online garden centre order - won't deliver for 2 months + but also won't cancel

JetpackVelociraptor

I ordered a bunch of seed trays and compost from Homebase just after the lockdown started, and ended up waiting about 4.5 weeks for it to turn up. Fortunately none of that was time sensitive, nor was it plants, so it wasn't a problem for me to wait.  OP, if you're concerned about the return courier costs and don't want to/can't wait, there's a few things you can try to get this sorted out.

First thing would be to contact the company through social media - twitter is usually a good bet. Explain the problem with the plants not being usable, and see what they say.

If that doesn't work, contact your card company and ask them about issuing a chargeback.

Unfortunately if the company in question doesn't have the means to issue your refund (e.g. if the staff who would do so are all furloughed or whatever) and if your card company can't issue a chargeback, there isn't much more you can do right now. It would be reasonable for you to ask them to waive the return fee if you do end up having to wait and return the products.

I have my own company that sells large products that usually require installation or delivery into the customer's home, and for a 4 week period we were completely unable to deliver. As a result every person who placed an order with us was informed on the day they ordered that their delivery would be delayed. A few people cancelled, but luckily for us more chose to wait. It's not reasonable to expect companies to cease trading because they can't deliver on time, but equally I don't think it's reasonable for companies to take orders without informing their customers that there's going to be a delay.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Moneyineptitude said:

unholyangel said:Your argument might hold water with me had OP ordered before the lockdown. But they didn't. They ordered after lockdown - at which point the company should have been aware of any issues that may affect their capacity to fulfil orders and updated delivery dates accordingly so consumers could make an informed choice.

 Companies selling non-essentials have not been able to provide these extra resources because the current dip in sales does not justify the extra spend. It's a lose lose situation both for the customer and the retailer. 

 ..........................................................................................................................................................................

Earlier I alluded to this being a non-essential purchase, but even the transit of essentials has been hit across the globe.  Covid-related slaughterhouse shutdowns in the US are leading to fears of meat shortages and price rises, while farmers are being forced to consider “depopulating” their animals.

All of this means that, yes, the Op can (perhaps should) demand a refund. However, I think the "small independent" businesses selling the same products on the internet will be just as impacted by the same supply issues as this "well known national garden centre"

They simply wouldn't as they don't have choice if selling via marketplaces, eBay for example have extended return timeframes for buyers to allow them more time to actually send stuff back but once the label eBay gives the buyer shows as delivered they expect the seller to refund within 5 days. Typicality speaking small businesses are used to working hard and providing decent service.

As for low sales, Royal Mail are busier than Christmas, Amazon's value has increased to 1 trillion dollars with shares up from when this all started. The shops are shut, if online retailers aren't busy they are doing something wrong or selling stuff people don't want.  

I don't think the monopolised meat industry in the US has any correlation with buying stuff from a garden centre and not being able to get a refund. 

[Deleted User]

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

As for low sales, Royal Mail are busier than Christmas, Amazon's value has increased to 1 trillion dollars with shares up from when this all started. The shops are shut, if online retailers aren't busy they are doing something wrong or selling stuff people don't want.  

I don't think the monopolised meat industry in the US has any correlation with buying stuff from a garden centre and not being able to get a refund. 

Ignoring  Royal Mail who are simply a carrier, Amazon  (despite their "value" increase)  are facing the same shortages of many  products as everyone else is.

 Many Market place Traders I've used in the past seem to have disappeared completely from the site. 

B&Q have opened up their 288 stores to the public this week, but British Gypsum who are the country's largest supplier of plaster and plaster products remain closed. The Plaster aisles in B&Q are therefore empty. Likewise their compost and plant deliveries have ground to a halt. 

The reason I linked to the story about slaughterhouses being closed in the United States was to illustrate that it's not only non-essentials which are in short supply globally 

Anyway, it's obvious some of you here are going to continue pushing consumers to use litigious means to recover monies they are owed and, in normal circumstances, I'd be doing that too. I just don't believe these are normal circumstances 

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Moneyineptitude said:

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

As for low sales, Royal Mail are busier than Christmas, Amazon's value has increased to 1 trillion dollars with shares up from when this all started. The shops are shut, if online retailers aren't busy they are doing something wrong or selling stuff people don't want.  

I don't think the monopolised meat industry in the US has any correlation with buying stuff from a garden centre and not being able to get a refund. 

Ignoring  Royal Mail who are simply a carrier, Amazon  (despite their "value" increase)  are facing the same shortages of many  products as everyone else is.

 Many Market place Traders I've used in the past seem to have disappeared completely from the site. 

B&Q have opened up their 288 stores to the public this week, but British Gypsum who are the country's largest supplier of plaster and plaster products remain closed. The Plaster aisles in B&Q are therefore empty. Likewise their compost and plant deliveries have ground to a halt. 

The reason I linked to the story about slaughterhouses being closed in the United States was to illustrate that it's not only non-essentials which are in short supply globally 

Anyway, it's obvious some of you here are going to continue pushing consumers to use litigious means to recover monies they are owed and, in normal circumstances, I'd be doing that too. I just don't believe these are normal circumstances 

Without meaning to be difficult, meat and plaster is relevant to buying seeds and compost but Royal Mail seeing a surge in parcel volumes isn't relevant to more people are shopping online? 

Amazon have spent years pushing sellers to fulfilment but have now stopped shipments to their warehouses unless the items are deemed essential (with translates to in the most demand) and a surprising proportion of goods on Amazon are China based sellers with stock in the UK so you'll likely see a reduction in choice.

Some small businesses will have closed but there are 88,000 listings on eBay for seeds, bulbs and plants. Compost is difficult as it's cheap but heavy, that said our local garden centre (small business about 8 miles away) will deliver 3 bags for £13. 

Virus or not IMHO taking money, not delivering and not answering customers is very poor.

[Deleted User]

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said: 

Without meaning to be difficult, meat and plaster is relevant to buying seeds and compost but Royal Mail seeing a surge in parcel volumes isn't relevant to more people are shopping online? 

Royal Mail can be very busy delivering products that are not (so far) impacted by the Pandemic. The point is that they won't be delivering products which are in short supply. 

The customer in this thread has received his seeds, so that product was never an issue. 

You say a particular local garden centre is able to deliver compost, but are you certain they have stock? If they do have it in quantity  then they must use a different supply chain to everybody else or they stockpiled it before the emergency. 

Lets stop this to and fro now. You know I agree that the timescale for delivery provided for the OP of this thread is clearly not acceptable to him as he wants to do his gardening now. Our only point of contention seems to be whether this level of "service" is understandable  during an unprecedented global lockdown. I think it is...