Gardening Express Reviews

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

1.2 Rating 1,790 Reviews

3 %

of reviewers recommend Gardening Express

Company Reviews

Questions

Metrics

1.2

Based on 1,790 reviews

Shipping & Delivery
Delivery Methods	Courier
Average Delivery Time	Over A Month
On-time Delivery	Greater than 16%
Accurate And Undamaged Orders	Greater than 30%
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 2nd September 2025

Varese

Gardening Express 1 star review on 24th July 2025

Anonymous

Gardening Express 1 star review on 27th June 2025

Anonymous

635

Anonymous

Anonymous // 01/01/2019

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

“I ordered two sago palms for my friend 60th birthday they did not arrive. No money to buy my friend anything else. So i had to cancel what would of been a good night in the pub garden.for her birthday. Looks like very few got their orders. Trading standards on monday . And well worth taking it to the small claims court. My bank have refused to pay me back as well. No phone number ignoring all emails. While the Chief executive sits in his ivory towers living off peoples well earned cash.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Just about the worst on line company to deal with. Delivered a half dead plant costing £40. Note on it suggesting nurture it back to life???? Didn’t improve. Customer services suggested waiting until warm weather arrives ? The frost had already gotten to it wherever it came from. I sent photos of the plants deterioration but got nowhere. Refused a refund said it was still “alive”. So very disappointing as it was a Japanese fugi tree (13” in height? DONT BE DRAW. IN BY THEIR ADVERTISING!! Save your money. Less stress”

Gardening Express 1 star review on 6th May 2021

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Posted 4 years ago

“Customer service is a joke! They do not reply to emails and then if you explore the chat facility they cut you off. That’s on top of sending out dead plants, or rather, pots of soil”

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Posted 4 years ago

“The worst internet purchase experience ever. Ordered on 11 April , turned up 27th April reported in 28th and ignored. Plants sent were not as described a Spindle Tree was sent as a bush. A cherry Bush was Two Twigs. . Tried the “chat” facility should be called “sit & wait then get ignored” facility. I tried email next and no response to images sent. Do not forget that all internet purchases are covered by “Distance Selling Regulations” and you are entitled to a refund if not as described. I had to report it to my card provider to get my £116 back.”

Gardening Express 1 star review on 4th May 2021

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Sill have not received my order and no one replies to any text I send”

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Posted 4 years ago

“I'll tell you what went wrong Gardening Express. The clematis were so minuscule I thought I'd been sent empty pots and palm plants were barely alive on arrival. Like other reviewers I thought I could wave a magic wand and try and revive them, but then I fell foul of their 14 day rule and was expected to pay the cost of returning them. Don't be lured in by their fancy website, plants and customer service are rubbish.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Absolutely appalling experience. Placed an order, my money was taken immediately but several weeks passed before my order actually arrived (all plants dead or mouldy & dying). Sent 3 emails to customer services - all of which were never responded to. The customer support line was even closed at one point so there was no way for customers to make contact, which I’ve never come across in all my years of online shopping! In the end my bank refunded me - would have lost £112 otherwise. Never ever again, incompetent, money grabbing and not a clue about customer service. This company doesn’t deserve to still be running. They even had the nerve to flag my honest and understanding negative review on TrustPilot. Please don’t risk losing your money to these thieves.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Half of my order was delivered and the rest "to follow". Have sent 2 emails but no response. Plants were rather small, would have passed them without looking had I seen them in a nursery. Will boycott them from now on. Not a way to run a business if they want customers to return, certainly I won't bother. They've got my money but I'm left with no plant.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Poor quality plants. Switched off support service on facebook and no reply to e-mails in spite of sending photos. One plant dead on arrival. Will never use again.”

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Posted 4 years ago

“Ordered two Korean Dwarf Lilac Shrubs. They sent standard trees instead. When I complained they sent a replacement which was also standard trees. They obviously don’t know the difference between a tree and a shrub. They never respond to e-mails and will only re-act when threatened with the involvement of you credit card company. I am left with plants I don’t want as they will not send out a courier to collect them. Shocking service I would advise going to your local garden centre rather than use this Company.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Awful company - they haven't delivered my order and don't respond to any email or requests for contact!! A complete joke - no telephone line to talk to anybody either AVOID AT ALL COSTS - BUY FROM YOUR LOCAL GARDEN CENTRE -THESE PEOPLE ARE JUST CROOKS”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“I highly recommend you don't buy from them I feel my mental health going worst with the frustration of trying to get a refund from them. The plant arrives broken and deaths. No refund. I have to denounce to raise the concern with this company.”

Gardening Express 1 star review on 26th April 2021

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Posted 4 years ago

“I paid £ 15.95 for this!!! When I complained, the customer service was shocking - do not use - there are much better companies out there.”

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Posted 4 years ago

“I'm so upset with this company. I ordered som plants and waited for them to arrive. Unfortunstley within about 3/4 weeks, gradually they are all turning brown and two are completely dead. Never head this issue with online pla t orders before. Contacted customer to ask if they can resolve this and told as I didn't contact them within 14 days of delivery, they can't help me! I was trying to look after them and nurse them back to health before I made a complaint. Their customer service is totally unacceptable. I won't be ordering from them again! So disappointed!!”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“I ordered a shrub 14th of April the payment was taken out of my account I understand about the corona virus causing delays but ordered plants from another firm they were here within a few days. £6.95 delivery gardening express charged disappointing!!!”

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Posted 4 years ago

“I ordered 5 plants, of which only one survived the first few days. They arrived weak, all crammed into one box, despite different sizes. £50 wasted. I would NOT recommend.”

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Posted 4 years ago

“Terrible experience , I received my plants and quite frankly I am disgusted! These plants were described as “ bushy plants up to 60cms tall , but what I actually received are barely twigs ! it most certainly not because of the time of year as I have two others I bought elsewhere which are beautiful plants and cheaper £2.50 cheaper . When I complained they said they look like how they would expect them to ! ( see picture , certainly NOT. The bushy plants they advertised. They escalated my complaint and were supposed to reply within 48 hours, this is now 4 days and they have not bothered. They are 100 per cent guilty of false and misleading advertising , trade descriptions act 1968. They expect you to return the plants at your own expense despite charging extra for delivery if you want them to even consider a refund ! Appauling complany Do NOT shop with them.”

Gardening Express 1 star review on 24th April 2021

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“We bought several plants, some arrived in bad state, some where ok, the problem is that any come back to Gardening Express results in no resolution, they continually fob you off with your complaint saying you are important customer to them but nothing actually gets resolved. We have managed to save two plants which came root ball all out of its container, we have not been able to save two cordyline plants which were £42 each, the leaves brown and dead, clearly left their warehouse in that state. We have been unable to get any response for over 6 weeks now despite hours waiting on the phone to speak with someone, online chat also complete waste of time. My advice avoid this company.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“Received a couple of grasses last October and planted them within a day of receiving. I have extensive knowledge of grasses and was disappointed when they didn't come through this Spring - dug them out and they were completely dead. Messaged them to advise and they replied to say "There are certain plants we supply that will either perish due to seasonality or will easily perish if they are not given the necessary care and attention, for this reason your plants are not covered by the terms of the 5 year guarantee". So basically they just assumed I hadn't taken care of them, without even asking any pertinent questions or requesting photos. As I was replying to them, they messaged that as the chat was now "idle" they were closing it down, so I didn't even get the chance to respond to them. They have absolutely no intention of ever admitting that they may have supplied inferior plants and their generalised response is that the customer had not looked after them properly. There is a brick wall in place for complaints. Dreadful customer service and and I would never ever use this company again - no wonder they don't have a phone number for contact, they'd be permanently engaged!! I have asked them to escalate my issue as an official complaint, but I can see exactly where that request will go. If I could have given them no stars, I would have. Steer clear of this company is all I can say.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“I ordered a plant from Gardening Express to commemorate my late father in law, who died on 1 January. The item tool so long to arrive (nothing like the timescale of 3-5 days on the website) that we had to be away to arrange my grandmother's affairs (she also passed recently). Gardening Express were completely inflexible and compassionless about rearranging delivery to accommodate the fact I had to be elsewhere, adding significantly to my stress at a hard time. I told them I was bereaved and they just didn't care. When the plant arrived it was small and badly formed. Overalls the experience was so bad that I really hope karma bites them.on the bum. Will never use again..”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

Gardening Express is rated 1.2 based on 1,790 reviews