Gardener's Supply Company Reviews 805

They have a wonderful catalog filled with very useful items. They send me the catalog religiously without fail. However they cannot fill an order that was placed a month ago. I have sent emails and have not received any response. I have called three times after waiting 30-40 minutes. I finally was able to speak to someone who told me that my order was on “ back order”. I asked why they just did not state that on my order status and she had no answer.
This company has major issues. They are gaslighting customers with their messaging on their “fabulous” customer service. It appears to me that being an Employee Owned entity may have a lot to do with it. They may be more concerned with what pleases their employees than staffing adequately to serve their customers. Another possibility is that this company is in financial straits and can’t get product as they are not paying suppliers. Something is not right. As an American I want high quality products at a fair price and I want it when I want it. I will take my business elsewhere when those requirements are not met.

Purchased 2 very expensive galvanized self watering planters a few years ago. Over $300 worth. Needed to order new capillary tubes for them. Took 2 weeks to get a reply. Sent photos of planters and tubes needed to make it easier for them to identify their own products. Even after locating my address, response was "Cannot find the order". I quit and hopefully this review will keep someone else from dealing with a company that claims to be "Employee Owned". Good Luck with that is all I can say.

I ordered three tomato planters at a very great price. I received an email from them stating sorry for the delay in your order. I waited a month. I contacted customer service. They said the order never went through, which I thought was strange since I received an email saying sorry for the delay in your order, after which they said there's nothing that they can do. Just use Amazon...

The people fielding the phone calls are doing their best. But these delays with zero communication are insane. I ordered my supplies almost a month ago, never got an email confirmation, my order reference number doesn't function in the website, and after 3 calls to customer service (where I'm assured each time that it'll ship soon), I still have have never heard from them. I even tried to send an email to avoid the long hold times for customer service, that has never been answered. I'm on hold for the last time now trying to cancel my order. I understand it's spring - but you're a gardening company.

I have been a good customer of Gardener's Supply Company for years. Over the past 2 years I have noticed very long wait times (44 minutes) to speak with customer service. I was contacting them to inquire on an order of Transplant Mix I placed over a month ago. They could not explain the delay. I explained that if they could not expedite the order, I would need to cancel as my seedlings needed to be transplanted ASAP. A manager, Matt came on to say he would contact their distribution division and call me back. I said again, if cant be shipped ASAP with quick shipping, I would need to cancel.
No phone call. Instead, they charged my PayPal account but still NO Tracking number available.
I wrote to cancel the order. They responded they were unable to cancel, still no tracking number tho but I was welcome to return the order.....IF i ever receive it!!!
VERY disappointed with this company and will NEVER order with them again.

Wanted to provide an update to my initial review 3 weeks ago. I am giving the overall rating a 2 now that my experience with GSC is just about over. The good news is the first part of my order arrived yesterday with the other part due to be delivered tomorrow. So it took 4 weeks on the nose for my order to be delivered.

If you have anything that is time-sensitive, I suggest looking elsewhere until GSC truly is back to operating normally.

I do feel badly for the employees who are trying to dig themselves out of a mess. With an issue that appears to have surfaced in February, though, it is perplexing that issues still remain nearly 3 months later.

I received the e-mail from GSC's Chief Operating Officer(?) last week that was likely sent to hundreds of customers. I appreciate the gesture - better late than never - but the intentional decision not to comment at all about what GSC has/is/would be doing to get this resolved was disappointing. We don't need all the details, but some would certainly have been appropriate to share. Best of luck to everyone with their orders.

Worst customer service and shopping experience of any company I’ve used in the last 10 years. The customer service phone number is a waste of time. No one answers and hold time exceed 45 min. Still haven’t received an update on my order and it’s been a month. The only time I actually got to speak to someone, they admitted they screwed up and I’d have my plant in 3 days. It’s been two weeks and still nothing. I’ve requested my money back… still no response. Thinking of taking legal action because this company is a racket. DO NOT do business with them. Save yourself the headache.

I ordered 1 quart of food safe wood sealer on 4/4/24 to be shipped in 3-5 days. After checking order status and calling GSC twice, I finally called on 4/25/24 and canceled my order. Customer service rep seemed pleased I was canceling the order. How difficult to go to warehouse and box up 1 quart of product to ship? Wow!

Website said I would receive my planters/pots in 3-6 business days. Weeks later, nothing. No communication either. I called twice, waited 22 mins first time and hand to hang up. Second time waited 33 mins and got to talk to someone. She said they weren’t going to get to my order for at least another week. She was very nice but I still didn’t receive any communication after that on status. As a gardening supply company they must understand the importance of people receiving things. Like this on time, my seedlings were out growing pots and I needed them. Had to cancel order…ordered. Straight from Red Gorilla (tub trugs) and pots came within a few days!

My original rating was one star. I waited online for 28 minutes and as a result of speaking to one temp person they hired because of their issues in their warehouse, and the 2nd person who tried to remedy the issue, I've moved it up to three.

Crux of the issue: It's taking WAY too long to fulfill orders AND they are not communicating clearly or frequently enough about their challenges. (They seemed to have installed new software and it's causing them all sorts of changes, perhaps one among many challenges.)

The people are lovely. It's the only reason this is moving up. I feel for them. :They are doing their best under what seems like an overwhelmingly bad situation.

I placed an on-line order on March 31 and am having the same issue. Nothing has been shipped! They have debited my financial account several times but have not given me any shipping date. I gave up trying to get through to customer service. Whatever is going on with this company is resulting in no customer service and at this point, appears to be theft. I’m filing a complaint with the Vermont Attorney General’s office.

What's going on? I placed my order more than 2 weeks ago, and all the website says is that it's "in process." Tried to send an email query it find out when I might receive my order, and it refused to accept my email (called me a spam bot. Thanks). Tried to call, but I refuse to sit on hold for the predicted 25 minutes. Ugh. By the time my order arrives (if ever) it'll be so late in the season I shouldn't have even bothered.

Do these folks hire any extra staff in springtime??? Have not had this issue with them before - What's going on??

Terrible customer service management. Have waited weeks for the shipment of my goods. If the company is facing delays, they should inform customers of this! It’s unacceptable to not respond to emails asking for a status of shipment or take 30 mins to answer a phone call. Would NOT recommend company.

Order has not shipped over two weeks after ordering. Shipping was charged and I was told it would be refunded and it was not. Wait time to speak to someone was 58 minutes. I will not order from this company again.

Similar to previous posters - I placed an order for row cover material on 3/25 and still have not received it. I now have seedlings ready to be hardened off and planted outside but cannot do that until I m have these row covers. I called 1 week ago and waited the 25 ish minutes to speak to someone and they said they will refund shipping. I asked if they would cancel the order so that I could just buy a comparable
Product from a different company and they could not cancel. A week later - items still have not shipped and I have seedlings starting to look pretty pathetic. At this point, I may just buy row covers from Amazon and return my order to sender when and if it does arrive. Ridiculous.

I ordered a seed starting kit and mix from Gardeners Supply Co. After 11 days, the order still hasn't shipped. When I called customer service, there was a 23-minute wait to speak with a rep. (!) I sent an email instead and am waiting to hear back. Unacceptable, will never order from them again.

just spent 40 min on hold to no avail. finally gave up. I imagine two things - understaffed service dept and poor phone system (should have a call back feature). problem is, I don't know where else to obtain the parts I need. enviable business model...

Their shipping time is unacceptably slow, especially for the high prices they charge. Every time I have ordered it takes 3 weeks or more to get the items. This is no way to run a business. Hire the staff you need to get the job done promptly!

I made an internet purchase on 11 March, and today is 27 March and it has still not been shipped!!!

They are totally in over their heads. Spent hours trying to place an order- for a big birthday- celebration. Even spoke at length about needing it for st patty’s day- spring gardening tradition etc. the fellow who took the order- more than 2 weeks ago- said it would be no problem with arriving on time. Yesterday spent another hour- on hold twice- 6minute hold projection was actually 24…
Only to get a load of self serving RUBBISH about how sorry they are! Refusing to even upgrade shipping or even TELL ME WHEN IT MIGHT SHIP. Asked for callback from supervisor. It never happened. Then today received voicemail from “supervisor “ saying he thinks maybe one part of order may have shipped…but not sure.
Mind you- when I placed the order well over 2 weeks ago- all items were in stock. Which is why I spent the time to call in first place!
Their feel good customer owned nonsense only goes so far- and definitely does not make the cut in terms of customer experience. They have gotten too big for their britches!!!