Gardening Express Reviews

Name: Gardening Express
Address: Gardening Express, Chelmsford, Essex
Rating: 1.17

1.2 Rating 1,711 Reviews

4 %

of reviewers recommend Gardening Express

Company Reviews

Questions

Metrics

1.2

Based on 1,711 reviews

Shipping & Delivery
Delivery Methods	Courier
Average Delivery Time	Over A Month
On-time Delivery	Greater than 16%
Accurate And Undamaged Orders	Greater than 31%
Customer Service
Communication Channels	Email, Live Chat, Telephone
Queries Resolved In	Over A Week
Customer Service	1.1 out of 5
Returns & Refunds
Refunds Process	Difficult
Returns Process	Could Be Better

Phone:

08448 044 253

Location:

Gardening Express, Chelmsford
Essex
CM1 4UA

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Gardening Express 1 star review on 6th April 2025

Anonymous

Gardening Express 1 star review on 6th March 2025

Anonymous

Gardening Express 1 star review on 28th October 2024

Mark Ramsden

Gardening Express 1 star review on 2nd September 2024

Olga

627

Anonymous

Anonymous // 01/01/2019

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“Ordered plants through Gardening Express that were not delivered despite asking them to be delivered to my work address. No response from their automated chat bot. No further recourse than to put a claim for the money I have paid and time wasted through small claims court. Would advise others to do the same and put an end towards such bad service.”

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Posted 3 years ago

“Terrible. Order not received. I have spent 3 x 1 hour on their “chat” with no response. No phone line apparently, a number I found online is disconnected. This seems to be a scam so please don’t order from them.”

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Posted 3 years ago

“Dead tree arrived after 14working days”

Gardening Express 1 star review on 19th July 2021

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Posted 3 years ago

“No plants after 2 weeks! No communication even though promised regular updates. Impossible to get hold of anyone and in fact they say not to contact them!”

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Posted 3 years ago

“Total scammers. Made a order 2 weeks ago and still nothing. Gardening express fakes advertisements. You have to read the terms and conditions for the real delivery times “which is at least a month”. The customer service is none existent. You can not cancel your order even if it’s been a month. They advise you to reject the delivery when it arrives, so then they can take your money anyway for compensation. The worst company I have ever encountered in my life!”

Gardening Express 1 star review on 18th July 2021

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Posted 3 years ago

“They don’t have a telephone customer service Awful I waited nearly 3 hours on chat to be told they couldn’t tell me when my order on 2/7 would arrive , I can’t have a reference no and the situation changes from day to day I’m looking at 4 weeks from order to delivery”

Gardening Express 1 star review on 17th July 2021

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Posted 3 years ago

“July 2021 - My first order with Gardening Express I ordered 16 plants and when they arrived they were dreadful The plants are old plants pass their best with brown tips to the leaves, only a few flowers across all 16 plants and lots of dead flower heads - they are nothing like the description – “Supplied in approx 9cm pots covered in buds and blooms in season”. Their online reply suggested I "water the plants thoroughly (they were not dry – but I have done) and plant them out somewhere with adequate shelter and they should perk up with no problem". Also said "It is sometimes the case that plants turn up slightly dried out and with superficial damage, but this is a risk of sending plants through the post, as you can imagine I'm sure". This had got nothing to do with posting them - these are old plants that have been left to dry out in the past and should not have been supplied to a customer. They were all crammed into one box using 8 plastic carrier bags in total - not very environmentally friendly.”

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Posted 3 years ago

“Ordered 2 acer plants and a few other plants. They all looked lovely on the website but when the plants arrived both acers were dried out and leaves falling off. Eventually got through to customer services to be told give them a couple of weeks to revive! They never revived, I eventually sent them back for a refund, which I'm currently still waiting in”

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Posted 3 years ago

“Awful company, nightmare to contact and dispatch is weeks not days and if ask to not deliver while away , or cancel , will not help”

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Posted 3 years ago

“will never use Gardening Express for my plants shopping in the future. First experience was awful. I made two orders worth about 185 pounds plants. They sent the frail plants which were dying. Late delivery, poor customer service, not accepted to send the replacement of some plants which were in extremely poor condition. I would rather go to local garden centre and buy much cheaper and fresher plants. Very disappointed with Gardening Express.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“So disappointed with the plants I received from Gardening Express. Delivery took 2 weeks and I don't know how they have the nerve to send out plants in that condition. In fact I don't actually know how they get plants to look as bad as that in the middle of the growing season e.g. a couple of standard salix trees which were heavily hacked back but with bits of old growth as well, mis-shapen, curled up dead leaves etc. Just awful looking. Also bought a young conifer that had a big bare/dead patch. Other plants and shrubs were similar. Avoid like the plague. They have zero quality control and will send you any old rubbish.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Terrible service. Have now been waiting for over two weeks and impossible to chase them as everyone else is in the same position”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Absolute con, rotten bulbs sent and they don't want to know. Customer service is well over an hours wait on live chat too, no phone number!”

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Posted 3 years ago

“Poor Quality Plants, Non-Existent Customer Service & Worthless Guarantee I find it illuminating that Gardening Express feels the need to bolster their reputation, and refute the very many ‘negative’ reviews offered here (and elsewhere) by customers dissatisfied with their plant quality and poor customer service. In my experience, like that of many others who have taken the time to write of their experience, I found Gardening Express' offering best summed up as ‘Poor Quality Plants, Non-Existent Customer Service & Worthless Guarantee’. To claim that their net promoter score suggests that mine and other reviews are motivated by anything other than customer dissatisfaction is revealing in itself. Like others have said the plants I received today (only my second order with GE) arrived in an extremely poor condition, diseased, dead (or dying). Described on their website as 'in bud or blooming' is flagrantly misleading and false. The plants delivered can, in no way, be described as in bud and/or blooming. Thy are simply dead, dying or possibly diseased. To raise my concern via GE ‘chat’ function on their website resulted in a 20 minute wait and then as soon as I began ‘chatting and made clear my concerns’ the agent ended the chat… not just the once but twice. My recommendation is twofold… firstly do not waste you time nor money with Gardening Express as their product is inferior and customer service is inadequate. Secondly, do let your gardening friends know about your poor experience. It is only through customer pressure (and dwindling revenues) that companies like Gardening Express can learn from their customers. To justify the delays on Covid and blame the delays for the poor quality is unacceptable. In summary: poor customer service, poor quality products and lack of accountability and responsibility… a worthless guarantee too!”

Gardening Express 1 star review on 14th July 2021

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Posted 3 years ago

“Delivery very late. Both roses on their last legs and since died despite my using rootgrow and feeding them. Multiple attempts to complain, online 'chat' managed by robot with messages that do not help at all, wait for a human between 1 and 2 hours and they cancel the chat almost immediately. I emailed them, they ignored it, no response 10 days later. I left comments on their FB page, they deleted them and changed all their posts to share only. I sent 2 separate messages via messenger, both ignored. I started a complaint using resolver. So far I have had 3 automatic replies, all standard stock answers and all identical. I've left negative review on Trustpilot, where their only positive reviews are 'invited' which means 'bought'. In a nutshell; they are crooks, they are scamming people. They put lovely photos on their website but they bear no relation to the plants you will receive. They send dead plants and then ignore you, making it impossible to complain to a human being. Don't waste your money buying from this company, pay a little more and buy from a reputable company where you are likely to actually receive the live plants you ordered. Despite my saying they did not respond to my query for more than a week, in fact they have still not responded at all!! TERRIBLE COMPANY, NO CUSTOMER SUPPORT. AVOID!!!”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Terrible service, misleading advert advising 5 day dispatch when knowing it is more likely 15 to 28 Working days, then does not accept cancelled orders, you have to pay to return your order with 14 days of receiving, that's if you ever get the refund, best to avoid the hassle,”

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Posted 3 years ago

“I had a bad experience with this company during the last lockdown, but decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and ordered again last month. Out of the four plants I ordered, two were very small and poor quality, one already shedding leaves. They were unable to fulfill one item due to “quality concerns”. The packaging was really bashed about and badly damaged on receipt which I wouldn’t expect with a £5 postage fee. I’d avoid this company like the plague and reading these reviews, can’t believe they’re still trading.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“Gardening Express is an absolutely appalling company. I paid £199.99 for a mature magnolia tree on 30th May and the money was taken from my bank account on 1st June. When I ordered the tree the website gave a 3-5 day delivery time but the tree wasn’t delivered until 21st June and was in a terrible condition. Gardening Express agreed that the tree was damaged in transit but are refusing to give me a refund unless I return the tree at my own cost. I have explained to them that they are contravening the Consumer Rights Act 2015 but they just don’t care. I shall be reporting them to Trading Standards and applying to the Small Claims Court to recover my cost. Gardening Express I would avoid them at all costs, please read all the online reviews before you buy”

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Posted 3 years ago

“I ordered two red Cordylines which not only took nearly three weeks to reach me but were the poorest, pathetic specimens I have ever seen! Half dead leaves (dried up and wizened) so they must have been despatched in that way. For £20 plus postage it’s a joke! Never again!”