Comments regarding Selective Gardener

I placed a $100 order with Selective Gardener, including three 4” African violets. Two of them were lovely.

The third was supposed to be a 4” EverSpecial ($16). Instead, they substituted a scrawny 2” plant repotted into a 4” pot just before shipping (the square outlines of the 2” pot were visible in the different-colored soil of the round 4” pot).

I contacted them. Monique agreed it was small, saying it was all they had left and it would grow fast.

I then asked for a refund of $8 (the difference on their site between the 2” and 4” plants).

I haven’t received a reply to that email.

How could I buy from them again, not knowing if they would substitute lower cost products again?

I purchased an Annabelle AV 2/7/08, it arrived 5/3/08 since I live in zone 5 & the company waits for reasonable weather before shipping. I specified to leave plant on porch. The plant spent needless time in the post office since the request to leave on porch was ignored. The AV had mush where violets would be, leaves were disintegrating into green mush, and many if not most of the large leaves were now mushy & incomplete d/t turning into mush. A brown liquid oozed from the packaging. The plant was in a terrible pathetic state! I had waited, specified delivery, and paid a small fortune! I also attempted via email a question that went unanswered to this date. Their communication is sorely affected and now this plant is as well. I will never purchase from them nor can I recommend them to anyone.