COMPOST REVIEW 2013

Discussion in 'Compost, Fertilisers & Recycling' started by ARMANDII, Feb 6, 2013.

  1. Loofah

    Loofah Admin Staff Member

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    Maybe he got lost on his way to the chippy?!
     
  2. shiney

    shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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  3. Scrungee

    Scrungee Well known for it

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    From http://www.wickes.co.uk/invt/101292 (Wickes reponse to Loofah's review)

    If peat is being banned, surely that means NIL use, rather than reduced use?


    P.S. Think I'll stockpile some Verve on the next B&Q Club 20% off day!
     
  4. Loofah

    Loofah Admin Staff Member

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    Weird, in the listings it says it has a star rating of one (I couldn't give it zero) but when you click all reviews are removed!!
    The cheek of some people.
    Can someone else confirm for me before I fire off another salvo?
     
  5. shiney

    shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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    Loofah,

    if you're referring to the 'Nutrient Rich' multi then these are the reviews.

    http://www.wickes.co.uk/invt/200246

    If you're referring to the multi-purpose then I can't see any reviews.

    and, if you're referring to the 'peat free', these were the reviews that gave it one star.

    "This is without question the worst compost I have ever purchased. If fact it is incorrect to call the product compost because it is degraded mulch. There is no soil to speak of just wood fibers, rubbish product, very disappointed."

    "I purchased six units of this product last year and and the contents of each bag were consistently excellent. I have just purchased my first 3 bags this year and the contents are consistently woeful. They look like the contents of an incontinent carpenters floor, the amount of wood fibre/chips is unbelievable. Have you (Wickes) changed supplier in the never ending march for greater profit? I will never purchase this product again, indeed this has caused me to cancel a delivery of 70 paving slabs and a ton of top soil and six more bags of mp compost. Being 7 miles from store means a refund on my mp compost is impractical, and using the phone is pointless. Well done Wickes, you've lost both a leisure and professional customer."

    "trying to be good to the enviroment, bought this product. Wish I had not, Seedlings never grew. other plants were stunted. never reached their full height. even with sloww release fertilizer added to the compost. I have now had to resort to buying normal compost which I shall mix with this. hoping I get better results."

    "we have used many different brands of potting compost over the years but have never used one with such poor results - none of the plants reached more than half the size of previous years, despite exactly the same watering regime etc. The only way to use it is as a mulch, or mixed 50:50 with soil or John Innes. I think the problem is the texture is too open - water drains through in seconds - and with it the nutrients."
     
  6. ARMANDII

    ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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    A bit like Rocking Horses then, Shiney:snork:
     
  7. Scrungee

    Scrungee Well known for it

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    Loofah Wickes have removed your review from their website today. It was there this morning when I saw and quoted from their response to it in post #138 above.

    The only trace of your review is when you search for all their compost and see reference to a one star review that no longer exists (seed compost shown to illustrate difference between a reviewed product and one not yet reviewed:

    I think we're being monitored!
     

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  8. Loofah

    Loofah Admin Staff Member

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    Shiney, I left them the first review on the site for this years mp compost. It had plenty of people 'finding it useful' and they've bloody well removed it! Oooooh, I'm in a tiff.
     
  9. shiney

    shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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    It seems a bit peculiar that they 'supposedly' allow reviews and then edit them :scratch:. That has probably lost them a lot of their custom from members and visitors of GC that read this thread. The thread has already had 4,600 views.

    If I were you, and as annoyed as you seem to be, I would give the info that they censor the reviews to Which? Gardening - the Consumer Association's gardening magazine.

    How about you, also, putting your review back on Wickes site and then post a shot of it on here. We can all monitor what happens to it :blue thumb:
     
  10. Scrungee

    Scrungee Well known for it

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    Loofah if you take this issue up I'll supply the ID of the Wickes store that is selling the 2012 bags of MPC which state on the packaging that they are suitable for seed sowing despite Wickes previously accepting they aren't fit for that purpose, including posting signage around their stores which has now been removed despite them still selling the stuff.

    I used to be a great fan of Wickes, but what they have done/are doing with something like multi-purpose compost sales has completely turned me against them and I'm now looking elsewhere for whatever I used to purchase from them.
     
  11. Loofah

    Loofah Admin Staff Member

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    I'm just annoyed that they have removed a perfectly good review simply because they didn't like it. I can't be bothered to re-write it so left a snottogram instead.
     
  12. shiney

    shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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    I've just been on to their website.

    They've slashed the price of their MP Compost to £3 per 70 litre bag - but have the bargain price of 4 for £15!!!! :doh: What a load of walleys! :snork:

    Their Nutrient Rich MP Compost has been slashed to £2.99 per 70 litre bag - but they haven't got any!!! :lunapic 130165696578242 5:

    They used to be my first port of call for most things but are now my last.
     
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    • Kristen

      Kristen Under gardener

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      Looks like Wickes may be using BazaarVoice for their reviews. I have experience of installing and working with BazaarVoice for our clients, so I know a bit about it.

      I say "looks like" because I've only experienced BazaarVoice reviews added into the page dynamically, client-side, and Wickes are doing it server-side. However, Wickes are using a sub-domain for that job, reviews.wickes.co.uk, which suggests to me that behind the scenes they may well be using BazaarVoice. They are certainly, at this time, using plugins for Styling and JavaScript (browser programmatic control) from BazaarVoice ...

      My understanding was that a key USP of BazaarVoice is that it is an independent service (including sharing reviews between vendors who sell the same product, so that different Vendor's customer service can be compared, as well as just whether the product is any good), all of which is supposed to give the customer confidence that the vendor is not gerrymandering the reviews ...

      The BazaarVoice website is all "fur coat and no knickers" so I'm not sure how far you would get there, but it might be worth raising with them that one of their clients is selectively adjusting the reviews.

      http://www.bazaarvoice.com/solutions/conversations/#.UXusFaKmg1I (Reviews marketing blurb)

      http://www.bazaarvoice.co.uk/ (UK site)
       
    • Loofah

      Loofah Admin Staff Member

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      The question I keep coming back to is - is it worth bothering? Wickes don't listen, and they've had a lot of opportunity, so why try and help them?
      I wrote a letter to their CS again saying same as above but we already know there will be a pat response saying their products offer performance and value for money etc. Waste of my time but I reserve the right to be a grumpy blighter over it lol
       
    • Kristen

      Kristen Under gardener

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      No, almost never is ... but some other poor blighter will waste time & money there ...

      I wonder if Trading Standards would be interested? If the product is not fit-for-purpose, numerous people are complaining in reviews, Vendor is deleting the reviews and thereby continuing to sell product knowing that customers are not happy with it ... ??
       
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