Gardening Express

It's 2018 and you'd think all the rubbish traders would have been forced off the online marketplace by now, but unfortunately not. These jokers sent me two dead plants for the bargain price of £45! They make it more trouble than it's worth to get your money back so they think that's a business model. Avoid. Have you got that? Avoid.

Weeks and order arrived today well 1 box out of 6. The other 5 finally came. Condition better than expected after seeing so many horror photos on social media. Some of the plants are certainly not as advertised. Would I of spent £200 on the same quality of plants on a garden centre, No. To rub salt in the wounds they included a £5 off your next £50 spend in June to thank me for my patience, never again, Lesson certainly learnt.

The service was not on par with what I expected. I ordered a bunch of plants and they delivered it in pretty bad condition. There is no point of promising home delivery if you can't deliver it in-tact. Won't recommend.

I bought (I thought) a tree and got a dead stick. Looking at the review sites this is a common occurrence. Don't think about reporting and asking for help because they don't have a telephone number or email address only a chat line which just tells you it is your fault for not reporting it immediately (was trying to give them the benefit of the doubt that it would eventually show signs of life). They actually asked for a photo before telling me they weren't interested. I would NEVER waste my hard earned money of them again. Oh and don't bother with their facebook page as they just take down your comments. SCAM written all over it

My plants arrived badly damaged and half the size advertised - important when picking plants for a particular spot. When following this up with customer service, they acknowledged and 'escalated' my complaint before just deleting it entirely. Two months plus of chasing, there's no sign that they have any interest in replacing the plants or refunding me.

I've wasted £40 with this company - how much will you waste with them?

I ordered very expensive Hydrangea Annabella that 3/4 all were damaged and ended up not lasting their first season. Low and beyond now they have flowered they are bulk standard white Hydrangea rather than the premium Annabella! With all the horrendous reviews avoid, does any legal firm want to consider a pro-bono class action against this joke of a company and directors?

Do NOT use this company!
Recently paid £80 for a single climbing shrub which not only arrived much later than expected, but was also virtually dead when it finally arrived. Not surprisingly, despite my best efforts trying to restore it, it has since completely died. I tried to contact gardeningexpress via their online webchat several times (they don't give a phone number or email address!) and have not received any reply at all! I then got a standard message to review my purchase, using a points system 1-5. The only problem is that this system is clearly set up not to accept any low score; I have tried several times to submit my score of 1, from different tablets and at different times, and it comes back every time, claiming to have a database error! Clearly rigged to weed out negative reviews!
If you don't want to waste your money, DO NOT USE THEM!

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.

My first order was fine, even had some free stuff- guess to lure in customers. The plants I received in the next two orders looked like I fished them out of the skip at the tip. Plant guarantee - must be a joke- the company cannot be contacted. Their so-called help ticket never goes through, have just wasted two hours online trying to get a refund. Their chat does not work either. Safe yourself the money, spend a few more pennies and buy at a reliable garden centre. I am going to report them to Trading Standards as their promises on their webpage are not true and the plants send out are not as described. Total let down

Unless you want plants that are on death's door and a customer service that takes no responsibility for their plant conditions then avoid like the plague. They send you dying plants looking nothing like their pictures and then make you pay the return postage. They know full well that packaging up a huge plant is costly to return. It may be they start out mouldy and black or this could be happening in the long transit time. Who knows. What ever you do. Buy somewhere else from a nursery who firstly cares about their plants and customers and secondly does not consistently scam people. I will never buy from them again and hope that trading standards get involved.

Awful customer service...through a chatline!...replacement plants only accepted in a 2 week window...ridiculous especially since I bought my plants in January when they were dormant!
I would not use this company again!
Ordered two identical very expensive plants, total £86.97. One failed and Gardening Express refused to offer me a replacement nor credit.

Ordered 3 weeks ago, received 1 box of 3. If you're lucky to enough to find the telephone number hidden on their website, don't bother calling it as it doesn't work. It takes them ages to respond to any email or ticket, if you even get a response that is. My other boxes have been stuck in the couriers depot for 2 weeks now. I have asked for a refund for the plants not received as they are probably already dead by now. Guess what, no response... avoid the company at all costs.

My experience is just like Tessa's below - awful plants delivered - see photo of Daphne - appalling quality. My advice - you have rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 - goods sold online must be satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, as described. If one of these test fails you have the right to return the items at the seller's cost. Standard delivery costs are what you are entitled to, but given we are talking live plants, standard should mean express. Demand they pay, otherwise go through the online dispute service (ODR).

My plants arrived today, 22 days after I ordered them. They are dead, nothing like the description given on the website and although I've raised 3 'support tickets' in the last week I've not yet received any response.
I have made a complaint to Trading Standards and would encourage other customers to do the same. Please use the link below:

https://www.essex.gov.uk/Community-Safety/Trading-Standards-for-Consumers/Pages/Default.aspx

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.

I placed an order with Gardening Express on 20/04, £ 100 worth, today is 25/06, and no order, nor any communication about when my order will be delivered.

I contacted the company multiple times asking for a delivery date, occasionally I received a copy-paste response that they have 2-4 week delay. For someone waiting 10 weeks, it's an insult.

I have requested a refund today, and I will claim it as fraud with my credit card company, should I not receive a refund.

I have been patient and understanding, but their attitude to the customers, appalling customer service and lack of communication made me think they are a scammers.

Plus, they continue to lie to their future customers, stating that the max delivery time is 4 weeks. Disgraceful behaviour.

Don't waste your money! I ordered plants and received twigs in a pot of dust. Even the twigs broke away when they were unpacked, leaving just the stem. Spoke on the ‘chat' facility and after sending the requested pics was told they would ‘flourish' - they might do in about 5 years time, if they even survive. Was then given the option to return at a postage cost to me, after already paying for delivery... which I would be prepared to incur if I had changed my mind, but not for inferior, sub standard products! Was given an email address to complain to and no response to either. Worst company and service ever and I would never use or recommend them

After 4 weeks a diseased tree arrived really moth eaten and half dead is was a standard tree but the
Trunk was at a 45 degree angle would not have paid £5 let alone £35 +postage
How you keep trading ive no idea
A company to keep clear of! Need shutting down

Absolutely shocking. The only thing express about them is taking your money. Items delivered not of good quality and description on website of at least one item very misleading. Items ordered took ages for delivery. No telephone for customer support and no response to queries submitted through on-line system. Do not use this company, thoroughly unreliable and dismissive of customers?

Just a few days ago, five weeks after ordering and having requested cancellation via "Support Ticket" (and, indeed, having received a refund from our credit card company) we received an email telling us our plants were being despatched. After four days we assumed the company had realised their mistake and withdrawn the delivery. However, they arrived on our doorstep late one evening looking a bit sorry for themselves. One plant was rotting but we have been nurturing the remainder which are showing signs of recovery we think. I have informed the company again by "Support Ticket" (only way to contact them) but we have heard nothing.

I ordered five grape vines supposedly Solaris but there are no tags showing this to be the case-they could be anything. And anyway they are awful with virtually no root system so highly likely they will die. All the pots had weeds growing in them. Terrible service. I wish I had read these reviews before ordering. DO NOT USE!

Received a parcel with many plants. All derived of care and water.

Shrivelled and brown leaves. Most of the heads had dropped off.
Sent in several images and as yet no response.

Should be closed down

My order came and it didn't fit the description or picture online. I tiny scraggy plant worth about a quarter of the price I paid. I took photos and sent the item back as requested online and paid for the postage. As everyone else has said below you then get total silence. You can't contact them as they don't reply to emails and you can't phone them. Obviously they got sick of people ringing to complain so just thought they would cancel this for of communication and that way they can steal your money! Well done gardening express and fantastic business. Day light robbery at it best!