Something up with Suttons?

Sapindus

I ordered a Ribes odoratum from Suttons. They sent me a Buxus sempervirens, labelled Ribes odoratum. I rang up to complain and they apologised and said they would send a replacement. They sent another Buxus sempervirens, also labelled Ribes odoratum. I've complained by email and got an autoreply saying they're having a higher than usual volume of emails (I'm not surprised). So I phoned. The Ribes is now out of stock but they've offered to send a potted one around the middle of May. I wonder if I should have just asked for a refund…

Dustyevsky

Although still based in Paignton, Suttons were bought by Thompson & Morgan (part of the BVG Group) in 2020. Their stock is likely to come from a (possibly large) number of nurseries supplying T&M. I doubt if those are in quite the same league as, say, Hilliers. One I visited about 10 years ago, was just half a dozen polytunnels, a shed and a mobile home.

T&M are famous for cheap, bargain bucket offers, but as you've found, they do respond to complaints and good, or bad, reviews.

Sapindus

What really rang alarm bells was when I rang and got put through to a voicemail that said it was full. But on the second try I did get through. It just beggars belief that in the week or two between the first wrong plant and the second no-one had gone and checked the stock or noticed that the plants were wrongly labelled, and they were such completely different plants too.

The reason I ordered the plant was that I found one growing in the village and had never seen it before and it really is a lovely thing. I can sneak a couple of cuttings but it's in the front of a derelict building that's up for sale so its days may be numbered!

Silvertabby

I've bought quite a few plants from Sutton's, and they've been great - perhaps you've been unlucky with a wrongly labelled batch of seedlings? The potted plants should be ok - but if you are going for your own cuttings, I would do it now as they should be taken when the plant is still winter dormant.

Or you could hedge (sorry!) your bets and take a couple of cuttings while waiting for the potted plant.