Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:21/06/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I pre-ordered three tree seedlings from *********** on January 15/2023. The seedlings were shipped to me in mid-May. Of the three trees I planted, one of them did not survive even a month. The leaves were dried out & wilted. It never took off. When I contacted ***********, they advised that since there were leaves on the tree, it was essentially out of their hands, and they refused to help a paying customer (me). So, as per my promise to them, I'm have filed a dispute with my credit card, and I'll be seeking to file a small claim in court. Clearly this isn't about the money, as I'll be spending more money to file said claim.

  Business Response

  Date: 22/06/2023

  Here is a copy of our guarantee from our website. It also comes with each order for clarity. To be clear, we have the best guarantee in the industry and about 80% of the mail order seedling business does not provide any guarantee at all.
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  Our guarantee:
  We guarantee that your trees will put on new growth within 30 days of planting or we'll give you store credit for the value of those trees. Here's how it works:
  You must make a good faith effort to plant your trees in a timely manner and into appropriate conditions, using the methods described in our "How to plant a tree" question.
  You must make a good faith effort to care for your trees before and after planting. Weeding and watering are not optional.
  We don't cover everything. Examples of situations not covered include: planting in an inappropriate size of pot, aesthetic issues, slow growth, winter survival, over or under watering, drought, floods, fire, extreme weather, disease, pests, sprayed with herbicide, delayed planting, transplanting, not planted at all, etc.
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  Your trees put on new growth as evidenced by the new growth in the picture. Our trees ship without leaves from frozen storage (spring dormant) Then they died back, dried out, and died. This may have been compounded by the weeds seen in the picture at the base of the tree. Our planting guide and instructions all warn against planting into grass and weeds. So, from the pictures, this has to do with not providing enough water to the plant during hot times. We do everything we can to set you up for success. However, if you don't water the tree... we can't really help you for the $7.99 per tree that you pay.
  
  There are other services available that will supply a tree, plant it properly, and water it for you but they start at over $300 per tree. What you save by buying our $7.99 tree requires your involvement in properly planting and watering the tree. There are very few things that can stop a tree from growing after it has leafed out. Not watering it, or planting in an inappropriate location, or physical harm to the tree are the likely culprits. We warn about those things in all of the planting guide and information we send you to set you up for success.

  Despite your initial success your tree died back. We are willing to give you a credit for the tree portion of your order (not the shipping). So, $7.99 for the tree that leafed out quite well and then subsequently died. Please let us know if you have changed your mind and want a credit or refund for the $7.99 you spent on the tree.
  
  We pride ourselves on being fair in our dealings and meeting customers more than half way when issues arrive. We are sorry you haven't found our approach satisfactory. We're doing as much as we reasonably can here.

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 23/06/2023

  
  
  ****** ******** *******
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 20217895, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ******