ComplaintsforK Van Bourgondien

• Initial Complaint

  06/03/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I ordered caladium bulbs from this company in March of 2024. Once they came in, I was concerned because the bulbs did not look healthy, but I planted them. After the plants did not come up, I contacted Customer Service to ask for a refund. They replied to give it a little more time, and if they didn't come up, they would make good on them. One group of bulbs didn't come up at all and only a 1/8-1/4 of the others came up. I then emailed them again and asked for a refund. They replied to send pictures. I dug up the bulbs and sent pictures in. I only asked for a refund for the batch that didn't come up at all. Since then, I have realized that the ones that barely came in are not going to produce any more. I have yet to hear anything else from them. I now want my full refund. I will NEVER order anything else from this company again! Not only were the bulbs unhealthy, they haven't done what they promised.

  

  Business response

  06/05/2024

  Hello,

  Please be advised that a refund of $115.08 has been issued for the items that did not grow. This amount will be credited back to your original form of payment via PayPal, which may take up to 10 business days to process.
  Thank you for your understanding.

  Kind regards,
  Michaela W

  Customer response

  06/11/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** ******
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/01/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This is the WORST experience I ever had with a company, DO NOT BUY from them, and take my word, I am a flower farmer and have bought from all of the companies. I am taking the time to write this review because I feel frustrated, as I have been robbed and deceived by this company. I bought almost 600$ of dahlia bulbs and ALL arrived rotten. I sent them the documentation and they said they where going to refund me the money. Its been 3 months, After more than 10 hours of calling, writing, they always come up with excuses. " We issued the check but it did not arrive" " Now we need to wait so finance department voids the check" " You have to wait 7 to 21 days to see if another check arrives"... all CRAP. I still havent got my money back and I am losing so much energy with their incompetence, as no one seems to really try to make it right. It seems as they are not only a mess, but a SCAM. Be aware and buy from other companies as ********* *******, ****, ******** *******, **** ********, which really hold their word, send quality plants and are serious and transparent.

  

  Business response

  06/03/2024

  Hello,

  I would be happy to assist with this customer's inquiry. To proceed, I need the customer's full address, account number, and order number. Once I have this information, I can help resolve the refund issue.

  Kind regards,

  Michaela. W

• Initial Complaint

  04/26/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Refusal to replace/reship dead bulbs for tulips and daffodils in accord with their lifetime warranty guarantee fraudulent advertising deleting 13 years worth of customer purchases and then requiring the customer to provide receipts The loyal customer has been buying bulbs and bare root plants from them since 2006 This year they have become less and less willing to abide by their lifetime warranty replacement of dead plants

  

  Business response

  04/30/2024

  Hello,

  We kindly request that the customer provide photos of the items in question. This will greatly assist us in assessing the situation and determining the appropriate course of action regarding the replacement or refund requested. Once we have received the necessary photos, we will be able to proceed with further assistance for the customer.

  Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me.

  Kind regards,

  Michaela

  Customer response

  05/01/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  We have reviewed the response made by the business K. Van B. (KB) in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve our complaint.  For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.

  We have already provided photos for the tulip replacements. Those photos include both tulips and daffodils which are planted together with the daffodils on two outside rows of garden borders. The 3-4 inside rows of the garden borders are where the tulips are planted. Unfortunately, like many of our tulips, the daffodils are now even fewer in number after very high prectiptation of rain and snow last fall and winter.

  We had to send several photos and then reduce the size of those photo files to get the KB mailserver to accept them. It took a few days to figure out why the files were received, but no photos were displayed. But VB did confirm that they received them. In the past requests for reshipments, we have never been requested to send photos.

  Those photos of tulips and daffodil borders that have been affected due largely to very wet fall and winter weather, especially last year, should still be associated with our account number ******** and associated email correspondence dated 20 Apr and 21 Apr of 2024 regarding requested reshipments in compliance with your lifetime guaranteee.

  As deatailed in those emails, when VB refused to replace our daffodils after deleting 13 years worth of purchases from 2006 to 2018, we got credits for 2,100 tulips and purchased some large yello daffodils. However, we should never had to do that. Hence, we are requesting the following:

  1) that VB cancel the tulip credits and preserve the lifetime guarantee of the 1900 tulip reshipments

  2) reship 1,500 daffodil replacements for the large yellow naturalizing daffodils that we used tulip credits to purchase

  3) adjust our account balance to reflect the reshipments of both the tulips and daffodils along with their lifetime guarntees

  4) provide a refund credited back to our account after cancelling the purchase of daffodils for which VB refused to reship after deleting 13 years worth of daffodil purchases from our account.

  Please cotnact us if you have any questions.

  Thank you for honoring you lifetime warranty on your bulbs and plants.
  

  We have been a loyal customer since 2006!

  Regards,
  

  
  *** * ****** *******

  ###-###-####

  

  Business response

  05/06/2024

  Hello,

  Thank you for reaching out. We appreciate your understanding regarding this matter.
  Upon reviewing the customer's account again, it seems that we have yet to receive the requested pictures. It's important to note that we've reminded the customer about this requirement several times.

  To move forward with the customer's request, we must have the necessary photos to verify the provided details. This aligns with our policy, especially given the substantial refund amount at stake.

  Please be assured that we're fully committed to assisting the customer and resolving this matter satisfactorily. We kindly ask the customer to send the required photos to our customer service email address at service@dutchbulbs.com as soon as possible.

  Upon receiving the photos, we'll promptly assess the situation and explore potential solutions to meet the customer's needs.

  Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

  Kind regards,

  Michaela

  Customer response

  05/07/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.

  As previously explained in our last response to the business K. Van Borg. (VB), we previoulsy provided the attached photos as requested for reshipment of tulip bulbs, which VB accepted and scheduled reshipment for the tulips this fall. Please confirm the number of tulips that VB is reshipping after cancelling the credits applied towards purchase of four large grower bags of your Giant Yellow Daffodills.
  

  The original daffodils were planted next to the tulips in the exterior rows. However, as despicted in the attached photos, no daffodils have survived.

  Please contact me at ###-###-#### if you need assistance with cancelling the previous order for Daffodills and issuing reshipments for tulips and 1,500 of the large yellow naturalizing daffodils.

  We are looking forward to resolving this matter ASAP.

  Thank You in advance for addressing this matter!
  

  Regards,
  

  *** *******
  

  

  Business response

  05/10/2024

  Hello,

  After careful consideration and a thorough review of the customer’s account history, we regret to inform you that we have decided to sever ties with *** *** *******. Our commitment to providing quality products and exceptional service to all our customers is paramount, and unfortunately, we have found that we are unable to meet satisfactory gardening requirements for *** *** *******.

  Upon review, it has come to our attention that a significant portion of the customer purchases with us has resulted in re-shipments, refunds, or replacement certificates totaling $2753.97, surpassing the total amount of $2535.48 in purchases made. While we continually strive to offer products that meet the needs of our customers, it appears that our offerings may not align with the customer's preferences.

  As a result, we will be unable to process any further orders submitted by *** *** *******. Additionally, any pending re-shipments for unsatisfactory products and all new orders will be canceled, and any payments made will be reimbursed to the customer.

  For your convenience, we have attached a spreadsheet detailing the refunds issued for the orders placed with us under (Mr. last names account) since we acquired K.van Bourgondien in 2012.

  We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding in this matter. Should you have any questions or require, please do not hesitate to contact me.

  Kind regards,
  Michaela W

  Customer response

  05/19/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  We have not heard from VB since rejecting their last response and resending photos that were sent to them months earlier in response to their last rquest.
  
  Regards,
  
  *** * ****** *******
  

  Customer response

  05/29/2024

  Refer to purchase history from 2021 to 2024. K VB also has records back to 2019 on their end, but these along with a total of 13 years of purchase records have been deleted by K. VB.

  Hopefully, you will be able to read the file, I had to reduce the size to get a full view copy.

  You can compare the attached purchase history with the K. VB ***** spreadsheet file that is attached to this BBB complaint.

  *** * ****** *******

  

  Business response

  06/19/2024

  Hello,

  Please be advised that this case is now closed from our end. We have made extensive efforts to resolve the customer's issues, including providing multiple refunds, replacements, and credits. At this point, we are unable to offer any further assistance or compensation.
  We appreciate your understanding of this matter.

  Thank you and have a wonderful day.
  Kind regards,

  Michaela

  Customer response

  06/19/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.
  
  Regards,
  
  *** *******
  

• Initial Complaint

  04/16/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I called and spoke to a representative to ask them where my package was that was supposed to be shipped on 4/2/24. The representative told me to contact ***** because they could not. I then contacted ***** regarding my $480.16 flower bulb order for my flower farm and they told me that a label was created on the shippers end but that the package was not delivered to the ***** facility. I was transferred to a manager after 30 minutes of trying to relay this message to the representative and he proceeded to tell me to call back in a few weeks when I receive my order. The bulbs and live roots need planted now and for all I know are sitting in their warehouse in a box. I can’t believe that I had to contact ***** for a package that was never delivered to *****, and I’m shocked that a company isn’t able to find out where a package is in their own warehouse.

  

  Business response

  04/18/2024

  Hello,

  I wanted to inform you that we have reached out to the customer, and a refund will be issued promptly. Additionally, the items will be shipped as soon as they become available.

  Should you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to me.

  Kind regards,

  Michaela

• Initial Complaint

  02/29/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  1/10/24 ordered 5 sets of bulbs and fertilizer for 140.00. Received confirmation shipping last week of January. Prior to shipment the shipping date was moved forward. I called and asked when the ordered would be shipped and adjustments to make account. Again order was pushed back I called again asking.why the agent said she would contact shipping to send my order. Again nothing ordered pushed back because one of the items were not available so I asked order to be sent without the one item and ship as soon as it became available. The agent said she would send a priority request to shipping. Maybe three days later I received an email order was being shipped. This is now the third phone call trying to get my order. Bulbs are quite sensitive to timing and climate so prioritizing insures first pick of the bulb stock the highest quality. Now on the 23rd of February the order was shipped the 24 said it reached Ohio. Been sitting in Ohio for seven days. I was told today shipping takes 7 to 10 days this is not the first delivery as promised on the website. The other problem is website says they should only be stored up to 14 days in the right conditions. Now I would get product that is substantially degraded and product viability in question. I was left no assurance they would check with the shipper, send new product, or adjust invoice for inconvenience. I asked to speak with a manager several times, they are either unavailable, in a meeting or justifying why your need to speak with a manager. This business practice is deceptive and unreliable.

  

  Business response

  03/01/2024

  Hello,

  I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to inform you that the order placed on January 10, 2024, for ****** ******* has been shipped. It's important to note that the provided dates for *** ******* are estimated shipping dates and may be subject to changes, given the nature of the items involved.

  The order was split into two parts. The first portion (***********) was shipped from our warehouse on February 23, 2024, and the second portion (***********) was shipped on February 29, 2024. We kindly ask for your understanding, as once the items leave our warehouse, we recommend allowing 7 to 10 business days for delivery.

  I want to assure you that we stand behind the quality of our products. If, for any reason, they do not grow as expected, we have a guarantee in place. I'll personally monitor this order, tracking it with FedEx. If the items are not delivered within the specified 10 business days, I will take the necessary steps to issue the appropriate credits in accordance with our policies.

  Thank you for your understanding.

  Warm regards,

  Michaela

• Initial Complaint

  01/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This company uses misleading advertising. They rate their plants based on zone compatibility, making it seem like plants will survive winters in those areas, but then the fine print says to lift those plants and store them inside for winter. I'm sorry but a plant is not zoned correctly if you have to bring it indoors in the winter. If this were OK, then companies could advertise tropical plants as zoned for ******, just lift them before winter and bring them indoors. That means all plants are safe for all zones, just have a mobile garden. Sorry that is not the purpose of zoning guidelines. Please stop being deceitful in your advertising.

  

  Business response

  01/24/2024

  Hello,  

  We strictly adhere to the national hardiness zone system, and for this particular customer, their hardiness zone is 7B. Occasionally, certain zones may experience cold snaps. In such cases, we may recommend that specific items be dug up and stored indoors. This could be in a box in a garage or basement, as extreme temperatures may adversely affect certain plants.

  
  All the necessary details regarding this are meticulously outlined in our catalogs and on our website. Should the customer require assistance or guidance in selecting perennials that best suit their needs, they can reach out to our customer service at ###-###-####. We are more than happy to provide support in finding something suitable for them.

  
  Kind regards,

  Michaela W

• Initial Complaint

  10/05/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I paid K Bourgondien $147 in May 2023 for 45 iris bulbs and received one box marked "2 of 3" the first half of September 2023 but the other 2 boxes never arrived. I have a fedex delivery photo showing only one box on my porch but K Van Bourgondien's accounting shows the entire order was complete. I called to complain around Sept 20 and the agent told me they'd ship 2 replacement boxes immediately and would send an Email confirmation which they never did, and the other iris never appeared. I just contacted them again and now they say the bulbs are unavailable but they'll send a future order certificate for $100 instead. I want a refund, not a certificate. Based on their sloppy and/or unscrupulous business practices, I don't want to do business with them. I expect a refund for undelivered goods which they appear loathe to honor. I see a lot of other customers have reported similar issues to BBB. Thanks for you help.

  

  Business response

  10/05/2023

  Hello,

  
  Please be advised that the customer was informed by email that they will receive a full refund for a total of 106.09.

  
  Kind regards,
  Michaela. W

  Customer response

  10/05/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** ******
  

• Initial Complaint

  05/26/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased several items from this company including some pricey hostas. None of the plants came up. No sign of life at all. When I contacted the company they say they don’t have me in their system yet they send me catalogs regularly.

  

  Business response

  05/30/2023

  Hello,

  The customer was advised by email that they have been refunded a total of $70.44 for the items that did not grow. Also provided the customer with an in-house credit that they may use towards their next order and advised that this credit will not expire.

  Kind regards,
  Michaela. W

• Initial Complaint

  04/23/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I placed an order using my Pay Pal account for an order of $104.08 for 20 Assorted Hostas and 20 assorted Lilies. I never received a conformation email, but my Pay Pal account did sent money. When I called the foreigner who answered my call found no orders for me at all. I have an account number given to me by the company #********. After some thought I thought that perhaps because I had ordered through their posting on FB it may have been a scam so I contacted PayPal and disputed the payment. I then went directly to their website and attempted to order again, only this time I only spent $40.+/-. Still have never received a conformation of this order either so now I am out over $140.00!!! I really should have known it was too good to be true but thought it was a reputable firm!

  

  Business response

  04/27/2023

  Hello, unfortunately the order in the amount of $104.08 did not import into our system. We see the dispute has been filed with PayPal, and we have accepted the dispute due to our error. PayPal currently has the funds on hold- We are unable to release those funds, PayPal is responsible for doing so. PayPal Case I******************** Transaction ID:
  *****************. Order *********** in the amount of $46.65 placed on 4.23.23 shipped on 4.26.23 to the following address: *** ******** ***** *** *******, ** **********. You may choose to track this order via FedEx with the following tracking number *********************** The estimated delivery date for this order is Friday 4.28.23, by end of day. 

• Initial Complaint

  03/03/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I called before placing my order for $147.28. I am beginning a business that would include the sale of forced bulbs. I wanted to be sure my order would ship immediately, as I needed a good turn time for my purchase. I was assured my bulbs would ship immediately. It did not. Further, it has shown packed and ready to ship on their site for more than a week. I called today and was told that indeed it is packed in a box waiting to be shipped. So my bulbs have been packed for more than a week, and sit there when I was told before purchase that they would ship immediately. I am now told they will ship in three or so days. I don’t like being told my bulbs would go out immediately and after purchase, weeks later, they are sitting in a box packed to be shipped. It is dishonest business practice to promise something and then not deliver on that promise. Also, the “latest ship by date” on my order details page has now been exceeded, so in writing, they “say” one thing and “do” another. I am quite frustrated and since this is my new business, I won’t have the products to sell at the time the festival comes. I didn’t order elsewhere because I counted on what these people said. In business, it matters, and when it costs me business, it really matters. I am very disappointed and frustrated.

  

  Business response

  03/07/2023

  We do apologize our team member provided wrong information to Ms. ******* regarding when orders ship. Our normal processing time is 7-10 days, we have taken this opportunity to remind our team members of our shipping policy when dealing with live goods. I have attached the tracking information for Ms. ******** order, number *********00, the order is currently scheduled to be delivered on 3.8.23 by the end of the day. In addition a full refund in the amount of $147.29 has been issued to Visa ending in **** expiring 05/24. Ms. ******* should keep the order as a portion of our apology for providing wrong information. We kindly ask Ms. ******* to allow 7-10 business days for receipt of this credit. Should she have questions regarding this credit she may reference credit memo number **********

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩