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Wickes. The Range. SupaGrow. A cautionary tale of Woe...

timmitesttubetimmitesttube Posts: 22
in The potting shed
Morning all!
Don't worry, it's not all going to rhyme...

Last year I bought some 50 litre bags of SupaGrow farmyard manure from Wickes and I did what I usually do - tip a bag into the barrow to have a good look at it and break up all the lumps so it's nice and fine and ready to use. It looked like quite a small amount. So I measured it out and found it all went easily into two 14 litre buckets. That's well below the amount I'd expect, even taking into account the warning on the bag about '10% less due to settling'.
So I complained, to both SupaGrow themselves, and to Wickes. Cutting quite a long story short - Wickes gave me no response at all despite several attempts, but SupaGrow did - in the end they refunded my money and took the time to call me and talk about the problem.

Being an optimist (or perhaps an idiot), this year I bought 8 bags of SupaGrow Organic Compost from The Range. That's right. There's (at most) 28 litres in each of these '50 litre' bags too.

So I complained.

The Range have been useless. My complaint highlighted that there's a problem with the labelling, it has misled me and will continue to mislead others as long as it remains on sale in their stores. But after ignoring me for weeks the best they could offer was 'take the bags back to the store with your receipt'. I've used them all already of course. 

Anyway - I seem to hit a brick wall here, it's as though Wickes/The Range just don't care that they're selling underfilled products for us gardeners. Has anyone else had a similar experience? Is anyone else as annoyed as me that we're being cheated? Does anyone have any ideas what we can DO about it?

Tim.





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  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    @timmitesttube Trading standards?  They surely can deal with what amounts to fraudulent claims about volumes and advise you about the sale of goods act.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    I think it depends on how wet or dry it is. Some sack are very heavy and others aren't. I think it would swell up if it were wet.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • RubytooRubytoo Posts: 1,630
    Try calling the source on their freephone number?
    https://www.supagrow.co.uk/compost/products/
  • MarlorenaMarlorena Posts: 8,705
    You should go right to the top and send your complaints, nicely put of course, to the CEO of each company..

    Wickes:  Mr David Wood   [email protected]

    The Range: Mr Alex Simpkin   [email protected]

    You might be pleasantly surprised.   Always address complaints to CEO's..  good luck.
    East Anglia, England
  • BenCottoBenCotto Posts: 4,718
    I think anyone who can accurately use mislead and misled is to going to write very nicely, @Marlorena 😉
    Rutland, England
  • WonkyWombleWonkyWomble Posts: 4,541
    I once, while a student had the misfortune to work at the range. I lasted thirteen weeks before my soul was utterly destroyed. The staff are so under staffed and under valued that with the usual saying, with the peanuts they reward with, they only attract monkeys and resentful ones at that. I think you will find very few businesses actually have professional pride these days unless it negatively effects profits.
    You have to shame them into reaction via bad press.
  • timmitesttubetimmitesttube Posts: 22
    Thanks folks for taking the time to reply - I like the idea of writing to the CEOs, might well try that. Looked at contacting Trading Standards - you have to go via the Citizens Advice Bureau - probably worth a try if there's no response from the CEO, so thanks for that suggestion.

    And finally, thanks BenCotto for noticing the mislead/misled skills. 
  • thevictorianthevictorian Posts: 1,279
    Does it say "50 l when filled", that's what most products seem to mention as a partial cop out and I wonder how fluffy it is when it has been filled, then how much it is condensed when stacked on a pallet. I'm not for one minute siding with the company, I think it's quite an annoying industry practice that we are short changed and half a bag is definitely short changed but that might be "their" defense.

  • timmitesttubetimmitesttube Posts: 22
    Hi thevictorian - yes, it says exactly that. There's no doubt that bagged material settles and compresses quite a lot during transport etc - I always 'flufff up' the compost before using it so there's no lumps and it's light and airy so I'd expect it to be roughly the volume they measured on the bagging line. I've bought some New Horizon compost this year, also 50 litres, and looking at them side by side with the SupaGrow they look massive!
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    edited 8 March
    It is interesting to weigh new foodstuffs from supermarkets etc. I often find the new packets are nowhere near the stated weight. 

    It does make a difference if one thinks "I'll add one packet" in baking but the given brand measurements are not nearly accurate.
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