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Secret Gardening Club

robmb007JQ38Nu1srobmb007JQ38Nu1s Posts: 4
in Plants
Who esle has found this outfit unfit to be selling to honest gardeners? No communications and they just send out what they feel like no matter what you have paid for. Should be closed down by Trading Standards. AVOID.  
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  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,153
    A couple of threads on here already, here is one.
    https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1062065/secret-garden-club/p1


  • bédébédé Posts: 3,011
    That's the internet for you.

    I ordered a couple of Agapanthus plants from Daily Telegraph.  The DT may be a bit rightwing, but reliable.  The plants after a bit of research, came from Thompson and Morgan.  T&M used to be reputable, but their current literatures hypes everything up a bit.

    First batch of plants were sold out.  I said I would wait for the second batch.  After a long wait they arrived; very small.  They flowered this year for the first time after a 4 year wait.

    Moral:  buy from a specialist nursery. or at least a good garden centre.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • Fran IOMFran IOM Posts: 2,678
    It's sad that this company which I used to order so many plants from, which are still growing in my garden, has gone down hill so rapidly. There was a time when I would have no hesitation in recommending them but now its a company to be avoided at all costs.
  • robmb007JQ38Nu1srobmb007JQ38Nu1s Posts: 4
    SGC are running a Ponzi scheme where they use customers cash to buy plants to send to older customers and so it goes on until the scheme collapses and the most recent customers will get nout. Spoke to them eventually and they simply lie for fun. Original Co liquidated with £1.8 m debts. Sam and Emma Should be in jail. 
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,153
    I have looked at the recent reviews on Trustpilot and there are certainly some very unhappy people out there. I think one of them might be you @robmb007JQ38Nu1s ?
    https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.secretgardeningclub.co.uk

    I think this has come up before, that the parent company (?) Yorkshire Lavender went into liquidation,
     https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/22694144.yorkshire-lavender-terrington-goes-liquidation/

    Presumably it is still legal for them to trade under the SGC name, so the only suggestion l can make is that you set up a claim through the small claims court (your local Citizens Advice can also help).

  • robmb007JQ38Nu1srobmb007JQ38Nu1s Posts: 4
    It is not legal to sell product you do not have or have a reasonable chance of obtaining. It’s a Ponzi scheme. Avoid. 
  • Sazz101Sazz101 Posts: 245
    After much chasing (over 10 emails over 10 months) I got £80 in credit to use on the website in Oct 2022. Ordered some plants three weeks ago. This is exactly how it arrived..



    The delivery man apologised profusely. Soil everywhere. The more established plants were ok because they were pot bound, but the lupins and other delicate or recently potted things were hardly recognisable. In bits. I contacted SGC via their website explaining the situation. You can’t attach pictures via their form,  but I offered to share pics with them. No response after 2 weeks.  I’m more than a bit fed up with them. Avoid. 
  • WAMSWAMS Posts: 1,933
    My dealings with them made me honestly believe they were fraudsters. Failed to send most of the order, failed to refund the balance, and what little was sent was mostly fit for the compost heap.
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,066
    They used to be very good but it looks like they've gone downhill over the last few years.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
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