I have had a very similar experience to you although a few years ago quality abd safe delivery were the norm. It seems to me a serious case of 'all fur coat...' syndrome. The marketing is second to none. Beautifully curated enticing images, a knowledgeable and engaging CEO who wrote with authority. A site aimed to create plant envy. But that is a waste of money if the product doesn't match the pictures. If you get a reputation for excellent plants with excellent delivery and comms. you dont need pages of text and fluff. Its sad
It’s almost fascinating how SR (the business) has managed to haul itself out of a reputational mire, reinvent, only to do exactly the same thing again.
I’ve been watching one of my friends on Instagram pleading to be able to get some response from customer service, copying in Sarah Raven’s own social media as well as the business. And just being ignored.
He’s the former editor of the Observer Magazine, so a lot of other people (many with clout) are seeing SR looking like a company to avoid, again.
Yes, it’s fascinating isn’t it? I hope she saves it all this time round, but do know that it is a tricky world we’re living in, for gardening businesses. But with her track record, and some excellent photography leading the marketing, she should be able to save it, and I really hope she does.
It is interesting to watch, especially as i have a vested interest with two outstanding refund requests - no response so far after weeks. The slick presentation and of course the top class photography promises so much that buyer expectations are high. When an order goes pear-shaped it is all the more frustrating. SR must have hundreds of unanswered messages to deal with, it will take some sorting out!
Not just me. I waited weeks for a plant. When Evri delivered it, he'd put heavier parcels on top, ruining it. I wish they would use a different delivery service. The catalogue with Arthur Parkinson was so stylish. Fingers crossed the company recover
I have taken to picking my Evri parcels up from a local local locker - it’s a pain but does take away the destructive and tardy tendencies of our local agent… not just with SR from whom I wont order again but any plants that come from a supplier who misguidedly uses Evri, Growing Crazy being one of them.
She has very good photography. Do as we have done. Use her planting ideas but buy from another supplier. The SR business is woeful and cares not one jot about its customers.
This is the second post about SR I've seen this week. Something has obviously gone very wrong with her business. I love her writing, but won't buy from her again after ordering dahlia tubers a few years ago that were clearly (once they flowered, at which point there's nothing to be done) not what I'd ordered.
I'm one of those sad customers awaiting my summer plants or any response from the non-existent customer services. I have to say I'm furious about two dolly tubs which I ordered in a medium to fit the matching seasonal tubs. Small sized ones arrived and I had no response from customer services for two months. These are very expensive, one-off items for me, and I can't forgive the stress it's caused me. I wont be buying again.
It is almost surreal that SR carries on with her cheerful sales pitches on social media while behind the scenes the business is floundering with a flood of unhappy customers. I have still heard nothing following my two ‘complaints’ of more than a month ago. It is so frustrating that the formula she has is so good but the execution of it so shockingly bad.
I coudn't agree more. I was a huge supporter, and tolerated the massive delays and disappointment last year because I love absolutely everything else they do. However, I find it staggering that they are still advertising at me every day, whilst I have so many unanswered queries. I was impressed with the quality and variety of their perennials, I can absolutely see how they are a premium brand. But they should have sorted out the supply chain before restarting it, and now they join J Parkers on my "don't buy" list. Farmer Gracy, Suttons and Thompson and Morgan are all brilliant, fast, and responsive, not to mention the many smaller, specialist nurseries that offer superb quality.
Until recently I was working for a Garden Centre group - with staff discount so I didn’t really use online ordering. Since ending that job I have been trying various internet based nurseries and have found the prices to be very high compared to my local Centre and the quality is much poorer. Yesterday I had a Salvia delivered from Crocus - it had travelled OK, well packed but it was a miserable drawn up yellow thing in a 9cm square pot. Where I have been working we would have thought twice about even putting on the last chance trolley for £1 - it would likely have gone in the skip!
The promised delivery ended up being so late it ran into holiday period when I was away. Tried to ask them online to defer delivery until after I was back. They seemed to agree. Delivered the morning the day I returned (at night so in the sun all day) and plants half dead. Won’t be ordering again
Thank you for highlighting this. I am on my 6th raised ticket via the “bot” and am waiting for a reply from customer services. Email confirmation states the it is “exceptionally busy” please wait 7 days when someone will be in touch. I have dutifully waited each time.
I have had one email telling me that some of the ordered plants are no longer available and a refund will be made ( Promised on the 17 May “should take 3 days to reach your bank account”).
So far, no plants, no refund, no reply to my raised tickets,
Any advice as to how to get to speak with someone would be gratefully received.
Have given up and gone to my local garden centre…..!
When she’s good she’s very very good but far too often she’s awful. I’m risking a bulb order again lured in by the adverts and 30% off on her new website
Hopefully she should be able to manage delivery of what is essentially ‘dry goods’. I have found she gets seeds to me OK. It’s plants where it all goes pear-shaped. A great start would be to make a change away from Evri. I hope you get your bulbs OK.
I have had a very similar experience to you although a few years ago quality abd safe delivery were the norm. It seems to me a serious case of 'all fur coat...' syndrome. The marketing is second to none. Beautifully curated enticing images, a knowledgeable and engaging CEO who wrote with authority. A site aimed to create plant envy. But that is a waste of money if the product doesn't match the pictures. If you get a reputation for excellent plants with excellent delivery and comms. you dont need pages of text and fluff. Its sad
It’s almost fascinating how SR (the business) has managed to haul itself out of a reputational mire, reinvent, only to do exactly the same thing again.
I’ve been watching one of my friends on Instagram pleading to be able to get some response from customer service, copying in Sarah Raven’s own social media as well as the business. And just being ignored.
He’s the former editor of the Observer Magazine, so a lot of other people (many with clout) are seeing SR looking like a company to avoid, again.
I’d never order from them.
I hope so too! Plants seem to have improved in quality but customer service is non-existent to shocking.
Not sure why …. Can’t be that difficult to maintain order tracking
Yes, it’s fascinating isn’t it? I hope she saves it all this time round, but do know that it is a tricky world we’re living in, for gardening businesses. But with her track record, and some excellent photography leading the marketing, she should be able to save it, and I really hope she does.
It is interesting to watch, especially as i have a vested interest with two outstanding refund requests - no response so far after weeks. The slick presentation and of course the top class photography promises so much that buyer expectations are high. When an order goes pear-shaped it is all the more frustrating. SR must have hundreds of unanswered messages to deal with, it will take some sorting out!
I’m currently waiting on a delivery. As you say, late and no communication. I hope I’m not going to be disappointed when they finally arrive.
Not just me. I waited weeks for a plant. When Evri delivered it, he'd put heavier parcels on top, ruining it. I wish they would use a different delivery service. The catalogue with Arthur Parkinson was so stylish. Fingers crossed the company recover
I have taken to picking my Evri parcels up from a local local locker - it’s a pain but does take away the destructive and tardy tendencies of our local agent… not just with SR from whom I wont order again but any plants that come from a supplier who misguidedly uses Evri, Growing Crazy being one of them.
My experience too. Unfortunately no reply to emails.
Won’t be buying from her ever again. So sad - her plants were amazing but everything else not.
She has very good photography. Do as we have done. Use her planting ideas but buy from another supplier. The SR business is woeful and cares not one jot about its customers.
Ordered three cardoons from her years ago on recommendation from a friend. All tiny, all broken. Never again
This is the second post about SR I've seen this week. Something has obviously gone very wrong with her business. I love her writing, but won't buy from her again after ordering dahlia tubers a few years ago that were clearly (once they flowered, at which point there's nothing to be done) not what I'd ordered.
I'm one of those sad customers awaiting my summer plants or any response from the non-existent customer services. I have to say I'm furious about two dolly tubs which I ordered in a medium to fit the matching seasonal tubs. Small sized ones arrived and I had no response from customer services for two months. These are very expensive, one-off items for me, and I can't forgive the stress it's caused me. I wont be buying again.
It is almost surreal that SR carries on with her cheerful sales pitches on social media while behind the scenes the business is floundering with a flood of unhappy customers. I have still heard nothing following my two ‘complaints’ of more than a month ago. It is so frustrating that the formula she has is so good but the execution of it so shockingly bad.
I coudn't agree more. I was a huge supporter, and tolerated the massive delays and disappointment last year because I love absolutely everything else they do. However, I find it staggering that they are still advertising at me every day, whilst I have so many unanswered queries. I was impressed with the quality and variety of their perennials, I can absolutely see how they are a premium brand. But they should have sorted out the supply chain before restarting it, and now they join J Parkers on my "don't buy" list. Farmer Gracy, Suttons and Thompson and Morgan are all brilliant, fast, and responsive, not to mention the many smaller, specialist nurseries that offer superb quality.
Until recently I was working for a Garden Centre group - with staff discount so I didn’t really use online ordering. Since ending that job I have been trying various internet based nurseries and have found the prices to be very high compared to my local Centre and the quality is much poorer. Yesterday I had a Salvia delivered from Crocus - it had travelled OK, well packed but it was a miserable drawn up yellow thing in a 9cm square pot. Where I have been working we would have thought twice about even putting on the last chance trolley for £1 - it would likely have gone in the skip!
The promised delivery ended up being so late it ran into holiday period when I was away. Tried to ask them online to defer delivery until after I was back. They seemed to agree. Delivered the morning the day I returned (at night so in the sun all day) and plants half dead. Won’t be ordering again
Thank you for highlighting this. I am on my 6th raised ticket via the “bot” and am waiting for a reply from customer services. Email confirmation states the it is “exceptionally busy” please wait 7 days when someone will be in touch. I have dutifully waited each time.
I have had one email telling me that some of the ordered plants are no longer available and a refund will be made ( Promised on the 17 May “should take 3 days to reach your bank account”).
So far, no plants, no refund, no reply to my raised tickets,
Any advice as to how to get to speak with someone would be gratefully received.
Have given up and gone to my local garden centre…..!
When she’s good she’s very very good but far too often she’s awful. I’m risking a bulb order again lured in by the adverts and 30% off on her new website
Hopefully she should be able to manage delivery of what is essentially ‘dry goods’. I have found she gets seeds to me OK. It’s plants where it all goes pear-shaped. A great start would be to make a change away from Evri. I hope you get your bulbs OK.