Comments regarding Rose Franklin's Perennials & Herbs

I just spoke on the phone with Rose, as I was trying to order some butterfly larvae, and I ended the call feeling disrespected and hurt. Bottom line - I was treated very rudely. It may have been a short 2 minute call, but it was enough to throw off my morning and send me here to write my first review of any business EVER.

Now, who knows what Ms. Rose was going through this morning - maybe she's having a bad day! Nonetheless, I treated her respectfully and only with good intention. I did not receive the same. I was clearly confused with some of the information on the website (it happens to the best of us), and instead of returning the standard of nicety that I had first established, Rose became undeservedly frustrated with me, scolded me, and hung up the phone, after an abrupt and hostile goodbye.

I only hope that Ms. Rose will come across this review, as my intent was to inform her on the effects that her attitude has on others. I strive to always treat others fairly and warmly, and I do not appreciate it when I receive treatment far from that. If you hold these same standards for yourself, I do not recommend interacting with this business.

7/24/2015

"On Dec 26, 2015 10:36 AM, Rose Franklin's Perennials & Herbs (Butterfly Bushes.com) responded with:

I did finally come across your review: now, during the off season.
As I recall, I was very busy the day you called. The staff here is extremely busy from mid April until mid October, but that day was extraordinarily busy because we were preparing for open house the next two days.
You wanted for me to explain why we could not ship Monarch larvae to Texas. I replied that we did not have a permit from the USDA to ship to Texas, and that you would have to obtain caterpillars from someone who did have a permit to do that.
On our web site, I clearly list, in red lettering, the states we do have permits to ship to, and thank goodness, most people see that.
I also ask on the web site that people email, not call, with questions and comments during the hectic shipping season, so I can respond when I have the time to do so. And I do answer questions and reply to comments every evening (often after 10 PM) and every morning (generally before 7 AM)."

I was excited to find an online source for a plant I've been looking for and ordered immediately using my smartphone. The next day I received a Paypal refund -- minus $1 as a processing fee -- and a nasty note stating Rose Franklin doesn't ship to my state, instructions on reading fine print, along with some other unpleasantries. Having never experienced an issue with shipping plants to my state, I revisited the site using a full sized computer. The fine print did state that Rose F doesn't ship to my state; however, she listed the states she doesn't ship to (almost all) instead of listing the states she doesn't ship to (would be a much shorter list). I can see how this might be confusing; however, I didn't even see the list on my smartphone.

I emailed Rose Franklin expressing my disappointment with her lame, and extremely rude, customer service. Luckily she wasn't authorized to charge for her precious time to respond to my email. All-in-all, it was well worth the $1 to get screamed at by an uptight old bitty. This person and company doesn't understand customer service in the year 2014... reviews like this one are a good way to spread the word.

Based on the negative way Rose Franklin treated me, I wouldn't give this company my business... even if I did live in one of the two states she ships to. Make sure to read the fine print and don't poke the hornet nest that is Rose Franklin... unless you have a dollar to spare and want to yelled at by a senile old coot.

I placed my order in May, and as anticipated, the plants shipped June 16. In the shipment notification email, they took the time to tell me that if this is a rural mailbox, to not let the plants sit outside for very long. I noticed there was no tracking number so I emailed back asking for one. My mail is delivered between 10am and 3pm and I work an hour from my house, so I thought I'd keep an eye on it and buzz home when they were delivered. Rose Franklin took the time to email me back...saying she didn't have the time to email 40 tracking numbers a day and wouldn't provide me with one. I emailed back, and her suggestion was to contact my local post office and have the plants held. By this time, the time she'd dedicated to three emails easily could have been spent sending me a tracking number.

To date, I still have no tracking number. This is horrendous customer service, and I will never be ordering from this company again.