topic Re: BUYER BEWARE!! in Garden

BUYER BEWARE!!

Charlee1022 — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 15:08:53 GMT

I ordered several varieties of plants from Roberta's Garden as well as the fertilizer recommended to obtain the optimum growth and blooms as claimed during the sales pitch. I also ordered peonies from Barbara King's show (pathetic). The plants from Roberta’s Garden and Barbara King came delivered yellowed, broken and very weak and extremely small (nothing like what was portrayed on the QVC shows). Although I knew I was ordering plants in 'cups or bare root' the size and condition of the plants were horrendous and certainly not as advertised during the shows. The plants also arrived during the season when frost and snow were still a possibility (Zone 7), we had frost and snow April 9/10. The advertising said the plants would be shipped at the time the plants were ready to install in the ground/container upon arrival - what a crock of junk that was too. I followed the guidelines in the pamphlets even though upon opening the packages, the plants were in very sad shape; one of the peonies was only a stick, no roots and totally unable to plant as directed. After a couple of days in a protected area and watered, the plants were placed gingerly into outdoor container pots hoping what was salvageable would flourish. The plants are slowly withering away or have died! I am heartbroken. The injustice of the false advertising and the cruelty the plants endured before arriving seems 'criminal'. I have gardened for over 30 years and as much as I hate to say this, I have seen BOX store and grocery store plants look better than what I received and paid for from QVC and their vendors. I ordered three different types of Geraniums, Gerber daisies, sun patients, bare root day lilies, butterfly milkweed, just to name a few. Yes, the plants could be sent back I suppose, but that would be shipping costs and I have already spent hundreds of dollars on the pitiful plants, the potting soil, and containers. The expectation to receive extraordinary and unique plants were overshadowed by what just as well have been rubbish. Also, asking for replacements after seeing what condition the plants are in just seems ludicrous. Why should anyone have to experience the possibility of another shipment of plants be delivered in the same shape or maybe even worse. The prospect of the plants not reaching the full potential due to damage is so sad. Buyer beware!

Re: BUYER BEWARE!!

Kachina624 — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 15:18:28 GMT

@Charlee1022 It's very difficult to read long posts with no paragraphs indicated if your vision is not the best. I get the gist of it. All of these plants are guaranteed so if you're not satisfied, call and as for a refund. Best to buy locally.

Re: BUYER BEWARE!!

ellaphant — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 15:27:02 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
@Charlee1022 It's very difficult to read long posts with no paragraphs indicated if your vision is not the best. I get the gist of it. All of these plants are guaranteed so if you're not satisfied, call and as for a refund. Best to buy locally.

So you're an English teacher now? Good grief. I read it easily.

Re: BUYER BEWARE!!

50Mickey — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 15:29:04 GMT

@Charlee1022 Just curious Charlee 1022, if you have been gardening for over 30 years why purchase plants from a TV show when there are so many places to get plants like you said big box stores etc? If you are this dissatisfied with the plants call customer service and ask for a refund.

Re: BUYER BEWARE!!

Kachina624 — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 15:31:47 GMT

@ellaphant wrote:
@Kachina624 wrote:
@Charlee1022 It's very difficult to read long posts with no paragraphs indicated if your vision is not the best. I get the gist of it. All of these plants are guaranteed so if you're not satisfied, call and as for a refund. Best to buy locally.
So you're an English teacher now? Good grief. I read it easily.

@ellaphant Your response is insensitive, even for you.

Re: BUYER BEWARE!!

gtx — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 15:36:15 GMT

I couldn't read it either. When I see posts like this all run together, I usually just pass on by.

Re: BUYER BEWARE!!

proudlyfromNJ — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 15:37:03 GMT

I didn't bother reading it. I never read huge one paragraph small print posts. Just what's best for me.

Re: BUYER BEWARE!!

fthunt — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 15:37:05 GMT

@ellaphant That remark wasn't needed. Perhaps your eyes are younger than ours........but reading a solid block of tiny words with no break (like paragraphs) .....is not easy.

I just don't bother to read if it isn't comfortable.

Re: BUYER BEWARE!!

eadu4 — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 15:44:45 GMT

@Kachina624 you guys set me straight years ago. Was pointed out on a post I did and I went back and face palmed myself. Sure enough way too long with no breaks. Yup my point was lost about 6 sentences in lol. I try to be careful now.

Re: BUYER BEWARE!!

KingstonsMom — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 15:47:38 GMT

@Charlee1022

I've never had good luck ordering live plants from QVC, not from any of the live plant vendors.

I learned my lesson and buy from local nurseries, etc. ever since, 30+ years ago.

Sorry you've been so disappointed, I sure was too.

Re: BUYER BEWARE!!

KingstonsMom — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 16:02:13 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
@Charlee1022 It's very difficult to read long posts with no paragraphs indicated if your vision is not the best. I get the gist of it. All of these plants are guaranteed so if you're not satisfied, call and as for a refund. Best to buy locally.

@Kachina624

In my past experience of receiving pretty much dead stock that could not be revived (and I have a pretty good green thumb), I was not offered a refund, rather a 'replacement' that would ship to me for the next planting season.

Maybe that's changed now, I don't know, since I don't order live plants from QVC anymore.

Re: BUYER BEWARE!!

KingstonsMom — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 16:12:49 GMT

@ellaphant wrote:
@Kachina624 wrote:
@Charlee1022 It's very difficult to read long posts with no paragraphs indicated if your vision is not the best. I get the gist of it. All of these plants are guaranteed so if you're not satisfied, call and as for a refund. Best to buy locally.
So you're an English teacher now? Good grief. I read it easily.

@ellaphant

With all due respect, what @Kachina624 had nothing to do with "being an English teacher", she didn't question grammar, punctuation, etc.

It had everything to do with a big block of text being harder to read as we age/vision issues.

I always make a point of breaking up long texts into paragraphs, to make it easier to read, but that's just me.

Re: BUYER BEWARE!!

Foxxee — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 16:45:42 GMT

Fairly good experience with Barbara King, out of three, one died, but Roberta's another story.

Similar to yours. Sent 4 weeks early, snow still on the ground. Plants turned brown the next day and began dying. No way would I put plants in the ground when it is still frozen.

Did receive a replacement, but again, the plants began turning brown the next day. Planted anyway, but they never recovered.

The plants from Roberta's were newborns, just popping up out of the ground for the first time. Were transferred to another container, then shipped. Much too young and fragile to transfer to another container and ship.

The bare roots from Cottage Farms had white mold on them. Again shipped 6 weeks too soon. They died. Replacement had white mold on the roots. Died.

I've been ordering plants from catalogs and online for years. Never had this problem.

Re: BUYER BEWARE!!

Foxxee — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 17:17:46 GMT

@ellaphant

@Kachina624 has stated here previously, with her vision, she has trouble reading posts like this.

It's nice you can read it easily, but not everyone can.

This is more difficult to read when sentences run together like this in long posts. Fewer people will read it. Use paragraphs.

I also noticed more members are using the default or small size fonts. I suggest they use a larger font. 3 is what I am using here.

Re: BUYER BEWARE!!

Miss Pepsi — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 17:41:01 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
@Charlee1022 It's very difficult to read long posts with no paragraphs indicated if your vision is not the best. I get the gist of it. All of these plants are guaranteed so if you're not satisfied, call and as for a refund. Best to buy locally.

I found it difficult to read as well so I get it.

Re: BUYER BEWARE!!

RespectLife — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 18:20:43 GMT

@KingstonsMom wrote:
@Kachina624 wrote:
@Charlee1022 It's very difficult to read long posts with no paragraphs indicated if your vision is not the best. I get the gist of it. All of these plants are guaranteed so if you're not satisfied, call and as for a refund. Best to buy locally.

@Kachina624

In my past experience of receiving pretty much dead stock that could not be revived (and I have a pretty good green thumb), I was not offered a refund, rather a 'replacement' that would ship to me for the next planting season.

Maybe that's changed now, I don't know, since I don't order live plants from QVC anymore.

I have had some good and some bad luck ordering. When they died within 30 days...I got a full refund from QVC.

After that time, I had to take a replacement for the next year.

There are MANY offerings on Q and from mail order catalogs that are just NOT found in any of the nurseries around me and I have been to TONS of them.

You can find the basics very easily...nothing different or exotic.

Most offer NO guarantee at all...UNLESS they plant them for you.

I had very good luck w/ Philip Watson last year ....

PS I didn't read past 2 sentences either. I don't like titles with 'Beware'....

Re: BUYER BEWARE!!

Venezia — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 22:37:35 GMT

@KingstonsMom wrote:
@Kachina624 wrote:
@Charlee1022 It's very difficult to read long posts with no paragraphs indicated if your vision is not the best. I get the gist of it. All of these plants are guaranteed so if you're not satisfied, call and as for a refund. Best to buy locally.

@Kachina624

In my past experience of receiving pretty much dead stock that could not be revived (and I have a pretty good green thumb), I was not offered a refund, rather a 'replacement' that would ship to me for the next planting season.

Maybe that's changed now, I don't know, since I don't order live plants from QVC anymore.

@KingstonsMom - I had the same experience with Cottage Farms, despite Philip saying that the customer could get a refund or replacement, "your choice", were his words.

I not only didn't get the refund I requested, I got a two-page-long (really) letter lecturing me on how to take care of my strawberry plants! It was a really condescending letter and I replied that I have a degree in biology, did plant research for two years straight out of college and I think I know dead and moldy plants, when I receive them, and restated that I wanted a refund, as promised on air.

No reply, but the next year, in came another shipment of dead plants. I've never ordered another thing from them. In hindsight, I should've filed a complaint with QVC, but I couldn't be bothered at the time. Lesson learned.

Re: BUYER BEWARE!!

tl98466 — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 23:47:35 GMT

Hmm. Look who's calling the kettle....

Re: BUYER BEWARE!!

Chessa35 — Thu, 14 Apr 2022 00:05:15 GMT

I don’t have good luck with plants from Roberta’s or Barbara king . Poor condition...broken or dead . I’m able to get a refund without any trouble .

I only buy cottage farms plants . They arrive looking healthy. ( only wish they didn’t ship too early, though . Can’t plant right away )

Re: BUYER BEWARE!!

KingstonsMom — Thu, 14 Apr 2022 01:22:32 GMT

@tl98466 wrote:
Hmm. Look who's calling the kettle....

@tl98466