There are all sorts of underhand practices undertaken by some in the name of 'marketing' nowadays.
Apparently Mr Milne used to be involved with Gardening Direct - those people who received mailshots from him trading as The Canny Gardener - have you previously dealt with Gardening Direct and did you give them permission to sell your details on?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
It has to be said that forums such as this are very vulnerable to misuse in this way.
The BBC gardening message-boards were not all that innocent either.....although theirs were usually confined to threads started by individuals (usually posting just once) extolling the virtues of Mr Don & Gardeners' World; whilst threads attempting to advertise were stamped on firmly.
Very interesting reading - I too recived the mailshot and hadn't ever heard of them. I was tempted by prices but 1. wondered if real companey (as sound a bit too good to be true) and 2. was concerned as to how they got my details (thus googling them and finding this thread ... tho I was also looking for the website which the cat. said had more cultivars on it). However when looking through the C G cat. I noticed that the hardy fuchsia's were not just the same var. as in the gardening direct cat., but the exact same photo's, (thus showing a link between business). So not supprised that Mr Milne is an ex-employee, esp. since there looks to have been a change in Gardening Direct, with them now doing much more perenials and not just plugs - something I'd put down to them being run by Jersey Direct or Plants or something (read it on last cataulog having not noticed it before). I know Gardening Direct and unless they go down-hill in service or up in price will stick with them for the mo. But I will keep an eye on the canny gardener as the trays sound good, and the prices competative, so may be an option when there's been plenty of good reviews.
And before anyone say's it - I KNOW I can't spell but I'm dyslexic so i am bound to get things wrong.
And before anyone say's it - I KNOW I can't spell but I'm dyslexic so i am bound to get things wrong.
This is not the sort of forum that picks up people on spelling and grammar-on the whole most are a friendly lot-there is a spell checker built in on the message bar if that is any use to you.
Hmm, their customer service address is a PO Box number which I think is a bit strange. The spelling mistakes on their website might mean they are trading from abroad, Holland perhaps.
I received an email from the Canny Gardener last Tuesday, 2nd April, telling me my plants (medium plugs) had been despatched, and to expect their arrival within 3 or 4 days. The following Monday they had still not arrived so I rang Canny Gardener, and was told that actually delivery often takes a week, and to ring tomorrow if they still didn't show.
Anyway, next day, that is today, 9th April, the postie turned up with a plastic bag which contained the remains of a polystyrene box, which in turn contained the remains of my plugs.
The box, which was fairly shattered, was held together with a couple of elastic bands, courtesy of the post office, and most of the plugs were, understandably, very much the worse for wear.
I have planted them up and we shall see how many actually make it.
Needless to say, I shall not be using them again, I will go back to the usual Jersey Plants or TM, at least they package the stuff securely.
Posts
I would quite happily report this marketing to the moderator for a decision-but I feel it is best left on here for other to read
Didn't see that spelling mistake-might be all part of the master plan
Contrary to popular opinion, I can spell!
There are all sorts of underhand practices undertaken by some in the name of 'marketing' nowadays.
Apparently Mr Milne used to be involved with Gardening Direct - those people who received mailshots from him trading as The Canny Gardener - have you previously dealt with Gardening Direct and did you give them permission to sell your details on?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
It has to be said that forums such as this are very vulnerable to misuse in this way.
The BBC gardening message-boards were not all that innocent either.....although theirs were usually confined to threads started by individuals (usually posting just once) extolling the virtues of Mr Don & Gardeners' World; whilst threads attempting to advertise were stamped on firmly.
Very interesting reading - I too recived the mailshot and hadn't ever heard of them. I was tempted by prices but 1. wondered if real companey (as sound a bit too good to be true) and 2. was concerned as to how they got my details (thus googling them and finding this thread ... tho I was also looking for the website which the cat. said had more cultivars on it). However when looking through the C G cat. I noticed that the hardy fuchsia's were not just the same var. as in the gardening direct cat., but the exact same photo's, (thus showing a link between business). So not supprised that Mr Milne is an ex-employee, esp. since there looks to have been a change in Gardening Direct, with them now doing much more perenials and not just plugs - something I'd put down to them being run by Jersey Direct or Plants or something (read it on last cataulog having not noticed it before). I know Gardening Direct and unless they go down-hill in service or up in price will stick with them for the mo. But I will keep an eye on the canny gardener as the trays sound good, and the prices competative, so may be an option when there's been plenty of good reviews.
And before anyone say's it - I KNOW I can't spell but I'm dyslexic so i am bound to get things wrong.
This is not the sort of forum that picks up people on spelling and grammar-on the whole most are a friendly lot-there is a spell checker built in on the message bar if that is any use to you.
Hmm, their customer service address is a PO Box number which I think is a bit strange. The spelling mistakes on their website might mean they are trading from abroad, Holland perhaps.
Or Botswana?
I received an email from the Canny Gardener last Tuesday, 2nd April, telling me my plants (medium plugs) had been despatched, and to expect their arrival within 3 or 4 days. The following Monday they had still not arrived so I rang Canny Gardener, and was told that actually delivery often takes a week, and to ring tomorrow if they still didn't show.
Anyway, next day, that is today, 9th April, the postie turned up with a plastic bag which contained the remains of a polystyrene box, which in turn contained the remains of my plugs.
The box, which was fairly shattered, was held together with a couple of elastic bands, courtesy of the post office, and most of the plugs were, understandably, very much the worse for wear.
I have planted them up and we shall see how many actually make it.
Needless to say, I shall not be using them again, I will go back to the usual Jersey Plants or TM, at least they package the stuff securely.
Just so you know!