Notcutts Reviews 

Do not let this garden centre chain lull you into a false sense of security they ARE NOT dog friendly. We recently visited the one in Shirley and there was absolutely nowhere in the entire retail space to sit and have even a coffee never mind food with our dog. Not even the outside cafe area. We were told we couldn't go through the restaurant to get outside but there is an external unlocked gate leading directly in and we weren't even allowed to go through that.so absolutely no point buying a privilege card for free coffees. We travelled a few miles down the road and came to Hodgehill garden centre and farm shop where dogs are allowed in all areas of the restaurant and even given dog treats. A much more pleasant experience.

AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!!

This company should be shut down! They’re absolutely useless and promise your delivery will be on time and then it doesn’t even turn up.
But they don’t tell you it’s not going to arrive they just hope you don’t care!!

Their lack of communication is completely unacceptable! When you contact them you’re promised a manager of some kind will phone you straight back but they don’t phone you back and only ever pointlessly apologise on the phone.
The customer service representative can do nothing to help you other than annoy you by apologising on Notcutts behalf!!
I don’t want apologies I want it to be sorted!!!!

Seriously in store may be fine but whatever you do! Don’t order anything online. They’re TERRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Notcutts (old Rivendell Garden Centre) Widnes Let Me Down.

I happened to go into the store and had a very big order in mind so was hoping to use my discount card.

Unfortunately I had brought a different bag out with me so I had left my membership card at home. I also wanted a free hot drink.

The service at reception was pretty frosty and not only was I unable to get my discount off my order but I was unable to qualify for my free hot drink. All because I had left my membership card at home.

So they have my name and address and I had some proof on me of this (driving licence) but that wasn't good enough for them to trace my membership card and to issue me with a temporary one.

I was also unhappy that a plant that I bought only lasted a week.

When it was Rivendell it was so much better regarding customer service. I think I will be using Wyevale in future.

This lunchtime, 12 noon, my mother and I went for lunch at woodford park, cheshire in the beautiful restaurant. We were last there November.
We were seated and the waitress who was very nice gave us the new, glossy and obviously very expensive to print, menus.

I am a vegetarian who does not eat eggs.

This is what you say on your website:

We’re passionate about serving great tasting food that’s full of flavour. The best food is always the freshest food, made from locally sourced ingredients wherever possible. Our hand-picked suppliers include family businesses, small farms and British producers.
Their ingredients make the food we love!
We are very proud of our hand-picked suppliers. We source some of our great food and drinks direct from suppliers and others come through a third party, but we ensure we work with only the best.

Our delicious main meals are served 12 - 3pm
Our restaurant, called The Farmhouse, offers traditional, delicious home cooked food and friendly waitress service. We have an ever changing selection of freshly made-to-order hot and cold food.

I ordered a vegetarian burger, requesting no garlic or spice in the burger -and my mother the broccoli and stilton soup, followed by the cheese on toast.

We were both looking forward to a delicious, freshly cooked, tasty meal. November we were blown away with how good the food was. I have told everyone what a great place to eat, the food is amazing.

We are regular visitors to this garden centre because my mother takes her dog to be trimmed next door and we pop in to eat and shop - always spend money every time we visit. I have bought wooden tall arches, pergolas - many things from this centre.

Service was slow and we had to collect the dog at 1pm. We asked the waitress why it was taking so long and had to cancel mums soup as she said the meal would take longer to arrive. I asked for two coffees whist we waited. Went in at 12 and we were served our food at 12.40pm. I looked at the plate. I lifted the top of the plain burger off and could not believe what I had been served. A really dry, round, dark veggie burger - that looked like it had come out of the bottom of a freezer, thrown into a microwave and shoved between a bun. How can a chef send something like that out of the kitchen? I was hungry. It was full of garlic and spice and tasted disgusting, as bad as it looked.
My mother said her cheese on toast did not have any beer in it and it tasted awful as well. At least it looked okay.

I told the waitress I could not believe they would serve up something so disgusting - what went wrong - November the food was amazing? She said she would tell the manager.

When we went to the till to pay, the manager did apologise and said I will not charge you for the food. I told him how good it had been in November and said what he served up was disgusting. Eventually he agreed that you buy them in frozen because they do not sell many veggie burgers. Read what you put on your menu and website - it could not be further from the truth. The food was of the lowest inferior quality. Frozen, nothing fresh about it.

I don’t eat curry, eggs or spicy food - not much choice on your menu for me as a vegetarian.

All that money spent on a fancy restaurant that looks amazing, glossy menus and then you serve up cheap, nasty, inferior food - what has gone wrong?
I still feel sick and will never eat in the restaurant again. How sad - I think you are going to lose many customers when you could have had an amazing restaurant.
I have had to tell friends and family not to eat at your restaurant after the experience of today. They could not believe it after me saying previous how wonderful it was.

Purchased an item from Christmas display today. Display had everything marked at 50% off. At the till, the item scanned up at the 50% off price which was correct but the assistant, for whatever reason, doubted it and then seeks further assistance to check the price ( keeping me waiting ) and clearly not wanting to sell the product at the price displayed and the price scanned at the till. I eventually bought the product at the 50% reduction. I have no idea what this was about. Unlikely to make further purchases due to this poor customer experience.

I visit the Garden Centre at Widnes (formerly known as Rivendell).
The staff there are extremely helpful and very knowledgable about all aspects of gardening.

The Centre has been extended and redesigned this year and looks fantastic. It has a brilliant variety of plants, garden accessories and includes a large restaurant with very good food choices. There are also other clothing stores within.

The Christmas display this year is definitely one for both children and adults to visit - it’s brilliant!

We have a Privilege card, and visit the restaurant at the Woodford Park Garden centre, to have our free drinks. On the last occasion we used our buy one get one free option for the afternoon tea, ie scones, jam, cream and tea. We were not asked which kind of scone we would like, but accepted the cherry scones when they arrived as they LOOKED good. However, on biting into them they were dry and rock hard. If the waitress had come back to ask if everything was alright with our food, we would have sent them back!

Really bad experience, ordered item early April chased through to near end of May.
Always excuses such as got lost, transport company went bust etc, numerous times phone calls not returned.
Company masquerades as the John Lewis of the garden world, maybe they should take a leaf out of the John Lewis customer service manual before they go the way of Homebase

Ordered a parasol faulty .. todayI 21st of may customer service was very poor .. I had to keep e/ mailing I got the parasol last bank holiday 20% off but my word it’s been awful . They told me to dispose of faulty one .then turned up asking for return .good job I hadn’t taken to tip ! Poor delivery man was unpacking new one to reuse box . I showed him e/ mail saying dispose ... all at 7.30 am .. as o.a.p I really feel bad service e/ Mailed again lets see what they have to say unhappy customer. Received a phone call today 23rdmay saying sorry I accept the apology . Said they would give me Voucher that’s nice will have a treat next time I go to my garden centre feel I have been heard. So moving forward

I placed an on line order on 23rd April and today is 3rd May and it has still not arrived!!
The response I got last week wad the order got lost in the system and I would have to wait another 4 days!!!

I have ben a customer of Notcutts for a couple of years I have always found they offer excellent service.

The privelidge card is excellent and well worth having offering a discount and free drinks every month.

Notcutts Norwich - restaurant I first experienced the restaurant when I had breakfast there with my family, my brother lives in Norwich. My father and I found the breakfast, having waited more than 15 minutes after my brother and Nephew had received theirs, despite ordering at the same time, cold and almost inedible! Giving the benefit of the doubt I today had agreed to lunch in the restaurant, it was awful, a baked potato with beans and cheese. The beans looked like they had been left over from breakfast, and very little cheese, as for the salad it looked like something that been thrown together as an afterthought with no dressing whatsoever, or non offered! My father ordered a tuna baked potato which again he found almost impossible to eat! I am afraid to say I will not be visiting the restaurant again! It is sad as I have done so many times in the past and found it most enjoyable - the refurbishment looks amazing but the quality of the food has detiorated considerabley!!

Good products, quality products which are very good value for money.
Delivery can be a bit iffy though, I guess that is their courier company, but it's nothing too bad.

Very poor customer service. Wish I had read the other reviews first. Bought a gazebo 3 weeks ago & still waiting for it. Only told after paying that there wasn't one in stock but would have it in a week. Paid £20 for delivery. Been phoning them every since- THEY NEVER CALL YOU BACK WHEN THEY SAY THEY WILL. Finally this morning when I rung them again, was told if I want it is can go there & pick it up as they have no deliveries planned. SHOCKING. I feel like I've been duped and have definitely been lied to. Can't even vent to their customer services as they don't work weekends.

My wife phoned Notcutts Ashton to confirm that they had a particular product in stock. They phoned back after checking and confirmed that they did, so I drove all the way over from Marple the following day to pick it up. When I got there it turned out that they didn't stock the product. Apart from a wasted trip the worse thing was that the manager I spoke to didn't care and wasn't even prepared to say sorry that one of his staff had made a mistake. All I got was an arrogant shrug. Won't be going into a Notcutts again and will be telling everyone we can why not.

We went to buy a fish tank. my husband and I the box was opened we asked them to check it was OK other employee said it's fine . She said they all come like that but did not check it. She then said that my husband should climb there ladder to get the box ( great health and safety)they are not insured to have members of the public climbing on there equipment.
WE take the box home and opening the fish tank was broken. We ring the shop and I asked to speak to the manager Matthew they said he does not want to speak to me I was confused. I arrive back to shop the next day and I asked to speak to the manager he told me that he knows me and the reason he didn't come to the phone was because I bought a gerbil and it was poorly and I returned it 3 years ago. We bought a gerbil for our daughter it had a condition from birth that we did not know about. 3 years later this manager is only confronting me about it. I did not even recongise him. He then said I was a threat to animals and they told the staff not to sale live stock to me. I was so upset as he said this and it was untrue and he made a racial comment. He said he does not want me back in the shop and the staff are aware who I am which was very weird. Ireturned my loyality card i purchased on the day i bought the tank to become a member! As I have been in the shop many times bought things after the 3 years and he never ever stopped me in fact he apologies to us three years ago.

This was a isolated incident where a Gerbil bought from them was not well or fit for its purpose. From 3years ago. He has not only lied by slandering me and in front of customers

. I will never and have never hurt animals. I run a successful business and I need to make this clear that notcutts have not addressed this matter yet and I feel is standing by employee's instead of paying customers and what is right. Sharon the cashier heard what he said and when asked to verify she said she does not want to lose her job. I am also concerned that they may do this again or have done this before. As the ceo Nick you can't even write to him no address as the customer service have not yet dealt with it I can not recommend this shop.

The best ever online purchase of dining chairs, arrived in just over a week, perfectly packed with great care, perfect chairs at a fantastic price! Kept informed of progress of order and arrived using a trusted courier! This supplier is superb!

Well, I was upset and frustrated the day I wrote the review below, since then Notts Cutts arranged to have the mower picked up and repaired, it was duly brought back working and after running once it would not start again. I contacted Notts Cutts again and in fairness as the repair failed they agreed to giving me a full refund AND could not have been more helpful in arranging collection of mower and re funding with speed. So in fairness I should have given them more time before I posted review and have edited it and given 5 stars accordingly. I would definitely buy from Notts Cutts again. The moral, give the retailer time to resolve the problem
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PREVIOUS REVIEW I've today had to contact Nottcuts regarding a ride-on mower I bought off them in November, have used 4 times and it has a serious fualt. Upon contacting them they were initially helpful, saying it wasnt acceptable, I was covered under their 12 month return policy, asked if I wanted a replacement or refund (I said refund as understandably have lost faith in mower that has serious fault on 4th time) and they said someone would be in touch with me. I then got email saying Im out of the 12 month period (not true) and when I confronted this they said there was a difference between a Nottscut manufactured item (they would refund) and any other manufacturer (the other 99% they sell) . So I made formal complaint, they will not refund, they are sending McCullough to pick up and repair. They state on their website
We want you to be confident about every order you place with us, so we keep our returns policy simple – if you're not happy with your purchase, we'll take it back, they don't mention a differential policy with items they sell but don't manufacture! Now of course Im out of 30 day return, but as stated who cuts grass in the Winter!, you get the impression their returns policy is simple and the customer at the centre of it, that's why I bought from NottCuts, well I wont purchase there again, nor retain the 'privilege' card. I bought from this retailer, but they tell me 'no you bought from the manufacturer, just through us"! Lovely Eh!! Your rights under the Consumer Rights Act (states) are against the retailer – the company that sold you the product – not the manufacturer, and so you must take any claim to the retailer. So Beware purchasing from Nottscut if you expect individual customer care decisions based on common sense or after care from them if they didnt manufacture the item.. Also don't believe the broad statement re faulty goods on their website i.e Damaged, Faulty or Incorrect Items
'We hope you never receive a damaged or faulty item from us, but if you do, our friendly Customer Care team will be happy to organise a refund or exchange.' sort of suggests they want customer satisfaction eh? After a day of writing and phone calls to them well... I cant print the rest!

For days we were bombarded with emails regarding the 20% off event for privilege club card holders. Being out in the garden all weekend, we couldn't get to our local Nottcutts in time, but we could still order our new BBQ on the web and It sounded like a great discount... doesn't it?! Not entirely... Here is a business that penalises your for spending MORE with them!!! Unlike most companies you buy from these days, delivery charges reduce the more you spend. Instead, if you spend less than £75 they'll charge you £9.99 and if you want to spend more, like on our new Weber they'll charge you the princely sum of £14.99! Now some might not think that's unreasonable, but by the admission of their Customer Service Manager, they "simply do not have the room to keep stocks of large items in store" so chances are we couldn't buy it instore anyway, (like the herb trough we recently bought) and there are STILL delivery charges if you want it delivered home from there! They also claim their courier charges increase when delivering bulky items, but having come from a supply chain background, I believe the cost of these services should be spread across their business, known as a "cost to serve", so that everyone benefits overall from better service. By not holding stock of large items in their stores, they do not have costly warehousing to pay for, this means their suppliers have to hold stock, but the customer doesn't see the benefit of this, they do. Also, the stockholding in their centres is reduced, so they've not had to pay in advance for the goods awaiting sale, another benefit to their bottom line. All very sensible for their commercial dept, but customers are paying for this. So, with no negotiation on the delivery offered and as a matter of principle, we have cancelled our BBQ. By the time it is warm enough to appreciate it, the larger companies will be offering the Weber at a good price, with FREE delivery, as has become the norm when you spend not-an-insignificant amount of money. A shame, as we would rather support a local business and local jobs. Well done, Nottcutts on your sales avoidance techniques! The £2500 we were going to spend with Nottcutts on new Kettler furniture this summer will go elsewhere too.

I recently visited Woodford garden centre in Cheshire. It has been some time since I was there and I believe it was under different management on my last visit. Now under the stewardship of Notcutts I was impressed with the layout and general high standard of the place. Other local garden centres range from little more than greenhouses to others that have a confused and jumbled collection of products which are badly laid out. Notcutts have nailed it in my view. They lose a star for not being open past 6pm for at least one day in the week. It would be nice to drop in on the way home from work.