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Comments regarding Honeycreek Nurseries

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  Feedback History and Summary  
9 positives
5 neutrals
33 negatives

Comments:

RatingAuthorContent
Negative fdf123
(1 review)
On May 24, 2017, fdf123 Boston, MA wrote:

I wish I'd read these reviews 1st. The company SUX! It took a month for my order to arrive (placed in late April), and then the most expensive part of the order, 3 Monarda plants, arrived dead, black, rotten (also the smallest Monarda I've ever seen, maybe 2" tall). They were willing to send replacements if I sent back shipping label (no thanks, didn't want to wait until the end of June) but refused to issue refund unless I shipped back the entire order, at my expense. Fortunately my credit card canceled the charge with 1 phone call. If you're going to sell live plants you have to have a refund policy like Zappos, but these guys are more like Trump U. STAY AWAY!

Negative tombaak
(25 reviews)
On May 19, 2017, tombaak High Desert, NV (Zone 5a) wrote:

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been returned, but told me that the company would only refund to the debit card that paid and since the debit card was no longer valid (checking account had been closed due to death) they had no way to refund the orders.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.

Negative plantschmo
(2 reviews)
On Jun 13, 2015, plantschmo Christiansburg, VA wrote:

I ordered plants (53+) in March, and I live in Virginia. When my check cleared 2 months later, I called to ask where my plants were. They arrived the next week, in hot weather, in a plastic bag, in flimsy plastic bottle material, smashed and dead, and were tiny and weak before they shipped. The specimen tree was a stick with its lead cut off. I planted and watered everything that looked like it had a chance, and repeatedly tried to call the company; they don't answer their phone. I finally found an email and wrote them; they said that to get my money back I had to return all the plants with the original shipping label within 14 days -- and it was now day 12! I immediately mailed back everything I could find (that wasn't rotted away or unidentifiable fragments), with the shipping label, except for the 10 that looked to be recovering, and the specimen tree, whose bark looked faintly green, but no buds have yet sprouted and it is now mid-June. I just received a letter saying that they couldn't identify the plants, and needed to know which plants they were -- and no wonder, since I couldn't tell what they were without the labels when they arrived -- in order to send replacements!! They have obviously no intention of ever refunding. Of course I should have read their policies before ordering, but if I had suspected that I would need to, I wouldn't have ordered from them in the first place! Plants I have ordered from other nurseries have arrived in wonderful shape in good protection. I have emailed them back a list of the only remaining plants alive; they have my shipping label and should be able to do the subtraction. The bottom line is that they have very poor quality plant material and do not care about protecting them during shipping. Huge waste of money.

Negative Sandyrvega
(1 review)
On Apr 17, 2015, Sandyrvega Nacogdoches, TX wrote:

I placed an order mid March. After a couple of weeks I called and finally received the answer that my order was now in processing
I wished I had seen this site before I places my order with Honeycreek Nurseries. I have been told that on April 2nd my order was on its way. Well it is now April25 and still NOTHING. Now everytime I try to call it is busy. But they sure took my money the second I sent the order.!!!!!.

Negative rreng25
(1 review)
On Jun 3, 2013, rreng25 Bucks Lake, CA wrote:

I ordered several walnut trees and fertilizer pills from Honeycreek Nurseries as a present for a friend. I then tried to cancel the order 3/19/2013. They said since they order was in process of shipping they could not cancel. 1 1/2 months later they shipped , the trees looked horrible, so I sent the order back on 5/8 requesting a refund and now it is 6/3 and still no refund. Called "customer care" and they seemed rude off the get go and could not provide me with any information. Cant recommend this business to anyone.


On Jun 3, 2013, Honeycreek Nurseries responded with:

"On Jun 20, 2013 12:06 PM, Honeycreek Nurseries responded with:

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


Negative iklych
(1 review)
On Jul 18, 2012, iklych Denver, CO wrote:

Posted on July 17, 2010, updated July 19, 2012
In 2009 I purchased totally $157 plants from Honeycreek Nurseries. The result is: pecan tree, walnut tree, hazelnut trees never started to grow. Plum tree barely survived. Cherry bushes produced crop this year - taste is absolutely bad, so all time and money for handling (our water bill is high because we have to water plants during summer) is wasted - I need to dig bushes out to get rid of them because they are useless. Red Lake currant is dead. White pampass grass barely survived last summer and didn't start to grow in spring 2010. Lavander Astilbe and Bloodroot never started to grow. I never advice anybody to order from this company. It is my worse experience to order plants through the internet .


On July 18th, 2012, iklych added the following:

I decided to add more information now, because dead plants are not the worse case. In 2009 I was sorry that most of plants died. I am sorry now that some survived. I can see the crop of Damson Blue Dwarf Plum - it is small cherry size YELLOW fruits with sour test. 3 years watering and care!!! This company rip off customers. I hoped to get my crop this year - it was total disappointment. I need to lean how to do grafting or dig out a big tree - it isn't a dwarf as it was advertised. I'll never order from this company or any other with similar plants and photos in catalog - waste of time and money.
On Jul 18, 2012, Honeycreek Nurseries responded with:

"On Sep 21, 2010 10:58 AM, Honeycreek Nurseries responded with:

We have sent a dmail to this customer, but have not received a response. All of our products are backed by a one year replacement guarantee. We hope that the customer has taken advantage of this, as we would like to rectify this situation."


Negative cactustony
(1 review)
On Jul 9, 2012, cactustony Oklahoma City, OK wrote:

I placed a $200+ mail order on 3-12-12 with Honeycreek Nurseries. The order was divided into 4 parts with the lst and 2nd arriving some weeks apart in mid to late April. The majority of the plants were dead or near to death, the packaging was shoddy and it was apparent that several plants had been damaged during shipping because of it. These two packages were discussed with the company and when I tried to 'cancel' any further shipments, I was told that they 'couldn't do that because the order was already in the system'. (The remaining two packages didn't arrive until late May & June - seeming to me giving them plenty of time to cancel the rest of the order!) The 3rd package included all dead plants and was returned the following day although they are telling me they 'have not received it'. The 4th package arrived early June and was 'refused' -- on advice from my postman who also acknowledged the poor condition of the packaging. To-date I have received reimbursement for one (1) package after a very long delay in getting it done, and have been issued a 'replacement certificate' on another order which I'm sure I'll run right to the catalog and place another order. (NOT!) I guess we'll see what happens with the last two packages. (Incidently, I'm a Master Gardner and besides volunteering a great deal of time at our Extension Center, I have placed many many mail orders and have NEVER received such inferior plants, seen such poor shipping conditions, and lousey customer service before.)


On Jul 9, 2012, Honeycreek Nurseries responded with:

"On Jul 30, 2012 2:58 PM, Honeycreek Nurseries responded with:

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


Negative sandit1
(1 review)
On May 17, 2012, sandit1 Dunstable, MA wrote:

Posted on May 16, 2012, updated May 17, 2012
Horrific experience - kicking myself for not checking online reviews before ordering.

Shipping process/guidelines vague on website (claims your order will be "processed in 1-2 weeks"). I ordered 3 weeks ago and have emailed them twice to find out where they are in the process. No one has any information as to when my order will be shipped (yet they had no problem charging my credit card shortly after the order was placed).

I called and spoke to "Misty" who ARGUED with me about when my order was placed (she said they'd "rec'd" the order less than 3 weeks ago). When I told her it didn't matter to me how many days it took from the day I placed the order and got confirmation until the day they "recieved" it, the fact of the matter is I PLACED the order 3 weeks ago, her tone became hostile. I asked her to just cancel the order and refund my account, she told me she could not do that and that I'd have to request it in writing. I asked her to confirm that my order had not yet been shipped - and conveniently, she told me it had JUST shipped! (If that was true, why hadn't she mentioned it prior to my telling her I wanted a refund?) What a coincidence. Yet, she was unable to provide me with any shipping details!!

I am furious with the incompetence, lack of urgency and unprofessionalism of this company. If I do not recieve a complete refund, I plan not only never to do business with this company again, but to make vast use of the internet in letting others know what to expect.


On May 17th, 2012, sandit1 added the following:

UPDATE: I just heard back from them after my email requesting cancelation. Their response was this - my order has shipped and therefore they cannot cancel, however shipping will take "approximately" another 2 weeks!

A LEGITIMATE company would clearly state clearly on their website, "orders will take APPROXIMATELY a month or longer before you recieve".

My order was placed in April, and will very likely arrive in June!!!
On May 17, 2012, Honeycreek Nurseries responded with:

"On Oct 10, 2012 9:38 AM, Honeycreek Nurseries responded with:

An order was placed by the customer on 05-01-12 and shipped on 05-14-12. Our website does state the following “Please allow 1-2 weeks for your order to be processed. We then ship based on weather and availability of the plants. “ The order had already been shipped when customer had called and emailed to cancel the order. We have attempted to contact the customer via Dmail but have received no response.

"


Negative jimdh1
(1 review)
On May 10, 2012, jimdh1 wrote:

I placed an order with this company in reponse to an ad in a local publication in late March. My check was cashed on April 4. When I had received no product nor correspondence from them by the first week of May, I emailed them asking when I could expect shipment using the contact us on their web site. After several days of having my email ignored I called their customer service dept. Their rep acknowledged recept of my order, check and email but could not give me a date when I could expect my items to be shipped. When I requested a refund, he stated that I would have to request a refund in writing or email--which I promptly did. The company surprisingly rec'd that email and responded that since the order had been sent to the shipping dept, they might not be able to stop it. How convenient and what a coincidence--I finally rec'd the items yesterday, May 9, and the items I rec'd are pure trash. I will never order again from this outfit and I would caution anyone else who might be considering doing bujsiness with them to think twice.


On May 10, 2012, Honeycreek Nurseries responded with:

"On Oct 10, 2012 9:39 AM, Honeycreek Nurseries responded with:

We are sorry to hear of the problem with this customers order. We do our best to answer all emails within 24 hours and never “ignore” an email. Our website from which he ordered does clearly state that processing takes 1-2 weeks and then plants are shipped by availability and weather. We are sorry to hear that some of the items did not survive. However, all of the items are covered by our one year guarantee. We were able to contact the customer via Dmail and do hope they take advantage of our guarantee.

"


Negative lodamom
(1 review)
On Apr 12, 2012, lodamom wrote:

I ordered three plants from Honeycreek Nurseries. The Pampas grass is questionable but the clematis is as dead as dead can be. When I opened the package the plant was detached from any soil and not green anywhere after I scraped plant with my fingernail. They gave me a bunch of BS about what steps I need to take and that I couldn't send the plants back for a refund until they were in the ground for 6 weeks. After six weeks I won't be able to find the clematis as it will be dead in the ground. How about sending quality plants instead of asking people to do all the work for you. I will never use this company again. What a mistake.


On Apr 12, 2012, Honeycreek Nurseries responded with:

"On Oct 10, 2012 9:38 AM, Honeycreek Nurseries responded with:

The clematis ordered was sent as a bare root and can be mistaken for dead since it is dormant and not leafed out. When requesting a refund we do not ask that you wait 6 weeks as all items must be returned within 14 days of receipt. Bare root items can take six weeks to break dormancy and begin showing signs of life. All plants are covered by a one year replacement guarantee. We send a dmail to the customer on 4/13. We also let her know that the plants were covered by the one year replacement guarantee if they are dead.



"


Negative cedge745
(1 review)
On Jun 13, 2011, cedge745 Meridian, ID wrote:

Will NEVER use this company again. My order was placed on May 13, but did not arrive until June 5. The 15 Lily of the Valley were only 12, of which only 3 were alive for $11.79. They arrived in a plastic bag soggy and and brown. the Clematis was a dead twig about 6 inches high for $6.99. We planted it but it is dead. The 2 Caladiums, for $2.99, were about an inch high and are barely surviving. The plants were so small, for a little more money I could have purchased really big ones locally. Only I have been unable to find Lily of the Valley locally. These dead and sickly plants were a huge rip off. I was also supposed to get "free gifts" which were not included.


On Jun 13, 2011, Honeycreek Nurseries responded with:

"On Aug 31, 2011 9:14 AM, Honeycreek Nurseries responded with:

We received an order from this customer on 05-17-11 which shipped on 5/27. The home page of the website and the order confirmation both said to allow 1-2 weeks for the order to process and then shipping would be based on availability and weather. We are sorry to hear that the customer has had a problem with some of the items and have contacted them via Dmail with no response. We hope that the customer takes advantage of the guarantee available on all of our plants."


Negative dstc_99
(1 review)
On May 27, 2011, dstc_99 Brandenburg, KY wrote:

Posted on May 24, 2011, updated May 27, 2011
DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!!!!!!
I placed an order for over 100$ of plants on April 29th. All of the plants were in season or items that do not need to be in season for planting.

On May 5th my account was debited for the amount due.

On May 12th I contacted the company via email and requested the status of my shipment and received the following generic reply on May 13th.

Fri, May 13, 2011 4:23:24 PMRe: Status
From: Honeycreek Add to Contacts
To: dstc_99@yahoo.com


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

Your order is currently in processing, which can take up to 1-2 weeks. Once
processed, the order will be scheduled for shipping based on weather and
availability.

Also, just as a reminder, once you receive your order be sure to hold onto
the original shipping label from the outside of the package for your one
year replacement guarantee.

After reviewing the website i realized I had misread the small amount of information provided about processing the order.

On May 20th I contacted the company via phone and was told that my order had finally been processed and the plants were being pulled for shipping within the next few days.

I was not given any information about the plants taking 1-2 weeks for shipment. (to my error I assumed shipping of plants would take 1-2 days like they did with other companies).

On May 24th I had not received the plants so I called the company again to inquire about their shipping status. I was told the plants shipped on May 21st. Since I had assumed they were a 1-2 day shipping I asked if they would be at my house today or tomorow. I was informed that they used 1-2 week shipping and sometimes it could take up to 3 weeks.

At this point I lost my patience and asked to speak with a supervisor. I explained that their website was useless and needed to provide the customer with specific information. Then I explained that in all the times I had contacted customer service I had never been given anything other than the least amount of information possible. Basically unless I knew what loophole to ask about I was clueless as to what was going to happen. The supervisor then stated that she was aware their website was lacking and never acknowledged the lack of useful customer service answers. She then went on to add that they were having issues in their fields and that some shipments were being delayed due to this and the plant being out of season. I informed her that I ordered plants that were in season or plants that could be planted year round specifically to avoid this issue. I also informed her that none of her customer service representatives ever mentioned a delay due to weather or plant inavailability therefore I had no reason to suspect that this was anything other than their normal manner of business. In the end she let me know I could return the plants for a refund and I asked her how long she thought that process might take. LOL

I feel like they took my money and sat on my order for 3 weeks before getting anything done. If they can process the credit card there is no reason they can't process the order. Once I called and complained something happened but they had no intentions of telling me what that something was going to be.

The 411- They are slow, unhelpful, don't seem concerned about their customer service issues, and since it will have taken nearly 6 weeks for the plants to arrive I will now be planting them and praying they survive the summer weather.

DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!!!!!!


On May 27th, 2011, dstc_99 added the following:

After posting this I received the following reply from Honeycreek Nurseries customer service dept.

CustomerAssist
Bloomington, IL
Thu, May 26, 2011
11:13 AM
I have seen your recent posting and wondered if I may be of assistance. If you would provide me with your shipping name and address I would be happy to look into your account.

I look forward to your reply.

Yvette
Honeycreek Nurseries
Customer Care

Having just received all 70 plants in a plastic bag that measured 12 X 24 I was less than thrilled with their service.
The english Heather I ordered is so small and dry looking I am considering having to plant it in containers to help it survive.
The forsythia and willow that I ordered arrived as a stick about 14 inches long and very few roots. It does have some buds but I am almost positive I will need to plant them in container until they are less fragile
The grasses I ordered are about the size of a coffee mug cut in half and the only thing that arrived with any dirt.

My reply follows:

dstc_99
Brandenburg, KY
Fri, May 27, 2011
02:50 PM
Yvette,
No thank you I received my plants yesterday and they are about as satisfactory as your service was. I ordered bushes and received twigs instead. If I thought I could get my money back without some sort of major ordeal I would send you back your worthless twigs. Unfortunately at this point I would rather never deal with your company again and use the weeds you sent me as compost. I am going to have the best $117 pile of compost in town.

Maybe you should spend less time replying to customer complaints and more time making your website useful and accurate.

Sara
Negative tdmom
(1 review)
On May 25, 2011, tdmom Pittsburgh, PA wrote:

April 29th I ordered $48.00 worth of plants from Honeycreek Nurseries. Last week I had not received any notification that the items were to be shipped, so I wrote the company. They sent me this information "We have checked on your
order and found that it is currently in our shipping department and
scheduled to ship at any time". So, I assumed that it was going to be shipped that day or the next. One week latter I still have not received my items. I wrote them again and received the same message. I wrote back and asked them how long does it take to ship my items. I have not received a reply.
This company is non-consumer friendly. They send out canned emails and do not reply personally. It should not take close to one month for them to ship my items. I should not have to email them to ask for the status of my order.
This is a shotty company and I will not order from them again. I want the items I ordered. They should have been planted by now. This is utterly ridiculous.
Buyers beware.. Do not order from this company.
Thank you..


On May 25, 2011, Honeycreek Nurseries responded with:

"On Sep 6, 2011 7:35 AM, Honeycreek Nurseries responded with:

Our website does state to allow 1-2 weeks for processing and the order will then be scheduled to ship based upon availability and weather. We do try to answer all of our emails within 24 hours of receipt. We do take pride in our customer care which is why our emails are personally answered and not automatically generated. We have tried to contact this customer via Dmail and have received no reply. We are assuming all is satisfactory with the order received.

"


Negative saba65
(2 reviews)
On Apr 22, 2011, saba65 Chapel Hill, NC wrote:

Very unprofessional and the worst internet shopping experience I ever had. AS A SERVICE TO OTHERS ON THIS SITE , NEVER USE THESE GUYS.I ordered 176 $ worth of stuff in end march. Was then told that it would take 1-2 weeks for processing I did not realize that shipping would take another 4 weeks, totalling 6 weeks in all. I called to cancel the order as that was too late in the season for me.However,the phone customer service is non existent and refers you back to the email for everything. Part of my shipment appeared in Mid april, yellow, sick looking and almost dead. I sent another email and was told that it would take 1-2 weeks to process the cancelation and there was no guarantee. It could still get shipped. It is now 3 weeks , I do not know if the rest of my shipment is canceled/ shipped/ in transit. I do not know if I will get a refund. FRIENDS, STAY AWAY FROM HONEY CREEK NURSERIES- they are completely UNRELIABLE.


On Apr 22, 2011, Honeycreek Nurseries responded with:

"On Sep 6, 2011 7:34 AM, Honeycreek Nurseries responded with:

We received an order from this customer on 03-29-11. The home page of the website and the order confirmation both said to allow 1-2 weeks for the order to process and then shipping would be based on availability and weather. The first package was shipped on 04-06-11 and the second on 04-23-11. The customer chose to return the 2nd package to us and a refund has been issued as per our guarantee.

"


Negative trapperdave
(1 review)
On May 26, 2010, trapperdave Ashland, OR wrote:

I ordered a number of plants from this nursery in 2009. Almosty all were sub-standard quality, and in poor condition. When I sent in the shipping label and asked them to honor their guarantee on an Astilbe collection of plants that did not even come up, they did not respond either by mail or phone. Their phone nu;mber listed is a complete joke, as it is always busy, no matter what time of day you call. Their customer service guarantee is likewise unreliable, as are their plant materials. I would NEVER recommend that anyone purchase plants from this nursery, and I have been gardening for over 50 years, at least 30 of which were on a professional level.


On May 26, 2010, Honeycreek Nurseries responded with:

"On Oct 4, 2010 2:18 PM, Honeycreek Nurseries responded with:

We have sent a dmail to this customer, but have not received a reply. We are sorry to hear that they were not happy with their plants. We do stand behind our guarantee which states: If any item you purchased from us does not live, for a FREE REPLACEMENT just RETURN THE ORIGINAL SHIPPING LABEL along with your written request within 1 year of receipt. "


Negative GardeningGlad
(2 reviews)
On May 11, 2010, GardeningGlad Danville, PA wrote:

I ordered plants on April 3rd. The order had not been processed within the 1 - 2 weeks timeframe according to their policy.
I canceled the order and requested a credit back to my account. They said it would take 1 - 2 weeks "to process" my request.

I sent another request and received the same reply: "Your request for cancellation has been forwarded to the appropriate department. We will do our best to try to cancel the order before shipping occurs."
The problem is that my request was ignored and the product arrived at my mailbox on May 11th.
I let them know that I was not happy about this, but of course they wanted me to spend more money to return the product. By this time, I no longer trusted the company and have decided I'd be well off to keep the product.
It amazes me that company managers do not understand the concept of "customer service." Repeat orders depend on good customer service.
I will not order from this company again.

Negative baygardener66
(1 review)
On May 4, 2010, baygardener66 Stevensville, MD wrote:

After placing order and waiting the two week processing time I emailed 5 days in a row without reply so I called customer service (oxymoron since there is no service) to see when they were going to ship. I was lied to about when order was placed by a week even though I have date on confirmation. Next I was told shipping was in about four more weeks. I was also told I couldn't cancel order on phone had to send email which I did twice without reply. I called customer service three more times and talked to Tammy at three different numbers. First time she was rep then second number she was a supervisor and on third number she was a manager - all in the same day - I guess if I had more numbers she would have become the owner. She even said she was the same person. Told me I can't cancel order once its in processing even though it hasn't been shipped. Processing seems to be a mythical place where it takes a week (in business days) once shipping label is printed to get to shipping and there are no records to show status of orders. I have complaints filed with BBB, FTC and IL States Atty's Ofc. Wish I knew about this site before trying to do business with them. They are doing business under an awful lot of names and all are getting a high rate of negative feedback from not just a few unhappy customers.


On May 4, 2010, Honeycreek Nurseries responded with:

"On Oct 4, 2010 12:18 PM, Honeycreek Nurseries responded with:

The customer placed their order on Friday 4/16 and it processed 2 business days later on 4/20. The order was cancelled and a refund issued per the customer's request."


Negative smashcan
(1 review)
On Apr 16, 2010, smashcan wrote:

This company is a complete SCAM. Stay away from them

1. When you call their number on the website its either BUSY or gets directed to a Credit Union.

2. When you check the status of your order they dont give you any information except.. "please allow additional time for shipping"

We ordered back on March 21 2010. They say wait 1-2 weeks for order processing. Ok, no problem. I check in little after week 2 they said its still processing and will ship based on availability. So basically if your product isn't available you need to wait. I follow up everycouple days since then, order still never shipped. They cant even tell you with your current order number. Last week I get a response saying its sitting in shipping and will ship anytime soon. This week I check in to be sure it shipped and was told " has not been shipped as they are being prepared and packed" please allow a few more weeks for shipping.

A few more weeks? WHAT.. No i want my money back. I dont want thier plants

Stay away from this company. They already charged my card and never can give you proper answers on your order

I am filing with state attorney general, better business bueraru. anywhere else we should file? i think we all should file class action suit!

Negative Klumforth
(2 reviews)
On Jul 24, 2009, Klumforth Iowa City, IA wrote:

I wish I had known about THIS website before I ordered from Honeycreek. What a nightmare. I ordered clematis plants from them--the operative word here being "Plants". When they arrived, the pots were smashed and the "plants" were mere seedlings barely emerged from the seed. When I wrote them I was told they were "dormant and bare root"--excuse me they were in pots with dirt. Then they said I had to return them in the original shipping material with the original labels within 14 days AT MY OWN EXPENSE. I believe this is false advertising. These may "legally" qualify as plants as they had emerged from the seed but they should truly be ashamed of themselves.

Negative StellysPapa
(26 reviews)
On May 4, 2009, StellysPapa Dothan, AL (Zone 8a) wrote:

I do not recommend anyone to buy from this nursery. I recently purchased some ferns from them. I got my order in a reasonable length of time.....that was not the problem. The problem I had with them was the handling of the plants and the way they were just thrown into a box without any type of soil, packing material, or any means of moisture. When I e-mail customer support, all I get in reply was that the plants were in their dormant stage and therefore did not need any of the above mentioned.
It's been going on 2 months now and those ferns are still dormant.......permanantly dormant, in other words, dead.

Negative lfabian47
(1 review)
On Jun 13, 2008, lfabian47 Oregon, WI wrote:

I ordered a number of items from their catalog to add to my 3/4 acre of perennial plants. Upon receipt, I planted all the stock in individual containers and placed them in my greenhouse. Everything grew except the monarda and the strawberry candy daylily (the crown had been cut off prior to shipment).
I wrote the company, including a photocopy of the address label, and asked for replacements. The stock in question only cost $5.10. They wrote back asking for the original shipping label which I had discarded by this time.
I called them to ask if I had any other recourse and they started telling me what "I needed to do next". I feel they should have gone ahead at this point and issued me a replacement or credit.
I have no intention of "doing" anything more other than:
1) Never ordering any nursery stock from this company or any other Burgess-related company.
2) Seeing if I can make a claim through my credit card company.
I feel that they need to better train their customer service staff to provice service rather than barriers and negative feelings.

Negative trboyd
(1 review)
On Apr 18, 2008, trboyd Houston, TX wrote:

I have had a negative experience with this company as well. I ordered two apricot trees for my mother as a gift that lives in Kentucky, which is very close to the nursery in Illinois so I am not sure why it took about 4-5 weeks to process my order for two trees in March. I emailed inquiring about my order twice. I received finally two responses saying the same thing. My mother did finally receive her order about 6 weeks after I ordered them. They were delivered by DHL to the wrong place even though the correct address was clearly on the package. Both of the trees were approximately 16 inches long including the roots that were shipped bare. My mother said that they look like they might be already dead. She hopes they make it. They were a gift for her so she will do all she can to keep them alive. I am very dissatisfied with this company’s customer service. I contacted them and explained the situation with no satisfaction. So I hope this website can help other stay away from this company so they don’t waist their hard earned money.

Good luck to everyone

Tracie Boyd
Houston, TX

Negative smarks1
(1 review)
On Apr 7, 2008, smarks1 Jasper, GA wrote:

I planted my plants as soon as they arrived and TOSSED out the shipping label with the other dunnage that came with the plants. I ordered 3 white and 3 pink pompas grass, and 6 flame grass. Five of the pompas grass came up. The rest never did. The flame grass arrived in a lot of sawdust or what ever they pack it in and it was so dead it was hard to find a stem. I planted the whole thing. Nothing came up. I wrote the company and got the same response the rest of the poster got. They wanted my name and address. I sent it to them and then they wrote me back with a copy of their policy that I needed my shipping label. I wrote back with the confirmation e-mail and told them it had all the information they needed to replace the 6 plants that were dead to start with. I did not ask for a replacement for the pompas grass that didn't grow. Seems like a scam to me. I will be placing a dispute with the credit card company.

Negative sacdude
(1 review)
On Sep 25, 2007, sacdude Sacramento, CA wrote:

I made an order to Honeycreek in March of 2007. It is now Sept 2007. I have no plants, no refund, no credit from this low customer-service company. Up until today, I have handled numerous communications with the company via email. I never received promised follow-up action for one email I sent. Finially, I was given the name Susan Phelps in the last email response. I decided to call and was told that Susan Phelps did not take phone calls and was finally given to a superviser named Kevin who was rude, talked over me, made me wrong and shut me down. I could not believe it. I took effort to remain civil to this fellow. Not only am I out $30, I am offended as well. How do these people stay in business?

Negative kramegd
(1 review)
On Jul 18, 2007, kramegd Columbia, MO wrote:

I, too had trouble with Honeycreek. Same story, no shipping label, no refund or replacement. I wrote letters and e-mails explaining that no other mail order place had these crazy requirements. After many tries, they finally sent me replacements for my plants. They too, have since died. The quality of their plants are horrible. Everyone should know not to do business with this company. I'm accepting the loss and counting it as an experience I will never repeat. I now do very little business with mail order catalogs. The best luck I have had has been with Michigan Bulb. They have been great to work with.

Negative dlefferts
(27 reviews)
On Jun 30, 2007, dlefferts Agawam, MA (Zone 6a) wrote:

I ordered elephant ears from them because they were cheaper then other companies. You get what you pay for. The
blubs never grew. I wrote them for a replacement. I included a copy of their bill. They sent a letter back saying I needed the original shipping label. They shipped the two very small blubs in a little box with a label on the same box. I threw out the small box. So I lost $25.90. I will never do business with them again.

Negative glazier
(2 reviews)
On Jun 12, 2007, glazier Danville, PA wrote:

Honeycreek/Fourseasons/Plantron/Burgess is a sad and shameful example of the gardening industry in this country. If you want to be a REAL service to America's gardeners, take some action to close this scam operation down. Afterall, what good is a toothless watchdog?

I lost $62.50 and my order on April 02, 2007. My order was shipped to another State by DHL and delivered to an address that contained "non-applicable" as a street address. My efforts to trace the package or receive a refund were unsuccessful.

Negative superbadgirl
(1 review)
On Jun 7, 2007, superbadgirl Saint Louis, MO wrote:

I have had a horrible experience with this company. I wish I had found your website before I placed an order with them! I placed an order way back in April and it still hasn't arrived. Here is my correspondence with their "customer care"

( I had redacted all the company & order info because I posted this to my blog - it's all Honeycreek though)

—–Original Message—–
From: CustomerCare@redacted
Sent: Friday, April 27, 2007 11:39 AM
To: me
Subject: Order #3218xxxx
Thank you for shopping at redacted!

This email confirms receipt of your order request 3218xxxx. A summary appears below. We suggest you save this email for any future inquiries.

To assist us in providing you with the best customer service, please include your order number on all correspondence.
———————

From: me
Sent: Sunday, May 20, 2007 11:23 PM
To: CustomerCare@redacted
Subject: RE: reacted Order #3218xxxx

Hello,

I placed this order almost a month ago. My card has been charged, but I haven’t heard anything about the items being shipped. Can you let me know when I can expect them? I am anxious to get them planted.

Thanks!

————

Sent: Monday, May 21, 2007 4:53 PM
To: me
Subject: RE: Order #3218xxxx

Thank you for your email regarding your order. We have checked on your order and found that it is currently in our shipping department and scheduled to ship at any time. Please allow some time for delivery once the order has been shipped.

Also, just as a reminder, be sure to hold onto the original shipping label that will come on the outside of the package for your one year guarantee.

Thank you and Happy Gardening!

Thank you,

Customer Care Department

(I have to applaud this as one of the most meaningless replies to a customer inquiry ever! It contains NO information at all! Just none! Amazing!)

————–

From: me
Sent: Friday, May 25, 2007 6:26 AM
To: customercare@redacted
Subject: RE: Order #3218xxxx

Thanks for your reply, do you have any more specific information? I am a bit surprised that you charged my card before you shipped my order. Also, if my plants are sitting in your shipping department all this time, I can’t imagine it’s very good for them.

Thanks,

———–

From: Customer Care
Sent: Friday, May 25, 2007 1:31 PM
To: me
Subject: Order #3218xxxx

We do mean that the information for your order is currently in the shipping department. As soon as the plants are prepared the order should ship. Thank you,

Customer Care Department

——-

From: me
Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2007 7:29 AM
To: customercare@
Subject: RE: Order #3218xxxx

Can you please give me a firm shipping date on this order? If not, I would like to cancel it.

Thank you.

—–Original Message—–
From: Customer Care
Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2007 5:14 PM
To: me
Subject: RE: Order #3218xxxx

We are currently waiting for more plants to arrive from the supplier. Upon receipt, the plants will be prepared and the order should be shipped. We do apologize, but we would not have an exact ship date until the order has been shipped.

Thank you, Customer Care Department

———
At this point I wrote and told them to cancel my order and refund my money. Surprise! Now my order has shipped and they can't cancel it! I called last week to get a tracking number, and the guy on the phone (who seemed to be snickering when I was talking to him) said that they don't use tracking numbers because everything goes out US mail. He said my order shipped on May 30th. (the date on which they told me they were still waiting for more plants to arrive) It's now June 7th. If my plants have been boxed and sitting in post offices and post office delivery jeeps for 7 days, I think they're probably in sad shape right about now. However I am not convinced that they ever shipped. I never heard of a package taking 7 days to get from Illinois to Missouri unless someone is walking it here. I am prepared to do a charge-back on my order with my credit card company, and report them to the BBB. This is ridiculous.

Negative chicago90
(1 review)
On Jun 23, 2006, chicago90 Phoenix, AZ wrote:

I have now filed complaints with the BBB of central Illinois, the attorney general's office in IL, and contacted a local tv station in Bloomington, IL that handles consumer complaints.

This company is so unethical, so unprofessional that it saddens me that this is taking place in the garden industry and in a town that I have such high regard for. How do these people sleep at night? I've never spoke with more rude, nasty people in my life. Do they understand what customer service means?

This company needs to be fined or go out of business.

Major major scam.


On June 26th, 2006, chicago90 added the following:

Here's a typical email from Honeycreek's "customer care" - do you see any "customer care"? It is important to note that they have my credit card # and order information which was processed in March 2006.

Thank you, however, as we have previously stated, we are not showing that we have received any correspondence from you at this time. If the information was sent to us on 5/20, we should have received this by now. You may want to contact your Post Office to see if they may be able to trace the package. We are sorry but until we have received your Original shipping label and letter, we are unable to make any type of adjustments.
Thank you,
Customer Care
----- Original Message -----
From: Larry.xxxxi@xxx.com
To: customercare@honeycreeknurseries.com
Sent: Friday, June 23, 2006 11:48 AM
Subject: RE: Replacement order has not been shipped


This is the 14th time, I have documented this - please stop asking the same questions!!!!!!! I have also called every day for the past 2 weeks, with no help from your company.

1) The original label was mailed approximately May 20 2006.
2) In a letter, I asked for full replacement.
3) I have received no correspondence through mail.

4) Please ship me ASAP a replacement order - you have my credit card # and order on file

- 3 hibicus plants and 2 adams needles.

What more can I possibly say?


Larry

On July 7th, 2006, chicago90 added the following:

As of 7/6/06, I have spoken with the head of the "call center" supervisor. Unfortunately, the supervisor claims she can't assist either.
I have now filed a complaint with the federal trade commission. This company is a true blue fraud and scam.


- No replacement paperwork can be faxed.
- Grace Avery, the woman I was told to send my credit card statement to prove the charge, doesn't have a telephone or email (real hard to believe that one).

They have done everything possible to not honor their own guarantee in writing. I have also contacted ABC and Dateline to see if one of the consumer vigilante reporters wants to take on these crooks and thieves.
On July 12th, 2006, chicago90 added the following:



More red tape from Honeycreek as of 7/12/06 - this company is bad news!!!

I will be forwarding your string of emails to Susan Phelps, who is currently handling and making all decisions on your account. Any and all future communication should be mailed directly to her at:
Honeycreek Nurseries
Attn: Susan Phelps
905 Four Seasons Rd
Bloomington, IL 61701

Thank You
Customer Service
RR

----- Original Message -----
From: "larry" < >
To: "'Honeycreek'"
Sent: Saturday, July 08, 2006 4:54 PM
Subject: RE: I've been ripped off and scammed!


> Honeycreek,
> Your company is a major disgrace to the garden industry! Between the 2 of
> us, we have communicated back and forth costing 3x the original order
> amount. I understand now why plants come overseas and why jobs are
> outsourced. Disreputable companies in the heartland of the U.S.!
>
> As I have mentioned 20 times, my original shipping label was lost.
> I have sent my credit card statement has proof to Grace Avery which I
> understand will be acceptable on a one time basis. (Why would anyone
> place
> another order with your company?)
>
> This game has been going on since the end of May 2006. I have a
> collection
> of email and written correspondence from your pathetic company.
>
> Just so you know, I have contacted: The BBB of Central Illinois, the
> Attorney general's office in IL and the Federal Trade Commission. I have
> also contacted the local Bloomington newspaper to find a reporter who will
> expose how your company cheats people.
>
> Please ship my order! I will be coming to Bloomington, IL myself if this
> matter is not resolved ASAP.
>
> Larry
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Honeycreek [mailto:sales@honeycreeknurseries.com]
> Sent: Friday, July 07, 2006 9:50 AM
> To: larry
> Subject: Re: I've been ripped off and scammed!
>
> I am aware of the phone conversation you had today with a supervisor in
> the
> call center.
>
> It is possible that the request you sent in mid-June is already in
> processing, but as you were told over the phone, we can not be sure of
> this
> until a replacement order shows up in the computer system. If the
> processing department has any questions, regarding your request, they may
> mail the request back to you requesting additional information.
>
> If this occurs, you should respond to the question(s) and send everything
> to
> the attention of Susan Phelps who is currently handling your account.
>
> If you have additional questions, I would be happy to try to assist you.
>
> Thank You
> Customer Service
> RR
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "larry " < >
> To:
> Sent: Sunday, July 02, 2006 3:20 PM
> Subject: Order died, sent shipment paperwork, Honey lost it
>
>
>> ---------------------------------------------------
>> THIS MESSAGE WAS SENT TO YOU VIA YOUR LISTING ON
>> THE GARDEN WATCHDOG:
>> [HYPERLINK@davesgarden.com]
>> ---------------------------------------------------
>>
>> My order for hibicus and yuccas died and I sent the original shipping
>> paperwork in May 2006. Your company has lost the paperwork. I have
>> also mailed my credit card charge from March 2006.
>>
>> I am seeking replacement of the 3 hibicus and the 2 yucca bulbs - the
>> entire order.
>>
>> All, I get are obnoxious, unhelpful and canned email responses from
>> your company. This is probably the 20th email I have sent.
>>
>> I am very frustrated and disappointing. Your company has my entire
>> order and credit card information on file. I want the entire order
>> reshipped ASAP.
>>
>> Please contact me to confirm:
>>
>> Larry
>>
>>
>> I have also contacted the BBB of central Illinois and the attorney
>> general's office in IL. This transaction needs immediate closure.
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "larry" <>
> To: "'Honeycreek'"
> Sent: Saturday, July 01, 2006 10:05 PM
> Subject: RE: I've been ripped off and scammed!
>
>
>> As I have stated in my prior and multiple correspondences to your
>> company,
>> the shipping label was lost when I mailed it back to you!!!!!! Do you
>> understand?
>>
>> Please reship my entire order - it died! Why is this so hard to
>> communicate?
>>
>> Please call me.
>> Larry
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Honeycreek [mailto:sales@honeycreeknurseries.com]
>> Sent: Wednesday, June 28, 2006 6:14 AM
>> To: chicago90
>> Subject: Re: I've been ripped off and scammed!
>>
>> Thank you for the email and the opportunity to assist you further. We do
>> stand behind our guarantee.
>>
>> After accessing your account, I am not seeing that we have received your
>> shipping labels and processed your request. Because you would not have
>> received your order until the end of April, it is highly likely that we
>> would have returned the request asking you to wait 6 weeks for the plants
>> to
>>
>> come out of dormancy.
>>
>> Have you received anything back from us asking for additional
>> information?
>>
>> Please let me know about when in May you sent in the request and also if
>> you
>> have heard anything back via mail.
>>
>> Thank You
>> Customer Service
>> RR
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "chicago90" < >
>> To:
>> Sent: Friday, June 23, 2006 1:25 PM
>> Subject: I've been ripped off and scammed!
>>
>>
>>> ---------------------------------------------------
>>> THIS MESSAGE WAS SENT TO YOU VIA YOUR LISTING ON
>>> THE GARDEN WATCHDOG:
>>> [HYPERLINK@davesgarden.com]
>>> ---------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>> I placed in order in Mar-06 for 3 hibicus plants and 2 adams needle
>>> yucca. I got 3 sticks in the mail and rotting yucca bulbs.
>>> (Photos are on now posted on this website - see warnings under
>>> regional gardening).
>>>
>>> I mailed the original shipping paperwork back in May-06 to
>>> Bloomington and stated my request for a full replacement and this
>>> time with something decent. After 1 month, I have not received any
>>> correspondence, I have called the "customer care" line at least a
>>> dozen times, (which is a total brick wall - the most uncustomer
>>> service line eve) and have sent countless, emails with no response.
>>> They have lost my paperwork.
>>>
>>> I have now contacted the BBB of central Illinois, the atttorney
>>> general of IL and a tv station in central illinois that handles
>>> consumer complaints. I'm ready to file a lawsuit for the damages of
>>> wasting time and the red tape.
>>>
>>> So for the record,
>>> please send 3 hibicus, 2 adams needle and a major apology for
>>> unprofessional, unethical service.
>>>
>>> Larry
>>>
>>>
*********************************************************
***************Emails To & From Customer Care****************

----- Original Message -----
From:
To: customercare@honeycreeknurseries.com
Sent: Friday, July 07, 2006 3:04 PM
Subject: RE: Replacement order has not been shipped


I contacted your call center supervisor Rowanna on 7/6/06 and once again, no
action taken. My credit card statement was sent to Grace Avery, since your
company lost the shipping label that I sent to you in May 2006. I have now
contacted the Federal trade Commission, the BBB of central IL and the
Attorney general's office of Illinois.



Here's how you need to proceed:



1) Please ship my 3 hibicus and 2 adams needle yucca from my original
order.

2) Your company has my credit card information and order detail.

3) Attached is the complaint that I have filed with the Federal Trade
Commission.



Your company will not get away with treating customers so badly. Honeycreek
is unethical, unprofessional and needs to go out of business.

Larry




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

From: Honeycreek--Customer Care
[mailto:customercare@honeycreeknurseries.com]
Sent: Thursday, July 06, 2006 11:27 AM
To:
Subject: Re: Replacement order has not been shipped



We still do not show any adjustments for you. When did you mail a copy of
your credit card statement to Grace Avery? Did you include a letter
informing us of your request? Did you also state in your letter that you no
longer have your shipping label and that you were sending in your proof of
purchase? Please clarify and be sure to include the previous messages so
that we will know how to proceed.

Thank you,
Customer Care

----- Original Message -----

From:

To: customercare@honeycreeknurseries.com

Sent: Wednesday, July 05, 2006 11:30 AM

Subject: FW: Replacement order has not been shipped



Over the past 2 months, I have both emailed and sent letters to Honeycreek
without getting my replacement order processed. I mailed the original
shipping label back and it was never received by your company.



I explained it to one of your customer care representatives, and based on
the timeframe and information in the system, she indicated she would process
this order - nothing happened.



I also spoke with a representative who told me to contact Grace Avery (no
telephone #) and send her my credit card statement showing the charge.
Also, nothing happened.



I called again today and the rude representative also told me that nothing
could be done.



I have been waiting very patiently for your company to process a simple
$15 replacement order of 2 yuccas and 3 hibiscus plants. The first order
was a rip-off and disgrace - 3 dead sticks and 2 rotten bulbs.



Please replace ASAP!



Larry




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

From: Honeycreek--Customer Care
[mailto:customercare@honeycreeknurseries.com]
Sent: Friday, June 23, 2006 1:12 PM
To: Larry
Subject: Re: Replacement order has not been shipped



Thank you, however, as we have previously stated, we are not showing that
we have received any correspondence from you at this time. If the
information was sent to us on 5/20, we should have received this by now.
You may want to contact your Post Office to see if they may be able to trace
the package. We are sorry but until we have received your Original shipping
label and letter, we are unable to make any type of adjustments.

Thank you,
Customer Care

----- Original Message -----

From: Larry
To: customercare@honeycreeknurseries.com

Sent: Friday, June 23, 2006 11:48 AM

Subject: RE: Replacement order has not been shipped



This is the 14th time, I have documented this - please stop asking the
same questions!!!!!!! I have also called every day for the past 2 weeks,
with no help from your company.



1) The original label was mailed approximately May 20 2006.

2) In a letter, I asked for full replacement.

3) I have received no correspondence through mail.



4) Please ship me ASAP a replacement order - you have my credit card #
and order on file



- 3 hibicus plants and 2 adams needles.



What more can I possibly say?





Larry

This message may contain confidential and/or privileged information. If
you are not the addressee or authorized to receive this for the addressee,
you must not use, copy, disclose, or take any action based on this message
or any information herein. If you have received this message in error,
please advise the sender immediately by reply e-mail and delete this
message. Thank you for your cooperation.



-----Original Message-----
From: Honeycreek--Customer Care
[mailto:customercare@honeycreeknurseries.com]
Sent: Friday, June 23, 2006 8:38 AM
To: Larry
Subject: Re: Replacement order has not been shipped

We are not yet showing that any type of adjustments has been set up.
When exactly did you send the Original shipping label back to us in the
mail? Was a letter included with this stating exactly what you were
needing? Have you received any correspondence from us in the mail? Please
clarify and be sure to include these messages so that we will know how to
proceed.

Thank you,
Customer Care

----- Original Message -----

From:

To: customercare@honeycreeknurseries.com

Sent: Thursday, June 22, 2006 5:58 PM

Subject: Replacement order has not been shipped



I mailed the "original" shipping label to the Bloomington, IL
address several weeks ago and it has not been received by your company.

I have now sent multiple emails/phone calls and your customer
service center is 100% unresponsive. Please reship my order -

2 Adam Needles yucca
3 Hibicus -

These plants were a major disappoint when received. The hibicus
were 3 sticks (no roots ). The yucca bulbs were rotting.

I have filed a complaint today with the BBB of Central Illinois for
your bad service. I am also contacting the attorney general's office.



On July 22nd, 2006, chicago90 added the following:

More bad news! Today I received both a fall catalog from Burgess - (Honeycreek sister company) advertising the same items that I purchased for 50% less.

Also a letter from Honeycreek Nurseries - "Susan Phelps" - no telephone#, that said this refund check is another exaple of Honeycreek continous efforts to satisfy our customers. (The check was for a fraction of the original sales order!).

I have since wrote back to note its all or nothing - Full replacement order or full refund.
On Jun 23, 2006, Honeycreek Nurseries responded with:

"


On Sep 7, 2006 11:03 AM, Honeycreek Nurseries added:

This customer ordered $6.95 worth of plants in March. He emailed us on 6/22 that he had returned his original shipping label in May as required by our guarantee and was looking for his replacements. We informed him that we had no record of receiving the label. The customer then mailed us a proof of purchase and we processed a replacement for the plants which shipped 7/14/06. As you will note in the posting above, he wrote on 7/8 4:54 p.m. "As I have mentioned 20 times, my original shipping label was lost." He apparently suddenly found the label he claimed to have mailed to us in May and then said was lost. This was mailed it to us in a letter postmarked 7/10. At this time we have issued both replacements as well as a refund for the plants. "


Negative gardenguyaz
(2 reviews)
On Jun 23, 2006, gardenguyaz Chandler, AZ (Zone 9b) wrote:

I ordered 3 hibiscus from HoneyCreek Nurseries on May1st, 2006. What I received were 3 dead sticks. Two of them did not even have roots on them. It looked like they had just broke them off a main plant and shipped me a dead stem. I was very disappointed. I will not ever do business again!


On Jun 23, 2006, Honeycreek Nurseries responded with:

"


On Sep 5, 2006 3:55 PM, Honeycreek Nurseries added:

A dmail was sent to this customer on 6/24/06, but we have not yet had a response. Our perennial hibiscus are shipped out as dormant root systems. Hibiscus roots do resemble tuber roots and look like pieces of roots. They typically do not have, by nature, the more typically appearance and shape that one might associate with a normal root system like you would find on strawberries, for example. A representive picture and planting instructions would be found in the planting handbook included in the order. We also informed the customer of both our refund and replacement guarantees and hopes he takes advantage of one of these if necessary."


Negative cbtuisl
(1 review)
On Apr 27, 2006, cbtuisl Lebanon, PA wrote:

we deal with alot of different nurseries and spend alot of money on our gardens every year. this has been my first time dealing with this company and find their customer service is much to be desired. first of all i Do understand that items will NOT be shipped unitl it is safe to plant, but they say to expect three weeks just to PROCESS and order. this in itself is ridiculous. i also am not satisfied with the fact that there is no where on their site to check on an order status. i had to send them three emails before finding out any information. i finally received an email yesterday stating that a PARTIAL order has been sent, but they DID NOT specify WHAT was shipped. i sure hope that the QUALITY of their items is better than their service or they will definitely be losing a valuable customer in the future.


On April 28th, 2006, cbtuisl changed the rating from negative to positive and added the following:

after contacting the company and posting on this site, i received a very postitive response. the ENTIRE order has been shipped. i would have been pleased just to have received a RESPONSE! It would be nice though if they could redesign their site to afford the customer access to their account and order/shipping status. it would omit alot of frustration and confustion on the customers part, as well as the company itself. if i have a pleasing response to the plants that we ordered this year, i will definitely consider placing orders in the future.
On May 22nd, 2006, cbtuisl changed the rating from positive to negative and added the following:

i thought that once i was notified by the company after making my posting that their service would be acceptable. boy was i wrong. i was emailed that my entire order had been shipped. that was on 4/28. i have since emailed the company twice asking what date the order was shipped so that we could watch for it. they do not give me a date. my first order was placed on 4/6 and my second on 4/11 which i have received. what i want and need to know is when the shipment 31834872 left their premises. i am very skeptical at this point as to what quality plant i am going to receive. i am especially concerned about the roses as they should have been in by now. their level of service is never to the point, and i feel as if i am being snowed. i will never, ever deal with this company again.
On May 22nd, 2006, cbtuisl added the following:

i am absolutely furious! i will be contacting the better business bureau. we placed our original order for 3 red willow hedges, 3 himalayan blue poppies, and 2 blue moon roses on 4/6/06. after not hearing anything i posted on this site on 4/27. on 4/28 i received a reply from the company that the ENTIRE order was shipped.
on 5/14 i received an email from the company stating that the entire order was shipped in two separate packages and if package 1 of 2 is not received by 5/26 and package 2 of 2 by 5/22 to let them know. on 5/22 again got on this site as i had not received my shipment nor did i get any response from the company. received an immediate response stating that an email was sent to us on 4/19 stating that the credit card was denied, and the order was cancelled!! we never received such an email, and neither do the dates correspond whatsoever with emails that we have received and what has transpired. if they had notified us as they said they did we could have re-issued the order or ordered elsewhere. it is too late now to do anything. if it would benefit me to take them to court i would...unfortunately all i can do i warn other people to stay away from this company.
On May 26th, 2006, cbtuisl added the following:

follow up email from honeycreek was not to my satisfaction, therefore, as of may 24, 2006 i have filed a complaint with the better business bureau and consumer fraud in as to their incompetence and total disregard to this matter.
On June 20th, 2006, cbtuisl added the following:

when i filed a claim with the better business bureau against honeybrook, i was very explicit as to everything that transpired. i could not have been any clearer. i have received correspondence from the better business office stating that they closed my case as they felt honeybrook had made a good-faith effort to resolve the matter! excuse me!! i sure don't know where they got their information from, and if i had the space to put all the correspondence i sent them on this site i would do so and let the public decide. no where, at any time did honeybrook even attempt to acknowledge any discrepancy in my statements, not did they make any effort whatsoever to rectify the situation. we learned the hard way never, ever to do business with them again. but you know what..its their loss, as when we deal with a reputable company they get our repeat business and our money, as well as directing future clients their way.
On Apr 27, 2006, Honeycreek Nurseries responded with:

"


On Jun 9, 2006 1:36 PM, Honeycreek Nurseries added:

This customer placed 2 separate orders with our company. The first order was placed on 4/6. The charge card used on this order was declined and therefore the order was canceled. An email was sent to the customer on 4/19 letting him know that the charge card had been declined and the order canceled.

The second order was placed on 4/11 using a different credit card. This order was processed and shipped in 2 packages on 4/22 & 4/26.

When the customer contacted us by email and posted on this site on 4/27, we though he was refering to this second order which was the only order we had on file (the first one having been canceled and deleted and notification already sent to him). It had just recently shipped and information was sent to him both by d-mail and e-mail letting him know this.

When he contacted us later in May, we realized he was refering to the first order, we explained the information above. While we are sorry that the customer's credit card was declined, we unfortunately do not have any control over how his bank processes his account. "


Negative marlowj
(1 review)
On Aug 21, 2005, marlowj Manassas, VA wrote:

I ordered a bunch of items in the early spring. There were about 10 plants, which were not packaged appropriately. They were in small, flimsy, plastic containers surrounded by small cardboard, and stuffed in a plastic envelope. After going through the mail, when they got here they were all flat. Needless to say, none of those plants survived even after planting and tender care. I bought a bare root Peony tree, and it never rooted, it just rotted. I had a mixture of other bare root plants that have not survived. The only thing growing is my bare root hybrid tea rose, and it is struggling. Honeycreek’s warranty lasts for a year, but after 30 days (not enough time to see if the plant will do something), they will only reimburse you with replacement plants. I do not wish to go through all the work of planting all that again, just to have nothing grow. I never use this company again.


On Aug 21, 2005, Honeycreek Nurseries responded with:

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On Aug 25, 2005 11:43 AM, Honeycreek Nurseries added:

We sent the following D-mail to the customer on 8/22/05 and have yet to hear a response, but hope we will soon.

"Thank you for your recent posting on Garden Watchdog. We do wish that you would consider using our guarantee.

Our guarantee reads as follows:
1. Free Replacement! If any item you purchased from us does not live, for a free replacement just return the original shipping label, along with your written request, within 1 year of receipt. Replacement guarantee is void unless the original shipping label is returned.
2. Money Back! For a refund of the purchase price return the item and the original shipping label, with correct postage affixed, within 14 days of receipt.

If you do not wish to receive replacements of the same plants, you may request a merchandise credit to be used on a future purchase. Or if you know what alternative items you might wish to try, you can just let us know that as well when you send in your label and apply the credit directly yourself.

In other words, you don't have to get replacements of the same exact plants, we can give you equal credit of different plants of your choice!

We hate to hear that you had a problem with any of our plants. And more so, we hate to hear that you won't give us a chance to make good on the transaction!

By and large, the vast majority of orders that we ship out every year arrive in good condition and are successfully transplanted by the customer. We do not feel that your experience is representative of most of our customers and wish that you would give us another chance.

At any rate, we appreciate your comments, and hope that you have a wonderful season of gardening!"
"


Negative jillstaff
(1 review)
On Apr 29, 2005, jillstaff wrote:

Half of the plants arrived dead, and I recieved no planting instructions. I am sending them back in hopes of a refund.