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my mother and I ordered the giant tree tomato pack ( it said live plants but all we got where peat pots and seeds) . We only wanted to try them out ,so to avoid any stupid website mistakes we ordered over the automated phone service they have. well like a lot of people here , it screwed up , we ended up with over 300 dollars in charges ( we got a lot of pots lol) , just wanted 12 giants and the special ( 12 early tomatoes ) got 48 of each (omg) called them for a refund of the order and they said we would have to what for the order to arrive then call . The order got here in about 2 weeks but then when we tried to call them back we could never get a hold of anyone ( I guess they where busy getting more complaints) . as far as the plants go , I started 12 giants and 12 earlys and all but 1 giant germinated . in fact , in each peat pot ( which seemed to use jiffy seed mix or something close to it ) I had numerous plants come up. its now been 2 1/2 months and my giants are 3-4 foot tall and the earlys are around 3 ' tall . all of them are starting to flower , but at the least gardeners choice needs to fix their ordering service , and the postage was way more than normal , the box my 96 pots came in barely weighed 1.3lbs so why did i get charged 69 dollars for shipping? on the plus side my store bought squash and peppers are already producing , and I have 2 cherry tomato plants already 3' tall that I started from seed at the same time . If I really do get a lot of tomatoes from the giants that might make up for my loses but I would advice most people to do a lot of research before ordering from this company , they do seem to be scamming on their ordering process.
I just recieved my plants yesterday - 3 lavendar plants, 3 tomato trees, 2 broccoli plants, 2 cauliflower plants, and 1 indoor strawberry hanging plant. Everything looked nearly dead if not dead except for 1 lavendar plant. I am posting this as neutral for now and give the plants some time survive. they did not look any better this morning, maybe to early to tell. i will comment back if i need to change this to positive or negative. Just like so many others, i saw this AFTER i ordered. what was i thinking, i usually do my research.
I must admit, when I first found this site and read all of the negative comments about Gardener's Choice, I panicked because I had just completed an order with them! I called the customer service number and spoke with, admittedly, a person who clearly did not like their job and surely did not care one way or another if I was worried about my recent order. She was not rude, mind you, just not very helpful. At any rate, I had already made the purchase and really wanted to believe that I would soon have 10' tall tree tomatoes, producing 60 lbs of tomatoes annually. Wouldn't you? To my great pleasure, they were shipped within the week of my order! I was well on my way to tomato nirvana!
Okay, it took a couple of weeks to finally receive my "plants". I did not realize that there was a slower method of shipping than USPS First Class but, I suppose I should have assumed the existence of a second and third class though, truly, my mind was overwhelmed at the thought of gargantuan tomato trees, bursting with delicious, sweet, juicy and firm tomatoes! It just never crossed my mind. So, 7-14 business days (seemed like a year!) after shipping, I got my order.
I, like many of you leaving negative comments probably, expected to find a crate of spring-loaded little plants that, given only a few moments of sunlight and water, would burst forth in awe-inspiring growth and quickly start dropping me tomatoes! This was not the case my friends. I, instead, found little "nurseryman's pots", packed with soil and seed along with a single page of instructions. Once again, the expectations exceeded reality. Was I mad? No. Even when my wife, skeptical all along about these "wonder" tomato trees, giggled at my completely anti-climactic package (insert joke here), I kept a smile on my face. Why, you ask? Because I got exactly what I had ordered and I got it in exactly the time I was promised.
It is true that the video of these products make them seem magical and wonderous but, if you read and look carefully, there is an abundance of fine print. Things like "your tree tomatoes will be shipped in ready-to-plant nurseryman's pots". They, indeed, are in those very pots! The kind of paper-pulp pots that can be planted directly in the earth, without disturbing the young roots. Yes, you have to germinate them first but, if they told you all the bad news in the loud voice that they use for the good aspects, would you still buy them?
Next, please note the "please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery". I got my order in far less than 4 weeks, although it seemed like an eternity! Sometimes, an online nursery will hold your shipment until it is optimum planting time in your area, even if you are on the edge of your seat. They are just protecting us from ourselves and ensuring their plants have the best-possible chance at achieving a successful outcome for their customers while, at the same time, reducing the number of returns.
Anyway, I am currently germinating my plants. I have 3 of the Giant Tree Tomatoes and two of the Big Early tomato plants ("free if you pay shipping" but really they're obligatory as they do not give you a choice.). I gave one of the Big Early plants to a friend to try.
I will follow up on this review as the plants mature but, so far, I have gotten exactly what I was promised. I hope others will be encouraged to give this company another shot, we may all be surprised. And, if I forget to follow up and you are driving in Northern California and happen to glance out the window and swear you see a tomato tree the size of a telephone pole, you know my tomato dreams came true!
On June 25th, 2009, ljn68 added the following:
Okay, here it is, the end of June and I'm updating with my progress. I have planted all three of my tree tomatoes. One in a container and two in the garden. I also planted two of the free Big Early tomatoes and both went in the garden. All are growing well. Each plant is about what you would buy at your local nursery in size and health. I am skeptical that they will mature in time but will reserve my judgement for later in the season. One of my Big Earlys died due to my poor planting technique. I am still as pleased as ever with my purchase.
I will update....On September 30th, 2009, ljn68 changed the rating from positive to neutral and added the following:
It is now the end of September and I have removed all summer plantings in preparation for fall veggies. My tree tomatoes were a disappointment. So were the Big Earlys. Although they eventually did produce fruit, it was a very small crop and far too late in the season for them to mature. I saved one little guy, in a pot, to try and coax through the winter in the greenhouse. All in all, my experience with Gardener's Choice was lacklustre at best. I suppose, had I ordered the plants earlier, perhaps they would have been successful. I guess the bottom line is; Gardener's Choice probably deserves all the negatives it has gotten. Bummer, I was so sure I would have 60lbs of tomatoes by now!
My first time on this site and my first posting. My post is a Positive towards those members who took the time to warn others of the practices of this rip-off weed ridden company. Unfortunately, Gardener's Choice is just one of many scams taking advantage of good honest people, so please, before you buy anything from anyone, take a few minutes to check the company or the product out and look for feedback, comments, reviews, and comparisons. You'll end up saving time, money, and aggravation.
Yesterday a friend of mine gave me a copy of the Gardeners' Choice catalog, telling me that she had ordered a tree that grows various kinds of fruits. I read the catalog and became a little suspicious when I couldn't find any details about the individual plants or the company. The pictures and descriptions made me laugh. I especially liked the Golden Egg tree along with the other giant zooming bigger mammoth plants and vegetables.
I never buy anything until I've checked it out and when I Googled Gardeners' Choice and their products one of the sites I found was Dave's Garden. The feedback confirmed my suspicions. So to those of you who shared their experiences, thank you. I will be sure to pass on the warnings. There is a very active gardening club here and I will make sure that everyone knows to stay away from this company.
I don't know that anyone checks with the BBB before doing business with a company, but you really should file a complaint with them when things go sour. It's important because the BBB is supposed to log each and every complaint received and share this information when asked. But don't put any faith in them resolving anything because they have no enforcement teeth. Those belonging to the BBB pay dues, so in the interest of preserving BBB income stream, they try to get everyone to work it out amongst themselves. I would copy any complaints made to the BBB to the State Attorney. Oh yeah ... and just because someone is a member of the BBB doesn't make them trustworthy.
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Gardening and music .... curative therapy. If I knew the world was going to end tomorrow I'd still plant something.
I'm glad I found this site before ordering the 2 bags of grass seed I was falling for. The only place I've seen it advertised is the TVG horse racing channel on Dish network and I hope RFDTV doesn't get involved with this outfit. I'm sorry for all of you that were ripped by this company but thanks to your comments it saved me some grief. Pays to research these scam ads.
Early this year, I ordered a total of 20 tomato plants. When they arrived, they had been baked by the heat of the shipping environment. Placing the plants in my ICU area, I managed to bring 14 of them back from the brink. An email from me brought a phonecall from Deborah. We spent a lot of time on that call discussing the plants and the shipping via US Postal. She promised to send replacement plants via UPS and did so. When I opened the box, the new plants were the best. She also had sent several extra tomato plants of other types to try. Delighted with the company, I placed a second order for Tunbling Tom plants. These didn't survive the US Postal trip either. Another Email, and this time, I received a refund. I'm going to give a neutral rating, because my problems with the product ended up not costing me money. However, I did lose precious growing time. I'm 40 miles northeast of Atlanta, and it's important to use the early time to get the plants going before the weather shows us how "Hot-Lanta" gots its name.
Unfortunately, I found this site AFTER I had already placed orders with both Autumn Ridge and Gardener's Choice, so you can imagine my horror when I read all the comments for both places. Fortunately, I called the number for the other nursery that scotsman put on here. The customer service rep was actually angry when I said that I had found their number on here, but she looked up my order for a weeping japanese maple and a weeping cherry, and said that she saw where it was shipped, but she couldn't pull up enough information to track it, so she would just refund my money to my credit card. She said that could take 7-10 days, so I guess we shall see.
Call 269-621-2259 for customer service. This is actually Spring River Nurseries, which is a parent company.
Nice friendly person on the phone who helped me immediately with correct information.
As far as original GC numbers and website,
I had not received my order, no response to emails, phone number busy or canned music.
I was getting quite annoyed and came across this site.
I found the information and number from a posting on May 12. They have been quite helpful and will be replacing one of my plants that didn't make it.
I will say that the advertising is a little misleading. I expected my blueberry bush to be at least 10 inches or so, not 2.
Last year I ordered the "tomato tree". Supposed to be plants. Not. What showed up was dessicated peat containers with a few seeds, which would have been fine if I'd ordered seeds.
The indoor banana tree seed was obviously planted about the time they hung the phone up from my original order as it was 2 months from order time to see the plant. That's about how old the thing was, about 2 months.
Anyway, I will probably find my seedlings elsewhere, or just buy seeds and start my own. The seedlings they do send are usually so very young, I could easily do these in my greenhouse.
The reason people usually order plants instead of seeds is to save time. Not much time saved when the plants are only 6 weeks old and need more time to recover from shipping and transplanting than an older plant would.
Well, enough rattling on.
Good luck and hope the phone number helps people.
Active member of the Convert Your Lawn To Garden club.
Here' the deal..I think this companies customer service is terrible..I called for several days and just got busy signals. I did manage to get through on the phone after persistently dialing (269)621-3303 then pressing (1) for ordering. They sent me the wrong Item and said they will replace it..(I'll have to wait and see). Also well over a month ago I ordered the quick grass seed and it hasn't arrived yet..they told me today 5/22/08 is was being shipped and it will arrive next week(again we have to wait and see). Also my ticket was pulled for the replacement item and hopefully that will arive next week also.I don't have a lot of faith in this company and will most likely never do business with them again. If I hade found this page first I would have never ordered from them in the begining. Let's face the facts..NO company is perfect but this company has to many bad stories. Also we are only hearing from the people who have found this page..Who knows how many other people have the same problems and didn't write here or don't know this page exist...Well I'll let you know how it all turns out soon..
I order from the internet regularly so I have an expectation of immediate response, easy contact/follow-up and timely shipping - better than going to the store. Unfortunately Gardeners Choice has not worked up to this level of customer service, my expectation was high, too high and Gardeners Choice isn’t prepared to meet it. I finally got in touch (after repeated unanswered emails and phone calls) with them last week through Spring River Nurseries, they had my order available and I was advised of status and that some of it had shipped. All I could say was great after weeks of failed contact attempts and reading negative comments on the internet.
I received my first packages from GC yesterday (5 weeks after my first order), I was pleased to receive anything as I had my doubts. All plants were alive and I got them in the ground immediately – as they were weak from being in the box for 4-6 days. I expect that the rest of my order will arrive in the next week or so. I was impatient; the web site suggested that it would be a 4-6 week interval after ordering, I am getting some things earlier.
The issue outside of the lack of customer service is that they plants I ordered/received are seedlings. Again I had expectations of more mature plants, maybe in quart containers, or 4” containers – they were in 1” seedling containers. I remembered what I paid for them and realized the fact that I got what I paid for. Again it was my fault; my expectations were to receive these perfect mature plants, all ready to flower, as in the pictures.
I got my order, I expect with some intensive care all plants will live, I expect that I will receive my remaining orders as well – so in the end all is well. A little less than I expected but… but the pricing is about 60% less than if I bought at the local store or other online nurseries.
My recommend to Gardner’s Choice to move some money from sales to customer service, automate as much as possible (automate email responses for tracking orders), respond to emails/phone inquiries and answer your phone. As important let us know the size of the plants that we are to receive – do not mislead the pubic into thinking we are getting mature plants. I recommend express mail availability as well.
GC choice did basically as they said, I just expected more. My Neutral rating is more positive then negative.
On May 27th, 2008, jrfllink added the following:
This is a follow-up to my Neutral/Positive review down graded to Neutral/negative.
Most of my plants have died and some pretty quickly - the dead are the tomato plants, the Purple Wave Petunias, moon flower plant, the super hardy lavender and the blue berry plant. All died quickly, i had hoped to revive them after arrival.
The Hostas have done very well, starting from only a root cluster 15 of 16 are growing well. The Japanese Blood grass is surviving but not yet growing. I have not yet tried the quick lawn - but will soon and report.
I have positive expectations for Joseph's Coat Roses, the rainbow plants and again i will report.
After ordering from another mail order plant nursery and seeing how a good company handles the entire service there is no reason to order from Gardeners Choice - check out the high rated companies listed on this site.
For all of you who have experienced the problem with customer service...Here is your solution. I called The Gardener's Choice countless times and just received a busy signal. I e-mailed them and never received a response...Finally, after researching this website I started calling the companies listed affiliates. Spring River Nursery answered all of my questions regarding my order. Their phone number is 269-621-2259. I was answered by a very polite customer service rep who gave me a complete description of my order and the charges placed on my credit card. After reading some of the reviews I really felt that I would never reach the company and would probably be forced to call my credit card company but now I think everything may be ok. I just received my seeds 3 days ago and was disappointed that I didn't receive plants as advertised and am concerned about when I will actually get a tomato, since we should be planting solid plants right now, but we will see what happens. I am also concerned about the seedlings never taking off, as some of you have experienced. I will post again later and let you know how things turned out.
Best of luck to all of you and I hope you have a great growing season!!
Okay, I received many dead things and some pretty decent lavender. I couldn't get a hold of a person to help me.... was on hold forever, disconnected, hung up on or otherwise told 'too bad, call customer service".... which would route me right back to the ordering dept, which told me to call customer service (vicious circle??)
Then I thought I'd try an affiliatate listed here The Spring River Nurseries were able to access my Gardeners choice account. Try calling Spring River Nurseries at 269-621-2259. They can access your acct/order and helped me with very little wait. This was after wasting 2 afternoons trying to contact Gardeners Choice and being put on hold disconnected and hung up on. It is worth a shot. It worked for me. :)
On Apr 13, 2008, persistancepays Columbus, OH wrote:
Below I have copied correspondence between myself and Gardener's Choice. The point is that although they did not fill my order, once I advised them of the possibility of going to their attorney general to complain they suddenly responded and did not charge me. That may be the way to handle problems.
From: customerservice@gardenerschoice.net
I have cancelled this order and we DID NOT charge your credit card. Thanks
----- Original Message -----
From: MSK
To: customerservice@gardenerschoice.net
Sent: Friday, April 11, 2008 4:51 PM
Subject: FW: Hi Please update status of below copied order thanks
After sending you the last email I researched your company on the internet. There are hundreds of complaints on various websites. Some gave good information such as how to complaint to the Attorney General’s office. That is what I will do unless you respond and satisfy my order, or refund my money, within one week. I have been very patient and given the number of complaints on the internet it appears your company may frequently fail to send what people paid for. That is called fraud and it is illegal. You have been cautioned.
No matter how busy the season is you need to respond to customers promptly!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: MSK
Sent: Friday, April 11, 2008 4:30 PM
To: customerservice@gardenerschoice.net
Subject: FW: Hi Please update status of below copied order thanks
Dear Customer Service,
This is my second request for information about my order that I placed in FEBRUARY. I have had no response to my email and when I call I always get a busy signal. I am sure you are busy but it is also important to respond promptly to customer requests, don’t you agree?
Please respond ASAP as to what is going on with this (now very late) order.
Thanking you in advance,
MSK
(previous message and original billing info deleted).
On Feb 13, 2008, 2growornot2grow White House, TN wrote:
I went online today after seeing the TV ad for the giant tomato trees
I am no green thumb by any means and am wandering if I made a mistake.
Can someone give input on how to grow these things? I would like to put them on my deck but am not sure of pot size. Do I need to tie these things to a support of do they do ok on their own.
I hope that they will come through for me, and I will let you know how things come up.
Thanks for any advise on how to get what they advertise.
The tomatoes I ordered came and looked almost dead. But I read the instructions and planted them--I have pictures (my wife said they wouldn't survive). I kept nurturing them and fairly soon they appeared to slowly come to life. (I have pictures). To make a long story short, both plants survived (to my surprise). (Did I say I have pictures?) All in all I have harvested about 22 tomatoes from the two plants. Only 2 were of a larger size, the others were medium to small. The taste was actually good. But for $13+ (including shipping) I don't think it was worth it. But a good experience for me. I think tomatoes are one of those plants that one cannot advertise implying "success." There are too many factors involved in growing them. I might try another plant from this company that is not that "sensitive." FYI: When I first got the plants I sent an e-mail to the company, but never heard back.
I placed an order before reading these comments and have felt sick about it since. I have had SO many bad experiences with mail-order companies (like Michigan Bulb or worst of the worse Van Dykes) and have said a dozen times I will not be fooled again, but here I thought I was again. Imagine my surprise when the plants came today, well packaged and in good shape! I ordered an ornamental weeping cherry tree, which is small but not unexpected for the price, but it has great roots and leaves. I also ordered their Amaryllis Daylily and those look pretty good too. I ordered May 11, 2007 and today is the 30th.
On April 5th, 2008, marieinMass changed the rating from positive to neutral and added the following:
I wrote last year that I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly my order came. Well, tiny ornamental weeping cherry tree did not survive, and the "Amaryllis" daylily was nothing more than a pink daylily. All and all, disappointing.
I won't buy from this company again, especially after reading all of the negative reports.
i have not yet ordered from gargeners choice but i am going to try to order a couple of trees. i will be angry if my order is wrong or not shipped and will demand a refund. when a friend ordered tomato plants and a tree from them, they arived in a dormant stage and grew nicely. is everyone sure that the plants are dead or are they confused by the apearance of a dormant, inactive plant? if i order i will let you know of my experiance.
On Aug 4, 2006, Thehappygang Thunder Bay Canada wrote:
We received our two Tomatoe Tree Plants in April, giving one to our daughter. Everything popped up as expected and our daughter's box produced 4 shoots to our 1!. We planted our Tomatoe tree in June and watched it grow...not rapidly but grow. This is now August 4th and we have two large tomatoes with lots of flowers but nothing else. I was advised by a local Greenhouse that we should perhaps give it more fertilizer...we will try that and perhaps be forturnate that we have two Tomatoes coming...I would like to look more into the proper location and needs of producing the Tomatoe tree...learn something every day.
I ordered the Rainbow Colored Gigantic Tomatoes and received a package about 6 weeks later. It was within the recommended planting time for my area. However the plants were loose in the box with about a cup of dried out potting soil. It looked as if there was an attempt to put them in a plastic bag that was also floating around in the box. The plants were not usable as they were dried out or limp and hardly recognizable. They had been tossed around in the box and torn apart in transit. There was not a readable date on the postmark other than the month of April. As I received them on April 19 I really have no idea how long they had been in transit. I immediately contacted the company by email and requested a complete refund which they complied with in a timely manner. Because they did issue a complete and timely refund I am giving them a neutral rating.
I ordered 2 tomato trees in late Feb via an ad in the newspaper. I knew they wouldn't arrive until optimum planting time in my area. So I wasn't worried when they didn't show up within 2 weeks. They were here by April.
I wasn't prepared for them not being in planting pots (as stated in the ad) or for the condition of the plants. They looked like tomato plants rather than anything that would grow into a tree.
I fussed over them & got them out of their withered state, transplanted them 3 weeks ago to the yard from the pots I'd had them in (figured when they got to be trees, they'd need plenty of root room).
They are still small & our gardener cut one down today. (I'm MAD after all my hard work & putting bricks as well as a tomato cage around it to keep him from cutting it.) I am trying to salvage it with Rootone & fertilizer. It's back in the pot I originally had it in. I know I won't receive a refund on it & can't return the plant (don't want to since shipping wouldn't be refunded & it'd die enroute). The roots of the plant are still where I had the plant. I am hoping those will allow the plant to grow up from that while the three whole pieces of the tomato tree will root & continue to grow.
The other tomato tree is on the other side of the porch & wasn't cut down. I think I'll put "LIVE TOMATO PLANTS! DO NOT CUT!" the next time our gardener comes. GRRR!!! (The plants were both next to trellises too!!! Go figure!)
Will I order from this company again? I honestly don't know. I'll decide after I see how these tomato trees do.
Did anyone report the SPRING RIVER NURSERY to the Better Business Bureau??
The nursery was listed in the June issue of Woman's Day for the first place to buy everblooming daylilies!!! Now I am hesitant to buy anything from them.
I'm a producer for WCBS-News, Channel 2 in New York, working on a story about on-line gardening centers. In paticular, we are looking into "Gardener's Choice" because of all the complaints they've received. If you are in our area and would like to share your complaint, please contact me. Thanks for your time, Mary McGeever mmmcgeever@cbs.com
On May 18, 2005, Veronnica69 Bellingham, WA (Zone 8b) wrote:
I ordered two Giant Tree Tomatoes. My check was cashed on 4/11/05, and I received my seed starts on 5/17/05. When I opened the box, I was extremely dissapointed to see that both of the plants (about 4" long) were broken. I clipped off the broken pieces and planted them this morning anyway. I called Gardener's choice and was told that this is the first year that they have run out and that I will receive a refund check. I have to wait and see if my starts will grow and if I will receive my check.
Ordered 2 tree tomato plants.After waiting approximately 3 weeks.Contacted them.GC shipped two dead plants.One broken.Both were shipped in a plastic bag nothing on the roots.I asked for replacements,but they said they would send me a refund which I have not received.Plan to contact the BBB.
On May 31st, 2005, treetom changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following:
GC has refunded my purchase price and s&h.I now feel better about this company and possibly would order again.
Last year we ordered 2 giant tomato trees from Gardener's Choice. After waiting a very long time past prime planting time in our area, I contacted them. I was told they would ship the plants and refund our money (after I spent 3 days trying to reach someone there). We did receive a refund and the plants. However, the plants were almost dead when we got them; and only 1 lived to produce any tomatoes. The produce was not as it was touted to be. I would not order from them again.
I ordered six (6)Rainbow-Colored Gigantic Tomatoes on 13 March 2004 and paid for by check which was processed on 6 April 2004. To date no plants, no communication with company. What goes? My experience is questionable.
I ordered 4 of the Empress Paulownia trees, I think about 5 months ago. My check was cashed the same month and I had forgotten about this. Today (July 24, 2002) I received a letter from Gardeners Choice, unsigned by someone named Matt Cooper. There is a sob story about the demands exceeding their expectations and they will (IF I will wait until the trees are ready for shipment) send me, at no additional cost, the trees I ordered, one extra tree and fertilizer tablets, at the proper time...October!! They did give me a place to write to for a REFUND, which I guess I will try.
Good luck getting this spindly seedling that looks like a pumpkin vine to grow into the lush, fast growing flowering tree in their ad.
Their idea of a tree is a 4-6 inch stick with no leaves and a (bad) root system. I planted my teeny tiny peach tree and almost ran it over with the lawn mower by mistake.
Their prices, like their plants, are too good to be true. In this case, you get what you pay for.
The first time I ordered some plants(blue tulips) they never arrived and I never got a respose or refund. This was several years ago. I took a chance this February(2002) and ordered some Siberian Lavender plants. So far nothing, but after reading some of the negative comments I am having my doubts about ever seeing the plants or a refund. I have sent an e-mail to their customer service dept. and hope to receive an answer. I am just hoping the first experience was just a fluke but if it wasn't i will never order from them again. I will let Parade Magazine(where I found the ad) know to be more discreet in who they let advertise in their magazine.
I guess I'm luckier than some of the previous purchasers. I placed an order at the end of Jan. '02 and heard nothing. I e-mailed then twice and heard nothing. I called and there was a funny ring with no answer. I tried again and again and finally got a nice sounding female who said the computer people were way behind and it would be best to place a phone order. After I had my order together I couldn't get through again. I called after closing time and after a short comment the answering voice said goodbye. I obtained this web site and am thankful that my "order" was delayed and promptly cancelled it.
I was lucky. I was researching Gardener's Choice on the web and came across this site before I sent them any money. I then contacted the magazine I saw the ad in for the Royal Paulownia in and told them of Gardener's Choice's dismal track record. I then received an email from Dennis Mackenzie, the Operations Manager for the company. He told me that he was concerned about my letter to company. I told him I thought he was a sleaze-ball and a liar. If anyone else wishes to tell him the same, his telephone number is 1-888-215-6468 ext 102. His email address is dennis@nationaltvbargains.com.
I too, ordered 6 Pawlownia trees from Gardener's Choice. I called them today & will hopefully receive my check returned or a refund in 2 weeks (today is July 9, 2001).
Gardener's Choice has a new automated email reply they send when you send a complaint. Post this on the FAQ website with the other complaints etc."***REVISED AS OF 6/27/01****** THIS IS AN AUTOMATIC RESPONSE TO YOUR E-MAIL. PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO READ THIS INFORMATION AND RESPOND TO IT APPROPRIATELY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE ***** AS WE ARE NOW ENTERING THE HOT SUMMER MONTHS, MOST OF OUR PLANTS CANNOT SURVIVE THE TRIP THROUGH THE MAIL AND STILL ARRIVE AT YOUR HOME IN PROPER CONDITION, READY FOR PLANTING. WITH THIS IN MIND WE WILL RESUME THE SHIPMENT OF ROYAL PAULOWNIA TREES IN THE FALL, WHEN THE WEATHER IS COOLER. HOWEVER, THERE ARE STILL SOME ITEMS THAT WE CAN SHIP NOW, SUCH AS GRASS SEED, STRAWBERRY PLANTS, HOT PEPPER SPRAY AND A FEW OTHERS. WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE TO ORDER THESE ITEMS. PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AGAIN IN JANUARY 2002, WHEN WE WILL RE-LIST ALL OF YOUR FAVORITES PLUS SOME EXCITING NEW ITEMS WE ARE DEVELOPING RIGHT NOW. WE HOPE THAT GARDENERS CHOICE REMAINS THE WEBSITE YOU COME TO FOR ALL YOUR GARDENING NEEDS. Please read the following information below regarding your recent e-mail to http://www.gardenerschoice.net. Frequent Questions and AnswersQ: I have questions regarding certain plants, who can I contact?A: You may e-mail your questions to our nursery at nurseryservices@gardenerschoice.net. A plant expert at our nursery will respond to your questions. You may also e-mail to this address if you wish to have our latest catalog.Q: I saw an item in a newspaper /magazine and would like to order on-line. However, the price online is different, why is that?A: Specials are run via newspaper and magazine ads to introduce our merchandise to the public.Q: I placed an order online, however I did not add the bonus prize or the free gifts. Will I still be able to receive these items with my order?A: Our system automatically adds the free gifts to each online order and bonuses to orders over $35. They will not show up on your conformation due to the fact that the conformations are sent to you from a different database. You will, however receive them with your shipment.Q: I ordered plants and some of them did not make it. I would like to have replacements, what do I do?A: Please send your e-mail to reships@gardenerschoice.net, your e-mail willbe sent to our customer service department. Please make sure you include a full name and shipping address and be as specific as possible as to what you need replaced, so that we can replace the merchandise properly and within a reasonable amount of time.Q: I ordered plants and some of them did not make it. I would like to have a refund, what do I do?A: If the order was placed online, you may contact our customer service department at 616-621-2481. You may also mail your request to: 81961 County Rd 687 South,PO Box 8000,Hartford MI 49057For all other orders, you may contact us at 203-857-3800. You may also mail your request to: 1 Eversley Ave, Norwalk CT 06851.It is very important that full names and shipping addresses are included with all written correspondences. It will also be very helpful to be as specific as possible as to what needs to be refunded and why. All of this information will ensure that the refund is processed rapidly and correctly.Q: I sent you an order via the mail (off-line) and my check has cleared, but my merchandise has not arrived yet. How do I check the status?A: It can take from 4-6 weeks from the receipt of your order for it to arrive to your home or office. Remember to allow for the time it takes for the mail to arrive from your home to our offices as well. Once your order is processed it is turned over to our nursery for shipping. Typically, the merchandise is shipped via the United States Postal Service. Delivery timevaries by location. If after 4-6 weeks you have not received your merchandise, please contact our customer service department at 203-857-3800immediately.Q: If I have placed an order this year by credit card and have yet to receive it, although the nursery has been shipping to my area, what should I do?A: If this happens, please contact the customer service department at our nursery at 616-621-2481. **For all orders for giant tree tomatoes sent in from ads in newspapers or magazines placed with a credit card, you may contact customer service at 203-857-3800 to check on the status of your order.Q: I placed an order and wish to check its status. Who can I contact?A: You may e-mail your request to status2000@gardenerschoice.net. Please make sure you include a full name and shipping address and be as specific as possible as to what was ordered. This will help us locate the order. You may also contact our customer service department by phone at 203-857-3800.Our customer service department is available Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm Eastern Time.Q: How long will it take for my online order to be received?A: There are a few steps involved with receiving, preparing, and ultimately fulfilling your orders placed through gardenerschoice.net. First, the orders are received by our on-line staff. Then, they are handled by our nursery staff, and finally prepared and packed for damage free shipping to you based on the climate of your region. The process of fulfilling yourorder, includes shipment via the United States Postal Service or UPS. Also, please note that our nursery ships to a number of states at one time. Please be patient as all orders will be shipped in the order they were received.Q: I am having trouble placing an order online. Who can I contact for assistance?A: You may send an e-mail to webmaster@gardenerschoice.net. Please make the question as specific as possible, so that an appropriate response is received. Please do not send customer service questions to this address, as Webmaster is unable to give customer service information. Please forward all customer service matters to the appropriate areas as stated above."
I waited for 7 months before I finally got mine, they doubled my order "in case they don't make it" and because I had to complain 2 times. Well they were all wimpy looking, about 8 inches tall. They all died within a week. And how that vine looking thing grows into a tree I'll never know. Now I'm planning to embark on the refund or replacement (or something else) game.
An interesting email exchange:From: "nurseryservices@gardenerschoice.net" Reply-To: To: "Bruce F" Subject: Re: Customer Service inquiry Date: Mon, 7 May 2001 16:37:32 -0400 I think you should keep your money… ----- Original Message -----From: Bruce FTo: nurseryservices@gardenerschoice.netCc: vols@plantsbymail.netSent: Monday, May 07, 2001 1:58 PMSubject: Re: Customer Service inquiry I was searching for your company and happened upon this: http://plantsbymail.net/list/gardenerschoice.html You might want to read it through. I don't think it's totally for complaints, but…I hope your reputation isn't as bad as they say.I want to order 3 trees but want to be sure I'm not getting ripped off. I'm sure you understand. ----- Original Message -----From: "Bruce F"To: Sent: Monday, May 07, 2001 10:16 AM Subject: Re: Customer Service inquiry Is this company profile for Gardener's Choice accurate? http://plantsbymail.net/list/gardenerschoice.html I need to know, before I order anything, if the information on the above website is still true. Thanks!
Back in April I ordered from Gardener's Choice. My order was for trees and some other kinds of plants. I sent a check $449.05. The check was cashed, but I never heard anything back from them. I was coming to the computer because I was going to ask for a refund. And found your site. I called the company they hadn't any record of it. The girl was very nice. She told me to get the cancelled check from my bank and fax it to them. I called my bank they have it for me. So now we will see what happens. I sure am glad I found this site, and thank all of you for telling your stories. So to continue with the site to help others I am also telling mine.
I also ordered from Gardener's Choice in April 2000. I have received a square green card with information stating they hadn't received any order so I sent them a copy of my cancelled check the cashed. I'm waiting too.
I certainly wish I had known about this website before I ordered from these people. I saw their ad for lavender in the newspaper, and thought I'd take a chance. Three small plants arrived in relatively good shape, but two of them promptly died. Then I saw their prices for some of the herbs, and thought I'd give them another chance, since they sent a $5 coupon good on the next order. I ordered a sweet-leaf plant and a ginger plant, and some plastic tomato collars.The ginger plant never grew (it arrived not even emerged from the soil), and the sweet-leaf plant died within hours. I am not a master gardener or anything, but I don't normally have healthy plants just keel over on me either. But - the tomato collars were a wonderful buy. They worked just like they were supposed to. By the way - the five free gifts were five packets of seeds that didn't grow. This company should stick to non-growing items.
I did some further checking on this company. Then I sent a fax to the MI Att. Gen's. Office, Consumer Protection Div., and to the Sheriff's Off. IN Van Buren County, MI. One of their deputies called me later the same day, and said he knew the company and location and would check on it. I also wrote a VERY strong letter on June 8th to the Pres./CEO if Lipenwald, Inc. stating that if we didn't get our refund by return mail, I would contact the Federal Consumer Protection office in Washington, DC. We got our check yesterday, the 12th! They apparently will respond if pressured!
