Comments regarding House of Wesley

They lied about my order. They shipped dead plants that they claimed were JUST DORMANT. They refused to replace my full order (nothing lived!). They replaced only part of it. They claimed that it was OK to plant after the first frost in Ohio. All of the replacement plants died too! They promised IN WRITING to honor the same guarantee as the original order for a period of one year. Eight months later, they disavowed their original stated policy. Now, I have NO LIVING PLANTS. I am out $450.00. They do NOT have a customer service phone number that anyone will answer. They only deal with you via email and they just keep restating their same claim even when presented with the evidence of what they actually told me in writing the year prior. They claim that their customer service director named GRACE AVERY (if she is really even a person) does not accept phone calls. She only deals with people via US mail. I sent my same complaint to her via US mail six weeks ago. She must really be busy because she cannot find time to place a phone call, a text, or an email to me to even acknowledge my complaint! DO NOT DEAL WITH THESE RIP-OFF ARTISTS! They have a GREAT website with lots of color pictures, but you do NOT get what you are shown.

My mother ordered some plants from House of Wesley. After reading all the negative reviews about them, I figured we'd wait forever, get dead plants, and have a huge hassle dealing with the company.

The company does take quite a long time to do anything, whether it's fill an order or issue a refund. That's the only negative about them.

Contrary to other reviews, I found the company very easy to contact and to work with. Every time I called there, the phone was always answered immediately by a live person. The company always did everything they said they would, when (albeit slowly) they said they would do it.

After ordering the plants and waiting several weeks, maybe about a month, my mother got the order. After pondering for a couple weeks about what to do with them, she decided that planting them would be way beyond her means (she ordered a couple hundred plants), so she wanted to return them.

Again, based on all the negative reviews I read online, I figured we'd be unable to contact the company, and that they'd find some excuse to not refund her money. The timing was right at the end of the 30 day return period.

I called to see if I needed a RMA, expecting (based on reviews I'd read) to have a hard time reaching the company. Their phone was answered immediately by a helpful, pleasant customer service person who said no RMA needed; just send them back for a refund.

I sent the package back Priority Mail around the end of June. After a couple weeks, I called them to check on status of a refund, again expecting the worst, based on other reviews. Again, no busy signal, no auto-answer, no annoying phone maze; a live person answered the phone immediately. You sure can't beat that for customer service!

The customer service person said they'd gotten the return, that it was being processed, and that a refund would be processed and issued after that, in another week or two. Again, based on all the bad reviews, I still was dubious we'd ever get an actual refund.

By the end of July, my mother had her refund check in full.

So my experience with their customer service, as well as their returns policy, was nothing but outstanding: a lot better than many companies I have dealt with. The only reason my review is 4 stars instead of 5 is that they do move pretty slowly. It took about a month to get our order and about a month to get the refund. As long as you set your timing expectations accordingly, you'll be satisfied.

On Sept. 22, 2017 an order was sent and payment received from our bank on Sept. 25. We had previous great gifts from others by this company. We had to contact them on October 2, 2017 due to the loss of the parent for whom the garden and a move were planned over that weekend prior. Melody said to email G--- A--- to cancel the order, and even the website form says a 24hour reply. In fact, an acknowledgement email was received the same day. After two days, we called and were told it was three days. Instead, we received a shipment notice. Both FedEx and USPS were contacted about how the order had been cancelled and to return the shipment. FedEx and Direct Gardening claimed that it had to continue on to NY where it is obviously no longer needed and will not be received. The notice and reason for cancellation were done in a timely manner. Instead, S--- and who she claimed was her supervisor when asked for one made the excuse that shipping did not get the cancellation information in time. Grace Avery never wrote back. 1) How is it that she cannot take calls 2) does not reply and 3) the order was sent anyway, as if 4) in the 21st century it takes more than a day to relay information in the same business? We never expected to have to contact Direct Gardening again at such an emotional time. The NY AG office by phone advised to contact them again to request a refund without authorities being involved, yet there is a breakdown in honesty and ethics here. The entire $110.10 should be refunded, and our bank fraud department will be notified unless this is done promptly. Only for old-time sake is the BBB asked to intervene first.

In view of notifying the company upon our situation, and that nothing had been shipped, there was no reason for Direct Gardening to do so anyway. It appears that the shipment was sent to force us to receive the merchandise which is unacceptable under the circumstances. The $110.10 in full paid by our bank by VISA should be credited back to us immediately as a matter of ethics and honesty.

Run....Run... Run
Months of trying to receive my plants, they finally arrived including free plants, to my horror they were mailed in a plastic bag with flimsy plastic containers to hold the individual plant, unlike the other plant places I buy from. (the ship in a box) some of the plants were smashed in the individual plastic container they were shipped in from the factory. The plants were too large for the plastic container but they smashed it in anyway with leaves and vines protruding.
( remember the shipping container is a plastic bag)
the "free plants" were totally dead, the ground cover was inside a small plastic bag that was shipped without any dirt or sawdust and so was completed dried and dead. When I finally received an email they asked for shipping info and then no response for several weeks, (I think I getting a refund or new plants yippee) When nothing arrived and now it is no longer spring but almost Summer I emailed them again and their response was.... In the same email mind you " Please plant the items and wait 6 weeks to see if plant will grow" But since 14 days has passed per our warranty we cannot refund you, Im very sorry. so I looked up their warranty and it is a one year Warranty! go figure. So now I have to deal with my Credit card people and try to get a refund! Im such a happy woman!

"On May 31, 2017 8:36 AM, House of Wesley responded with:

Many of our items are shipped bare root and dormant as this allows them to be transplanted with much higher degrees of success. It does not mean they are dead, but since they are dormant, and not leafed out, people unfamiliar with bareroot nursery stock may they mistake them for dead. We suggest soaking in water overnight or for a few hours before planting. Then keep well watered after planting and within 6 weeks of warm weather, the plants should break dormancy and show signs of leaf.

We do have both a refund and a replacement guarantee and stand behind them.

A customer care representative has contacted this customer to see if we may be of assistance
"

WARNING: If you close the account you paid with,
EVEN AFTER RETURNING ALL MERCHANDISE,
you will not get a refund.

THIS COMPANY IS HEARTLESS! Flowers are a symbol of love and life, and this company has taken the death of my mother in law as an opportunity to benefit their bottom line.

My mother in law placed a $600+ dollar order the week before her death. When the first box arrived a few days after she passed away I returned the box and contacted the company to let them know it was being returned and why. I asked them to please cancel any remaining shipments and was informed that 5 other boxes had just shipped. I told the representative that those boxes would be returned as well once they arrived.

This company uses MANY names. Dutch Gardens (the name I ordered from) refunded the contents of the first box, but when I called to find out why the other 5 boxes hadn't been refunded, the representative confirmed that all the merchandise had been returned, but told me that the company would only refund to the debit card that paid and since the debit card was no longer valid (checking account had been closed due to death) they had no way to refund the orders. I requested they issue a check to the estate, or simply give store credit for the remaining amount. I was told that the request would be forwarded on the the appropriate person.

It has now been 9 months, I have called several times, and each time I am told the request for refund has been made, but the company stands by their policy of not refunding returned orders if they are unable to refund to the card that placed the order.

Basically, this company does not dispute the fact that they received this entire order back. They simply refuse to issue a refund in any form other than to credit a debit card that is not valid, and won't accept a charge or credit.

I wish I had kept the plants and spread them around to her many gardener friends and planted some of them with my girls in our own garden to remember their grandma by. I was just so overwhelmed by the unexpected death that anything other than returning the boxes seemed more than I could manage.

The death of a loved one is a very emotional and exhausting time, and this company has made what should have been very easy, a difficult and enduring challenge.

Placed an order April 11 and as of yet, have received nothing. Left 2 emails and company has yet to respond. I had read some of the negative comments but thought I'd give them a try, but never again. If this is how this company does business, I'll take my business elsewhere. Future customers, don't order from this company. Heed all the negative comments. There are lots of other businesses that will actually send you what you ordered and follow up with you if you are not satisfied.

"On May 17, 2017 9:44 AM, House of Wesley responded with:

We are sorry to hear of this customer’s experience as we do take pride in our customer care. We try to answer all emails within 24 hours of receipt.

A customer care representative has contacted this customer for further information. We do hope to hear back from the customer as we would like to help resolve this problem"

I ordered over $100 worth of plants on January 31, 2017. The verbiage on the website said I should be getting my plants mid March. I waited until Mid April and tried calling them. Busy signal all day. That evening I used their contact us form and asked when I should expect shipment. Their standard reply was they were still getting plants shipped to them and they were shipping spring orders still. I waited until May 1st having not received my order from January 31. I could not reach by phone- a busy signal. I used their contact form again and sent it in saying I wanted a refund. Got a standard response that they are still shipping spring plants. No response to wanting a refund. Sent another email May 3rd asking for a refund. Standard response saying they are shipping orders. Sent another email May 4th asking for a refund. This time their response was that they cannot issue a refund because they mail plants within a few days of getting the order(Jan31) and my order has shipped or is in the process of shipping. I sent another email May 5th saying that they had May 1 and May 3rd to refund my order when I requested it. I told them they can contact the shipping company and have my order returned to them. I have not received a response yet. I went to the BBB website and posted a negative review. I am posting my problem here. I called my CC company and turned in a dispute. DO NOT ORDER FROM THEM. EVER.

"On May 17, 2017 10:07 AM, House of Wesley responded with:

We are sorry to hear of this customers experience. Once an order is in processing it can be very difficult to catch and cancel. We do have a refund and replacement guarantee available. We have contacted this customer via D-mail to see how we may be of assistance."

Paid 127$ for a supposed Hummingbird garden and a few other things. I have ordered hundreds of plants from numerous vendors. This order was far and away the worst value that I have ever seen. It included a few bulbs and about 6 live plants all in 2 inch containers. This would have cost no more than $20 from a local nursery and the plants would have been 6 times as large. Obviously will never order from them again

"On Apr 24, 2017 12:23 PM, House of Wesley responded with:

A customer care representative has contacted this customer for further information. We do hope to hear back from the customer as we would like to help resolve this problem.

"

I have done business with a number of mail order nurseries over the years and, while none of them have been fully satisfactory, House of Wesley ranks as the absolute worst. Initially I had a very minor problem which should have been handled quickly and easily, but the incredibly poor "customer service" provided by this company turned the minor problem into a major frustration and prompts me now to write a negative review, which is something I rarely do. We were out of state when our shipment arrived, but a neighbor received the shipment and cared for our plants while we were gone. When we returned and I prepared to plant, I found that one of the White Feather hostas I had ordered was not in the shipment. Also, the plant I received did not look like anything other than a run of the mill hosta. So I called House of Wesley...or tried to. For four hours. Busy signal. So I emailed them, describing two issues: 1. A missing hosta, and 2. A hosta that did not look like the one I ordered. What I expected - if the company had any concept of customer service at all - was a reply something on the order of, "Oops, sorry - we'll send another plant" and "That's what they look like when they're small - they'll get whiter as they mature" or "Could you send us a picture so we can be sure we sent you the right thing?". What I got instead was a boiler-plate, highly impersonal "send the original shipping label and a description of the problem" response. I tried again, explaining for the second time that a neighbor received the shipment and did not know she should keep the shipping label so I did not have it and that I had already described the problem. To be as helpful as I could, I copied the emailed invoice for my order which listed the plants - and also clearly stated that it was this invoice I should keep in case I had any problems with the order. I got a second response, asking for the shipping label again and also asking for a sample or photo. I replied again, stating for a second time that I did not have the shipping label. I also took a photo of the hosta I had received and attached it to the email. They now replied that they do not accept photo attachments (which they did not say when they originally asked for a photo) and that I needed to mail in a photo and a proof of purchase - which would be a printed copy of the invoice they sent me in the first place. As I said, this entire problem could have been solved very quickly and easily, but their indescribably poor customer service arrangement turned it into a major confrontation. As a result, I have given up on the whole procedure, figuring it's not worth my time and blood pressure to continue trying to communicate with this company. I would not be surprised to see them post a response here on the order of "We are sorry blah blah blah" as they have for so many other posts - and which means absolutely nothing. They are not sorry. If they were, they would (a) have enough phone service to permit customers to actually get a call through, (b) not put customers through the hassle of snail-mailing labels, invoices, proofs-of-purchase, photos when they already have all the information they need about any given order in their system, and (c) actually answer a question about a plant - or at the very least acknowledge that the question has been asked. Their entire customer service arrangement is designed solely to discourage a customer from getting any service whatsoever. Please steer clear of this company - they are clearly not interested in satisfied customers or repeat business. And I didn't even bother to mention that the two passion flowers that were part of the same order were ridiculously small specimens, especially when compared to others I have received in the past from other mail order nurseries.

I purchased a fruit-cocktail tree, some Primrose, some butterfly bushes, and several Mosquito-shoo plants. The fruit tree had 5 grafts but only 2 of the 5 buds grew. The other plants arrived flat with fungus growing on them from poor packaging. The mosquito-shoo plants were dead and had broken branches. I did as was instructed and returned the original shipping label along with a letter explaining the situation and I included photographs of the arrival date and 2 month later. They replaced the plants a couple weeks ago but the mosquito season has passed and the new fruit tree has had 0 leaves since arrival. NEVER order from them if you want to have green plants.

"On Sep 4, 2015 2:04 PM, House of Wesley responded with:

We are sorry to hear of the problems with this customer. Many of our items are shipped bare root and dormant as this allows them to be transplanted with much higher degrees of success. It does not mean they are dead, but since they are dormant, and not leafed out, people unfamiliar with bareroot nursery stock may they mistake them for dead. We suggest soaking in water overnight or for a few hours before planting. Then keep well watered after planting and within 6 weeks of warm weather, the plants should break dormancy and show signs of life. "

Worst mail order nursery I have ever dealt with. The plants that arrived looked dead, not dormant. Planted anyway and waited several weeks. Phone contact was impossible. Sent e-mail describing frustration at only 25% survival rate and they still did not look good. They said I had waited too long for a refund. I sent photocopy of original Packing slip in case the 25% died 2 weeks later get my complaint letter and copy back saying only originals are valid. After sending the original they sent a voucher that I could use on my next purchase for $35 on a $70 purchase, said I could use in my next catalog. Haven't received a catalog. Since then the one surviving tree peony does not look like it will make it through the season. SLOW DELIVERY< BAD SERVICE< POORLY STATED RETURN POLICY< and worst of all DEAD PLANTS. Stay far away from this company they are fraudulent.

On May 1, 2015 upon recommendation of Google Ad sites of 'trusted stores' and also the University of Pennsylvania list of nursery sites, I checked out the website of http://www.directgardening.com, and after lengthy searches had placed an order of $227.45 of multiple items. I had trouble originally with their site when it came to checkout, their system had issues...so I had to then call it in. Quantities, items, prices, item numbers, etc. There were 38 items in fact, many with multiple quantity. I paid for it immediately by credit card, and was told it would take 2 weeks to process the order. Ok, I wait. Then, after 3 weeks, emailed using their contact link on their site-I made an inquiry as to the progress of my order, any shipment dates and/or tracking numbers. I got some auto response, that the email was submitted to the 'proper department'. Nothing else followed. So, I called. The number furnished online was constantly busy. It took almost 2 hours to get through with repeat dialing.

I got a customer service gal...she hung up on me. Called back, again taking quite some time to get through. I was not rude, nor impolite so wasn't sure why the first gal hung up. The second gal said they would send through an inquiry communication, however they had no real way to communicate with the growers or shipping department. I called at week 4. Again, no information to be had. No reason for any delay or backorder, again I was told they don't have communication with other departments, and there are no management available within the company, nobody responsible..and even if they did have a boss, he didn't do phone calls or emails with any customers. Hmm. Ok, I wait another week. Call again. Same deal. But, she 'thought' it should be shipping soon as they were processing orders placed 2 to 3 weeks after I placed mine. Oh, that's encouraging. Not. However, they also have trouble processing multiple orders and mine was a 'large' one. Now that's really encouraging.

I asked her: if they didn't want people ordering multiple items perhaps they should stipulate a restriction upon their website, otherwise people assume that the stuff listed and pictured is already growing in greenhouses ready to ship out and people like variety and order accordingly. Sorry I placed an order they couldn't handle, obviously. This has been going on now for 6 weeks and counting. No information, sign of shipment, or tracking number, no way to communicate within the company..no boss or management taking any responsibility for how their company is run, no customer service...just plain repetitious runaround, and excuses, poor reasons at that about growing seasons, weather, mismanagement of their company, their systems...etc. All things I don't want to hear. I want facts, information. At this time, it's way too late to even think of planting this stuff as it's already too hot/dry for it to propagate or transplant. So, I cancelled the order. Now, I am told it could take a couple to several weeks to even receive back my money for the order. Now, why is that? They took it fast enough.

That is not customer service, it's scamming people and not dealing with the very issues or problems they cause with their company failings to begin with. If customers placing orders is a problem..get out of business and don't set up online stores. Don't send out catalogs using yet another name either..or other aliases. Now, people are wondering if they are legit. I should have done more due diligence in checking out this company first prior to ordering, now...I wished I had. There are numberous Better Business Bureau complaints against them, literally hundreds of people who have had the same experience as I have with customer service issues, no deliveries or shipment of product in addition to those that did receive their order after much delay/wait...it was poor quality, root rot, diseased/infected plants, dead plants, poorly shipped/packaged plants..so again, they were not satisfied either with the 'guarantee' policies of this company either or the refund/replacement issues it causes. Don't just take my word for it, do your due diligence. Check them out, read the complaints. They are too numerous, and we can't all be wrong. I made the mistake of trusting they were a reputable company, don't be as stupid as me and order. Or you may be reporting them next.

To date: they have been sent two emails in writing to cancel this order, in addition to also calling them on the phone Monday to follow up. On Tuesday, I received an email stating that it may be 'already too late to cancel as the order is already in the shipping department.' I have already called Fri. June 13, and Sat. June 14 (as a matter of fact, Saturday was when I FINALLY found out what the whole holdup was: the lemon fluff and monarda were out of stock on backorder, and finally had come in, but was too young to ship. Their policy is to not ship anything until the WHOLE ORDER is complete. They do not call, nor email any such problems to inform the customer, and obviously they never heard of the snail mail system either, or what a stamp is for. This is despite having an address, phone number and email address on their customers. Their system doesn't allow them to call out or email. Hmm, and this is an internet business and even a catalog company (under other alias like House of Wesley, Berks gardening, etc?) They obviously DO reply to emails, I have had such replies, but it is very brief, vague and no real information, more like automated response type. So, that isn't factual either. The customer should be notified immediately of back orders and out of stocks to either A. Wait for them to come in, B. Cancel them and refund off the order to avoid shipping delays, or C. Select something ELSE, that IS in stock and get it shipped. However, no such policy or forethought on that subject. So, I KNOW my order was not shipped or even ready TO be shipped at that point as they have been warned for the past three weeks to ship what they DID have, and said they couldn't...their system wouldn't allow it. This is not 1932, and in 2015 there has been MUCH improvement and technology..why can't they USE IT?) However even midday on Mon. June 15..and there was no such order in shipping even yet, nor a shipping label printed on yet the other 3 boxes of items, nor tracking numbers of any kind to confirm that said order had already been picked up and in the usps system as having been shipped out. In my book, this order IS officially cancelled and this is a ploy on their part to 'hurry up and ship', then the real nightmare begins even yet..trying to get healthy replacements for any sickly, diseased or dead plants, etc. etc.etc. or even a refund at that time. I just want this whole nightmare to end, and have told them such..just send the refund of my money. However, I've been advised it can also take up to two weeks to so-call process. Why? They sure processed THAT fast enough, though it takes them two weeks to even get around to doing the order....I think they are stalling, trying to buy time. However, no person can buy time...it runs out too quickly and VERY freely. I have also been hung up on now 3 times just today alone..so, they obviously aren't taking any phone calls no matter how many times one dials and gets busy signals just to keep redialing until you get through. That can take up to a couple hours at times. Been there, done that.....very frustrating!!!! I can not recommend this company to anyone, ever! DO NOT SHOP THERE....do the reviews and due diligence first! I really wished I had....at this point, I am furious and wouldn't accept any shipment even if it DID show up. I would send it right back to them rejected. It's the principle and I do not like being treated like toilet paper by companies like this. I placed my order, paid for it..and they couldn't even give me the courtesy of treating me like a valued customer. I got runarounds, lies and excuses that aren't even valid reasons. Fact.

I placed a fairly large order for the first time with House of Wesley. I received everything I ordered and planted them as soon as I could. Although a lot of the items looked dead, I knew they were just dormant, and they are all growing very nicely. I have read many of the negative reviews of this company, but my experience has been very positive and plan to order again.

I ordered these items on 3/23/2014

8430 Pyramid Garden 1 $39.99
1099 Geranium, Mosquito Shoo 2 $4.96
6331 Peony, Giant Double, (Reg. 1 for $3.99) 2 $5.98
5630 Ranunculus, Purple 16 $4.96
Free Gifts as Earned Free

Packing $9.99
Sales Tax $0.00
Total Charge $65.88

These were all shipped in a bag, the 2 Geranium, Mosquito Shooplants were smashed between cardboard and stapled even the small bag of roots Smashed. These plants were dead, Here is their policy "If any item you purchased from us does not live, for a one time FREE REPLACEMENT just RETURN THE ORIGINAL SHIPPING LABEL along with your written request within 1 year of receipt"

I had to do this 4 times which spaned over a 5 month period and each time the plants were worse, last ones were stuck to the cardboard, dead,dried out and mold on the plants and the cardboard. I sent them pictures every time and they don't seem to care how they ship their plant and how they look when recv'd. Who ships live plant like this? House of Wesley. This is when I requsested a refund of couse wasting another stamp to return the label. They don't give you a refund of your money, they mail you a Replacement Certificate. I mailed that in 3/20/15 ordered their Phlox Mix, Creeping qty 5 for $3.79 asked for extra to make up the differace of the $4.96 on certificate. I have still not recv'd my plants or a confermation that they even recv'd my order with the Replacement Certificate. I just want my plants so I can be done with this company.

"On Jun 7, 2015 12:25 PM, House of Wesley responded with:

We are sorry to hear of this customer’s experience.. We do have both a refund and a replacement guarantee which is clearly posted on our website and we stand behind them.

A customer care representative has contacted this customer for further information. We do hope to hear back from the customer as we would like to help resolve this problem

"

This was my first time ordering from House of Wesley, which is a member of Direct Gardening Associates. I have had various levels of success with these retailers. I ordered 6 Bonfire Peach trees from them. These are hard to find, and range from 25.00 apiece if you can get them at Lowe's, to 50.00 online at the two nurseries that have them. I got them for less than 10.00 each, and they are large and in excellent condition. I just ordered 2 moreand some other shrubs. Very pleased.

I am nopt happy with this company at all. I ordered over 200 dollars worth of plants. None of the plants were the size they were suppose to be. It was disgusting for the price I payed for some of the items. As soon as I got the order and saw some of the plants they went right back in the bag and to the post office I went. I shipped them back asking for a refund. IT has been a month and still no refund. It is a 100 dollars worth of merchandise. They say nothing is in the system and it takes time. if that was them waiting to be paid they would want their money immediatly. So where is mine???????????? I am getting very tired of waiting. The plants that I did receive some are doing good and some are dead all ready. Very poor quality. I will never order from this company again nor do I recommend any one order from them. It is a scam!!!!!!! False advertisment!!!!!

This goes out to fellow gardeners, who value their plants as much as I do and orders from mail order plant catalogs frequently: This past spring I ordered appr. $100 worth of plants from House of Wesley. It took forever before I finally got my order in the mail! When I received the plants, they were in such bad shape, I did not figure anything would live the bushes that I received were twigs, the tree that I ordered was a dead stick, the banana plant leaves were all dead, and the Japanese grass was dead and none existent. Even though the plants were in such bad shape, I planted them anyway. I took pictures of the package when I got it in the mail, took pictures that very same day after they were planted, and took pictures of them a few days ago. Some of the plants hung on and survived, while the fruit cocktail tree and the Japanese forest grass did not make it. I just got off the phone with customer service and I got the runaround of my life! The girl told me that since it had been over 14 days that I could not get a refund and if I wanted replacements that I had to write a letter (what company does that for refunds!?!?) and explain what was wrong with my plants in detail and why I want a replacement (which I want A REFUND) and they would send new ones. Well if they are anything like what I got from them this time, I don't want them sending me dead stuff again and me have to go thru this mess again!!! I'm warning you people ... DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY AND ORDER FROM THIS COMPANY, BECAUSE THEY WILL SCAM YOU OUT OF YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY!!! I'm very dissatisfied with this company and will not waste my time or money on The House Of Wesley ever again!!! There catalogs will go in the trash or used to start a fire; that's all they are good for! Oh, Grace Avery, manager of H.O.W, you WILL receive a nasty letter from me and I will push this as far as it takes to get my money back!

"On Jul 30, 2013 2:45 PM, House of Wesley responded with:

A customer care representative has contacted this customer for further information. We do hope to hear back from the customer as we would like to help resolve this problem."

placed an order for plants last spring; some arrived in good condition, but most were moldy and slimy. very disappointing since it took eons for my order to arrive. contacted customer service and after several calls and mailings; i was told i was past my 14 day refund time; was sent a merchandise credit to use this year. i placed an order, which again took forever to get.
guess what?????? plants are in worse condition than last year's order. being a fool that i am, i planted them anyway. now i have five pots of dead sticks..... what's the point????? feeling very ripped off at this point, as i have no recourse. i give this whole fiasco and this lousy company an "F"

Posted on May 17, 2013, updated May 18, 2013
I ordered from this company about a month ago after going through reviews with a fine toothed comb. I didn't expect to get my order super fast, but since I ordered early, that was fine with me. We bought a property that needs some tlc, trees, shrubs and such, and I was looking for some good, cheap stuff to plant around.

I was jumpy, so I've spent the last two weeks or so calling them to check on my order. My calls were always answered, and the person on the line was always kind and helpful.

My order arrived this week in two installments, packed in green plastic. Everything that was a tree or shrub (except two magnolias) were shipped bare root. They look pathetic, but they were in great condition. I have the shrubs and trees sitting outdoors in a bucket with water, and most everything is already budding out like they should, waking up from their dormant state. I'm going to get them in the ground today.

About 100 bucks for a LOT of trees and shrubs, mostly all good native choices that are hardy and pretty much landscape staples in my opinion- some I ordered were luxuries like some grapes and such. I got a great deal! I also got some irises, a Thailand giant colocasia (for less than ten bucks, that's awesome!) , some ornamental bananas, and other stuff that I've been wanting for a long time but haven't purchased because I was afraid of the prices. Everything looked understandably beat up from being shipped, but everything looked good, smelled good, and was in great shape where it counted- in the roots, in the sizes of things, etc.

I even got some freebie bulbs- spider lilies- oh, and some tomato seeds.

So, I'd say that if you know what to expect when mail ordering plant material and are willing to wait a little while, you'll get a great deal from this company. They're probably busy and short staffed, which explains the slow ship time, but I assume that what they save in operation costs they pass onto their customers, which is why so much of their stock is so cheap.

I recommend this company.

"On May 28, 2013 1:36 PM, House of Wesley responded with:

Thank you for your post! We take pride in the fact that we can offer our customers such great product at wonderful prices! We look forward to having you as a customer for many years! Happy Gardening!"

after reading all the negetive comment on here i was worried about this company but since i got my plants and yes it took alittle longer than expected i ordered 2 trees 8 scrubs and 8ground cover plants it only cost me $20.00 i figured that if a couple plants lived i would be getting my moneys worth. they have been in the ground for about a week and im already seeing growth on all but 1 plant so im very pleased with my experience with this company and to you folks that are bad mouthing this company i think you need to order in early spring so things arent getting to hot during shipment.And you might want to educate yourself on the plants your buying before ordering at the wrong time of year:)

"On May 28, 2013 1:33 PM, House of Wesley responded with:

Thank you for your post! We are happy to hear that you are pleased with your experience. Happy Gardening!"

I ordered several items from them, hey they had guarantees and told me everything was legit and fine. When I got the items they were not as described; very scrawny, tiny and barely alive. I felt sorry for these tiny plants! I planted them anyway and only one survived. I did everything they demanded from me for returns, then was informed they cant send me replacements because it was the wrong time of year. So when the right time of year came I wrote them, several times, asking them why they wont deliver the replacement plants. They slowly and begrudgingly, did finally send replacements.... moldy replacements that were rotten and slimy! They were too far gone for the compost heap! I wrote again asking to replace them. Oh too bad, it's past the year time guarantee!!!! It's our policy, ya know!!!! Never ever buy from them! I reported them to the BBB.

"On Apr 11, 2013 1:38 PM, House of Wesley responded with:

We are sorry to hear of the problem with this customers order. A customer care representative has contacted this customer for further information. "

House of Wesley - In the past I have ordered Dalias. The rhizomes are dried up and don't produce anything. I have complained (and sent them the dried up shipment back) just to be told it was too late for shipping anymore - season over. I ordered a certain color rose and received the wrong color once it bloomed. They would not do anything about it. I, too, have lost a lot of money through this company and the other names they send under. I have told them to stop sending me anymore catalogues to no avail. I don't want their JUNK or any part of these people!

"On Dec 3, 2012 3:18 PM, House of Wesley responded with:

We are sorry to hear of this customers experience. We do have a 1 year replacement guarantee on all of our plants and we do stand behind this guarantee. A customer care representative has contact this customer for further information.

NEVER have I experienced such a horrible, dishonest business. Found these crooks on an AMAZON site which somehow gave them some ligitamacy.
I have been robbed of almost $200.00 but will purse it
though every consumer protection avenue possible. I know by using the US Postal service they are commiting interstate mail fraud. IF YOU ARE ON THIS SITE BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN ROBBED BY THEM...TAKE A NUMBER...or if you are looking for a reference before ordering BEWARE. They are crooks.

"On Nov 14, 2012 12:50 PM, House of Wesley responded with:

A customer care representative has contacted this customer for further information. We do hope to hear back from the customer as we would like to help resolve this problem.

"

Posted on October 24, 2012, updated November 1, 2012
From the time a portion of my first order (three orders in total for close to $400) from Direct Gardening (House of Wesley) I have had issues with the quality of the plants and the ineffective customer service. After calls, emails and sending the required materials to have plants replaced (because the plants I received were in horrible condition and even after trying to coax them along for eight weeks never grew -) TWO TIMES! I have come to the conclusion that this company has no intention of honoring any of its guarantees. The first time my paperwork and mailing labels were returned (three weeks later) without any action of claim relief was because someone couldn't read my Word document and wanted the word document updated with a different color ink to say specifically how many items to be replaced. Okay - followed that to the letter, got all my materials back another three weeks later (!) saying I had to send a different mailing label for one missing item. What should have happened was a phone call to say, "hey we can go ahead and replace everything except item X, is that okay" but no, I have to send everything back for a THIRD TIME - which by now makes me wonder if I will even get my plants! I will send everything back with a note saying to replace everything but the item where I don't have a shipping label. In my opinion these guys seem to be crooks, or at minimum, not smart about customer service. I received plants sealed in plastic WITHIN PLASTIC during July and August - and most were dead, some were so molded they looked like the gook in a frig when you forget you've got bean sprouts in the crisper drawer for four months. Bad packaging, even worse customer service, and I am going to do research to find the Illinois consumer advocate and report this. BTW - calling to with a real customer support person is worse, I think the folks on the phone lines get points for being officious, rude and nasty.

"On Oct 31, 2012 8:48 AM, House of Wesley responded with:

We are sorry to hear of this customers experience. We do have a 1 year replacement guarantee on all of our plants and we do stand behind this guarantee. A customer care representative has contact this customer for further information. "

I know a lot of folks haven't been happy with this place but I had a wonderful experience with them.

I ordered 1 red weeping rose tree and 1 red tree peony.

They arrived when they were supposed to and were in good condition.

The tree peony is growing beautifully. The rose tree started showing growth almost immediately but I really didn't expect blooms the first year.

Here we are in July and the tree is covered in gorgeous red blooms. Dozens of them with more on the way to opening.

Considering the price I paid for these plants they far exceeded my expectations.

I can't comment on the other plants they offer but if you want a rose tree or tree peony I highly recommend them.

Several plants arrived in poor shape--but the directions say that bareroot plants need several weeks to revive. Well they just died, and I didn't keep the (dirt covered) packing statements. When I emailed the company, they said they would accept a canceled check or credit card statement as proof of purchase, but they admit they have a record of the transaction, so why should I send them my bank or credit card information, especially after reading the reviews here? It seems designed to keep people from claiming the guarantee. I also let them know that rampant use of ALLCAPS in their emails seems rude. I hope it isn't on purpose.

"On Jul 16, 2012 10:30 AM, House of Wesley responded with:

We are sorry to hear of this problem. A customer care representative has contacted this customer for further information.
"

After reconstructing the landscape in my back yard I decided that a freedom red rose hedge was the perfect addition. I could not find this rose hedge in stock anywhere but HOW. Being a "virgin" if you will to mail order flowers I did not know how these rose hedges would come in.

I ordered these rose hedges prior to researching House of Wesley. And then I began to get worried when HOW debited the money out of my account but I did not have my roses within the week. Then I started researching the history of HOW.

After reading the negative comments on here I was terrified that I either would not receive my order or when I did receive it the roses would be worthless.

I finally received my roses....before the time HOW told me I would. After reading the directions and learning that these were supposed to take 6-8 weeks to show any sign of life I planted my roses. Here we are 3 WEEKS after planting and not only do I have new growth on my roses but the new growth has exceeded my expectations.

Thanks HOW for the wonderful product....I can't wait to see them in full bloom!

I recently ordered from House of Wesley and had problems with my order. I contacted them about the problem. In order to correct the problem with my initial order they insist I return the original label and thus forfeit my one year guarantee for the rest of the plants on that same order.

House of Wesley has a serious quality control problem. I will no longer do business with them again.

Here's a copy of my correspondence with them:
Hello. I am writing regarding a recent order I placed and received. The label says Package ID#: 122443853. There were several problems with this order:

1. I only received one package of 7820 Eye Tiger Dtch Iris. I
should have received two pacages for a total of 10 bulbs. Please send me the other 5 bulbs.

2. One of the 7820 Eye Tiger Dtch Iris bulbs was totally rotten and molded. Please send a replacement.

3. Concerning item # 5369 and 5389: each had a totally rotten bulb that was mush in my hand. Please send a replacement.

Thank you.

Matt

Posted on December 24, 2011, updated December 24, 2011
House of Wesley and sister companies

Hello all, I have been ordering from the company and the affiliates for about 3 years now. Just a few comments, so bear with me most of the issues could be mail delivery. However, regarding the plants, In many cases you just have to read carefully whether you are receiving a plant or a barefoot. The companies provide you with very detailed planting guides for various plants, bare roots and bulbs, in addition to preparation of the product and the soil. In the few instances that I had a plant that did not thrive, all of them not only sent me replacements, but also a beautiful plant or bulbs as a bonus thank you. In a few cases where a live plant or rose barefoot was moldy or dead, it was the darn post office or mail delivery. Don't forget folks, the postal service has returned to "snail mail" no wonder they are bankrupt.
I ordered a lot of things on line and the USPS is by far the worst, broken, damaged or delayed delivery. I always request House of Wesley and the affiliates to use FED-EX or UPS since 2010. The tiny extra cost is well worth it. HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLRM SINCE. I am very happy with my products and services.

House of Wesley, DO NOT DO BUSINESS with them, unless you want aggrevation, getting ripped off, and only getting some money back or nothing at all.
I placed an order for tacca "bat flower" they said they sent them in june, the postman said they did not. when I called them for replacement, I went threw a lot of crap about they mailed them on such a date, when I asked for them to send me proof, they can't.They finally gave in and said we will ship you out your order immediately.....so I am waiting, notified my postman, nothing..and then I recieve a letter stating that they are out of the plant and I will have to wait till next year to recieve the plants....I called up, talked with a nasty guy, and he stated that he get complaints all day long about the company but that doesn't bother them. Then he said he needed to go talk to a supervisor...came back and said he couldn't do anything, that if I wanted all my money back I would have to send the PostCard back that they sent me. Hung up very rudely...I sent the card back the next day and cancelled and said to send my $29.99 back to my credit card...when I called them after not hearring from them for 2 months, they said oh your money is being put back in your credit card account tommorrow.....Today I received a letter stating that here is $19.50 merchandise credit voucher to be spent purchasing something from these idiots, and it must all be spent on 1 plant, not devided among many plants...they stole the $10.00 for shipping, and they think after all this I want to buy from them again....I am filing with the Better Business on Monday and with the Attorney General from the state of Il. on this Company...I want my $29.99 back in my credit card and NEVER to do business with this Company or Burgess seed which they also own.This is an AWFUL way to do business and from all the NEGATIVE comments that are here, they have screwed the public way to much.......THIS IS HOW YOU CAN GET EVEN WITH THEM: in there book is an envelope that they pay the postage on....cut up small pieces of newspaper and fill the envelope up, keep filling, until the flap can only go down to be taped, you should be able to get at least 1" high inside the envelope filled...TAPE the envelope shut, and mail. when they get the envelope, its very heavy, and the post office charges them by the weight of the envelope, and this is expensive to them....If enough people do this, this will cost them alot in postage, and maybe they will finally wake up.....after all they stole from everyone of us, that put a negative comment here...

I was amazed at the BAD BUSINESS experience. I ordered my plants on May 6, my credit card was charged by May 13, I finally received the first portion of my order the last week in June, after I asked them repeatedly to refund my credit card and cancel my order. I received the second portion of my order today, 80+ days after I placed my order. Come on, surely they can stock better than that. And most companies do not charge your credit card until the order is shipped. Really felt like this was more of a bait and switch operation. I haven't dealt with anyone this crooked in a while.

I sent an email yesterday explaining that my some of my plants died. Sent detailed information as to which ones never came up. I was told I would need to return the orginal receipt so they would have proof of purchase. Really???? The original receipt was glued on a very dirty plastic bag that I had no inclination to keep.

I would recommend NO ONE EVER DO BUSINESS with House of Wesley or their affiliates.

I ordered from this company with the full expectation of waiting 2 weeks for my plants - after almost a month I had received no plants, and no notification that they had been shipped. I called the company - and was informed my order had not shipped - and would not be shipped for 'at least' another week. I was told I could not cancel on the phone - I had to by email or letter. I emailed, cancelled the order and requested the full refund. A week later I received my order, and a snippy email that my order was shipped they could not refund my money unless I sent the plants back. I was annoyed - I sent the plants back return receipt - at my expense. Once I knew they had the plants per USPS confirmation #, I waited 2 days, and then called the company. The first rep hung up on me. I called back; the second rep told me I should have attached a letter to the return stating I wanted a refund. At this point several emails and phone calls had gone to their company - I felt inconvenienced and told her so, and that I had not written a letter because I felt they had plenty of notice of my wishes for a full refund. She understood, she stated she would write something up, and I would get a refund in 2 weeks. 2 weeks came and went - I called and was told wait another week 'at least'. In the meantime, I made a complaint to the BBB - and wouldn't you know it - soon after I got an email that my refund was processed. Funny thing though - they subtracted the amt of shipping costs - even though I told them not to ship it in the first place - that's apparently my cost to swallow. I would not suggest buying anything from this company unless you really want to be frustrated. I intend to also file a complaint with the Attorney General of their state.

Ordered in late March. They charged my Credit Card 4/7/11 for $97.69. Their catalog does not give a shipping estimate but their web site states 1-2 weeks. I was told on 4/15/11 my order was in shipping. When I did not receive order I asked for a refund on 4/25 and was told it would take 1-2 weeks to give me the refund. I am going away on May 17th and could not receive the order. After my emails asking when they would credit my account on May 12 2011 they sent me an email stating no refund, they decided to ship. Well I must assume if it does arrive when I am not home it will be spoiled.
I feel that House of Wesley is a Very Bad Company to deal with!!!!!!!

Frank Whalon Perkasie PA

I ordered 50.00 worth of plants, all I received was a bunch of dead, moldy, smelly leaves, bulbs and sticks.

Sometimes an offer seems too good to be true... I ordered from House of Wesley (DirectGardening.com) on April 11th. My credit card was billed IMMEDIATELY (of course) and it said to wait 1-2 weeks for processing. On April 29th I still didn't have my plants... so I e-mailed them. You're supposed to use your order number each time, and I did... and they e-mailed me back on Saturday April 30th that I didn't include enough information because they ALSO needed my mailing address in the e-mail- Whatever! I e-mailed back immediately... and by Monday May 2nd I STILL hadn't heard anything from them. So I called. Busy Signal. ALL. DAMN. DAY. I FINALLY got a live person at 5 p.m.-- she explained that my order might be SEVERAL MORE WEEKS....um, at this point it's May 2nd and the weeping cherry tree I ordered was intended to be a Mothers Day gift. WELL. She explained that there was a massive supply chain problem and "a lot of dissatisfied customers" - so I said "Just cancel it." WELL... in order to cancel the order you have to do it in WRITING. So I sent 4 separate letters to them addressed to various people (including the President of the Company- listed on the BBB website...)

While I was at the BBB website I saw that they only give them a D- rating! GOD I wish I found that website (and this one!) before I clicked "ORDER"!!! I will never do business with this company again, and I'm PRAYING I get a credit to my charge card before HELL freezes over! That'll teach me for not buying from a local business...

HOUSE OF WESLEY SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I finally received my order Fri. 4/29. The order was placed 3/30. I am hoping the rose will grow. It came to me very unprotected in a plastic bag. I am very surprised that the roots were not broken. It is unexcusable the length of time it took to receive this rose and it was packaged very shabbily. This is absolutely the last time I will order from this company.

I don't understand why this company is still survival. If you order anything from them, don't expect to receive anything that likes what you see in their website. I spent $30 for flowers, but they delivered a bounch of roots, no flower at all. I will never do any business with them any more. NEVER!

I am in an e-mail "battle" with House of Wesley as of this moment. The catalog came a month ago or so and I should have listened to the bells going off in my head! Only after placing my order for $60 worth of flowers and bulbs did I see online all the complaints! I'm sure years ago I filed my OWN complaints with the BBB.

Their website clearly states: "Please allow 1-2 weeks for your order to be processed. We will then ship based on weather and availability of the plants".

Well, it has been nearly a month since my March 26th order was placed online, and I have yet to recieve anything but a runaround from phonecalls and e-mails.

Today I filed a complaint with the BBB after I was told in an e-mail "We will forward your request for cancellation to the appropriate department to try to cancel this order before shipping occurs" ... when I have been told several times my order has not shipped!

I will NEVER order from this company or any of its half-dozen other names. I'll just be generally suspicious of ANY flower/bulb catalog that arrives! Grrrrrr ... !!

This place is hit or miss. I ordered from them twice in 2010. The first time the shipment was fast, however, half the plants never grew (lavender and some ferns). The bulbs and morning glories did well

The second time I ordered was awful. It took over three months to get the mother-of-thyme and periwinkle I ordered. I asked twice to cancel the order, both times I was told it was accomplished. After two weeks I asked why no credit had appeared on my card; the response was the ordered shipped because they couldn't "catch it in time." Both the thyme and the periwinkle were dead on arrival. I didn't even bother to send back the dead plants with the mailing label because I don't want to deal with this company again.