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Gardening Express… Do I have any consumer rights?

Sazz101Sazz101 Posts: 248
in Plants
I would really appreciate some perspective after this bad experience with the Gardening Express website. 

They had an offer of 6 Pretty Ellen Pink hellibore for £8. Wow! Postage was £7, so I looked around and saw this holly bush:





I added it to make the £7 postage worthwhile. So the order arrived. The Hellebore plants had small white flowers and the holy was nothing like the pictures or the description of ‘bushy’:




They have refunded for the hellebore after much communication and pictures.

 I’ve now got a weedy looking holly plant. They will not accept that the holly description (pictures and text) was misleading so I’m left with the choice of either accepting my losses (£6.99+£7.99) or paying another £3.90 to get £7.99 refund. But no refund on the postage.

I know it’s not much money but feels so disappointing… like a ‘bait and switch’ job. 

Anyone else successfully managed this? Or was I naive?


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Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It's difficult to tell from your photo, but your holly doesn't look like the one they've pictured.

    Frankly, I 'd avoid any company that describes a plant as having 'an intriguing feeling of a deep blue haze'. More like estate agent language.
    I'm afraid they do have a very poor reputation. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/consumer-rights-act-aKJYx8n5KiSl

    May be of some help  :)
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    I think if I saw an ad  6 hellebores for £8.00 it would ring alarm bells. The fact that they were named would suggested that they had flowers? I am sorry this has happened to you. Lots of people on this forum could suggest some of the very best on line nurseries that really care about there plants. Just ask! 
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • Sazz101Sazz101 Posts: 248
    Fairygirl said:
    It's difficult to tell from your photo, but your holly doesn't look like the one they've pictured.

    Frankly, I 'd avoid any company that describes a plant as having 'an intriguing feeling of a deep blue haze'. More like estate agent language.
    I'm afraid they do have a very poor reputation. 
    Thanks @Fairygirl. Yes I agree. I knew better and ordered it anyway. Too good to be true usually *is* too good to be true. 

    Thank you @AnniD. I just read through and I really don’t think the holly I received looks anything like the pictures or description. I’m going to try again. 
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    Just looked at Pretty Ellen Pink on line £10.00 average for one plant. Sadly this would have been a much better buy. It can take years for a hellebore seedling to flower.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • Sazz101Sazz101 Posts: 248
    GardenerSuze said:
    I think if I saw an ad  6 hellebores for £8.00 it would ring alarm bells. The fact that they were named would suggested that they had flowers? I am sorry this has happened to you. Lots of people on this forum could suggest some of the very best on line nurseries that really care about there plants. Just ask! 
    Thank you. Last year I did buy one ‘Anna’s Red’ from Crocus for £££ and it was a gorgeous quality plant. I was greedy this year and fell for the unbelievable offer of more ‘branded / named’ plants  for much less money. 

    Yes the plant they advertised was this:




    What I got


  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    Just out of curiosity, have you left a review on Trustpilot ? I usually have look on there if l'm thinking from buying from a new supplier. You could enter your experience on there as well.
  • Sazz101Sazz101 Posts: 248
    AnniD said:
    Just out of curiosity, have you left a review on Trustpilot ? I usually have look on there if l'm thinking from buying from a new supplier. You could enter your experience on there as well.
    No @AnniD but that is an excellent idea. Will let rip this evening.
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    So what you received was not as advertised in either case!  You often see very strange photos of ' plants on steroids ' in newspapers.   You can often pay a lot of money for something that would be much cheaper elsewhere too. The holly could have been poorly cared for, possible lack of water and has dropped it's leaves as a result.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    The company has a bad reputation.
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