Wednesday, May 20, 2009

No warranty? Are you crazy?

I went to another nursery the other day and was astounded that there was not a warranty on their merchandise. I mean, the warranty stated that they had good merchandise, but once it left the grounds, you were on your own.

HOW CAN YOU BUY A HUGE PRODUCT LIKE A TREE WITH NO WARRANTY?!?!

We're talking a lot of money here, especially during these times. I just couldn't imagine getting a tree, shrub, vine, etc. without having a warranty with it.

In Colorado, we can have very, very dry winters. When selling our merchandise (especially trees) we talk about winter watering. With the dry winds and drier winters, there's a good chance you could lose your tree within the first year. We WANT your trees to survive. We want you to be happy. Who wants to plant two huge trees within two years? We understand that you just want to sit back and watch the tree grow.

Don't put up with places that don't give you a warranty. There are lots of other places that DO, and will honor it.

2 comments:

Barry said...

I have always considered this a double edged sword. Having worked in the hort industry for three years, I have seen both! Warranty to some people means throw it in the ground and when it dies I can replace it. No care given to requirements, and yes, even some planted in the ground in their pots! For these people, a warranty is a scapegoat and a way to get free plants all year round!
Flipside being, if you are proud of the plants you grow, and trust your clientele to know what they are going - by all means, a warranty is a safeguard against the unexpected happening. I continue to ride the fence on this subject!

Heather said...

We essentially have two warranties. If we plant the product, it's warrantied 100% for a year. If the customer plants it, warrantied 50% for a year. Sure there are people that take advantage of the warranty, but then there are people that don't, and are good customers that appreciate the fact they can buy all of our products with the warranty. As a customer of this particular facility, I would want a warranty. On the business side, there are ways to make sure people don't try to get away with something. We make the client take a picture (several) of the dead tree in question. Dig the dead bush up. It seems to work out pretty well.