Comments regarding Gardener's Choice

My client, a reputable nursery, did receive their 80 Royal Paulownia trees, but they were all dead. Despite the shipping information given on the company's Web site, they sent the trees in a tightly sealed box, via regular parcel post. For some reason, the trees were not delivered, and then they sent the same trees through UPS. Suggestions for dealing with them would include notifying their ISP provider, &, more importantly, filing a complaint with the postal inspector. As much business as they seem to do interstate, just based on this web-site alone, the federal authorities should be interested.

I also ordered trees that I never received. After several phone calls and many broken promises, I contacted the Better Business Bureau in Wallingford, Connecticut. I received a refund check in a very short time. It's worth a try.

We ordered an Empress tree from Gardener's Choice and received it a couple months later. Three days after planting it, it died. We e-mailed them, telling them we wanted a replacement. We have heard nothing since. Today, a month later, we tried e-mailing them again. Guess what? their e-mail address is no longer valid!

I did some further checking on this company. Then I sent a fax to the MI Att. Gen's. Office, Consumer Protection Div., and to the Sheriff's Off. IN Van Buren County, MI. One of their deputies called me later the same day, and said he knew the company and location and would check on it. I also wrote a VERY strong letter on June 8th to the Pres./CEO if Lipenwald, Inc. stating that if we didn't get our refund by return mail, I would contact the Federal Consumer Protection office in Washington, DC. We got our check yesterday, the 12th! They apparently will respond if pressured!

I too, had ordered 6 Royal Paulownia trees in April 2000. I did receive them in a timely fashion but when they arrived they were already dead! I have tried calling the 203 number without success. I have e-mailed them numerous times without success.

I too have ordered from Gardener's Choice thru a Veterans magazine and never received a product or response. I ordered the Paulownia tree on Oct. 16, 1999. After two attempts to contact them thru the mail, I found this site. I was shocked that you had so many responses about this. I am now in the process of writing to Lipenwald and the Federal Trade Commission. I read the article that stated they should send a product when promised or within 30 days if there is no date given. I have not received a response to the two letters I have sent. Isn't this considered MAIL FRAUD? I really would like more information on how to go after them so they can't scam any more veterans and maybe just maybe I can get my money back.

We ordered 4 tomato trees on April 20, 2000. Never received the trees. Check was cashed on May 18, 2000. Cannot get through on the phone number.

I ordered tomatoes from this company last year, to be sent during planting season (here that is mid-May) they didn't come until July. While they looked quite "sick", they did survive and produce. However, because of the late planting, we lost many of them to frost in the fall. This year I ordered again on April 24. They should have sent immediately. As of today (5/26), I still don't have them. I have been calling the number on the order blank and regardless when or how often I call, it has rung busy. I even called after hours just to see if "it was a real company" - it still rings busy. Thus far I have heard nothing. Again, it is getting too late to plant them. I'm planning on contacting my credit card company and disputing the charge.

We too ordered trees, never to receive them! What do you do about accompany like this? They advertise in National magazines, such as" Enquire", can't they do something about the fake advertisement?......in Montana

On Feb. 2, 2000 I ordered trees and blueberry bushes amounting to $68.00 and sure enough it is May and they have cashed my check and I have not received any plants or any explanation. I have just found this web page; saw all the complaints so I thought that I would add mine to warn others. If you get a catalog please think twice before about sending in your order.

Well I am not happy to be joining this club. My six trees came after 11 weeks after I ordered, I repotted them immediately and 3 of 6 were dead by morning, 1 is hanging on and it looks like 2 might make it. Gardeners choice was a definite mistake.

I sent a check to the company on March 31, 2000 for 18 lavender plants. My check cleared my bank on April 19. Today is May 11 and I still have not received my order. It was just today that I was able to find a phone number for the company. I called before business hours and received their recording. I have been calling off and on since then and receive a busy signal. I really do not except to make contact. I hope that other potential customers of this company will have the opportunity to see the negative feedback and choose not to send this company their money.

I ordered 3 Royal Paulownia trees on March 8, 2000 and now it is two months later and I have not heard a word from Gardeners Choice and have not received the trees but my check was cashed soon after I sent it.

I too fell for their ad for a Paulownia Tree. When I Emailed them regarding the order, I received an answer saying they had not expected such response & they weren't able to handle by Email the orders that had been sent to them by Snail Mail but I would have to call them about the order. After many attempts to call them, a woman's voice told me that their computers were down so they couldn't check on orders. But, worst of all, being the trusting soul that I am and still believing I would get the tree at any time, I fell for their ad for a Tomato Tree!! And I ordered one, using my credit card. I have never ordered anything on the Net before using a credit card and wouldn't you know - I find out they're a bogus company.

The Gardener's Choice is committing mail fraud . Please advise the people to take their canceled checks to the postmaster at the post office. They also took my money.

I ordered several tomato plants from Gardener's choice because the ad promised delivery in time for normal planting dates for the region I live in. I received the plants a month too early and now I have to make transplants out of them to keep them alive, which they barely are when I received them. The root balls were gone and the plants were withered. I said withered, not wilted. There is a difference. Withered means the plants will die in a just a day or two if they can't survive transplanting. No more plants from them for me.

I read all the messages in reference to Gardener's Choice and encountered the same problems. I am still awaiting my replacement trees or refund as promised in June 1999.

I also ordered from this company in February of this year (2000). They cashed my check in March and I have not yet received my order. And after reading about the poor quality of the plants from other writers, I would just rather get my money back.

We have also ordered the Royal Paulownia tree from Gardener's Choice in on January 31, 2000, and have not received our order as of this date, even though our check was promptly cashed. I was looking for a phone number for this company to call, when I happened by this site, but with the information I read, I am going to complain to the BBB rather than spin wheels dealing with what appears to be a disreputable company, and hope others will do so also.

Like so many others, I too, ordered a Royal Paulownia tree and have received it. My check was cashed quite promptly, however.

I have been ripped off for them cashing my check for some blueberry plants I never received. Then they had the gall to send me, out of the blue, "5 free gifts" which consisted of 5 packages of flower seeds you could buy at Rite-Aid for 39 cents each, with a bill for $5.20for "shipping and handling"!!! Let them come after me for it, I will make them eat it!!! [update 5/2000]They finally did respond to my demand that my money be refunded for the never-sent plants. I received a check in the mail for the full amount. No letter of explanation, no apology, but at least I did get my money back.

I ordered 20 Royal Paulownia trees from Gardener's' Choice. Although they cashed the check in December, 1999, they have NOT sent the trees. I have written to them requesting an answer, but they have not responded. I called their phone number and NO ONE answers. Is this a real company or just a scam? It is obvious others are having the same problems.

I also ordered the Royal Paulownia trees in April 1999. It's now April 2000 and still no trees. I was calling a different number than the one you have posted with no answer. I will now try this number. I can only wonder how many people order and then forget about it. All those cashed checks is how these people stay in business. As I'm calling long distance, the calls will amount to more than the cost of the trees, but I don't care. I just hate to get ripped off.

I too had ordered plants from this company. I've sent them a letter twice and have received no response! I have ordered other bare root trees from other companies and had no problems getting them to 'survive'.

I ordered tomatoes and trees from this flashy vaudeville type catalog. The plants came in withered and in dried up soil. The tomatoes died, my blueberry bush had a red virus and died. And the peach trees was a stick and never made it. I am still upset with this company!

I wanted to add to the comments about my experience with this company. I too, ordered some Royal Paulownia trees, months ago this past spring. And got nothing. I wrote three complaint letters to an address I found on the internet. I just called Customer Service and a very nice lady apologized, stating that I should have received them. She offered a refund or a re-ship. I chose re-ship. So we'll see if they come through. I'll keep you posted. I will not order from them again though. They don't seem to have their act together. [update 1/2000] Well that was about two months ago and have not seen my trees nor heard anything from this company. I just sent in a complaint to the Better Business Bureau. [update Spring 2000] …(Here's) what I learned about this company from the BBB: The MI address is only a drop ship address; the Michigan BBB cannot accept complaints for this company since the parent company was in Connecticut. The parent company's name and address is Lipenwald, Inc1 Eversley Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06851. This company does all kinds of mail order business, not just plants. The Connecticut BBB office has a file on them with complaints of poor quality or non-delivery. They said that most of the time the company responds to BBB complaints by delivering the product or refund. There was one unresolved dispute in their file. The BBB report also said that since this was mail order, that the Federal Trade Commission's Mail Order Merchandise Rule is in effect. After learning this new information, I decided to try one more time with a complaint letter to the new address. I threatened to report them to the Connecticut BBB and the Federal Trade Commission. Before I filed my complaint with the BBB, I did get my trees from them and they were healthy but very small (7 inches.)I noticed my package was sent by bulk rate 4th class mail and only cost the company $.20. This probably why they have so many complaints. I hope this helps someone out there from becoming a victim.

I ordered some plants from this company in June of this year and waited months for them to arrive. After several phone calls to them I finally did get a package but the plants were withered and beyond help, so the next day I sent them back requesting a refund, that is the last I have heard from them. Needless to say I am very upset with this Company. I don't know how they expect to stay in business if this is the way they treat their customers.

I also sent payment to this company out of Hartford MI, 2 months ago and have yet to receive my "Royal Paulownia" trees. [update 1/2000] After ordering my "Royal Paulownia" trees from this company in June of 1999, I FINALLY received them on October 26th (such as they were.) The "trees" were an inch and a half high "sticks" in small baggies of dried soil! Despite my best efforts, ALL of the seedlings died. I wrote the company over a month ago requesting replacement trees or my money back. So far I have not heard word one (and frankly don't plan to.) How can a company stay in business with service such as this I'm wondering? The trees sounded like a great idea and I was very much looking forward to them. How disappointing. Not THIS Gardeners' Choice, for sure! [update as of 2-16-2000] This is what I found out when I complained to…the BBB of Wallingford, CT regarding the headquarters of this company. According to the Better Business Bureau's file information, Lipenwald Incorporated does business under numerous promotional names including: Alpha A H R research Project, Cosmetic Laboratory Sales, Gardener's Choice, National Growers Nursery, National Magnet Therapy, National TV Bargains, Posterworks, Prosta Trol, Retinol Lab Sales, Retinol Laboratory, Video Bargains, Video Memories. This company offers a variety of ordered product sales through newspaper advertisements and catalogs. The Better Business Bureau opened its file on Lipenwald Inc. in May, 1993. The Bureau has received complaints alleging non-delivery of ordered merchandise or dissatisfaction with the ordered product. The company responded to most complaints by shipping products or by sending refund checks. One complaint remains on file unanswered. According to the Federal Trade Commission's Mail Order Merchandise Rule, by law a company should ship your order within the time stated in its ads. If no time is promised, the company should ship your order within thirty days of receiving your properly completed order, including your name, address and payment. If the company is unable to ship within the promised time, it must notify you by mail or telephone, give a revised shipping date, and give you the option to cancel for a full refund. If payment is made by check or money order, the company must issue you a refund within seven business days. If you authorized a charge to a credit card account, the company must credit the account within one billing cycle, not give credit toward a future purchase.If you have a complaint alleging non-delivery of ordered merchandise against Lipenwald Incorporated or against any of the names this company does business under, the BBB suggests that you send a written complaint to the Federal Trade Commission's Consumer Response Center, Sixth and Pennsylvania Avenue, Northwest, Washington, D.C. 20580.

Are they a real company? I placed an order months ago; when I called about it. They claimed they shipped out thousands and couldn't tell me if my order was shipped. I think this is a poor way to run a business.