Comments regarding Garden Express Australia (formerly Bulb Express)

Order processing in this company is very slow.
Customer service and communication is very poor, close to non-existent!
Delivery is unreliable.

From my experience with this company - there is nothing "express" about this company. Garden Express does not even know the basics on customer service and customer communication.

I placed my order online on Sep 9th (total 145 plants), together with my credit card details. Order was finally processed 2 weeks later, after 2 phone calls from me to chase up the order. By then 3 items were out of stock (they were still in stock for about a week after my order was placed!), and one plant delayed to Oct / Nov!

Garden Express did not even bother to send me an e-mail to inform me of the delay. Instead, I received an undated form letter by post, telling me that my order will be delayed to early October!

After many e-mails to chase up my order (cancelling the one plant that is holding up the rest of my order), order arrived on Sep 26th. On close inspection, I found 3 items missing (invoiced and charged for 130 plants, only recieved 104 plants). No where on their invoice did they indicate that there is further delay to my order. The consignment note indicated that there are 3 boxes/parcels, and that is what I received.

After sending them another e-mail to chase up the missing plants, I finally called on Sep 27th and were told that the missing plants will be shipped to me that day.
It is now the evening of Oct 1st - and I am still waiting!!

Of the many problems I have with this company, the following are the most annoying:

1. With technologies today, it is unbelievable to have 2 weeks delay in processing an internet order (that was the excuse I was given on the phone).

2. For a company with online ordering system, wouldn't you expect them to communicate by e-mail instead of trusting their letter to snail mail?

3. What professional company would send out an undated form letter?

4. If there is further delays to an order, or that the order will be shipped in 2 separate shipments, shouldn't the company at least note this on their invoice? Maybe even notify their customer by e-mail?

So my advise to anyone reading this is - never trust this company.