Tulip bulbs bought 3 months ago-wrong colour and wrong variety !

spiritus

Is there anything I can do about this ?


I purchased 100 tulip bulbs in January for a particular colour and variety.


It is only now as the bulbs are starting to bloom that I can see the bulbs sold to me are not the ones I selected.


I seem unable to report this to Ebay as my purchase isn't classified as a "recent transaction".


I have emailed the seller but had no response.


Is it just a gamble when you buy any type of bulbs from Ebay that you get what you pay for ?

mrsHall2b

surely it is a gamble as a lot of flowers depend on soil type to determine the colour of the flower.

My OH is a horticulturalist but even he sometimes is baffled at the colours that some of his plants end up.

JethroUK

I think you need to treat any colouring or typing as guidance only

If you think you have any redress you got bob hope

spiritus

mrsHall2b wrote: »

surely it is a gamble as a lot of flowers depend on soil type to determine the colour of the flower.

My OH is a horticulturalist but even he sometimes is baffled at the colours that some of his plants end up.

I agree but with tulips the bulb is either a certain colour or it's not. The soil would not change the colour or variety of the tulip.

usefulmale

It's a gamble wherever you buy bulbs as, by your own admission, you couldn't tell what colour and variety they were until they started blooming.

If you had bought them from a garden centre, would you have the courage to return them and deal with a human face to face about this?

RFW

usefulmale wrote: »

It's a gamble wherever you buy bulbs as, by your own admission, you couldn't tell what colour and variety they were until they started blooming.

If you had bought them from a garden centre, would you have the courage to return them and deal with a human face to face about this?

They were my thoughts, it must happen a fair amount. Items often get mislabelled whatever they are. You buy a rose bush and end up with Triffids, no point complaining then;)

martindow

RFW wrote: »

You buy a rose bush and end up with Triffids, no point complaining then;)

If I got Triffids I would certainly complain (if I still could).

spiritus

usefulmale wrote: »

It's a gamble wherever you buy bulbs as, by your own admission, you couldn't tell what colour and variety they were until they started blooming.

If you had bought them from a garden centre, would you have the courage to return them and deal with a human face to face about this?

It wasn't a gamble as I selected the colour I wanted and purchased that colour from the buyer.


The listing clearly stated the colour and variety of tulip. If it would have said that there can be no guarantee of the colour or variety then that would be a different matter.


If the seller cannot guarantee the colour/variety and makes no mention of this in the listing then isn't this false and misleading advertising ???

RFW

spiritus wrote: »

If the seller cannot guarantee the colour/variety and makes no mention of this in the listing then isn't this false and misleading advertising ???

Possibly. It could just be a mistake though.
Was this a business seller who is still active?

Your best recourse is still to try and contact the seller, if they aren't answering emails it may just be an email issue, so try and find other ways to contact them.

spiritus

RFW wrote: »

Possibly. It could just be a mistake though.
Was this a business seller who is still active?

Your best recourse is still to try and contact the seller, if they aren't answering emails it may just be an email issue, so try and find other ways to contact them.

We can all make mistakes-I accept them but if a seller has sold me something that I did not order then I feel I have a case for a refund.


I have contacted the seller who is still active on Ebay and received the following reply.


These are a hybrid tulip so quite often especially with the smaller sizes they can revert to one of their original varieties


I have replied back saying that there is no mention in the original listing that the tulips may be a completely different colour or variety.........or even a hybrid !

usefulmale

spiritus wrote: »

We can all make mistakes-I accept them but if a seller has sold me something that I did not order then I feel I have a case for a refund.


I have contacted the seller who is still active on Ebay and received the following reply.


These are a hybrid tulip so quite often especially with the smaller sizes they can revert to one of their original varieties


I have replied back saying that there is no mention in the original listing that the tulips may be a completely different colour or variety.........or even a hybrid !

Personally, I would make you dig them all up and send them all back if you wanted a refund. I think you are being a little petty.

If NONE of the bulbs bloomed at all, or you started to get dandelions growing then, yes, you would be entitled to a refund but you sound to me to be the type to quibble that 'it's not the same red as in the picture'.

Your flowers are blooming. Enjoy them and, next spring, get the bulbs from your local garden centre. Tulips are not exactly rare, are they?

If it happens again with the bulbs from the garden centre you will be able to go there in person and demand a refund, if you dare.