Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co. Reviews 93

Reply from Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.

May 16, 2025

Thank you for your review, and we sincerely apologize for the frustration and delays you’ve experienced.

This season has been particularly challenging due to unpredictable weather and shipping logistics issues, which unfortunately caused delays in both order fulfillment and customer response times. Please know that we do have customer service agents actively answering calls, but the call volume during peak season has been far higher than usual — and not something we typically experience year to year. We understand how upsetting this is and truly regret the inconvenience it’s caused.

I do see that our Support Assistant Manager connected with you via Facebook on 5/15, and we appreciate you reaching out there. If there are any remaining issues, we want to ensure they’re fully addressed — whether it’s the late shipment, a tree that didn’t survive, or a concern from last season.

We’re here to help and appreciate your patience as we work to take care of every customer as quickly as possible.

Reply from Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.

May 16, 2025

Please know that we’re not offering excuses, but rather doing our best to communicate openly and honestly about the situation with your order.

That said, your order has shipped and is on its way! The tracking number is 458816654828, and according to the carrier, it’s scheduled to be delivered today (5/16).

We appreciate your patience, and we truly hope once you receive your order, you’ll be pleased with your plants. If you need anything further, we’re here to help.

Reply from Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.

May 16, 2025

Thank you for your honest feedback, and please accept our sincerest apologies for the experience you’ve had this season. We completely understand your frustration — not only with the delay in your order, but also with the difficulty in reaching us and the lack of clear communication along the way.

This spring brought unprecedented challenges to our shipping operation, and unfortunately, that impacted far too many of our loyal customers — like you — who deserved better. The high call and email volume, combined with serious logistical setbacks, created delays we did not anticipate and struggled to manage. That’s not an excuse, just the truth of a situation we’re actively working to correct.

We’re glad to hear you were finally able to connect with one of our team members and receive your refund, but we deeply regret that it had to come to this point. After 15 years of doing business together, we’re truly sorry that this season’s failures led to a loss of trust.

Please know your feedback has been heard and taken seriously as we continue to make improvements. We appreciate the time you took to share your experience, and while we may not have earned back your business today, we hope we can demonstrate in the future that we are still the company you once re

Reply from Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.

May 14, 2025

We’re very sorry to hear about your repeated frustrations and truly regret the negative experience you’ve had with us.

While we do provide estimated shipping timeframes, those dates are not guaranteed — and we make every effort to communicate this clearly throughout the ordering process, including on the order acknowledgment and other areas of our website. The nature of live plant shipping is dependent on many factors outside of our control, especially weather conditions and seasonal digging windows. This year, we faced unusual weather patterns and significant shipping logistics issues that unfortunately disrupted our normal schedules. It's not an excuse, but it is the reason behind the delays.

I reviewed your past orders and saw that last year's cancellation occurred after our grading and quality control team assessed the plants and found we were unable to fulfill the size you requested. While our goal is always to deliver as expected, we will never send anything that doesn’t meet our standards.

We completely understand your disappointment and appreciate that this has been a frustrating process. While this season was particularly challenging, I want to reassure you that it is not typical. In most years, we are able to deliver promptly and without complication, and many customers have had positive experiences.

We hope that despite the setbacks, you might consider giving us another opportunity in the future. Thank you again for your feedback — we take it seriously and are always working to improve.

Reply from Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.

May 14, 2025

We're truly sorry to hear about your recent experience and completely understand your frustration with the delays and difficulty reaching us.

Your order is currently delayed due to our team completing final quality inspections. This season, fluctuating early spring weather pushed back our harvesting schedule, which in turn delayed shipments. On top of that, we’ve also faced some logistical challenges that have further impacted timelines. These aren’t excuses — just the reality of a tough season that has affected many growers across the country.

As this is our peak season, our small on-site call center is experiencing extremely high call volumes, which has led to longer-than-usual hold times. We know how frustrating it can be not to get through right away, and we’re doing everything we can to help each customer as quickly as possible.

We’re grateful you had a great experience with us in the past, and we’re genuinely sorry that this one didn’t live up to your expectations. While this season has been unusually difficult, we hope you’ll give us a chance to make it right in the future.

Reply from Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.

May 14, 2025

We’re truly sorry for the frustration and disappointment you've experienced. Please know that we are not a scam — in fact, we’re proud to be the oldest continuously operating nursery in the United States. We've been serving gardeners for generations, and your trust is incredibly important to us.

This season brought a series of challenges beyond our control, including unusual weather patterns that delayed digging and disrupted our normal shipping logistics. These setbacks unfortunately impacted many orders, including yours.

We completely understand your decision to cancel, and we’re sincerely sorry that we didn’t meet your expectations this time. I can confirm that your refund was processed successfully. While we recognize you're upset, we genuinely hope you'll consider giving us another opportunity in the future to make things right.

Thank you for your past interest in our nursery, and we wish you the best in all your gardening endeavors.

Reply from Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.

May 12, 2025

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience, and please accept our sincere apologies for the frustration and inconvenience this situation has caused. We understand how important timing is when it comes to planting bareroot trees, and we deeply regret the delays and lack of communication you've encountered.

This season has brought significant challenges for us, including extended periods of unfavorable weather and logistical issues that have impacted our ability to ship on schedule. While these factors were out of our control, it’s our responsibility to communicate clearly and uphold the trust our customers place in us — and in your case, we acknowledge that we failed to meet that expectation.

As a token of our apology, we’ve contacted our shipping department and have moved your order to the front of the line to ensure it goes out early this week. In addition, I have issued a full refund for your order — your trees will still be sent, but at no charge to you. Please allow 2–3 business days for the refund to reflect back to your account.

We genuinely appreciate your feedback, and while we cannot undo the inconvenience, we hope this resolution demonstrates our commitment to making things right.

If you have any further concerns or questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Reply from Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.

May 12, 2025

We’re very sorry for the frustration and inconvenience you’ve experienced, and we sincerely apologize that your expectations were not met. We completely understand how disappointing it can be when a ship date changes without clear communication.

To provide some clarity — the delays this season have been due to a combination of unprecedented order volume, unpredictable weather conditions, and logistical changes in our shipping process. These factors unfortunately impacted fulfillment timelines for many of our customers.

We also want to emphasize that our customer service team does not receive real-time updates when order ship dates change. With thousands of orders moving through our system daily, those changes are handled automatically, and our service agents are not individually notified. That said, we absolutely agree that more consistent communication is needed, and we’re working to improve that.

Our core customer service team — many of whom have been with us for years — truly care about our customers and take pride in offering helpful, knowledgeable support. We’re sorry your experience didn’t reflect that and appreciate your feedback, which we will use to improve.

If there's anything we can do to help resolve your concerns or check on your order status, please don’t hesitate to reach out directly — we’re here to assist.

Reply from Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.

May 12, 2025

We sincerely apologize for the delay and the lack of communication you've experienced — this is not the level of service we aim to provide, and we understand how incredibly frustrating this has been, especially with the importance and intention behind your orders.

This season has brought a perfect storm of challenges, including uncooperative weather, extremely high order volumes, and logistical adjustments that unfortunately impacted our normal shipping timelines. We truly regret that your orders were affected.

As a token of our apology, we’ve issued a discount on both of your orders, resulting in a refund that will be reflected back to your original payment method within 3 business days. In addition, we’ve contacted our shipping department and requested that all ready-to-ship items from your orders be prioritized and sent out early this week.

We understand the importance of planting within the proper seasonal window, and we deeply regret that the delays may have affected your plans. Please know we are working hard to catch up and restore the trust of customers like you who have shown us patience.

If you need any further assistance, we are here to help and want to make this right.

Reply from Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.

May 9, 2025

We sincerely apologize for the experience you’ve had and completely understand your frustration. Your concerns about communication, shifting ship dates, and the timing of your dormant tree delivery are absolutely valid. This is not the level of service we strive to provide.

This season has presented us with significant and unexpected challenges—primarily weather-related delays and inventory setbacks—that have directly impacted our ability to ship orders on schedule. While shipping dates are estimates and subject to change based on when plants meet quality standards, we understand that delays of this length are incredibly disappointing and disruptive, especially when you’ve planned around a particular planting window.

We’re very sorry that communication dropped off and that you had difficulty reaching us by phone. Our call and email volumes have been unusually high this season, and although that’s not your fault, it has unfortunately affected our responsiveness. Please know that we are working to correct this.

As for your second order and current shipping estimate, we’d like to look into your account and provide more accurate and personalized information. However, for your privacy, we cannot do so here without identifying details. If you’re willing, please reach out to us directly and we’ll prioritize your case.

We genuinely appreciate your patience and feedback—it helps us identify where we need to do better. Again, we’re truly sorry for the inconvenience this has caused and want to help resolve this for you as best we can.

Reply from Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.

May 5, 2025

Thank you for your feedback, and we're truly sorry for the experience you had.

The branch spreaders you ordered were unfortunately backordered with our supplier, and they did not meet the expected restock date on their end either—something that caused frustration for us as well, and understandably for you. We know how disappointing it is to wait, especially when you've been told to expect something sooner.

I do see that you chose to cancel the order, and a full refund has been issued. As a token of our apology and in hopes of restoring your trust, we’ve added a $50 credit to your Stark Bro’s account should you decide to give us another chance in the future.

We are not a scam—we’re proud to be the oldest operating nursery in the United States, serving customers for over 200 years. That said, your experience is not what we strive for, and we sincerely apologize. Thank you again for your feedback.

Reply from Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.

May 2, 2025

We’re truly sorry for the delay and frustration you’ve experienced with your order — it is never our intention to disappoint you, and we genuinely appreciate your business and patience.

I did check on your order, and I can confirm it is currently being prepared in our packing house for shipment. We understand how important timing is when it comes to planting, and we regret the extended wait.

As a token of our apology, I’ve gone ahead and issued a full refund for your order — it will still be shipped out at no charge to you. While this certainly doesn’t undo the delays or poor communication you’ve faced, we hope it helps in some small way to make things right.

If you have any further questions or need support, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re committed to doing better.

Reply from Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.

May 2, 2025

We’re truly sorry for the frustration and concern this experience has caused you.

I want to personally assure you that Stark Bro’s is a legitimate company — in fact, we are the oldest continuously operating nursery in the United States, proudly serving customers for over 200 years. We take great pride in our reputation and our commitment to quality.

Because we ship living plants, several important factors impact when an order can leave our facility — including plant size, readiness, weather conditions, and disease prevention protocols. These steps help ensure your plants arrive healthy and prepared for transplanting.

I did review your order, which was placed on April 25. Orders typically take about one week to process before shipping, depending on plant readiness and location. That said, I absolutely understand how delays can be frustrating, and I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.

As a token of our apology, I have refunded your order in full — you will receive your plants at no charge, and the refund is being processed back to your original payment method. I've also asked our shipping team to prioritize your order so it can ship as soon as possible.

We value your trust and hope this resolution helps restore your confidence in us. If there’s anything more we can do to assist, we’re here to help.

Reply from Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.

Apr 30, 2025

We’re truly sorry for the disappointment and frustration this year, and we appreciate you taking the time to share your experience.

As a company that works with living, seasonal products, we do our best to provide accurate estimated shipping timelines. However, factors like extended dormancy due to a frigid February and March, greenhouse treatments, and strict quality grading can delay our ability to ship on schedule. The "TBD" status you saw likely resulted from a sudden reduction in viable inventory once trees were inspected and found unfit to ship—something we unfortunately cannot always predict months in advance.

We understand how important timing is for your planting season, and we’re sorry we didn’t meet expectations this time around. This certainly isn’t the standard we aim for. If you want to proved your order details to see if there is anything more we can do to make this right please reach out to us.

We genuinely appreciate your past support and hope you’ll give us another chance in the future to earn back your trust.

Reply from Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.

Apr 17, 2025

We're truly sorry to hear about your disappointing experience, and we understand how frustrating it is when things don’t go as expected—especially more than once.

I do see that you have a replacement order in our system, and it’s scheduled to ship out next week. Our goal is always to send healthy, high-quality plants, but when shipping carriers encounter delays, it can unfortunately stress out our live products. That’s why we stand behind our warranty and offer replacements, Stark Store Credit, or a full refund back to your original method of payment—whichever works best for you.

While we’re sorry our live chat couldn't provide an immediate resolution, we want to assure you that every submitted request is reviewed thoroughly and responded to as quickly as possible. We’re committed to making this right and restoring your confidence in us.

Thank you for giving us another chance, and again, we sincerely apologize for the trouble.

Reply from Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.

Apr 17, 2025

We’re very sorry for the inconvenience and frustration this delay has caused. We understand how important timing is, especially when it comes to live plants and travel plans.

I do see that your delivery date was already adjusted by one of our agents to arrive after your return home, based on the information you provided. We truly regret that your order has taken longer than expected—weather and harvesting delays this season have made it challenging to meet some of our original timelines, and we apologize for the lack of consistent communication during that process.

As a token of our apology, I’ve issued a discount on your order and refunded your shipping charge. You should see that reflected back to your original payment method within 3–5 business days.

We appreciate your patience and the opportunity to make this right.

Reply from Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.

Apr 17, 2025

Thank you for your feedback, and we’re very sorry for the frustration this delay has caused. The delay was due to our supplier not yet delivering the hardgoods we need to fulfill these specific orders. We understand how disappointing this can be, especially for such a small but important item.

Please know that you never need to file a dispute to get a refund—we’re always happy to cancel any unshipped order and issue a full refund upon request. Our goal is to make this right and ensure a smoother experience in the future.

We appreciate your patience and the opportunity to resolve this.

Reply from Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.

Apr 17, 2025

Thank you so much for the kind words and the 5-star review! We're thrilled to hear that you've had a positive experience with our shipping, communication, and warranty. It's always our goal to stand by our products and provide the best service possible. We truly appreciate your support and look forward to serving you again in the future!

Reply from Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.

Apr 17, 2025

Thank you for your feedback, and I’m truly sorry for the frustration this situation has caused.

We completely understand how disappointing it is to plan for your plants and have the delivery dates continually shift—especially without consistent updates. That’s not the experience we want for our customers, and we apologize for the lack of communication and clarity along the way.

This season has been especially difficult due to prolonged frigid weather in our area, which affected both our harvesting schedule and our growers. Unfortunately, that caused some orders, especially those with multiple plants or backordered varieties, to experience unexpected delays. When one plant holds up the entire order, it can cause frustrating ripple effects, and we’re very sorry that happened here.

I also apologize that you didn’t receive timely updates as things changed—we are actively working to improve our communication systems to avoid these kinds of issues going forward.

While we’re sorry to have lost your trust (and your business), we hope you’ll give us a chance in the future to provide the experience we aim for every time. If there’s anything else we can do to make this right, please don’t hesitate to reach out directly.

Reply from Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.

Apr 17, 2025

I want to sincerely apologize for the confusion and frustration you’ve experienced.

I was able to locate your order right away using the order number you provided. I'm truly not sure where the mix-up occurred regarding the name on the order, but please know that your order is indeed in our system under your name and address. I appreciate your patience as we worked through the details.

After reviewing your order, I can confirm that the delay was due to one tree—specifically, the Jon-A-Red apple—being held up in our grading and quality assurance process. We take great care to ensure every tree we ship meets our quality standards, and in this case, that caused an unfortunate hold-up.

As a token of our apology for the inconvenience, I’ve gone ahead and upgraded the Jon-A-Red to one of our Supreme grade specimens at no additional cost to you. I’ve also processed a refund for the original tree as well as your shipping fee. You should see those funds reflected on your original method of payment within 3–5 business days.

Additionally, I’ve contacted our shipping department directly to ensure the rest of your order goes out without further delay.

Again, we’re very sorry this experience didn’t meet your expectations. We value your business and are doing all we can to make things right.