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:04/30/2024

  Type:Customer Service 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.

  On March 4, I purchased 2 amaryllis packs (5 each) for $54.38. 5 of the 10 arrived with signs of rot and red blotch. They sent me diseased bulbs. But because they grew they are giving me the run around. I sent two emails with multiple pictures of all the bulbs but they want even more pictures. Red blotch in amaryllis is expensive to treat, and can spread to your healthy plants. I am asking for half of my money back or replacement.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/01/2024

  Thank you so much for reaching out and sending images.  I do see you did reach out to our customer service team with some images and it appear the images you sent were not clear for us to be able to see what was actually going on with the bulbs.  An email was sent to you yesterday asking for more clear images.  I did review the images you attached here and can see that some of the bulbs are rotting at the base.  It does appear the soil is pretty wet in these images which is likely the cause of the rotting.  Per our Grow Guarantee, we do require images for any item that arrives in poor condition to be sent within 5 days to issue replacements or a refund.  Unfortunately we didn't receive any communication regarding the condition of the bulbs until you had them in your possession for several weeks, on 4/25/24.  The package arrived to you on 3/11/24.  The images do not appear to be rust at all but just the color coming through from the rotten spots on the bulbs.  We aren't able to issue you a refund for the items since we didn't receive images for 6+ weeks after they arrived to you and we aren't able to say for sure they arrived that way which is why we require images to be sent within the 5 days of arrival.  I will go ahead and issue you a store credit for 1 package of 5.  You will receive a separate email directly from us regarding the credit on your account.  For future reference, if you are ever concerned about the condition of an item you receive from us, send us the images right away and we would be happy to find a solution for you right away.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/01/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  I first emailed Holland Bulb farms April 1st with pictures letting you know my concern with rotting/red blotch on some of the bulbs I received. I was told to wait and that I could follow up later. The rot continued to advance. I had watered the plants prior to the pictures, but I have been making sure the soil totally dries out before watering them again. I have not been overwatering them.  The plants already had rot when I received them and it continued to get worse. Please refund half of what I paid or replace the 5 out of the ten that show rot. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *****************************

  Business Response

  Date: 05/01/2024

  Hello,

  Thank you for reaching out to us again.  I do see the images you provided on April 1 and unfortunately they were blurry and we could not decipher  the condition they were in.  We did request more clear images which we did not receive again for a few weeks after.  We did then go ahead and issue the store credit per our Grow Guarantee at that time since it had been quite a while after they were received that we received clear images.  The credit has already been issued and sent to the email on your account.  The credit can be used on any item and does not expire.  You can certainly use the credit issued to replace the 5 bulbs that didn't grow for you.

  Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/02/2024

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *****************************
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/26/2024

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  Hollandbulb farm sent damaged bulbs and have stopped responding to complaints all together. I purchased bulbs from Hollandbulb farm : order # ******* paid $110.82 and order # ******* paid $112.83 for Dahlia ********* bulbs arrived two weeks ago. Unfortunately, half of the bulbs in this order were damaged and a few items were missing. I sent an instant response to the Hollandbulb farm support team but their responses have been very opaque and they are not able to resolve this situation on their end despite providing pictures of the damaged shipment and bulbs. I'd like 100% refund for this order.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/01/2024

  Hello,

  Thank you for reaching out to us.  I'm sorry to hear some of the items arrived in poor condition.  I do see you did send emails with the images to our customer service team on 4/19/24.  During our peak season, it can take us a few days to reply since we are a family owned company with limited staff and we do reply to all email inquiries in the order they were received.  I do see our initial reply was sent on 4/23 asking for clarification as to which varieties were included in the images you had supplied since you had several on your orders.  After we received clarification, we did reply on 4/29/24 informing you that were able to send replacements for some of the varieties that were still in stock.  Unfortunately some of the items you received in poor condition are sold out for the season so we did go ahead and issue a refund for those.  Please refer to our email response from 4/29/24 regarding which items were are sending to you free of charge and also the refund information.  Thank you again and I do apologize some of the items did arrive damaged.  We do appreciate patience as we work though all customer inquiries as quickly as possible during our peak season.  It does appear this concern has been resolved.

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/01/2024

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.  Thank you for your help.
  
  Regards,
  
  Alok B
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/25/2024

  Type:Delivery Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore 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 ordered some bulbs from this company it got taken out of my account the first of April and still have not received them. Call the company they kept on giving me the runaround then they tell me that they haven't printed up the labels and they don't know when the bulbs will be shipped out

  Business Response

  Date: 04/25/2024

  Hello,

  Thank you for reaching out to us regarding your recent order.  When the order was placed it was part of our Spring pre-order sale.  We ship  Spring items out according to planting zone when it's the appropriate temperatures to plant in specific areas.  When you placed the order, we had just begun shipping to your zone.  We do ship in the order they were received beginning with orders placed in early September when our preorder sale began.  We do prioritize the orders that have waited the longest since it was placed.  Due to the large volumes of orders placed prior to yours, it did take a bit of time for it to ship.  When contacting us for an order status, we try to provide as much information as we can but we generally aren't able to provide an exact ship date since that depends on the number of orders before yours and also the size of those orders that need to ship.  It does look like your order did ship earlier today at which time you did receive an email with tracking information.  The tracking number is not updated as of right now, that occurs once the carrier scans the package at their facility.  You will see updates within that tracking link we sent once the carrier has an opportunity to scan it.  We thank you for your patience while we continue to ship and recommend if you would like your order sent earlier, you are welcome to place a Spring order earlier during our preorder sale even.

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/22/2024

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore 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.

  Business collected money and did not provide goods ordered.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/22/2024

  Your order was paid for on 4/12/24.  Per our shipping schedule provided to you on our website, we are currently shipping out all orders to your zone in the order they were received starting with orders placed in early September when our preorder sale began.  When you chatted with one of our representatives on 4/19/24, you were given the same information and was informed your order would ship as soon as possible, once we got through the rest of the preorders placed before yours.  You replied with the following statement, "Cunt.  Get cancer and die your f****** ****."  Since you decided to use extremely inappropriate and vulgar language with our representative when she was just trying to help you, we then cancelled your order and issued a full refund.  You were also sent an email confirming the cancellation as well as informing you that we will no longer accept orders from you in the future.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/08/2024

  Type:Delivery Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore 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 have ordered 8 Boston Ivy Plants on 3/05/24. I was told they would be shipped by Mid March. It is now Mid April. No one will return my calls, nobody answers the phone, voice mails, or e mails. I would just like to re responded to and to receive the items I purchased last month.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/09/2024

  Hello,

  Thank you for reaching out to us.  Your order was made as a preorder to be shipped by zone when the plants are ready.  Per the schedule in your confirmation email and on our website, we begin shipping to your zone 7 in late March to early April.  We do ship all orders in the order they were received starting with orders placed in early September when our preorder sale began.  Based off when your order was placed, it will likely ship closer to mid-April.  The pre-potted items also have established roots and tender sprouts already growing that are much more susceptible to cold damage if shipped too early.  We do watch the weather conditions for each zone carefully and will delay shipping if temperatures are not conducive to shipping or planting safely.  We do our best to ship during a time that allows for as much success with our items as possible.  Once your order does ship you will receive an email with tracking information.  If you are not able to wait for this item to ship during the appropriate time, please contact us directly and we would be happy to cancel the order if you choose.  

  Thank you for your patience and we continue to ship all orders safely and as quickly as possible.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/15/2024

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore 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.

  They sent the wrong item. When I contacted them, thet claimed it was "mislabeled", but refused to send a return label insisting it was the correct bulbs, just mislabeled.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/18/2024

  Hello,

  Thank you for reaching out to us.  I do apologize for any confusion.  After reviewing your order and the item in question, I do see you purchased the Fun Time Gladiolus and the package stated Stereo Gladiolus.  ************* ********* has recently replaced the Stereo variety as a new, improved version of the Stereo Gladiolus. Since this is a recent change in the industry, not all packaging and labeling technology has been updated quite yet.  We do have listed in the description of the ********* Gladiolus website, as indicated in our emails to you, the Old variety name is Stereo.  Please see below:

  DESCRIPTION
  Wild and tropical, this Fun Time Gladiolus is as flamboyant as they come! The brilliant sunshine yellow centers are surrounded by the vibrant red at the edges of each petal. Reaching up to 4' tall, these gladiolus will tower over the rest of your garden but will not topple in the wind.
  **Old variety name Stereo**.

  We understand the confusion but knowing it can take a bit of time for the packaging companies to update the varieties when labeling the items in Holland for shipping, we did put that information on our website so our customers understood they are the same item, ********* if just a new, improved version.  Although the packaging states they are the Stereo version, we can assure you they are the ********* Gladiolus variety in the package as the Stereo variety is no longer available to us since ********* has come onto the market.  If you are still unsure, you can certainly return the package to us for a refund but since we do have it stated on that items page of our site that the Stereo is the old variety, we are not able to provide a return label.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/15/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore 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.

  On 2/26/2023 I placed order #******* with Holland Bulb Farms in the amount of $117.79 for 4 ****** tubers, 1 butterfly weed plant, 2 onion sets and a peony bag. Nothing but the peonies had any growth. On 6/1/2023 I contacted the company about their grow guarantee and notified them that *********** did not grow and were in fact rotten. I got a $63.01 gift certificate at that time. A few weeks later I used that gift card and purchased 4 grape starts which I received mid July. I followed all planting instructions and know vines are slow to grow, and that I was planting them late in the season, so when I didn't see any growth by October I wasn't too concerned. This week I visited a friend nearby and saw her grapes were already wakening from dormancy, and upon further inspection realized all the grapes I have are dead. On March 15, 2024 I contacted Holland Bulbs. The first agent I spoke with hung up on me and then further attempts to call went unanswered- until I blocked my number with *67 and then my call was answered by a male customer service agent. I explained the situation and he put me on hold to speak to a supervisor because "the grow guarantee is only for the first season which ran March- October". I explained I didn't receive the grapes until July, and I didn't feel that 3 months was adequate time to determine whether or not the plants would be viable. He returned after soaking to the supervisor to tell me that there was nothing they could do- I was contacting them too late. I have suave a total of $182.96 with this company to have 2 peonies that *** or *** not grow. This company is horrible and is sending out plants that are rotten and that they know are not going to grow

  Business Response

  Date: 03/15/2024

  Thank you for reaching out to us.  I'm sorry to hear the grapes failed to grow for you last season.  After reviewing the order, I do see you placed the order on 6/29/23 and it was delivered the following week.  I understand wanting to wait to make sure they were viable and would grow.  If they would have been viable, they would have started growing within a few weeks after planting, especially since you planted them during the Summer months when it's warmer.  If you didn't see growth within a few weeks, we would have needed you to reach out at that time.  Our Grow Guarantee does state on our website and also on the back of your packing slip, we cover items for the first growing season.  We do need to notified within that timeframe if something fails for us to properly investigate.  Anything we ship during the Spring and Summer months would have at least sprouted new foliage during that first season which is why we have the Guarantee valid until the end of October, allowing plenty of time for those items to sprout.  We do not cover Spring and Summer items the following season since there are so many environmental factors over the Winter months that could affect the viability the following season.  Unfortunately since the items had plenty of time to sprout after they were planted in July and we did not hear from you before the end of the first growing season as indicated on our site and packing slip, we are not able to offer an extension for these items.  I do apologize and I understand the frustration but please understand, we do have our Guarantee posted during and after the order process for all customers to review and understand.  Please see the statement below directly from our website regarding that policy:

  FAILURE TO GROW
  Holland Bulb Farms provides planting instructions and requirements needed for each item on our website. Please refer to each items page to ensure the item(s) purchased are best suited to your individual growing conditions and climate. If an item fails to grow, please contact our customer service department during the first growing season*.

  *The first growing season for Spring- and Summer-planted items is defined as March through October of the first year they are planted. After October, Spring- and Summer-planted items are no longer covered under our guarantee. The first growing season for ***** and Winter-planted items is defined as September through June of the first year they are planted. After ***** ***** and Winter-planted items are no longer covered under our guarantee.

  As you can see, after October, Spring/Summer planted items are no longer covered.  I do apologize again but please review the Guarantee using the link on our site for future reference.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/15/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  [Please type your response here.]
  
  Regards,
  
  ***************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/15/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  [Please type your response here.]
  
  Regards,
  
  ***************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/15/2024

  I do not think this response is acceptable because after planting the grapes in July, there was no way to tell within that time frame whether the plants were dormant or dead.  I was told by multiple nurseries to wait until after winter to see if they were viable- they obviously are not. 

  I offered to send the dead plants back,  send photos- whatever they wanted to see that the plants are dead.  The fact that only 2 peonies have survived from the entire order shows the poor quality of products they are sending to customers,  and their "guarantee " is a scam

  Business Response

  Date: 03/19/2024

  Hello,

  Thank you for getting back in touch with us.  Unfortunately I cannot speak for how other nurseries sell their grapes and their recommendations on how long you should wait to see growth.  We sell 2 year plant starts so they would grow during the first season planted which is what our Grow Guarantee covers.  We do not send any items that would take at least one year before sprouting as these would not be covered under the Guarantee.  Again, our Grow Guarantee is available to view before, during and after a purchase is made to ensure our customers understand our policies at any time during the ordering process.  We again print the Guarantee on the back of all packing slips for every order we ship.  It certainly isn't a scam as we do state what the expiration dates are for each season.  I do apologize the grapes were not successful for you last season but based on when you received them, there was more than enough time for them to grow before our Guarantee expired the end of October.  Unfortunately since the Grow Guarantee did expire last October, we are unable to find a solution for you at this time.  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/19/2024

  Hello,

  Thank you for getting back in touch with us.  Unfortunately I cannot speak for how other nurseries sell their grapes and their recommendations on how long you should wait to see growth.  We sell 2 year plant starts so they would grow during the first season planted which is what our Grow Guarantee covers.  We do not send any items that would take at least one year before sprouting as these would not be covered under the Guarantee.  Again, our Grow Guarantee is available to view before, during and after a purchase is made to ensure our customers understand our policies at any time during the ordering process.  We again print the Guarantee on the back of all packing slips for every order we ship.  It certainly isn't a scam as we do state what the expiration dates are for each season.  I do apologize the grapes were not successful for you last season but based on when you received them, there was more than enough time for them to grow before our Guarantee expired the end of October.  Unfortunately since the Grow Guarantee did expire last October, we are unable to find a solution for you at this time.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/19/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  [Please type your response here.]
  
  Regards,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/30/2024

  Type:Delivery Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore 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.

  On January 14, ****, I ordered a variety of bulbs as advertised by Holland Bulb Farms as advertised on the internet. Order number HBF-*******-HBFFall. According to their advertising they ship by ************ or **** and I paid a hefty $14.95 for shipping. They do not mention ***** smartpost, which is considerably cheaper, but takes significantly longer to deliver. On January 16 Holland Bulb Farms tendered the package to *****. On January 18 it arrived in ******* early in the morning. Following the tracking info I noticed that the package was sitting in ******* for 2 full days in single digit temperatures. At that time I also found out that the package was sent by ***** smartpost and not ***** ground. I called ***** and reminded them about the perishable nature of the package contents. They understood, changed the label, and the package finally started to move again. On January 22 the package was delivered. Upon checking on the contents, I found that pouches with 10 daffodils and 5 hyacinths had bulbs which were spongy, soft, and rotten. The outer layers of the bulbs have peeled off. The remaining bulbs were also questionable. They show no sign of life since I planted them immediately after receiving them. I contacted customer service and they were rude asking for pictures. I submitted the requested pictures as instructed, and they offered a $2 refund. That was a very disappointing experience, and I probably have to dispute their charge with my credit card company. Tracking number for this shipment is available upon request.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/30/2024

  Hello,

  Thank you for reaching out to us.  I'm sorry to hear the items took longer to get to you then expected.  We do state on our website we ship ********** and USPS.  SmartPost and SurePost are part of *** and ***** so those are options we use when shipping.  The shipping costs we charge on our website is based on the subtotal of the order being shipped.  Those rates have not gone up for our customers in over 3 years despite our shipping fees increasing annually.  When we ship, we choose an option that is best for the size package and also the location in which we are shipping.  The fee is not a determining factor when choosing the best method.  When your order was shipped, there were a number of states in our country experiencing weather that did cause slow downs with delivery as indicated on the carrier websites at that time.  Although those factors are out of our control, we certainly do apologize your order was affected and delayed.  Regarding the items in poor condition, I see you ordered a Clearance Grab Bag for $55.00 which included 275 different bulbs. Upon reading your email, I do see you sent images of 10 bulbs that were in poor condition. Each bulb in the package came out to $0.20 each. Since 10 were in poor condition, we refunded you a total of $2.00. Unfortunately when partial packages are in poor condition, we are not able to replace, instead we issue a refund for the amount of bulbs in poor condition. Unfortunately we only received an image of 5 daffodils and 5 ********* We did not receive images of all 10 daffodils. If you are able to send the image of the other 5, we would be happy to refund you another $1.00 for those bulbs as well.  Since we did refund you promptly for the 10 bulbs out of the 275 you received that were included in the images, there is no need for further action unless you are able to provide more images of the other 5 bulbs.  

  Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/05/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  [Please type your response here.]
  Thank you for your response HBF. There was no statement of delivery delays due to weather issues on your website. You clearly missed the delivery window for the package. After I called ***** and was able to change the label to prevent any further delays, I spoke to customer service at HBF to update them one the shipping of the package, and your representative stated that the package was thermally insulated. Upon arrival I noticed that it was just cardboard and a ****** packaging paper at the top. This is not thermal insulation. Also the Hyacinths and Daffodils were the most valuable bulbs of the package with a value of over $1 per piece, while the other included bulbs were very small corms valued  at ***** cents a piece. This shows that your way to determine a discount is wrong. Also, in your response you did not address the issue I have with the other bulbs. It is proven now and clear that the other bulbs were dead on arrival as well, none of them show any signs of live after planting them immediately after receipt of the package. A full refund of $67.95 including shipping would therefore be appropriate

  
  Regards,
  
  *********************

  Business Response

  Date: 02/06/2024

  Hello,

  Thank you for your response.  I do apologize again for any misunderstanding regarding our shipping schedule.  The weather delays were not listed on our website, they were listed on the carriers website associated with the tracking link we emailed to you when the package was shipped.  Again, the weather in your area was still conducive to planting when the order arrived to your location.  Since the order was not cancelled before it was shipped, we are not able to issue a refund unless the items are returned to us within 10 business days of delivery since they are perishable.  Unfortunately since the order was not returned to us, we cannot issue a refund since the weather conditions in your area were perfect for planting and the order was not cancelled before it shipped.  We do state on our Grow Guarantee on our website and also on the back of your packing slip to plant upon arrival as we do not cover items if they are stored for any length of time.  Again, since the items were not planted upon arrival, not returned and the order was not cancelled, we are not able to issue a refund.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/06/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below

  hello HBf, your response did not address the remainder of the bulbs that were immediately planted after arrival and show no signs of life until today. You are the responsible party for shipping the bulbs appropriately according to weather conditions. Your customer service representative stated to me on 1/20 that the bulbs of the shipment were thermally insulated, which was an untruthful statement, because there was no thermal insulation at all included in the package. The delay by ***** which I could minimize by my interaction, would have been not relevant, if the bulbs had been shipped with thermal insulation. You are now hiding behind a 10 day return policy, which was never mentioned in your previous communications. What about your 100 percent bloom garanty. Your response just confirms what I learned from other complaints which basically is: you are delaying justified refunds by posting untruthful replies just to gain time to push customers out of the return window. I hope this communication will be a warning to other potential customers who intend to order from you.
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************

  Business Response

  Date: 02/06/2024

  Hello,

  Thank you for reaching out again.  The items on your order are not supposed to grow until Spring as stated on our website.  They are sent in a dormant stage to be planted during the dormancy period.  At this point, the items are to be in the ground and resting during Winter as per their natural life cycle.  In your zone 8, you can expect these items to start growing in mid to late March depending on how early Spring arrives.  If the items don't grow this Spring during their normal growing season, please reach out then and we would be happy to find a solution at that time.  Unfortunately we are not able to offer a solution before the plants are meant to grow.  

  Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/06/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

  
  Hello HBF, thanks for your quick response. It seems that you have changed your mind again. To get away with another time lap.  Your point and statement is invalid. I have planted bulbs of the same species purchased  from local vendors and they were coming out beautifully after 10 days. This proves that there is a problem with your bulbs. Conditions to grow spring bulbs in *********** at this time right now are very favorable. I can tell you this as a Horticulturist. Maybe your "Horiculturist ' in ********* has a different opinion. But it is what it is here in ***********.
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************

  Business Response

  Date: 02/06/2024

  Thank you for getting back to us.  

  I can't speak for how the local bulbs were treated or if they were pre-chilled when you purchased them.  Pre-chilled items are artificially chilled the required amount of time for them to start growing earlier in the season, upon planting.  Our bulbs are not pre-chilled, therefore require a specific number of weeks in the ground to 'chill' during the Winter.  Once they have reached that timeframe and Spring temperatures are more consistent, they will sprout as they would in their natural setting.  In your zone 8, the items that are sent in a dormant stage generally begin sprouting in March as indicated in my last message.  Again, often times bulbs purchased locally have been artificially pre-chilled in warmer climates to ensure they sprout earlier.  We state on our website for all Fall planted items whether they sprout in early, mid or late Spring.  Early Spring in zone 8 is March for our items.  Please allow that time for these to grow, as they would not have enough time in the ground at this point to sprout.  If they don't grow during the Spring months as indicated, please reach out to us then as our items are intentionally sent in a dormant state to replicate conditions they would have if grown in their natural habitat.  We do not artificially chill our bulbs to grow within 2 weeks after planting.

  Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/07/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  [Please type your response here.]
  The bulbs I bought locally were not pre-chilled. But thanks for your input.
  Regards,
  
  *********************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/02/2024

  Type:Delivery Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore 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 ordered 100. They shipped in * days and I got them 4 days later. Everything correct, well packed. I got the first bag of 50 (Mixed Triumph) in the ground the day after they arrived. I had seen comments from someone stating there were extra bulbs so I counted. There were only 47, unless you count some tiny ones that seemed like they were split off of other bulbs. About 1/* of them were light and hollow and/or spongy to the touch (I handled them as gently as I could.) The next day I planted the rest- * 10 packs of ******** * 10-packs of Color Carnival, and 1 10-pack of Flaming Agrass. The Color Carnival probably had the highest percentage of good bulbs, maybe 70%. But all packs had some bulbs that were shriveled and moldy. The **************** and the Mixed Triumph were tied for the worst, guessing about 60% viable bulbs. Order placed 1*/15, received 1*/*9, planted 1*/*0, business contacted with problem per e-mail 1*/*1, no response, disputed through Paypal on 1*/*8, business responded on 1/*/*0*4 stating that only 5 bulbs looked bad, asking for more pictures (images provided with Paypal dispute.) And not addressing missing bulbs.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/03/2024

  Hello,

  Thank you for reaching out to us and providing the images of a few bulbs in poor condition.  After reviewing your account, I do see you did file a PayPal claim regarding the condition of the bulbs.  The images you provided in PayPal are the ones provided here.  Per our Grow Guarantee, if you are concerned with the condition of any of the bulbs, we do need images of all of the bulbs in question to be able to find a solution.  Two of the images containing 3 bulbs are the same above, just taken from a different angle.  As mentioned in your PayPal Claim, we would be happy to find a solution for you once more images were provided for all of the bulbs you are stating arrived in poor condition.  As of right now, we were sent images containing 7 bulbs.  Unfortunately we are not able to offer a refund for those bulbs while a claim is open through PayPal.  Once the claim is closed or cancelled, we could help find the proper solution.  Also, per your PayPal claim, you also did mention the other bulbs in question were planted.  We did reply that since they were deemed viable to plant, we would ask that you wait until Spring and if they don't sprout at that time, to reach out and we could find a solution then.  Again, I'm sorry you are unhappy with the condition of the items but per the policy on our website and on the back of the packing slip in the package, we do need images of all the items.  If they were in poor condition and were planted before the images were provided, you do need to allow them time to grow before we can find a solution.

  Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/03/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  I have already explained to you through numerous avenues that it was the last possible day to plant before the ground froze. I do not believe you are acting in good faith here as there is no way you could not know how poor the condition of your bulbs is-- every bag, every variety was in poor condition with only about 1/2 of the bulbs in truly good condition. 

  The 5% refund you offered through Paypal was not adequate- I guess my only recourse at this point is to do everything I can to warn others about your operation.
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************

  Business Response

  Date: 01/03/2024

  I understand your concerns regarding the timeframe in which to plant.  After reviewing your order, I do see you are located in ******* **, just over an hour south of where we are located in **.  I did check your current weather conditions and, although it is technically Winter, ******* is still in the 40's during the day.  It does take at least 3 weeks of consistent temperatures below freezing during the day and at night before the ground is frozen.  With the current temperatures, there is still plenty of time to plant as the ground is not frozen yet.  Per the PayPal claim, we are able to offer to refund based on the number of bulbs in the images provided.  Since you did deem the other bulbs in good enough condition to plant before the images were provided we do need to ask you to wait until Spring when they are meant to grow.  If they do not grow at that time, please notify us and we'd be happy to find a solution then.  Please keep in mind that if bulbs were purchased at a brick and mortar store and were in poor condition or not viable, they would need to be returned to the store for a refund or replacement and not planted.  Since we are online only, we are not asking for the items to be returned to us, just the images.  If you prefer for a refund now, we do need you to dig up the bulbs and send the images as stated in our Grow Guarantee.  Otherwise please allow enough time for those deemed viable and planted to grow.

  Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/10/2023

  Type:Delivery Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore 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.

  On October 8, 2023, I placed an order with Holland Bulb Farms with various items, including several different types of Tulips. Specifically, I ordered three packages of Wedding Gift Double Early Tulip (total $43.08 plus tax), three packages of Blue Spectacle Double Late Tulip (total $38.88 plus tax), three packages of ***************** Tulip ($40.83 plus tax), and two packages of Pink Star Double Late Tulip ($22.02 plus tax). The Order Number is *******. This order was received on or about November 4, 2023. On October 17, 2023, I placed an additional order with various items, including a bulk order of 250 perennial tulips, totaling $85.97 plus tax. That Order Number is *******. This order of tulips was received on or about October 31, 2023. After reviewing my orders upon receipt, I contacted the company on November 4, 2023, about the above items not being viable. Specifically, the bulbs were visibly rotting, squishy, dried out, or split open. Per their guaranty to send replacement bulbs if contacted within 5 business days of receipt with proof of photos, I contacted them through their website and provided photos of each of the packages of tulips. Despite providing the photos up front, I was contacted on November 7 with a request for the photos. I replied within the hour. I followed up with the company on November 9 requesting an update given that I'm already delayed in planting bulbs due to not being able to plant the rotting bulbs they sent me. On November 10, I received a response that they are not going to replace the bulbs per their guarantee. Instead, they told me to plant the bulbs and, if they do not grow, to contact them again after the growing season. The issue, as I pointed out, is that they are rotten and will not grow. The guarantee provides for a replacement or refund if the bulbs are received unviable, but only a store credit if they do not grow (not to mention no way to recoup my time in digging up my yard to plant rotten bulbs).

  Business Response

  Date: 11/13/2023

  Hello,

  Thank you for reaching out to us.  I'm sorry that you were nto satisfied with the condition some of the bulbs arrived in.  As you stated, we did receive the images required within the allotted time frame, we thank you for that.  I'm sorry that it took a few extras days for us to reply.  Being a small, family owned business, it can take a few days for us to reply as we do answer all emails in the order they were received.  We do have highly trained staff and degreed horticulturists on staff that do review images customers send when concerns arise.   After reviewing your images provided, the bulbs were in great condition which is why our representative recommended they be planted.  A few of the bulbs did have some blemishes and one did have a bit of surface mold but this is completely normal and does not affect the viability of the bulb.  As gardeners understand,each bulb is unique in size and shape and as in nature, perfection is not guaranteed.  Although a few of the bulbs didn't appear to be "perfect", the did appear to be healthy and viable.  It is still our recommendation that they are planted since our trained staff and degreed horticulturist did confirm they are in good condition and viable. 

  Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/13/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  The bulbs provided, especially the bulk 250 tulip bulbs, are not in great condition. This is not surface mold as it has clearly penetrated into the bulbs, leaving them rotten. As you can see in the photos, the mold is extensive and is not only on the surface. When I squeeze the bulbs, they are not firm. They are either dried up and shriveled with mold or they are so rotten with mold that they are almost unrecognizable. Healthy bulbs will sink in a bowl of water, these bulbs float, which means that they are rotten inside and not viable. I only did this with one bag of bulbs to demonstrate that they are indeed rotten inside (see photo). This is a clear attempt by the company to not honor their guarantee that bulbs will be viable upon delivery or otherwise they will send replacements immediately or a refund if replacements are no longer available. At this point, I am only willing to accept a refund as it is clear that this company is operating in bad faith and will only continue to send me rotten merchandise if they were to send a replacement at all. Forcing the consumer to plant visibly and objectively obvious rotten bulbs to then have to document and count each of the 250+ bulbs that will likely not come up the following season to then only be *********** store credit is not only an obvious obfuscation of their own guarantee, but it is a violation of the Washington Consumer Protection Act. Please comply with your own guarantee and issue a refund for the tulip bulbs that were sent.

  Regards,
  
  ***********************

  Business Response

  Date: 11/14/2023

  Hello,

  Thank you for your reply.  I do apologize you do not agree with our horticulturists assessment of the images you provided.  The images you provided do not show the majority of the bulbs as they are still within the packages.  The bulbs in the images you provided are healthy and viable.  If you feel there are more individual bulbs that aren't viable, then please send more images of just those bulbs you are concerned with.  We do ask that the bulbs are removed from the packaging to get a better view of all individual bulbs.  The package you received had 250 bulbs and the images of the inside of the bag only show about 35. Based on these images, it was determined they are viable and should be planted.  Once we receive better images of all the bulbs and not just the package, we will be more than happy to reevaluate.

  I did see a PayPal claim has also been filed for this entire order.  Since a claim has been filed, we will not be able to offer a solution until PayPal closes the case or the claim is cancelled.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/15/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  After handling the bulbs on 11/13 to take additional photographs, I immediately developed a headache, nausea, sinus pressure, and a scratchy throat. Despite taking ibuprofen and benadryl, the symptoms did not subside. During my doctor *********** yesterday, I had an elevated blood pressure that is not typical for that doctor's ***********. I have an autoimmune disease and receive immune suppressing medication to control it. This morning, I still woke up with a headache, sinus pressure, and a scratchy/raspy voice from the mold spores that I was exposed to from your product. I will be going to urgent care for further workup. I will NOT expose myself to more of the mold spores that you sent me and continue to assert is perfectly normal and healthy for your product. I will also NOT expose my two year old son to the mold spores that you sent to our house and continue to urge me to expose myself and my family. I will be throwing the product away to get it out of my house. The extensive mold in the package has been documented. You are now on notice of a personal injury claim due to your harmful product. Please retain all communication, invoices, policy manuals, timesheets, or any other document regarding the shipment provided to me, your policies and procedures in handling products that harm consumers, and any other document that *** be related to a potential claim/lawsuit. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***********************