Comments regarding Wayside Gardens

I just received my order of plants from Home Depot on-line...it shipped very quickly and everything looks good so far. I didn't realize they utilized Wayside Gardens for their on-line plants and i don't know if i would have ordered knowing that based on their rating.

As mentioned the shipping was very quick and things look good. I knew ahead of time the plants were in smaller containers and all look like they are ready for more room. As far as i know the regular guarantee that Home Depot offers of a year still applies.

Perhaps all of this is a good sign for Wayside Gardens.

Lynda

I've been ordering from Wayside for nearly ten years, with some positive and some negative experiences. Quality tends to be somewhat erratic, and I've even had a couple of orders arrive DOA. However, they have always been very good about crediting me for failed shipments.

This past spring, I placed a large order for about a dozen items. Half of the shipment arrived on time and in reasonably good condition. The other half arrived has arrived sporadically (3 separate shipments) over the past six months.

Most recently (in late October), I received a hydrangea (Vaughn's Lilly) that arrived in a dry pot in an apparent state of dormancy. I'll have to wait until Spring to see whether it is actually alive or not. From the bill of lading, it appears that it spent 2-3 weeks in transit.

Overall, I think Wayside offers good value (particularly if you use their coupons and discounts) for specific items that are more costly at your local nursery. However, you need to be vigilant about inspecting the shipment immediately upon arrival and reporting any problems. And you may have to provide some extra TLC to get the plants through the first growing season.

In the Spring of 2007 I ordered some roses from Wayside Gardens. All but one of them have lived and are doing well. They refunded the cost of the one that had died on my credit card.

I ordered 10 rose bushes two days ago and just received notice that they are already shipped to me.

I am well pleased with Wayside Gardens.

I had also placed an order a few months ago for some evergreen hedges from a company called DIRECT GARDENING. It is a whole different story here. The plants were dead and so far the company has given me the runaround about refunding my money.

My advice is, steer clear of Direct Gardening. Wayside Gardens is much better. They stand behind their products.

"

We appreciate you taking the time to let us know how pleased your are with your roses. I hope that they continue to do well in your garden. Thank you! Your opinion is valued and we, of course, welcome feedback. It's customers like you who act as a reminder of why we do what we do and the importance of supplying only top quality products and offering the best service possible. Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts!

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]
"

On Sept 27th I placed an order for a special they offered on the website for Astilbe "Visions in Red". I ordered two collections totaling 12 plants. I received a confirmation email for Fall shipping and my credit card was charged shortly after. Each time I checked the status it indicated to be shipped.
The 2nd week in Oct I emailed them to get an update and the response was my order would be shipped at the end of the month. On Oct 17th I again checked the status and it now said "item no longer available". I emailed them again to see what was going on and the response I received was as follows:
"When plants do not meet our high standard of quality, we make the decision not to ship the plant material and place the item on unavailable status".
I cannot imagine that you would not be aware of the quality of your plants when offering a special collection on the website. The bigger issue to me though is how long would it have been before they told me?? There was no mention of a refund in their email so I had to request that they credit me immediately. There was no offer to substitute a different Astible which I probably would have taken if they offered.
This was my first order with Wayside and it is a shame it was bad as I probably would have placed many more orders with them.

"

I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]
"

We placed an order in July 2006 for delivery for the fall planting season. Our credit card account was charged immediately, even though product shipment wouldn't be for months (a sign of trouble I should have recognized). I lost track of matters, so I was surprised to receive the last part of the shipment in October 2007. No credit to my card in the meantime, or even a call from the company telling me what was going on. I guess they think I should be happy that they remembered to ship the order at all, even if a year late!

"

I have located your order and I am in the process of reviewing your information. I would like you to know that I will be contacting you via e-mail shortly. We will make every effort to resolve this issue.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]
"

All Plants arrived fine and bulbs appeared OK. The plants were not giants but looked good. I chose Wayside because of the many different types of plants available. Packing was very good. I found this site just after ordering from them and thought I was screwed, but everything was fine. I would order from them again.

"

We appreciate you taking the time to let us know how pleased your are with your order. Thank you! Your opinion is valued and we, of course, welcome feedback. It's customers like you who act as a reminder of why we do what we do and the importance of supplying only top quality products and offering the best service possible. Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts!

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]
"

My first order was 11 days in transit and after opening the box I found dead or almost dead plants, all 13. The shipping box had no air holes and was packed with foam peanuts. After calling their customer service I was assured they would send another order, at no cost to me, to replace the whole order. That they did and most promptly. But, the second order was almost as bad as the first. The weather was cooler and the shipping time was 5 days but I still found some dead plant material on each plant, some worse than others. At this time I figured I just lost about $170.00 on a very expensive lesson....don't order from this company again. After planting my poor plants and hoping for the best, I decided to write my second note to their customer service department. I felt the need to again complain about their poor packing and shipping practices. I was surprised and happy to receive a email back from Jay Johnson letting me know I would be getting the whole purchase price back on my credit card! He also sent a $25.00 gift certificate for another purchase to make up for lost planting time.
To be fair, I have to say this is excellent customer service. Their packing does leave a lot to be desired and I buy from other online companies often, and always with good results. My neutral rating blends the terrible packing and their excellent customer service.

Ordered 12 Thuja Steeplechase on a Saturday. I had never ordered from Wayside and was very nervous after reading this site. I had several questions before ordering that were promptly answered. 5 days after my order, I had 12 vibrant, colorful, healthy, nicely sized trees at my front door. They were carefully packaged and were in very good shape. It was just as if I had bought them from the local nursery, except that the local nursery doesn't carry these and if they did, they would be much more expensive. So far, I am very happy with Wayside.

Sadly, I'm among those who have tried them and can NOT recommend them to others.

I recently placed my first order, and was absolutely shocked at the TINY size of the plants that arrived -- entirely inappropriate for the $12.95 price tag. The word "miniscule" would apply here: Huechera had only 1-2 frail leaves, and a geranium was under 2" tall. A Honeysuckle vine was frail and damaged, with only 2 frail leaders. Of those, one (half of the plant) had snapped off at the base and was brittle and covered with dead leaves.

I immediately contacted Wayside in writing with my concerns, in a way I hoped was fair: Acknowledged that they were indeed packed well, but that the size-to-price ratio was entirely inappropriate and unlike anything I'd ever experienced from other nurseries (mail order or not). A more established plant within the same pot size could be entirely satisfactory, but these were certainly not. I gave the benefit of the doubt and said I hoped this was simply an error -- which we'd understand completely -- but that if intentional if bordered on questionable business practice.

I've posted Wayside's response below, in the hope it will help other consumers. In a nutshell, they delicately ignored our request for replacement plants or a refund, and instead explained why they consider it A-OK to ship plants with little to no above-ground growth. (These weren't bare-root items, mind you, but items listed as either 4-inch or quart pots.) The reminder that mail-order gardening takes patience is particularly amusing.

Result: $160.00 for a 12 "seedlings," and an inconvenient 6-month wait for any possible refund or replacement. Sadly, we feel that falls short of "Excellent plant quality" and "Impeccable service" stated in "About Us" section of Wayside's website.

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Thank you so much for contacting us here at Wayside! We value our customers comments and questions very highly, and we appreciate hearing from you.

For the most part, the plants we offer are one- to two-year-old specimens, which is the standard practice in the mail-order plant industry. The plants are containerized in the smallest size that will accommodate the root system. Many of the plants are shipped as dormant as possible to reduce the stress of transit and transplant, therefore, there may be little or no above-ground growth. At Wayside Gardens, we pride ourselves in offering only the highest quality root stock and we are often the first to offer new and exciting cultivars for the most discriminating gardeners. Gardening by mail-order is not "instant" and does require patience but we feel that the wait is well rewarded. I have noted your order of your concern. If they fail to grow in the spring, please let us know, they are guaranteed. Please accept our apology for any inconvenience caused.

Barbara
Wayside Gardens Customer Contact Team
1 Garden Lane
Hodges, South Carolina 29695
Telephone: 800-845-1124
Fax: 800-817-1124
//www.waysidecs.com
email: info@waysidecs.com

"

I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]"

I placed an order on-line on Sept 7, 2007 for live plant materials. There was a total of 7 varieties of plants for a total order value of $104. (Ref Order nbr 4907598)

I immediately opened the box and was dismayed at the visual impression of the plants. The tops of all plants were pretty ragged and one variety had no tops.

I took pictures of each plant and e-mailed them to Jay Johnson. He responded in 4 or 5 days with an apology and commented that the plants should all be viable.

However, he offered me an in house credit of $30.80.

I thought that this was fair. Even if the plants are viable, I will have to pot them up and nurse them along.

He has also agreed to allow me to use the credit at the Park Seed website, as I need some materials from that side of the business.

I have ordered hard goods from both Park and Wayside with good results. Looks like the problems are with live plants.

Although I was disappointed with the overall quality of the plants, Mr. Johnson responded and made a reasonable accomodation.

I placed an order for 12 Japanese Fern "Ursula's Red" on 9/17. The website advertised that the plant was available for Fall shipping. I checked online everyday to see the status of my order. It was "to be shipped". Since I live in Michigan I was concerned that the plants might arrive too late for planting, so I decided to call customer service. Much to my surprise and disappointment the customer service rep said that my plants would be shipped in January. I told her that would not work and canceled my order. I sent Wayside a message about my order and got a quick response telling me that their website has to be manually updated and that they "were busy".

Just checked the Wayside website before writing this message and they still show the Japanese Fern "Ursula's Red" available for Fall shipping.

Beware gardeners.

"

I have located your order and I am in the process of reviewing your information. I would like you to know that I will be contacting you via e-mail shortly. We will make every effort to resolve this issue.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]"

There shipping delays are way out of line.Much to slow and always the same excuse..."We are way behind and trying to catch up"
Charge is posted when order is placed and
I am now waiting for order that I was told would ship "around" Sept 3rd..
I just cancelled my order which I must say was no problem.

"

I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]

I am concerned that I have not yet resolved the issue at hand and would like an opportunity to do so; however, I have not yet received a reply from you concerning this matter. Please contact us at your earliest convenience. Customer satisfaction is very important to us.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]
"

I don't recall if I have ever given a company a negative or neutral rating in the past. That is until now.

Last Spring I had ordered a butterfly bush for Fall delivery. To my surprise it was sent in the beginning of summer and was completely dried out. The company was very good about explaining that they were having very hot weather and that it must have dried out in shipping. They said to plant it and give it 2-3 weeks to see if it survived. It didn't. They did give me credit for the plant, so I went on to try some new coneflowers (order number 4861117-1). I've have excellent success with coneflowers in the past, so I wanted to get something I knew I could make live even if it wasn't in good condition upon arrival. I ordered two different types: Razzmatazz and Summer Sky. I have never ordered anything other than the butterfly bush from them before, but I figured the plants would be small, sturdy starts like other companies. The razzmatazz showed signs of life. Even though all of the leaves had turned brown and completely dried out, there was a stem coming out of the pot that had some green coloring to it. I might be able to make it live despite the sparse, thin roots. The Summer Sky on the other hand...what Summer Sky? I received a pot with a label stuck in it. There were no leaves (I double checked in the packaging to see if some had died in transport and fell off). No stems in the pot. In fact I was questioning whether or not their was ever a living plant in the pot. I decided to follow their planting instructions and then plant it anyway. To my surprise, when I took the plant out of the pot to plant it I didn't see any signs of roots either! My husband doesn't comment when I order new types of plants online and through catalogs. He's seen plants from other companies and although they are small, they are usually very well-rooted, resilient, and transplant successfully. He trusts that I won't waste our money. Even he was shocked when he saw these plants. Especially when I told him the one without signs of a plant cost me $12.95 plus shipping. In my opinion, after giving this company two tries, I would stick with other companies that I have had great success with. Jungseed Company and Michigan Bulb. You get tough, well-rooted plants that can handle the stress of transporting and transplanting. They also have great guarantees. For seeds I have had great success with Park Seed (I think they might be affliated with this company?) They do sell great quality seeds.

I don't like giving negative ratings, but that's a lot of money to spend on plants to get something of such poor quality. Even if just the roots looked healthy I would have been satisfied, but neither had a strong root system (one wasn't even visible). In my opinion I would look to other mail order companies like those I had listed above. It will be a lot less frustrating for you, and you will get plants that will survive and thrive.

"

I have located your order and I am in the process of reviewing your information. I would like you to know that I will be contacting you via e-mail shortly. We will make every effort to resolve this issue.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]"

In the early spring I ordered sevearal items. The fir two items came but the second set of items never came and so I called them. I told them if they could not get it to me quickly to forget it. Six months later they email me and tell me they have shipped the three plants!!! They are really sloppy and a stupid company as I was trying to save them from being shipped back by offering to keep them for half price or so. They were puny tiny plants, sent at the end of the growing season for full price-total rip-off!!! I will never do business with them again and I have a huge brand new backyard that needs tons of plants and stuff--stupid company.

"

I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]

I am concerned that I have not yet resolved the issue at hand and would like an opportunity to do so; however, I have not yet received a reply from you concerning this matter. Please contact us at your earliest convenience. Customer satisfaction is very important to us.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]

I am concerned that I have not yet resolved the issue at hand and would like an opportunity to do so; however, I have not yet received a reply from you concerning this matter. Please contact us at your earliest convenience. Customer satisfaction is very important to us.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]
"

I've not gardened much for awhile, but historically had excellent results with this company, so was a little concerned when I saw the ratings here. But I went ahead and ordered my trees anyway, and they came promptly, and look really nice. Packed well and arrived in excellent shape. I have no reason to think they aren't going to do well. I also like the communication with the company; they don't leave one hanging.

Geeze!

I ordered from these folk before I found out about this web-site.

But......I ordered 5 japanese maples from Wayside on their order number 4853963...and I held my breath after seeing some of the comments here.

All the maples showed up......in fine condition.....Whew!!!

And.,..believe it or not....they even got the order right!!

I received exactly what I ordered. So...sometimes these folk there do get it right.

So I will leave so positive feedback for them.....for getting at least my order right.

Way to go!

Thank you!

After reading the comments here, I was hesitant to order from Wayside. But I saw something in their catalog I just *had* to have, and I couldn't find it anywhere else. So I took the chance. I ordered a "Cherry Cheesecake" Rhododendron on September 7th, and got an almost immediate confirmation of my order by e-mail. A few days later, on September 12th, I received an e-mail telling me my order had been shipped. The plant arrived today, September 14th, in perfect condition and excellent health.

I can't comment on the plant's performance in my garden as of yet, but all in all, my experience with Wayside was excellent. I'm happy I took the chance and placed an order with them.

I ordered a Variegated Pink Lemon tree online and paid with a credit card. I was given a shipping time of Mid-September. Shipping was a week earlier and the tree arrived well packaged and in good condition.

I was pleased with the size and health of the tree. The instruction booklet provided info on how to treat a recently shipped plant, as well as planting, fertilizing, and watering instructions for future care.

I've had tree for one day, so I can give no feedback on its stamina in the long run, but I was quite pleased with my transaction with Wayside.

I do not think I would opt for the 2 day shipping at an extra charge again. A weekend intervened and my tree sat in the Cincinnati Fed-Ex terminal for 2 days. $5 extra for 2 day shipping isn't worth it when it takes 5 days (Wednesday afternoon to Monday morning). But, I don't think I can hold that against Wayside. They did their job. Carmellia

"

I am happy to hear that you are pleased with the quality of the Variegated Pink Lemon Tree. Thank you for taking the time to let us know.

We would love to forward your compliments; if you would send us your order information, we can let the appropriate department know that their efforts were recognized and appreciated. Please email me your zip code, last name, and order number.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Department
e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com

"

In Feburary, 2007, I purchased 2 roses from Wayside Gardens. Midas Touch HT, Peace HT, and with my order received a cl Iceberg Rose free.
In mid April 2007 I received my roses, and initially was very dissappointed with the size of the roses. They did come with a very detailed planting and care pamphlet.
Now in late August, all of these roses have grown beautifully. I planted as soon as they arrived, and with protection, they survived a very severe freeze.
All roses have grown and bloomed all summer, I am very happy with these roses. Midas Touch is getting quite tall . At least 31/2 feet it's first season.

I ordered a plant on line in mid-May, and my credit card was charged. After contacting them twice on the phone I was told the plant was not available. I sent an e-mail and received a reply saying a refund would be made in 3-5 business days. I have not yet seen the refund.

"

I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]"

Earlier this year I ordered a bulb for a beautifully colored mini calla. It was shipped when expected and began growing within a few weeks of planting.
Unfortunately, the flowers that grew were mostly white. I say "unfortunately" because they weren't supposed to be white at all. When I e-mailed Wayside, I received a quick and courteous response offering a credit for the item since the wrong one must have been sent.
I'm pleased that they accepted responsibility, but would like to see a guarantee that includes a refund, not just credit toward future purchases. And I wish I had those gorgeous flowers to cut and have in a vase at work.
I am going to order with Wayside again, and not just because I have a merchandise credit; I'd like to give them one more chance. I hope to be able to leave a 100% positive post after this next order.

"

I have located your order and I am in the process of reviewing your information. I would like you to know that I will be contacting you via e-mail shortly. We will make every effort to resolve this issue.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]

Thank you so much for the update."

this january, i ordered 5 roses from this company got them in early april and one didn't make it call the company and was told my warranty had expired in june nothing more they can do for me. i spend over $120 on them and there's nothing more they can do for me. so i lost $24; they lost much more: my return business, negative review and many future would-be customers. just think who the genius running this company.

"

I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
JJohnson@parkseed.com"

I was a first time rose gardener this spring and ordered from two companies, including Wayside Gardens. I had some questions once the plants arrived and their support staff was very helpful. Three months later the roses are growing vigorously and blooming nicely. Gardenias and a rhododendron I ordered from them at the same time are also doing well.

"

Thank you for the comment. I am so glad to hear that you were provided with the customer service in which you deserve. It's also good to hear that your plants are doing well. We continue to serve you, and all of our customers, with quality service and products."

POSITIVE, SO FAR, but you all have me wondering about the order I now have with WG!
In the Spring, I ordered a rose (climber) from them...bare root...came in good shape and way bigger than I expected. I followed directions for planting and in a few days, leaves began to show. It is now as high as my head and growing like a weed (oops, bad word)
I am thrilled so far and pray that the Gardenia I have ordered from them is shipped Aug 20th as they have stated. I LOVE flowers but live on a fixed income and can't afford to lose money, no matter how little. I have recommended them to a few close friends. Maybe I'd better stop until I see what happens next.
I feel that if some plants are out of stock, they shouldn't charge your credit card until it is IN stock!
I hope I'll get to come back with another positive soon. You all have me a bit jittery right now, but I'll certainly let you know what happens.

"

I am thrilled to hear that your rose is doing so well. Thank you so much for recommending Wayside Gardens to your friends. We hope to be provided with the chance to serve you, and your friends, in the future."

The roses I ordered from Wayside took a while to arrive, but when they finally showed, they were in decent condition. I was a little concerned with the quality of the packing materials Wayside uses, but they seem to be doing okay.

I would probably order from them again, but I wasn't thrilled.

"

I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
JJohnson@parkseed.com
"

I ordered my plants in April. Only after repeated communications with them was I finally told in June that my plants were not available and I would be getting a refund. Now, after 6 more weeks of back and forth, I still have not seen my refund.

"

I have located your order and I am in the process of reviewing your information. I would like you to know that I will be contacting you via e-mail shortly. We will make every effort to resolve this issue.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]

"

I recently placed an order for Leptodermis, Salvia, Daylilies, Pyrethrum, and Malva. I saw the recent negative comments and wanted to let people know that you can get good plants from Wayside. The Daylilies are doing great. The Salvia and Pyrethrum are struggling, but with the heat and drought I'm not suprised. They still may recover. What I was so happy with was the Leptodermis. When they arrived, they looked like I had just bought them at the local nursery. They didn't have a single browning leaf and looked great for just being shipped in a box in the heat. I haven't received the Malva yet, but so far my experience is good.

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It is fantastic to hear of your satisfaction with our products. We appreciate your business and hope to have the opportunity to provide you with the service and quality in which you deserve in the future."

I was warned that Wayside Gardens advertizes plants for sale that they do not have in stock, but they are even worse than I imagined. I changed my order to more reliable companies whenever possible, but I ordered four plants from Wayside Gardens because no one else offered them. DON'T FALL FOR IT!!!

Wayside Gardens method of business is worse than AOL, three months later I am still waiting for my money back for something never sent me! Reputatable companies don't advertize items they do not have, and they certainly do not charge a credit card until those items are sent. Poor me, I'm stuck waiting on them to do what they've promised me three times now—give me my money back. This has been going on since April 20, 2007!

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I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
JJohnson@parkseed.com

I am concerned that I have not yet resolved the issue at hand and would like an opportunity to do so; however, I have not yet received a reply from you concerning this matter. Please contact us at your earliest convenience. Customer satisfaction is very important to us.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
JJohnson@parkseed.com
"

I ordered 2 Ice Angels series Camellias in Fall 2006. Both arrived in great shape and were planted.
Spring 2007, neither were showing any signs of life.
Summer 2007, 1 begins to put on new growth. The other is dead, brown underneath the bark when scratched. Wayside was contacted and promised a replacement of the same plant in Fall 2007. I received an e-mail notifying me that a different Camellia was shipped, in late June as opposed to Fall, and it was not even part of the Ice Angels series. On contacting Wayside I was told that a decision was made at the last minute to switch the plants in all orders due to poor stock quality on the Ice Angels Camellias. I was never contacted by Wayside for my approval of this switch! I was not satisfied and requested a refund, which is supposed to be processed (haven't received that cc bill yet....).
They did ask me to keep the plant they had already shipped--which was somewhat nice since they didn't refund my original shipping charge and wasted my time by not just contacting me in the first place.

"

I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
JJohnson@parkseed.com

I am concerned that I have not yet resolved the issue at hand and would like an opportunity to do so; however, I have not yet received a reply from you concerning this matter. Please contact us at your earliest convenience. Customer satisfaction is very important to us.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
JJohnson@parkseed.com
"

Wayside has slipped over the past few years. Of the plants ordered this year only one has survived. Some could be the fault of natural conditions (It has been very, very dry) but shipping a rose boxed within an open plastic bag with a bit of dry fiber around the roots shows every sign of a company too busy to provide a bit of extra care when shipping plants.

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I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
JJohnson@parkseed.com

I am concerned that I have not yet resolved the issue at hand and would like an opportunity to do so; however, I have not yet received a reply from you concerning this matter. Please contact us at your earliest convenience. Customer satisfaction is very important to us.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
JJohnson@parkseed.com
"

This company sent my order promptly but plants are small for the price. 2 plants were diseased plants (different varieties). When I complained, they replaced the plants with 2 more diseased plants. A second complaint got my money back but not the shipping or the lost year of growth I would have had in my garden. I do not recommend this company although they were honest in their guarantee.

"

I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
JJohnson@parkseed.com

I am concerned that I have not yet resolved the issue at hand and would like an opportunity to do so; however, I have not yet received a reply from you concerning this matter. Please contact us at your earliest convenience. Customer satisfaction is very important to us.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
JJohnson@parkseed.com
"

I have had the same trouble as many other posters. Ordered plants in early March and still had not received them by mid June, despite many promises that they would ship "next week" or "in two weeks". Finally cancelled my order and asked for a refund, but that has yielded the same results: many empty assurances that my refund had been "processed yesterday" or that "I'm processing it right now". I've not received the plants or my money, just a never ending list of excuses and the most apathetic customer service you can imagine. I've ordered from Wayside on and off for probably twenty years, and they used to be adequate, but lately I can't describe them as anything but thieves. Do not order from them!

"

I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem, I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]

I am concerned that I have not yet resolved the issue at hand and would like an opportunity to do so; however, I have not yet received a reply from you concerning this matter. Please contact us at your earliest convenience. Customer satisfaction is very important to us.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
JJohnson@parkseed.com
"

Do Not Do Business With Wayside Gardens!

My Order was placed, and my MasterCard Charged, in November 2006 with shipping anticipated within 60 days. March I called, Shipping expected in 30 days. April I called, Shipping by May 21st. June 1st I called Quality Problems, will ship soon. June 29 I call, expect shipping in Fall. I will never do business with them again. Anyone visiting my 1/2 acre garden in San Jose will hear my Wayside Story. June 29 Lisa promises full refund, free plants when available with free shipping... I don't believe a word of it. More to follow if the plants ever arrive.

"

I have located your order and I am in the process of reviewing your information. I would like you to know that I will be contacting you via e-mail shortly. We will make every effort to resolve this issue.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]"

You really can't blame Karen Parks Jennings. Wayside isn't even owned by the Parks family. Recently theformer ReMax executives bought controlling interest in the company.
Tony Avent of Plants Delight mentioned it in an e-mail which he sends out
"As always, there is news on the horticultural front. In the mail order
world, Donald and Glenda Hachenberger, former Re-Max realty executives,
have recently disclosed their upcoming purchase of Jackson and Perkins
Roses. The Hachenbergers also own controlling interest in Park Seed and
Wayside Gardens."

This might explain the problems Parks and affiliated companies are having with customer support. Non horticultural people rarely are successful in running this type of business. They are mainly looking for a profit and when they fail they just sell the business. I think sometimes they seem to view the investment as a hobby.

Thus customer service goes down the tubes.

When Wayside's sale catalog came out approximately 2 months ago, I decided to buy a rose from them because I had looked at everything locally and couldn't find what I wanted.

I placed my order and waited, and waited, and waited. Finally I emailed them and told them that if they didn't send it soon it was going to be too hot to plant it. I received an email back stating that if they didn't get it out before the hot weather set in that they would wait and send it in the fall.

Normally, this might be ok, but I had just had my new deck installed and got a planter for it and wanted the color this summer. Not, next summer.

Now, after reading the previous comments, I am in doubt of ever receiving my rose. It is interesting to note that they are affiliated with Parks as I do a lot of business with them. Now I am thinking I will take my business elsewhere.

Jeanette Smith

"

I have located your order and I am in the process of reviewing your information. I would like you to know that I will be contacting you via e-mail shortly. We will make every effort to resolve this issue.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]"

If there were a catagory that I could select below negative, I would certainly choose it.... and if I could find Karen Park Jennings phone number she would be speaking to me as I type. I have never been told so many lies by one company.

Ordered April 8th, and of course was charged immediately. One item came I believe within a week. Another may have strolled in a week later. A couple of weeks after that they sent another tiny speciman, not the gallon I had ordered.

Still waiting on my other (12) twelve plants, listening to excuse after excuse when calling them, I made the mistake of ordering something else ( 9 plants). I was assured they never shipped on Thurs. or Fri. so the merchandise did not sit over the weekend. Another lie. Tracking proved that they shipped and sat in a truck or warehouse over the weekend. Needless to say they were not in the best of shape when they arrived being in 3 inch pots. I have been attempting to nurse them to health, so far three don't appear to be making it. Still waiting on my 12 ... 1 gallons, I called the end of May and and was told once again they had oversold, did not have them in stock and now having them in stock they were not big enough to ship but even if they did get big enough, they could not tell me if I was in the list to get them. After much complaining about " you HAVE to have records of who gets what first" I got a call back from Linda saying that I WAS on the list, and they would be shipped the middle of June and they were oh SO SO SO sorry. ( Linda was very helpful, the best of anyone I spoke with, I am certain that she did as she was told and did not tell me any intentional lies )Well, guess what, is is the end of June, no plants, no answer to give to my ARB board who I submitted a landscape plan to for our new home.

So I call again and left a message. No call back. I called again and was told, oh, I am SO SO SO sorry, it is past your planting cut off, we can not ship until August. What a crock.

I could have gone to Home Depot any day of the week or the local nursery and had these things in the ground the first of April.

Karen Park Jennings needs to spend some of her millions on buying her company perpetual inventory software that will not allow her trusting customers to place orders for things that they do not have and do not have any idea when they are getting them in or what size they will be when and if they get them in.

And of course...how many times was I told this.....our horticulturist will not approve them for shipment yet. Another crock. And how many times was I told to read the fine print on the web site and they would recite it to me. I never could find the BS they read back to me on the web site. Must have been pretty darn fine print if I could not find it at all.

Me? I am done with them. I am calling their Consumer Relations folks tomorrow and going as far up the chain as I can possibly go. They can personally deliver my plants to my door step in their company vehicle or I will go to every consumer agency I can find to file a complaint. If you value your sanity and your time.....find a local nursery or go to your closet Home Depot. This place is a joke.

"

I have reviewed your above posting and I am seeking the opportunity to address this matter. Unfortunately, the information contained within was not sufficient to locate your order in our database. In order to rectify the problem, I must request that you e-mail us with your billing information, including zip code and order number if available.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
[e-mail:JJohnson@parkseed.com]

I am concerned that I have not yet resolved the issue at hand and would like an opportunity to do so; however, I have not yet received a reply from you concerning this matter. Please contact us at your earliest convenience. Customer satisfaction is very important to us.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
JJohnson@parkseed.com
"

I'm suprised by the majority of negative comments here. I recently ordered 6 Thuja green giant trees (buy one get two free special). Plants were delivered quickly and packaging was excellent. Trees were very healthy and larger than expected. Seems like most of their problems are with managing inventory and expected ship dates. Not an issue with my order. Definitely order again.

"

Thank you for the kind comment. I am pleased to hear that you are content with the service and quality in which we provided. We look forward to hearing from you in the future!"

On May 22 of this year I ordered Gruss Van Aachen rose from Wayside on order number 4802576. It was a web special at $9.95 and I received order confirmation for Spring shipping. My debit card was charged $17.90 upon receipt of the order.

On 6/8 I inquired as to when it might be shipping. I received a response that it would "ship shortly since it was under review by the nursery manager".

When, on 6/13 the order status had not changed I wrote inquiring again since we were approaching the Spring cutoff date. I did not receive an email response.

Shortly thereafter I noticed that the Spring shipping had ceased. I had not received a response to my last email. I called in to confirm that it had not shipped and that Spring shipping had ceased. Customer Service confirmed that it had. I asked them to CANCEL the order and issue credit in the amount of $17.90 to my debit card since the weather in NE PA is not conducive to planting roses in the Fall.

When I did not see credit happening, I called Customer Service again. This time a different rep told me that although the order was cancelled and notated for credit apparently the summer help did the cancellation and was unaware that paperwork needed to be processed to get the credit done. She (Pam I believe her name was) was processing the paperwork immediately and requesting a credit to my card.

On June 18th I wrote again via email asking where my credit was and reiterating the entire saga. I put a read receipt on it...and to date it is apparently not read and it has not been responded to.

It's June 26. Certainly enough time has elapsed for them to process credit or at LEAST respond to my emails. I am beginning to believe their sales are bait and switch operations to snag orders and book revenues and then postpone shipping as long as possible.

I am extremely unhappy with them over this incidence and can only say I won't be buying from them again.

"

I have located your order and I am in the process of reviewing your information. I would like you to know that I will be contacting you via e-mail shortly. We will make every effort to resolve this issue.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
JJohnson@parkseed.com"

Based on a recent experience with Wayside, I think BUYER BEWARE is the order of the day with this company. Wayside so far has failed to make my order right as set out below even though I have called customer service. I have not completely given up and have emailed them and will followup today with a fax. From reading other comments on this forum (which I wish I had read before I ordered) I am not too optimistic.

On June 11, I responded to a 3 for 1 internet promotion by ordered two separate items: the 8838 Lily Red Mix (price was 3/$4.95) and the 46743 Thymus Ruby Glow (price was $3.32 for a 3 inch pot) .

I ordered 3 each of these items which under the promotion means Wayside should have shipped 9 packages (27 bulbs) of the lilies and 9 pots of the thyme. My credit card was charged on June 14 for a total of $37.85 which is $14.94 for 3 packages of lilies and $9.96 for 3 pots of thyme plus $12.95 for shipping. These lilies were a "mix" and not named bulbs - therefore, a package of 3 bulbs for $4.95 is a market price and not a sale price without the bonus that was promised.

I received only 3 packages of the lilies with none of the 3 for 1 extras due under the promotion. Wayside "customer service" took the position that I was not due any more lilies and that each 3 inch pot of thyme was priced at $9.96 which is absurd and in conflict with the internet ad and the confirmation I printed out. Furthermore the thyme was not available for Spring shipping in contradiction of the confirmation sheet at the time of order. Because of the company's failure to honor its advertisement in price and shipping time, I cancelled the thyme order (which had been rescheduled to "fall" without my permission). On the website the cancellation is reported but no credit has been given me on my credit card.

I have emailed asking 1) for a credit card credit (not a store credit) for the $9.96 I was charged for the thyme and for proportional shipping charges and 2) for immediate shipment of the 9 red mix lily bulbs ( i.e. 3 packages of 3 each) that were missing from my order for the bonus if any unsprouted bulbs are still available -- otherwise a credit for $9.96 for the missing lily bulbs.

I intend to report this charge to Mastercard as a disputed account.

My order number is 4833076.

"

I have located your order and I am in the process of reviewing your information. I would like you to know that I will be contacting you via e-mail shortly. We will make every effort to resolve this issue.

Jay Johnson
Customer Contact Representative
JJohnson@parkseed.com"