ComplaintsforNature Hills Nursery, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  09/15/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I placed an order on June 19 2021 and the website said they usually ship in 10 to 14 days and I still have not received my order I called and they said they would check and nothing. They basically have stolen my money and since summer is at an end I no longer want the order The order number is ********** and it was for ******

  Business response

  10/13/2021

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2021/09/16) */ Unfortunately, we did have to hold up the shipment of the plants this Summer due to high temperatures, and then discovered a concern with the plants. We have contacted the customer with several options, and look forward to working with them directly to resolve this situation effectively. Consumer Response /* (2000, 7, 2021/09/22) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.) Yes they gave me a refund so it has been resolved . Thank You

• Initial Complaint

  09/08/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I ordered an Armstrong maple in November of 2020 after calling and confirming that the tree was in stock and could be delivered quickly (before first frost). The representative insisted that I also purchase a tree starter kit and root booster, and told me repeatedly that they were necessary, so I did. The tree starter kit arrived, but the root booster and most important--the actual tree--never arrived. I called and was told the tree would come in the spring. It never arrived. I called this fall and was finally told that there was never an Armstrong maple, that there was some issue with the Armstrong maples, that they were never planning to ship it and had no intentions of having in stock again. They refunded the tree but refused to let me return the $** tree starter kit without charging me a **% restocking fee and shipping costs--for objects I would never have purchased had their representative not harangued me to do so.

  Business response

  10/08/2021

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2021/09/09) */ To Whom it May Concern, The customer placed the order under their own will on a weekend in November outside our business hours. The customer chose a tree with a shipping estimation of "Ships in Late Spring 2021", along with a tree starter kit and Root Booster, which are very beneficial for new plants, but not required to place an order. Unfortunately, we did experience a crop issue with the particular tree the customer chose, and were not able to fulfill that part of the order. The customer is being refunded in full for that part, but we are not able to refund in full for the other items already received. If the customer does not wish to pay to return them, they will still work great for other trees and plants in their landscape.

• Initial Complaint

  09/08/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We ordered 2 apple trees for our orchard on August 15, 2021. The order # is #**********. I asked for an update on several occasions because we had not received them. Each time Nature Hills responded that they cannot ship them because it is too hot in the West Coast. Finally on September 5, I asked them to ship the trees or cancel the order. Nature Hills responded that we can cancel but we have to pay a **% cancellation fee per their terms. Another option they provided is for us to accept a gift card. There was nothing on their website that told us the trees would be delayed or we would have ordered them from another vendor because we need to get them in the ground before fall. We were misled into ordering these trees, thinking we would get them in time to plant this year, but we will not ever receive them in time, and we have to pay them a cancellation fee. I feel the trees were never in stock and the hot weather is an excuse. We expect a full refund.

  Business response

  10/04/2021

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2021/09/09) */ To Whom it May Concern, The customer placed an order for plants with a shipping estimation clearly stating "Ships in Early Fall 2021 (Weather Permitting)". This shipping estimation is indicated on the plant page when the zip code is entered for the growing zone and to get the estimated shipping timeframe. It's then indicated in the shopping cart prior to checkout, and on the order confirmation email received when an order is placed. The hot Summer weather can negatively impact the health of the plants during shipment, and we are very careful to ensure our customer's receive healthy plants. We have communicated with the customer extensively regarding this, as well as educating about the benefits of planting in the cooler Fall temperatures. We do have the customer's plants in stock, set aside for them at our nursery to ship when it's safe to do so, and are awaiting their response for how they wish to proceed, within the terms and conditions. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2021/09/10) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) In response to the question, "Do you accept the response from the business": The business did not offer a resolution. We ordered two apple trees from them a month ago. We paid for them but we have not received them. They advised that they would be shipping them when they feel it is appropriate to do so. What they probably do not understand is, if they hold this order back for too much longer, the weather will be too cold to facilitate root growth. The ******** evenings are approaching 40 degrees this time of year and it will only get colder as October/November approaches. A couple years ago we planted six new trees in late October and only one survived. However, in previous years when we planted in mid-August, all of the trees survived. They did offer to ship them sooner, but only if we waived the warrantee. We cannot accept this because this would allow them to send us products that are in poor condition and we would no be able to receive a refund or replacement. They also told us that we can cancel the order, but only if we paid them **% of the total order cost. Obviously, we are not going to pay them to cancel our order. Bottom line is, we want the trees that we purchased but we want to receive them soon. If we do not receive them soon - within the next week or two - we will miss out on an entire planting year because they will not survive the cold weather and we will have to try again next year. Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2021/09/10) */ The Fall is actually the perfect time to plant in the customer's growing zone, and much preferred over planting in the heat of the Summer. With average low's of 44 degrees in October and 36 in November in their location, it will still be a great time to plant in the early Fall time period. The combination of warmer soil and colder air forces plants to focus only on producing new roots in the fall and winter, which gives them a jump start on spring. We have offered several resolutions for the customer, including pushing the shipment for them if they accepted responsibility. However, they have declined. We have held up the shipment for valid reasons, due to the high temperatures at this time of the year in shipping lane, which would likely be harmful to the plants. With the original shipping timeframe of "Ships in Early Fall (weather permitting)", we do intend to stick with that estimation, to be able to ship through temperatures which will maintain the plants' viability. The customer may still choose to push the order after accepting responsibility for it, or may cancel it, per the terms and conditions. Consumer Response /* (4200, 11, 2021/09/14) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) They keep telling us that planting trees in cold weather is great, but it never worked for us so no need to keep hearing it. We want the trees sent or a full refund. We will not give up a warrantee so Nature Hills can send us poor quality trees and we won't have any return capability. We also will not pay them to cancel the order, as we will have to reorder from another vendor and it is too late in the year to do so. They do not want to work with us at all. It should be a simple solution, ship the order of give us our money back. Business Response /* (4000, 13, 2021/09/15) */ Looking at the shipping estimation, temperatures are cooling in the right areas, and we should be shipping soon, with the customer receiving an email with the tracking information, to indicate the date of delivery. Consumer Response /* (4200, 15, 2021/09/26) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) We do not accept their resolution because they did nothing to resolve this shipping delay. We do, however, consider this complaint closed. Nature Hills finally sent us our trees. They arrived in what appears to be decent condition other than a few small limbs that were probably damaged during shipping. Fall has started in our area now. The temperatures are close to the 30's at night and are only getting colder, and the leaves are dropping from the trees. We will not know if these trees survive or not until next spring. If they do not, we will request replacements because we paid extra for one-year warrantees on each of the trees that we purchased. Understanding now that Nature Hills lacks concern for customer service, I doubt they would ever assist us in gaining replacements should these trees not survive. Their last response is a clear indication that they shipped us our trees because they were ready to ship them, and it had nothing to do with our asking them to ship sooner because of frost concerns. We are a young orchard, and we anticipate investing thousands each year in fruit trees. Our experience with Nature Hills has shown us that we are better off shopping elsewhere in the future. Knowing this now is probably the only positive thing that came from this sale.

• Initial Complaint

  08/21/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased a tree and warranty mid June have been waiting for the tree to be delivered. It's been over 2 months now and I have contacted them 3 times. The first 2 times they said it was being shipped from the West coast but it couldn't ship because the weather was too hot. The last email says they have the tree but won't ship because the weather is too hot. There was nothing on their website at the time of purchase indicating this will only ship based on the weather and no notice delivery might take months. I purchased this with the understanding that it would ship at the time of purchase. With colder weather approaching soon, this tree won't have enough time to establish deep roots to withstand the cold which will likely be dead come spring next year. I asked for my money back but they want me to pay **% of the purchase or take a gift certificate. I feel this was misleading and fraud as I wouldn't have made the purchase if I had to wait all summer. I would like a full refund.

  Business response

  09/23/2021

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2021/08/23) */ To Whom it May Concern, We do our best to ship our live plants in healthy condition, and unfortunately we do have to hold up shipments when the elevated temperatures of the Summer months will negatively affect the plants. The shipping estimation indicating our shipments are weather permitting is indicated on each plant page when the zip code is entered to see their growing zone and to get the estimated shipping timeframe. It's then indicated in the shopping cart prior to checkout, and on the order confirmation email each customer receives when an order is submitted. Once it's safe to ship, the customer receives the tracking information to notify them their order is on the way. We have been in thorough communication with the customer throughout the Summer, but they have requested to cancel instead of waiting until it's safe. The terms and conditions regarding cancellations has been reiterated for the customer. We have offered alternatives to the cancellation fee, and are currently awaiting their response. We look forward to further communication with the customer directly, to get this resolved. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2021/08/30) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) A delay to send plants based on weather is typically a few weeks, not months. As stated before, they sold me a product they didn't have and then for over two months claimed the weather was too hot to send. It wasn't over 90 degree temperatures for over two months throughout the country. I think people should be aware that they are selling items they don't have in stock, blaming the weather for delays in shipping until they can get it in stock (in my case 2 1/2 months), then only giving you a refund at less than full price paid. Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2021/08/30) */ We have reached a resolution with the customer, who has chosen to cancel the order instead of waiting for the Summer temperatures to cool enough to be safe to ship. Their plant is being restocked for other customers to purchase at this time. We certainly do have the plants in stock and shipping through areas which are safe. Unfortunately, there are many shipping lanes which get too hot in the Summer to ship through for multiple months, as it is with freezing temperatures in the Winter. We do make clear on the website that our shipments are weather permitting. That is the challenge with shipping live things throughout the country with the extreme temperatures, and something we take quite seriously, to ensure the best quality plants are delivered to our customers.

• Initial Complaint

  08/20/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We bought a tree hydrangea from them, and it looked very stressed from the time it arrived. We planted it and watered it. It just kept going backwards. I contacted them in June saying as much, but never heard back. I called again in July, only to be told that they did get back to me. They offered me a **% discount, plus I had to pay the freight. I just want my money back, and never do business with them again. Thank you.

  Business response

  09/23/2021

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2021/08/23) */ To Whom it May Concern, The order information shows the customer's hydrangea tree was delivered in healthy condition with a 3 day shipment, arriving to them on 5/8. We weren't notified of any concerns with how it looked at arrival. The customer informed us via email on 6/23, that it was planted right away, but had gone backwards and died. They were replied to within two days of the standard warranty on the order, and again in August. While we aren't able to refund, the free standard warranty covers up to half the cost of a replacement, and is valid for up to one year from receipt of the plant. The customer to can choose to replace with a different plant as well. We look forward to assisting the customer directly. Sincerely, Nature Hills Nursery, Inc. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2021/08/24) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) I want my money back. I agree that plants suffer some shock, but this plant was bad from the beginning and never recovered. I'm done buying plants online... Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2021/08/25) */ Unfortunately, we aren't able to refund after the shipment was delivered, and we weren't notified of any concerns from arrival. At this time, we can move forward with the warranty, which is good for one year from receipt of the plant, per the terms and conditions. The customer can choose to replace with a different plant if they prefer. Consumer Response /* (4200, 11, 2021/08/26) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) These guys can ship a junk product, and tell you that you can pay only **% , plus shipping, for a new one. ************. Business Response /* (4000, 13, 2021/08/26) */ The plant was healthy when shipped and the warranty applies at this time. We stand behind our previous responses and do consider this matter closed until the customer wishes to proceed with the standard warranty, per the terms the customer agreed to at the time of sale.

• Initial Complaint

  07/26/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I ordered four (4) nursery trees from Nature Hills on 6-11-2021. After 1.5 months i had not received my trees or any correspondence even though my credit card had already been charged. I notified the company by email on 6Jul2021 and rec'd this reponse; "It looks like this is coming from one of our West coast nurseries, it is experiencing weather delays due to the heat and should be shipping out as soon as the weather permits shipping from that area. I apologize for this weather related delay, but after all we care about the health of the plant and do what is best for it even if it means having to delay the shipment. We look at the forecast every Thursday and determine if it is safe." This is unacceptable seeing as how I will be leaving ******** in several weeks and won't return for a while. My issue is that I don't know when these trees will arrive and in the meantime I am paying interest on my credit card for a product I haven't even received.

  Business response

  08/23/2021

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2021/07/30) */ Hello - We disclose on every page of our site that all purchases will be charged for at the time of purchase to reserve said material. If the customer would like us to hold the material until a later date manually, we will do so and ship only after that date while caring for the material. The customer can work with our service staff to make such arrangements. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2021/08/12) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) I am not now or will be in the near future able to determine when I will be able to give a time. This company neglected to inform me that there was a problem with the order until I reached out. They should never assume or charge folks for a product they don't know when they can deliver. I just want my refund now so that I can cut my losses. Thank you. Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2021/08/12) */ Hello - the customer's order is on HOLD currently due to their inquiry of cancellation. Temps across the country that have been delaying the order are starting to wane and we are hoping that West Coast to ********** and *********** areas (like this order), will be able to be sent soon. We urge the customer to reply back to our agent's last message to them regarding how they wish to move forward per the terms they agreed to at purchase. Consumer Response /* (4200, 11, 2021/08/13) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) I am no longer at the resident as I have indicated numerous times. Please just refund my money so that I don't have to deal with this any longer and stop stalling. Business Response /* (4000, 13, 2021/08/16) */ If the customer wishes to conclude the interaction - they may do so directly with our agent. Until we hear back from them directly confirming how they wish to proceed per the terms of sale, there will be no action on the order. Consumer Response /* (4200, 15, 2021/08/16) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) "Hi Josie - I am sorry orders cannot be placed or cancelled through the chat platform. Please contact our customer service department directly and they will be very happy to assist you. They can be reached at ************" This is the number I was given and when I called it required that that I listen to six/seven sales ads and was not the phone number for Nature Hills. This business is playing games and it appears as though they have no intention of refunding my money. Recommendations from BBB would be welcome. All contact numbers are bogus. Business Response /* (4000, 17, 2021/08/17) */ We are unsure about what number the customer initially called, but the number is not bogus in any way. It works and we do not have audio ads playing on them anywhere - per our customer notes, an agent spoke with the customer here yesterday and the cancel process per terms has been started. This matter is closed. Consumer Response /* (4200, 19, 2021/08/18) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) I will not be satisfied until I have received my refund.

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