Plumeria People (Botanic Treasures)

I placed an order for Hibiscus and African Violet Fertilizer today. Milton was most kind. We had a long talk about plants, mainly Euphoribia' Crown of Thorns, which I plan on ordering from Plumeria People, come spring, (I'm in IL; temps have been -3 to 20F, so ordering plants now would be a disaster. I bought a couple from him in the past which I love..would like each color flower one day. After reading feedback, I've noticed threads where people state their orders are charged to their cc immediately..This is quite common. I order plants and supplies from numerous nurseries, (this can be verified from reading feedback I've left here on GWD) in which case every order is charged after the "Buy" button is clicked...Some nurseries 'claim' they charge us the day shipping is sent, but to be blunt, it's an outright lie. A simple check on our cc statement details transactions dates. Last summer, Milton was back-logged shipping out orders, therefore he didn't want to add more. I know first hand, since I tried to place an order myself and was told he wasn't taking orders until previous shipments were sent out. Getting plants/supplies was his number one priority, which I respect as a consumer. Toni

I order 38.00 dollars for some bougainvilleas from them, 2 months ago have written and called them they have not returned my calls or email. there site now says there not taking any orders because they are behind on shipping .please give me a break if that was so they would at least email because they would want to keep there customers. I just hope they dont get to start back up . and take other peoples money.

One year ago this month, I placed an order for two plants with Milton. I received a confirmation of my order but to this date I have not received them. On May 25th, when someone posted that a particular plant could be had from Milton I posted a reply to the Florida Plumeria Society that I didn't think he was selling any longer. That same day I received a note from Milton telling me that he was indeed still selling plants and would fill my order if I still wanted them to which I replied that I definitely would like my plants and to please send them to me. Well, now 6 weeks later I still have not received my plants nor have I gotten a response from him when I E-mailed him once again. Milton may still be in business in his mind but as far as I'm concerned I would suggest that if anyone is planning on buying a plant you would be best served doing business with someone who is a little more concerned with customer service and who does not take over a year to decide to ship an order. I only live 80 miles from the Houston area........can you imagine how long it would take a plant to arrive if you live in Florida or California!!

This has been a very bad online purchase. Milton has not responded to emails or phone calls in over three months. Do not buy from them. I have been a grower for over 15 years and have never worked with a sack of compost like this. All I wanted was some Crinums he had on his website. Order Number 2743. Why are you so slow Milton? Are you sick or hurt. Or having family trouble? Just respond and I will have some compassion and maybe change the rating. I have seen many a nursery go under for poor customer service. But never this slow. Get on the phone and return calls Milton or no one will be calling you!

I ordered plumeria seeds in February 2007, after many emails/weeks I was told that they would be shipped that week. 6 weeks later when nothing arrived I emailed them again, they admitted that nothing had been sent and promised that they would send them - still waiting

Milton is great, very knowledgeable and giving. Had a long phone conversation regarding plumierias with Milton, he was very patient and knowledgeable. Had my order in 48hrs. The plants were the healthest and biggest!!! Totally recommend Milton and his nursery.

Unfortunately, this business transaction was not a pleasant one to put it in the nicest terms. The truth is that it was a gutch-wrenchingly painful experience for me. Generally, there are three problems with Botanic Treasures. The first problem is that, when you place an order on the web site, your credit card is immediately charged. Most businesses won't charge your credit card until your items are shipped but not this one. The web site says "Accounts will only be charged at time of shipment." This is not a true statement. The second problem is that this business takes a long, long time to ship your order. The web site says "Every effort will be made to ship within one to three weeks after receiving your order." This too is clearly not a true statement in all cases. And my case is not an isolated case. I have a circle of friends who are all plumeria enthusiasts, and many are in the same boat of waiting endlessly for their order to arrive from Milton, the owner of Botanic Treasures. One woman told me she has waited more than a year for a plumeria that she ordered and still doesn't know when it will arrive. The third problem is that Milton is often nonresponsive to emails and requests for a refund. Here are the particulars: On Thanksgiving, November 25, I placed a large order at the online store, and my debit card was charged $364.60 on November 29, the next business day. There was no email acknowledgement of my order as the site said there would be, but it was around the holidays so I waited. About a month later, I emailed Milton to ask when he would ship my order, and he responded that he would start shipping part of the order after the first of the year and part of the order in the spring. After receiving nothing in the mail, I sent him another email on February 11. He responded that he would start shipping orders in March. After still not receiving anything in the mail, I sent Milton an email on April 19, nearly five months after my initial order was placed, and I cancelled my order and demanded a full refund. Instead of respecting my decision and giving me an immediate refund, Milton sent out a partial order the day that he received my order cancellation. I feel this was disrespectful at the very least. He emailed me to tell me that he had mailed part of my order and asked me for substitution suggestions for the items that I ordered that he did not have available. Since substitutions are unaccepable to me, I demanded a refund of the items which were not shipped. When I received his partial order shipment, it had one plumeria in it and a set of tags that I had ordered. After receiving no credit to my account, I again emailed Milton to ask when the credit would be coming. There was no response. I emailed him again, requesting to know when my account would be credited, and I advised him that, if he did not refund my money immediately, I would file complaints with all relevant state and federal agencies. Here was his response to that email: "Your refund will be coming shortly, not to your Visa account, but as a check by registered mail. I am very sorry that you have become so impatient. First of all, you ordered rooted cuttings during the dormant season for Plumeria. I wish folks such as yourself would or could read the information provided before making a purchase. It states clearly on my web site that when you order rooted cuttings, one needs to be patient. We start with a cutting (no roots) and plant it and wait for roots to form. These roots will not grow over the winter cold and dormant season, so we wait until warmer weather in the spring. Last winter's cuttings are just now beginning to root. On your other comments, I do not like your threatening attitude. You can "file complaints with all relevant state and federal agencies" if you choose. I doubt if this will profit you in the end however. I can also add your name to the list that circulates among vendors and you may find it difficult to get any plant orders filled by any vendors in the future. The choice is yours. Sincerely, Milton Pierson The Plumeria People" I wrote back to Milton that I was patient through December, January, February, March, and most of April. Meanwhile, I rooted many, many cuttings on my own through the winter using a rooting hormone and a heating pad and could not understand why it was taking him so long to send me my order. I also wrote that his threat to blacklist me with other vendors is not an appropriate response to a consumer who just wants a refund. The threat to black list me is laughable since I own over a hundred plumeria and have been a repeat customer of other plumeria businesses without any problems at all. Making me wait to get my money back was also bad business. He finally sent me a personal check by Certified mail for the amount of my refund on May 2. This complete disregard for my wishes, coupled with the lengthy waiting time for an order which was paid for five months ago and coupled with a slow response to refund my money, is the reason that Milton gets a negative rating from me. My suggestion for those considering purchasing from him is to save yourself the trouble and the anxiety and order from either Florida Colors, Maui Plumeria Gardens, or Jim Little Nursery and Farms. All three places are less expensive than Botanic Treasures anyway. Milton does not have any varieties that these other places don't have, and soon someone else will be selling Mukundan's cultivars for less. If Milton wishes to improve his rating and his reputation, he should only charge customers when their purchases are shipped, and he should ship when he says he is going to ship and do so in a timely manner. If an item is out-of-stock, that should be indicated on his web site. If a customer wishes to cancel an order, that decision should be respected and not ignored. Lastly, responding to customers requests for a refund by threatening them is the worst possible thing he can do for his business. I can safely say that I will never order from this business again and will continue to discourage others from doing so at every opportunity.

This company is the best, very personal, hands on...5 star platinum service. Milton is the best!!!! I ordered a Ruby Gold Plumeria Plant as a belated B day present, I explained to Milton the whole situation and that the present was late. Milton went beyond normal service and personally packed and shipped my purchase out immediately. My friend was overwhelmed at the service and speed and the quality of the plumeria plant was GLORIOUSLY FABULOUS>.... My friend couldnt wait to thank Milton for all his extra assistance.... I would have no issues with doing business with Milton, over and over again.

DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY! ! ! ! THEY ARE NOT REPUTABLE. i ordered a rooted plumeria in April of this year and my credit card was charged that day, even though I was told it would take 3 months to root that particular plumeria. In July I emailed them to see when I could expect shipment and was told that week, and that that particular plumeria was difficult to root. Several weeks later, after not receiving the plant, I again emailed them and was told they had lost the shipping address. I had to ask them to take the address again. Still no plant after several weeks later. I emailed them numerous times in July and August and never received response, no do they answer the phone.

Milton Pierson is one of the best plumeria people to deal with. He keeps his website up to date, prices are competitive, and he ships fast. I've always gotten quality plants from him and highly recommend him.