www.directgardening.com Review

I was looking online this past spring for some reasonably priced shrubs to plant around my house and some raspberry plants to plant in my garden.  I saw the website Direct Gardening and thought that their prices were reasonable and that this would be a good company to do business with, boy was I wrong.

First of all, I had placed my order and found that their delivery service was not that exceptional, I had to wait almost 4 weeks before I actually received my shrubs and raspberry plants.  When I did receive my order, the package that they came in was damaged from being saturated with water, but on opening the package, the inside of the package was dry and the roots of the plants were withered.  I immediately planted my shrubs and raspberry plants, and watered them to ensure that they could take ahold and survive.

Unfortunately, the only thing that actually grew out of my order was the raspberry plants.  I immediately contacted Direct Gardening by email and told them about the plants not growing and that I had followed their instruction manual to the T when I planted the plants, and wanted to know what to do.  The first of five emails that I received from them, requested that I tell them what type of plants they sent me and when did I receive them.  I responded to their email with an enclosure of the proof of purchase email that they sent me upon placing my order and indicated when I received the plants.

Their second email came back indicating that if I wanted my money back that I needed to send the original package that the plants came in, back to them.  I responded to their email and informed them that I didn't keep the package due to it being damaged.  The only thing on the package label was my shipping address, which was also disclosed on the proof of puchase email that they sent me.  The proof of puchase email indicated to keep the email for verification of the order that was placed.

Through several correspondences back and forth and even a phone call to speak with a supervisor to resolve the matter.  They absolutely refused to refund me my money or replace my plants without the original paper packaging.  They would not accept their proof of purchase email as the email instructed that they would as proof of the items that were purchased and shipped.  I even offered to send the plants back as proof of them being dead at my own expense to get replacement shrubs, and the rude email that I received back from them was a flat no, their policy hindered on the original paper packaging (not the proof of purchase) to refund or replace any shrubs.

I am without the money I paid for the shrubs and am stuck with dead kindling wood.  I will never recommend this company nor do business with them.  Their customer service is non existent and very rude.  Their product is very poor as well.  Even the free flowers and bulbs that they sent me never grew (go figure).  I would advise anybody that is considering purchasing from this company to change their mind and look elsewhere.