Photo by Melody

Comments regarding Growers Exchange (previously The Grower's Exchange)

Click here to return to Growers Exchange (previously The Grower's Exchange)'s listing.

You are viewing only negative comments

  Feedback History and Summary  
72 positives
3 neutrals
20 negatives

Comments:

RatingAuthorContent
Negative excellentjohn
(7 reviews)
On Jun 5, 2020, excellentjohn Zone 5B, PA wrote:

I have been a 5+ year loyal customer of the Grower’s Exchange and tend to order early when they offer a brief window to use a coupon offer they send out in email and I’m assured to get the herbs I am looking for. Yes, the plants are a little pricier than others (as is shipping) but generally the plants come lush and healthy ...except THIS year. One of my plants was out of the planting container and the other 4 looked like they were in very rough shape. I have a feeling they were shipped in poor condition because I am in NY and they are based in Virginia (not a big shipping distance). But I babied them, taking them in on cold nights and planted when the weather turned perfect. I emailed them within a few weeks to tell them the leaves on my holy basil plants and eucalyptus were brown or falling off and since they request photos, I did that as well. Today, I get an email stating they can refund me for my most recent order (basil) from a few weeks back BUT because the other 2 items were charged to my credit card more than 120 days, they can not refund me. So let me understand, because I purchased these plants early (before they sold out) and because you bill my credit card immediately upon order (and not when they ship like most companies), the customer is penalized??? You are a small company and if your computer system won’t allow you to do this, you need a better system or a new IT person. Lesson learned: don’t buy early from Grower’s Exchange or just find a new source for your herbs and plants.

Negative GWinn
(1 review)
On Jan 3, 2020, GWinn Elwell, MI wrote:

I’ve ordered from the Growers Exchange many times in the past, and I’m happy with the wide selection and variety of herbs they sell (not to mention the usual health of their plants and quality of shipping). I’m troubled by their lack of responsiveness to their on-line account holders. In spite of getting several e-mailed messages about discounts for ordering now, I’ve been unable to access my account, unable to get a password re-set after several attempts, and there has been no reply to several e-mailed inquiries—and there appears to be no one answering the phone at the business during their stated business hours. If they are closed for the weeks of Christmas and New Years (and perhaps prior weeks), they haven’t made any attempt to let customers know that they will be available to respond after a certain date. So I can’t access my account, can’t get any replies by e-mail, and can’t get a live body to help. To me, this is an unacceptable level of customer care that is leading me to doing business with others who want to take care of their buyers’ needs.

Negative ZurdoBA
(1 review)
On Sep 21, 2018, ZurdoBA Traverse City, MI wrote:

My first order with Grower's Exchange. The plants showed up, one was completely fallen out of the pot because it had no roots to hold it in. Thankfully that plant is bouncing back after transplant.
But, the Tarragon I received was the same issue, no root system. Despite being sold as a pint size plant, it was nothing more than a tiny, almost seedling sized, plant. It could have been in a 2 inch pot and still not come close to filling it with healthy roots. The plant died shortly after transplant. I contacted Customer Service, described my issue and asked if they could send a replacement. Unfortunately I was told they were out of stock. When asked if they could send me Chervil in it's place just so I can fill the pot for the winter until I can get Tarragon locally next spring, this is the reply I received (without any salutation and yes, with ALL CAPS!):
"The other issue is that our smallest box is designed for a 4 plant minimum, so we can't safely ship a single replacement plant. SORRY"

Buy at your own risk. You likely will not receive the size plant you would expect in a pint size pot and the health of the plant will likely be questionable like me all backed with very poor Customer Support should you have an issue.


On Sep 21, 2018, Growers Exchange (previously The Grower's Exchange) responded with:

"On Oct 8, 2018 2:14 PM, Growers Exchange (previously The Grower's Exchange) responded with:

Hey: Tried to contact you a few times, and just wanted to know if you received your reshipped plants and hoping all is well. Let me know!
Happy Gardening,
Briscoe White"


Negative Jlmyers72
(5 reviews)
On Sep 20, 2018, Jlmyers72 Commerce Township, MI wrote:

I ordered 5 sweet woodruff from them. Pint sized. The plants came shipped on their sides, all the dirt had fallen out even though they wrapped them in plastic. None of them have any root system whatsoever and are about 1.5" tall. Looks like the took a clipping and stuck them in a pint sized pot. Won't buy from them again

Negative gracie_garden
(1 review)
On Jun 16, 2018, gracie_garden Lockport, NY wrote:

I order a LOT of plants online, year round pretty much. I also order trees and fruit trees online- (in most cases) purchasing from different companies depending on what I am looking for. In comparison to my vast experiences with other companies, I was very disappointed by my interactions with the grower's exchange. Most importantly the plants arrived on the verge of death.

I also think they do not offer the best customer service experience in the sense that your order information via email is incomplete- simply stating you have an order or your order is on the way but never listing the plants or the pricing. So too the invoice that comes with the plants does not have pricing information!! thanks because I don't see how that would be extra work to add it on, oh but the case is they don't care! and they certainly don't give specific plant instructions just the general "plant care form."

Negative DonnaDuff
(1 review)
On May 30, 2018, DonnaDuff Monroe, VA wrote:

I have ordered many plants from online vendors. I have never had a shipment of plants arrive in such poor condition as the shipment that I received from Growers Exchange. The plants were yellow and wilted. Dirt and plant labels were out of the containers. One plant was totally disintegrated (rotten). I tried to revive the plants by replacing the dirt and alternately sitting them outside in periods of sunshine and inside during periods of down-pouring rain (waiting on excessive mud due to heavy rains to dry up before trying to plant them in the garden). Three of my plants started to look better; however, all of the rest were not improving, so 3 days after the arrival of my plants, I sent pictures to the company.

They blamed the condition of the plants on me, saying that I did not unpack them when they arrived. They based this on the date of my picture and because my picture showed the containers sitting in the box. (I was using the box to move them in and out of the back porch based on the outside weather.) I had actually unpacked them within an hour of their arrival. I waited to send pictures because I was hoping to revive them.

WARNING: Do not wait to send pictures to this company. Not sure how much good the timing of the pictures will do. They will probably find another way to get out of standing behind their plants.

Don't waste your money ordering from them. There are too many other good vendors out there to waste time and money on a company that does not care about its plants or its customers.


On May 30, 2018, Growers Exchange (previously The Grower's Exchange) responded with:

"On May 30, 2018 5:56 PM, Growers Exchange (previously The Grower's Exchange) responded with:

We apologize for any offense taken at what we consider routine questions.

Your order packed and shipped in the afternoon, and arrived at your home within 24 hours. The majority of our orders take 100% longer, therefore we were concerned re: the damages we saw on the photos you provided. We agree; each and every plant was in bad shape, and our first step is to problem solve. What could have caused it, considering the speed of the delivery, as well as the weather in your area on the day of arrival. Weather perfect, shipping time ideal - we need to figure out what occurred in order to both resolve your issue, and prevent any future issue.

Our system has EXIF embedded so that each photo is dated - not when it was sent, but when it was taken. Our email to you simply stated 2 things: we wanted to verify the arrival, as well as state the fact that the photos showed plants still in original containers and covered in plastic days after arrival. We are certainly not blaming anyone, and simply asked if there was a delay in unpacking, as that would explain the wholesale damage. We rarely see an entire order and it usually stems from the plants not getting unpacked right away. No blame and honestly, no chance for step two which is to help resolve the issue.

We stand by our plants, and our customers. In fact, the whole idea of 'exchange' means that we have learned a great deal from the feedback we get from customers; what we grow, how we ship and pack - our customers inform many of our decisions.

Again, we do not want to cause offense or disappointment, and we didn't get the change to move forward with this particular issue. Hopefully, we can and please know that our customers ARE our business. We are not in the business of either offending or disappointing. But, part of our business model is to use good practices in both growing plants, as well as improving upon our methods. Forgive us for any upset, and again, sincere apologies. Providing a resolution is the easy part ~ we are not trying to avoid that piece but again, just trying to figure out what happened to the plants we care very much about, and serve the customers who make our business a success. "


Negative Hortonwho
(1 review)
On Jun 3, 2017, Hortonwho Woodward, OK wrote:

I understand the 2 month wait for my Moonflower Vines, due to temperature. However, when I did receive the little vines, they were small and were eaten up. Every leaf had chew holes in them, made by an unseen invader. Even the tiny new leaves! The plants were sent to me with this damage. The vines are still small with some branches completely void of all foliage, and are still struggling to make it even now. I can only speak of my own experience, but as a new customer ordering for the first time, I would have thought that my order would have been looked after much better than it was, to at least insure further orders. And the minimum for orders was $20. I don't see throwing away good money by placing another order with this company, as they don't care much for their plants or their customers who order from them. And looking after sick plants, just received, is not my idea of a good experience. So I can't in good faith recommend this company to others, sadly.
Sincerely,
Hortonwho


On Jun 3, 2017, Growers Exchange (previously The Grower's Exchange) responded with:

"On Jun 4, 2017 11:34 AM, The Growers Exchange (aka The Grower's Exchange) responded with:

Hello: Again, we are really unclear as to what occurred, and we appreciated the photos. We are a small shop, and all plants are checked prior to shipping and as we said in our email, it is very hard to say what occurred but again, we are just waiting to hear back from you as to how you would like to proceed - this message was sent yesterday but haven't heard back.
Best to all,

Kenan White
Co Founder
The Growers Exchange

yesterday(23hr, 49min ago) [06/03/2017 01:34PM] by Kenan White Public Note
-- hide quoted text --

Thanks for the photos; unfortunately, they really are not helpful figuring out what occurred. We apologize for any issues, and at this point, can't say for sure what affected them but we are happy to resolve with the offer of a Store Credit or Refund.

Let us know~

________________________________________________

To All of our Friends on Dave's: we are in the business of helping you grow a great herb garden. We are not here to disappoint or frustrate. We stand by our plants, but we have just shipped over 100K plants all over the continental US and sometimes, because they are plants, we encounter an issue. We stand by our product, but if there are issues, we are always here to resolve. Your success with our plants is our mission.

Regards,

Kenan White
Co Founder
The Growers Exchanbe"


Negative Karenproulx
(1 review)
On May 23, 2017, Karenproulx Toccoa, GA wrote:

This was the first time I have used this company. Upon arrival the artemisia was NOT healthy, it had too much rot on it. It died quickly. The white sage was also in bad shape and I'm certain it will not survive. The bay plant had some damaged leaves, but I think it will be okay. I will definitely not use this company again.


On May 23, 2017, Growers Exchange (previously The Grower's Exchange) responded with:

"On May 23, 2017 3:29 PM, The Growers Exchange (aka The Grower's Exchange) responded with:

Hello: You didn't mention whether or not we've been contacted, and if so, I hope that your issue was resolved. If not, please contact us at info@thegrowers-exchange.com. We really work hard to make sure that any issue is addressed in a timely manner, so hopefully we can get to the bottom of the issue. Our mission is to help our customers grow great gardens with our plants. If we have failed you, we apologize but again, need to make sure that any problems have been taken care of ... we'd love 100% success, but not sure that we can do that considering we are shipping 1,000's of herbs each week! But, we do our best.

Regards,

K. White
CoFounder
The Growers Exchange"


Negative gcolie
(2 reviews)
On May 13, 2017, gcolie Columbia, TN wrote:

This was my first order from this company, and it will definitely be my last. Out of the five plants I ordered, only two, the butterfly bush and the lemongrass, looked good and healthy when they arrived. The lime-scented geranium has wilting, brown leaves with grey mold, possibly botrytis blight, and I had to dispose of it. The heliotrope was tall and leggy, and had whooly aphids and ants on it. I removed the bugs, cut the plant back by a third, and it's in a pot and doing well. The feverfew had a lot of yellow foilage, which I removed and planted it. The butterfly bush, black knight, although very small, did look healthy and I have planted it also.
I was very disappointed with the condition of the plants I purchased, and cannot recommend this company.


On May 13, 2017, Growers Exchange (previously The Grower's Exchange) responded with:

"On May 15, 2017 11:07 AM, The Growers Exchange (aka The Grower's Exchange) responded with:

We would very much like for you to contact us via info@thegrowers-exchange.com so that we can figure out what has gone wrong. I am in charge of all customer issues, and any mention of a pest or disease would send us right to the growers. I can honestly say, with one exception, we have not had any customer report a pest issue and we are shipping 1,000's of plants each day. We are a small company, and our quality control is tight ~ so this is a concern for us, but we can't problem solve without knowing a few things about the order. We'd like to resolve in a way that works for you, and at the same time, allows us to figure out what went wrong. Disappointing customers is not acceptable for us, so please help us help you! "


Negative sjdumond
(1 review)
On Nov 23, 2016, sjdumond Ogden, UT wrote:

I ordered two white sage plants, and one lavender. Upon arrival the lavender was mostly fine for having been shipped, if not a bit dried out on a few ends, but both white sage plants were so tiny, with little to no real root system. The smallest white sage plant was dead and desiccated; beyond hope. The larger of the two only had a few small leaves near the center that appeared alive, as they were not dried out, curled up, & crumbling like the rest of the leaves & the other plant. Within a day both plants were undeniably dead. The lavender is doing ok.

Upon reading the returns section of the paperwork that came with the order; It was very negative language, and I did not feel confident my purchase would be honored, so rather than deal with what could potentially be a bad experience with no solution, I simply took the loss and will now shop locally, as we've plenty of very friendly nurseries nearby. I initially did not intend to give feedback; I took a chance with an online store, found it lacking, and didn't feel my feedback would be taken well, so I saved myself the time and grief and skipped it.

I was then sent an email requesting my feedback, which I was leery to do, so I've held off, but eventually I figured they need to know about the issues I've had with the two plants, so I signed up, logged on, and was directed to the feedback page which had several paragraphs similar to the negative return / replacement policy, only this seemed a bit threatening; below is a direct quote from the feedback page.

.."If your experience was negative, you should try to resolve the matter privately before posting your comments. Use good judgment when leaving feedback, and be certain it is constructive and factual; inflammatory language is strongly discouraged. Under federal law, the Garden Watchdog is not legally responsible for your comments; however if a court finds your remarks constitute libel, you could be held responsible for damages to the company's reputation..."

What company threatens customers with libel damages for a review they requested? -! I can understand reminding customers to respond responsibly, but threatening them with libel damages due to a bad review is disquieting.

This type of language is exactly why I did not contact the company for replacements / a refund for the dead plants they shipped in the first place.

My experience as a customer was not satisfactory. I can confidently say I will not be a return customer. .. and hopefully I don't get an email with similar threatening wording regarding a review THEY requested.

And no, I haven't contacted the company directly to resolve the matter privately, because based on the language they use for "customer satisfaction" within the paperwork sent with the order, I didn't want to deal with the negativity in person, I will simply shop somewhere else; there ARE other options.


On Nov 23, 2016, Growers Exchange (previously The Grower's Exchange) responded with:

"On Nov 27, 2016 10:14 AM, The Growers Exchange (aka The Grower's Exchange) responded with:

We are very sorry that you experienced an issue and we are always here to help, but honestly, we have no way of assisting customers unless they get in touch.

There seems to be a misunderstanding, as the negative language you are quoting is from the Dave's Garden policy, not The Growers Exchange. We don't threaten folks with libel damages, but I'm guessing that this is the forum's way of protecting themselves and their company. Maybe the good people from Dave's can help us out here, as we are members in good standing!

We have a guarantee, and include lots of information regarding how to proceed with us if you have an issue. We are here to HELP and if you read the language carefully, that is it's essence. Please contact us within 48 hours if you have an issue upon arrival. If you had, we'd be shipping new plants, refunding you or providing credit for a new order.

We apologize for all of the misunderstanding on this issue, but please know that we can't address issues unless we know about issues. So, if you would like, please contact us at any point and we'll can provide a remedy. We'd at least like a chance to prove ourselves worthy!"


Negative Katibet
(1 review)
On Oct 7, 2016, Katibet Cambridge, MA wrote:

I have purchased multiple lavender plants over the past year. They arrive looking great but many (half of the most recent order) die, despite every careful care.


On Oct 7, 2016, Growers Exchange (previously The Grower's Exchange) responded with:

"On Oct 8, 2016 10:37 AM, The Growers Exchange (aka The Grower's Exchange) responded with:

We are sorry to hear that you have experienced issues with our lavenders, and are anxious to figure out what is happening AND resolve the issues. Could you please send us an email and include the order number, we'll get right on this ~ again, we are not in the business of upsetting customers and we want you to have SUCCESS with our plants!!

info@thegrowers-exchange.com

Regards,

K. White
Co-Founder, The Growers Exchange"


Negative jasarthur
(7 reviews)
On Jul 23, 2014, jasarthur Brentwood, TN (Zone 6a) wrote:

This was our first time ordering from this company, and I was so impressed when the box arrived. Everything was so well packaged...it looked like they truly cared about pleasing their customers. Then a couple plants took a turn within a few days and I immediately submitted a form on their website asking for replacements. They replied and opened a ticket, but requested photos of the plants in question, which I thought was odd since no vendor has ever made that request in our 40 years of gardening! But I went ahead and sent them photos--and heard nothing back. After almost two weeks, I wrote to them asking if they were going to honor their guarantee. NO REPLY. Then I submitted another online form from their site asking what the problem might be. STILL NO REPLY. My only recourse is to call them and hope I reach someone who cares. As it stands today, I am thoroughly disgruntled by their bad business practices and will never do business with this company again.

Mr. or Ms. White, if you have any interest in making this right, the two tickets opened by your so-called customer service are:
Ticket #879-7740 and Ticket #124-8730


On Jul 23, 2014, Growers Exchange (previously The Grower's Exchange) responded with:

"On Aug 1, 2014 10:50 AM, The Growers Exchange (aka The Grower's Exchange) responded with:

Hello! We are working hard to find you! We've searched out Customer Relations Management databank (where all communication comes in and out) with the ticket numbers above - unfortunately, we can't post a screen shot but it says: "opps, we couldn't find a match"! You may have just spoken to our Customer Support member, Cathy, who is trying hard to figure out where any communication may have gone using all the email addresses you provided. This is a really easy fix, but I can promise you that we HAVE NOT been ignoring you ~ the email address you provided doesn't turn up in a search either ... a quick call back and we'll fix the issue but it wasn't that you were being ignored. We have NO IDEA where any and all communications have gone, but we probably need to use the phone!

Regards,

Kenan White
Co-Founder
The Growers Exchange


On Aug 4, 2014 9:35 AM, The Growers Exchange (aka The Grower's Exchange) added:

Please give us a call: 888-829-6201 so we can figure out a remedy! We are here to help and make this right but we need a bit of help! Ask for Customer Service: we are here M-F, 9-4 ET. "


Negative jrn
(1 review)
On Jun 29, 2014, jrn High Point, NC wrote:

Posted on June 29, 2014, updated June 29, 2014
I ordered ten of the perennial milkweed plants from The Grower's Exchange earlier this year. When the shipment arrived, I noticed one of the plants was not secured like the others, and assumed there had been some rough handling of the package during shipping that loosened it. Soon after planting, I noticed a few of the plants starting to get some yellow leaves. I had planted all of the plants within a day of receiving them, mulched all around them well, and kept them watered. My first thought was simply that there was shock from the shipping and transplanting and they would perk up soon. When they kept getting worse and others started to do the same, I called Customer Service and was instructed to send an email. After several emails back and forth I realized this company does not stand behind its products AT ALL. I originally got a response that said they only replace plants due to damage from shipping; then was told they will guarantee plants for ten days after receipt (I was only told this after I told them I wasn't sure how long I had waited to contact them. I didn't see a need to contact them if the issue was simply stress related. I'm not sure that they even know what their policies are and make them up to suit their needs as they go! in one of my last emails I explained how I have bought much product online from Spring Hill Nursery and have never had a problem with getting plants replaced. As hard of a winter as we just had, they stood behind plants I got last fall, as well as plants that I got this spring just prior to the late hard freeze we had (I'm in NC). No questions asked..the plants that didn't survive were either immediately replaced or scheduled to be shipped at the next shipping season for the particular plants in question. I will NOT order from The Grower's Exchange again and encourage anyone who reads this to shop Spring Hill Nursery if you enjoy buying plants online!


On June 29th, 2014, jrn added the following:

Of the ten plants I ordered, five are dead, one has started blooming, one looks like it may bloom soon, one looks like it may or may not survive and two are barely hanging on...
On Jun 29, 2014, Growers Exchange (previously The Grower's Exchange) responded with:

"On Jul 2, 2014 4:33 PM, The Growers Exchange (aka The Grower's Exchange) responded with:

Hello Mr. Nelson:

Sorry for any misunderstanding regarding our policies. We do guarantee our plants past shipping, but what we do know is that after 2 + weeks, there is a point at which there are a lot of things that could happen that are basically outside of our control ~ as a gardener, you know what I mean! We try to make our policies clear for customers before checking out ~ you actually can't check out until agreeing to the guarantee.

So, your shipment took one day and we ruled out stress. It was difficult to say exactly as we only had one photo to go one, but we are more than happy to provide you with a store credit to be used in the fall. Just let us know how you'd like to proceed and sorry for any misunderstanding.

We are a small, family owned and operated herb farm and we've been in business for 30 years. We even have an A+ rating with the BBB as well as over 50,000 pretty happy customers. We are VERY sorry that we have let you down as we are not in the business of disappointing folks. We aren't a 'Money back guarantee with no questions asked company' and we tell folks that right up front. But, we are gardeners and try hard to work with our customers.

NO EXCUSES - just stating facts!

Get back to us when you can ~ we'll leave the ticket open until we hear back.

Regards,
K. White
Customer Support"


Negative matp
(1 review)
On May 28, 2014, matp Westmere, NY wrote:

I had a poor experience with this company. Half the plants in my initial order were the wrong plants, and some of the others were in very poor shape (and did not survive). After they sent replacements for the plants I was supposed to have gotten, I find that these are the wrong plants too!! Now they are claiming that these are the plants I ordered. Nonsense. I have ordered from this company for years now, but they have really gone down hill, both in terms of quality and customer service. I would not order from this company again.


On May 28, 2014, Growers Exchange (previously The Grower's Exchange) responded with:

"On Jun 17, 2014 2:20 PM, The Growers Exchange (aka The Grower's Exchange) responded with:

Hello:

We are sorry that you had a bad experience with The Growers Exchange. It is hard to address this concern, as we don't know who you are, but the only issue we've had this spring regarding 'wrong plants' has to do with Green Holy Basil. So, we all know not to assume, but if this IS about the Holy Basil, we can only address it this way:

We grow, advertise and sell Ocimum sanctum - it has numerous common names including Tulsi, Holy Basil, Tulasi, Sacred Basil. But, as we list on the website as well as in our catalog, we grow true to species plants. The photos are our own, taken of the plants that we have grown from seed.

If we could do anything more for you, we will try. However, we have already reshipped the order and at this point, we are at a loss as to how to move forward. We are not in the business of disappointing customers and we want you to be satisfied with your order.

Best Regards,

K. White
Customer Support
The Growers Exchange"


Negative dodawa2c
(1 review)
On Jul 19, 2013, dodawa2c Frewsburg, NY wrote:

I will NEVER order anything from Grower exchange again ! The plants I ordered arrived in poor condition and half of them never made it through the hardening stage. I sent photos back to the company showing them how badly they looked right out of the box and instead of just sending me new plants they allowed me a CREDIT on my NEXT order!
There will never BE a next order I explained (They did"nt get the first one right). I was certainly not going to throw good money after bad.
My advise to any one thinking of buying at Grower Exchange...find a REPUTABLE dealer that is trust worthy and stands behind their products and will refund your money if your not satisfied.


On Jul 19, 2013, Growers Exchange (previously The Grower's Exchange) responded with:

"On Jun 17, 2014 2:24 PM, The Growers Exchange (aka The Grower's Exchange) responded with:

Sorry that we missed this; a bit late but we did want to address the issue. We did provide credit as we had stopped shipping in mid-summer. We do stand behind our plants, in fact we really care about both the plants and customer satisfaction. No one would appreciate a box shipped mid-summer when our outside temps are in the mid-90's. We begin fall shipping in September, so the credit was intended to provide an opportunity to reship.

Again, sorry that you had bad experience with The Growers Exchange. We work hard to make sure that customers have success with our plants, and we are sorry to lose you as a customer.

Regards,

B. White
Co-Founder
The Growers Exchange"


Negative Aeyla
(3 reviews)
On Apr 16, 2012, Aeyla Lake City, FL wrote:

Posted on April 9, 2012, updated April 16, 2012
Posted on April 9, 2012, updated April 9, 2012
Posted on March 23, 2012, updated April 9, 2012
I ordered herbs from this company and the arrived yesterday (2 days for standard shipping is pretty good to me) The plants were packed better then I have ever seen with an on-line company. There was only one plant that got smashed instead of being placed in the u shaped area it should have been. It is not dead but may need to be replaced. I am sure this company will do so if I ask. I am going to give the plant a go first. The rest of the plants are in great condition and are "hardening off" in my basement while I anxiously wait to plant this weekend. :)
I WILL be ordering from this company again!!!



On April 9th, 2012, Aeyla changed the rating from positive to neutral and added the following:

I had three of the 9 plants I order not make it. When I emailed them for replacements, I was told that I needed to send them pictures of the plants. This made me feel like they were accusing me of lying about them dying. I followed their instructions but the three just did not make it thru transplant shock. They were in the perfect place in the garden (two in pots) but they were not strong enough to make through the deliver and transplant. I told them not to bother with the replacements because I was offended & would not be doing business with them again. This is their reponse.

Hello:

No offense intended; we've been growing and selling for over 30 years. When we have an issue, we consider it a problem to be solved. The only way we can address problems is to know exactly what we are dealing with - and the photos are our best instrument for problem solving.

You should be happy that you are working with qualified growers who only want to keep getting better.

I can offer no apology - our policy is crystal clear and we stand by it. It is not intended to offend customers, it's a means by which we assess issues.

We are sorry to loose you as a customer.

Regards,

Kenan W.
So no apology because their policy is crystal clear. Only stupid people like me would be offended by their wonderfullness LOL Ok sorry but they are just a little to full of themselves. The other plants are doing fine and I have no problems with them. I only have problems with the attitude of the company. So this inexperienced (25 yrs is not enough I guess) gardener will shop elsewhere.

On April 9th, 2012, Aeyla added the following:

Oh and as you see below when I had a favorable post they were so willing to replace the plant that got smashed (this was one that did not make it)
On April 16th, 2012, Aeyla changed the rating from neutral to negative and added the following:

Ok so I have again been called out as in the wrong, and this wonderful company the best of the best. Sorry guys look at the NEW negative comment above mine. You did the same to this person.
All I can say to anyone buying from them. I think they have Quality plants and if you are willing to jump through hoops if anything goes wrong order from them.


On Apr 16, 2012, Growers Exchange (previously The Grower's Exchange) responded with:

"On Mar 27, 2012 7:24 AM, The Growers Exchange (aka The Grower's Exchange) responded with:

Thanks so much for the kind feedback! We've worked really hard to develop shipping methods that would not only be sustainable, but would allow our plants to arrive in the best condition! We take the utmost care in packing our plants, because we certainly don't want you to receive something that we wouldn't plant in our own garden. Please contact us immediately if you see that the plant you mentioned has not perked up, and we will be happy to resolve things for you. Thanks again and have a great spring!


On Apr 10, 2012 8:44 AM, The Growers Exchange (aka The Grower's Exchange) added:

As I stated, there was no offense intended. The only intention is to make sure that we solve problems in order to get better at what we do. Requesting a photo of the plants in question allows us to review and assess. It's a vital part of our problem solving process and that is stated on all of our materials as well. The response that we received upon requesting the photographs:

"Dear Kenan,
I have never been asked for photos to get replacement plants with any of the online company's that I have been doing
business with in the past. I can
understand that you may get scammed by some customers that just want free
plants. But as someone that has worked in the service industry for 25 years
you have not learned one of the most important lessons.
THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT. That is how you keep customers coming back.
I have attached the pictures that you wanted.
I was giving your company a try because you had herb plants that I did not
find in my local nursery.

Please do not bother to send the replacement plants because I will not be
doing any further business with your company.
I have several online nurseries that I have been using for years that sent
me replacement plants with out making me feel that I was inferior to them,
as you made me feel. The However, our policies regarding problem orders is very transparent - we are working each and every day to make sure that we are correcting problems


On Apr 10, 2012 8:51 AM, The Growers Exchange (aka The Grower's Exchange) added:

We are not in the business of offending customers nor do we want to loose customers. However, we do want our customers to understand our policies and procedures and that is why we require our customers to read and accept our polices prior to check out. An overused but very appropriate term is 'transparency' - as long as we are open and honest with our customers, and as long as we feel that our policies are appropriate and fair, then we will continue to build on a business that has been growing and selling plants for over a quarter of a century. We are very sorry to loose business, but again, we cannot apologize for our stated policies.

Another point: we do not want to be a company that sends 'replacement plants' as our goal is to get it right the first time. We were only asking for help in getting it right - we view our customers as partners, not as the enemy."


Negative cjca07
(1 review)
On Apr 12, 2012, cjca07 Brunswick, GA wrote:

My plants were promised in mid-March, but did not arrive until mid-April. In this La Nina year, that means I can't put them in the ground until next fall & they will have to summer over in pots as best they can.

I had paid for priority 2-day shipping, but plants were sent by FedEx Ground. G'sX response was "wow it's good you saw that we probably never would have caught our error!" KEEP A COPY OF YOUR ORIGINAL ORDER!

About half the 25 plants arrived full-leaved and healthy. Another third are healthy but very,very immature. There is considerable evidence of fungal growth. One plant ( a $10 bay "tree") arrived with two leaves attached, one of them half-consumed by fungus and with fungal spots on the other. Closer inspection revealed a 1/4" long hole that pierced the cambium layer of the central stalk - i suspect, by a borer or other parasite.

G'sX has agreed to refund both the shipping error and two of the most damaged plants, but only after I sent them pictures and several emails back and forth.

The "wait and see" advice was also proferred to me as it has been to other reviewers. I can't help but suspect that they hoped I'd just say forget it and throw the plants out. If I had been complaining about wilted plants or a few leaves knocked off I would not have complained at all - but now I have to isolate all the G'sX plants as well as transplanting them twice, until I see what other problems might develop.

A most discouraging experience, all in all.


On Apr 12, 2012, Growers Exchange (previously The Grower's Exchange) responded with:

"On Apr 16, 2012 8:52 AM, The Growers Exchange (aka The Grower's Exchange) responded with:

Hello:

First, we are more than willing to accept responsibility for any shipping oversight - which we did.

As far as a 'wait and see' attitude is concerned: we know, from experience, that there are many times when plants need a few days to perk up after being boxed and shipped. That is not a natural state for any plant, and we provide detailed instructions for all of our customers in order to 'walk them through' the steps. Any orders that left in the past 10 days may have gone out without the instructions, as we underestimated the amount of guides needed and had to reorder.

If anyone thinks that we are hoping that customers 'throw the plants out' then we should just close up shop. We are growers - not brokers. We tend these plants from seeds or plugs to full grown plants. We are a small operation, family owned and operated, and we want EVERYONE to have success with our plants. The request for information, and photos, is a means by which we can solve problems. There are so many times customer feedback has helped us: box design, shipping times as well as issues with a particular crop.

In the case of the Bays: our growers (who have close to 30 years experience) reviewed your photos (many thanks). Bays are a broadleaf evergreen and the leaves in question are from last year - they are shedding old leaves. If we detected fungus, believe me, they'd be isolated. Bays are not a florist plant - a bit unattractive at times.There is no reason to worry that your plants are in any way in danger - we have greenhouses full and disease and pest control is a major priority.


We work hard to answer each and every customer and their issues. That is not always an easy task as our business is constantly growing, but we know that we can't grow without our customers. We don't like to loose customers, and we don't like to have negative ratings but at the same time, it's very important for us, as a company, to make sure any current or future customers to understand WHO we are and WHAT we do. We have shipped literally hundreds of thousands of plants, successfully, since becoming members on Dave's. A lot of happy and satisfied customers, and I wish they were members!

However, we are more than willing to work to at least let you leave with a better opinion. We don't pretend to think we can save you as a customer, but at least provide you with some satisfaction besides this review.

"


Negative sylvanaranyani
(1 review)
On Apr 8, 2012, sylvanaranyani San Diego, CA wrote:

Posted on April 6, 2012, updated April 8, 2012
The "plants" arrived broken and brown. Customer "service" said all the leaves will drop and new growth will emerge, roots are what matters. Well duh, I ordered plants not roots. They advertise full grown plants. With shipping the 3 pathetic specimens cost $10 each. Never again.


On April 8th, 2012, sylvanaranyani added the following:

Growers Exchange does not stand behind their product, they did not offer to make good on the sale with refund or exchange. I'll shop at local nurseries for service and quality.
Negative Carolchad1
(1 review)
On Aug 27, 2011, Carolchad1 Fayetteville, GA wrote:

I had a bad experience in several ways with The Grower's exchange. I placed my order March 31. They charged it to my credit card immediately. I did not receive my order. When I asked about it they said they were waiting for a few of the things that I had ordered, and asked if would I like to wait until May 1. I said yes. May and June came and went. Meanwhile the items I had ordered went on sale - I was still waiting for my full priced order and they were sending me e-mails about all the sales they were having on the items I never received but paid full price for. I asked again where my order was. They then sent 3 things out of the 7 things that I had ordered. They said they were sold out of 4 of the items. The main item that I had wanted they were not sold out of according to correspondence but they did not send it - a shipping error. I still wanted that item which was why I ordered with them in the first place as no one else had this item. I e-mailed them back several more times about this item, and no response. I got a pay pal refund, but you get charged a fee so I lost money also. This company seems very disorganized, I don't like how they charge your charge card immediately rather than waiting until the item is shipped, and their customer service was customer no service. I will not order anything from this company again.


On Aug 27, 2011, Growers Exchange (previously The Grower's Exchange) responded with:

"On Aug 29, 2011 2:02 PM, The Growers Exchange (aka The Grower's Exchange) responded with:

Wow! I thought the most recent hurricane we weathered was tough!

First, we charge customer's cards upon the order being placed. That's a pretty acceptable practice among internet retailers, and we are very transparent about that policy.

You did order on 3/31/2011, and we contacted you when we realized that our Holy Basil crop was experiencing some germination issues. You said that you wanted to wait. However, when it became clear to us that we were not going to have success with that herb, we shipped your order and refunded you immediately. Your order arrived on 6/15/2011. Your credit was issued on 6/6/2011, and that did include credit for 2 other plants that we were not able to ship.

Three weeks later, you contacted us regarding your order. You specifically asked when we would ship the Comfrey, and we responded that according to our records, it shipped. You never responded to our email. We have run a 'search' on our Customer Management System to try and find any of the emails you are referring to, but we are unable to find any correspondence from you after 7/7/2011.

We are not in the business of making folks unhappy, and we really pride ourselves on our customer service team. We are a family owned and operated business with 25 years of satisfied customers. We want to clear up any problems or misunderstandings. But, we can't do it unless we hear back from you. So, please feel free to contact us and let's see if we can figure this out."


Negative tmdono
(3 reviews)
On Sep 20, 2010, tmdono Huntington, NY (Zone 7a) wrote:

I too have a problem with their packaging. Plants are taped into cardboard holders with nothing to hold the soil in the plastic pots. My plants arrive with soil spilled into the box (and out of the pots) and plant labels scattered. The plants themselves (tarragon, achillea) were in passable condition at best.


On Sep 20, 2010, Growers Exchange (previously The Grower's Exchange) responded with:

"On Sep 25, 2010 1:50 PM, The Growers Exchange (aka The Grower's Exchange) responded with:

Hello Friend: This email was sent to the hundreds of folks that have received shipments from The Growers Exchange in the past 2 weeks. We really mean EVERY word we write - I've been in this business for 30 years now, and I wouldn't be where I am without the exchanges between me and my customers. I WORK hard to make sure that you get what you need - it's your hard earned money and my sweat and tears. We need to get this right. But, I can't help you if you don't help me. I am really sorry about the packing, and as you can see below we made a slight change and corrected it right away - I figured it out quickly thanks to customer response. I am growing BIGGER plants and not charging any more for them. I was hoping to get rid of the adapters with the larger pot size .. live and learn.

To my customers ...

"First, thanks much for your recent order. Whether a new or returning customer, we value your business and try to provide you with the best our garden has to offer. Our shipping season traditionally begins in mid-September, and holding to tradition, we began to ship on the 15th. Mother Nature is a cruel one at times, and this heat has been extreme. We have heard back from a small fraction of you, and are working on solutions to any and all 'issues' - mostly heat related. Please know that we are committed to both excellent plant material and quality customer service - each one of you is important and we strive to get it right. When we don't, we work hard to remedy the issues. From some feedback, we realized that we need to use our adapters; we have increased the size of our pots and thought we could eliminate this added packing. We quickly realized that we still needed it.

The Growers Exchange is an EXCHANGE and we can't grow without you and your excellent feedback. So, in this case, accept apologies for any issues and know that we are working hard to keep your business.

Thanks again and Happy Gardening!""