Caveat Emptor

Good judgment comes from bad experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment. ~Will Rogers

#1 daughter always tells me to read the reviews.  For the most I have been following her advice.  But on occasion I just plow ahead.  Recently I used bad judgment and had a bad experience.

My son recently celebrated his 27^th birthday.  As him and A are landscaping their yard I decided to buy a $100 gift certificate from Jackson & Perkins.  They have some amazing roses.  My mother had bought plants from them once and I had used them once before for a gift certificate. 

So I ordered an email gift certificate to be emailed to me to put in the birthday card.  I printed off the receipt and I waited for the certificate to come in the mail.  We had plans for dinner at their house on the 5/9 but thankfully they were cancelled because by this time all I had received was an email that day stating the order was being processed. 

On Mother’s Day I was forced to give him his card with the receipt/email and a promise to call the company to straighten it out. 

So Monday finds me on the phone explaining I haven’t received the gift certificate and was told they had done a   “huge computer change over and we are finding not everything went through”.  I asked if my order was lost for good and should I reorder.  I was told that was a good question and one she couldn’t answer but she would have a manager contact me.  I waited because I am a very patient person.

I waited until Thursday and then I called back.  I explained I had been waiting on a manager to call and explained why.  Jennifer transferred me to Alicia, the manager.  After explaining everything she asked for my order number and put me on hold to check.  While on hold I checked to see of the monies had been taken from my account.  Alicia came back on to say the order had gone through so there was no need to re-order.  I said the money hadn’t been taken from my account and was told that it would be and to expect the email gift certificate within 24-48 hours.  So I waited because I am a very patient person.

 I waited until Tuesday at which time the money had not been taken and no gift certificate received.   I called and spoke to Alfia.  After explaining everything (again) and asking same question I was told that Alicia was not in but she would have her call me.  I asked to speak to another manager but was told there is no other manager, nobody above her!?!!?!?!?!?  I told her that I would not hold my breath waiting on a call because I had waited days for a manager to call me back before.  And don’t ya know I am lucky I didn’t because I had to call them back at 5:09 PM. 

April answered the phone and I asked to speak to Alicia.  April asked for my name, which I only gave it to her.  She then asked if Alicia was expecting my call.  I must say that by this time I was no longer patient.  This company was reminding me of an ex-boyfriend and his excuse du jour(s).  So I told April that no she was not expecting my call but I had been expecting a call from her and explained the whole episode again.  She said “well let me see if she is still here” which made me say that she better be because otherwise she worked better hours than bankers.

So I was put on hold to listen to sounds of nature purportedly used to calm one’s nerves.  Wasn’t working! 

Alicia, unlike Elvis, had not left the building and finally picked up the phone.  I explained who I was and her part in this whole scheme.  I told her I need to know if the order went through, was still lost in their computer somewhere with access to my monies, or if I should order another gift certificate thereby giving them access to $200 of mine.  She said “Would you like to cancel the order” upon which I replied “Woman that is the most intelligent thing your company has said to me.  Yes cancel the order”

So Alicia, Alfia, April, Jennifer and Jackson & Perkins are now gone never to return again just like the ex-boyfriend!

I called son, apologized and explained everything.  Him and the man work together so I just wrote out a check, sent it into work with the man and he can go to a local garden center.

But this got me thinking that I can’t be the only idiot that this happened to and decided to check reviews.  I can hear #1 daughter in my ear “You should have done it to begin with.”  Here is what I found…

http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/33/#b

and you can read some of their experiences here http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/comments.php?compid=33&type=3#b

http://www.yelp.com/biz/jackson-and-perkins-company-greenwood

And then I checked the Better Business Bureau because after reading this I knew they had to have heard of them and they did!  They have an F rating.

http://www.bbb.org/nw-south-carolina/business-reviews/plants-retail/jackson-perkins-in-hodges-sc-11005417/

So I am putting this out there so that maybe someone else will benefit from it.  Also know that the conglomerate includes

Park Seed Company

Wayside Gardens

Harry & David

This is why they say shop local.  You know them, they know you.  And it proves that you are never too old to learn some very valuable lessons.   Caveat Emptor and check reviews!