Buying plants online – it’s not all rosy
If our experiences are anything to go by, buying plants online can be a lottery. Our Gardening team used several well-known suppliers and got a mixed bag of deliveries. Some plants were damaged, others diseased.
Four members of the Which? Gardening team ordered an assortment of young plants for trials this summer, from well-known online suppliers and one smaller specialist website.
While many of the plants arrived on time and in perfect condition, we had quite a few letdowns. They included:
- Small plants that were little more than cuttings
- Damaged plants
- Plants with dried-out roots
- Diseased plants
- Plants that were the wrong colour
- Plants that were incorrectly labelled
Plants that are incorrectly labelled can especially wreak havoc with our testing, since if we can’t be sure that a plant is what it claims to be, we can’t include it in our trials.
We’ve also had problems with the delivery of the plants themselves. Many deliveries were held up in the post, came late, and in one case, not at all! Again, this makes co-ordinating our trials a bit tricky.
Your rights when buying plants online
Of course, when ordering a product by post or online, you have some legal protection from the Sale of Goods Act, meaning most companies will offer to refund or replace an item.
But it’s not so straightforward with plants. It’s not always obvious that something is amiss straight away – it may be several weeks or months before they flower, for example. By the time you’ve noticed the flowers are the wrong colour, it may be too late to organise a replacement in time for the growing season.
Have you been satisfied with the plants you’ve received after ordering them online, or have you had some disappointments? If so, what were they?
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g thompson
I’ve bought plants online and from catalogues for a number of years. I find that the annuals are cheap but much smaller than available locally. This means that they’re a lot later flowering and other people’s gardens are in bloom a long time before mine. I keep saying I won’t buy any more plants online but the uncommon varieties seem to keep tempting me!
In August I ordered two small plant collections from Thomson & Morgan. One of them…5 different varieties of lupins for £15.95 was not a success. The plants arrived in early September. They were only 6 or 7cm high and one plant was already dead having rotted off at soil level. The other 4 didn’t look too healthy either. Also, they had run out of one variety and so had supplied 2 of the same variety variety. It took a few days to get an email reply which just told me they were having website problems. After another week I emailed again telling them that there was now only one plant still alive (which more than a month later is still on the brink of death). They replied about a week later saying that they would send replacements.
The replacement plants arrived about a week ago and were taller (maybe 10-12cm) and healthier. However, there were only 3 replacements (and 2 of these were the same variety) plus £10 in tokens. Since the tokens run out on 31/12/2011 and another order will mean another postage charge, they’re of little use to me.
Meanwhile, I had spotted much much bigger potted lupins at a local garden centre priced at £3.99 each.
So I’ve told myself, definitely no more plants by post!
Hannah Jolliffe
Hi G Thompson, in case you missed the comments on the previous page, I thought I’d post the details of Thompson & Morgan’s customer service – they have responded to other disgruntled customers so you may well find it’s worthwhile to contact them:
ccare@thompson-morgan.com
Hope this helps
Chris Kealey
I have purchased a lot of fuchsia plants from specialist fuchsia nurseries and I am very pleased with the quality of the plants and I would recommend them to anyone. The plants are well packed and come in good condition and are always labelled correctly. I have had mixed success with some of the larger national companies – some good,some bad.
Helen Fowler
I enjoy talking gardening on a number of sites on facebook. One site has recently set up a discussion forum for question and answers on all things gardening. One thing has come to my notice, some of the members who are new to growing and gardening have been buying ‘unique’ or ‘special’ seeds on ebay. They are then asking how to grow and look after these so called ‘special ‘ seeds cause they cant find anything about them in books. Two of these plant seeds have been ‘Rainbow Roses’ [a rose from seed that has 6 colours in each blossom], and hardy perennial ‘Giant Tomato Trees’. Unfortunatly the new gardeners do not have the knowledge to know these are not real. I had a similar problem last year when at a large garden centre I spotted some Foxgloves that the label claimed they were blue. Even the photo on the label stated ‘deep sky blue’. When I questioned the staff stating there was no such thing as a blue foxglove, they seemed unconcerned to wether the labeling was correct or not. They said they just buy them in, and if the customer wasn’t happy they could return them. I dont think this is the point. Shouldn’t labelling be correct? I know it is difficult to control internet sales from abroad but if new gardeners are been sold seeds and plants that are not going to grow as expected, many will lose heart or give up. Gardening is hard and expencive enough without been sold pie in the sky!
kathy duke
I have had terrible problems with ‘direct plants’ I bought 10 escallonia apple blossom last year this is their first year of flowering and they are a deep pinky red not the apple blossom they sold me. I wanted a pale pink and white part in my garden now it looks awful. The company are ignoring my emails and contacts…………… will never deal with them again.!!!
Max
We have recently bought a couple of amelanchiers from Bluebell Nurseries. They were amazingly helpful when I ‘phoned to ask for help in choosing them. The plants themselves were very carefully wrapped( with almost too much packaging if this is possible), very swiftly delivered and in excellent condition. I would recommend them without hesitation
Unhappy Joe
Having bought plants from Gardening Direct, Jersey Plants, QVC, and had the usual disasters as described in the majority of emails Iv’e read, I decided this year to try Garden Bargains.com. Never again. The Fruit trees that have survived have not flowered/fruited as they claim they would this year. Trying to get replacements for items that fail is a waste of time. First they charge you delivery on the replacement item; which I believe is against the Sale of Goods Act 1969. Also they put a 30 day replacement period on the Raspberry canes; which are sold as ‘bare-root’ plants and cannot therefore determine if they are likely to begin to grow within that time frame as to the plants it is still winter for at least another 2 to 3 months after planting them. They refuse to get into email discussion about this, merely issueing a standard email responce stating their terms and conditions, which are an infringement on the consumer’s rights under the Sale of Goods Act 1969. Hence they all appear to be a lottery. Quality is never consistant and though you may do O.K. this year, you cannot guarantee the same quality next year; and don’t you dare upset things by trying to claim a refund or replacement.
Being in a wheelchair means that it is not easy getting to garden centres; and even worse trying to get plants or shrubs home. Hence I resorted to trying to buy my garden products on-line. I am beginning to feel that it would have been easier to struggle home carrying the fruit trees on my wheel-chair than the hassle I have had buying them on-line. I suppose there is always Plastic turf and flowers. Never needs watering, cutting, or pruning and the colour is always there, although they don’t smell the same.
Deb Miller
Hi Sorry to hear about your bad experiences. I have used Crocus and Suttons many times and the plants have usually been of very good quality. I did have some poor veg plants from Suttons once, but they were replaced with no quibbles. Both these companies are more expensive though, but perhaps better value than Gardening Direct etc if they thrive rather than die!
Christopher Addlesee
I also have purchased from gardenbargains.com and like you never again they truly are a rip off i should have researched before using them, i checked out there facebook page and its full of complaints just wished i had looked first.
Hugh Minor
On 3rd October last year I wrote about the extremely poor service that I had received from Suttons.
So it seems only fair that I should give full credit to another on-line nursery for their excellent service and plants.
In May last year I ordered four bare-rooted fruit trees (two apples, a pear and a quince) from Keepers Nursery for delivery last winter. Their website was superb with a very extensive range of varieties (although not all were available for purchase) each with full details of habit, flowering period, harvesting time, disease susceptibility or resistance, and fruit size, colour, texture, flavour and keeping characteristics, as well as full lists of appropriate cross-pollinators.
In October they confirmed that the trees had successfully grafted and only then asked for payment. I asked for delivery within a two-week window before Christmas, which they complied with. They told me in advance what day they planned to deliver, and confirmed this the day before. The trees were well packed, appeared healthy and had well-developed roots. There was full advice on planting and after-care.
The trees all flowered this spring. I cannot comment on fruiting because, to conserve their strength, bare-rooted maiden fruit trees should not be allowed to fruit in their first year.
All in all a very positive experience.
Victoria
I placed an order for a Fig tree with Marshall seeds in March. When it arrived the box it was packed in was damaged very badly, it looked as if something had been dropped on it in the courier van. I took photos of it before I opened the box. Inside the top 6 inches of the tree was broken off. I phoned to complain and was told that this was the only tree from the suppliers so it was that or nothing and I should just accept it as there was nothing wrong with it, it was just shorter than it had been! The lady I spoke to told me it would just grow again, however I was concerned that it could branch where it had snapped rather than grow straight and afterall, I had paid nearly £30.00 for a tree I expected to be in first class order so I refused to keep it. It took a further 3 days to be collected and then I heard nothing despite being told someone one call me back.
I rang again after 10 days and was told they had forgotten to call me back but they would dispatch a new tree as soon as possible. After two months nothing had arrived so I called again, this time they said that a tree was going to be dispatched the next week but it had a flaw, the top was broken and did I mind!!!….they admitted then that it was the tree that I had returned.
After complaining to a the next person I spoke to, I was told that the Fig tree would now come in October. That is fine by me as this is the best time to plant it, as long as it really does arrive then and they haven’t forgotten about it!
I was offered a £5.00 voucher as recompense but unsurprisingly it has never arrived and I haven’t heard anything else despite them having phone and email numbers.
Christopher Addlesee
I recently made a purchase from jparkers.co.uk and was led to believe my plants would be despatched straight away only to be notified after paying i would have to wait 28 days, i wasnt happy as some of the items i ordered should not be planted into frozen ground, my plants where due to arrive end of November early December which is totally no good, so i cancelled the order and asked for a refund now this is where the fun begings as a week gone by and still no refund now not sure what to do as no plants and £45 out of pocket!!!!!!
Richard's Girl
I have ordered plants and seeds from T & M for years, but have to say they have gone too far downhill in my estimation in recent years. Van Meuwen is part of the same group and are similarly afflicted with buyers who don’t know one variety from another. My particular obsession is Eryngiums. I grow E. bourgatii, E. planum and E. Miss Willmotts Ghost. I ordered E. Alpinum from Van Meuwen only to receive E. planum, and twice they sent replacements that were E. planum. Unaware that Van Meuwen and T & M were related I ordered 2 roots of E. Alpinum online from T & M, only for them too to turn out to be the easily grown (and in my opinion inferior flowers) E. Planum. The replacements they sent too turned out to be E. Planum again – that’s FIVE times I have had the wrong variety supplied. T & M did offer a refund, but took off P & P (even though I had paid this separately). I had ordered lilies from them at the same time – these also turned out to be not L. speciosum but the Asiatic Lilies instead and were full of Lily Rust, and have been replaced, though I doubt they are the ones I ordered in the first place – we shall see in the summer.
As to the Eryngiums, T & M did offer me two packets of seed of E. Alpinum, so I shall try once again to get what I paid for.
Is it too much to receive an item as described and illustrated nowadays?
Thompson & Morgan
I am sorry to hear you have had trouble with your recent purchases from Thompson & Morgan.
Please could you email ccare@thompson-morgan.com with the details of your complaint, and we will do our best to resolve the matter for you.
Regards,
Jessica Rowley
Customer Care
ROY AMPHLETT
I received a delivery yesterday of 70 Antirrhinum. When I opened the box the plants were upside down because the box had either been dropped or upside down with something put on top of it.
The inside packing had burst and about one third of the plants were loose in the box.
Most had broken stalksbut I managed to plant about 40 of them, but it is anyone’s guess if they will
grow. All the rest are completely ruined.
Can I please have replacements for the damaged ones.
John Perkins
In March I ordered 140 Nicotiana ‘Eau de Cologne Mixed’ dispatch shown as ‘By end of May 2013 ‘ from Van Meuwen . On the 31st of May I received a letter stating that the delivery was to be March 2014. There was no offer of a refund. As this is not the first time this has happened to me (and I suspect many more people) I am so annoyed that I have asked for a refund within 7 days and if Van Meuwen do not meet this date, I fully intend to take it through the debt recovery procedure.
keith
I Ordered some plants from VANMEWEN 9 Aril due for delivery Aril/May
I took this to mean end of Aril early May. When the plants did not arrive by 19 May I e mailed them,but got no reply. I have now e mailed them 3 times without reply.
It is now 4 June, and still no plants and no idea when or if I will ever get them.
Would recomend not to buy plants online or the post from VANMEWEN.
Keith
Reg Greatorex
Order from Gardening Direct. First delivery well packed, plants in very good order . Vast improvement on last year. Thought they had at last got their act together. Second delivery: Boxes in good order. No visible damage. Upon opening both boxes, it was a shock. The plants were all out of their sections in the tray and stems were broken and unusable. How do these plants get so disturbed in transit when they have foam pads to hold, supposedly, the plants in position. The first delivered box had “airbags” to secure them but these would have squashed the plants in question. Have sent email to them and awaiting their comments and replacement. I only wish the directors of this company could see how damaged their plants are and find out a reason for this. I told them and myself last year that I would never use them again! How could I trust what I was informed that they had sorted out the delivery problems for this year. They should order plants under a nom de plume and see what they get!! Will I ever learn?
David Hill
Unlike Reg, I have stood firm! Had lots of mailings from Gardening Direct this year, all of them went straight into the bin without being opened? What is the expression – “once bitten, twice shy”, well in my case it is “twice bitten, thrice shy”. I will never use mail order for plants again, they may seem cheap but by and large it is a false economy!
Deb Sheridan
I had a poor experience ordering plant plugs from Crocus (although their large potted plants were always in excellent condition). Having like David decided never to place mail orders again for plant plugs/seedlings, I ordered some plants from Sarah Raven. They arrived beautifully wrapped and in pristine condition. I have gone back for more and ordered some for my father too and he was equally impressed. I will not hesitate to order plants from Sarah Raven again.
Nelly
I have bought from PlantsGalore in the past year. The service is excellent and the plants were fantastic and healthy.
Their website is a joy, the prices are very good.
I recommend you give them a try.
Jenny
Having problems with Van Meuwen customer services after 4 trees were ‘despatched’ at end-May but never arrived at my house (payment of course was taken on day I ordered – 25/4). Have called 3x and emailed 1x, they say they will ‘chase’ the delivery, and I have never received a reply. Finally 2 weeks ago cancelled the order on phone and by letter, asking for a refund, including for some other plants that were ‘delayed’ until Sept (I ordered in April, they promised in May, this is now June). Then yesterday just got an email that the plants due in Sept (which I cancelled last week) are in the post, and ‘this now completes the order’ – even though I have never received the 4 trees or the refund for them. You get the feeling there is no company here – just a website with an outsourced call centre. I will be surprised if I get my refund without having to claim it through credit card company. Never again Van Meuwen!! Will go to my local garden centre next time!
[This comment has been edited for breaking our guidelines. Thanks, mods.]