ComplaintsforArbor Day Farm

• Initial Complaint

  04/05/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I received a pamphlet in the mail years ago for the arbor Day foundation back in 2019 to be specific so I placed an order and was promised 10 trees and some bushes I can't remember the exact amount of each. So I made an order waited and waited and waited and never received my order, I called numerous times and each time they said because of covid it was being delayed blah blah blah. Well then about a year goes by still haven't received my order, and they send me another pamphlet for the exact same order. So I make another order and I called them this time to make sure they got it. When I get on the phone with the lady she stated that I would actually receive a double order from the order I've been waiting a year on and the one I had just placed. So once again waiting waiting waiting another year goes by, and they say that they're going to be shipped out by March 1st 2022, so first week of March the order says it shipped it says was going to be here between March 17th and the 21st 2022. Well it is now April 5th, 2022 and I have yet to receive my orders, once again. So I call again and complain because this is 2 years that I've waited for two orders that never showed up and they just magically disappear. The lady informs me that all she can do is reorder it and pray that I get it this time. It did get reordered and I am waiting but it is extremely frustrating to be promised things, and have advertisements for small things that they promise you have but yet you never receive any of it but yet you pay for it, just to be called and told that there's nothing they can do but yet they expect you to be a loyal customer and help their cause. Extremely poor customer service!

  Business response

  04/29/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/04/07) */ Contact Name and Title: Geoff ****, Director Contact Phone: ************ Contact Email: ****************** Hello, and thank you for your membership and support of the Arbor Day Foundation. We are sorry to learn that you continue to not receive any of the packages of free membership trees that we have tried to ship to you. To hopefully ensure that you receive the two (2) packages of 10 Flowering trees and 2 Crapemyrtles that have been expecting for some time now (for your original $***** online membership donation dated 8/16/2020, and your $***** online renewal membership donation dated 1/20/2022), here is what you can expect: We have created two separate free replacement orders in our system. Both of these free replacement orders will be getting shipped via ********** (and NOT via USPS). The past three (3) times that we have tried shipping your membership tree packages to you, we have tried shipping them via USPS. And because you have not received any of those packages, we are changing our shipment method (from USPS to ***). Both of these free replacement orders are scheduled to ship from our nursery on Monday 4/11/2022. They should both hopefully arrive on the same day, and at the same time. However, because these orders had to be created separately in our system (so that they could match up with to your original orders that we shipped in the past for your two separate $***** donations), they both will arrive in separate packages (and possibly / hopefully on the same day, and at the same time). Sometime on Monday 4/11/2022, or shortly thereafter, please expect to receive an email from us with tracking information for both of your ********** packages. We will be sending the email (with the tracking information) to your email address that we have listed in our system under your account. We hope that these two (2) free replacement packages grow and thrive for you in the years to come. For what it might be worth, below is a bit more detail and back story about each of the prior three (3) packages of 10 Flowering trees and 2 Crapemyrtles that we tried to ship from our nursery to you: Package # 1 was picked up from our nursery on 2/4/2021 by USPS. USPS should have delivered this package sometime between the dates of 2/14/2021 to 2/18/2021. Package # 2 was picked up from our nursery on 3/2/2022 by USPS. When we review the USPS tracking number for your package: as of 3/11/2022, the USPS tracking site displays "In Transit to Next Facility". The Arbor Day Foundation is not sure what USPS is doing with your package, nor where it might be within the USPS system. Package # 3 was picked up from our nursery on 3/2/2022 by USPS. When we review the USPS tracking number for your package: as of 4/7/2022, the USPS tracking site displays "In Transit to Next Facility". The Arbor Day Foundation is not sure what USPS is doing with your package, nor where it might be within the USPS system. Thank you for your understanding. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/04/08) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) I am aware of all the information provided that still doesn't justify or compensate for ALL the issues this ordeal has put me thru and all the hours on the phone having to track down my packages and the inconveniences of having to keep waiting and as you stated "HOPEFULLY" finally receive the items! Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2022/04/12) */ Because of your ordeal, and because of your inconvenience and time that you spent trying to track down your original packages of trees, we have submitted a request to our accounting department to issue you two separate and full refunds ($***** each for a total of $*****) for your original membership donations. In addition, as promised in our earlier response to your BBB claim, earlier this morning we sent an email to you (at the email address that we have listed in our system under your account) with the ********** tracking number for your two (2) free replacement packages of 10 Flowering trees and 2 Crapemyrtles. Both packages were shipped together from our nursery, and both are scheduled to arrive tomorrow (4/13/2022) sometime before 7:00pm. Thank you again for your support. Consumer Response /* (2000, 11, 2022/04/12) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)

• Initial Complaint

  12/30/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Back in August 2021, I sent a $** donation to the Arbor Day Foundation for which I would receive 12 trees in the Fall. By October 21, 2021 I still had not received anything. I emailed them and they finally responded that the trees wouldn't ship until the middle of December. I requested a refund on November 18, 2021. I requested a refund on November 20, 2021. On November 22,2021 I received a response from Honey with Member Services that my refund would be processed. On December 14, 2021, I requested an update on the status of my refund. On December 30, 2021, I again, requested a status on my refund. I still have not received my free trees or my refund and am still getting mail despite requesting to be removed from their mailing list along with my refund.

  Business response

  01/20/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/01/07) */ Contact Name and Title: Geoff ****, Director Contact Phone: ************ Contact Email: ****************** Hello, and thank you for your original membership donation. Our accounting department has issued your $***** refund check, and it is getting mailed today (1/7/2022) via 2-3 day delivery, so you should expect your refund check to arrive by the middle of next week. We are disappointed in ourselves that your refund was not fully processed nor sent sooner (even after you made several requests for a refund and / or the status of your refund). We will be reviewing your situation with our internal staff to make improvements so that others hopefully do not experience similar situations with their refunds (as you have experienced). Your free package of 10 Flowering trees and 2 Crapemyrtles were attempted to be delivered by USPS on 12/29/2021 at 9:20am. When we review your USPS tracking number (via the USPS tracking site) the message we see is "Delivery Attempted - No Access to Delivery Location". We are unsure why USPS was unable to access your delivery location. USPS might still try delivering your tree package sometime in the near future. Your package of trees was shipped from our nursery on 12/22/2021. Based upon your zip code, you are located in Hardiness Zone * - *. As is posted on our website, our 2021 fall shipping season to your Hardiness Zone ranged anytime between the dates of 11/11/2021 to 12/23/2021. Although we received your $***** membership donation check in the mail on 8/16/2021, we did not ship your trees in August because we only ship our membership trees during our nursery's shipping season. Our nursery waits for our trees to experience at least 2 hard frosts, causing our tree roots to go into dormancy. Dormancy increases the rates of survivability of our trees during the processes of harvesting, packaging, shipping, transplanting. Hence the reasoning behind why our shipping date range to your Hardiness Zone was 11/11/2021 to 12/23/2021 (and not August, nor September, nor October). And as you have requested, we have removed your name and address from our mailing list. Because some mailing might already be in-process and unable to be stopped, please allow up to 6 weeks for any pre-ordered or pre-printed mailings to make their way through the system. After that time period, you should no longer receive mailings from us. Thank you. Consumer Response /* (2000, 7, 2022/01/11) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.) The check was received today. Thank you for resolving the matter as promised months ago.

• Initial Complaint

  12/22/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In August 2020 I order 4 trees (paid for) and also was to receive 10 trees as part of my purchase and contribution. I finally received all on December 8, 2020. I planted the trees exactly as directed. I pampered the trees and made sure they were properly cared for. The size of the trees/twigs sent were disappointing but I was not promised a certain size so no recourse there. 2 of the cherry trees have lived, I called and they offered to replace the 2 cherry trees that died. The other 10 trees all died despite being planted properly as well. I called today because I have not received the 2 replacement trees. I was told they should be delivered tomorrow. I asked what would happen if these two died - after all now I have lost a year of growth and worry about the quality of the trees sent. I was told that because these were replacement trees, any hope of a refund is gone given that I was calling after 12/8. This is absurd given that each time I have called about the trees arriving in time so I can plant them with maximum care to live, I have been given the excuse that COVID slowed down everything and while 2020 was slower, 2021 would be a better experience. Interesting, I am allegedly receiving the replacement trees weeks later than the originals arrived last year. The woman on the phone was **** and **************. I was told if these replacements don't live I have no recourse. This is a BBB Accredited business and their customer service is abominable. While I have no plans to ever donate to this organization again, I do expect to receive what I paid for and for the trees to live. If they do not live, I expect to be made whole.

  Business response

  01/28/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 8, 2022/01/06) */ Contact Name and Title: Geoff ****, Director Contact Phone: ************ Contact Email: ****************** Hello, and thank you for your original membership donation and your purchase of trees from us. Because your desired BBB complaint resolution is a refund, we have submitted a request to our accounting department to issue two separate refunds to you: 1. A refund for $***** (this is the combined amount that you originally paid via your check for the Bing cherry tree and Black Tartarian cherry tree. We received your original check on 9/29/2020 (for the Bing cherry, Black Tartarian cherry, Early Richmond Cherry, and Montmorency cherry tree) 2. A refund for $***** (this is the amount you originally donated for membership via your check that you mailed to us, and that we received on 8/21/2020). Both of these refunds will be getting issued via check and will be getting mailed to the address that we have on file for you. The checks should arrive sometime within the next 10-14 business days. We are glad that the Early Richmond cherry tree, and the Montmorency cherry tree (from your original purchase) have lived. And we are glad that your free replacement Bing cherry tree and free replacement Black Tartarian cherry tree were delivered via USPS to your front door / porch on 12/23/2021. We are also glad that your free replacement package of 10 Flowering trees and 2 Crapemyrtles were delivered via USPS in / at your mailbox on 12/16/2021. It is our hope that all of your trees (the original trees, and the free replacement trees) will grow and thrive in the years to come. It is our additional hope that because we are issuing refunds to you, in addition to you already receiving free replacement trees, that you feel that we have made you whole. If you have any further concerns, or if there is something else that you believe we need to consider as a resolution to your situation, please contact Geoff **** directly.

• Initial Complaint

  10/21/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On May 2021 paid $***** for 10 trees from Foundation. Never received them. In the last month I've emailed and phoned. No response from Foundation. Would like either my trees or money back.

  Business response

  11/12/2021

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2021/10/25) */ Contact Name and Title: Geoff ****, Director Contact Phone: ************ Contact Email: ****************** Hello, and thank you for your membership and for your support. Your package of 10 Flowering trees (our free gift for your $***** membership donation that we received in the mail on 5/17/2021) is scheduled to ship during our upcoming fall 2021 shipping season. Based upon your zip code, you are located in Hardiness Zone **. Your trees are estimated to ship between 11/11/2021 to 12/4/2021 via USPS standard rate mail (also known as bulk rate mail). We base our shipping schedule on your Hardiness Zone and factor in the most suitable time for planting trees in your area as well as local weather patterns. Please note that shipping dates are subject to change with weather changes. You can view our most up to date shipping schedule online at: https://www.arborday.org/trees/shipping-schedule-membership.cfm. To learn more about what to expect with your membership trees, please check out our unpacking video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XveY10IZFe8. And here is a link to our planting instructions: https://www.arborday.org/trees/planting/bare-root.cfm And here is a link to information about fall planting: https://arbordayblog.org/askanarborist/ask-an-arborist-why-should-i-plant-in-the-fall/ Our records show that we mailed you a thank you packet on 5/19/2021. Contained within that thank you packet was a letter, and on that letter was information about the estimated shipping dates (for your 10 free trees) of 11/11/2021 to 12/4/2021. If you did not receive our thank you packet, or if you might have overlooked the shipping information, we apologize. In addition, by the time that we received your donation in the mail (on 5/19/2021), our spring 2021 shipping season to your Hardiness Zone (and to your area of the country had already concluded - we stopped taking new orders for spring 2021 as of 4/29/2021 because temperatures in your area of the country were getting too hot to safely ship your trees). This is why your trees were scheduled to get shipped during our upcoming fall 2021 shipping season (and why your trees did not ship during our spring 2021 shipping season). If you have any questions, or if you would like additional information, please let us know. Thank you.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩