Complain about a product or service

Gardeners' Choice

Lipenwald, Inc.
1 Eversley Avenue
Norwalk, CT

Gardeners' Choice • Consumer Complaints • Order not received • Dead plants • What to do • Company response • The other Gardener's Choice --- News • Gardeners' Choice Complaints Sprout Annually

It's hard to tell who's angrier about their dealings with Gardeners' Choice -- those who didn't get the plants they ordered or those who did.

There are a couple of lessons here, the primary one being: don't use a check to pay for merchandise ordered through the mail or online. You have no recourse if the merchandise fails to arrive or is unsatisfactory. Instead, pay with a credit card. You have 60 days to dispute a charge for missing and unsatisfactory goods or services.

Don't have a credit card? Shop locally and pay cash.

What can those who lost money to Gardeners' Choice do? Not much, although we have a few suggestions.

This, by the way, is an annual event. Come springtime, the complaints blossom, like this batch of seedlings:

Harold of Marriottsville, MD May 14, 2007

In Feb I sent a check for 13.98 for 4 tomatoe trees. Here it is May 14 and no plants.

Their phone is always busy and they don't reply to e-mail.

While 13.98 is not a lot of money, us seniors on a fixed income must watch every penny.

Arvid of So. San Francisco, CA May 9, 2007

I ordered three kinds of tomatoes, late in Feb.  Late in March I tried e-mailing them, but address was unknown.

On April 05,2007 I received a letter from them saying "Please send this letter with an additional 5.50 to the address below and we will ship your order promptly.  Your payment does not cover the total cost of your order". I tried e-mailing them again 05/08/07 being careful to use the address on the catalog. Again undeliverable.

I am out 18.89 on the original check and 5.50 on the second one.

Annette of Lake Tapps, WA May 7, 2007

Well, I feel like a fool! My tomato trees arrived today. At a price of 21.90, I received seeds in little dried up peat pots with instructions on watering and care. I live in WA state where our growing season is short. By the time these seeds are big enough to put in the ground, summer will be half over! I'll try watering them just to see what happens but my next 21.90 will be spent at the nursery on real tomatoe plants! I should have done my research on this company before being deceived.

Elizabeth of Jackson, MS May 5, 2007

I ordered 8 giant tomatoe plants but received dried dirt with maybe two survivors. 

I planted them and only one has lived as of today.  I emailed Gardener's Choice on April 13th...No response.  I've tried calling all day but the line stays busy.

George of Belleview, FL May 3, 2007

On March 6th, I ordered two (2) Giant Tree Tomatoes and enclosed a check in the amount of 9.48.

I received my order to only find that both of the plants were dead. I tried to call the phone number listed several times but the line was always busy.  I have E-mailed six (6) times with no response.

Today I decided to look up Gardeners Choice on the internet again and that is when I found this site. I don't understand how this company can get away with this. 

Todor of Shelby Twp., MI April 26, 2007

I ordered tomato trees on 3-14-07.  My check was cashed, but I am still waiting for the trees.

John of Port Angeles, WA April 11, 2007

Through the catalog mailed to me, I called to order some plants and bulbs and paid with a credit card. The time frame in which the plants should have arrived has past and there seems to be no way to contact this business.

I have been looking on the internet to see if I could get any more information and have seen the sorry history of this business.

Robert of Plumas Lake, CA April 10, 2007

I ordered tomato plants on Feb 19th. They arrived on April 7th. They were already dead!

I have sent them a letter (I couldn't find an email location) demanding a full refund.

Carlos of Scarsdale, NY April 10, 2007

My order never arrived. I tried calling customer support, but it was busy all the time.

Jerald of Fort Worth, TX April 6, 2007

From a mail order catolog I purchased a tree and some tomato plants.  I get the so called "tree" which is about the size of a hair on my head.

Now I know the tree was only a 4.00 dollar tree, but when they say tree, not seedling, I want a tree!

Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.

Share		Follow us on Twitter.

Terms of Use Your use of this site constitutes acceptance of the Terms of Use

Advertisements on this site are placed and controlled by outside advertising networks. ConsumerAffairs.com does not evaluate or endorse the products and services advertised. See the FAQ for more information.

Company Response Welcome If complaints about your company appear on our site, we welcome your response. Please see the Response Form for more information.

For more information, see the FAQ and privacy policy. The information on this Web site is general in nature and is not intended as a substitute for competent legal advice.  ConsumerAffairs.com Inc. makes no representation as to the accuracy of the information herein provided and assumes no liability for any damages or loss arising from the use thereof. 

Copyright © 2003-2009 ConsumerAffairs.com Inc.  All Rights Reserved.    The contents of this site may not be republished, reprinted, rewritten or recirculated without written permission.