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 placed my order on the 12 April and on the 27th May I received only part of my order, Three of the items were missing. The trees that arrived were half dead and one blew over the head completely snapped of because it was that dry. I submitted four support tickets, emailed them, Messaged them via facebook and haven't had a single reply apart from an automated response. They have had over £60 of my hard earned money, and i'm advising people on here, please be wary of this company. I had to give them one star because that was the lowest option. Do not order from this company. My experience tells me use another supplier.”

Gardening Express 1 star review on 20th June 2020

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Posted 5 years ago

“Placed my order on 13th April and paid £86.40 of my precious money - after waiting nearly 7 weeks and trying to contact this company- only by email as they have suspended their web chat and phone number, I contacted Trading Standards - they advised me to write to them which I did and miraculously, 2 days later my order was sent to ‘processing’ - 3 weeks on, today I received my ‘ ‘plants’ - some were rotting, others were like twigs and dead looking! Absolutely disgusting - hence I will be claiming for a refund. Please everyone - DO NOT ORDER FROM THIS COMPANY!”

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Posted 5 years ago

“Iam so cross that i didnt read the reviews before placing my order. My money was taken immediately, I tried to cancel, but won't let me, he e-mailed lots of times , but just receive another number. Plants arrived 8 weeks later, in a bad condition. Have complained but just received another ticket number. Would like a refund, but sounds like I'm one person in a long line. In future I will use local garden centres, where you can see what you are buying.”

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Posted 5 years ago

“TERRIBLE company please don't use 6 weeks for order sent an email to them to cancel no reply not even a telephone number how can a company operate that that says it all really just shows how careful you have to be buying online I will always check the reviews in future”

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Posted 5 years ago

“As has been said before, there is nothing Express about this gardening experience and don't expect a reply to your support ticket in a hurry either. Complaints are never well received.”

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Posted 5 years ago

“I have had a truly dreadful experience with gardening express - there has been absolutely nothing 'express' about it. I ordered plants in early April, and was aware that there may be a 2-4 week wait because of Covid19, and also that customer service might be a bit reduced. What I didn't realise was that I would get absolutely zero customer service, with noone replying to either emails or online tickets and an inability to cancel my order even when I'd waited over 2 months for it. Eventually some of the plants I no longer wanted arrived after almost 3 months and the only response when I complained was an automated message saying that I would have to arrange for them to be posted back if I wanted any kind of refund. I am now in a dispute via my credit card company with this dreadful company now and would urge others not to place an order.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“Unfortunately I have nothing positive to say about this company. Here’s a little questionnaire I’ve filled out: When was your ordered placed? April 22nd What was the cost? £82.86 Were you satisfied with the product? I can’t comment because I still haven’t received it after 58 days. Did you receive adequate customer service? No, I’ve counted 7 emails sent, I’ve had two replies. One being a generic response stating they can’t answer my email because they’re too busy. The other from Roger, who ignored my request for a refund and suggested my order was being dealt with. The next day my order status for 51 days of “processing” went to “preparing Your order” that was 6 days ago and is still the same status. Are there anyways you think the company could improve? I believe huge emphasis on customer service and management of the ordering system would prevent many highly dissatisfied customers. It’s clear the company is overstretched with orders, yet are still taking more. The communication is not acceptable. There is no telephone system, the emails are being ignored and I have three support tickets still open, ranging from mid May until now. Would you recommend gardening express and why? I would definitely not recommend gardening express. The delivery time is beyond acceptable, and without the option of a refund is unlawfuL”

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Posted 5 years ago

“I cannot stress how terrible this company is. High ranking website but Shocking customer service and terrible, badly cared for, broken, dead and half dead plants shoved in boxes that were too small from them. No response from them after I sent them pictures. No phone. No address.”

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Posted 5 years ago

“My experience of GE not good 13 May – Lockdown luckily with a small garden, decided to order plants in the nice – browse some sites and find a month delivery times, but then find GE, only 3-5 days, in very exceptional circs 10-15 days. Ok, looks good, I can wait 15 days if I absolutely have to but maybe it will only be 3 and I’ll be lucky. 14th May - £97 taken from my credit card. 15th May – Get an automated email saying delivery times are extended – it may be 2-4 weeks now. That’s too long, I decide to cancel. Go onto my order, cancel button removed, can’t cancel. Look for a phone number, doesn’t exist, look for an address to see if they are local, postcode only, seems to be the middle of an empty field in Essex. Can’t see an email. Bit annoyed really. 16th May – decide to browse reviews of GE – OH MY GOSH! Boy should I have read them before. Seems people are waiting 2 months, no I’m not waiting that long. I try and contact them again, find the owner’s name, also find he is due to be on Radio 4 to answer questions about bad service, also find he owns another nursery as well as the online only one somewhere in Essex, and I read an itnerview saying as a garden centre owner thinks they should stay closed during lockdown for everybody’s safety – putting safety over profits and all that – doesn’t mention he also has an online version. 17th May – still angry. Read more reviews. One directs me to Companies House, where I see the registered address is a snooker in some town in Essex. The reviewer also gives the owners home address, which I won’t give here as that’s totally inappropriate and harassing, but it’s no small pad, let me tell you. 18th May – I go onto their site again, ticket system in operation, the only way you can contact them. I raise a ticket saying, politely, as you have changed your delivery terms since I ordered and blocked the refund option on my order, please would you cancel it at your end and refund me. No answer beyond the automated email that I’ve already got 19th May – a real reply from a real person, but all they’ve done is cut and pasted one of the FAQs about not getting a refund after 24 hours, no answer to my other questions about why they took the money when they knew they couldn’t deliver. I was polite still, I said as the terms had been changed it was an idea to, at that point, offer customers an option – continue waiting or have a refund. That may stop some of the angry reviews and bring a few people back on board, give them a choice, a fair one, and they may appreciate it. May even have been willing to wait if you gave them a choice. No response. 20th May – no response 21st May – no response 22nd May – no response 23rd May – no response Are you getting the idea?? I keep writing, getting more and more angry. It’s the lack of communication more than anything. 17th June – FIVE weeks, multiple unanswered messages, no cancellation, no plants, by now I’ve got steam coming out of my ears, five weeks is a perfectly reasonably time to give them when it was originally 3-5 days. I call my bank and ask them to process a refund based on non-delivery after 30 days, a perfectly legal thing for me to do and the bank confirmed that. I should get my money in a month. I post a message on as many review sites as I can find as that is the only way to vent my frustration, I don’t like to do it, but I feel they forced me by their ‘hands over hears singing’ approach to this. But there are some good reviews, not nearly as many, but they all have the ‘invited’ stamp on them, seemingly they are prompted by GE to write, sounds a bit strange.. But maybe some people do get their plants and they alive, I’d like to think so. But not me… I’m still furious 18th June – I add another note to my unanswered and now very angry tickets, saying I have started the process of a refund via my bank for non delivery. I copy them the confirmation from Barclays. Lo and behold a few hours later I get a message saying it’s too late to cancel now, the plants are being packed. I see similar has happened to other customers when I read the reviews. No response until evidence of money being refunded. I reply to say sorry too late, I’ve already contacted my bank and I cancelled my order in writing 4 weeks ago via the ticket system as that is the only method you offer. If you choose not to read the messages when they are the only way we can contact you, that’s your choice. I say if they put out my delivery I will refuse it. 19th – No reply but get an automated email saying ‘good news! Your delivery is on it’s way!’. The reference they give for tracking doesn’t work, so I can’t do anything to stop it. However I find the delivery company number and talk to them, they find my order and say it is only at their central unit not far from Essex and they can return it to sender. I send a final message to GE to say, refund underway, delivery cancelled, I never want to hear from you again. 20th – tomorrow, I am looking forward to going to my lovely little garden centre to buy some beautiful plants, 15 mins away, owned genuinely by a local, and I will have them the same day. Then I am going to put this GE experience well behind me and learn from it, next time I will check reviews before I order! I feel so bad about the companies that were honest about their delivery times, as I didn’t buy with them, as I was fed the lies from GE, more fool me. Please don’t let this happen to you”

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Posted 5 years ago

“Just terrible customer service. Plants are very expensive and no signs of refunds. Ridiculous company who I imagine won’t survive post covid”

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Posted 5 years ago

“May 10th places an order. It is now 30 working days.Customer service an absolute joke. Keep getting gratuitous emails apologising....taken £65 of mine. Don’t answer the flag ups. Don’t answer anything. Still advertising though. Covid is just an excuse.....”

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Posted 5 years ago

“Not good. Ordered on 14 April. Plants well past their best delivered on 16 June. Numerous emails telling customers that there was a pandemic. Yes but the money was taken immediately. I won’t be ordering from them again.”

Gardening Express 1 star review on 19th June 2020

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Posted 5 years ago

“PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE FROM HERE !!! Covid is no excuse for this horrific service especially when supporting them in this crisis..Had I read previous reviews I would never have trusted or purchased from this site. I placed an order 12th may 2020 and appear to be missing some plants! Have raised numerous complaint tickets to no avail have I had a response to resolve matters. NOW READING other reviews and know now I just have to get in contact with my credit company to try and retrieve a refund as they will not get back to you. The experience has been extremely frustrating and stressful and would not want others to go through this.”

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Posted 5 years ago

“Would have preferred to give 0 rating we placed our order 25 April still haven't received anything. Have requested refund but all emails tickets ignored until today 18/6/20 I had an email confirming they received my complaint and refund request . Said they can't refund as my order is with a courier. No mention which courier. I've had no message from a courier. Utterly disgusting customer service the company are con artists & fraudsters. Do not order anything from them.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“18th April I placed an order after many emails it was according to them despatched to courier on 2nd June. I have STILL not received it. I have raised many support tickets which has received an automated response. Do not buy from this company they take your money under false prentences.”

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Posted 5 years ago

“Absolutely disgusting service Plants order early April. After many texts after 4 weeks status change from processing to packing after another 2 week courier said awaiting your parcel so it now June we requested money back , no response. Today parcel of dreadful condition plants arrived. The label on box said 4th of June today is the 18th of June! Don’t get sucked in by them”

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Posted 5 years ago

“Worst company on the planet. can help thinking 5 star ratings are from friends of the company but all in all atrocious company that need to be reported for trading standards, police and watchdog plus anyone else that can stop this company trading. Please see the photos of my lovely Acre”

Gardening Express 1 star review on 18th June 2020

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Posted 5 years ago

“Gardening Express....Should be called Gardening Excuse. I order £125.00 of shrubs in April. They perorated to have in stock and managing delivers. Made several attempts to contact them. Absolute no way can you get a response. It would be easier access to the Queen. Sent several "tickets". But did received several "Sorry we are too busy to reply. We are busy packing thousands of order each week ...Your order is on its way " I've informed by bank FRAUD. This company needs to be closed down with immediate effect. Stealing money and or sending goods not fit for purpose . One Star is too good for them.”

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Posted 5 years ago

“The worst company I have ever dealt with. I ordered over £100 worth of plants nearly two months ago. I have tried to cancel the order numerous times and they ignore all my “tickets” and emails. They are now insisting that I have to accept my order as it is being “ processed”. The law states that I am entitled to a full refund after 30 days, so they are breaking the law. Utterly awful experience.”

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Posted 5 years ago

“I ordered a acer tree for a friend in the beginning of May,it took was to arrive and when it did the box looked like it traveled around the world the box was all battered and the tree not only battered but dead,it was no good sending it back it took long enough to get here so took photos sent them off.Had 3 emails off them all the same still processing, their costumer service is diabolical.”

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Posted 5 years ago

Gardening Express is rated 1.2 based on 1,790 reviews