Garden Bargains - Beware of overcharge from sale!

davemorton

Sorry for posing in this forum, but its the best place for people who took part in this offer to see this. :money:

Near the end of April I saw a thread on here about the sale going on at Garden Bargains, and ended up ordering some plants to the value of just over £20.

Eventually the plants (well most of them) turned up, and the delivery slip listed the items and their prices, but it was the full price on there, not the sale price, so just under £70. I presumed this was just for the purpose of the delivery note, as quidco had tracked the correct amount.

Well, my bank statement came this morning, and I thought I had better check, and yes, I have been charged the full price, not the sale price on all the plants!!!

I have enclosed a Google Cache for anyone that needs to check the sale item of the plants they may have ordered, and I will update this thread when I hear back from them, but they were not the most helpful on the phone (and a high rate number to boot!!)
Hope to have helped.

Google Cache 21st April 2012
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:Ayvc4gSiSuEJ:www.gardenbargains.com/c-tree-plan/plan/tree/trees.htm%3Fpp%3D12+garden+bargains+lime+10l+sale+bare+root&cd=4&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk

Barbapapa_2

Just beware of Garden Bargains full stop! They're still holding my money that they took on 25th April (for an order placed on 5th April) and won't refund, even though they have said they will (within 10 - 14 days I was promised). No replies now to emails and I'm not phoning them at 10p per minute. Trading Standards are well aware of this company. My report to them was one of many......

Ianj

I sympathise with you and other sufferers. I ordered plants many moons ago and they took the cash immediatly but guess what - NO PLANTS. I was unable to get anywhere with emails after the first one was acknowledged stating it would be dealt with but no action at all.
Therefore I sent full details to the Police, my credit card company and the Trading Standards office on the basis that a suspect fraud had been initiated and infomed them of the action. Even then it took weeks to get some movement and I have just been informed that some plants are out of stock, others can be substituted or they will reimburse me. Guess what I selected - yep, the latter although I've not got the money yet.

The moral of this story is: don't throw your hard earned cash at this firm is you want to see it evaporate into thin air!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TallGirl

I had placed 3 orders with the first two no problem but final one from their sales no end. I have phoned them and each time they say sorry and Weill order again, got a refund by cheque but still waiting for one plant dispatched the 15 th May. Promised it will be here this week. They really have gone down hill I would avoid as well.

deanos

this may help folks Ideal World are the same company

http://forum.shoppingtelly.com/forum/showthread.php?24183-Message-from-Ideal-World

“Hi All,

Please let me introduce myself - my name is Gareth Parker and I work in the customer services department at Ideal Shopping TV.
We regularly review this forum and read about your comments, but are unable to contact you with a reply as we don’t have your details.
In a bid to help you, we would like to invite you to email me directly with your questions and queries at: Gareth.Parker@idealshoppingdirect.co.uk

Kindest Regards
Gareth"
ShoppingTelly.com user name "Ideal World"

pmduk

Unfortunately that same forum contains many people not receiving any assistance from that named individual. Other names are offered there, but as it's against MSE rules to include names and emails, readers will be better looking on that forum.

davemorton

pmduk wrote: »

Unfortunately that same forum contains many people not receiving any assistance from that named individual. Other names are offered there, but as it's against MSE rules to include names and emails, readers will be better looking on that forum.

Its frightening to see such a well known company can have such bad customer service, amazing!

pmduk

davemorton wrote: »

Its frightening to see such a well known company can have such bad customer service, amazing!

Ideal World's customer service is well known to be dire.

macma

Can't comment on Ideal World but 3-4 years ago I bought fruit trees from Garden Bargains via a Daily Mail promo .they arrived ,were planted and several months later the plum had failed and the response was really good they replaced it pronto and the new one now thrives.
perhaps they have changed but I felt I must offer my experience.

Thomas_the_tank_engine

Barbapapa wrote: »

Just beware of Garden Bargains full stop! They're still holding my money that they took on 25th April (for an order placed on 5th April) and won't refund, even though they have said they will (within 10 - 14 days I was promised). No replies now to emails and I'm not phoning them at 10p per minute. Trading Standards are well aware of this company. My report to them was one of many......

Exactly my experience. Been waiting over 3 weeks for a promised refund. Rang Garden Bargains again this morning (I dread to think how much this has cost me on phone calls). Was told that Head Office have a large backlog of refunds to deal with but that a refund cheque was processed last week (yeah right). She even quoted the cheque number (probably made it up). Was told to allow another week for the cheque to arrive and call back if not.

What's the best course of action to take with Garden Bargains? Credit Card company for a section 75 refund, or Trading Standards or both?

alanobrien

i only ever bought from them once........never again..........