Gardening Express Reviews

Name: Gardening Express
Address: Gardening Express, Chelmsford, Essex
Rating: 1.16

1.2 Rating 1,759 Reviews

3 %

of reviewers recommend Gardening Express

Company Reviews

Questions

Metrics

1.2

Based on 1,759 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 27th June 2025

630

Anonymous

Anonymous // 01/01/2019

Filter: Rated 1 None 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Stars Helpful

“1 star – Unacceptable delay and poor communication I placed an order with Garden Express on the 5th of May and, as of today (over 16 working days later), I have still not received a clear update or my delivery. The tracking information has remained vague and unhelpful throughout, and I have no idea whether the order is even on its way. What’s most disappointing is the lack of proper customer support. Despite multiple follow-ups, I’ve received no meaningful response—just generic messages with no real resolution. For a company that deals in time-sensitive items like plants, this level of service is simply unacceptable. I’ve now had to demand either a full refund or a guaranteed delivery within 24 hours, and have asked for the matter to be escalated to a supervisor. This has been a frustrating and disappointing experience from start to finish. I would not recommend Garden Express to anyone”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 month ago

“I ordered two standard roses in February. It’s now nearly the end of May and they look very poor. No growth and some dead branches at the top. GE make it difficult to complain. I have sent bark test photos and photos of the roses but they keep sending the same message about sending photos. Really fed up as I gave them a great review not so long ago. I would like a credit note but don’t think it’s going to happen. They have taken themselves off Resolver which are usually so helpful but obviously are having lots of complaints”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 month ago

“Can only agree with all the poor reviews , the Acer I ordered was a spindly stick , refund if I I send it back at my expense and with original label , they are an absolute disgrace of a company , do not buy from them !!”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 months ago

“Plants ordered easily, they took roughly 2 weeks to arrive (as indicated). Unfortunately, the packaging was an oversized, ripped cardboard box with 2 plants inside. The box ripped in transit (we assume), and was clearly battered. The plants inside were on top of each other with broken stalks, and we do not believe that - even with proper care- they will survive. We contacted customer service for a resolution (we simply wanted the plants replaced by healthy plants). Levi responded and was pleasant and apologetic (except for insisting that the plants ought to survive with proper care, which was a little insulting to gardeners with more than half a century of experience), but entirely without any decision making ability beyond a £10 partial refund. This means that we are left with plants which are unlikely to bloom in future, and have paid handsomely for the privilege of nursing them to a fairly certain future (the rubbish bin). Several issues: -1. Packaging was not suitable. The box was far too big, and poorly constructed. We have regularly ordered from other sites (eg. Farmer Gracy) and have come to expect reasonably robust packaging. -2. The courier service (Yodel) clearly didn't take the necessary care of the package, and allowed the plants to be tossed around in the back of a van, possibly upside down, resulting in a completely torn box and broken plants. -3. The customer service agent needs to be empowered to replace plants like-for-like in events like this. We didn't want a refund. We wanted healthy plants. We would have accepted a full refund, but this was not forthcoming either. As it is, we have paid for shoddy products and service. Very, very poor.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 months ago

“Absolute scam of a company. Sent dead plants to us. Sent an email asking for a refund. Returned email said I needed clearer photos. Sent clearer photos. Ignored for a few days. Another email send asking for a reply. Returned email gave a mumbo jumbo answer about the plants not being dead and expertly grown. Sent another email asking for a refund. Returned email stated that they needed 'proof' that it was dead. Still refusing to take the return. Sending emails to trading standards. Scam company. Do not buy from them!”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 months ago

“This is the third order I’ve had from gardening express unfortunately as I’ve booked it over a bank holiday it took a long time to come. It arrived today and most of the plants are so dry which needed water and some had been cut off at source because there was hardly anything left on the plant. Never again when I ever buy from this company absolute joke total waste of £60. I could’ve gone to Sainsbury’s and got the same amount of plants for £30. and got nectar points.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 months ago

“Received damaged plants after a massive delay. Then they refused to replace or refund. Just leave me with damaged plants. When i insisted they sent me a return form but told me to pay for the return courier cost. Ridiculous company without any no form of responsibility”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 months ago

“Shocking service so far. I'm a commercial gardener and i thought id give this company a go. So far haven't dispatched my order nor given me any means of contacting them so i can know when my order will arrive.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 months ago

“Very disappointed The plant they sent was not the one in the website photo and customer support just insisted it was a slightly different variety. I ordered a Photinia 'Volcano' Red Robin as per the photo with smooth leaves but they sent a Magical Volcano variety with serrated leaves and Customer Support just said If you were wanting the standard Red Robin with smooth leaves, I would suggest to order the standard red robin and not the Volcano variety. they would do nothing.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 months ago

“£66 for an ugly diseased twig from their bargain bucket, that arrived after their latest estimate. No customer support contact number and would have to pay a third the money to return it. Absolute rip off but unfortunately this poor review will get lost with all the other poor reviews. Spent less money at a local garden centre for a decent replacement.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 months ago

“Supposedly dark green Portuguese laurel hedging plants have turned up bright yellow!! Completely patronising customer services advise me they will turn dark green in time- somehow I doubt it. I will never use this company again and would advise others likewise.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 months ago

“Bunch of cowboys. Supplied pillar fruit trees that they'd pruned the main trunk 18 inches from the ground causing them to bush! Customer service suggest they will grow into a pillar and their so called experts say the same. Obviously they have no idea how trees grow and blame me for not training the branches, to replace the main trunk they cut! Waste of money and this company is a waste of space.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 months ago

“Don’t waste your time Ordered x6 pairs of bamboo and took an age to be delivered. Only x3 pairs arrived initially and some of these were in really poor condition. The same can be said of the remaining x3 pairs which did arrive a few days later but I think may have been left in a warehouse/van somewhere. Message customer services and had to send detailed pictures of every single plant to which their response was that they were fine and could be revived! They look absolutely nothing like the picture on website (miles off in fact!) and have yellow and crispy leaves. I certainly won’t be purchasing from them again and although local garden centre more expensive at least your supporting local business and the plants you get aren’t half dead.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 months ago

“Extremely Disappointed with Gardening Express I had a terrible experience with Gardening Express. I ordered plants expecting them to arrive in good condition, but they were completely damaged upon delivery. When I reported the issue, it took them over two days to respond—an unacceptably slow customer service experience. Instead of offering a refund or replacement, they blamed the delivery process and told me to plant the damaged plants anyway. How could I plant something that was clearly unusable and could have potentially been asked to be returned? Their response was dismissive and completely unhelpful. Worst customer service I’ve ever experienced—no accountability, no proper resolution, just excuses. I will never buy from Gardening Express again, and I highly advise others to avoid this company. ORDER 700591718”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 months ago

“Plants arrived dead. Packaging terrible. They took 3 weeks to deliver. Bad customer service. Treat you like an idiot. No telephone number you can contact.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 months ago

“half the plants I ordered arrived dead. I got in touch with customer services who werent happy with the photos I sent and wanted more photos sending. I tried to send more photos and the email was "undeliverable". I had to then send them through their message service and heard nothing back. They completely ignored my messages and I'm left with dead plants that are only good for the bin. DONT buy from this company. The plants are just hanging on for dear life at best and their customer service is none existent”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 months ago

“I ordered five ivy plants but the quality of the plants was poor. I emailed their customer services but they’re unwilling now to assist as I wrote an online review about my experience. A copy worth avoiding as they’re not interested in customer satisfaction.”

Helpful Report

Posted 7 months ago

“Plant specimens inferior to pictures advertised. Rubbish company with appalling customer services with inferior overpriced products and NO chance of a refund from them.”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 months ago

“3 out of 4 roses arrived dead. Gardening Express refused to give a refund. Would not recommend will not be using again.”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 months ago

“Gardening Express is a disreputable company. I sent customer services some photos (below) of the appalling condition my plants arrived in. Sarah replied to ask me to re-send them. I sent them again and she said I would have to send a photo of each plant (all 18!). If only Gardening Express put half as much effort into carefully packaging orders instead of avoiding admitting their mistake and taking responsibility.”

Gardening Express 1 star review on 28th October 2024

Helpful Report

Posted 8 months ago

Gardening Express is rated 1.2 based on 1,759 reviews