Dull green yew delivered. Told to wait a year for replacements since they died, is this normal?

Bea18

Hi, bit new to this, so need some help. I ordered quite a few yew trees bare root end of last year. Many of them were a much duller green than the rest which looked fresh and healthy in comparison. These did not take and are now dried brown husks sticking out of the ground. I was very careful. Soaked them in a light seaweed mix, dipped in myco rootgrow, topped with manure and mulch, watered in. I also raised the area they are planted a little, I know yew don't like to be too wet. The only plants close by is the neighbours grass, admittedly a couple of feet away. I told the suppliers when they arrived of the dull ones. They said they would replace dead plants. I sent them the photos of the dead ones recently, having waited hoping they would recover. They told me I hadn't watered them. The pea seedlings thriving just behind them and my almost two hundred potted plants are fine. The ones that are dead are the dull green ones, and you can see that some plants are dead beside others that are thriving. I sent an email detailing everything, and they told me I still needed to wait until the end of June to complain, and then wait until the end of the year when they lift plants before I can replace them. Paying for them, digging them in, caring for them, watering them every day knowing they are dead and losing a year of growing, seems harsh. Can't afford to splash out and the garden looks terrible lined with dead yew with some thriving ones between them. Comments? Is this the way it is and I need to just crack on and live with it? I get tired easily so effort is a big deal for me, and this has been really disheartening.

Jellyfire

I think you are well working your rights to kick up a fuss. It’s not the time for bare root planting, but they could lift and pot some I presume 

Bea18

Yes, they could send me some that are potted up, or maybe dug up, but if they don't have any in pots, digging up at this time of year might result in more dead plants? This is what I mean, is this just one the things about ordering plants? It's not encouraging my kids to keep going, spending ages trying to grow these and having loads of dead yew that we are still watering in case they might come back. I've noticed that most traders (generally) just ignore problems after they have your money. Should I just write this off? There are too many gaps to have a hedge, but I don't want to pull out the healthy yew, don't have the money to waste - and don't know what to do.

Nollie

You are well within your legal rights to demand a refund. If any product is defective within 6 months it is treated under a European-wide directive on consumer rights as if it were faulty to begin with and you are entitled to a refund. Don’t let them brush you off with anything less. It’s obvious you have been caring for and watering them because of the healthy yews growing next to them! Buy your replacements somewhere else.

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BenDover

If you paid by credit card and it cost more than a £100 then contact your card issuer and ask to place the transaction in dispute.  It should be covered under S75 of the Consumer Credit Act.  Give them all the details of what you've done.  You may need to fill out a form but technically, you should get a refund.  If the credit card company tries to wriggle out of it by saying only a handful of trees have died and therefore by division the transaction is less than £100, then say no - you bought a hedge, not a selection of individual trees and you're entitled to a refund because you've not got a hedge.

hogweed

How many out of the total number you bought does this apply to? That would give us a better sense of the problem. Although I do think you should be due a replacement of the ones that have died. Or a refund.