Stick that Hybrid tea up your--
People that grow a lot of roses are often called Rose-mad. Well, over at the Garden web forums, rose growers hang out and debate the finer points of spraying versus organic, old garden roses versus hybrid teas, and big box stores versus small family owned nurseries.

Enter AKchicago. Long story short, she ordered four gallon size roses from an unrevealed family nursery, and paid extra money for the increased shipping costs. 78$, to be precise. Her roses arrived, except one of them had some broken canes. She emails the owner and the owner agrees to replace the damaged rose. When the OP calls back to follow up a couple weeks later, the owner FREAKS.

Here are some highlights:



The shipping costs were very high at $78 for 4 roses. 3 roses arrived beautiful. 1 arrived broken and wilted and barely alive cause it was poorly packed underneath one of the other roses. As soon as I received the roses, I called the website, and spoke to the owner. She was very concerned about the 1 broken rose, and asked that I email her photos, which I did (including one showing how it was packed). She then graciously responded that she had a new packer working, and he packed that one rose incorrectly, and that they would replace it. Her email saying that was dated May 14. I then emailed and called several times to follow up, since I never received the replacement rose. I finally got the owner on the phone today, and she did a complete 180. She got really weird, and wouldn't let me speak, just kept on going on and on how I was so unreasonable, and she just talked over me whenever I tried to talk. She said that since the rose was still alive (just barely, and certainly not worth the premium I paid for a 1-gallon sized rose, plus the extra shipping) I should just be satisfied with it. I told her the rose was quite frail, and though alive, was not thriving. When I mentioned her email, and her admission of the bad packing, she flew off the handle. I was at a loss.




Various posters chime in with such gems as,

It sounds like a MAJOR PMS problem to me. If you don't get your replacement rose soon, I'd let everyone what company this is. She sure doesn't need to be on the phone with someone like me and come unglued like she did. A bad name for a rose supplier is hard for them to get over.-- Ken SEFL

It sounds like the person you were dealing with has emotional or psychiatric issues that affects her differently from day to day. Perhaps she needs medication. I'm not trying to be mean in saying that, I just know that is the way things are for some people.--Katiekind

However, all is not well. Michealalreadytaken, a well respected poster has this to say:

It sounds like one of several things:

1) You're dealing with someone with a low IQ.

2) You're dealing with someone who ultimately answers to someone else with a different agenda.

3) You're dealing with someone who has a cash flow problem.

Regardless, you're not crazy--not even close. People pull stunts like this all the time--and yes--they always act like it's somehow your fault--and yes, it is disappointing.

I just hope you get your rose.

I wouldn't hold my breath though.

MichaelAT

Trospero, another well known poster fires back: Thats bordering on slanderous, IMO. Was that really necessary???

It quickly spirals down into a grumpy-old-man off, with many capslocked, GOOD DAY SIR!s, and seething comments disguised as politeness. A few posters try and recapture the sanity (this is about PLANTS for God's sake,) until this gem:

Patricia43--I have no idea who the vendor was but I think it should be stated here because we have tried and found guilty someone who has not even had an opportunity to state if the presentation here is accurate or not. There has only been one side. If either of you is ever on a jury, God have mercy on the soul of the accused, because you will have made up your minds after only hearing the charges, not the case.

But wait! MichealAT wants us all to know that Trospero is in league with the rose business!. (Which most of us noseyrosers know already, having purchased his roses at The Uncommon Rose.

Apparently, rosarians are just full of compost! Still, no wank would be complete without the requisite plea "Can't we all just get along?"