[viettaclark]

I am fuming mad!
I ordered a selection of quite expensive plants and paid expensive postage.
The geranium "Anne Folkard" was supposed to be a mature plant in a 2/3 litre container. Although it was in a big container it was obviously repotted from a 3" pot and filled up with compost when sending. The plant is also weak. Grrrr I paid £7.99 for it!
Also I ordered a specimen sized Saracocca (Sweet Box) in a 5/6 litre pot for £15.99 to give instant effect in a bare patch by the front door. They sent 2 small ones in 2 litre pots!!!
The Agapanthus, again, was repotted from a 3" before sending  in a 3litre pot and the roots were damaged and broken pieces dropped off when I took it out.. I paid £11.99 +£4 postage for some compost and a small plant that might cost £3 in B&Q. Disgusting!
I bought through Ebay and the shop was Coates (although the delivery boxes were from Gardening Express) and I'm so fuming.I was really looking forward to getting them and planting out.
I have written to them but as their policy is you must return by courier at your own expense and I'm certainly not doing so that I don't know what they'll do.
On the plus side...the other geranium was really pot bound with lots of dead growth but some healthy shoots and I've split it into 5. The Globe Thistle which was supposed to be mature in a 3 litre pot was in fact three 3" pot plants in a big pot again but I don't mind that as they were 3 healthy plants which saved me splitting. The blue Penstemon is small but healthy so I should be able to split that next year.
And don't talk to me about T&M seeds/postage cost/delivery speed/customer service. I planted some hardy geraniums (v. pricy) and ONE has come up out of 18 and Bush Bean "Opera"  didn't germinate either although all my other beans/flowers (most bought from Dobies) have done really well. Standard reply when I complained and I have to wait 2 weeks for a proper reply because they're busy. No more custom from me ,folks!
I can't get to the shops easily because of arthritis and buying on-line is really handy.
Just seems a drag that these practices go on....
OK rant over. Grumpy old woman!

[viettaclark]

Update
Coates got back to me with excuses about supply being held back by weather and offering new mature plants when they come in.
I replied that they are actually defrauding their customers and although I would be grateful for some more plants they should notify their customers if there's a problem!It's costing them to do it but I wonder how many people WON'T complain.....

[green fingers]

Oh this is so bad, I would be fuming mad too.  It is such sharp practice.  It would cost them very little to contact you and then put the matter right.  They are foolish as they have lost a customer.   Trading Standards??

[Goosegirl]

If you order plants according to their description, you enter a mutual contract and should get the plants as described, unless there is a cultural problem about which they should inform you and give you the chance to choose from their stated replacements, vouchers, money back etc. The prices seem to me to be extortionate, never mind p+p. I also never buy from T+M as I have had a similar experience in the past. Gardening Direct and Jersey Direct I can heartily recommend. If they don't have the plants you want, Google for a supplier - I bet they will be cheaper! Trading Standards are a good bet - but take photos now so you have the evidence. Good luck and don't give up! 

[spottymint]

Hi

I wonder if Gardening Express has re-branded ? I mention this as GEx was a power seller with lot's of reds ! I always avoided for that reason, not seen Coates.

I have bought some great plug plants from Ebay,So  not all traders are bad, but  I did have 1 con. Said item located London, England, my refund came via the Phillapines or Thailand !!

[spottymint]

Hi

Just found his site, boy the feedback !   

In 12 months, 49 negs, 39 nuetral & 3025 posative.

But most negs are about plant size, not as described.

I always click their name, see all feedback & click the negs for a quick read. Depending what it says and how many, I work out if it is worth the risk.

This guy would fail my checks.

[Flowerpower136]

I bought direct from Gardening Express some years ago, a wisteria advertised as being of a size guaranteed to flowering.

I wrongly assued that with such a guarantee the plant would be a grafted one - how else can they guarantee flowering?

Ordered it at flowering time just to be sure.

It arrived, pathetic little thing no signs of flowers past, present or future and not grafted.

They wouldn't take it back unless I paid courier, which at domestic rates would have been more than value of plant.  Hugh exchange of e-mails, very unhelpful, sarcastic and defensive responses.  Eventually contacted Trading Standards, who were keen to have the details.  Don't know if anything was done, but they did seem to have an interset in that company.

I put it down to expereince, and wouldn't buy from them if they were the last nursery on earth.

[viettaclark]

Thanks for sharing your experience.
I have been offered a full refund if I send back the plants.
No way! That might be their policy but the Sale of Goods Act specifies that if an item is not as described then it is the seller's responsibility to pick it up.
Also I don't WANT to send back the whole order....there are only 2 plants I'm complaining about out of 7 because I'm making the best of a bad job and keeping the two Box.
I have mailed them about this and how I want LARGE replacement plants as advertised. They are still selling exactly the same plants with the same description on Ebay.
I have also taken photos of the tiny weak plants next to the huge pots they came in against a ruler and will send these if they want proof. I am holding back on the courier thing.
Haven't heard anything back yet.
Do you think I ought to let Trading Standards know now?

[spottymint]

Hi

I would consider trading standards, as distance selling, you have rights which you don't get when buying from a retail outlet.

See feed back, all complaining of small plants ect.

http://feedback.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=coates5569&iid=-1&de=off&items=25&which=negative&interval=365&_trkparms=negative_365

If you search sweet box, item comes up, on right  hand side, an option to report item, try reporting to ebay. They may suspend sales ! 

[Flowerpower136]

From memory, I contacted my local trading standards, who talked it through with me and explained my chances of getting money back.  Basically would have had to go through small claims, and that's just nonsense for the price of a plant.  It was only £10, and yes they offered full refund, but would have cost me £30+ to courier it back.

Local TS passed the information on to the TS in Gard Ex's area, and they sent me quite a substantial questionnaire to fill and asked for copies of all correspondence.  Quite a bundle went back to them.

I think they need to amass enough evidence to take on a company, which my info will have helped with, but didn't sort my problem out.

It is always worth drawing these things to TS attention specially when you have photographs prooving good not as described.  But it won't necessarily result in you getting a replacement or money back.

If you bought via ebay (which I didn't) definately alert ebay to the problem. 

[Livinhope]

Having just used the small claims court I know that you can claim for ALL out of pocket expenses which I did.

Is it not possible to complain to ebay direct about fraudsters who use their site?

[DavidT]

I never, ever, buy plants online. Visit your local independent garden centre and buy plants you can SEE. You are also helping the local economy.

[viettaclark]

My plants arrived in Gardening Express boxes, really well wrapped, HUGE boxes for the HUGE pots of compost!!
I've just been researching them....not very popular are they?
This coates5569 guy on ebay must be an agent.
I spoke to Trading Standards and they have logged the complaint but need an address. No address available, only messages through ebay or a phone number which I shall try next week if I haven't heard anything. Then if no joy I'll go to ebay.
Must be able to get the address or you couldn't send stuff back.....

[Trillium]

ebay is quite fussy about their sellers and if you lodge a complaint to ebay about them, it will somehow reflect on their business. Forget exactly how but it does.

[newatthis]

hi, can i ask did you pay by pay pal, if so you can take it up with them, i brought an item of ebay once and it turned up broken, told the person what happerened and all i got was a email from them offering to replace a bit of it( that wasn't even broke) when i told them i needed the whole thing replacing, they just kept sending the same email offering the same part, then they wanted photo's of the broken table(grooming table at 55.0 with p+p), sent them photo's after photo's went on for weeks, so i opened a paypal thingie, and told them what happerend they also asked for photo' i think, and i sent copies of emails too if i rember, and they never repleyed to them (payapl) and i won my case and got a full refund... and i kept the table ( went to the tip in the end)...
it's worth a go if you payed by pay pal.. good luck