Comments regarding Breck's Bulbs

Posted on August 19, 2011, updated August 20, 2011
Posted on August 19, 2011, updated August 19, 2011
I tried earlier this week to place a simple 3 item order, using the relevant coupon (expiring today) through the Canadian website http://www.brecksbulbs.ca and discovered that their check out is well broken. It simply would not take me to the 'shipping and billing' area. The help' information on the website does not actually reflect the process used for order and checkout so I sent an email to 'support' after getting an unitelligable (garbledygook) response I finally got an email from 'Shannon' saying they'd passed my note on to the web people and if I'd like I could go back to the website and place the order or call the 1-800 number.

I went back to the website, yesterday and today, and the check out is still broken so I tried faxing the order to the fax number listed on the order form. No answer.

So I sent another email detailing my frustrations - really this isn't a good impression to leave a first time customer with.

I got exactly the SAME email form letter response from 'Shannon', so indeed I indicated to them that sending me canned email form letter responses designed to look like they came from a real person doesn't make me any happier.

I got another email back suggesting I could "send your check or money order on our mailing address" OR "You can place your order through our website(www.brecksbulbs.ca) " I mean - REALLY? am I dealing with an overseas call/order processing/customer service group? Because whomever "Shannon" is she really doesn't seem to be getting the gist of the problem. The order coupon expires today mailing it won't arrive in time, the website checkout bloody well doesn't work! The fax line isn't picking up the phone and in all honesty after all this the last thing I want to do is talk to an overseas call centre to place a credit card order.

Enough already. You lost my business before you ever had it.

Vicky Baker

"On Aug 19, 2011 11:38 AM, Breck's Bulbs responded with:

Vicky, we apologize for the trouble you have had trying to place your order. A customer service representative will contact you and place your order for you if you like. We will still honor your coupon. We have contacted our IT department to have our website checked out. We also have an 800 number you could call if you would prefer and they can take your order as well. Our number is 800-644-5505.
"

I placed an order from Brecks on April 19th for three items. They shipped one item promptly, another item some time later and I have been waiting two months now for the final item which was important to my spring planting plans (final item had a count of 5). I finally call Brecks on Monday of this week (after calling a few times over the last couple of months) to understand why the ship date has been pushed back multiple times and was now estimated as late as the last couple weeks of July?! That is nearly THREE months after the order. They told me how bad the season was in Ohio this year due to bad weather but that they were putting a 'rush' on my order - I thought their product came direct from Holland??? This is misleading at best. But it gets better...I went online this morning and noted they cancelled my order for the final item I have been waiting two months for. No email, no call and when I called them they said they are only returning a fraction of my total amount for the full order. Doesn't make any sense at all and on top of that their 'sister company', Michigan Bulb, did the same thing in canceling part of an order I just place about 10 days ago. This experience, coupled with the refund I had to request on my items from last fall due to them not coming up this spring was the end of it for me with Brecks and all their affiliates. I wanted to share this with the Dave's community (I rarely, if ever, post negative about a company) but this one is comical at best. Urgh - off to the local store to buy my items (probably should have done that from the get-go).

"On Jun 16, 2011 9:29 AM, Breck's Bulbs responded with:

Thank you for letting us know about the problem with your order. A customer service representative will be contacting you for your account information. We will do whatever we can to make sure you are taken care of. We apologize for any inconvenience."

Posted on June 6, 2011, updated June 14, 2011
I had oredred a couple of grab bags fromt hem 3 years back. The following year a few plants came back and so I asked them to send only one grab baga s replacement since thignswerent as bad. 2 years gone adn now only a few shamcrock bulbs and one dahlia and the lily tree (some bulbs) survived. I caled them this eyar to complain and requested ar eplacement. A very rude lady told me that they cannot keep shipping me free plants every time ( i asked for it only once so far). She said that she can give me a credit for future use that I CANNOT use for grab bags. It can only be used for phone order (not online). I said that is not fair adn then she said that if I ask for replacement then she threated to close my account and not let me order ever again. I did like the plants especailly the dahlia collection I received as part of my grab bag, the poppy anmonie, dutch glads, peacocks and many more but nothing survived. So basically it is like I spent my money to have those plants just for one season and not really perennials :(

"On Jun 6, 2011 3:57 PM, Breck's Bulbs responded with:

Thank you for your posting. We apologize for the rudeness of our agent. A customer service representative will be contacting you for your account information and take care of this for you."

I ordered the Mixed Grab Bag on 4/28/11 and the shipping date was between 5/6 through 5/9. On 5/8 they moved it back a week - since then it moves back every day with it now being moved out to 5/31 through 6/14 (with it moving backwards still). Calls provide no clarity and I was told that boats move slow from Holland. It is getting to be too late in the year to even plant many of the bulbs I will be getting. This is a very, very bad experience - please avoid.

"On May 24, 2011 12:23 PM, Breck's Bulbs responded with:

We appreciate you letting us know about the problem wth your order. We will have a customer service representative contact you for your account information and check into the delivery of your order."

I placed an order using a $25 coupon. As required, I paid the balance of the order with a credit card. Plants arrived in the fall and by the next spring they were blooming nicely. End of story? Not quite yet. Fast forward to the call from a collection agency claiming I somehow own money from a COD order. A quick call to Brecks (aka Gardens Alive) and they confirmed they failed to apply the coupon in full. It took them 2 minutes to figure out where they made the mistake. It is now nearly a month later and I still get calls from the collection agency despite attempting to follow-up with the company 1/2 dozen times. They have written nice letters (to me) stating that they have cleared this up, but the collection agency still says my account is not cleared. So if you order from this company, realize you may end up having your account go to a collection agency after they misapply a coupon. Good luck.

"On May 16, 2011 10:43 AM, Breck's Bulbs responded with:

Thank you for letting us know about the problems you are having with your account. A customer service representative will be contacting you for your account information and take care of this for you.

"

Generally, I have been pleased by my experiences with this company. My perspective changed after I requested via email that an order I had placed be canceled. I was advised this was not possible as the order as "'unable to cancel your order since your order has been processed and ready to ship" by a gentleman by the name of Patrick. I do not understand how the order cannot be canceled if it has not shipped. I am very disappointed in their service. I am at present doubtful that I will place another order with this company.

"On May 5, 2011 3:51 PM, Breck's Bulbs responded with:

We apologize for the problem with your order. A customer service representative will be contacting you for your account information and take care of this for you."

Today I was trying to call in an order using my credit memo that was sent to me after something I ordered was out of stock. It was for $7.99 and I wanted to replace it with something that was $6.99. Seems simple enough to me. I had my account number, the keycode (for sale price) and the notecard/replacement number all on hand and was happy to give any information even when asked mulitple times. The rep was polite enough but kept having me repeat numbers and putting me on hold. Finally after 35 minutes he told me that my total would be $7.41. When I asked him for what he said shipping. When I said that isn't what customer service had told me before I was put on hold again. In the end I have my order completed but it took 45 minutes! I asked that he please transfer me to a supervisor who only told me that he was new and that she was sorry but couldn't do anything. I understand someone being new but you expect people to waste 45 minutes on their cell phones just trying to replace something they already paid for? I am beyond unhappy at this point.

"On Mar 7, 2011 3:07 PM, Breck's Bulbs responded with:

I apologize for the problems you had while trying to place your order. It should not have taken that amount of time to place your order. A customer service representative will be contacting you for your account information to research this further. Thank you for contacting us regarding this problem. Providing excellent customer service is our highest priority."

I've ordered for a couple of years from Breck's. Biggest complaint is that their shipping is horrendously slow. often it takes 2 months..while you wait they string you along with emails like "your shipment is getting prepared in Holland" and "your shipment is in customs and will take 10 days to clear" etc. Maybe it's true, maybe not, but who wants to wait forever for their bulbs. There are better companies out there who are more responsive to feedback and who sell better product at cheaper prices.

"On Nov 1, 2010 9:41 AM, Breck's Bulbs responded with:

Thank you for your feedback. Your comments are appreciated and are used to better service our customers. Our shipping has greatly improved from previous seasons. A customer service representative will be contacting you for your account information.
"

Posted on September 30, 2010, updated September 30, 2010
I have been dumped by Breck's. I found this out when I received a letter from Michigan Bulb (affiliated company). The bulbs never performed well. And, despite what information these companies may tell you, I found the bulbs I bought at Wal-mart last year to be far superior to the Breck's, at a much lesser cost. And, when 3 of 6 Helenium plants did not grow, Brecks sent me 15 replacements in total. None of those plants even grew, and the 3 that grew last year did not return this year. Can you imagine? I don't know why these companies bother. I can say that they've refunded most of my money now, and if I've missed any, I hope they refund the rest. They do offer a guarantee - but if you ask them to replace too much - they get rid of you - even if it was they who did not send quality products. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee or refund for the soil and pots I had to purchase or for my time and efforts.

"On Oct 6, 2010 2:13 PM, Breck's Bulbs responded with:

Thank you for feedback concerning the problems you have had with your orders. We regret that we have been unsuccessful in satisfying your gardening needs. We do strive for 100% customer satisfaction, and in most cases, achieve it. A customer service representative will be contacting you and check into your account for you."

I received 2 emails from Breck's on separate days, with an offer for a "Lily Grab Bag" (for spring shipment) and a "Tulip Grab Bag" (for fall shipment) because they said they had too much inventory.
I purchased both. I received the Lily Grab Bag. But, I was sent an email several days later that the Tulip Grab Bag was no longer available because it was sold out, even though I ordered it the same day I received the email.
What is really going on here? How is it possible that they sold out, after I already placed a timely order?

"On Jul 6, 2010 9:11 AM, Breck's Bulbs responded with:

Thank you for taking the time to post. We appreciate the feedback to better serve our customers. A customer service representative will be contacting you for your account information to see what happened to the Tulip Grab Bag."

After spending over $100.00 with Brecks dating back to 2004 I finally got it that some of the bulbs were never going to grow. I called the company today and was told that because an order(1of many) had been sent to collections that it voided the gaurantee on ALL of my orders. I asked to speak to a supervisor, got one on the phone and she just repeated the same thing the other lady had told me. She also offered to give me the phone # to the collection folks. I asked her if that would get me satisfaction and was told NO. I get that the gaurantee would be voided on that particular order, however it should not void the gaurantee on all previous orders as they were paid for by credit card or a check BEFORE the bulbs were sent to me. I will not do business with this company again nor will I recommend them to anyone that I would like to keep as a friend.

"On Jul 6, 2010 9:05 AM, Breck's Bulbs responded with:

Thank you for taking the time to post. We appreciate the feedback to better serve our customers. A customer service representative will be contacting you for your account information to check into your account."

Posted on June 9, 2010, updated June 11, 2010
Breck's canceled my order of lily grab bags because they said the offer was too popular and their shipping schedule had ended. However, the grab bag is still on sale... (Albeit for the non promotional price)...

"On Jun 10, 2010 7:46 AM, Breck's Bulbs responded with:

Thank you for taking the time to post. We appreciate the feedback to better serve our customers. A customer service representative will be contacting you for your account information and help with your order."

Posted on May 21, 2010, updated May 26, 2010
I ordered 2 bags of mixed bulbs on April 30, 2010. At that time, delivery estimate was May 11th through May 15th. Since my original order, the delivery estimate has been pushed back on 5 seperate occasions, with the latest being May 28th through June 11th.
This order was placed with the expectation that Breck's would deliver the bulbs by the 15th of May. When I contactedtheir "customer service" department on May 17th, I was told that the order had been printed and could not be cancelled; that I would have to wait for my order to arrive before I could cancel it. Even according to their own website, my order has STILL NOT SHIPPED, and it is now May 21st.
The only thing that Breck's is able to do or say is, "I'm sorry for your inconvenience". Now, I have 0 bulbs, $0 back from Breck's, plus I've had to buy new presents for Mother's Day.

I cannot begin to descibe my frustration with this company and I am telling everyone I know to stay clear of Breck's!!!

"On May 24, 2010 11:56 AM, Breck's Bulbs responded with:

Thank you for taking the time to post. We appreciate the feedback to better serve our customers. A customer service representative will be contacting you for your account information."

I think maybe I should be neutral because I have never contacted this company to check on my order. They sent me a coupon for free merchandise in April, which I immediately used. I ended up only paying about$10.00 for the foxglove, lupines, and can't even remember what else. The check was never cashed and hopefully it won't be, because planting season is over here. I am not a fall planter so I really don't want anything to arrive in the fall and if it does it will be returned to sender unopened.

"On May 24, 2010 12:01 PM, Breck's Bulbs responded with:

Thank you for taking the time to post. We appreciate the feedback to better serve our customers. A customer service representative will be contacting you for your account information to check on your order for you."

Stay away from them! All sweetness and light on the outside, and a mass of mixed up, UNRELIABLE, non-professionals on the inside! Fortunately, they had not yet taken the just about $ 250.00 from my credit card. I had to cancel the large order, although I really loved their beautiful catalog and website, and the staff is nice and polite. I ordered ALL SPRING bulbs on April 21st, 2010, and as of today, May 22nd, 2010, I have not yet received any of them, even though I was told by a pleasant woman in Customer Service that they would ship on May 12th. She had said that the reason I had to wait a long time was that I ordered a lot of items!! Today, I spoke with three men in Customer Service Department: two regular staff and one alleged supervisor. The first two said I would get my SPRING order in early June, however, the supervisor said "You missed the deadline yesterday (Friday)!" Can you imagine? I MISSED THE DEADLINE???? (What deadline??) I ordered on April 21st. They admit that. I think that my order slipped between their very large cracks; I am not the only one this happened to either, he said. I wanted to plant SPRING bulbs and not any fall bulbs in the fall. This is outrageous "service". For decades I have ordered online from Saks to cheap places. I have never waited this long for any order. And....the order was not going to come until ??????????? What a nightmare of annoying, futile, stupid waiting, unnecessary phone calls, and maddening misinformation. (How do they stay in business???????)

"On May 24, 2010 11:59 AM, Breck's Bulbs responded with:

Thank you for taking the time to post. We appreciate the feedback to better serve our customers. We apologize for the problems you have had with your order. A customer service representative will be contacting you for your account information."

I ordered Prima Donna collection of begonias. It arrived over 2 weeks ago.. 6 tubers + 2 "free" hanging basket tubers. I have seen small tubers. These were on that side; it took me by surprise compared to other tubers I had bought elsewhere. Two of the 8 were dry-shriveled looking and I put them all in a damp peat based planting mixture. 6 sprouted and the other 2? Well you know the rest of the story. I will never buy from Brecks again. To send out such puny stock after paying $30.00! I have bought tubers elsewhere and got really large tubers that sprouted easily.

"On May 18, 2010 10:46 AM, Breck's Bulbs responded with:

Thank you for taking the time to post. We appreciate the feedback to better serve our customers. A customer service representative will be contacting you for your account information."

Copy past from a email
I was given the above tracking number for a replacement for hardy amaryllis that did not live last year .My account number is #45320256. So far all tracking numbers given are invalid . The first of our order that you claimed was shipped on the 6th of April has now been reshipped .Tracking number invalid . I can only surmise that your whare house shipping is in severe difficulty . Most warehouses attempt 99% or better without shipping errors . So when are you going to get these issues resolved ??
Have a Great Day
Eric A. Whalley

So on top of all your problems your order confirmation has an invalid email !!!
If you have questions or comments, our customer service staff is here to help. Please e-mail us at service@BreckBulb.ca or call us at (800)644-5505, Monday - Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm.
Please note the email address lacks an s it should be brecksbulbs not breckbulb !!!
Of the three emails sent either to the U.S. or Canada . not one reply ! are you still in business??Phoning sends you to India !So I have been charged . Out of two tracking numbers so far both are invalid . The first one was supposedly shipped over three weeks ago . Invalid!invalid

"On Apr 29, 2010 11:54 AM, Breck's Bulbs responded with:

We appreciate your feedback. Our bulbs are shipped directly from Holland by boat, then transported by truck to a UPS hub, where they are scanned. It is not until the package reaches the US, goes through customs and is transported by truck to be scanned into UPS' system that the tracking number can be used. A customer service representative will be contacting you to help with your order.

Once again, I have been bitten by the old 'Truth in Advertising' thing. Last fall, I received a flyer from Breck's, touting their "Pink Daffodil Collection". This offered a collection of five each of five various pink daffodils, and as a bonus, five bulbs of a sixth pink daffodil, for $29.99. I received and planted the bulbs, and they are now blooming. Only one of them has any hint of pink, and that is not much - it is more of an orange, with maybe a tinge of pink around the edges. The rest are ordinary yellow and white, which I already had, in abundance. I will not order from this company again.

"On Apr 6, 2010 4:10 PM, Breck's Bulbs responded with:

These daffodil are classified as a "Pink" daffodil. However their true color will appear as a cream yellow/white petal with a soft hint of salmon/rosy/apricot color interior. The daffodils require full sun for the best color. If you are not completely satisfied with the results of the blooms we'll be happy to issue a refund, reship or a replacement certificate which can be used for any merchandise of your choosing. Please accept our apology for the inconvenience."

I ordered about 35 or 40 dinner plate dahlias in October 2008 for Spring 2009 delivery. The weather was quite warm by the time the bulbs arrived, and they had begun sprouting. I promptly planted them. Out of the entire batch, only ONE dahlia grew high with giant flowers. Twelve or so didn't grow at all, and the rest grew to one or two feet with small, normal size flowers. Not at all impressive. I kept meaning to call and complain, but with my busy traveling schedule, I forgot and when I finally did contact customer service, I was told my bill had recently been sent to collections. Oops. My bad. But still, the customer service rep (a woman) was very friendly and told me not to worry. She recommended I pay my bill and said she would put in for a re-shipment of the dahlias in the spring, at no cost, according to Breck's guarantee. I called today to confirm the bulbs were on their way, but was told that they had no record of my conversation with the friendly customer service rep and that they would not honor their replacement guarantee because my bill had gone to collections. It didn't matter that they had been paid. The supervisor did offer to provide me with discount coupons so that I could place additional orders. I declined, seeing as how pathetically the dahlias performed. I take full responsibility for my late payment, but Breck's customer service is below par, and their bulbs were beyond disappointing. I won't order from them again.

"On Mar 23, 2010 12:49 PM, Breck's Bulbs responded with:

Thank you for your inquiry. Please accept our sincere apology for any inconvenience we may have caused. We will be contacting you to see what we can do to help rectify the problems you have had."

Posted on November 14, 2009, updated November 28, 2009
I placed the order in the end of August. At the end of September we realized that it takes forever to get the shipment and we canceled the order. In the end of October the mailman brought the partial order from Breck's that we rejected right away. I called Breck's and asked one more time to cancel my order and refund the charge. As of today November 14, I still can not get my refund. When I call Breck's they say that their system does not show that I canceled the order and that they never received the rejected order. This is a very negative experience with this company.

"On Nov 16, 2009 10:32 AM, Breck's Bulbs responded with:

Thank you for your inquiry. Please accept our sincere apology for any inconvenience we may have caused. Our Customer Service Team is checking into the issue you had with your order and will do our best to rectify the problem in a timely manner. We will be contacting you directly with a resolution.

I placed a $200 order, which was lost. It was then allocated an account number different to the one I use. I could not find my order status as a result. Called - call centre in a faraway land it seemed, as could not really make myself understood, was told I had not placed order then told was lost then told found but that order would not go out rushed as had be promised on phone as most items were not in stock. By time they would have been delivered is too cold where I live (near Lake Placid) to garden, and was then given a prepared speech on how to garden and the lifecycle of bulbs. I was then told I could not get my money back for 3 weeks as they could not recredit my credit card. This is all beyond words bad. I have not included account no as no idea which one is being used for me. I've spent several hundred dollars with them recently and was trying to spend 200 more but they accused me or error, oversight and not knowing how to garden. This is NOT the way to treat a customer. Frankly being lectured to from India on upstate New York gardening is a bit much. To say nothing of the hours of my time I have wasted on this.
Won't use again.

"On Oct 30, 2009 2:26 PM, Breck's Bulbs responded with:

Thank you for your inquiry. Please accept our sincere apology for any inconvenience we may have caused. Our Customer Service Team is checking into the issue you had with your order and will do our best to rectify the problem in a timely manner. We will be contacting you directly with a resolution."

Have had previous experiences, some okay, others not. Never any terrific ones. Timing is always an issue. In the Spring I am sent items I have ordered to Zone 5 in March-our last freeze date is in May. In fall I get things at off times, including having bulbs freeze on my door step while out of town.

However, this year we added some new beds and did some interesting landscape designs that included a $385. order from Brecks. The order was originally to ship Oct. 1-14. This was fine for Zone 5. I placed the order the first part of August to assure I would not have things canceled as I have in the past (originally was told I had them reserved but...) When I checked back about shipping status last weekend the items were backed up for shipping as far out as the middle of November. Not acceptable in Colorado! I called (no 800 number so this was on my nickel) and talked to a representative once I got through the automated system (still on my nickel). The customer service gentleman told me it was unfortunate but he would be happy to place a rush on the order as a courtesy rather than have me cancel the order. I agreed. Two days later when I checked on the status the order was $40. higher, apparently reflecting a rush order charge! Again I called (of course on my nickel-apparently a now $425. order doesn't warrant the courtesy of an 800 number) and this time when I finally reached a customer service rep he tried to tell me that the amount was not more than previously. When I told him I was looking at my e-mail confirmation and a print out from three days prior he backed off. I asked about the shipping status, he could not give me one and I subsequently canceled the order. I have spent the day locating the items at other vendors but was not able this late in the season, nearly two months after my original order, to replace all of the items unfortunately. The good news is that after finding this site and reading the abundance of negative comments I am thankful not to have to wait for Brecks. Apparently business is so good that my little $400. order is insignificant. Looking forward to order from the other place I found here on Dave's site-they had very few negative reviews. Happy gardening all-happier without this family of gardening sites Brecks/Spring Hill and affiliates.

"On Oct 14, 2009 10:35 AM, Breck's Bulbs responded with:

Thank you for your inquiry. Please accept our sincere apology for any inconvenience we may have caused. Our Customer Service Team is checking into the issue you had with your order and will do our best to rectify the problem in a timely manner. We will be contacting you directly with a resolution."

Before this recent order, I had ordered twice from Brecks with mixed results. This order, however, will be my last.

I carefully chose bulbs to be suitable for my planting sites and spent enough money to use two coupons together. My order with shipping was about $90.00!

I live in Zone 5A where our average frost date is October 15th. On September 9, 2009 I received an e-mail from Brecks saying my order was shipped that day, but on that same day my bulbs showed up about a month before I could even consider planting them!!

I immediately called Brecks customer service and was told that Zone 5A is right next to Zone 4 so this is the correct time!! The representitive was unfriendly and refused to admit that there may have been a mistake made. She finally agreed to have the bulbs reshipped.

At first I thought it may have worked out in my favor and stole the whole bottom of my refrigerator to store the early shipment. Then, one week later on September 17th, I received another e-mail saying my order had been shipped. A partial order showed up the same day and the rest will probably show up next week!

So now I have more bulbs then can possibly fit in my fridge and they'll probably all go bad before I can get them in the ground. In my area, west of Chicago, It's still summer here. I have no idea what they could possibly be thinking, but to verify, I checked with another company I have an order with (one of Dave's top 30), and they won't be shipping my order until about October 9th.

Since I know you contact the company I am including my order # 91191813700 & account # 30602552.

This is the first negative review I have ever left anywhere!! But the arrogant attitude combined with what seemed an unacceptable mistake for a mail order nursery to make and then receive the order again one week later is something I feel that other gardeners should know about. If you choose to order from Brecks, you should at least be aware that this can happen.

Thank you Dave's Garden for this wonderful site that allows gardeners to compare notes and experiences.

"On Sep 21, 2009 4:06 PM, Breck's Bulbs responded with:

Thank you for your inquiry. Please accept our sincere apology for any inconvenience we may have caused. Our Customer Service Team is checking into the issue you had with your order and will do our best to rectify the problem in a timely manner. We will be contacting you directly with a resolution."

We ordered Geraniums from you in early June. We sent you a check for $16.85 on June 7, 2009. The check was cashed and cleared, as we have received rthe cancelled check. But we never received any flowers. We would like our money back.

"On Jul 29, 2009 1:16 PM, Breck's Bulbs responded with:

Thank you for your inquiry. Please accept our sincere apology for any inconvenience we may have caused. Our Customer Service Team is checking into the issue you had with your order and will do our best to rectify the problem in a timely manner. We will be contacting you directly with a resolution."

Highmaitfmale, Dezdmona, and others:
Here was my latest experience with this company:

I received a letter from Michigan Bulb stating that my reorder would not be honored due to my having frequent reorders for plants that failed to appear after planting, and they informed me of their connection the Michigan Bulb and Breck's Bulbs.

Here is a copy of the correspondences:

5/28/09 Breck's
Thank you for your email. I apologize for the inconvenience. A reship has been issued for the item(s) requested. Your order number is 91480052300. Please allow 2-3 weeks from 09.14.09 for processing and delivery depending on the availability.
If we can be of further assistance, please feel free to contact us.Sincerely, Sharon Customer Service

6/4/09 Michigan Bulb
Thank you for your email. I apologize for the inconvenience. A reship has been issued for the items requested. Your order number is 91551404400, and your order should ship in September as it is a fall planting item.

7/22/09
I must tell you that I was incensed and insulted by a letter I received 7/22/09 from Michigan Bulb. I was informed that my request for replacement plants would NOT be honored by your company, as you are a "partner" company with Michigan Bulb and Spring Hill Nursery. The reason stated in the letter was that I had requested replacement of more than 50% of the plants I purchased over the past several years. I must say that I have ONLY REQUESTED REPLACEMENT OR REFUNDS FOR PLANTS THAT FAILED TO COME UP.
I consider this attack on my honesty and integrity inexcusable, in poor taste, and the worst possible customer service I have ever received from a company. You obviously don't stand by your guarantee, and I intend to inform not only the attorneys general for the states in which your companies are located, but also the Better Business Bureaus.
I will post your letter along with my response on any and all sites I encounter regarding the products your sell and YOUR INTEGRITY in honoring your guarantee.
You need not contact me any further or send me any more junk mail, sweepstakes offers, etc.. Remove me from your mailings lists.
One honest and irate former customer,

7/22/09 Breck's
Thank you for contacting Breck's. Your questions and comments are very important to us. Rest assured one of our Customer Care Representatives will respond to you as quickly as possible. As always, we pride ourselves on our world class customer service and we back all of our plants with a lifetime guarantee.

7/27/09 Breck's
Thank you for your email. It appears that our company's products are not a good match for you, and we regret that we have been unsuccessful in satisfying your gardening needs. We're somewhat puzzled by this, because we do strive for 100% customer satisfaction, and in most cases, achieve it. This can be evident by our devoted customers who purchase year after year from us and by the many testimonials we receive from them.
Again, we're sorry our products have not met to your satisfaction. Your account has been closed and we have removed you from the mailing lists.
Response to above:
Paul,
Did the thought ever enter your mind that I got some bum corms last year? I have ordered many products over the years from Breck's, mostly iris. This is the first time I have had a problem with them (if you check your records) and the first reorder that I have requested. I have had problems with Michigan Bulb and Spring Hill (bare roots and a few bulbs that did not take) but not YOUR company.

Your response to my request for a replacement for last year's irises is unacceptable! It clearly states in that order confirmation that you offer a lifetime guarantee. Obviously, it is worthless. What is evident to me is that some customers count and some don't, and that insulting a customer's integrity is no problem for you. As I stated in my initial response to your letter, I will make sure no other customers are victims of your "guarantee," I will further inform the attorneys general of YOUR misrepresentation of your integrity.
I will state that one positive outcome resulted from removing my name from your mailing lists: a tree may be spared.
An honest ex-customer,

Tha't it. I want to warn everyone on this site that all three companies are worthless. You want good plants, go to Bluestone Perennials.

Ordered their hardy Amaryllis collection. Confirmation of order took over a week from their website. I notice they have it listed to be shipped in 9 months. I ask and they claim that Amaryllis cannot be shipped unless it is spring because it won't grow.... Ok, whatever Amaryllis can't be grown in containers. So I check again after a month and notice that they have canceled out my order without even informing me.

The iffy shipping times on plants and poor contact regarding orders makes me hesitant to deal with these big catalog companies. I have had much more success dealing with individuals. I ordered from an Amaryllis company for similar type plants and they were shipped to me in one week.

"On Jul 28, 2009 9:29 AM, Breck's Bulbs responded with:

Thank you for your inquiry. Please accept our sincere apology for any inconvenience we may have caused. Our Customer Service Team is checking into the issue you had with your order and will do our best to rectify the problem in a timely manner. We will be contacting you directly with a resolution. "

My story, that I have repeated to various CSRs over this time period is as follows:

In April 2009, I ordered, via mail, a variety of plants for myself and my neighbour. At that time, I dispatched with the order, a cheque in the amount of $66.51.

Many weeks went by and I attempted, electronically and via the phone service (the wait on the phone line was more than 20 minutes, so I did hang up on a couple of occasions), to see if I could track the order since the cheque had not gone through my bank account. I did send a request on the on-line customer service page, but I never received a response.

In the middle of May, my neighbour and I decided to go to the garden centre to buy plants for the season; the idea that they had even received my order was not a possibility at this juncture.

On June 11, 2009, according to my bank statement they had cashed my cheque. No product; no contact – thjey just took my money.

Now I am appalled to discover that the refund of this money is not going to be in my possession (if ever) until probably well into August. I spoke with a CSR at the end of May and she told me I would not be receiving this cheque until July. I called today, and spoke with Angie the Accountant and she tells me that the cheque will not arrive for at least another 3 weeks, since it has to be sent to head office for approval.

This organization, and their administrative practices are appalling. How dare they hold on to my money for all these months! They need to closely look at their deficient service, since this writer will make sure all of her gardening friends NEVER EVER order product from Brecks Bulbs.

(Earlier on, I had requested a catalogue to be sent to my house via mail. I never received a single copy - I should have been warned by that failure of service.)

"On Jul 22, 2009 11:33 AM, Breck's Bulbs responded with:

Thank you for your inquiry. Please accept our sincere apology for any inconvenience we may have caused. Our Customer Service Team is checking into the issue you had with your order and will do our best to rectify the problem in a timely manner. We will be contacting you directly with a resolution. "

I ordered a collection of tulip firesprays and a couple of tall hybrid phlox mixtures last fall. None of them came up this spring. I have contacted Breck's twice in the last 10 days about replacements. No response. Needless to say, I won't be ordering from them ever again.

The order # is 82550292600 if this incompetent company happens to read this.

"On Jun 8, 2009 10:28 AM, Breck's Bulbs responded with:

Thank you for your inquiry. I apologize for the delay in responding to your concern. A reship has been issued and your order will ship out this September."

Right now, I give them a neutral rating, because always in the past, I had no problem with them. I have bought a bit already this year and received the order on time and in good condition. However, earlier in May, they sent me a sales e-mail. I ordered some Black Knight Canna rhizomes, with the understanding they were in stock and would ship this spring. I just now went to their website to check the order status and discovered they have the shipping date listed as february 2010. I have sent an e-mail asking them to ship now, or just cancel the order.
Why have a spring bulb sale, and then not send the order till next year ? I think it is extrememly poor buisiness to not put such information on the website, so that we will know the situation ahead of time. If I had known the order would not ship till 2010, I would not have placed it.

I ordered several hundred dollars in merchandise from all three companies, Brecks, Spring Hill and Michigan Bulb extremely early due to needing the plants growing and healthy for a very large Garden party event in late July.

Being in Wisconsin, our growing season is considerably shorter than that of Indiana, Ohio, and southern Michigan where the companies claim to be, my plants and bulbs have been thriving for three weeks many of which are in bloom, so imagine my suprise when I didn't recieve the majority of the things I ordered, easy stuff like petunias clemitis, and turmpet vines, and upon calling was told "due to bad weather" the shipments have been delayed, humm seems to me they should have alerted me to this early on so I could replace the items from local nurseries, parts of my orders were not shipped at all, other parts were shipped in horrible dead condition, bulbs that should have been in the ground long ago still haven't arrived, what a mess!

Upon trying to figure everything out while on the phone with customer service the person I spoke to was uninformed and completely ignorant about even when I MIGHT expect the missing plants and bulbs to be sent.

I was very upset and asked for a contact number or address directly to the company which he refused to give me, I asked a second time and was again denied.

I asked to speak to a supervisor because of the mess at hand was terrible and represented several hundred dollars that was absolutely charged to my credit card, I was put on hold and he came back telling me that his supervisor said ... and than just repeated the same nonsense he had spewed, I was even more angry and demanded again to speak to a supervisor, I was than told his supervisor was busy, I asked SEVEN more times before finally being connected to a supervisor who was disinterested short and curt.

I have planned and saved for this event for two years, and been working on my garden for 8 years, I am so incredably disappointed in all three of the companies, their broken promises poor customer service, lack of shipping, lack of timely shipping, lack of problem resolution, poor quality of the few things I have gotten, the entire matter has me heatbroken.

My advise would be, if your ordering from them in hopes of actually GETTING what you order, prepar to be bitterly dissappointed, and when you call to complain, be prepared to get little or no help, and again don't expect your missing order anytime soon.

In the future, I'll find more reliable options and not bother with any of the three.

There is nothing worse than bad customer service. Being an avid gardener, I look forward to bulb catalogs arriving in the mail in the early spring, placing my orders, and waiting with anticipation for delivery. So it was with great anticipation that I ordered from Brecks Bulbs this spring. The items that they offered looked fantastic and the prices were reasonable. So in the order went in March. Then I waited.

I waited until at least the end of May to receive my order...longer than most other catalogue places. But I had faith that the order was going to surpass my expectations.

I could not have been more wrong.

Here's the letter that I sent them on June 24:
---------------
Dear Brecks,
It is with great regret that I email you today. Being an avid gardener I was waiting with anticipation for my order to arrive this spring. When it did, I was less than pleased with the quality and size of the plants and bulbs that you sent.

The "Lily Tree Collection" that you so wonderfully advertised in your catalogue, arrived looking like someone had stepped on the bulbs. They were almost flat. The size of the bulbs measured out at only 2" in diameter and I certainly thought that they were going to be larger based on the catalogue pictures and description. However, I planted them as soon as I received them and I hoped for the best. I have to report that as of this afternoon when I didn't see any growth, I dug them up and all 4 had rotted.

The 'Blue Star' Dahlia arrived and it was a single tuber with no growth end. Typically when I buy Dahlias, there are usually 2 or 3 tubers attached to a growing end. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. What I received looked like a tuber had been removed from a clump and placed into a bag with some moss. Again, I planted it and hoped for the best. Sadly, it too didn't make it…although I certainly don't think it had a fighting chance to begin with.

Being an Iris fan, I was also really looking forward to the Irises that I ordered. The Louisiana Iris 'Bold Pretender' arrived looking like a mangled collection of dead leaves. I have certainly seen Irises come that way before, so I wasn't too concerned when I planted it as the tuber felt relatively firm. There wasn't a stitch of green to be seen, and hindsight being 20/20, that should have been a clue that I was going to be disappointed yet again. True to form, there has been no growth to date, no green has appeared, and no new roots have made an appearance. I think it's safe to say that it too has died. The Iris 'Rikugi Sakura', on the other hand, did have a bit of green and has since produced a rather week leaf. But I am not giving up on it and have hopes that it will survive. It's worth mentioning however, that the size of the tuber was close to being the smallest that I have ever seen for an Iris. Had I seen it in a garden shop I certainly wouldn't have bought it and would have chosen something a little more healthy.

On the subject of plants that did survive, I can safely say that the Amethyst Astilbe has made it and is doing fine. Although you will have to forgive me when I say that I am concerned that the colour will not be the amethyst that I saw in the catalogue. But it hasn't flowered yet, so it too gets the benefit of the doubt.

The largest disappointment was with the Phlox that I ordered. I have never, in my considerable years of gardening, seen such small, mangled and unhealthy divisions. Both the 'Tenor' and the 'Blue Boy' were no bigger than a Loonie and arrived in a wet bag of moss and were entirely black. There were no growing parts and no healthy roots to be seen on either one of the two of each types I ordered. I did plant them into small pots and gave trying to grow them a try, but the completely rotted away in a matter of a single week. When I checked this morning there was nothing left in the pots other than soil.

To say that I am disappointed would be an understatement. I honestly had high hopes that the order that I placed with you would have produced plants and bulbs that were of a caliber an order of magnitude better than what I received.

I am saddened that this is the first time I have ever asked for a refund on a plant order. So it is with a heavy heart I kindly ask that my order be refunded. If you must subtract the price of the Astilbe and the one Iris I will understand. My order number was XXXXXXXXRAP. My address information is as follows:

(Blah blah blah)

I sincerely apologize for having to send this note to you and I hope that this matter is investigated on your end as my thoughts are that your quality control took a holiday on the day my order was processed.

Sincerely,

(Signature)

---------------

This was sent via regular post as well as email. I figured that someone would look at it and deal with it accordingly.

Again....couldn't have been more wrong.

It's now August 23rd and I have heard nary a word. Nothing. Zip. Nadda. So I decide to give them a call. They have an 800 number and I had the time. So armed with my invoice in hand I dial the number.

Brecks: Brecks Bulbs
Me: Good morning. Could I speak with someone in customer service?
Brecks: What can I help you with?
Me: The order that I received in May was somewhat unsatisfactory. I sent a letter and an email on June 24th and I haven't heard back from your organization.
Brecks (sounding terse): What's your invoice number?
Me: I take it that's the number in the top right hand corner of the pink slip? (It's just a floating number on the page)
Brecks (sounding annoyed): The number beneath where it says invoice number.
Me (choosing not to loose my patience): XXXXXXXX
Brecks: We haven't received a letter from you.
Me: Well it was sent via both email and regular post on June 24.
Brecks (sounding increasingly annoyed): Well we didn't get it. What was wrong with the order?
Me: Nothing grew from what you sent.
Brecks: What do you mean "nothing grew"?
Me: Nothing grew. The lily tree collection looked like someone stepped on it, the Phlox was dead on arrival, the Irises......
Brecks (cutting me off mid sentence): Why didn't you call us?
Me: I assumed that when it says in all of your material that one can contact you via post, email or phone call...that 2 out of the three would have resulted in something happening.
Brecks (sounding really annoyed): Well you should have called. What do you want us to do.
Me (Tired of being treated like crap over the phone): Just refund the order please.
Brecks: Fine. We'll refund you the order minus the shipping cost.

Then he hung up on me.

So...a word to the wise. Do NOT order from Brecks Bulbs. Their inventory is beneath sub-standard and their customer service is beyond pathetic. My Mother in Ontario had an almost exact experience with them and has also vowed never to deal with them again.

I won't hazard a guess to say what their problem is...but you would have thought that being in the gardening business would have instilled a bit of patience, humility, humor and charm. Most gardeners come by these characteristics after spending a bit of time in their gardens. Clearly Brecks Bulbs didn't go down that garden path...as it were.

Now...if you are into ordering bulbs and the like for your garden and you are looking for a great company to order from...go with Botanus (//www.botanus.com/). Fantastic company. Their catalogs are a treat for the eyes, their stock is EXACTLY how it's described...or better, their prices are really, really good, the orders arrive with plenty of time for the plants to get established and bloom, and my contact with them always leaves me with a smile. They know how do do the whole bulb catalogue/online sales/customer service thing RIGHT.

Brecks Bulbs...you could learn a thing or two (or a thousand) from them. Take my advice: If you are that miserable doing what you do...do something else. Clearly being in the industry you are in isn't doing you any favors.

As an addendum to this story, it appears that Brecks owns Spring Garden, another mail-order catalogue store. I used to love Spring Garden...now the catalogue is in the recycle pile...unopened.

HORRID COMMUNICATION

My daughter gave me a Brecks certificate for 25.00. She stated a door to door person came around selling them. She also gave me a catalog that the person gave to her, for me to order from. When I was ready to order I spoke to a gentleman on the phone. He stated I could also use the 25.00 coupon on the book. He stated my order came just under 50.00. He then asked for the number on the back of the coupon,,there wasnt one. He then stated that no one he knew of ever went door to door with coupons and stated he had concerns over this being A FRAUD. He stated to send the coupon in anyway and they would still honor it, and that he wanted to see what the coupon looked like. He stated to write a letter with his name on it,,the order number,, and to mail it asap. I mailed it that day. He stated that there was just a slight credit of a few dollars on the account due to going over. I recieved my package about 3 months later. About another 2 months later I recieved a bill from their collection office stating I owed 12.73. I called and spoke to a female there, she stated there was nothing noted on my account that she could find of any letter. She then appologised and stated they would just take care of this due to my inconvience. She stated she would transfer this to another department and if I didnt recieve a phone call from them within a week, to just disregard the bill. NO PHONE CALL,,NO ANSWERING MACHINE MESSAGE. I then 3 weeks later was checking my email...yes...i'm not a everyday checker..I try not to get on the computer much..as it takes alot of my time...my correspondence it through the phone...What did I find on my email...yes another notice that I needed to pay the bill. With a itemized statement. I promptly sent back a notice of my dis satisfaction on the entire ordeal. I was also told in this email from Brecks, that my coupon wasnt even the amount I sent in! I should have just used my better judement, and not even ordered anything when the first person stated the coupon was fraudulent. I wound up paying for something that I was told there was no balance on in the beginning.. and got the runaround from 3 different people. NOW AT LEAST I HOPE THE BULBS I PLANTED COME UP!! As I had never before, and will never again, order from this company. I have read in several negitive reports on this site of the run around people get with this company. My garden club has been made aware of the ordeal and will spread the word also.

I placed an order with Breck's this past spring using the $25 coupon, no strings attached. I, of course had to pay for shipping. In September I received a letter from them saying my credit card was no longer valid (the date had expired, it had been so long) and to
call them and update the credit card. I did so and received an email showing an unpaid balance of $0, which said my bulbs would be shipped around 9/23/08.

I still haven't received the bulbs. I sent Breck's an email and received a reply that my credit card was out of date and that is why the bulbs weren't sent and they were sorry I hadn't received the letter requesting me to call. I replied that I had received the letter and had called and updated my credit card and was told the charge had cleared and even attached a copy of the receipt showing a balance of $0.

I have heard nothing else from this company and would advise anyone consdering ordering from them to reconsider. It's not worth the hassle

I used to really enjoy receiving their catalog and planning what to buy. Now it will just go in the trash.

I called Breck’s Bulbs today to inquire about some orders placed in June and July this year via their website using 25$ “no strings attached” coupon in Canada.
To recall for some of you, it was a coupon included in Brecks’s 2008 Summer Advance Sale catalogue.
It said: “$25.00 Gift Coupon. No strings attached. Use this bulb reservation form inside this Dutch Bulb Guide to order as much as you like, and use this Gift Coupon to deduct $25.00. If your order total is less then $25.00, you’ll get your order absolutely FREE! To validate, please enclose this coupon with your order, or mention it when you place your phone order. To take advantage of this offer online, just enter your account and key numbers from the back cover.
OFFER EXPIERS AUGUST 22, 2008 // ONE CERTIFICATE PER CUSTOMER, PLEASE. Cannot be combined with any other offer.”

That’s all it said, word by word. I placed about 5-6 orders using this coupon, because nowhere it said that I cannot. I only placed ONE for myself as per instructions on it “ONE CERTIFICATE PER CUSTOMER, PLEASE”. I placed it on line and additionally paid about $250.00, then shared my catalogue with friends (being green and all)… I also used the coupon (paying additionally by cc) to order some flowers for my closest family and a couple of friends. I thought it would be a great idea for those with no green thumb to introduce to Breck’s Bulbs so they can try their product hassle free with “no strings attached”. When my stuff came in couple of weeks ago and theirs didn’t, I called Breck’s customer Service to inquire about the missing orders. I was called a scammer and a thief by Erin (from On-line ordering) and told that my orders (even those I paid for with my cc) were simply cancelled. No one bothered to call or email me with any questions or concerns prior cancelling the orders, they simple decided that they will not ship them. Great business they are conducting there, no question.
Over the past two years I have ordered merchandise from Breck’s worth over $900.00. After being called a scammer and a thief I will no longer conduct any business with them and I will inform my coworkers, friends and family about the type of business they conduct to save them the future hassle and embarrassment of being called names, just because they used the coupon Breck’s so unfortunately send them – to use:-)

I only used their coupon because it was offered to me, presented a great deal and I had a good experience with Breck’s and their products in the past, otherwise, I wouldn’t recommend any company or their product to my close ones, having a coupon or not.

Kind regards,

Marta

"

I sent this customer a D-Mail explaining how to contact Brecks of Canada to help her with her complaint. We are two seperate companies and our comapny is located in the US."

Don't waste your money. I have been purchasing perennials and bulbs online for 15 years. Breck's consistently sends bulbs that are rotted and bare root plants that are dried up. Even the plants that look okay fail to come up. I will never order from them again.

Ordered bulbs on 30 Apr 2008 and 30 days later they still have not shipped, and show an estimated receipt date in July. I will never order from Brecks again! I emailed them and received no response.

"

Contacted Customer on 6/16/08 for possible resolution; as of today have received no response. "

I have been ordering from mail order for many years. This year has by far been the worst year ever. We had cold weather until just recently and it has been hard on the plants, especially when they are seedlings to start with.

All the plants I bought from Brecks this year were tiny seedlings and they are not going to make it. They usually are excellent with replacing plants but I am unhappy with the size of the plants. Some were dried out and some were moldy.

They were shipped too early and did not like to wait in their little small containers even though I tried to save them.

It was not just Brecks but also Springhill and Michigan Bulb.

By the time I pay for the shipping and it will be at least two years before the plants that are left to catch up, it will be a long wait. Granted they were advertised as potted plants, which they were, but tiny does not work for me.

I learned a vauable lesson, you get what you pay for. Never again.

I placed an order with Breck's mid April. Since then, I have had the shipping date change 4 times and it may again yet! And I never receive any notification that the ship date changed. I only know from checking my order status. I also have no idea what is the cause of the delay. I'm currently scheduled to get my bulbs in July!. I doubt that I will have a chance to plant these and even have them flower this season. My email inquiries are responded to but most have standard explanations (i.e. coming from Holland) but nothing substantive. I'm contemplating canceling my order. I'm very disappointed.

"

Customer was sent a Gift Certificate, and I am also shipping her Allium and Cannas at no charge."

Last spring I was excited to get the offer for Astible, and promptly ordered several. They arrived, but failed entirely. I have contacted Breck's for a credit or refund. They have not replied. I see now this is not uncommon. Last fall I ordered a lot of bulbs - over 100. Only about 1/3 have come up, and the plants are frail and not performing well at all. In contrast, I purchased five tulip bulbs locally from O'Tooles, planted at the time in the same conditions, and they are doing very well - large, healthy, strong, and blooming. I will not order from this company again. I had better luck with tulips I brought home from Amsterdam, forgot about for a year, and then planted at the wrong time of year! Those are thriving still!

"

I emailed the Customeron May 17 for a possible resolution (whether it be reship, credit or refund); have not received a reply as of today."