Complaint Review: Henry Fields

I saw your reports on a former business in my hometown--Henry Field Seed and Nursery Company--and the problems people have had with their products.

Field's is no longer in business in Shenandoah, and have, in fact, declared bankruptcy. There is a Customer Service area with the new owners where people may send their comments: service@henryfields.com.

The FAQ said it would take 24 hours to respond and if the person includes their complete mailing address and order number, the response will be much quicker. Their registered trade-mark is now owned by Scarlet Tanager LLC. As for the myseasons website, t
he complete address is:
http://henryfields.com/index.asp?eid=myseasons.

I tried looking up their 800-phone number on several sites and it evidently does not exist in Iowa.

Orders from Henry Field's all took a very, very, long time. Called to check on order.

Rec'd 10 red cedars (junipers, really) with roots soaking in water in which was a long shipping time. Cedars like very good drainage and full sun and can handle drought conditions. Most were dead and the few which may have been salvaged were shipped so late in the year that they too stood little likelihood of survival. Needless to say, contacted the company several times and never rec'd replacement.

Also 4 bee balm plants, (also, rec'd many, many, many months after initial order), did not make it. I never even bothered with replacement for these. I was always told I would have someone call me. No one did. I was told when plants I have been waiting on, came in they would attempt federal expressing them. Nothing ever expressed, federal or otherwise.

Also, purchased two paw paw trees, (close to last delivery), and they were in little pots and were green and healthy looking, which I paid $10.00 each for. Big dissapointment in that they were 2 inches tall.

I believe that Henry Field's purchased other businesses, and/or overextended themselves w/o having the planting available, and were not able to get plants in time and perhaps shipped plants not rooted enough for transfer, etc. My order alone resultd in three or four separate shipments, which obviously cost them an add'l amt. that would have been avoided I feel if they had plant material readily available.

Bottom line as stated, never rec'd replacement, and perhaps for the best,as these would be as immature and not ready for shipment as well and would have died, and even later in the summer being hard on plant to recoup.

And shame on them that their livelihood must be questioned and pressure applied for them to have an honest operating business and advise of a difficulty and trying to be more honest, but instead giving glib responses and knowingly, I suspect, advising their employees to give false promises in order to avoid any further dealings with their customers, after receiving their money.

A better business bureau being peers monitoring one another pretty much over one of their industry being blatently irresponsible and thereby tarnishing the whole industry; at which point their whole reason for being being questioned; I will forwarn others of purchasing from this company and rest assured with ask of any ownership related to them in the future

Even reputable companies will pay the price of future credibility due to Henry Fields'lack thereof.