Gardening ExpressReviews 594

I ordered 3 x cordyline australis extra large special offer which was originally £129 each special deal at only £49 each on the 8th July really pleased with my bargain purchase and was so excited, until I spent that evening reading the reviews on the company, my heart sank felt like crying. Today 12th they were delivered and i didn't wanted to even open the boxes, well how more wrong can I have been they look fantastic I really wish I could add photos of them just to show you all how good they are, I've worked in retail all my life and people are always quick to complain but very rarely say well done, so I am going to be one of those very few people to say THANK YOU gardening express you have exceeded my expectations
Mrs Metcalfe

Through Groupon, Gardening Express were offering Japanese Maples, Peonies and Palms on offer. Out of 4 Maples, 3 exhibit nutrient burns on their tips, 2 of which have little to no foilage and the remaining few leaves are about to drop dead from necrosis. Out of 4 Peonies, 3 are virtually dead. None had any labeling as to the species of maple acer or peony. My palms were ordered on the 15th but have not been delivered. I can only assume that they are dead somewhere.

Truely disappointed. As an experienced gardener im hoping to try and keep them going, but as the summer is drawing to the end, it's likely that most of the stock will die off. I was essentially sent very expensive twigs.

I've sent a support message to GE via their website about the Palms, will give the Maples and Peonies a few more days to pick up otherwise I'll be chasing a refund through my bank and solicitors.

*UPDATE* 03/09/16

Gardening Express have replied back to my email regarding the missing palms. Hoping action is taken to either find or replace them.

In the meantime, I've had avid horticultural expert have a look at my peonies that arrived. They are 100% affected by Powdery Mildew, which is a fungal infection bourne from humid and wet conditions. The best thing to do is treat them with horticultural oil or neem oil, and soap. Cut back all affected leaves and also look into taking preventative action with any other plants you may have as Mildew spreads via spores.
See google for what Powdery Mildew looks like on the Paeonia variety of peonies

UPDATE 07/01/2017
Garden Express have tried to remove my review.
I have forwarded the relevent correspondence to TrustPilot as Gardening Express act in a completely negligent manner and trying to get bad reviews removed. All of the plants died due to infection. I have also contacted trading standards.

Don't be tempted by the decent website and keen prices. It's just not worth the risk. It's the worst online experience I have ever had. Cancelled after theee weeks of waiting. Never answer the phone. Ignore all e mails. Then a week later the plants turn up! Poorly packed and damaged. Still no proper response from GE. Eventually had to get my refund through chargeback via my bank. If you are insistent on giving them your money do it through e bay with PayPal protection, you'll need it. I reported them to trading standards as I just can't believe they are still trading.

BEWARE TOTAL FRAUDSTERS... take immediate payment from you, send you your item many many weeks later, you open the box and it's a crumpled dead mess, you try phoning them to advise of the situation... no answer, you email them on the contact form and week or so later you receive a holding email, you respond, weeks later you chase, you then receive a response almost a month later advising you that you are now outside the 14 day return window! All down to their purpose delay! I have now instructed my solicitor to recover my losses...

A company with NO customer service number - have now read lots of poor reviews. Original order 16 May, chased a month later a part of the order arrived. Parcel 2 of 2 nowhere to be seen. Raised a ticket. Dead plants arrived a week later. I have asked a refund, raised multiple tickets which they close without response. I have fulfilled this order now with a NORMAL company ie one that sends out the goods and has a telephone number. This order is now stuck in Yodel as we have been away and their response - contact Gardening Express. If anyone knows how to get hold of a company with no phone number, a completely inept customer service please let me know.

Ordered plants 8 June. Supposed to be delivered in 3-4 days. They did send me an email to say they would be a bit longer, but 3 July and still no plants. Can't reach them by phone. I've emailed but only get an automated response, which says nothing but it's a busy time of year for them and how much they appreciate my patience. I'm thinking of contacting my bank because this feels like fraud - I'm really left wondering if they've done a runner with my money or gone out of business maybe? I've bought a lot of plants this summer because we are having a lot of work done in the garden and the other companies I've used have been brilliant.

Ordered 2 plants worth £30.00 29/05/17 after much chasing (via email) this week, they arrived today 30/06/17 and are more dead than alive. Looks like they were packed on 29/05/17 and have not been even watered since, bone dry. I should have read reviews before I placed my order but was fooled by the professional looking site. I'm not holding out for a refund it looks like they don't operate that way. Daylight robbery and shameful trading, still £30.00 on 50 orders a day, what do they care?

Terrible company! Ordered £179 pound worth of goods only to receive automated replies when i tried to contact them. 2 weeks went by and still nothing despite trying to call, email and social media the company. Since raising concerns on social media over 20 people have contacted me expressing they too have suffered similar in not receiving goods.In the end i had to report this to my bank who are in the process of investigating them. Why is this company still trading with so many upset customers?

Wish I'd seen these reviews before placing my order. Have been waiting three weeks, no plants and no response to my email. The tone and language used on the customer service section of their website certainly suggests the company is disaster with no end of dissatisfied customers. The answer-phone message that cites 'technological issues' sounds like garbage to me. Similar to other reviewers, I'll be looking at reporting to Trading Standards.

Was sent a dead plant and after many attempts at making contact with customer services I was told to send photographic evidence. I did this, only to be told the 'nursery manager' said there was nothing wrong with the plant and if I looked after it, it would start to thrive! After leaving a poor review on a different website, I was contacted and told I could return the plant and exchange for another... AT MY OWN COST! A complete joke of a company. My poor, dead plant has been composted and I will never deal with Gardening Express again. Neither will my friends and family after reading some of the comments I've put on social media!

JUST WANT MY MONEY BACK!

My order took so long that it went past the date needed and had to go to a local plant center for the items I needed. I have tried to ring to cancel my order many times and cant get through. I couldn't believe that they said to cancel an order you have to write in for security reason. I spoke to the fair trading standards and they said there was no need for that and that an email is proof enough and so this is what I have done and heard nothing. I want a full refund immediately for order *******

16/05/17I requested cancelled order and refund so what did they do they finally sent it out today against my request to cancel. This is the worst company I have ever dealt with and will keep posting every day until they give me the refund I requested. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!
Just seen another review on Gardeners corner where many others were complaining of the same problem and would you believe that the address they give is not even a a centre with walls its actually just an internet service. Unbelievable, they are all having problems getting their money back if you dont believe me read them for your selves!