Wrong dahlia tubers from Thompson & Morgan

snowman

I bought 7 named dahlia tubers from Thompson & Morgan in January. Each came in a sealed bag with the names of the varieties I had ordered on each. They have now all flowered and none are the varieties named on the bags. The flowers are not the colour or shape ordered and are very inferior specimens - like seedlings that should have been discarded. 
This cannot be explained as the occasional packing error but gross negligence or dishonesty. Random tubers have been packed in any bag.
Has anyone else had this experience with T&M?

punkdoc

I think most people find T@M to be dreadful.

thevictorian

You can only really contact them and see what they say. Good luck with that though. I am in general a very laid back, forgiving person but their customer service was so dreadful (they sent me rotted eryngiums and then claimed I'd killed them) and downright offensive that I argued my point until I got a refund. If they would have held their hands up and said it was an honest mistake I'd have been fine with that. 

I'm not sure how you would prove these are the same dahlias you were sent, so I think you'll have a fight on your hands unfortunately.

didyw

I have had the wrong dahlias twice now, each from different suppliers (not T&M).  It's so annoying as you don't find out until months later when they start flowering.  

Dovefromabove

We bought a named tuber from a local GC ... Creme de Cognac   https://www.brecks.com/product/creme-de-cognac-dahlia

... it isn't ... it's a white cactus with purple tips ... a bit like 'Jura' but an inferior form. 

Hey ho ... 


On a different tack, we grew Dahlia 'Waltzing Mathilda' last year and it was marvellous (bought from Sarah Raven or Crocus as a potted plant).  This year the same tuber is producing single almost plain crimson blooms ... I'm putting it down to the heat.  

B3

Buying dahlias is a bit of a lottery. I've got at least one I didn't expect but fortunately, I rather like it - which is not always the case😒.
I think the problem is further up the line with the growers.

Athelas

I’ve not bought from T&M, but I bought a ‘Cornel’ tuber from Sarah Raven which several months later turned out to be what I believe is ‘Embassy’ (very healthy). I emailed Sarah Raven customer services and was immediately refunded the cost of the tuber (£3.95).

https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/comment/2527835#Comment_2527835

thevictorian

Whilst I agree that it's not necessarily the retailers fault it is how they deal with it that shows how good the company is.

roshnimistry1

I had the same experience 2 years ago - this is why I am growing Cafe Au Lait for the first time this year! I avoided T&M this year and have had no issues with the other retailers I bought dahlias from, I would avoid them too I'm afraid

Fire

Dovefromabove said:

We bought a named tuber from a local GC ... Creme de Cognac 

It now makes me wonder if SR sent me the wrong tuber of C de C.

This is the advertised colour - corals and toffees.

       

What I actually have is a plant with neon, lumious yellow flowers with pink streaks. If I had to design a dahlia I didn't want, it would be that. At first  I thought it was just an unlucky variation on a cognac theme, a horrible accident. Now I wonder if it's a different type all together. Or maybe the cultivar is just unstable. It's one thing I do like about the Bishop series - you know exactly what you are going to get, with remarkably stable colour. No nasty surprises.

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(here with Aruna in the middle)

WAMS

Yours is nicer IMO