"Rip-Off" Gardening Express

I have a strange feeling that I have been ripped off. Has anyone ever ordered from www.gardeningexpress.co.uk I ordered and paid for �£60 worth of plants in December. The company immediately took the money but I have not received any plants, when I emailed them they replied that 4 out of the 7 plants ordered were for spring planting so i should expect them all then. I have since emailed them 3 times(as they never answer the customer service number) asking for the 3 winter planters but with no reply.
I would like to hear some positive news about this company.
Thanks

[ 24. May 2006, 06:03 PM: Message edited by: Webmaster ]

 

Getting "Page Not Found - HTTP 400 - Bad Request" Can you check link?

Whois also returns a blank for co.uk though there is a .com and a .net

 

Hi I dont know what has happened to the link, I did type it in instead of copy and pasting whether that made a difference I am unsure, but the address is definately correct.

 

OK I see what the problem is - there is an extra dot (.) after the co.uk

Is this the link you want?

GardeningExpress

 

Ahh, I see where I went wrong, yes that is the link.

 

I briefly scanned their terms and conditions and they do state that some plants will be sent when available or at a suitable time for planting. I think you should carefully check your order against their catalogue but I do agree it would be courteous to reply to your concerns. Online ordering is very much a matter of trust and reputation and no company can afford too many black marks even if they are within their terms. Word goes round the web very quickly

 

Cheers for your reply, I am just concerned because I thought that a company takes your details then only charges you when they are processing the order. Like you said an email would be reassuring. Oh well, I will be even more patient than I have been already.

 

Do let us know how things go - it's not a site I've seen before (and I followed the link and got straight there, by the way!) - and would add it to my list if it's ok. Like Frogesque says - it's all a matter of trust, and word gets around quickly, particularly if it's bad!

 

I think that this is common practice with alot of mail order plant outlets, great for their cashflow, a bit unsettling for the customer.

 

I would agree with Tortuosa - taking payment and sending plants later is very common practice with both mail order and on line.

What were the plants you ordered - cos even T & M stagger their delivery of plants to when they are suitable for sending - they grow on Guernsey I believe.

 

I ordered these plants with the top 4 apparently available now.
I am very new to gardening and this was my first internet plant buy. Now I have a garden I am falling in love with gardening, I just wish I had something to plant.

Berberis admiration
Clematis
Phormium tenax
Hosta fortunei

Spring:
Aquilegia black barlow
Crocosmia
Iris white city
Meconopsis + Sheldoni

 

I would agree with my fellow gardeners quite often plants are sent when in season so probably no need to worry..but a small reply would have been nice. I ordered a piece of equipment from Germany it took 6 days No conformation at all apart from a PayPal email/reciept it arrived in perfect condition and was totally correct.

 

Thanks for the list - I wouldn't expect the spring ones much before April/May - but the clematis, berberis, phormium and hostas - mmm more difficult. Cos whilst you can buy them in garden centres, and plant them in the winter, as they are dormant there is little to show you have a plant. It may be that they are a) sourcing them and b) waiting til March .

The site looks OK however I agree that it is impolite not to respond to your e-mails - so may I suggest that you write to them by snail mail, special delivery - can work better than e-mails in my experience. You can always threaten to cancel your order and seek an immediate refund if nothing heard.

 

I have ordered from this site and found it OK. If I'm worried I usually ring the company.
Some companies [like Bakker] don't take your money until they dispatch the stuff. I find THIS unnerving as I have sometimes forgotten!

 

'Fraid not! I recently had a problem with a buyer who thought as you did and reported me for taking the money before she'd got her goods!

Don't work that way in the internet! Most on-line payment systems take the cash as soon as you hit the 'proceed' button. Just like chip&pin. It's not the seller's doing, but just how Paypal or whoever works.

I gave her her money back!!