Comments regarding The Cook's Garden

Posted on June 6, 2012, updated July 6, 2012
Ordered 25 asparagus plants on May 12 (online it said they were available). Credit card charged that day. Called company on June 4 to ask why status said "processing" on my account online. Customer service looked it up and said "Oh, that looks like a product we won't be able to deliver. You'll probably be getting a refund." Most online companies don't charge your credit card until they ship the plants -- this rep said no, they always charge on order, even if they don't send the plants for months. She processed a refund. But when I asked if anybody would ever have let me know I would never receive the asparagus she said she didn't know (and didn't sound much like she cared one way or the other!) The excuse that charging credit cards when plants are shipped (that then customers would wonder why they were being charged then, when they ordered months before) is implausible, since they would have just received the plants. Overall, a very lackluster performance. Won't be shopping there again. And not very happy to have missed out on planting spring asparagus.

On February 26, I placed on line order. Received a order number. Thought order was in place. Went back to page later and saw that additional information was required after I scrolled down to the bottom of the page. Tried to enter it but the session had timed out by then and I lost the order info.

Asked darling husband if the order confirmation had arrived in his email. It had not.

Reentered order. Got another order confirmation number. Entered the information at the bottom of the window. Still did not get an order confirmation.

(As of today, 3/12/2007, no confirmation for either order has been received.)

Wrote email complaining about lack of order confirmation and the difficult to use website. Asked for a confirmation that only one order had been submitted. Still have not had a reply to that email.

On February 27, called customer service (which is only open 9:00 until 6:00 EST) to check on order(s). The customer service representative said both orders had been submitted. I asked why there hadn't been any order confirmation sent, and she said that sometimes it didn't get sent.

She did state that she would try to get the second order pulled if it had not gone out, but if it had, I could refuse it.

Both orders have been charged to my credit card. An order arrived on Friday, March 9. The other one hasn't arrived so I can't refuse it, nor has it been credited to the credit card.

I will try to take time away from my job to call during their abbreviated customer service hours tomorrow and will update this account based on that conversation.

This catalog may have the same name and a similar look, but the heart and soul of the original are no longer here.

"

Hello Marie,
I work for Cook's Garden and would like to apologize for your poor experience with us. Can you please provide me with your Name and zip code and we will correct your situation immediately. Please send your information to PHofer@Burpee.com
Cheers.
Paul"

I probably won't order from Cook's Garden again. The website was great and easy to order from, but I did not receive an email confirmation of my order. When I checked on it under "my account," it was stated that my order had shipped, but did not provide a tracking number. When I called customer service, they were very, very nice, and said it had been sent by US Mail. I know the mail can take awhile, but it did take some time to receive my seeds. When they did arrive, the seedpackets (especially for the tomatoes I ordered) did not have helpful info on the plant - no "plant after last frost," or suggestions on spacing, etc. No pictures, either, and they didn't send a print catalog with my order. Although I really liked their selection, and their customer service was very nice when I called, because of the issues I had with confirmation/shipping/seed packets, I probably won't use them next year.

Interesting catalog, ordered once and would agian. They are
fair people with good prices, service and stock.

They are specialists in what they offer. Interesting I think
for what they offer.

I personally rate them an 8+ overall.

I think that Cook's Garden has been acquired by Wayside Gardens. The reason I suspect this is that last April (2001) I called Wayside to find out where my order from them was, and when the representative called up my order, she began to recite my Cook's Garden order. This was probably a big mistake on her part, and I was flabbergasted. I still order from Cook's but have stopped ordering from Wayside because of serious problems with them.

I have ordered from Cook's for two or three years. The catalog is lovely, the packaging esthetically pleasing and the selection is very good. However, in spite of all that, I feel that Cook's Seeds are overpriced, and I will probably not order very much from them in the future.