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Comments regarding Fast Growing Trees (formerly Empress Tree Nurseries, Paulownia Supply & fastgrowingtree.com)

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  Feedback History and Summary  
153 positives
4 neutrals
70 negatives

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RatingAuthorContent
Positive Darrellhayes
(1 review)
On Mar 5, 2014, Darrellhayes Manteca, CA wrote:

To Jennifer: I have received the tree, I just want to say how grateful I am for all you have done for sending me a new tree because the other one was dead on arrival due to the storm. Thank you so very much. Not only did you send me a replacement, but I received a larger one because you are out of stock of my previous order. Please know that I was very excited when it arrived. Your company should be happy to know they have an employee like you. It shows that you care more about customer care than just to receive a paycheck. And you showed me that because you looked into my case . So from my point of view, they should value and appreciate you for what you do. And because of that I will definitely order from you again.

Thank you very much,

Darrell Hayes

Positive agmama
(2 reviews)
On Feb 24, 2014, agmama Jefferson, TX wrote:

I recieved a bonus for Christmas and thought of the talents spoken of in the Bible. How can I invest my $100 bonus the best.. I decided to
invest in an Avacado and Banana. I did and it was to arrive the day after Chirstmas but Fedx had troubles and the banana arrived 1 month and 2 days later. I planted it and it looked dead after only 2 days. I called and a great lady answered and said to try folier fertilizer, I did and it is wonderful. When our bad weather was done, I called them for the avacado reshipment and they didnt argue but sent it immediatly. It is awesome.Thank you Thank you.

Positive novauser
(1 review)
On Feb 17, 2014, novauser Leesburg, VA wrote:

I have ordered from FGT for a few years now and all of the trees I have received from them have been exceedingly healthy and have produced incredibly delicious fruits. Anytime I have had a problem their customer service has responded immediately and with complete satisfaction on my end. So much so I continue to order from them with regularity! If you order from them you can be assured that you will receive very healthy trees and their commitment to make sure you are satisfied.

Positive zhengfangchen
(1 review)
On Feb 11, 2014, zhengfangchen Millburn, NJ wrote:

I ordered 3 citrus trees from fast-growing-trees.com, they are blood orange, calamondin orange, and nagami kamquat; they were shipped promptly at my specified shipping date; even it was during the coldest days in Zone 7 (north New Jersey), trees arrived in good shape; after standing in my living room for one night, all branches and leaves stretched nicely; with my white baby grand piano and two 5 ft citrus trees on the side to the front of my sunshine large picture window, that part of my living room becomes such a beautiful scenic corner, I enjoy watching these trees all the time, I wish I have a way to upload a picture to this review. Thank you fast-growing-trees.com, this is the first time I placed an online plant order and I have a great experience. I will keep ordering from fast-growing-trees going forward.

Positive Gardensmarts
(1 review)
On Dec 11, 2013, Gardensmarts BUSHKILL, PA wrote:

LOVE LOVE LOVE this Company. Addicted actually. The first item I bought was the Banana Tree, not 3 day's after getting this tree I saw a weed...HA glad I didn't pick it, it was a BABY banana tree, Momma has fruit and the baby is HUGE already, second buy was an Orange Tree, this poor tree, when I got her, great shape, called Fast Growing Trees before I planted (wanted to do it right.) they helped me step by step. Ahhh But dopey me, I planted her in a Pot too BIG (sigh) Then I watered this poor thing once a week. I had noticed that the soil was always damp so I didn't give her water for a few weeks, then stupid fall came (Yelk) time to bring her in and OMG The amount of water that came spilling out was insane, the deck formed a Vacuum and the water didn't drip out. NOTHING happened. My Orange tree is pushing out leaves and oranges. AWESOME. Third order was the Pineapple ROCKS Do nothing but watch her grow. Forth Order...lemon tree. Those lemons are Wonderful. Tons of flavor. 2-3 year tree, 4 lemons thank you very much LOOOVE IT. Then final order so far, Tangreo She arrived so beautiful and lush, but now it's annoying winter. So I called and asked about pot planting, I got help and they told me that the leaves would fall off due to cold temps and the shock. Well fall of they did indeed lol. I have a small amount left. I got reworried and told them that there was some funky stuff on the leaves, they were concerned and they asked for Pictures even though I told them that the tree seemed fine and healthy...they didn't care they wanted to make sure it was OK lol.. Gotta love them. They told me it was from the frost and all should be OK. YEP I see new leaves coming in. Yeaaaa. Jennifer is AMAZING..what amazing Costumer service. I know that they have been working on their Costumer service...well...they did it and they did it well. Now I am waiting for my Apple Tree...yeaaaa. Oh and if you are wondering how you can plant a tree in a hard place like Alamosa Colorado where my Mom and Dad live, Yep Fastgrowingtrees.com will help you. LOVE THEM! I am not done buying trees from them. Thank you FGT Love you all.

Positive ArtProf1
(1 review)
On Oct 16, 2013, ArtProf1 Jamestown, ND wrote:

Fast Growing Trees sold me a total of 9 emerald arborvitae. All healthy and growing well. The single one in August (bought 3 then) was somewhat ragged, but the other two (in one box) were perfect. The last 4 arrived yesterday and are in the ground. BEAUTIFUL specimens. Pricey at $100 each w/shipping, so expected a great quality 4-5 foot shrub. And they were ALL gorgeous Highly recommend anyone needing a tall-ish privacy shrub that shows its stuff year around. These do and in zone 4.

Negative Bueno
(2 reviews)
On Sep 23, 2013, Bueno wrote:

Do not buy from this company!!!! They charge four times more than other nurseries, so you think you are getting a superior product, but that is not the case. I ordered a cherry tree from them last fall and they sent this little dead looking twig with a horrible graph. I planted it and took care of it hoping for the best. In the spring, it never had a single leaf. I contacted them and asked for a refund. They did not refund my money. I contacted them again in the fall and they said they would give me a ten dollar gift card. I will never order from them again. They are scam artists. The negative feedback is removed from their website, leaving only the positive comments. DO NOT ORDER FROM THEM!


On Sep 23, 2013, Fast Growing Trees (formerly Empress Tree Nurseries, Paulownia Supply & fastgrowingtree.com) responded with:

"On Oct 9, 2013 12:14 PM, Empress Tree Nurseries (aka Fast Growing Trees, Paulownia Supply & fastgrowingtree.com) responded with:

We received initial contact of a potential problem with this tree around middle of May. At this time we asked for a photograph of the tree, and requested a bark scratch test to be done to ensure the tree was actually dead. We never heard back from this customer until the end of September that this was still an issue. Once we heard this client was upset, we immediately reached out to this customer and came to a resolution that was acceptable to this customer. At this time we believe this issue has been resolved to the customers satisfaction."


Positive melangroup
(1 review)
On Sep 12, 2013, melangroup Saint Pete Beach, FL wrote:

I am very pleased with the quality and service as well as fast and easy delivery. This is a great way for me to order exactly the trees/shrubs I want and they are delivered right to my door. upon one delivery plants may have gotten over heated during delivery, Fast growing trees responded and replaced trees quickly. I am satisfied enough that I choose to go to this site during a normal busy day to praise fast growing trees I will order again.

Robert V. Florida

Negative threefeethighan
(1 review)
On Sep 7, 2013, threefeethighan Grand Island, NE wrote:

SOOOOOO disappointed. So many positive reviews for this company that I wonder if they make up for it on just the occasional customer. Just received a "5-6' " golden raintree and paid full price shipping. Expected it to be in a 3 to 5 gallon tub for the price I paid for shipping, especially since there was no indication anywhere that they would bare root it (plus I paid double what others online are selling the bare root version for). So what do I get? A 5.5' tree with only the stripped down root ball, no dirt no tub, with the root ball only wrapped in some paper and slipped into a plastic bag closed with a cable tie. NOT dormant, with all the leaves still green (but dying), in Zone 5 (not the time to plant bare root in our zone). And the customer service guy has the nerve to tell me "Oh no, it is not bare root. We just strip off all the dirt to save you money on shipping (I did not save a dime, so they must have). On top of that, someone just slipped this poor poor young tree into a 6' long, 1' square box with NOTHING to stabiIlize it and NO protection AT ALL. So the poor thing was just knocking around in the box during shipping and came with several of the VERY LIMITED stems broken and parallel to the trunk, and several stems and multiple leaves completely broken off in the box, and most of the other leaves completely dry. Some were starting to brown and a few were already completely brown/black. Additionally, and surprisingly, the trunk is only less than 1" diameter but somehow already considerably bowed for most of its length, as if they did not stake/train it right. I planted it with a lot of care and high hopes, but I do not really believe it will make it (Nebraska winter will probably finish this traumatized tree off). My next step will be to talk to their so-called "customer service" again and see what they will do for me. But this really should not have happened from a company with so many other supposedly happy customers. Again, very disappointed. And VERY worried, as I also ordered two other 5-6' trees from them at the same time which have not yet arrived (kousa dogwood and weeping cherry). I can only hope those will be much nicer specimens in much better condition when they arrive.
.


On Sep 7, 2013, Fast Growing Trees (formerly Empress Tree Nurseries, Paulownia Supply & fastgrowingtree.com) responded with:

"On Oct 9, 2013 12:09 PM, Empress Tree Nurseries (aka Fast Growing Trees, Paulownia Supply & fastgrowingtree.com) responded with:

This customer contacted us immediately upon receipt of his tree. We did discuss the root ball and our method of shipping. We try to remove the pot from some product to minimize the effects to the environment by reusing these, as well as removing some of the circling roots to ensure the success of this plant. We take pride in working towards a more efficient, eco- friendly process to ship our trees. We have contacted this customer and resolved this situation to the customer’s satisfaction. "


Positive inkandpearls
(1 review)
On Aug 5, 2013, inkandpearls Round Rock, TX wrote:

I am so pleased with my entire experience with Fast Growing Trees. I initially hesitated ordering live plants online, but I am so glad that I did. The website is incredibly helpful and easy to use, and I have been thrilled with every step of my purchase process. The customer service and thoughtful follow through is very impressive. This is what online shopping should be like.

My first three plants/trees were carefully packaged and are now doing beautifully in my backyard. I've just placed my second order, and I can hardly wait to get my new tree!

I'm a now a loyal customer!

Positive rockpilegarden
(1 review)
On Aug 2, 2013, rockpilegarden Las Vegas, NV wrote:

Recently contacted Fast-Growing-Trees.com about a Kwanzan Cherry tree that "snapped" in half. When I received the tree in March, I called customer service to advise them that the trunk of the tree had two serious abrasions indicating earlier damage or weakness. I planted the tree at their urging, and it appeared to be doing well. On 7/28, following a rainstorm, I noted the tree had snapped in half between those abrasions! I notified customer service of the problem and asked that they consider replacing the tree. I received an email telling me that they could offer a $20.00 credit since I had not purchased additional insurance. After emailing customer rep, Jennifer, I explained since I had reported the damaged trunk upon receipt of the tree, clearly stating my concern about previous damage, that I thought it totally inappropriate that FGT expected me to absorb the cost less a $20.00 credit. This morning I received an email from Jennifer that under the circumstances FGT agreed with my assessment and a replacement tree would be sent this week. Nice work Jennifer; creating win/win situations for your company and your customers is why your business will continue to be successful. It is a pleasant surprise to find a company who does the right thing!!! I look forward to continuing my landscaping purchases with Fast-Growing-Trees.com. Kudos to Jennifer for "going to bat" for her customer!! I'll be back!

Positive CLoxley83
(1 review)
On Aug 2, 2013, CLoxley83 Antioch, OH wrote:

Are you the genius of "Fast Growing Trees"? I have seen other comments directed to you personally---or perhaps you are a corporate persona…. Anyway, Pam, our Crape Myrtle and Black Bamboo arrived yesterday. I was amazed at the fast delivery and they are all absolutely beautiful!!!
My sister died in May and we have collected contributions for a memorial garden for her at the facility where she lived for the last 2 years of her life. I will be ordering more wonderful trees from you to create the Poetry Garden Memorial for my sister. Thank you!

Negative Rebiez
(1 review)
On Jul 31, 2013, Rebiez Brookeville, MD wrote:

My mother and I ordered over $800 of trees, berries, bushes, etc. Several trees arrived dormant, and two of them never grew all year. The two we purchased for total of $127. E-mailed pictures of the two (completely dead) trees that were planted immediately and cared for more than adequately.

I was told that because we didn't purchase additional insurance that they sell I was not entitled to a refund or replacement. I was offered a $20 credit to shop there again - what?! We paid for live trees. This is not an acceptable customer service policy. We will not be back.


On Jul 31, 2013, Fast Growing Trees (formerly Empress Tree Nurseries, Paulownia Supply & fastgrowingtree.com) responded with:

"On Oct 9, 2013 12:10 PM, Empress Tree Nurseries (aka Fast Growing Trees, Paulownia Supply & fastgrowingtree.com) responded with:

When we heard that there was a potential issue on this customer’s order we were well outside of the initial warranty period. We do offer a 1 year guarantee to purchase during checkout which was not purchased. When we became aware of this particular situation we extended our hand by offering a $20 store credit towards a future purchase. Our Customer Service Manager has reached out to this customer multiple times to work towards a fair resolution, and have not been contacted back as of yet."


Positive hasger
(1 review)
On Jul 13, 2013, hasger MOOERS FORKS, NY wrote:

All in all we ordered trees worth $300. Order fulfillment was quick. The trees were packaged extremely well and they arrived in a healthy condition. Almost two months after being planted all trees are thriving.
At first we were a little weary to order trees for this much money online but trees that size in local nurseries cost about the same only, the ones we received looked much more vigorous. One bare rooted sapling arrived dead and probably was shipped that way, too. The replacement - this time a 4 foot version - was on its way even before we notified them - at no extra charge.
We'll definitely order from them again!

Positive rjl2
(1 review)
On Jul 11, 2013, rjl2 Monroe, CT wrote:

I found this site doing a web search for Giant Thujas. I was creating a border with my neighbor so decided to try it out. We bought 7 Thujas the first year. They came as described, planted, and all are thriving. The second year, we finished the border (I don't like to rush) and purchased 9 more. They actually were nicer and bigger than the original order. Planted all of them per specs and now all 16 are thriving.. They are not huge but they are growing..
This year I purchased a Royal Empress. when it came, it did not look good. I planted it and it never took off. I called the company and they told me to submit a picture of it to see if it would be salvagable. Within 24 hours of the submit, I had a response and they were going to send me a new tree. I got the tree a week later. It looked a lot better from the packaging. I planted it last week and it seems to be doing well.

So overall I am happy with this company and would recommend (and have recommended) to my friends and family. Although I am a fan of buying local I have found their service to be convenient, affordable, and friendly.

Positive dgotterb
(1 review)
On Jun 30, 2013, dgotterb Baldwin, NY wrote:

Wonderful to do business with. They listen and I have a japanese bloodgood red maple that is incredible.

Positive adamshunter
(1 review)
On Jun 22, 2013, adamshunter Carlisle, OH wrote:

I have ordered trees from Fast-Growing-Trees.com in the past and have been thoroughly pleased with the quality of the items I received. I have a cherry tree and a coral bark Japanese maple that are thriving! I recently ordered a river birch for my yard. The tree was shipped in its dormant state, and I planted it using the planting kit available for purchase from the company. I waited for it to come out of dormancy, but have not had any success. I contacted Fast-Growing-Trees.com via email to see if they would be able to help me out... not only did I receive a very speedy response from them, they also quickly processed a credit to my account for the replacement of the tree. All I had to do was fill out the form online and provide a photo of my poor dead tree. The fact that the tree did not make it is just one of those things that happen... the other 2 trees that I had ordered previously are doing so well that I wasn't concerned about the quality of the product from the company. The reason I am here is because of the excellent customer service that I have received. It means a lot to me that a company doesn't just deliver a good product, but also cares about the relationship with their customer. I will happily order from them again because of this.

Positive Walpolegardener
(1 review)
On Jun 19, 2013, Walpolegardener EAST WALPOLE, MA wrote:

I ordered a 3-gallon Knock-out yellow rose through Amazon. Fast-Growing-Trees.com fulfilled the order. The package arrived in tact, no damages. However, I found the plant to be probably 0.5 gallon, not 3 gallon size. I contacted the phone number given on the packing slip, and Kaci, who answered the phone, promptly took the complaint and requested a picture of the product received. I emailed them the picture, and they promptly replied giving me refund of the amount paid and asked me to keep the plant as a gift from them - even when I asked to be charged for the 0.5 gallon plant. Very good customer service. The plant itself is good, although, much smaller than what I ordered. I am very impressed with their service and will go back to them for my future plant needs.

Positive SoCalGal2
(2 reviews)
On Jun 18, 2013, SoCalGal2 Murrieta, CA wrote:

Posted on June 18, 2013, updated June 18, 2013
Posted on May 30, 2013, updated June 18, 2013
Because the Operations Manager was so gracious with the first order issues, I am leaving Neutral feedback instead of negative. I wanted to leave positive feedback, but after the 2nd order issue and the fake promotions ($50 off $100 & $100 off $200, but I know their real pricing and I see they increase prices when offering this promo) that deceit does not sit well with me. I want to get a Natchez Crape Myrtle but am afraid to purchase from them again. Here is my experience: I placed an order with Fast Growing Trees. The Tonto Crape Myrtle arrived with 3 feet of the central leader broken off. I called several times and emailed also and was shined on. I kept proof of successful deliveries of the emails, so I know they got them. In the last email, I was very, very angry. Only then did I receive a call from the Operations Manager, who bent over backwards to make things right - and he did make things right for that order and I thanked him sincerely and profusely. I placed another order requesting a delayed shipment. They did not delay it as promised. I called the OP Mgr and he told me he would try to retrieve it and would call the next day and discuss making it up to me. No call. I called the following day and was told he was able to retrieve it. That was it. I had expected better service the 2nd time as he told me the first time they had improved their customer service and to give them a chance. I gave a chance but they did not come through. I was very disappointed. We have 5 acres and I want to establish a relationship with a reputable and consistent company. I'm not sure it's worth the trouble of going through it again when I can buy from another vendor.


On June 18th, 2013, SoCalGal2 changed the rating from neutral to positive and added the following:

I upgraded my experience to positive due to Josh's outstanding customer service. I was surprised when Josh contacted me after seeing my review and being alerted to the issue. He righted the wrong and upgraded the tree size and gave a bonus, too. They shipped as promised and the trees arrived well packaged and are beautiful. It would be great if all FGT customer service representatives handled business like Josh. FGT has great trees but you need to follow up if there is any problem. Although I've had issues with both orders, I would still order from them because FGT does show they value me as a customer. It took a little effort on my part to get to the right person, but in the end it was worth it. My point is, if they mess up, they make it good and at the end of the day, that is great customer service. I hope Josh stays there and is recognized by the company for saving customers!
On June 18th, 2013, SoCalGal2 added the following:

Bottom Line: You can get trees your nursery or big box store doesn't carry; great deals; and if there is a problem, they stand behind it! It's worth some follow-up if needed, and I recommend them!
Neutral CAGirl
(1 review)
On Jun 17, 2013, CAGirl Novato, CA wrote:

Posted on April 29, 2013, updated June 17, 2013
I placed an order as a Memorial Gift and received email confirmation that the tree was shipped last Monday. Checking with the recipient, the tree was not received. I emailed twice and called several times but no one would respond. This morning I finally got through to someone who now informs me that the tree I want is on backorder and they have NO IDEA when it will be available! REALLY??!!! No one could call or email me to let me know this? On top of it all, I then contacted Brighter Blooms and they DO have the trees (not 4' but still) and would ship it out asap. I asked, specifically, if this company was related in any way to "Fast Growing Trees.com" and was told NO. So.... I have cancelled that order as well. A LIE ON TOP OF HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE. Do Not order anything from this company unless you are prepared to stay on top of them and micro-manage your order. Even then, it does not seem that you will receiv a truthful answer.


On June 17th, 2013, CAGirl changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following:

The company has contacted me regarding their poor customer service and have provided me with a refund. This did not alleviate my wasted time but they get points for following up, at last.
Positive JuliaSophia
(1 review)
On Jun 15, 2013, JuliaSophia MacKenzie, AL wrote:

I have place two orders in the past month and received both orders as expected. Two citrus and one avocado tree were ordered at the same time and all three arrived in one package, well packed and in excellent shape. My second order was for black bamboo (clumping) and was received with 5 free strawberry plants, again all received in one well packed box. I just ordered another fruit tree and I'm confident it will be received well packaged and in the same good condition. I contacted the company to ask if any of their trees were genetically modified, (GMO's) and I received an almost immediate answer, NO GMO's. This is an issue extremely important to me. I am a satisfied, forever customer.

Positive Jaywng
(1 review)
On Jun 5, 2013, Jaywng Centralia, WA wrote:

We have ordered several times from this company before. First, a 6' tall Weeping Willow that arrived healthy and hearty, which I accidentally almost killed last year, that has gamely bounced back this year. Second, a large avocado tree that arrived leafy and strongly branched, and is going strong. Third was a 3 gal Brown Turkey fig tree which arrived with its leaves fallen off and the branches shriveling.

Since this was not our experience with this company, my husband said to give it time. I did, and still no leaves and buds, so I decided it was dead, and that I was outside the 5 day refund window, but thought it wouldn't hurt to contact the company anyway. I called near the end of the business day and was 20th in the call queue, getting to number 2 in the queue when I was suddenly dropped with a message that the volume of calls made it difficult to respond in a timely manner and please call back later. I suspected it was simply because the work day had ended and people went home. Since I know the company is working on its customer service, I suggest, they correct this, if that was the case. My apologies, if I am being unnecessarily cynical.

I attempted to send a message via their website and found the portal was not available while they were making improvements to it. Since the Customer Service line was no longer open for business, I called and routed to the Sales line to see if they had an email address for Customer Service. She did not. (I forgot to mention I had sent an email outlining my problems by responding to the order confirmation email and noted after the fact that it was noted to be an unmonitored address and I wasn't sure my message had gone through.

So I was getting rather skeptical that I would see any corrections for my problem. But that just proves one should never lose faith. After a bit, it turned out that somebody must have browsed through the unmonitored address mail, since I received a response from Kimberly and was requested to send some pictures. I did, and she responded immediately, indicating that the nursery manager recommended waiting until the end of May to see if the tree bounced back. Hmm, I thought. Well I wasn't holding my breath for a happy ending.

Today, I contacted Kimberly and advised her the tree had not shown any signs of life. She responded immediately to tell me she was sending a free replacement tree. So all's well that ends well.

So, despite a bit of a rocky road, when things don't go perfectly with this company, if you give them a chance, they'll come through.

Positive Tereg
(1 review)
On Jun 4, 2013, Tereg Port Vincent, LA wrote:

My order seemed to have gotten lost as after 2 weeks, I still had not gotten an email saying my order had shipped. They were quick to respond when I emailed them and on the following week, I had my order; minus 1 tree! I emailed them the problem over a holiday weekend and Tuesday I had a response that they were sorry and were shipping the tree out straightaway. It came today and looks really good. So while I had a problem initially, their response was quick when I'd email them both times. Customer Service was really good in getting my 3rd tree shipped and without giving me any problems to boot and I appreciate that the most.

Negative magelsinger
(1 review)
On May 29, 2013, magelsinger Mechanicsburg, PA wrote:

Fast-Growing-Trees order #606925 on 21Mar2013 of 8 royal empress trees. 6 currently growing from bare root stock- 2 have shown no growth. Sent 2 emails with no response, 3rd email I explained that I would be posting a negative comment here and got response to replace the 2 non-growing trees within a couple of hours. I will still never order from them ever again and suggest no one else does either. There are many other deserving mail-order businesses with better customer service to be utilized.


On May 29, 2013, Fast Growing Trees (formerly Empress Tree Nurseries, Paulownia Supply & fastgrowingtree.com) responded with:

"On Jul 26, 2013 10:35 AM, Empress Tree Nurseries (aka Fast Growing Trees, Paulownia Supply & fastgrowingtree.com) responded with:

We received an email correspondence from this customer on May 29th explaining that he had sent numerous emails we did not respond to. We have looked through our email system, and cannot find an email prior to this one on the 29th. The same day we received the email about an issue, we promptly added the 2 replacement plants to be processed. The replacement plants were shipped out 4 business days after the receipt of the original email. Our customer service manager has reached out 5 times via phone to make sure this customer has no further issues, and has not received a return call.
We sincerely hope our promptness with our resolution has satisfied our customer.
"


Positive PsuCheryl
(1 review)
On May 27, 2013, PsuCheryl Hollidaysburg, PA wrote:

Posted on May 23, 2013, updated May 27, 2013
We ordered an Empress tree in early April. We expected to get a tree. Instead, we got a 4 ft box with a pot of dirt in it. I called the company and was told there was a rootball in the package and too look for it. When I discovered there was no rootball, I contacted them again. They sent me a replacement. This was not much better, we had a rootball with some green sprigs. We then planted the product as directed and have seen no results.
When I complained, I was told the trees take time to grow....this is suppose to be a 'fast growing' tree.
I was then told I already used my warranty purchase on my first complaint so they would not do anything more for me.
WASTE OF MONEY. Very poor customer service. You get what you pay for!!!!


On May 27th, 2013, PsuCheryl changed the rating from negative to positive and added the following:

Got a call from someone higher up. They apologized and are sending a larger tree at no charge. He said he was having growing problems with the company.
Positive snelco
(1 review)
On May 27, 2013, snelco Cottage Grove, OR wrote:

I have purchased several trees from this company. The orange tree I purchased came full of oranges and there are about 30 fruits on the tree now about the size of gum balls. Recently I purchased an avocado tree and due to shipping delays beyond their control, it arrived several days late and was in bad shape. I contacted them immediately and they shipped me another tree within a week. The second tree arrived in perfect condition and is growing well. I have been in business for over 40 years and know the value of good customer service. This company did everything right and have a customer for life. I would, and do recommend this company to anyone who is looking for a quality product.

Positive david358
(1 review)
On May 13, 2013, david358 wrote:

I found this business late last fall (2012) while looking for a new source for starter trees. The place I used before simply had gone way down in quality.

I ordered three trees for late fall planting. All of them were shipped together and well packed. The trees all looked very healthy and properly pruned.

This spring just a couple of weeks ago it was clear that one of the trees was not coming out of dormancy and was clearly dead.
I contacted customer service and they responded right away. They asked me to send some pictures to the nursery manager and a description of the problem which I did. I received a response in less than 24 hours crediting me with a complete refund. Everyone I dealt with was helpful, pleasant, and worked quickly to resolve my situation. In the mean time I received another tree from a separate order I made earlier this year. It was properly packaged and arrived in great shape without breakage of any kind.

The two trees I ordered last fall that made it through the winter are doing tremendously. They look healthy and are leafing out. I couldn't be more pleased with the three trees I have planted and growing now. I will definitely use Fast Growing Trees/Empress in the future. I'm already deciding what to purchase with my credit. This was a great experience for me.


Positive DylansTree
(1 review)
On May 7, 2013, DylansTree Rio Rancho, NM wrote:

I was sent an Autumn Blaze Maple Tree as a memorial gift for my Son who recently passed away. I was very excited about it and saw that this was quite a beautiful tree. I diligently planted it in April and followed all of the care directions. To my dismay, the tree did not come to life from its dormant state and seems to have died. It was a gift so I just figured I would buy another next year and try again. Yesterday I decided to email FGT and was pleasantly surprised by the service I received! I had no order number, just details like the address. Kaci from FGT listened to my concerns and honored the warranty on the tree. I am looking forward to receiving my replacement tree in the next few weeks. Incredible and prompt customer service!

Positive metalist
(1 review)
On Apr 29, 2013, metalist Branford, CT wrote:

I called the customer service line and told a representative I purchased trees from another website and paid less than I did at Fast Growing Trees. I bought from both websites on literally the same weekend and I felt I wouldn't get satisfaction from FGT. The representative from FGT promptly credit my Amex the difference.
That is great customer service and I now place orders with FGT with confidence that I will never over pay.

Negative msm516
(1 review)
On Apr 24, 2013, msm516 Neosho, WI wrote:

Terrible customer service, what a mistake my order has been. On april 4th, I ordered 5 Thuja Green Giants from them to start a privacy screen at our new house. All trees were getting "too big to ship" at 40% off and free shipping. The payment of $230 cleared my bank on the 5th. On the 9th, my wife was doing our budget and saw an additional $295 charge from them on our card. I assumed it was a correction of the first and they messed up the discount, wrong! I called them immediately the next morning to learn someone apparently had modified my order to add 5 extra bushes and a few bags of dirt. Thank God my wife caught this as soon as the payment posted. I figured it would be easy to clear up. The lady blamed me for the order and told me someone had access to my card, I assured her that did not happen. She said she would take care of it and refund the extra $295, leaving only my actual order of $230. She said she would cancel the whole order and reenter only my original items. I get a shipping notice that night via email. I call my credit card company to report the fraudulent charge. They told me I needed to wait 15 days since I had made a legit order from them, and this was merchant error not fraud. I called them the next day to get another lady. She pulled my order number and found nothing had changed. I had the same conversation with her and she told me they could refund the extra bushes, but the dirt had already shipped and I would be responsible for return shipping to get a refund. I thought that was ridiculous, why should I pay to return-ship 40lbs of dirt I didn't order, nothing they can do. Following the call I contacted FedEx to see if I could stop the shipment. Turns out it had been submitted for pickup, but not picked up. Per my banks suggestion I needed some sort of paper trail. I immediately opened a ticket with Fast-Trees explaining the whole situation. A weekend passes, I give them Monday. Monday night a small refund goes through, for $230 the amount of the part I did actually order. I called them again to find out they didn't ship anything yet and had refunded me for the 5 extra bushes but not the dirt. I again, explained the whole thing and told them I did not order the dirt. She flags an extra $65 for refund. Two days pass, I get a call from them. Apparently they need my credit card info to process my refund because they don't have it. I call them for the 5th time to finalize this. I call at 3:25pm, I am on hold for 41 minutes! A que tells me it will be 5 minutes, then ladies, without giving a chance to speak tell me please stay on hold. Most calls this lasts 15 mintues, but this time it happens 3 times for a total of 41 minutes. Then, an automated message comes on telling me they can't take my call today they've closed, leave a message, I do.

I still have not finalized this order mess up, it's now the 24th, I have tried to be friendly. What a joke this place is. I still haven't got their mistake cleared up, and have spent atleast 4 hours of my life working on this. I can't even imagine what these trees will look like. If I could get out of this order it would be a God-send. Never doing business with them again!

Positive misstrickey
(1 review)
On Apr 19, 2013, misstrickey Stillwater, OK wrote:

In January, 2013, I responded to Fast Growing Trees e-mail concerning "almost too big to ship" trees and ordered the Fruit Cocktail Tree. It arrived in a huge box and was beautifully packed. It was about 6 feet tall. It was too cold at that time to plant it so I put it in a pot and kept it in my sunny breakfast room. All of the 4 grafts (peach, plum, apricot and nectarine) bloomed profusely. Not having pollinators in the house, I expected no fruit this year. The tree is now more than 7 feet tall and covered with leaves and 4 peaches and 1 plum.
I also ordered a Lemon- Lime tree. It came promptly and looked great. It was about 2 feet tall and began to bloom right away. It has 4 limes and 2 lemons on it and is ready to be repotted as the roots have filled the container.
I have ordered from Fast Growing Trees for 4 years and have been quite pleased with their service and plants. I also have a 4-foot tall Clementine, a 4-foot tall Hardy Avocado and a 6-foot tall Arbequina Olive that I purchased from them. I would not hesitate to recommend them.

Positive Moendu91
(1 review)
On Apr 14, 2013, Moendu91 Lake City, FL wrote:

We recently built our dream home and like so many others wanted some trees in our yard - FAST! Online we found fastgrowingtrees.com and over the months of construction we went back to their site several times. We decided it was time to plant and chose 5 trees for our yard. We purchased a Royal Empress tree, a Tulip Poplar tree, a Twilight Crepe Myrtle, a Red Maple, and a Weeping Willow. All these arrived quickly and we got them in the ground. I will say as others have, we were surprised that these were in a dormant state and didn't look like much, however within days we were seeing green! I had a question, sent an email and Crystal A. was right on it. Great customer service! This company has been a pleasure to work with and we look forward to more interaction with them!

Positive Oregongarden
(1 review)
On Apr 8, 2013, Oregongarden Creswell, OR wrote:

I am extremely pleased with Fast Growing Trees.com. Over the past 5 years I have purchased 5 maple trees, 1 ornamental cherry tree,1 Tulip poplar, 1 olive tree, 10 tea olive shrubs, and most recently 2 black bamboos and a wisteria. Everything has arrived in good health and started growing almost immediately. Unfortunately, I bought an Empress tree before I had discovered Fast Growing Trees.com and it took 7 years for it to grow and bloom. Wish I had found FGT sooner. I have not bought plants from anyone else since I discovered this company. I encountered one difficulty with a discount that didn't get applied to my order and it was rectified with little difficulty through their customer service. I could not be happier with a mail-order company.

Positive SrGenevieve
(1 review)
On Apr 2, 2013, SrGenevieve Orleans, MA wrote:

I have only positive things to say about Fast-Growing Trees and Brad. He is one of the most prompt, helpful people I have ever encountered. He answers emails right away and takes care of problems quickly and efficiently. Our convent of 65 sisters approached his company for a donation recently and he surpassed our request. Fast Growing Trees kindly and generously donated 32 shrubs to our convent...8 Forsythias, 12 White Out Rose Bushes and 12 Autumn Angel Azaleas. They arrived in beautiful condition, lovingly packaged and with in days of our request!

Fast Growing Trees is "Fast Growing" a spectacular reputation in this area. Brad is so helpful on the phone and on email. I highly recommend him and this company. They are wonderful to work with and very prompt and efficient, as well as generous.

We are very grateful to them for all they have done for us. We highly recommend them!

Sr. Genevieve for the sisters at The Community of Jesus, Orleans, MA

Positive nativecuts
(1 review)
On Apr 1, 2013, nativecuts Leesburg, FL wrote:

I own a landscape design and installation firm in The Villages, Fl. With the average landscape project at $15,000 customers want fresh new and one of a kind plants, to set apart their cookie cutter homes. With this in mind I have been searching for new suppliers to deliver what my customers want. The last couple of month's I have been placing test order with fastgrowingtrees.com, and being sure to over engage the staff. I need to know where their minds are, their standards of customer service, their product health and so on.
Not once has an email I sent not been responded to within 1 business day, and usually within hours if sent during normal working hours. Each question I had was answered immediately. The products I received where healthy and delivered on time. I read some comments left that individuals where unhappy becuase they purchased a twig. I only wish that they had educated themselves on the life cycle of the plant and dormacy times before besmirching the company. We humans want to control everything, but when you are dealing with a living thing, no such luck. Trust me, I wish my kid came out potty trained and with a job, but that isn't how it works. Only time will do that.
Patiance with the plants. If you want immediate gratification, purchase a car, otherwise sit back engage the plant and work within its natural cycle. If you do that you will be delighted by what the plant becomes. Very soon my onsie twosie orders will stop with this company, and an 18 wheeler will be waiting at their door. I am truly confident that their product filling my greenhouses will be to each of my customers delights. Thank you to the staff at fastgrowingtrees.com, and don't be disheartened by the couple of negative comments on this website. You have to sell to everyone, not just those that are novice buyers who expect you to perform miracles and defy natures dormant cycles. Better yet, relocate closer to Florida so I can peruse your inventory!
Gina Brown
Owner of Native Cuts Property Management LLC

Positive lindsig
(1 review)
On Apr 1, 2013, lindsig Hartsville, SC wrote:

I ordered a tree from Fast Growing Trees and received it before I even realized that it was on the way! Lightning fast!! Customer service has been excellent and has answered all of my questions! I am very excited to plant my new tree and will post again later as results come!!

Positive BriteBloom
(1 review)
On Mar 31, 2013, BriteBloom Cloverly, MD wrote:

I am a new customer to Fast Growing Trees. This is the first time I have ordered a tree (Crape Myrtle) from a mail order nursery. We received our tree in a dormant state in the fall season, so I did not expect it to appear vibrant. We planted it as instructed. As spring arrived I had thought I should see more life to the tree. As best I could assess the tree was not alive. I reached out to FGT customer service for instructions on what to do. The responses have always been returned in a timely manner. Devin requested I take some photos & email them. I did this. Devin then replied with an email response. The answer I felt was very unacceptable. I then explained to Devin in customer service my reasons I was not happy with the answer. Devin reviewed my response and has now given me an answer I can work with.
I look forward to being as happy with my tree at some time in the future.

Positive standianne
(2 reviews)
On Mar 31, 2013, standianne Port Charlotte, FL wrote:

Posted on March 16, 2013, updated March 31, 2013
First of all, the customer service received by Crystal A. was impeccable. She did everything she could to satisfy me. I bought a pink muhly grass. The first one arrived dead. It was disappointing to open the 3 foot long box and find a one foot (at best) plant. The second one was alive, but not what I expected to see. It was more brown dead than green alive. Unfortunately, I don't think I would buy from this company again.


On March 31st, 2013, standianne changed the rating from neutral to positive and added the following:

UPDATE- I could not believe that this company continued to pursue me to make the situation right and satisfy me as a customer. I received two calls from Chris with whom I had excellent conversations. He completely understood and empathized with my feelings AND he fixed the situation. He also had another associate (Josh) follow up with me. Josh was also very friendly and helpful. Being new to this site, I may have originally posted this in the wrong place. The company Chris, Josh and Crystal work for is BRIGHTER BLOOMS in North Carolina. They obviously believe in their company and want it to be successful. Well, they get a 110% AAA+++ rating from me for the great job they did. I am now a very satisfied customer. Thanks for restoring my faith guys!!!!
Stan
Positive Darlenebush
(1 review)
On Mar 27, 2013, Darlenebush Fort Myers Beach, FL wrote:

I have been a customer of Fast Growing Trees for years, and have always been impressed with the quality (and survivability) of the plants I have received as well as how quickly they ship them out.

Until my last order.

I think I was more disappointed than angry.

BUT, Devin, in Customer Service, made it right! He sent out replacement plants and I couldn't be happier!

Thanks, Devin. It's customer service reps like you that will keep me coming back for years to come. Cheers.

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