Comments regarding Nature Hills Nursery

Freaking Amazing. Ordered 2 Flavor Grenade Pluot trees. Ordered in Jan or Feb and they were shipped in March. I freaked out and worried about how many days it was on the UPS truck and checked it's tracking number daily to see if it had moved. When they got here on the 10th I was truly impressed. I did my homework and read the reviews here first but still ordered with this company and I'm glad I did. Now I'm starting to think if you have to read the directions on how to plant bareroot trees ... why the eff are you buying bareroot trees online? These trees were from Dave Wilson nursery. They were 5/8 and ~1/2 cal. Heavily branched and packed with common sense in rotted sawdust and shredded paper all wrapped in plastic. I say common sense because even the way they tied it together with rope had the knot snug but a quick release when you pull on it so I didn't even have to cut it. The roots were out of control. Of the 35 fruit trees I got these two have the best roots upon arrival. I guess my rating would be more for DWN than for natue hills but i purchased from NH so they get the watchdog. Dmail me for Photos.

People ... order at the right time of year. feel free to dig the hole before the plant gets there so you're ready to go asap. It's roots are beat until they grow back ... you need to water it regularly so it doesn't die.

My experience with this company has been good. My Fuji apple tree purchased in spring 2009 is doing fine. My Ginkgo purchased in May 2010 is also doing great. I purchased a Barlett pear at the same time, but it did not survive the summer. I can't blame Nature Hills though -- I knew I was pushing my luck planting a young tree in my front yard (which gets full sun) only about 1 1/2 months before our scorching hot Mississippi summers. I just had to try... In any case, I have ordered another Barlett pear from Nature Hills which due to arrive this spring. I have every reason to expect it to do fine since the tree will have 3-4 months to get established before the summer sun gets its hottest.

Just received my second order, it arrived as ordered and came fast. Can't wait to plant my maple tree, my last tree is doing great!

I purchased a variety of trees, shrubs and roses from this company in mar 2010, totaling close to $300.00. I now have only three holly tress, still alive. Almost everything I received was bareroot stock, just a brown stick and many months later it was still just a brown stick. I have replaced all of these from a local supplier. I originally wanted to get a few more holly trees with my store credit, so to speak, but they did not have any available of the size I had purchased earlier. I then sent an email to the replacement web site to see if I could get tulip and daffodil bulbs for the credit I supposedly had and I was told NOooooooo, that I still had to purchase brown sticks as I had done the first time. As they say hind sight is alway 20/20 and what do I find when I look at the Better Business Bureau web site, they are listed at a (F). Now why does this not surprise me. I will never do business with this company again and you can believe that I will not have anything good to say for them.

"On Nov 4, 2010 8:05 AM, Nature Hills Nursery responded with:

nogrowjoe,

We are sorry if you do not like our replacement policy, however it was stated in the terms and conditions that you agreed upon when you placed the order online. Any failed items in the first year can be replaced for half the current selling price plus shipping and handling, no questions asked.

As stated before, typically we only replace item for item. When you originally lost 2 trees, we were willing to offer a different "like item" at half price to send in its place. When you e-mailed back 7 months later to report a total loss from the original order, we stuck with our no questions asked policy and again offered to replace the failed items with different species, as long as they were "like items" (so you would have to select bushes and shrubs). This is well above and beyond the standard replacement policy that you agreed to when you placed the order online. Bulbs are in a different category and they can not be sent as replacements for trees and shrubs.

If you no longer have a need for trees and shrubs because you sourced them elsewhere, that is not grounds for Nature Hills Nursery to change the replacement policy that you agreed to when you place your order with us. I assure you are standing with the BBB is not and "F" rating, and we have been more than fair with you regarding this order.

Thanks,

Nature Hills"

Posted on July 30, 2010, updated October 15, 2010
Posted on July 28, 2010, updated July 30, 2010
Buyer beware! DO NOT BUY FROM THIS COMPANY!!! Do not be fooled by the selection or the free shipping. My complaints are the same as the other 65 negatives: this company is in the business of selling dead plants and then charging you 150% and double shipping. I ordered 6 lilacs; one was dead ( not dormant) upon arrival, the other three had green buds, which immediately wilted and fell off after only 9 days! The customer service people seem to love to spend their whole days either giving or writing lengthy boilerplate defences for their shoddy products and their even worse "guarantee". It's not a guarantee, it's a set-up: if your dead plant stays dead, you can pay an additional 50% plus shipping to get another dead plant. The BBB gives this company a C-, they lost their accredidation on 6/03/2010, and they have had 36 complaints.
Their sacred "terms and conditions" run over 1,000 words and it's purposely misleading and obtuse- the refund policy is hidden in the middle; it's surrounded by lengthy disclaimers and it's a true marvel of legalese to make suckers out of many of us.
Considering the 65 negatives, Nature Hills has had plenty of opportunity to make their terms and conditions transparent and concise: their refusal to do so is a clear indication that the company has no intention of being a reputable business.

"On Jul 29, 2010 1:59 PM, Nature Hills Nursery responded with:

uhw,

This response is longer and more in depth than what we would typically post in this forum. However, there were false statements made in your post that we simply could not leave unanswered. We will start by saying that we are sorry that you felt that your experience with Nature Hills was such a negative one. We have attempted to resolve this matter with you, even to the extent of going well above and beyond the terms and conditions that are stated on our site. We understand that it is your right to post your views on public forums such as this, but we do not appreciate using false information in your post.

We are most certainly not in the business of "selling dead plants and then charging you 150% and double shipping." First and foremost, you stated yourself that all but one of the lilacs from your order arrived with buds (and you stated in a phone conversation with our customer service manager that the one that didn't initially have buds had budded within the first 2 weeks of being planted). Obviously, the material was not dead when it arrived to you. Secondly, our replacement policy states that material can be replaced for half the current selling price plus shipping and handling within the first year. The figures of "150% and double shipping" are absurd, and completely false. We offer a replacement policy as there are many factors, such as soil composition, moisture levels, insects, disease, weather conditions, as well as many other factors, that could lead to the failure of an item(s). We can ensure viable material arrives to your door, but we cannot guarantee growth (especially with such a wide array of variables). Because there is always a risk of loss when working with live material we offer the replacement policy of half price plus shipping and handling.

Nature Hills Nursery, as a company, has been in business since 2001, and has shipped millions of plants (tens of thousands annually). We staff our Customer service department for at least 9 hours a day, with a trained staff to offer assistance to any customers having issues with their products. Within the industry, we offer the longest amount of customer support on the phone than any of our competitors. While it is discouraging to receive negative feedback, 65 comments over nearly a decade of business is relatively low. We have worked in accordance to the BBB guidelines to resolve all issues that were presented to us through their organization. We have taken ownership of the times when mistakes have been made on this end, and offered resolution to several of the posts in this forum.

In regards to this situation, it is clearly an instance where there was loss due to transplant. Our replacement policy is spelled out clearly in our terms and conditions, despite your comments, and you agreed to these terms and conditions when you placed the order online. The terms and conditions, as a whole, is slightly over 1,000 words long. It includes the topics of our guarantee, issues with shipment, returns, cancellations, loss claims / replacements, and information on dormant material. That averages out to less than 200 words per topic, and all of the information included in the terms and conditions is pertinent to placing an online order. Considering your post is close to 250 words, that doesn't seem unreasonable. Furthermore, during our phone conversation you stated yourself that you did not read the terms and conditions when you ordered. It seems to be a stretch to call the terms "obscure and obtuse" and to go on to blame us for making you a "sucker" over something that you didn't even read. And despite all of this, we offered a solution that was well above and beyond of the previously mentioned terms and conditions to resolve the matter (a detail that seems to have been conveniently left out of your post).

We will take this post as you opting not to accept the offer that Nature Hills has extended to resolve the matter. You made good on your threat to post negative comments about Nature Hills Nursery online. Although it is your right to post your thoughts, shame on you for purposefully posting false information and excluding details of our effort to resolve the matter. It is easy to paint our company in a negative light when you don't offer the truth, or the whole story. As a company, we feel strongly about being true to our word. That is why we spell out our policies in our terms and conditions, and why we work within the terms and conditions when issues arise. We expect our customers to work within the terms that they agreed to them when they ordered online. In this case, we even went as far to going above and beyond the said terms, in an effort to mend the relationship with you, our customer. And as a company that stays true to its word (regardless of the nature of your post), we will leave that offer open should you choose to take advantage of it.

Thanks,

Nature Hills"

I ordered two large shrubs, and received nothing but stellar customer service. I received the order very timely & very well packaged. Both shrubs were in excellent condition, and I intend on placing many orders with this company. Thank you,
Laura Reynolds, Pine Bush NY

I ordered a Mandarin Honeysuckle Vine from Nature Hills Nursery in March 2010. I was assured it would be shipped when it was safe to plant in my area. It arrived in April. I live in western Massachusetts where anything planted before Mother's Day is in danger of frost, so I immediately put it in a pot adequate for the size of the plant, with good potting soil. The plant looked like a dead stick on arrival but that didn't worry me because I was told it would be shipped "dormant". Religiously, I put the plant out on my sunny deck on nice days and brought it back in at night. I did this for 6 weeks, with no sign of life. Not a speck of green. When I contacted Nature Hills, I was told that their policy on "failed" plants was for me to pay half price and full shipping for a replacement. I told them it did not fail, it was dead on arrival. I even sent them a picture of the completely brown, shriveled plant. Now, I already paid $22.95 plus $11.95 shipping for a dead stick, and they were asking me to send them another $23.45 so they could possibly send me another dead stick. I don't think so. I offered to pay full shipping, again, but I felt they owed me a replacement plant. My repeated emails were ignored, but I did still get their advertising emails!! I have since special ordered a Mandarin Honeysuckle Vine with a local nursery (which I should have done in the first place) and it is happy, healthy and about 4 feet tall now. I cannot wait to see it bloom next year! So...I am only adding my entry here in hopes of preventing other gardeners from making the same mistake I made. Nature Hills will never see another order from me.

"On Sep 9, 2010 10:30 AM, Nature Hills Nursery responded with:

whiteowl333,

We are certainly sorry to hear about the issue from the order. We do offer the one year replacement for half price plus shipping and handling on all failed items. However, if there was an issue from the start, it may qualify for a full replacement. It sounds like you notified us right away about the issue and sent a picture. We would be happy to review the case and see if there was something that was missed ont this end.

Please let us know. Just e-mail info@naturehills.com and mention this post (along with the name on the original order). Again, if it was just that the plant didn't take, it would fall under the standard replacement. If we were notified of issues from the start, then we will review the account and try to resolve the issue.

Thanks,

Nature Hills"

Posted on August 31, 2010, updated September 7, 2010
Posted on August 28, 2010, updated August 31, 2010
Everything that was said recently about this company is true. In June I ordered a tree that arrived with virtually no roots. After 6 weeks there was no growth, despite daily watering. Bare root stock is one thing, but dead is another. Their replacement "guarantee" is absurd and it is not a guarantee at all. It is merely a way of selling you another dead plant at half the amount plus the full amount of the inflated shipping (which can be almost as much as the item itself). It is meaningless to the purchaser.

There is no reason to tolerate defective merchandise or such clever "policies" of slick merchants. There is a very simple solution in dealing with a company like this: simply explain it in writing to your credit card company and request a chargeback. I did, and I was refunded the entire purchase price of the tree and the shipping. Needless to say I will never deal with this company again.

"On Aug 31, 2010 10:23 AM, Nature Hills Nursery responded with:

RufousDog,

We are certainly sorry to hear that you experienced a loss from your order. If there is an issue with your plant material upon arrival, we need to be notified within 48 hours so that the appropriate actions can be taken (typically a reshipment). If we are not notified of any issues, we assume the order arrived in an acceptable conditions and our standard replacement would take place.

One thing that is alarming from your post before was your statement saying: "After 6 weeks there was no growth, despite daily watering." There aren't many situations where a tree would require daily watering. In fact, in most cases that would be way too much. Over saturation can cause the soil to compact and the roots will never set (therefore the tree will never break dormancy). I would suspect that was the cause of the failure of your plant / tree, and not the viability of the stock.

If there wasn't an issue with the material on arrival, and the tree didn't just take to the transplant, then it would fall under the standard replacement policy (half price plus shipping and handling). This policy was stated in the terms and conditions that you agreed upon when you placed the order online. However, if you filed with your credit card company we would have to handle the situation according to their processes and resolve the issue in that manor. We are sorry that you felt that you no longer wanted to work with us and contacted your credit card company. We will respond to your credit card company's chargeback with the terms and conditions that were mutually agreed upon at the time of the sale.

Thanks,

Nature Hills

I love this place! I just finished planning my fall beds and placed another order with Nature Hills Nursery. They quickly responded to my e-mail inquiries, and when I called in the order the representative was very polite and patient.

I have received nothing but excellent quality stock from Nature Hills, whether it is canned material or bareroot. I have been ordering from mail order companies for years, and I can say Nature Hills has some of the best stock I have seen. They also take the time to carefully pack their plants, which isn't always the case with other companies.

I was so impressed with their service, I thought I would write a post about my experience. I was a little surprised at some of the negative comments here. I will say they are strict about adhering to their terms of sale, but really the policy makes sense. They guarantee everything arrives safely, and after that will replace a plant at half price if it dies. As any gardener knows, you win some and loose some when it comes to transplanting. Judging from some of these other write-ups, I would guess that these folks hadn't worked with bareroot stock before. I remember being a little skeptical the first time I received a dormant plant in the mail.

Other nurseries may replace for free, but I would rather take my chances with good quality stock from the start instead of okay quality that I might have to plant twice to get something to take. That is just this gardener's opinion.

Bottom line, if you want great quality plants, give these guys a try. You won't be disappointed.

I received an order the first part of June and made the following two observations: 1- The flowering pear tree had no roots - it was just a bit of club growth at the base of the tree. I followed the instructions to "sweat" the tree before planting - which I did, but all to no avail. I then planted it anyway to see if the sunshine would help it bud-out, but after 8 weeks it was obvious that it would never leaf-out. 2- I also ordered two varieties of blueberries. The "Northblue" blueberries looked fantastic, and they leafed out right away. The "Northcountry" plants, on the other hand, were so small I almost didn't recognize them as plants - they were more like dry twigs. In good faith, I planted them anyway having full confidence that they would leaf-out, but never did. Once it became evident that the pear and blueberries were defective stock, I called Nature Hills to get replacement stock. They told me if I have defective stock I have 48 hours to notify them. The problem is that there is no way of knowing until you plant something if it will grow or not. So once I knew that these plants were not going to grow, I called customer service and was told that I had to pay half the original price plus shipping to get replacements. I was told there were no exceptions. My perspective is the following: 1- The stock was defective to begin with. 2- There is no way to know if something is going to grow in 48 hours. It appears that their 48 hour notification policy is simply engineered as a method to side-step any fiscal responsibility in "guaranteeing" their stock. In other words, Nature Hills Nursery, simply does not have a viable guarantee - there is really no way for a customer to know if stock is good or not in 48 hours. So the question I have is if something doesn't leaf out within a few weeks of planting, then why won't Nature Hills make good? If I bought an appliance from Wal-Mart and it wouldn't turn on after I unboxed it several weeks later, Wal-Mart would make good and exchange it for a model that works. Why won't Nature Hills do the same?

"On Aug 31, 2010 12:02 PM, Nature Hills Nursery responded with:

KortB,

We apologize that there were issues with items from your order. When we spoke yesterday, I explained that we have time frame to work with when submitting a claim for defective plants. We state in our terms and conditions (and state in bold print on the front of your packing slip) that you need to notify us within 48 hours if there are any issues with the material upon arrival. Your yesterday was 10 weeks after the material was delivered.

The argument from our quality control department would be that there is no way that we can verify the condition of the plant upon arrival so long after the time the material was delivered. Unlike your analogy of an appliance, plant material is perishable. We are not trying to "side-step financial responsibility." A plant could dry up within weeks after arrival, even if it arrived in perfect condition. If we are notified right away we can check the remaining plants on this end for any issues, double check with the person that packaged the plants, and potentially could send a return label (should something need to be inspected). After 10 weeks, we don't have that ability. If there was concern with the material from the start, it should have been reported.

With that being said, you stated that one pack of the blueberries was dry and brittle when it arrived. That is not typical of blueberry plants. I will authorize to have them replaced at our cost. In regards to the tree, our crews inspect each root system before the trees are packaged. If they don't meet our standards, the material is discarded. We cannot determine if there was an issue with tree based on your description, so that will fall under the standard replacement policy (half price plus shipping and handling). You call customer service number (1-888-864-7663) so we can reference the original order, arrange delivery of the blueberries, and decide whether or not you would like to replace the tree.

Thanks,

Nature Hills"

Nature Hills sent me a dead plant too, and I tried to resolve this with one of their rude, sarcastic reps, but the rep claimed that the plant shipped dormant. The plant they sent me never came to life in spite of me babying it and trying to breathe life into it...dead is dead and based on what I've read on this site, this is a common problem with them. Furthermore, I believe the plant was dead when they shipped it instead of "dormant." I will never do business with this company again. They got my money once but never again.

"On Aug 17, 2010 7:51 AM, Nature Hills Nursery responded with:

Good Morning,

We certainly apologize that there was an issue with your order and that you feel you mistreated on the phone. Some of our material does ship dormant, this would be the case with any bareroot material that would be ordered.

If there was an issue with the plant upon arrival, and we were notified within 48 hours of the arrival of the order (as stated in our terms and conditions), we might be able to submit a damage claim and have the item reshipped. If you would like us to look at the order again, feel free to call 1-888-864-7663 or e-mail info@naturehills.com.

If there wasn't an issue with the plant upon arrival, and it simply didn't take to the transplant, it would be eligible for our replacement policy of half price plus the shipping and handling. We still have that to fall back on if there wasn't an issue with the shipment.

Thanks,

Nature Hills"

Like most people here, I received a dead tree from this company and was not given a refund or even a credit. I bought several other trees and shrubs with this order and they were all of poor quality. I would recommend that you thoroughly explore your local nurseries first.

"On Aug 9, 2010 3:10 PM, Nature Hills Nursery responded with:

robdodi,

Thanks for the post, and we are certainly sorry to hear that there was an issue with your order. It looks like you had the same user name in our system, so I was able to pull up your order and look at the notes.

It seems the Tulip Poplar never broke dormancy. You had called a couple weeks after it had arrived, and the rep spoke with had you lightly scratch the bark. At that point, there was a greenish coloration below the bark indicating that the tree was most certainly alive. It looks like in a later note, the tree had never leafed out.

Unfortunately, sometimes tree don't take to the transplant (as was the case here). We do try to offset this risk of loss with a one year replacement policy, as stated in the terms and conditions. Any failed item can be replaced (no questions asked) for half the current selling price plus shipping and handling in the first year. We are offering the Tulip Poplar tree for fall shipping. If you would like to replace the tree at the half price discount, just call our customer service department at 1-888-864-7663. We would be happy to assist you with placing your replacement order.

Thanks,

Nature Hills"

Recently I ordered 5 plants. They arrived promptly and I immediately unpacked them but 2 of the plants were very stressed out. I set all 5 plants outdoors and watered them. I did not read any of the enclosed paperwork but emailed the company, described the condition of the 2 stressed plants and merely asked them for suggestions as how revive and plant the plants that had way too many yellow leaves and broken stems. To my great surprise they answered post haste and told me that they were sending me 2 new plants as per their guarantee. WOW !!! After reading the paperwork that came with the plants I discovered their promise and they really kept it. An honest company in this day and age ???? Plants were replaced, they are all growing nicely and I would recommend this company to anyone and everyone.

I ordered three bare-root Japanese Tree Lilacs 6/4/2010. They arrived in a timely manner with some yellow leaves trying to sprout and almost all the roots cut off. The smallest of the three arrived with a split at the base of two branches. I planted them within 48 hours with a mix of the native soil, top soil and organic starter fertilizer and watered regularly. While I wanted a smaller size, 5 foot trees were the only ones available. They all began with the leaves turning green, but one soon began to wilt and now shows no signs of life. The other two still only have the original leaves. When I called about the guarantee, I was told it is half price plus shipping and only 4 ft trees are now available. In addition, they cannot ship until the first or second week of November - too late to plant here in Cedar Rapids. Or I can wait until next spring.

The sad thing is I ordered these to plant as a group of three to break up a large blank side of my house which faces the street as I'm on a corner lot. The one that appears dead is the middle tree so my landscape is looking pretty goofy now. I have no intention of paying more money to put a smaller tree in the center of a group of three which may or may not survive.

At this point, if I can't get another one through a local nursery, I may plant a redbud tree in the center of the group or start from scratch.

It's very disappointing to plan a landscape around an order and end up starting all over. I have seen these Japanese Tree Lilacs planted in groups of three in a mobile home community near me and really was hoping to copy that look for my home.

"On Jul 23, 2010 2:37 PM, Nature Hills Nursery responded with:

cdcrumba,

I remember speaking to you about this order yesterday. When we spoke, you mentioned that the plants started to grow, but one of the plants didn't take. We do offer replacements for half the current selling price plus shipping and handling in the first year (as per our terms and conditions). However, at no time during the conversation there was no mention of any of the plants being split or arriving do you damaged (there was also no record of this being reported prior to yesterday. Is that the one that didn't survive? If so, we may be able to get a damage claim submitted for the item. That would make the plant eligible for replacement at no charge.

In regards to the root system on the plants, in some cases the roots are pruned prior to shipping. However, this is done by professionals with years of experience. Again, this was not communicated to us in any conversations that we have had about your order.

As far as the replacement of the failed item, it was bareroot material which is shipped dormant in either late fall or spring. Because the material is dormant, it could be planted in November in zone 5. Since we have to wait for the material to go dormant before it is harvested, it just isn't available for shipping before that time. If you feel that is too late for planting in your area, the other option would be in the spring.
The 4 foot size of the plant is an estimate, and wouldn't be too far off of the 5 foot size that was sent this year. They would all even out over the next season or so (you could even prune the others to make them similar in size if needed).

We would be happy to happy to continue work on this issue if there are matters that have yet to be resolved. Our phone number is 1-888-864-7663.

Thanks,

Nature Hills"

I ordered a Blacklace Elderberry Bush. It arrived on the date I was told that it would (so I was able to have the hole dug and ready), and it is BEAUTIFUL! It had all of its leaves and a very healthy root ball! It has been planted for a week now and already has two new leaves! I am very happy! Thank you!

I have to take a moment to tell you how phenomenally impressed I am by my experience with Nature Hills Nursery! I was skeptical about purchasing a fruit tree on-line to be shipped in the California heat, knowing how boxes get tossed about in transit. Well I have to tell you, the box and the tree arrived in mint condition. They way they secured the tree to the bottom of the box and bound the roots in a sawdust looking mixture to retain moisture but not leak in the box if turned upside down....it was unreal! You could not have packaged a tree for shipment better than this tree was packaged! The apple tree looked beautiful, healthy and even had the beginnings of leaves all over! We planted it immediately and could not wait to see it this morning to see if anything had greened! This tree is better looking than ones we found at local Nurseries for double the price!!!

The whole process, from ordering to shippment was easy and every question I sent was answered quickly.

I am so happy and so impressed with Nature Hills Nursery. I will definitly recommend Nature Hills Nursery to others and I will, myself, be back as a repeat customer!

Posted on June 26, 2010, updated June 29, 2010
I received a "Harry Lauder's Walking Stick" in early May and planted it according to directions and kept it watered. It has not shown any signs of life so I called last week and explained this to them. I was told there were no more in stock at this time and the only warranty I got with the plant would be a replacement at half price when they get them in stock-possibly this fall. I'm extremely disappointed that for almost $50. there is not a free replacement where it failed to root from the beginning. It's a poor way to do business and was just told when I called "it was in the disclosure". I am one dissatisfied customer who will not be back and will advise my friends to shop where the company stands behind their product...not this company.

"On Jun 28, 2010 8:24 AM, Nature Hills Nursery responded with:

Nature Hills does stand behind their products and we guarantee that material will arrive safely on your doorstep. We inspect our material for weight, coloration, root structure, and pliability to ensure that viable stock is shipped.

However, when working with live material, there is no guarantee how it will adapt to the new environment that it is transplanted in. There are so many factors, such as soil drainage, insects, animals, plant disease, nutrient deficiency, and weather (just to name a few) that can lead to the loss of a plant. We try and offset this risk by offering a no questions asked replacement for half the current selling price plus shipping and handling.

We are sorry that you feel this is "a poor way to do business," as this policy was agreed upon when the order was placed. We state our terms and conditions on every page at naturehills.com, including the confirmation page of the checkout process (that you must read and agree to before ordering). We are upfront about this policy and we would never recommend a customer agreeing to terms that they don't feel comfortable with.

Thanks,

Nature Hills"

I bought 4 Dakota sunspots for over $100, shipped bareroot. Two had a tiny sign of life and two had none. I planted and watered them with all four going completely brown. I contacted them and received notice of the 50% payment required for replacements, and have elected not to pay more for more questionable plants. Will not do business with them again.

"On Jun 28, 2010 8:27 AM, Nature Hills Nursery responded with:

Bareroot material is shipped dormant, and in some cases will start to push new buds in the box durring shipment. However, this is not always the case. Bareroot material can take several weeks to break dormancy after being transplanted. If the plants arrive viable, yet do not survive the transplant, we offer a 1 year (no questions asked) replacement policy. Any failed item can be replaced for half the current selling price plus shipping and handling. We state this policy in the terms and conditions that we have posted throughout our website.


Thanks,

Nature Hills"

I just received my order today from Nature Hills Nursery, which was to replace one Meidiland® rose that had died from an order that I purchased from another nursery. I was extremely impressed with the quality of the White Meidiland® Rose that was sent! This is an excellent example of what should be shipped to customers. I now wish that I had purchased all of the other roses from your nursery. I will definitely be a return customer to Nature Hills!!! Thanks so much for your great care and service!

Posted on June 11, 2006, updated June 3, 2010
I have ordered many things from Nature Hills. For the most part, I was satisfied. They have a nice selection and the photos on their website are really good. The trees they send are sometimes TOO large! :) I ordered a 3-4 ft tree and got an EIGHT foot tree!

Other than one or two plants, I was satisfied with my purchases. I feel they are a little slow shipping wise. With one order I had to remind them twice that they were past the shipping date and I also have not received replacements or credits on 2 plants that died. Customer service is a little below average. They are nice, but they are very slow to respond.

There were a couple of issues re: their website that were not good. First issue, in order to search you cannot use the enter key (how would you know this!?) you have to press the "go" button. (99.9% of all websites, these 2 things are the same.) Anyway, second issue, many times you will type in a name and it will not find it (even though the page IS there; you can access it via another plant); third issue, their email confirmation is in one continuous line which is almost impossible to read. Fourth issue is that they allow you to create an account, yet it is absolutely meaningless, because you cannot use it for anything and does not store your info when you check out.

I would like to give them a positive because their plants are very good, but they are a bit pricey, their website is difficult to maneuver and they are not the greatest with the customer support.

"On Jun 3, 2010 2:18 PM, Nature Hills Nursery responded with:

Pookerella,

Let me start by saying that we are indeed a nursery. However, when you offer over 5000 species of plants it is impossible to grow them under one roof. We do work with other nurseries, and we contract them to grow species of plants that thrive in their region.

There are several items that we offer that are shipped bareroot (indicated as a select plant), which will be shipped (and will arrive) dormant. Dormant material is not "faulty," it has been stored in a manor to keep the plant dormant until the time that it ships. This information is stated on our website. Garden Crossings, which is an outstanding nursery, does not offer bareroot material so the comparison is not "apples to apples."

Our replacement policy is also stated on the website, and it was stated in the terms and conditions that you agreed upon when you placed your order online. We can replace any failed item, no questions asked, for half the current selling price plus shipping and handling. Shipping promotions don't apply to replacement orders (and the promo was free shipping on live plant orders over $85, so it wouldn't have applied anyway). We are upfront with this policy from the time the order is placed. We guarantee that our products arrive safely to you. As you mentioned here in your post, we replaced a plant that arrived dead because it was overly stressed from shipping (you reported it right away and we replaced it at our cost).

The plant that was shipped dormant, was one that was grown by one of our contracted nursery that has been in the business of shipping plants since 1897 (they have over 100 years of experience). They inspected the plant for root structure, coloration, height, weight, and pliability to ensure that the material was arrival when it shipped. There were no reports of any issues with the dormant plant when it arrived. If a plant is damaged, or arrives in a fashion that it can be deemed "faulty" from the start, it would be replaced. However, the issue of survival didn't come up until weeks after it was planted in an environment out of our hands.

We feel our policy is one of the best in the industry. It is a no questions asked policy. We don't ask for pictures, we don't ask for you to send back the plant, or for you to return the failed item to our location. There are several factors that can contribute to plant loss (weather, soil conditions, amount of moisture, insects, and plant disease just to name a few). Even if your plant fails because it was run over by a truck it can be replaced under our policy (at half the current selling price plus shipping and handling). We are sorry that you no longer agree with the terms that you agreed to when you placed the order, but there is nothing more we can offer.

Thanks,

Nature Hills Nursery

"

After I placed my order for a Pink Lady apple tree through Nature Hills I discovered this site while researching another that totally scared me to death. I searched for Nature Hills and found an unsettling amount of negative feedback. I was uneasy about my purchase at that point, but I must say, so far everything is fine with our Pink Lady. UPS delivered the tree as we were heading out of town for the weekend so I unpacked the tree and put it in a pot with some garden soil, watered it and let it sit through the weekend. When we got home Sunday, we immediately dug a hole and put it in the ground. We used a mix of garden soil and dirt from the hole we dug. I then inserted a Miracle Gro fruit tree fertilizing spike in the ground on the outer edge of the hole. We watered it daily and kept an eye on it. It's now 11 days later and leaves have sprouted on every branch! I know its a little soon, but after reading all the negative comments, I am pleasantly surprised. I was hoping for the best, but prepared for the worst. So far, my first experience with Nature Hills has been a pleasant one.

After reading many many comments, I decided to keep my order from this company. I knew what I was getting into. I read every negative comment that was offered and several positive comments. I enjoyed Nature Hills Nursery as they had a large selection that just was not available in my area. It would seem that the majority of comments were about poor customer service and that what the customer expected, visually, a plant or tree to look a certain way and what they received were two different things.
I ordered a Gingko Tree, a Chestnut Oak, and a Northern Catalpa tree. I had researched what trees would grow in my area and I found that NHN website had great resources that could help me find the best trees for my area, I also just googled the trees that interesed me to get the most infomation I could on them. I had also researched how to plant bare root trees and what to expect and how to care for them. I am kind of new to this whole thing. I had actually ordered my trees then I had found this website (which is and was a great tool) and I was nervous and was going to cancel my order as a 30% negative rating is not very good. One thing that was nice is that NHN seemed to try really hard in resolving thses issues. However I emailed NHN and I also opened up a ticket on their website. In less than 24 hours I was contacted by Brian on both of my electronic communications that I had sent. It was mainly a question regarding shipping. He responded letting me know that my order was shipped and on its way. I was pretty happy about that, as most people complained that they could not get a response with regards to the communications they had sent in. So in this area they score high points. And I really wanted to see for my self if they had bad service. If they did not respond the way they had I would be leaving a negative comment now.
My trees arrived and the Chestnut Oak had buds on it! I checked the roots on all of my trees to determine if the were still alive as that seemed to be another major complaint. I would figure that I would call them ASAP if I felt the trees were dead. It is easy to tell if they are dead or just in a "dormant state". Needless to say my trees were alive and packaged very well. The peat moss (or what every they use) was very moist, even 6 days latter. I unwrapped the trees and I soaked them in water for 1 hour and planted them and babied them. My wife was a little mad at me as we were leaving later that day. Then I went on vacation for a couple of days. I was not expecting much to happen but when I got back the Gingko tree had buds and the Catalpa had buds just starting to come in. Realise that it depends on the time of year for your tree and when you get them planted as I can now see why it might take 60 days to break dormancy. I was most worried about the catalpa tree as it was literally a stick (another complaint I frequently saw). I had read much about people getting a "stick" in the mail. So I was not surprised. I would suggest to NHN that they list that on their website that some trees are "sticks" so don't be surprised if you get one and mabey put a picture up of what to expect. The root ball on the Catalpa was the biggest and the most healthy looking of my other 2 trees. So far they are doing well. I am also aware of the refund policy. NHN did a great job of letting you (me)know the estimated shipping date and the refund/return policy. I had recieved my trees sooner than the estimated ship date. Another plus. I figure that for me, the cheaper prices and huge selection is worth the potential of having to pay for 1/2 the price of the original tree if it does not make it. Just to give you an idea Gingko trees on other sites were at least 70-100 dollars for a 5 foot tree. I paid 29.99 and even if it dies and I have to buy another one it is still cheaper even with shipping the 2nd time. I suggest to all that you read everything when ordering from NHN so there will be no surprises. I am very pleased with my overall experience. And wish you all the same experiance. I will be ordering more trees in the future.

Do not use this company! I ordered 1 bush and 3 trees totalling about $150. Didn't hear anything for several days. I was concerned because I had placed several orders with another co., Garden Crossing, and recieved product within the same week. People also answered the phone there. I read through the policy information included with my Nature Hills confirming e-mail. It said customers could cancel before shipment for a 10% fee. I sent an email cancelling and I called and left a message on the main line and with the President. Got an email indicating the product would ship in a few days and I couldn't cancel. I wrote back indicating that I was following their stated policy and that they are not following their policy and that I will dispute the charges if they do not credit my money minus the 10% fee. You can tell from just this brief interaction that no one answers the phone there and that they don't honor their stated policies. DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY. I know it is a hassle to have a customer cancel an order, but they cover their hardship with the 10% penalty as long as you do it before it ships. However, when it comes down to it, they aren't even honoring their own policy. They need to revise their policy and say no cancellations, no returns, no nothing. Obviously, no one would do business with them and no one should do business with a company that tries to back their customers into a corner. They are a hassle to work with and its not worth it.

"On May 7, 2010 6:54 PM, Nature Hills Nursery responded with:

strelser,

We have been in contact through e-mail and I thought I would follow up by responding to this post.

We did maintain an e-mail correspondence with you throughout the day yesterday. There was a note of a voicemail that went unanswered, but that was because an e-mail response had already been sent by the time the message was about to be returned. The president did forward over a message to the customer service department, however somehow the information was taken down wrong and that message was never returned.

We do apologize that the mistake occurred with the phone message, but ultimately we did keep an open line of communication with you. Our records indicate that the e-mails were answered in a timely manor, with no more than two hours of time passing in between each e-mail responses (during our normal office hours).

The spring is our busy season, and even with a staffed call center we are unable to catch every call. However, we do have a policy of returning all voicemails within the same day. When a customer leaves a voicemail and e-mails, a message might not be returned if it was handled by e-mail. In an effort to help all customers with their issues, we try not to do "double duty" by having more than one person work on the same issue.

The main issue at hand seems to be with the cancellation policy. We do state in our terms and conditions that: "Orders CANNOT be cancelled after the order is shipped or if the order is in the packaging process." This is how it is worded verbatim in our terms and conditions. When you placed the order online, you checked off that you read and agreed to the terms stated when you placed your order.

The order was placed on Saturday 5/1/2010, and it was stated that it would ship within 10 to 14 days of the date of the order. Our warehouse ships thousands of orders each week. Each day, our warehouse prints several hundreds of orders and sends crews out to pull and package plants. Once an order has been sent to this packaging process, there is no way to single out one order without first going through hundreds of orders by hand. That is why we are unable to stop an order once it gets to this stage in the order process. Your order was sent to packaging around 6:30 AM on 5/6/2010, which was before you left a voicemail or sent an e-mail regarding cancellation.

You mentioned that the reason you wanted to cancel was that your order from Garden Crossings shipped within the same week you ordered. Garden Crossings is a great company who has great products and a reputation of timely shipping. You stated in your post, that you were concerned with your order from Nature Hills because it wasn't shipped within the same week the order was placed. However, your order was sent to packaging within 4 business days from the time the order was placed, and was in line to ship within one week of the date the order was placed. You then placed a negative comment on this forum because you order was sent to the warehouse for packaging within the first week, which resulted in the inability to cancel the order. In this case, we are not sure what could have been done differently to satisfy you.

We are working on a resolution through our e-mail correspondence. If you do indeed decide to do business with Nature Hills Nursery, we ask that you read our terms and conditions. We value our customers and are upfront with our policies and procedures from the time the order is placed. When issues arise, we will work to satisfy a situation within the parameters of the terms and conditions that are agreed upon when the order is placed.

Thanks,

Nature Hills Nursery
"

I recently ordered Natural Guard Soil Activator from Natural Hills. I was extremely impressed to the quick response of my order and the speed in which I recieved it. I have looked over the Houston, Katy, Texas area trying to find this product that was advertised in an article from Handyman Magazine with no luck. So I went online and wham I found it. I was excited as my lawn is really bad.When I placed my order I thought it would take forever ever to get like in most gardening magazines. Their promptness was appreciated beyond words. I highly recommend this company to anyone. They did a great job.

Earlier this spring I purchased a centennial crabapple from another online nursery. It arrived how I expected it to, a single “stick” with bare roots, no branches or leaves. It is doing fine in the ground now, leafed in pretty well, but I realized I needed a tree to cross-pollinate it, and settled on dolgo. The other online nursery did not have any dolgo in stock, so I ordered from Nature Hills Nursery instead. The cost of the tree and shipping Nature Hills Nursery charged me was the same as the other online nursery charged me, so I was expecting another bare stick.You can imagine, then, how pleasantly surprised I was, when I opened the tree Nature Hills Nursery sent me, to find a real tree with branches, and even buds on the ends of those branches. I assumed they were leaf buds, so I was even more pleasantly surprised when they opened up to be flowers after less than a week in the ground. Now leaves are coming in too. I had initially bought the dolgo from Nature Hills Nursery to be a supplementary tree for pollinating the one I bought from The other online nursery, but I decided to plant the Nature Hills Nursery tree in a more prominent spot in my yard, because it is by far the more attractive, more mature tree. I wish I had bought my first crabapple from Nature Hills Nursery, but I expect I will buy other trees and plants from Nature Hills Nursery in the future.

Posted on March 31, 2010, updated April 4, 2010
I ordered a Lavender Twist Weeping Redbud (4-5' size), a Weeping Cherry, and 2 Honeysuckle plants from this company. Last weekend I happened to find a weeping cherry tree at Lowe's that was large and in bloom (I know Nature Hills sells dormant trees), so I ended up buying that one and calling to cancel the Weeping Cherry from my order. The man I spoke to at customer service was very polite and the cancellation process was so easy that when I got off the phone I almost felt a little confused... I can't remember the last time a customer service conversation was such a breeze! And the refund has already gone through!

My Weeping Redbud came via UPS yesterday, and although it is a bare root "stick" it looks like it will do very well and at least upon delivery, was very much alive. . It is actually TALLER than 5 ft! My honeysuckle was on a separate order, so it has not arrived yet, but I got a shipment confirmation today. I'm sure it will be very nice!

For those complaining about the bare root "sticks"... What I have found is that it is usually better to purchase trees online during the fall-- that way, the dormant stick looks normal amongst the other dormant trees. Then, it will wake up in the spring with everyone else. When you buy them in the spring, they definitely look funny amongst the other trees that are flowering and leafing out-- but they will catch up in their own time. If you are a first time bare root tree buyer, yes the tree appears dead upon arrival, but you can check for life by doing a tiny scrape on the trunk to check for green. If you can't be patient enough to wait for your tree to break dormancy, go to a local nursery and buy a potted tree. As far as the comment about the dry compost around the bare root tree-- it is very easy to overwater a bare root tree that is SLEEPING and doesn't need a lot of water which will cause root rot. And once you plant it, a good initial soak will help wake it up. Be very careful not to overwater it, though, which can worsen transplant shock.

Posted on March 11, 2010, updated March 12, 2010
(As an attorney, though I have planted over 60 trees since the Tornado of '98), my comment is that Nature Hills intentionally shipped non-conforming merchandise (they advertise 4-5 foot Covey Redbud, the packing slip indicates same, yet shipped 42" (i.e., 3-4 foot)--they (2) have a tag as a 3 Foot tree!!)). Nature Hills is not offering a 3-4 foot Covey Redbud at this time.

Further, perhaps bareroot means 5" clipped roots on a 4-5 foot tree (doubt it)! It was in a bag of material with old tree clippings within the mulch material--one 4" stem was sprouting 2 short but new roots)). I can not introduce this on my property for fear of contamination! The mulch was also sooo dry that it at first floated on the water I put it in, after only 4 days shipping (they wanted to reduce shipping costs).

I also should have caught that this Company charged my credit card in November for something not to be shipped until March. Finally, one of the trees had a clipped leader just above ground. That means a weakened trunk from the start because the shoot was holding on to the side of a dead leader.

Fortunately, the shipment was totally non-conforming (that's legal for it didn't match what was purchased). If a refund is not promptly made, the credit card company will use chargeback, and the Oklahoma consumer protection group will get a well documented complaint complete with color photos!

My experience with another Oklahoma tree farm last week was entirely different. Great product. Yes, the shipping weight was 10 pounds each for 2 gal. plants. This was $49 (free shipping) for bare/dry root, the other place is $69 plus shipping. Guess which one I will go back to?

THANKS, DAVE'S GARDEN! I should have checked out the seller's feedback instead of just clicking on the "for sale" listing.

"On Mar 24, 2010 12:31 PM, Nature Hills Nursery responded with:

I have been working with David to take care of this matter. There was a mistake on our part, as the contracted grower shipped out the wrong size tree. The Lavender Twist Weeping Redbud (PP10328) trees reserved for us are between 4 and 5 feet tall, and the warehouse mistakenly shipped out the 3 foot size.

David attempted to contact us after our normal hours of operation, and unfortunately we were unable to address the situation before a negative comment was posted on this site. I did speak to David first thing in the morning, the day after the trees arrived. He was upset about the size. I apologized for the mistake and said I would have the proper size shipped out immediately, but said that was unacceptable. He had mentioned that he was upset about the packing material and said he was convinced that we would not be able to ship him satisfactory material. It was apparent that the only way to satisfy the situation would be to refund him for the trees, which has since happened.

In regards to the material that was placed in the bag, it is 100% organic material that is comprised of mixture of sphagnum moss and cedar toe. The moss can appear "root like" if one has never worked with that type of material before. The grower that inspected and packed these trees has been in the business of shipping trees and plants for over 100 years. The material used would in no way contain contaminates. They are trained to properly prune any roots (if needed) when the trees are packaged, and inspect the trees thoroughly before they are shipped.

When I did speak with David, he had already outsourced the trees from another supplier. There is quite a difference between bareroot material and potted, as the bareroot material is dormant versus potted material that is not. It would make sense that this species in a 2-gallon container would cost less, as that would mostly likely be a 2 to 3 foot size tree. Larger trees tend to cost more, especially species that are extremely slow growing like the Lavender Twist.

Again, we do apologize for the inconvenience that this has caused David. We wish we could have been able to try and rectify the situation before it led to negative feed back. Maybe one day, we will grow large enough to offer 24 hour customer support to avoid this type of situation.
"

Posted on July 14, 2009, updated March 3, 2010
I ordered 8 trees from Nature Hills 2 months ago. 2 Japanese Red maples, 2 sourwoods, a tulip poplar, a weeping cherry, a weeping willow, and a red maple.
Both the japanese red maples were completely DOA, Everything else was hard to tell as they are just sticks bound together with twine. I went ahead and put everything in the ground anyway and waited to see. I had my doubts, especially since one of the jap maples was split from root to nearly halfway up the stem. To this day the Jap maples have not done anything, just sticks in the ground. One sourwood has put out a couple of shoots near the bottom, the other has not - just a stick in the ground. The tulip poplar also put out a shoot from the bottom, near the crown, the rest of the "stick" is dead. The weeping willow, weeping cherry, and red maple have put out some foliage, but they seem pretty sickly.

I called customer service shortly after my order arrived and expressed my concern for their health, especially for the jap maple split down the middle. The lady I spoke to assured me that they would grow in time, they are just dormant, etc. So I took the benefit of the doubt and put them in the ground. nearly 2 months later, I have the results above - 8 trees, all of them either dead or very sick. So I called customer service again and told them that I am calling back to report that I wanted a refund or replacement. I was then informed that they do not issue refunds, and that if I wanted a replacement I would have to pay half price for all of them, and I would not get them until next year in the spring. I asked if they would ship in the fall, and they told me no, since I had to have my entire order shipped again to me and they would not replace one tree at a time. I asked them that if they could not replace my order, then they should issue a refund, and they said it was not their policy. I am considering disputing this with my credit card company, since they took my money and gave me a faulty product, and will not do right by its customers.

Seeing from this list that I am not the only one who is recieving dead or nearly-dead trees from this company, and not being offered a refund or a no-cost replacement, it seems as though this is not just a one-time fluke. it's hard also to see how one could ship 8 trees all in this condition - I would expect 1 or 2 not to thrive, but all 8?

Based on this experience I will never buy from Nature Hills again. Very disappinted.

"On Jul 14, 2009 9:47 AM, Nature Hills Nursery responded with:

The trees that are listed above (the Weeping Willow, Weeping Cherry, Red Maple, Sourwood, Japanese Red Maple and the Tulip Poplar) are all shipped bareroot and would arrive between 3 and 4 feet tall. Bareroot material is dug in the early spring and they are kept in a cooling facility (kept at 38 degrees) to keep it from leafing out until it is shipped. The species mentioned would arrive with little to no branching at the time that they are shipped, which can make them appear like a "stick." They are inspected for height, weight, coloration, root structure, and pliability before they are shipped to ensure that viable material is sent. We do ship in the spring, and that shipping has concluded as it is too warm to transplant bareroot material this time of year.

With that being said, it sounds like there may have been some inconsistencies with the customer service that you received. For that, we would like to apologize. In regards to the split in the Japanese Red Maple when it arrived, it should have been treated as a damage claim if we were notified right away. This item should have been reshipped right away. At this time, the fall would be the earliest time that we could ship you another one. The other inconsistency is that we can sent up an order with fall and spring items. The material would ship to you at the next available time, even if some items went in the fall and others went in the spring.
We would be more that happy to discuss the option with you if you would like to e-mail us at info@naturehills.com with your contact information.

Finally, there is concern about a loss of 8 trees. The species that you have mentioned are fairly easy to transplant and we haven't had any issues with those variety of trees. You said that the leaves looked sickly on the Weeping Cherry, Weeping Willow, and the Red Maple. There really isn't a way that a tree could be faulty or sickly when it is shipped dormant. If there is an issue with the leaves on the trees, then it would be an environmental factor. You might want to consult your county extension service to see if they have any thoughts. Loosing 5 out of 8 trees is a significant rate of loss, there might have been an issue in the area that they were planting that caused the issue. We do offer the 1/2 off replacement policy, but you will probably want to assess the area before attempting another transplant.

Thanks,

Nature Hills "

Hi,

I ordered a Tinkerbelle Lilac plant and it arrived in great condition-I couldn't believe how large & healthy it was. It was also packed really well. These people take care to send healthy plants and make sure they are packed to keep them that way, plus when you open them they are in excellent condition. I can't wait till it blooms....we are expecting an early winter, so I hope it makes it through-I will make sure & mulch it well! Anyway, I was very happy with my plant and will no doubt order more from this company!

I received my purple sandcherry bush within four days of shipping (Nebraska to Michigan). It arrived in perfect condition and is completely healthy. I am very impressed with the way this plant has been taken of. I have ordered products from other companies, but none have arrived in this good of shape. I called in my order and the person I spoke to was extremely helpful and very informative. Would definitely order form Nature Hills again. Thanks a million. JW-Michigan

My 4 creeping Cotoneaster plants arrived here in very good order -- the plants are healthy and hearty, and the packaging was most excellent! This is my first purchase from NatureHills but I'm sure not the last!!
Gail

We were suppose to recive a dormant tree but what we received was a brittle dead stick.
We sent an email and were told no refund or replacement without additional cost. A second email to the company owner went unanswered.

It's too bad there are so many negative comments here that are treated like what people are saying are unreasonable expectations. It seems that each response from Nature Hills in regard to negative feedback is the same canned answer. I looked on the Better Business Bureau site and they have multiple complaints about people receiving dead items. The findings always end in their favor due of their guarantee.
I had a family member send me a tree and it came in the mail dead. Not dormant, dead. The answer we got back was the guarantee copied and pasted in an email. The similar story we got from most negative feedback on this site.

They also mentioned "Our trees are rigorously inspected for height, weight, coloration, pliability and root structure before they are sent out". In another response they said “Due to the volumes that we do, orders are sent to packaging by the hundreds”. It sounds to me like there’s plenty of room for human error.

I’m quite certain they have more success stories with what they do. No doubt they are still getting people to buy from them online. Where they lack is putting themselves in the consumer’s shoes. If you order something and it arrives dead and then never comes back to life you should be allowed to get your money back. You should at the very least be afforded a replacement.

Hiding behind a terms and conditions paragraph with no flexibility is not much of a customer service model. In a day when we’re all trying to save money this doesn’t fly. It’s their terms and conditions so they can choose to do what they want. I wished the person who sent us our tree read this site first. It seems to me it’s a good place to shop as long as you get a live product when it arrives. All I can do now is make sure I let everyone I know what happened and be sure none of them ever shop there.

If you feel lucky go ahead and order from them. Just be darn sure your expectations are set in the event you receive a live tree. You will find yourself feeling like someone who's been duped.

"On Sep 22, 2009 4:59 PM, Nature Hills Nursery responded with:

Bargod,

We certainly apologize that you had a failure with your order and that you feel that we always responded with "canned answers." There have been a few instances (but only a few instances) where responses are reused. This only happens if the rebuttal fits the comments of multiple posts. We do review each case when issues arise.

As you may have read in our terms and conditions, and in other rebuttals on Garden Watchdog, the trees that we ship are bareroot and will arrive dormant. They are dug in the early spring before any buds sprout and they are kept in cold storage until they are shipped. This ensures that the material remains dormant until it arrives. The inspection process (weight, coloration, root structure, etc.) allows us to verify the viability of the product, even in its dormant state. If product arrives damaged from transit, or there are any other issues with it when it arrives, we ask to be notified within 48 hours so that a claim can be initiated. If you feel that you notified us right away of an issue and something was overlooked, we would be more than happy to review the notes on the order. Just e-mail us at info@naturehills.com with the name used for the billing information and reference this post in the e-mail.

You also referenced the line in our terms about the volumes of orders that we ship. We do package and ship hundreds of trees per day during prime planting times, and we have shipped hundreds of thousands of trees over the years. We pride ourselves on the quality of our material and the packaging that it receives. If a mistake is made, and sometimes they do occur, we will resolve the situation (again if we are notified in a timely manor to do so).

We do try to put ourselves in the shoes of the consumer, and that is why we have constructed the replacement policy that we offer. When transplanting live material, there is always the risk of failure. There are many outside factors (such as temperature, weather conditions, soil types, levels of nutrients in the soil, plant disease, insect, and animals just to name a few) that can have a negative impact on the result of the transplant. Even in perfect conditions, there is a risk of loss when you uproot a tree and try to plant it in a new environment. This is why our replacement policy covers you no matter what. Any failed item can be replaced for half price plus shipping and handling in the first year. This way your are covered if it doesn't take or even if you accidentally run it over with your lawn mower.

This information is stated in our terms and conditions that are clearly posted on the website and stated again in the check out process. We do not hide these terms and conditions. We encourage our customers to read them carefully before they agree to them when placing the order.

Of course, in this instance, the terms would have been agreed upon by the person that purchased the gift for you. Being the recipient of the gift, you may not have been aware of our policies. Again, if you feel that we have missed something and that we need to review this case, e-mail info@naturehills.com and we will look into it.

Nature Hills "

I just recieved my 3 gallon Boxwood from you folks at Nature HIlls. I just wanted to let you know it arrived in great shape and is bigger than I expected.

Thanks for the great looking plant.



Mark

Since May of 2009 I have ordered many plants from Nature Hills. I must say the potted plants that come from them always look very fresh and vibrant, and perform very well in the garden. I ordered a Darts Red spirea from them. It came bare root and looked dry and dead. I stuck it into a planting bed that I had just prepared because I had the space at the moment and didn't have anything else to plant there. When I decided I needed the space I went to pull a seemingly dead spirea out of the ground only to notice that it is full of beautiful light green leaves. It has been blooming for the last three months nonstop and looks beautiful. I also ordered a bare root white oak tree, which took almost four months to come out of dormancy. I figured I will leave it until next year to see what happens, and was very pleasantly surprised to see lots of leaves on it a couple of weeks ago. Other bare root trees like the dogwoods and crape myrtles did great, but the two linden trees and the golden rain tree did not ever make it out of dormancy and finally died. So overall, the experience with Nature Hills has been great. The plants that did not survive, they replaced promptly, and most plants are doing great. Not to mention the fact that they carry some really unique and beautiful plants. Thank you.

I was interested in buying a mayhaw tree and found Nature Hills to be one of the few sources. Online reviews sounded encouraging but based on my experience I would have to give them a definite negative rating. They sent me a very small dormant, bare root specimen that looked to be fried-dried. I followed the planting instructions and also installed drip irrigation for it. When it failed to show any signs of life they reluctantly sent me another one. It also had very fine branches that also seemed freezer burned. It was planted immediately after UPS rang my doorbell with the delivery. Again no signs of life after many months of waiting. Nature Hills has tried to convince my that it might take up to ONE YEAR for it to break dormancy! Talk about bogus! Today when I spoke with them their only consolation was to offer me a half-price replacement with additional shipping and handling. What a racket! I wish I had discovered this forum before wasting my money. I am wondering if they intentionally string you along so that it will be too late to have any recourse with your credit card company as well. I now agree with others who have suggested to only buy locally. I may not be able to find the species I am looking for but at least I can choose a live tree not a DEAD one!

"On Sep 8, 2009 8:42 AM, Nature Hills Nursery responded with:

We are certainly sorry to hear that you had a negative experience with Nature Hills. Our trees are shipped dormant, and will not have any leaves or buds on them when they first arrive. They are kept in a cold humid storage at 38 degrees to ensure that they remain dormant until they are shipped. The trees are never frozen through the process, but will look like a tree will in the winter time (no leaves, buds, etc.). These seedlings can be small at the age and height that we ship them, depending on the species. For material shipped in the spring, the trees should start to leaf and bud within the first 90 days (often this happens within the first few weeks it is planted). We apologize if there was a miscommunication and you thought it could take a year to leaf out, as that is not the case.

From your description, it sounds like there was an issue with the first mayhaw tree when it arrived and we replaced it for you. If there is a problem with the item on arrival, caused by either the packaging or the shipping, we will certainly replace the item at our cost (as we did with the original shipment). We just ask that you notify us of the problem right away so it can be resolved. If your order arrives without damage, our standard policy is that we replace failed items in the first year for half the current selling price plus shipping and handling. This is stated in the terms and conditions when you order, and we highly recommend all of our customers read these terms in full before agreeing to them.

If you feel that the second tree that was sent was damaged due to the shipment, we would be more than happy to take another look at your account. Just e-mail info@naturehills.com with your name and mention this post in the e-mail. We can review the information on your account and see if anything was missed.

Thank you,

Nature Hills"

I ordered lots of gooseberries and currants, along with 2 Ranier Cherries and 2 Plum Varieties. The trees are all dead...checked the bottom for any green and it was all brown. They have only been in the ground for two months, and I put them in some really good soil and mulched them well for moisture. They source their fruit trees from Dave Wilson's nursery in California, and Ive had bad luck with many of their trees (VERY unhardy...despite the zone recommendations.

I will simply try my best to avoid buy bare root trees from ANYONE now. Willis Orchards is the same...90% of my plants from them did not make it, while 95% of the plants I bought locally did.

I would recommend Natures Calling for the gooseberries and currants, but I would never buy trees from them again. And the return policy doesnt even make you want to return them.

"On Aug 21, 2009 11:17 AM, Nature Hills Nursery responded with:

We are sorry to hear that you had issues with your order from Nature Hills. Our fruit trees are grown by Dave Wilson Nursery. We have shipped hundreds of thousands of fruit trees and feel that their trees are among the best grown in the United States. Their material has proven to be very successful when transplanted.

We also take pride in the quality of our gooseberry and currants, as well as all of our small fruit offerings. Failure is always a possibility when transplanting, however 90% failure rate of all bareroot material planted is definitely excessive. This would lead one to believe that there are some other outside factors that are causing such a high loss of failure.

Regardless, we do offer a one year replacement policy. Any failed item (or items) can be replaced, without question, for half price plus shipping and handling (as stated in our terms and conditions). We could certainly set up an order for next spring if you want to try again.

Thanks,

Nature Hills"

I bought three trees (~$100 with s/h). All arrived dead as doornails and stayed that way - no life whatsoever even after six weeks in the ground with lots of tlc. All nature hills will do is sell me three new trees at 1/2 price plus more s/h. no way they are getting more of my money. WHAT A TOTAL RIPOFF! order from somewhere else!

"On Aug 14, 2009 8:33 AM, Nature Hills Nursery responded with:

Nature Hills sells bareroot trees and they are shipped dormant. The material is thoroughly inspected before it is shipped. We check the height, weight, coloration, root structure, and pliability of each tree that is shipped to ensure that viable material is shipped. Unfortunately, when working with live plant material there is a risk of loss.

Outside factors such as soil types, nutrient and pH levels of the soil, local climate, temperature conditions, and amount of water absorbed can cause items to fail. Failure can be also be caused by insects, disease, local wild life, or an act of nature (i.e. a heavy wind storm). Failure can also simply be caused by the plant/tree's inability to survive shock of transplant. That is why we offer a one-year, no questions asked, replacement policy.

It is stated in the terms and condition when an order is place that any failed item can be replaced within the first year for half the current selling price of the item, plus the shipping and handling. We are upfront about this policy, and these terms must be agreed to when an order is placed. We strongly encourage every customer to read these terms and conditions, in full, before they accept the terms and place their order.

Nature Hills"

Ordered a Sycamore tree, shipped dormant, but arrived dead, after 2 months in moist new potting soil, nothing. Company will not stand behind it, their policy is to give half off another tree if it dies within one year. My argument is the tree was never alive, they do not care, Buyer beware, They will sell you a dead tree then offer you another for half price. not much of a deal to me.

"On Aug 11, 2009 12:45 PM, Nature Hills Nursery responded with:

Nature Hills sells bareroot trees and they are shipped dormant. The material is thoroughly inspected before it is shipped. We check the height, weight, coloration, root structure, and pliability of each tree that is shipped to ensure that viable material is shipped. Unfortunately, when working with live plant material there is a risk of loss.

Outside factors such as soil types, nutrient and pH levels of the soil, local climate, temperature conditions, and amount of water absorbed can cause items to fail. Failure can be also be caused by insects, disease, local wild life, or an act of nature (i.e. a heavy wind storm). Failure can also simply be caused by the plant/tree's inability to survive shock of transplant. That is why we offer a one-year, no questions asked, replacement policy.

It is stated in the terms and condition when an order is place that any failed item can be replaced within the first year for half the current selling price of the item, plus the shipping and handling. We are upfront about this policy, and these terms must be agreed to when an order is placed. We strongly encourage every customer to read these terms and conditions, in full, before they accept the terms and place their order.

Nature Hills"

Well at first i was wondering what a stick was going to do so i waited.Then there was life i brought a hazelnut tree the stick its self is dead but the tree has new life at the bottom . so i know it is alive and happy. just want to say thanks. And mybe one day my little hazelnut tree will make me happy planting it.with lots of hazelnuts