Not as advertised!

adeo

Purchased a 

Azalea japonica 'Pink Spider' - Evergreen Azalea - In Bud & Bloom S25095 from Gardening express online but it's not advertised IE no flowers or bud's, it has infact completely finished flowering! I've emailed GE via their website contact portal over 4 days ago but received no confirmation auto reply, also DM via Twitter and Instagram but no response. GE doesn't have a phone number! Only have 14 days to contact GE to query my order! Any advice on how to escalate this complaint, I'm guessing as citizens advice recommend to write a letter and send recorded delivery asking for replacement or refund (This is called a 'letter before claim' or a 'letter before action'.) Before making a small claim. Any advice would be much appreciated 👍what I should of received as from GE website!what I actually received from GE!

diinozzo

adeo said:

Purchased a 

Azalea japonica 'Pink Spider' - Evergreen Azalea - In Bud & Bloom S25095 from Gardening express online but it's not advertised IE no flowers or bud's, it has infact completely finished flowering! I've emailed GE via their website contact portal over 4 days ago but received no confirmation auto reply, also DM via Twitter and Instagram but no response. GE doesn't have a phone number! Only have 14 days to contact GE to query my order! Any advice on how to escalate this complaint, I'm guessing as citizens advice recommend to write a letter and send recorded delivery asking for replacement or refund (This is called a 'letter before claim' or a 'letter before action'.) Before making a small claim. Any advice would be much appreciated 👍what I should of received as from GE website!what I actually received from GE!

Small claims for £4.97...you are joking surely? The plant you got is actually very healthy looking and anyone with a modicum of plant husbandry would realise that. Depending on where you live Azaleas can have 'gone over' by this time of the year. Give it a trim now and in 10 months you will be so rewarded.

adeo

diinozzo said:

adeo said:

Purchased a 

Azalea japonica 'Pink Spider' - Evergreen Azalea - In Bud & Bloom S25095 from Gardening express online but it's not advertised IE no flowers or bud's, it has infact completely finished flowering! I've emailed GE via their website contact portal over 4 days ago but received no confirmation auto reply, also DM via Twitter and Instagram but no response. GE doesn't have a phone number! Only have 14 days to contact GE to query my order! Any advice on how to escalate this complaint, I'm guessing as citizens advice recommend to write a letter and send recorded delivery asking for replacement or refund (This is called a 'letter before claim' or a 'letter before action'.) Before making a small claim. Any advice would be much appreciated 👍what I should of received as from GE website!what I actually received from GE!

Small claims for £4.97...you are joking surely? The plant you got is actually very healthy looking and anyone with a modicum of plant husbandry would realise that. Depending on where you live Azaleas can have 'gone over' by this time of the year. Give it a trim now and in 10 months you will be so rewarded.

Actually it's £12 with p&p. But point is they advertised in flower with bud's and they've done similar before now with other orders but have replaced or refunded.

Aylesbury_Duck

Is it possible they're not interested in your custom any more, if you've had frequent returns/complaints?

Send your letter and see what happens.  You're seemingly out of other options.

Devongardener

I don’t know when you placed the order,  but azaleas are Spring flowering and would look exactly as the one you have received in mid June.      

Plant it, give it an appropriate feed and it will flower next Spring.

In fact you will have a better plant than if it had been delivered in bud/flower as it would struggle to establish planted out when it was actively producing flowers.

As the price was very discounted I suspect GE were selling end of season stock and used their original full price info.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

We have a few of these in the garden, they are pretty plants that flower well each year but by this time of year ours have all lost their flowers. 

Not much to be done for £12 sadly but if you plant it now it will very likely flower next year as the one they've sent has already done so this year  

adeo

Devongardener said:

I don’t know when you placed the order,  but azaleas are Spring flowering and would look exactly as the one you have received in mid June.      

Plant it, give it an appropriate feed and it will flower next Spring.

In fact you will have a better plant than if it had been delivered in bud/flower as it would struggle to establish planted out when it was actively producing flowers.

As the price was very discounted I suspect GE were selling end of season stock and used their original full price info.

As you can see from screenshot ftGE advertised price with photos it doesn't mention out of season but says 'in bud and bloom ' so false advertising!

Devongardener

adeo said:

Devongardener said:

I don’t know when you placed the order,  but azaleas are Spring flowering and would look exactly as the one you have received in mid June.      

Plant it, give it an appropriate feed and it will flower next Spring.

In fact you will have a better plant than if it had been delivered in bud/flower as it would struggle to establish planted out when it was actively producing flowers.

As the price was very discounted I suspect GE were selling end of season stock and used their original full price info.

As you can see from screenshot ftGE advertised price with photos it doesn't mention out of season but says 'in bud and bloom ' so false advertising!

Maybe not but it’s clearly being sold with a big price reduction and I suspect there will be something in their Ts&Cs about sale items.  In reality most shrubs and plants don’t flower all year round, so the lower price should be  an indication that it’s possibly out of its flowering season.      You do have a live plant that should bloom in the Spring for many years with a little care.

comeandgo

You got a bargain at £4.97.  I would have bought it if I’d seen it at our garden centre.

Alderbank

This is a living plant, not a bouquet of cut flowers. As others have said it looks a strong, healthy plant.
Gardening Express offer quite a generous 5 year guarantee with all their hardy plants (your azalea is included in this).

Your complaint is that you can't find a phone number so you can't take up their 14 day No quibble Money Back Guarantee. In fact you say that Citizens' Advice have examined the contract and told you to sue over this!

Did you actually read the terms of the guarantee?

14 day No quibble Money Back Guarantee

Our Guarantee is that you'll love your plants! If for whatever reason you are not totally happy with your plants on delivery please return them within 14 days for a full refund. - It's as simple as that.

Please Click Here for our Returns Form. There is no need to contact us if you're taking us up on this - simply make your return and our team will process your refund as soon as your order arrives back here with us. 

born_again

£15 reduction. Transportation is the hottest period of the year.
Looks pretty good.