fashioned” way of doing business is actually that once they get your money, you’re at their mercy) Unbelievable. I sit here in disbelief that this farm could possibly still be in business after what I was put through on the phone. Finally, he said he would end the phone call since I didn’t want help. Well actually, I did want help, but I had endured quite enough of his verbal abuse and humiliation – all I wanted was to speak to someone who was kind and wouldn’t shout at me. I kept thinking of “Amanda”, who answered my initial e-mail – certainly she would be able to answer my question. But he would not have it. So, he hung up. All this in just about 5-6 minutes (oh believe me I know, he didn’t let me forget how many minutes of his day I was wasting!) Yes, in just 5 short minutes, Mr. DiMeo took me from an excited customer to one who would write this scathing review.
I went back and read the charming story of how the DiMeo farm was started years ago by a penniless hardworking man. This was part of the reason I chose to order from them – and also it’s proximity to my home. I can only assume this entrepreneur had a good reputation and a good name - Sad that this 4th generation “heir” will completely ruin it.
I truly regret ordering from them, and no matter what these plants look like, I’ll never do it again. I would gladly pay more to do business with a company that has some sense of common decency and respect for customers.
This one, clearly, does not.
Follow up May 2011: My plants did arrive a day after I called looking green and fine, but I noticed shipping was a mere $11 (they charged me $38 for s/h). I was disappointed that for my s/h charge, they didn't even label the plants.
On August 8th, 2011, sjr10 added the following:
Of the 10 plants I purchased 10 months ago, only 4 survived to produce green leaves this spring. Three had to be cut back and are barely 5 inches high now. Only one plant produced blueberries - a handful. The 5 dead ones were replaced with big bushy plants I bought at Lowes for half the price. So far, they are all doing quite well.
On Jul 24, 2011, Justsayinisall Northampton, PA wrote:
Posted on July 24, 2011, updated July 24, 2011
We are novice gardeners and wanted to get some blueberries. An internet search led us to DiMeo farms.
As novices, DiMeo's self-billing was appealing: helpful - answering questions, giving planting advice, helping select varieties of plants, etc. Their website seems aimed at home growers and small-time pick-your-owns, and makes a point of how they go the extra mile to "set you up" - they're not just going to throw a few plants at you and push you out the door.
Perfect - exactly what we need! We were looking to start with about 10 bushes.
I called DiMeo and spoke with (I think) Anthony. A few questions in, it became obvious that he didn't want to spend time on the phone with me. He sounded very busy/ rushed, and suggested we set up an appt. I was sympathetic: owning a small business ourselves, we know that customers often call and want to ask 100 questions at the worst possible time. Anthony told me that during our APPOINTMENT, he'd be glad to take all the time needed to answer our questions. I set up an appt for 1pm, Saturday, a week or so hence. We live 3 hours away from DiMeo and planned an overnight stay in a hotel.
We had record heat the day of (and days leading up to) our appt.
Around 12:30 (about 30 minutes before our appt.), DiMeo called and asked how far away we were. I told him we should be on time. He said, "oh, you're going to show up in the middle of my lunch. Is there any way we could make it 2pm?" We killed an hour so he could have lunch, calling a few minutes before 2pm to let him know we'd arrived. He told us he was a mile up the road and would be there shortly.
He arrived and yelled to us that we should follow him, so I did. Oops - with the car. We pulled around and followed him to a parking place, parked and got out. Oops - no, don't park there. We finally got to the plants with our car where he was waiting, seeming annoyed.
"Ok, pick which ones you want."
Again, knowing nothing, I started with questions: what variety are these, how do I tell a good plant, what am I supposed to be looking for, etc.?
"Customers pick. Pick what you want."
Ok, so I start picking what look to be the healthiest/ biggest plants. At some point it came up that there are early, mid, and late-season plants. We decided we'd get 2 of each. Again, he seemed annoyed that we'd have to move to a different spot, but it was close.
While loading up the plants, he commented that "I don't normally do this - I have people that do this, but they all quit because of the heat."
My wife thought we should get a few raspberries, too. He said - again making no attempt to conceal his annoyance/ impatience - "the raspberries are all the way over THERE." Ok, so after another round of "follow me. NO - with your car!," we wound up at the raspberries and loaded up a few more plants.
I started again with questions - how do you plant these? "Same as the blueberries - here, I'll give you instructions." He handed me a piece of paper with some printed instructions.
It was incredibly obvious that we weren't going to get much in the way of help, answers, advice, etc., so I asked him what we owed: $100. As I handed him the cash, he must have sensed my disappointment, saying, "I'm sorry. I'd love to stand here for a half-hour and answer all your questions, but as hot as it is, and for $100 - it's not worth it."
In a few minutes, we were heading out for our three hour drive home. We were probably at DiMeo Farm for about 15 to 20 minutes in total.
Maybe I'm being a bit judgmental, but here's a few thoughts for DiMeo:
1. don't blow off callers by promising they'll have your attention during an appt when they won't.
2. come up with a better excuse than "interrupting your lunch" when re-scheduling a 20-minute long appt 30 minutes before it's supposed to commence.
3. learn to give explicit instruction as to where you want people to enter/ go/ park etc. I know you do this every day and know your policies - we don't.
4. try to hide your disdain for your customers and how much they 'inconvenience' you.
5. never, NEVER, tell a paying customer "you're not worth it."
The plants look great and the $10/ per price seemed like a really good deal. We'd seen much smaller, less robust plants for more money in Pennsylvania. I don't know if it's DiMeo or just that Jersey has so many blueberry farms that over-supply drives the price down.
Would I go to DiMeo again? Nope. For a six hours in the car to save a few bucks on some plants, while getting none of the promised advice, answers, service...
...it's not worth it.
On July 24th, 2011, Justsayinisall added the following:
Wow!! I hadn't read this before posting my review:
"" HATERS: In addition, our farm now has 2 online-based "mail order" plant competitors (and so far just one local plant competitor) who have, and continue to set up fake Dave's Garden profiles on this website in an intentional and malicious attempt to try to smear us with fake customer horror stories so they can have a chance at getting the business instead of our farm and nursery.
FACT: When you drive or fly out to tour our our farm and nursery operation, within the first 90 seconds of your visit, you will know that 100% of the fake negatives below are totally and completely false. WE ONCE AGAIN INVITE YOU TO DRIVE (or fly out) TO PERSONALLY TOUR OUR IMPRESSIVE OPERATION AND SEE THE DIFFERENCE FOR YOURSELF ""
I just want to say that I am not a "fake."
...
and also, "the farmer dost protest too much, methinks." ;)
I called in late june asking if it is too late to order blueberries. The person that answered said "no we ship blueberry plants all summer long". I order blueberry plants and 2 weeks later had a call on my answering machine that said they will not ship plants until it is below 85degrees. I called up a week later and left a message. No return I called 4 days later and the person who answered was very rude and told me they decide when to send plants and no one else. I asked if Icould get my money back and he said no, we don't give money back!. Maybe in October when I get my berry plants I'll feel better about this but not now!!
BUYERS BEWARE!!! I am a real "dissatisfied" customer.......
Please do not purchase from this farm. There are other choices in New Jersey.. You don't really know how good someone’s service is until there is a problem. The people that post positive results are those that did not encounter any problems.. Read the comments and decide for yourself BEFORE you buy. This company has a great way of promoting themselves as the best, but do the research and you may choose differently.
Unfortunately I have to report a very bad experience with Dimeo Farms. My children decided to buy blueberry plants for me on Father’s Day. After reading the website of Dimeo Farms and their commitment to their customers success, my wife decided to have the children purchase the plants (you must buy 5) from Dimeo. The first phone call was unpleasant; however my daughter persisted and got the instructions about purchasing. My wife drove the children to Dimeo Farms on Thursday June 16th 2011. They picked out 5 blueberry bushes and brought them home. I received the plants on Father’s Day and was thrilled to finally have my own blueberry plants! We kept the plants in the pots they came in and kept them watered. Two of the plants died within the week. My wife called Dimeo Farms on Monday June 27th and explained the dilemma. Anthony DiMeo said "Ma’am you didn't water the plants". She explained that we have 5 plants and water them all the same. He repeated "ma’am you didn't water the plants". He then told her that he has a half a million plants, and do you know how many are dead? none..........HOW RUDE!!!!!!!!!! she asked him if he could replace the dead ones and he told her there are three signs on site that say no returns. My daughter looked up the website and the second choice in the search engine is "Dimeo Farms complaints" Coincident?? She read the feedback and realized we were having a lot of the same problems as others. So I decided to call them myself. I spoke directly with Anthony DiMeo III and explained that my wife spoke to him earlier and wanted to know if he could make good on the two dead plants. He told me he has signs outside that state the policy and he will read it to me. RUDE.. I told him that we read the web site and it gives the impression that this family farm is here to help us be successful and I wanted to give him the chance to make that true. I told him that there was no where I read about not standing behind what they sell. He said that the phone call is being recorded and that he is following all the company policies and that I needed to follow them too. He told me to go on the website and go to the tab on the right that says privacy policy and read him what it says.. I told him that he was being rude and not even giving me a chance to get a word in edgewise. He told me to SHUT UP and LISTEN.. I hung up and now I am trying to warn others. Email me and I can verify and show you the pictures.
On Jun 17, 2011, Gardengnome22 Litchfield, OH wrote:
When dealing with the Dimeo's, I would be very careful. We ordered 100 blueberry bushes and twenty raspberry plants. We sent the check in full and received sad little twigs with very little root systems, wrapped in peat stuck in baggies, and never got the raspberry bushes. The plants were less than satisfactory and When we called the farm to complain we were told that we only paid for the blueberry bushes and that the raspberries were never figured in! Worst of all are shipping and handling costs were around 500.00 dollars. They were delivered by are regular mail carrier in two boxes that were about 3x bigger than a shoe box, with the shipping posted directly on the box which was around 38.00 dollars each. By handling they probably meant handling the money, laughing and sticking it in their pocket. Really do the math a couple handfuls of medium five dollars, plastic baggies ten dollars getting ripped off by Dimeo Blueberry farms PRICELESS!!! Oh and we also went through the same belittlement on the phone and talked to like little kids who were being punished. I am not a competitor but just another unsatisfied customer. Also think about this why would a successful business have a lawyer on speed dial and threaten customers with sueing them if they made any noise about being unsatisfied hmmm? Probably because the complaints are real and justifiable. Oh yeah and when we called back and wanted to ask specific instructions on caring for our tender plants we were asked, did you get the care instructions? We replied yes but(then cut off do you know how to read?) You got to be kidding me what ever happened to good old customer service?
Posted on June 10, 2011, updated June 10, 2011
Please, please do your research before doing business with DiMeo Farms in Hammonton, New Jersey. The premium blueberry plants they advertise on their website and sold to me were nothing more than little plant slips averaging 4 to 9 inches. I could buy a few plants and make my own slips. The owner is very difficult to deal with and does not back their DiMeo Farm blueberry products. I did find this concept to be quite interesting. Once the plants leave DiMeo Farm they are your responsibility, even if they shipped them. No exceptions. (Refer to website).
Shipping is very, very, very high for what you get. I did not question the shipping at time of placing my order because it was for many plants. I thought I would be receiving actual premium blueberry plants, shipped bare root, rather than the worthless little slips that DiMeo Farms actually shipped to me.
The shipping for my order breaks down as follows: 20% was actual postage and 80% was for handling and materials that included 1 plastic bag and 1 brand new medium size cardboard box (probably a $2.00 value at most). Again, shipping is covered on the website and you will most likely need to express your concern in writing should you have one.
There was no customer service after the sale. (Refer to website). Read the fine print on their website before ordering because that is where you will be referred to by the owner himself because he will probably not talk to you after the sale other than to tell you that he is recording the phone call because you are behaving in a threatening manner. He will most likely request you to put your problem or concern in writing and again, yep, you guessed it, refer you to the website.
Ordering is easy, satisfaction is not. Do yourself a favor and buy from a company who values your business and treats you with respect while providing a quality product. You work too hard for your money to expect anything less.
I encourage you to read the "real" posts on this site and other sites as well regarding this company.
As with any business you are not familiar with, check them out on the Better Business Bureau website in the city/town where the business is located using their zip code. If you have a bad experience that you are unable to resolve amicably, do your part and report it to the Better Business Bureau so that others will be better informed. The offending business will only get to rebut one case at a time instead of receiving free advertising on other’s websites and forums.
Unresolved consumer complaints affect a business's over all Better Business Bureau rating. A business does not have to be a member of the BBB in order for a consumer to file a complaint. For the record, DiMeo Farms currently has a B rating. Personally, I find that amazing.
I suspect there will be a glowing DiMeo Farms review posted shortly.
Happy blueberry planting!
On June 10th, 2011, kittykooper added the following:
Please visit my home page where you can view actual photo of DiMeo Blueberry Farm premium blueberry plants.
SERIOUSLY!!!!!!!
Everytime a Negative goes up a "positive" response or should I say advertisement goes up within 24 hours. I see he's been busted again trying to manipulate the ratings. Oh yeah "I'm a real customer" email me and I'll show you pictures. Like Dimeo couldn't do that. That same statement was used in a earlier positive response.
To justify my negative I want to let people know he hides his return policy which penalizes the customer and his shipping charges are outragious. He sends bare root twigs without identification and his verbal threats are way out of line.
BUYER BEWARE!!!!!
There are many customer friendly farms out there who will back up their plants. Look for them under the index and check the number of reviews submitted by the reviewer. Also read some of their reviews to see if they are false. Like some of the 2 review positives that take the time to write a book about Dimeo and barely get a sentence out for the other review.
Bye
Posted on May 17, 2011, updated May 17, 2011
Posted on May 17, 2011, updated May 17, 2011
We purchased on 4/6/2011 5 Jaclyn red raspberry plants form DiMeo Farms. When we received them they looked to us as if they were blueberry bushes and even came with blueberry planting instructions. We called April 14th when we received them and expressed our concern. We were told that they were defiantly raspberry bushes. We planted them as if they were raspberry bushes and now they are blooming and the fruit is clearly blueberries. One May 16th we tried to call and get this resolved and whoever answered the phone told us we have to ship them back at our cost and they would send out the right ones according to DiMeo policy. And that it is only "fair" that I dig them up and send them back at my cost to get the correct plants. Nowhere does it say if DiMeo sends the wrong plants we have to eat the shipping to get the correct product. I have no issues with digging them up and returning them, but I didn't find it "fair" that I have to pay to ship them back. When I questioned the "fairness" of this matter and how I was trying to conduct a good business relationship, the person on the phone from Dimeo Farms (whom I am assuming in Anthony Dimeo III) became VERY RUDE and IRATE. He told me I could keep the blueberry bushes because he didn't like my "attitude" and he didn't want to do business with me. Sad thing is I wasn't the one with the attitude. On top of that the entire time I was speaking with him he kept asking me if I could "hear him" speaking to me as if I was 10 and being very rude and not treating me as a businessman who cared about his customers would. He questioned where I was at because he heard commotion in the back ground....as if he had a right to know that, but I told him I was at work. After getting irate about the "fairness" of the matter, he told me I needed to get back to work and I shouldn't have been calling him while I was working!!! I told him I was on my break....little does he know I run the RETAIL STORE!!!! I told him he had no right to tell me what to do in my personal life....he continued to tell me to get back to work. Later my husband tried to call him Mr. DiMeo just told him that our issue had to be put in writing and that all the calls were being recorded. My husband asked him several times (calmly) if he what he was saying was that he wouldn't speak to him about the issue. All Mr. DiMeo kept yelling was "you need to put your issue in writing." Then Mr. Dimeo hung up on my husband.....AWESOME CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!!! My husband called back to get his name and Mr. DiMeo answered and said "put it in writing" and hung up on him again. All my husband wanted was his name!!! We put our issue in writing and emailed them on their website and are awaiting a response that I am sure we will not get. (Also their website says that you can email them, but their preferred method of contact is by phone....hmmm really?!?!?!?)
Obviously Mr. DiMeo has a VERY ILL and SHORT TEMPER and has had issues like this happen before or else he wouldn't get so defensive when he is questioned about his business tactics. I do not recommend anyone purchasing ANYTHING from the DiMeo farm purely because of the unprofessional way they handle matters. Mr. Dimeo has VERY POOR customer service and social skills. Please spear yourselves the money and headache and purchase your products somewhere else. AVOID THIS SCAM ARTIST SO YOU TOO DON'T LOSE YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY!!!
On May 17th, 2011, StaceyMAYNE added the following:
I am sorry for the previous comment"Scam Artist" and retract my statement made about Mr. DiMeo, I was speaking out of the frustration of the situation. Please disregard this statement. Thank you.On May 17th, 2011, StaceyMAYNE added the following:
As it is only an opinion and not a "true" statement
On May 12, 2011, love_my_garden2 Andover, NJ wrote:
Negative doesn't even describe how bad my experience has been with this company. I am not one to leave reviews or bad mouth anyone, especially a family owned business in this economy! The farm itself may be a wonderful place, although I wouldn't support them after the way I was treated. The main reason I am providing this review is to inform others who are planning on having plants shipped to them and may have to deal with the owner himself! This was my experience from last spring, please be careful if you plan to order from this company!
Here is my complaint to the BBB (it is a shortened summary of what happened):
I received a quote via e-mail 4/13 for 5 Duke Blueberry Plants, 5 Bluecrop Blueberry Plants, 5 Organic Raspberry Plants. The total was $198.56, $150 plants, $10.50 tax, $38.06 shipping. I sent check on 4/15 cashed 4/20. 4/26 I received a box with 11 plants, 3 Duke, 3 Bluecrop and 5 Raspberry. The instruction sheet included listed the plants as exactly that, 4 plants were missing. I called and left a message. That evening I got a call from Anthony, who asked if I had planted the plants yet. I said we hadn't because some were missing. He said because I hadn't that I was in violation of our agreement. He went on about how he has spoken with a lawyer and because I hadn't planted them there wasn't anything he could do. After 15 minutes of arguing he finally said that he spoke to the woman who shipped them and that she sent the right amount. I offered to e-mail the sheet where it was written. He told me we could have an hour conference call the next day with the woman who shipped them, I agreed. When I e-mailed him the instruction sheet I told him that I was upset and that I would like to speak with someone else. I heard nothing on the 27th, the 28th I e-mailed asking for a resolution. He e-mailed the 29th and in summary said his shipping dept is good and that I was just trying to get some free plants, but to send him my address and he would make sure they were sent the next day (4/30). I sent my address and hoped that was the end. I waited a week and had not received them so I e-mailed on 5/7 asking for tracking or shipping info so I could take it up with the shipping company. Someone named Amanda responded and said the plants had been shipped and I should receive them any day, that they keep receipts of every package they ship. So I waited 5 more days and on 5/12 I e-mailed again asking for shipment info and to know the exact date they were shipped since they are a live product and if they were in a box for that long they were surely going to arrive dead. I have yet to hear back from anyone.
This was their response:
RECEIVE BUSINESS RESPONSE : Bottom line in this case is that the customer (my name) is not being honest, as there are two (2) people in our shipping department that can verify that the correct number of plants that were sent at the time her shipent went out.
It's both unfortunate and sad that even after all this time we have invested with "my name", she is still trying to get free plants from us, when in fact she was sent the proper amount of plants. If oral testimony needs to be given by our witnesses and records, then we will firmly stand behind such evidence.
BBB REVIEWS CONSUMER REBUTTAL TO BUSINESS RESPONSE (my response to bbb) : I have a copy of the instructions they sent which clearly state the exact number of each type of plant I received. I also have copies of the e-mails that were sent between us showing that from the beginning Anthony has dismissed my issues and went as far as to call me dishonest. I have asked repeatedly for some type of shipping info on the second shipment they supposedly sent and they have offered none. I don't understand how this case is closed when again they are getting away with calling me a liar and providing no substantial proof that they actually sent what I paid for. I have pictures of the box I received that I took the night I received the plants. I will gladly e-mail all of this to whoever is in charge of this complaint. My husband will gladly give an oral statement as well pertaining to what we received and how upset I was after the first phone conversation and the e-mails that followed.
RECEIVED BUSINESS' REBUTTAL RESPONSE (their response) : According to our detailed records and clear verbal statements from our staff members within our shipping department, the customer was in fact sent exactly what she paid for. We are NOT calling her a "liar" but have reason to believe that she is being dishonest in an effort to obtain free extra plants.
She provides us with no clear and convincing evidence that she was not sent the plants, when in fact we have the proof and witnesses, who can testify verbally to any BBB official who wishes to call us directly and arrange a conference call to discuss in further detail.
The customer did in fact "hold the plants" and did not plant them immediately upon receipt as per our written instructions. She admits in writing that she "hadn't" planted the plants yet and she was holding them instead.
Amanda has invested time with this customer and so have our other staff members. This customer has claimed that her husband will give oral statemenets, well so will our staff give oral statements of what exactly was shipped.
We request at this time that this case be once again closed. Thank you.
This was the e-mail that was sent where it was initially pointed out that I was being "dishonest":
"My name",
You are hearing back from us in a timely manner via. this e-mail communication. Out of all due respect, I do not mean to insult, but I highly doubt you were missing as many plants as you state. Our shipping department is very good and I think that you are just trying to get some free plants out of us.
However, kindly respond with your complete mailing address and number of replacement plant and I will see that they are sent out tomorrow (Friday)
Awaiting your prompt and detailed reply.
Thanks.
A. DiMeo
Of course the plants were never sent. I just can't believe that a family owned business would treat their customers in this way (ESPECIALLY the owner) and think that their business will continue to prosper. I do believe in Karma and I just feel very badly for the family members who have put their heart and soul into this business and actually did at one point in time care about the customers.
I was threatened with lawyers, calls being taped, etc similiar to complaints above (even though I did nothing wrong nor implied I was going to sue, etc). How or why another blueberry farm could or would make these things up (as inferred by company's rebuttals to these reviews) is beyond me.
Please just be careful, don't think "family business" equals "good business practices" like I did.
Sorry this is so LONG! In the end, only 1 of the plants survived total and I would never again buy from a company that ships with bare roots. I still have the picture of what the plants (aka sticks) looked like when they arrived (all 11 of them....). They look nothing like the pics on the website of what you're supposed to get. I didn't even complain about the crappy looking plants, I just wanted to get the number of crappy plants I paid for!
Posted on May 5, 2011, updated May 5, 2011
Very rude. No guarantee or insurance or your order. High hidden costs for shipping and handling. My plants weren't labelled. And the roots were not protected properly with sawdust or newpaper. All the root protection during shipment was plastice bags around the root held with a rubber bands. I am very unhappy with my order.
On May 5th, 2011, Newfarmer001 added the following:
The postman left my plant orders in the open sun, which didn't help. But I have ordered many times from companies online and my orders have been guaranteed. When I called Dimeo farms they didn't take any responsibility for it and the order wasn't insured. I felt I paid a high price for shipping and handling that it should have been insured.
On May 4, 2011, lukesteckel Sparks Glencoe, MD wrote:
I bought twenty plants last fall and the company said they would ship when they were ready to plant. they arrived way to early in the season and the week I put them in was 90+ degrees. Like required on their website, I emailed within the three days of reciept with my concern. Multiple emails were not returned. The plants burned despite constant attention, but i waited till now to see if the root structure saved them. 20 plants, 4 survived. When I called to explain, the rude man read off the website about no guarantee for live plants, blah, blah, blah. We run an organic farm and have never had a plant supplier not replace plants, no questions asked. We are not rookies at planting. We knew they were to early and this company won't honor that mistake on their part. Strongly do not recommend the bad practices of this company.
I had the same experience as others.Called this company to order 5 blueberry plants.The man who answered the phone was very rude.Told me to go to their website and find their address and send a check for $85.Said he didn't have time to give me information.Said he had 2 other callers on hold and that he recieved 80 calls a day.Then hung up.
This got me to thinking....their website says the plants were $10 each.So evidently the S&H is $35.So I sent an e-mail to them asking if that was correct....$35 for S&H.Recieved a reply saying that was correct.I i didn't like it I could order "sticks" from other companies.
I would rather order sticks than buy anything from this company.
I am writing this about 10 minutes after speaking with someone from Dimeo Farms on the phone. I have never, in my million years of dealing with small and large businesses been so insulted in my entire life...period.
I was looking to buy some blueberry trees so I called this company. When the gentleman picked up, the call quality was very bad as if he was using a cell phone and he was out of range. The call lasted no more than about 3 minutes and during this time he managed to remind me a few times that he was busy and he do not have much time. He asked me if I was on his website at the moment, I told him I was on my phone. He asked me to click on a certain link, but after 10 seconds or so he was getting a little upset that it was taking me so long. Feeling rushed I hung up with the information he gave me. Then, I remembered that one of the critical questions I meant to ask I forgot, so I called back and politely said, "I just called you". His answer was, "I knew it, the people with the least amount of purchases are the people that takes the most amount of time." Even from the first conversation I was trying to give this man the benefit of the doubt and was trying to convince myself that he wasnt being rude, but he was just busy. So, after he answered my question, I asked "what do you mean by the people with the least amount of order taking the most time." He said that he receives orders from wholesalers who spends $25,000 so he does not have time to spend on people with small orders. My jaw dropped, my knees sank because I have never heard this before from anyone who even wants to survive in a business. See, this is the reason why when some businesses gets wiped out by the next best thing, you shouldn't be too sorry, because when business is good some of these smaller businesses just abuse customers. I have never felt so insulted in my entire life. They sell to homeowners, yet they have no time for them because they are not buying $25,000 worth of plants. And with the two calls combined, it did not even take 3 minutes. I was ready to pull out my check and mail it to them for $78, but with that attitude I'd rather buy blueberrys at Stop and Shop at $10 per pound than buy anything from these people. After all, after I send my money to this place, could I reasonably expect to receive any kind of service if something went wrong? Don't worry Karma is waiting right around the corner. In a few years you may be begging for my $78....
On Apr 19, 2011, chilmarkgardener Chilmark, MA wrote:
Late summer to fall of 2010, I was looking for larger sized blueberry bushes to put in for instant production the following year. I happened to come across the DiMeo website, with all of its positive comments and hype about its "premium" blueberry bushes, and it's youtube link showing large bushes about 4-6 feet in height with good B&B rootballs loaded on a pallet that were going out for an order. I called the company, speaking to someone who identified himself as Anthony DiMeo, and told him I had seen that youtube video and wanted to order 16 of those larger bushes as shown in the video, not just their regular sized ones. He said it was no problem and they'd get the order out soon. When the plants showed up, I was surprised and disappointed. I was expecting either a pallet shipped with the plants on it, or large boxes with plants in them. Instead, all of the plants were in a box smaller than I would have expected one of them to be in. Their rootballs had been scoured of any soil (which destroys moisture absorbing roothairs) and were wrapped in plastic bags about the size of an average sandwich bag. The largest was barely over 4 feet tall, the shortest about 3'9". They were not at all what what represented in the youtube video. There were also only 15 plants though I had been billed for 16. I both called the company and also exchanged email letters to them. Without going into details, conversations with Mr. DiMeo went immediately downhill. Despite giving them numerous attempts to remedy the situation and trying to reconcile (my apologizing for my part in our unpleasant conversations), I was left with unsatisfactory bushes, but I figured I would wait until spring to see how they fared before making final judgement.
The Cape and Islands are home to many native blueberries and their relatives, as our environment is great for growing them; from the soil, to the temperature, etc. I also planted bushes I had obtained from a local garden center. Every one of the bushes from DiMeo is either dead or barely alive. I will gladly forward photos of their plants next to the regular run-of-the-mill plants I purchased at a local garden center so anyone interested can see what DiMeo's larger 'premium' plants are all about. Had I searched their website enough to find their replacement policy and read it through (it is buried under privacy policy) I would have seen all the red flags and never have ordered from them. I am an avid gardener, Cornell educated in Plant Sciences, and have had my gardens featured in Garden Conservancy Tours. Being and avid collector I have ordered many plants in my life from a multitude of nurseries, and the quality nurseries have always stood behind their products.
Also, all their comments about doing propagation the old fashioned way of cuttings not through laboratories and chemicals is quaint and folksy, but kind of alarming also. Tissue culture is merely the modern day version of cuttings. Hormones and nutrients are used in both techniques of propagation. Plants of the various cultivars (varieties) are genetically the same, whether from tissue culture or from cuttings. They are not genetically modified. Certainly, just as one would utilize modern technologies to improve their business (trucks not horses, internet and email not word-of-mouth and letters, telephones not smoke signals, it would seem that one would also embrace modern methods of propagation if they had been educated in them. But.... maybe not.
Bottom line is, my experience with DiMeo Blueberries says do not walk away... run... Your local garden center may have very nice blueberry bushes in stock, or may be able to order them for you.
Posted on February 25, 2011, updated March 14, 2011
Posted on May 24, 2010, updated February 25, 2011
I purchased 10 blueberry plants in april and was not at all satisfied with the delivery time, customer service, and most importantly the blueberry plants. I placed my order on the phone, and as with tiamickey i also inquired about how the plants would be shipped and if they were three year olds etc. In the midst of my questioning i was also cut off as if i was offending the man with my questions. It seemed a little odd that the person on the phone would treat its customers so rudely, but i was anxious to get my garden started since this is my second year gardening and the first year i didnt have great results since i started in the middle of summer in the scorching kansas heat, so i brushed it off and ordered the plants. The same thing happened to me as with tiamickey, the FAST SHIPPING and all those advertisements on the Dimeo website were false. This fast shipping took a month to complete and what upset me the most was the fact the man charged $40 for 10 plants. I questioned him when i was ordering about the price but he claimed the box to fit 10 3year old blueberry plants would cost that much. At the time it made sense because from the pictures of the three year old plants on their website i assumed to fit all those branches and leaves it would in fact take a fairly large sized box. When at last i recieved my 10 blueberrys, the box was no larger than 2 feet long and 1 foot wide with about 6 inches width. Fearing to see what was inside the box, i in fact saw 10 blueberry bushes, but it would be more safe to call them blueberry twigs. They had 2-3 inch root balls and were SEVERELY pruned. They had all been cut back to 2 feet high and only 1-2 main stems with almost no branches. I would not buy from this place again. The website is EXTREMELY misleading, exchanges and refunds are rare, you must pay with cash or check which is extremly dangerous, the plants are not healthy, and most of all the customer service is horrendous. During one of my follow up calls the man raised his voice to cut me off of my questions, talk about rude.
On February 24th, 2011, tz2012 added the following:
A REAL NOTE FROM THE FARMER:
The above posting is a falsified posting. These are other companies POSING AS CUSTOMERS in submitting falsified customer reviews and falsified feedback to attempt to make us look bad so they get the business instead.
The above mentioned falsified rating should NOT reflect upon our farm, because like the others, it’s a falsified posting, which we are working on now to deal with in a legal manner within the courts – of course this will take some time. However, we shall prevail.
These “Dave’s Garden users” are fakes. Just look at the fact that they only have “1 review” next to their screen name. Look also at when user “tz2012” signed up on May 24, 2010 and then posted a falsified review only seconds later.
---HOLD UP--- where does he get this idea that my review was completely made up by some unknown company trying to trash Dimeo Farms reputation? For your information the only reason i created an account here on daves garden was to SPREAD THE TRUTH about what happened during my experience with dimeo farms. How can you completely trash my review and call me a fake when you leave the positive reviews with a history of also 1 review total on daves garden alone? What about i switch our positions and claim you yourself are making these falsified positive reviews about yourself because of the trend of negative reviews you have gotten. From now on please dont reply to other people's negative reviews using the "some company is out to get me" scenario.On March 13th, 2011, tz2012 added the following:
U know... ive about had it with ur falsified replies to my criticisms, still claiming im some unknown online competitor and even claims to have tracked my ip saying its from bonner springs...load of bull. Surely YOU jest. Anyways, whatever new fallacy u can think up next in reply to this reply go right ahead. Its been a year since ive dealt with you guys and its time to turn my back from these shenanigans.On Mar 13, 2011, Dimeo Blueberry Farms responded with:
The above posting is a falsified posting. These are other companies POSING AS CUSTOMERS in submitting falsified customer reviews and falsified feedback to attempt to make us look bad so they get the business instead.
The above mentioned falsified rating should NOT reflect upon our farm, because like the others, it’s a falsified posting, which we are working on now to deal with in a legal manner within the courts – of course this will take some time. However, we shall prevail.
These “Dave’s Garden users” are fakes. Just look at the fact that they only have “1 review” next to their screen name. Look also at when user “tz2012” signed up on May 24, 2010 and then posted a falsified review only seconds later.
Posers like this are NOT REAL CUSTOMERS and are NOT REAL Dave’s Garden users, but rather evil persons who have an intentional and malicious agenda to try and bash our company with false stories in order to help their own plant business. It’s very sad that people can’t compete fairly but rather must resort to this kind of destructive intentional online behavior.
This above mentioned “customer from Kansas story is a big fake. The only thing this Kansas story is missing is Dorothy and Toto from the Wizard of OZ.
We fully intend to file a motion within the courts to compel Dave’s Garden to release the identifying ISP information of the person(s) behind these falsified smear campaigns. It is totally unacceptable and our family will not tolerate this kind of unprofessional and malicious behavior and abuse.
FROM THE FARMER - FOR THE RECORD:
1/ Our farm quickly processes all customer orders.
2/ We aim to deliver our plants and products as quickly as possible to our customers.
3/ Our customer service is “farmer-direct” which no other company has at the moment. We are the ONLY REAL FARMERS online selling these kind of specialty products to the public at a fair price.
4/ Our plants are quality plants. Come to the farm and see them. Call us now to book an appointment. We always welcome you to come and see the products in person before you buy.
5/ We DO NOT “cut off” anyone on the phone and we are NOT offended by any questions. We welcome all questions of any kind.
6/ Like most companies, we too have a policy, which is clearly posted online. It speaks for itself.
7/ Anytime a REAL customer has a complaint we are always willing to do a plant replacement exchange as per our policy. We try out best to make all customers happy.
Anyone reading this message is welcome to TAKE A RIDE OUT TO OUR FARM to see our quality plants and products. Many people from across the country come to our farm to pick-up product. FLY IN AT ANY AIRPORT in the region and we will send someone from our company to pick you up and tour the property before you buy.
We are confident in our product and thank you for your business!
On Feb 25, 2011 1:30 PM, Dimeo Blueberry Farms added:
OUR FAMILY FARM RESPONSE to FAKE KANSAS-BASED ONLINE COMPETITOR POSTER “tz2012”
Wow we must really be having a great impact on your online Internet-based plant business(es) for you guys to continue with this “desperate smear campaign.” I guess it does make you kinda mad when a family like ours with the high-volume of plants we have, suddenly offers direct sales to the public. Makes it hard to compete with us huh? Guess this is your only tactic to try to gain the online business. How sad – how very sad. How do you sleep at night? Seriously. If you wanted to SPREAD THE REAL TRUTH then buyers should know and keep in mind, the following:
1/ Fake poster “tz2012” writes: “where does he get this idea that my review was completely made up by some unknown company trying to trash reputation?”
OUR FARM REPLY:
It’s not just an idea. We were given your IP address as proof. Furthermore, as you obviously already know, there was never a “real experience” as you detail in your fake post. This fake poster “tz2012” posted from an IP address located in Bonner Spring, Kansas and not in Lawrence, Kansas. Now for those of you who have surfed around the web already know that one of our “online Internet based competitors” is based out of that area of Kansas. Our family is more than sure that the common sense people can see the REAL TRUTH and see that you (and others) are POSTING FAKE COMMENTS TO TRY AND CREATE FEAR so that you have more of a chance of getting the online Internet. Your tactics are not only unfair, unclean and unethical but they are pathetic.
2/ Fake poster “tz2012” writes: “For your information the only reason i created an account here on daves garden was to SPREAD THE TRUTH about what happened during my experience…”
OUR FARM REPLY:
Spread the truth? You surely jest. The only reason you (and a select few others) created a fake profile here on Dave’s Garden was to try to SPREAD FEAR and LIES in an unclean, unfair and DESPERATE EFFORT to try and get more of the online sales away from us. It’s more than obvious to not only our online buyers, but also the buyers who come here to our farm and laugh about it when they see how beautiful our plants are – then it become real obvious to them. Everyone finds out the truth eventually.
3/ Fake poster “tz2012” writes: “What about i switch our positions and claim you yourself are making these falsified positive reviews about yourself because of the trend of negative reviews you have gotten.”
OUR FARM REPLY:
If anyone doubts the positives here on Dave’s Garden, then they should contact the satisfied patrons directly who posted them. There is a feature on this board where you can D-Mail them through Dave’s Garden directly. Another option would be to visit our farm and nursery operation or have someone physically come out here to one of our farms or nurseries to inspect our products or operation.
In addition, BUYERS SHOULD KNOW that our family farm and nursery has THOUSANDS (1000's) OF PLANT CUSTOMERS EVERY YEAR from all around the world and LESS THAN .02% TOTAL COMPLAINTS. So for every one thousand (1000) orders we receive, we only get about 20 complaints and most of those result from some people not following our instructions; proper care is not given to the plants or a select number of people who think that if they go online here on Dave’s Garden and "bash us enough on this Dave's Garden website" then we will cave in and send them free plants without regard for our fair company policies -- which we will simply never do. Every company has a company policy and our policy speaks for itself. Furthermore, we have a couple online plant competitors (like yourself and others) who continue to set up fake Dave's Garden profiles on this website in a continued attempt to smear us so they can have a chance at getting the online business.
4/ Fake poster “tz2012” writes: “From now on please dont reply to other people's negative reviews using the "some company is out to get me" scenario.”
OUR FARM REPLY:
We never said just anyone was “out to get us” but rather it’s our online Internet-based plant competitors (like yourself and others) who are just trying to SPREAD FEAR AND LIES and try to get some of the Internet-based plant business back from us (not only because we are now getting the business) but also because you guys can’t do it in a legitimate fair way. For our online Internet-based plant competitors (like yourself) – it’s all about money. For our online plant competitors, it’s just about selling as many plants as possible. It’s about the fact that our farm and nurseries have such a high volume of plants that online plant competitors like you a select few others realize that they simply can’t compete with our family when it comes to our LOW PRICE and HIGHER QUALITY. Nor can our online Internet based plant competitors compete with us when it comes to OUR ACTUAL FARMING EXPERIENCE in this industry. Our online competitors are just out to sell as many plants as they possibly can on the internet, BUT OUR FAMILY IS NOT ONLY OUT TO SELL YOU THE BEST NATURALY GROWN “OLD-FASHIONED” PLANTS, but WE ARE OUT TO SELL YOU A PIECE OF OUR FAMILY HISTORY, OUR FAMILY LEGACY OF FARMING AND OUR TIME-TESTED FARM EXPERIENCE in raising the very best natural plants that are not only safe for your family, but also that will produce larger, sweeter berries from our “heavy bearing” plants.
Once again, our family urges all prospective buyers to get on a plane or get in your car and fly or drive out to personally inspect our online plant competitors so-called “plant operations” or farms or nurseries. Then fly or drive out to inspect our operations to compare and see the difference. It more than speaks for itself.
Response submitted by,
M.DiMeo responding on behalf of DBF
Editor’s Note: Our website policies prohibit member conduct that invades other members’ privacy, as well as actions that are harassing or intimidating. We do not disclose or share IP address or other personally identifiable information about our members."
Posted on March 7, 2011, updated March 8, 2011
Posted on February 18, 2011, updated March 7, 2011
So far so good. I am a real customer located in Northern California. I recently mailed my check for 50 1.5 year-old Dukes. I don't expect them until the first week of March, however I thought I'd leave comments here as my experience with DiMeo unfolds.
Truth be told: Shipping date is not a mystery at DiMeo. We discussed shipping timeframe...we'll see if they arrive during that timeframe.
I called, left a message and my call was promptly returned. A deal was struck for 50 plants. I'm not an experienced blueberry grower, however I have a green thumb and great soil. I can make anything grow. I don't expect giant bushy plants because the deal we made was for 1.5 year-olds. Hopefully they are a little more than a twig in a plastic bag, but I'm not expecting a big bushy plant either. Also, it's not the season for blueberry bushes to have leaves.
Truth be told: Customers must be realistic about seasons and what a plant might look like or what a plant may be able to tolerate during a given season.
I will post another review when my plants arrive and several months after they are planted, just wanted to try something different by posting my experience as it unfolds.
I'm very excited about my investment in 50 plants (and it was quite an investment for a home grower). Hopefully me and my family will have ourselves a healthy blueberry crop in a couple of years.
So far I'm happy with the service. Anthony has been attentive and friendly, yet not overly pushy. If I'm happy with the product I will buy 50 more plants of a different variety from DiMeo next February.
On March 7th, 2011, HRRanch changed the rating from positive to negative and added the following:
Short version:
Be careful! Anthony DiMeo is a ticking timebomb who can't control his temper and who is overly paranoid about something. What? I don't know. I never got a chance to see how nice the bushes are, however a nice bush could never make up for the disrespectful way in which he treats some of his customers.
Long Version:
I began this post after I decided to purchase 50 blueberry plants from DiMeo Farms and began reading the disparate reviews on this site. DiMeo reviews are either extremely positive or extremely negative, which is odd. I decided to write a continuing review as my experience unfolded. Unfortunately, it did just that--unfolded.
After reading every last word on DiMeo's site and watching several of the youtube videos, I called and left a message.
Anthony DiMeo Called back and we spoke briefly. I wanted to purchase at least 50 plants but preferred more, however the next day shipping was heavily encouraged and was extremely expensive so I chose to purchase 50, 1.5 year old plants. I had a $500 budget.
Anthony called me about a week later to say he hadn't recieved my check yet. I was instructed to enclose a sheet of paper with my shipping address and desired shipping date on it. We had previously agreed that the berries would be next day shipped during the first or second week of March.
He didn't recieve my check because I didn't send it yet. I quickly wrote out the check and mailed it on February 14 along with shipping instructions.
I called on February 21 to see if the check had arrived. I spoke with Anthony DiMeo again. He assured me that if they had recieved a check that it would be noted on my order form and that hadn't happened yet, so, no, they hadn't recieved my check.
I called on March 1 to check again. I was anxious to get my plants and was preparing holes and fencing at home, wondering the actual ship date during the first or second week in March. I left a message.
Anthony called me back and was clearly agetated by my inquiry. I asked if they had found my check. He said no and very aggressively kept interrupting me and stating that he would dedicate his staff member Amanda's entire afternoon to locating my check. He aggressively began asking me what I wanted him to do. Thinking this was a problem that he, the merchant, should offer a solution to, I responded by saying, "I don't know."
I offered to cancel my check and mail another one and he offered to pay the check cancelation fee. At the time I told him that my bank didn't have a cancelation fee. He kept repeating himself saying he would dedicate Amanda's afternoon to finding the check, quoting her rate of pay adding it up and making me feel guilty for the hassle. He then said that the cost would likely be less if I canceled the check and mailed a new one....then, my phone battery began to die. Beeping at me while I was talking with him. I warned that my battery could possibly die during our conversation. Moments later my phone died.
When I returned to my phone (which was on a charger in my car all afternoon while I was inside of my office) I noticed I had several missed calls from his number.
HERE's WHERE IT GETS SCARY!!!
This man left 10 insane messages on my voicemail accusing me of lying about my phone battery dying and now stating that he was recording the calls for quality assurance and even changing it up at about message 9 to "this call is being recorded for accuracy."
I have the recordings saved on my voicemail. I'm happy he has them recorded as well. Perhaps he should listen tothem to identify the problems with his customer service.
He accused me of setting him up and lying and being uncourteous. For Christ sake, I was the one who sent a $500 check in the mail that was apparently lost, shouldn't I have been the one who was upset? He also accused me of never sending a check at all (which I have proof that I canceled the check from my bank).
I did not return his call when I returned to my phone because I was intimidated by his very aggressive demenor and taken back by his accusations implying my dealings with his farm were malicious. So, I sent him an email stating simply that I had canceled my check and also canceled my order. I thanked him for his time that he was so intent on making me feel guilty about in the voicemails and clicked send.
I got several inflammatory and accusing emails back. The same accusations will likely follow this post since that seems to be his typical response to negative feedback.
I responded three times stating that I no longer wish to do business with DiMeo Farms and for him to not contact me by phone or email. I had to say that three times before he stopped.
He may have great blueberries, something I will never know, but his customer service is borderline harrassment and flat out unacceptable.
I will NEVER recommend anyone do business with Anthony DiMeo.On March 8th, 2011, HRRanch added the following:
I have all of the voicemails saved. There are 9!
10:06am, 10:15am, 10:20am, 10:26am, 11:39am, 11:56am, 12:33pm, 1:59pm, 3:10pm (all PST)
When someone leaves 9 messages on your phone, each over 1-2 minutes long accusing you of conspiring against them, they are not trying to make you happy, they are harrassing you.
Anthony--a simple apology for your overreaction would go along way, instead of more false accusations.On Mar 8, 2011, Dimeo Blueberry Farms responded with:
OUR FARM RESPONSE to “HRRanch” is that this woman may be real. She may not be. We are not certain. What we do know is that for over 3 weeks she claimed she mailed us a check which we never received. Two of our staff members literally dedicated an entire afternoon searching for this nonexistent check. Unfortunately there has been no appreciation for our time or sincere efforts. We even offered to pay for a stop payment fee at our cost. No matter how hard we tried to help her, nothing would make her happy. In return she hung up on us and then claimed her cell phone battery died. She then ignored our many calls (not 10, more like 4) in which we gave her status updates on our search. We will not respond to her totally inflated story and constant personal attacks which have nothing to do with the nonexistent check, our plants or the farm. Our real customers know that we always try out best. Some people you just can’t help no matter how hard you try – this person was one of them."
Posted on March 5, 2011, updated March 6, 2011
Posted on March 5, 2011, updated March 5, 2011
called several times to make an appointment .appointment three days later , and i show up twenty minutes early and called like instructions said . i waited till two minutes of ten, and so i left i was treated like he was doing me a favor by selling blueberry bushes to me . so i contacted grovers blueberries and they were 25 dollars cheeper with no attitude and you can pay with paypal and shipped to house.a total waste of time gas and money
On March 5th, 2011, sicktime added the following:
dimeo, you were not busy you were just walking around with your clip board like you were lost or something. i think its because you stand in the field when they are crop dusting! no other trucks on site! the worse so called nursey experience i had ever had to date. ps the grover brothers are coming over so you can count there teeth GOOD LUCK On March 6th, 2011, sicktime added the following:
i am glad you have copies of all video and audio,now i can prove all your lies.please send copies to me of video and audio. BECAUSE YOU ARE NOW LIABLE! LIE#1 page two of your directions. our dirt driveway that says customer entrance,which is only a farm dirt rd that leads back to the blueberry plants,blueberry bushes and blueberry nursery. please use farm dirt rd only. thats where i was parked and there were no trucks in front of me or behind me. lie#2 nasty ways of doing business. i would like to see video or audio of this. lie#3 swamped with customers. i would like to see this when i was there. lie#4 baby fit ? i would like to hear this or see this. lie#5 back out of driveway like a manic. i would also like to see this. threat #1 teach me a lesson. this is my last post. On Mar 6, 2011, Dimeo Blueberry Farms responded with:
This guy’s name is [deleted] of Monroeville, New Jersey. Before doing busines with [deleted] of [deleted] in Monroeville, New Jersey give us a call first (609) 561-5905 and we will share our experience with this man and his nasty ways of doing business. Mr. [deleted] scheduled an appointment with us for 10:00am this morning. Mr. [deleted] shows up 20 mins early (as he admitted in writing) at 9:40am and of course we we swamped with customers at the time and were loading other customers who had earlier pre-schedule appointments. [deleted] threw a huge baby fit because we couldn’t wait on him until his scheduled time at 10:00. So he backed out of our yard like a maniac and left. We would have been doing him a favor because our plants are the biggest and the best for the price. Instead Mr. [deleted] chose to order plants online from some “back woods guy” with a limited amount of teeth in his mouth, who will sell him small plants half the size, and pay for PayPal fees and such. Mr. [deleted] of Monroeville is indeed a cry baby who needs to start acting like a real man and wait his turn which would have been at 10:00am. Instead he acts like a little girl and runs on the computer to trash us here on Dave's Garden when we did nothing wrong, except be busy. FYI to Mr. [deleted] -- there is a reason we are busy - people know we are the best at what. Please call our farm office before doing business with Mr. [deleted] of Monroeville, New Jersey and we will give you our experience with him.
On Mar 5, 2011 9:54 PM, Dimeo Blueberry Farms added:
Mr. [deleted], you just made a very big mistake by posting that lie in writing. Like most companies today, not only are all of our phone lines recorded for quality assurance, Mr. [deleted] but our farm-nursery security system has over five (5) day & night cameras, Mr. [deleted], and it will clearly, and without question, show that YOU JUST LIED IN WRITING since we were in the middle of loading a large white 24' box truck in front of the roadside stand while you were waiting at 9:46am on the farm dirt driveway for your 10:00am appoingment. We have the video on our computer hard-drive and just checked it. We can easily pull your licence plate number from our cameras as well as video freeze-frame shots to prove we were loading the 24' white box truck while you were waiting. YOU JUST LIED IN WRITING when you said "no other trucks on site" and in legal terms that's called "libel" Mr. [deleted]. Be sure to check your mailbox in the next few weeks. We are about teach you and select few others a very hard costly legal lesson. We are going to hold you 100% responsible for the libel you just posted.
Editor’s Note: Our website policies prohibit member conduct that invades other members’ privacy, as well as actions that are harassing or intimidating. Accordingly, we have redacted the personally identifiable information originally included in this rebuttal.
"
Last summer I decided to buy from Dimeo's farm. I'll admit it probably wasn't the best decision to plant in the summer, but it was for my birthday and I was going to be in the area anyway so I figured I'd pick up some plants. I emailed to ask if they had the blueberry varieties I was interested in, and they said that they did. I also was getting a beach plum and cranberry plant. I then sent another email asking if it would be a wise decision to pick up my plants because the weather report was calling for a very hot day, and I had a long trip back home. They said it would be wise, because their plants would be in 3 gallon containers. When I got to the farm, I picked out my blueberries, though it turned out they didn't actually have one of the varieties that they told me they had. The beach plum was a bare root, and was given to me with some gel in a plastic bag. I planted it once I got home, and it didn't make it. I emailed them to ask if they think it had a chance, and they told me that generally people pick up plants in the fall and spring, exactly what I should have been told when I asked if I should wait to plant in the first place. A bit of poor planning on my part, I'll admit, but they could have told me the truth about the varieties, the containers that they'd be in, and if I actually should have picked them up.
On Mar 4, 2011, Dimeo Blueberry Farms responded with:
This may sound strange, but we are excited by this post because it’s actually a legitimate real customer and not one of our usual online Internet competitors who love to “mask themselves” and who create fake posts here on Dave’s Garden to try to get some of the plant business from us. Anyway, we thank the customer poster “mrb254” for admitting that it wasn’t the best decision to plant in the summer, because it’s not a good idea to plant in the mid of summer high heat. However, countless numbers of people from all over the country do in fact take a ride out to our farm (most stop down and visit Atlantic City on the way here or back home) and they buy potted plants in the summer, since they can be kept in the pots until the weather cools down. We invite customer poster “mrb254” to come by our farm again this year for his/her birthday and we will gladly give a free plant replacement for the beach plum tree. No problem. As for the berry varieties, our inventory changes almost every single day so it’s always best to call and verify first before you come to the farm, and tell us to hold them and tag them for you. As we said in our email that the poster mentioned, people generally do pick up plants in the spring or fall, but many also pick-up plants in the summer as well. Just make sure they are potted or packaged well and then properly held for a cool day of safe planting.
Call us anytime to arrange a pick-up appointment and WE WILL GLADLY GIVE YOU A FREE REPLACMENT beach plum tree.
Awaiting your call.
Thank you – A.DiMeo on behalf of DBF
Posted on February 14, 2011, updated March 3, 2011
Posted on February 10, 2011, updated February 14, 2011
Posted on February 10, 2011, updated February 10, 2011
I never got to the point of buying blueberry plants from dimeo blueberry farms. I was looking up vendors who sell specific varieties of southern highbush blueberries and dimeo blueberry farms was listed on many of them so I sent an email. All I got was "please call to discuss" but never an answer. I did get an answer about shipping and the total for a minimum of 5 plants (which wasn't stated on website) Next day shipping was my only option and thats expensive! If you pack blueberry plants correctly with some soil they can survIve a 3-5 day fedex/ups trip across the country very well. I asked again if they had southern highbush (low-chill) varieties and how old....all I got was "please call to discuss". I finally asked why cant you answer my question and I never received a reply. Is there a reason you can not answer my question? Surely, a big blueberry operation like yours should at least know about southern highbush blueberries and its different varieties. Its hard to trust the positive reviews because dimeo farms has been caught posing as a customer. The negative reviews and what Ive read on the dimeo website gives me the feeling of a slick car salesman. Ive seen his constant selling barage (like on his website) on internet gardening forums and article comment sections. Why doesnt Dimeo farms accept credit cards like every other gardening, farming operation (no matter what size) that uses the internet?? If you can promote yourself on the internet there is no reason why you can not accept credit cards. There is no protection for the consumer. No, Im not some competitor but just a family man in southern california who likes growing blueberries.
On February 10th, 2011, bnkenobi added the following:
Follow-up: Have you ever heard of PAYPAL??On February 14th, 2011, bnkenobi added the following:
1/This Dave’s Garden poser hater poster actually picked a good screen name for himself “Ben Kenobi” because this guy’s statements and his “hater attack story” are just about as fictional and as far out in space as the as the Star Wars movie itself.
MY REPLY: This was funny and my username has nothing to do with my review. Excellent introductory ploy to discredit my review. Good one, I commend you on this one! I got a huge laugh so I dont need to go there.
2/Ok, so he just admitted in writing that he never in fact even purchased any plants from our company in the first place. Yet poster “bnkenobi” takes the time to stop his day to come online, go through the sign-up registration process on this website, Dave’s Garden (because he was never registered before and just literally created a membership on the site) and then goes on to type up this so-called story bashing our company? Interesting. It’s also interesting that when “bnkenobi” screen name is signed on the “ryancares” screen name is offline, and then when “ryancares” goes online the “bnkenobi” goes off line. I think everyone can read between the lines. They think that they have everyone fooled.
MY REPLY: This was the most hiliarious! No other comment besides one word......."Paranoia"
3/Yes, at the present time our minimum order is 5 plants. It’s not only stated on our website but it’s being stated once again here and now. If a prospective customer wants less plants, then they always have the option of finding a friend or family member to “split the order with” and then when they receive the plants they can give 2 or 3 plants to the friend or family member. Simple as that.
MY REPLY: Im glad you put that on your website now as that wasn't there before.
4/Buy making this false statement you are trying to make it sound as if we force all people to go with next day air shipping and that’s simply NOT TRUE. For certain states in certain parts of the country we sometimes RECOMMMEND next day air shipping, but of course if the customer wants to go with just regular priority shipping then that’s not a problem. In the end, it’s always the customer who decides on the method of shipping, not our farm or nursery. Your statement was no mistake in that you are just trying to scare prospective customers. Of course once again, everyone can see that I’m sure – it’s obvious.
MY REPLY: Quote from customer service, "Plus because of your location we have to ship next day air which makes it cost more than normal." Who is lying?
5/ With all due respect to this hater poster, and others, our family has been farming, growing plants, raising plants and shipping plants across the country for over 100 years now. The plants that my family raised and sold over the years are responsible for starting and supplying most of the farms in this country, so I think that by now we know the right way and the best way to ship plants without the advice of someone who is not a even a part of our industry.
MY REPLY: Do you have ESP? Yes, 100 years..how dare I even make that comment!! Still don't know about southern highbush blueberries??
6/Did the hater poster “bnkenobi” just call himself a FAMILY man? We respectfully disagree. Let us tell you what a family man is in our opinion. A real man, let alone a real “family man” does NOT go online like you just did on this Dave’s Garden website to maliciously create a frivolous negative post about our family farm and nursery and try with malicious intent to try and smear and bash our business. A REAL FAMILY MAN would never do such a thing. A REAL FAMILY MAN leads by example and teaches his family and children to always work hard and do the right thing and to have RESPECT and doing what’s right and fair. Your malicious actions here on this website are not right or fair. They are evil and nasty.
MY REPLY: You did an excellent job leading by example from all your comments. Thank you.
.On March 3rd, 2011, bnkenobi added the following:
FINAL THOUGHTS: Yes, I did take the time to make my original comments just like YOU TOOK “EVEN MORE TIME” to come to this website with LOTS of REPLIES that YOU MADE UP IN YOUR HEAD. Just because someone speaks more or writes more does not mean its worth anything. This person is “PARANOID” and thinks I am really “ryan cares”. Please try and prove this to me…I dare you! NO, wait a minute you will try and find my ISP address and claim Im one of your competitors.
Are you going to cry and run to your lawyer? I have never dealt with anyone in the blueberry industry who has such thin skin, is paranoid and has a bigger ego than the state of New Jersey.
On Mar 3, 2011, Dimeo Blueberry Farms responded with:
This Dave’s Garden poser hater poster actually picked a good screen name for himself “Ben Kenobi” because this guy’s statements and his “hater attack story” are just about as fictional and as far out in space as the as the Star Wars movie itself. Let’s revisit each of his statements:
1/ Hater poster “bnkenobi” wrote: “I never got to the point of buying plants…”
OUR FARM REPLY: Ok, so he just admitted in writing that he never in fact even purchased any plants from our company in the first place. Yet poster “bnkenobi” takes the time to stop his day to come online, go through the sign-up registration process on this website, Dave’s Garden (because he was never registered before and just literally created a membership on the site) and then goes on to type up this so-called story bashing our company? Interesting. It’s also interesting that when “bnkenobi” screen name is signed on the “ryancares” screen name is offline, and then when “ryancares” goes online the “bnkenobi” goes off line. I think everyone can read between the lines. They think that they have everyone fooled.
2/ Our farm and nursery receives hundreds of e-mails every single month. Probably more than any others, and it’s our preference to speak via telephone without writing 10 emails back and forth over the course of days with one single person just to get a few questions answered. It makes more sense just to get the customer on the phone and answer all the questions and then move forward. We tell most people to “please call to discuss.” Nothing wrong with that at all.
3/ Hater poster “BnKenobi” wrote: “…minimum of 5 plants (which wasn’t stated on website)”
OUR FARM REPLY: Yes, at the present time our minimum order is 5 plants. It’s not only stated on our website but it’s being stated once again here and now. If a prospective customer wants less plants, then they always have the option of finding a friend or family member to “split the order with” and then when they receive the plants they can give 2 or 3 plants to the friend or family member. Simple as that.
4/ Hater poster “BnKenobi” wrote: “Next day shipping was my only option and thats expensive!”
OUR FARM REPLY: Buy making this false statement you are trying to make it sound as if we force all people to go with next day air shipping and that’s simply NOT TRUE. For certain states in certain parts of the country we sometimes RECOMMMEND next day air shipping, but of course if the customer wants to go with just regular priority shipping then that’s not a problem. In the end, it’s always the customer who decides on the method of shipping, not our farm or nursery. Your statement was no mistake in that you are just trying to scare prospective customers. Of course once again, everyone can see that I’m sure – it’s obvious.
5/ Hater poster “BnKenobi” wrote: “If you pack …plants correctly with some soil they can survive a 3-5 day fedex/ups trip across the country very well.”
OUR FARM REPLY: With all due respect to this hater poster, and others, our family has been farming, growing plants, raising plants and shipping plants across the country for over 100 years now. The plants that my family raised and sold over the years are responsible for starting and supplying most of the farms in this country, so I think that by now we know the right way and the best way to ship plants without the advice of someone who is not a even a part of our industry.
6/ Hater poster “BnKenobi” wrote: “Its hard to trust the positive ….because (our farm) has been caught posing as a customer. The negative reviews and what Ive read on the website gives me the feeling of a slick car salesman.”
OUR FARM REPLY: This is totally untrue. The fake negative posters think that they have everyone fooled, but we truly believe that people can see through this nonsense tactic and see the real motive of such posters. The positive ones posted on this site are in fact from real customers. We encourage people to D-mail them (mail directly through Dave’s Garden) to ask them to verify the posts as accurate and correct. As a matter of fact, upon request by any prospective customer we shall produce and provide a list of phone numbers of satisfied customers who can be contacted directly for verification, not only their posts, but also our high quality plants and current products with the existing happy customers.
In reference to the remark about our website being like a “slick car salesman” our response is that if our plants were cars, they would be considered Bentley, Rolls Royce and other top luxury car brands. For those that appreciate the best in plants and products, then we are for you. However if a customer only cares about price, then they are always welcome to “go down the street and by a horse and buggy” from one of our competitors.
7/ Hater poster “BnKenobi” wrote: “Why doesnt (our farm) accept credit cards like every other gardening, farming operation (no matter what size) that uses the internet?? If you can promote yourself on the internet there is no reason why you can not accept credit cards.
OUR FARM REPLY: Yes, there are several reasons why our farm and nursery DOES NOT currently accept credit cards as a form of payment. The first reason is because we want to look out for our customers and try our best to keep our prices as low as possible without giving a percent % back to credit card companies. In addition, our hard working farming family DOES NOT believe in “supporting big banks” and/or credit card companies which have both played a major role in the current financial crisis in this country. Our family believes in doing simple business between people without making the greedy credit card companies (including PAYPAL) richer. It’s our company and respectfully, we have a right to decide upon the method of payment. In all the years our family has done business not only at the farms, but at our nurseries as well, we have never accepted credit cards as payment. We are NOT like “every other gardening operation” that’s something that most people appreciate and respect.
8/ Hater poster “BnKenobi” wrote: “No, Im not some competitor but just a family man…”
OUR FARM REPLY: Did the hater poster “bnkenobi” just call himself a FAMILY man? We respectfully disagree. Let us tell you what a family man is in our opinion. A real man, let alone a real “family man” does NOT go online like you just did on this Dave’s Garden website to maliciously create a frivolous negative post about our family farm and nursery and try with malicious intent to try and smear and bash our business. A REAL FAMILY MAN would never do such a thing. A REAL FAMILY MAN leads by example and teaches his family and children to always work hard and do the right thing and to have RESPECT and doing what’s right and fair. Your malicious actions here on this website are not right or fair. They are evil and nasty.
9/ Hater poster “BnKenobi” writes in his follow-up post: “Have you ever heard of PAYPAL??”
OUR FARM REPLY: See our answer above.
In closing we want to point out that it’s a fact that SECONDS AFTER poster you, poster “BnKenobi” MADE THIS POSTING the other screen name “RyanCares” logged in after “bnkenobi” logged out and updated his “RyanCares” posting to say “Thank you consumer from Long Beach. You are absolutely right on all counts.”
You are anything but a real consumer. If you want to talk to real consumers, then you should hear some of the horror stories that I hear almost every single day on the phone from customers who have bought from our online competitors.
In the end, we almost always get the business because people learn quickly who has the best product at the lowest price….and it’s us…people eventually will figure that out.
BEWARE WHEN DEALING WITH DIMEO. I'm not saying not to do business with them, just be careful if you do. Here is my exeperience with them.
I ordered 3 early (Duke), 3 mid (Bluecrop), and 3 late (Elliot) 3 yr old plants last spring. I received 9 small plants with root balls 1/3 of the size of a competitor's 1 yr old plants. 4 were marked "D and 5 marked "B" Blue, which I assume stand for "Duke and Bluecrop. I did not get any Elliot plants.
They denied being in error even when I provided them with photographic evidence to the contrary. Pictures are available upon request. Since I got nine plants, I let it go.
Less than 4 month later four of the nine plants were dead. All of the plants I bought from a competitor are doing fine in the same beds.
Last fall two of the surviving plants from DiMeo did produce a handful of fruit. Hopefully they will produce well next year.
DiMeo has no guarantee, so you will need to decide if you want to take the gamble of buying from them.
On Feb 14, 2011, Dimeo Blueberry Farms responded with:
Once again, with this poster, our family immediately took notice that this poster “buyer” literally just created a new account here on Dave’s Garden only seconds before his one and only post was made on this website, which was a post just to try and trash our company and say things that are simply untrue. Our family does suspect that this is yet another of our same online competitors once again setting up fake profiles (as they have done numerous times on this website, and many times so far in the past) just to make up false stories but yet try to make them sound real and accurate.
In addition, we have never received any photos or any story across our desks or phone lines in this regard. However, we will respond to this poster “buyer” as if it were an actual legit story in our usual format:
1/ Poster “buyer” writes: “I'm not saying not to do business with them, just be careful if you do.”
OUR FARM RESPONSE: Of course you are not going to say in writing on the Internet not to do business with us because you and others know that we are seriously in the process of obtaining subpoenas to acquire numerous IP addresses from Internet Brands (d/b/a Dave’s Garden). You and others know that our family is serious about bringing legal action because of this malicious, intentional and constant “calculated smear campaign.” This is an unclean tactic that some of our online Internet competitors have used again and again. They focus on “trying to create fear and panic in the eyes of any prospective patrons” without directly saying anything that would be actionable in a civil court of law. They do this again and again through creating these fake profiles. They are being more cautious though because now they know they have put us on the legal warpath (which is honestly the very last thing we ever wanted to do or get involved with, but at this point we have decided that it's right thing to do in order to bring justice) and that what legal actions lie ahead is going to shock quite a few people when they check their mailboxes one day.
In all honesty, the only thing that the buying public should beware of and fear is many of our online “Internet based” competitors. For reasons including, but not limited to the facts that most of our Internet based competitors: A) are not real farmers to begin with. B) they have no real measurable farming experience at years of specialty farming as our family does. C) most of our online internet competitors are simply buying plants from chemist companies that make them in a lab. D) the plants that our competitors don’t buy from labs they make by making cuttings from cuttings which does not give the customer a good plant for long term health and growth. E) our online Internet competitors do not have the countless acres of “mother plants” that is required to properly make plants in the first place. F) if our competitors they don’t own farms, and they have never run a farm, and they have no experience, and they are lab plants to resell, why would anyone want to buy such a product from them? Makes little sense.
In response to our online Internet competitors…the buying public using the Internet to search plants or products, needs to seriously ask themselves:
1/ Why don’t any of our online Internet competitors currently have all the product or plant YouTube videos that we do on their website? Why don’t they have any of THEIR OWN plant, field or actual production videos? ANSWER: Because they are not even farmers, and they don’t have legit farming operations or even the follow proper procedures that we do. I'm sure this is obvious to everyone, but I need to point this out if no one from our family has previously said this - it needs to be said.
2/ If our online competitors don’t have the acres of fields required to grow enough “mother plants” in order to obtain proper high volume of certified cuttings then… where are they getting the plants from? ANSWER: Most of them buy them from a massive propagation house out West, whose name we will not mention.
3/ If our online competitors have such “established” and successful farms and all this experience as they so claim, then when you Google their addresses… where is their operation? Where is their farm? Where is the operation?
Where are the fields and acres of plants? ANSWER: They don’t exist and for those that do exist, they literally have just a few rows of plants in their back yards. We want the buying public to personally see our online Internet competitors operations and then come here and compare it with our operation. Judge for yourself.
4/ Poster “buyer” writes: “I received 9 small plants with root balls 1/3 of the size of a competitor's 1 yr old plants.”
OUR FARM REPLY: Our plants are hardier than any online competitor. As mentioned above, you actually can’t even call them competitors because they are not even real, experienced farmers. Our plants are naturally grown. Most of our online Internet competitors are not naturally grown. Our plants are made from production grade heavy bearing mother plants. Most of our online Internet competitors are not, they buy them from company that makes them in a lab. Our plants are made the old fashioned way from premium hardwood. Most of our online competitors are not. Most of our online competitors buy plants from a company out West (whose name we shall not mention) and they then pot the plants and then sell them online.
3/ Poster “buyer” writes: “They denied being in error even when I provided them with photographic evidence to the contrary. Pictures are available upon request. Since I got nine plants, I let it go.
OUR FARM REPLY: To date we have never received any such “photographic evidence” of any kind relating to any type of story that you have just posted. If we did receive them we would admit that we received them and then allow our company policy to speak for itself as it does in all cases. Every company has a policy.
4/ Poster “buyer” writes: “Less than 4 month later four of the nine plants were dead. All of the plants I bought from a competitor are doing fine in the same beds.”
OUR FARM REPLY: Once again, we will reply to this question as if you were an actual customer, and if you did actually buy plants from us, and 4 MONTHS later the plants die, how do we or how would anyone else know that it’s not due to your negligence? No one knows.
5/ Poster “buyer” writes: ”…has no guarantee, so you will need to decide if you want to take the gamble of buying from them.”
OUR FARM REPLY: That is correct, we have no guarantee. However at least we are honest about our no guarantee policy, whereas almost all of our online Internet competitors (who once again are not even real farmers but merely guys peddling unnatural plants on the internet to make money) promise you a guarantee. But what almost all prospective buyers will find is that our online Internet competitors advertise some kind of “friendly guarantee” or some other kind of guarantee and then not honor it. Try to exchange a plant with them or try to get a replacement plants with them and see what a battle you have to wage to get it. We know because we talk to dozens of people every single day on the phone and hear factual stories.
For the record, this is our current company policy in regards to any guarantee: “Plants are living things. They require proper care and attention. We care for our plants while they are on our farm. As soon as they leave our farm or nursery, they become your responsibility. We do not offer ANY warranties of any kind on any living material or products purchased at our farm or by our farm. Please be sure to provide the proper care and attention as required by your plants.”
Posted on February 9, 2011, updated February 10, 2011
Received stems in the mail, nothing like in the youtube video. They were a gift for my daughter in Texas and they were junk. I called to complain and Tony Dimeo screamed at me. I have hence done research on him via Google and it is scary. I can't believe the attorney general is not involved in this. Run as fast as you can from this guy.
On February 10th, 2011, RyanCares added the following:
Thank you consumer from Long Beach. You are absolutely right on all counts. The fact that they cannot be approved for a merchant account is extremely telling. That would put the operation under federal scrutiny. He does not want that. You would also be able to track the transactions for tax purposes. I think we've discovered the fox in the proverbial hen house here.On Feb 10, 2011, Dimeo Blueberry Farms responded with:
1/ Our farm does not send “stems” in the mail. If you want “stems” and little twigs, then please order from one of our competitors (most of who are just guys peddling lab grown plants out of their back yards) this year and I can almost guarantee that you will be buying from our farm next year. The truth always comes out about who has the best quality plants. It’s not just the size of the plant that is important, but it’s “how the plant is made” and the hardiness of the plant. There are many factors – and eventually we do get the business and that’s a fact that you and some of our competitor “haters” don’t like.
2/ Our competitors hate our YouTube farm videos because they clearly show the true high quality, experience and integrity of our natural operation. They can’t compete with this so instead they go online (like you did with your fake post) in a pathetic, childish manner and post fake posts. People know the truth – and they can see the difference not only in our plants, but our farm, our history and operation.
3/ There was never a customer who called to complain about “a gift for his daughter in Texas” and that is just a total lie by the “RyanCares” poster
4/ We don’t “scream” at anyone. If someone calls to complain then we have a company policy that speaks for itself. This is yet another lie by this “RyanCares” poster.
5/ If you want to see scary research on Google then research some of our competitors and read about the all diseased plants that our competitor Matt mailed to people and all the horror stories from many of the others. Better yet, ask them if you can personally go and tour their operation and see what they tell you – because you will get an excuse why you can’t visit or tour. Come to see our operation – tour our nursery and farm, and then compare for yourself.
6/ Notice the last words of this fake post by “RyanCares” which say’s “Run as fast as you can from this guy” which totally gives away the fact that they want customers and prospective customers to run from us, and instead go to them (our competitors) for the plant sales.
Our final thought to this and any other present (or future) fake negative posts on this DG site – we are one of the best (if not the best) in our industry and the people that matter know it.
There is only thing that the “RyanCares” poster “cares about” and that is trying to hurt our family operation to help his own. It’s sad and pathetic how people are using the internet for to attack with “smear campaigns” that in the end will not work.
Try again.
A. DiMeo, DBF
On Feb 10, 2011 6:30 PM, Dimeo Blueberry Farms added:
SECOND REPLY FROM OUR FARM to "RyanCares" fake poser poster:
1/ "RyanCares" poster wrote: "The fact that they cannot be approved for a merchant account is extremely telling."
OUR REPLY: You just defamed our good name and reputation by stating in writing on the Internet that we "cannot be approved for a merchant account" which is NOT TRUE. That is a TOTAL AND COMPLETE LIE and it's also an intentional misstatement published by you with clear intent to cause financial harm to our company.
2/ "RyanCares" poster wrote: "You would also be able to track the transactions for tax purposes.
OUR REPLY: This is just a complete stupid and careless statement, as when our customers write us checks, those checks are obviously deposted into our corporate checking account.
3/ Poster wrote: "I think we've discovered the fox in the proverbial hen house here."
OUR REPLY: No, I think you just got yourself into a lawsuit. You and a few others on here who are posting these lies.
I will discuss this with my family but clearly legal action needs to be taken against all of you as well as Dave's Garden for allowing this after we have given them notice of this abuse of the DG website. We will not tolerate this malicous and intentional "smear campaign" that has been launched here on the Dave's Garden website.
This website is completely being used in-part to falsely attack us by pathetic online competitors.
"
Posted on November 27, 2010, updated November 27, 2010
TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE!
As others will tell you "don't believe the positive" reviews on this board when it comes to Dimeo Blueberry Farms. Tony thinks he has everyone fooled. Look him up on google and you will learn a lot about this guy.
The product I received was not as described and the return policy (hidden under Privacy Statement) on the web page clearly states that any returns, for any reason will cost you dearly. I am not going to bother trying to get a return or my money back because it would cost me more money than I'm willing to spend on nothing and he makes a profit no matter what. Buyer Beware and read all the reviews before you decide to buy from this place.
On November 27th, 2010, RealFarmBoy added the following:
I can prove my relationship with this so called corporation but I find it more fun to let him spend his money locating me. Anyone with any common sense will know that he will have to expose himself as well as all the so called fake negatives (if they exist). This farm as been caught in the past posting positive reviews until Daves caught on and neutralized them (scroll down the page). Other posters have been alerted to this and have posted neutral comments which have questioned their intent. I wish I would have listened to them and not sent them my money, and yes I live in New York and I have the soil and climate required to grow blueberries. Now we can drag this on but I refuse to comment any further on this. Let me add that I am not a competitor but you can bet that I will be researching my choices from the list provided by Daves for the best from now on. 'BURNED IN NEW YORK"On Nov 27, 2010, Dimeo Blueberry Farms responded with:
RESPONSE FROM THE FARM REGARDING THE ABOVE FAKE NEGATIVE POST:
As many of our real patrons will tell you "don't believe many of the fake negative reviews on Dave's Garden" when it comes to our farm and nursery. As stated prior, a select few of our online competitors are the ones who truly think they have you and everyone else fooled by posting fake neg reviews just like this one from "RealFarmBoy" which obviously, with the screen name alone, is a childish attempt to mock. Not to mention "RealFarmBoy" lists his location as "New York, NY" which in New York City is yet another flag. Not to mention his words are simply untrue. Yes, look us up on Google and you will read countless high-supporting testimonials on Merchant Circle as well as learn a lot from our informative videos and valuable information that can't be found anywhere else. Our fair policies are not hidden and are clearly listed on our website. These select few online competitors of ours are clearly and obviously POSING AS CUSTOMERS and submitting falsified neg statements and totally falsified stories-information in a desperate attempt to make us look bad so they can try to get more business in this unclean and disappointing manner.
The above falsified neg rating and posting should NOT reflect upon us, because like many of the others, it’s a fake neg posting. These fabricated “Dave’s Garden users” such as "RealFarmBoy" and others are fakes. These are "temporarily masked competitors" who have an intentional and malicious evil agenda to try and bash our family farm-nursery with false stories in order to try and help their own business sales. It’s sad that people like this can’t compete honestly or fairly, but rather resort to this kind of online behavior. We are currently working with our advisors to file various motions to compel Dave’s Garden to release the identifying ISP address(es) and information of the persons behind these fake negative postings and falsified smear campaigns. We fully intend to eventually "unveil these posters" and hold them fully accountable, as this is unacceptable. Our farm does not appreciate, nor shall we tolerate this kind of unprofessional, malicious and evil online behavior which is clearly actionable.
We thank you for your business and trust that you will disregard these type of fake negative postings.
When I called and placed my order the man was very nice. Two months later I called about the delivery . He was very rude he even hung the phone up on me. I tried to explain that I had been told that the bushes were shipped two weeks prior and I wanted to know if we needed to check and see if they had been lost during shipping. He would not listen to me. I was talked over and told to send a email. I tried to tell him I had already done that. He continued to talk over me.
He was very rude, I got no answers. I will not order from this company again.
I had a terrible experience with Dimeo Blueberry Farm. I sent my check and was simply trying to get a time frame for their shipping. I travel a lot and wanted to be sure I was home when the plants were delivered so I could get them in the ground asap. I asked about delivery time-frame and received short email stating they cannot give any shipping time-frames. In addition, Anthony Dimeo is simply rude. I wanted 6 plants for my daughter to plant and I know little about blueberries varieties and maintenance. I asked a few questions, and he was clearly annoyed, and was giving me no helpful information. They claim to be a family run business, which would leave one to expect a high level of customer service regarding blueberry questions. It is quite the opposite. Luckily I canceled my order. Based on the reviews here, it seems they are not only rude, but deliver terrible product.
I ordered 6 black raspberry bushes about 4 weeks ago ... I paid 10 dollars a plant plus 22 or so dollars for shipping ...I thought that was more than fair ..... they all arived dried out and near death … lets put it this way … if these plants were at a store … I would have walked past them ….. to be fair to them they shipped during a perticualy hot couple of days …they did include planting instructions but they were for blueberries not raspberries …. I planted then in the ground the same day that they arrived …... I call 5 days latter and left a message asking for some advise and guidance ...I wanted to see if it was posible to care these sick plants back to health ....I recieved a harsh voice mail letting me know that thier web site clearly states (witch it did) that I needed to call back within 3 days if I wanted to make complaint ... I was told not to bother calling back because all complaints needed to be in written format .... I did not bother sending a letter because I was not looking for a refund I was looking far advice and guidance .... . Im a big boy …I went in with eyes wide open … I am fully aware that I was taking a risk ordering over the internet .... by the way none of the plants made it …. Needless to say I wont be placing a second order …
On May 5, 2010, tiamickey Fairfax United States wrote:
This has been an awful experience working with this company. I organized a group order of 3-yr old blueberries so that we could enjoy a good harvest THIS season. The owner seemed nice enough at first, although certain info he told me turned out to be false--like if I didn't get my order in soon the prices were going up (as of months later they're still the same on the website), and that there was a minimum order (even though on the website it explicitly says there's no minimum), and most importantly, that my plants would be shipped "partial bare root", meaning they would have some dirt attached to them (which helps with shock). But these were rather minor issues compared to what I was about to deal with. Apparently after asking a few too many questions for my, according to him, puny order (40 plants), about how the plants were shipped, he verbally berated me on the phone--too bad for me of course my check was already on its way or that would've ended the process right then. I was more than a little perplexed how 40 bushes were going to be handled via USPS. The first time we checked in (on a Wed) to see when they were shipping, we were told they would be dug Thurs or Fri and would arrive during the next week. So we waited until the following Fri (9 days later) to find out where the plants were. He said they would be dug next week. When we questioned him about his previous statement, he briskly said, "we process them in the order we receive them". We called back the next week after not receiving them yet again, and this time he says it's been too rainy and the digging tractors can't get in the fields (and points me to a article in the local paper to verify). Except that on the front page of his website it says the plants are hand dug, and if I'm such a small order to him, seems like someone could've dug them out by now. He tells me it will be another 10 days. Finally the plants arrive, more than 1 month after the order, I go into SHOCK as soon as I see them, and now I understand why it was no big deal (and why he was being evasive about how they are packaged & shipped) for the local postman to carry them in his truck. First, they are bare root, not one drop of dirt on them and they have TINY root balls. Second, the plants are TINY, most with only one main stem that is between 12-24", and maybe a few tiny off shoots. And these are "suppose" to be 3 Year Old Plants! I was expecting a BUSH, which is what THEY SHOW on the website, not one STEM! No way this thing will produce anything more than a handful of berries this year. Third, because they took more than a month to get here, (I ordered in early March) they are now in full bloom--so much for getting berries this year!
I called him to confirm that these were 3 yr olds, and he gave me a song & dance about them being organically grown so that's the correct size. ALL the 2 yr old plants I've seen in nurseries, walmart, home depot, etc, are more substantial than these are. Now that they have been in the ground for more than 1 week, at least 2 I know of are already dead. And this is even after using transplant shock on them. Let's just say I was mortified to deliver these to the rest of my group, and I was personally sooo extremely disappointed. I did a great deal of searching and decided on this farm because of the deal, but more so because it was a family farm & I wanted to support that kind of business, and I thought I'd get better service. Bottom line on this operation--BEWARE!
