DON'T use directgardening.com. I placed an order in December 2004. ...was told that shipment would be in the spring. I sent e-mails asking about this order. They told me that they needed more information. I sent order number. ...no reply. I sent another e-mail. I called in March to check on the order. Was told that they would get it to me as soon as possible. It's now April. I just called and told them I wanted my money back. They said that they had to have my cancellation in writing. Yes...I was so stupid to let this go on. Please don't be stupid like me: DO NOT USE DIRECTGARDENING.COM!!!!!!!!!
I skimmed through the messages, and I noticed a couple of them mention that they charged their credit cards as soon as they received the order. You're asking for trouble any time you deal with a company that charges your card when you order, rather than when they ship. At best it indicates a cash-flow problem at the company. At worst it's a sign that you're about to be defrauded.
On rare occasions you may find a company wishes for you to pay for an item before they order from their supplier to protect themselves from being defrauded. This should only happen for special order items that may not have a resale value if you cancel before shipping. If you're ordering something they're in the business of selling, and it's something that can be resold to another customer, they should not be requesting pre-payment. And in this case, they should be quoting a delivery date. If they don't quote a delivery date, you may have trouble getting your money back by challenging the charge.
Shoddy merchandise happens. Ideally a business should try to satisfy customers who get shoddy merchandise. But far more important is how a company deals with your money. Poor money handling is a big, flashing neon sign pointing towards business problems. Stay away from companies that play fast and loose with money -- especially your money.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.