Chris Bowers & Sons

[Potstubsdustbins]

I worked with members of the public every working day all my working life and no the customer is NOT always right.

But if your wrong admit it and put it right. Its not making the mistake that's the problem its how you deal with it that counts with your clients.

However if your right then stick by your guns, explain why your right and hope they live with it and funnily enough they usually do.

[boundtothesoil]

Anybody had a good experience of these people?

Doesn't surprise. I've bought a lot of apple trees over the years and avoid this bunch after several cases of wrongly labelled varieties. This is pretty annoying as one only gets to learn about the error once the tree starts to fruit, which can be several years.

[flynch]

Doesn't surprise. I've bought a lot of apple trees over the years and avoid this bunch after several cases of wrongly labelled varieties. This is pretty annoying as one only gets to learn about the error once the tree starts to fruit, which can be several years.

If you look at their website and compare it the national fruit collection some of their variety descriptions are wrong to start with. For example CB&S has hedgehog gooseberry as a red but the real hedgehog is green according to the NFC.

[NickG]

Wow - and I thought T&M were bad!

I was considering a decent sized order from T&M, are they no good VC?

[veggiechicken]

No comment, Nick, it was Vixylix

[flynch]

I was considering a decent sized order from T&M, are they no good VC?

I've ordered from T&M a many times. The vast majority are fine. One order was wrong, they were polite and professional but what I didn't like is that they refunded the part of the order that was wrong without giving a choice of a replacement. Obviously this is annoying as you'd have to pay postage again and if you originally bought plants on offer you'd have to pay full price if the offer expired. Overall I would order from them again , worse comes to worse I'd get my money back without a fuss.

[sparrow100]

I was considering a decent sized order from T&M, are they no good VC?

I've had varying results from T&M, but to be fair when something was wrong and I contacted them, they put it right speedily. I haven't ever had a refund, only replacement plants. The only thing I would say is that their plug plants don't always travel well.

For anything fruit-like I would go first to Blackmoor or Ashridge, their stuff has been brilliant.

[Kirk]

Ordered and collected a bit of an hard to find (at the time plum) from CB. Seemed neither helpful nor awkward when i was there in person. Found when I returned they had neglected to inform me they had substituted another one for the one I ordered.

Mine was to be a blue desert plum I ended up with a blue cooker. Gave up as returning it was more in fuel then the cost of the tree. Never bought again from them.

They seem big enough but no idea who they supply to. Public seem to get the raw end of the deal and as they still exist I assume that they supply more to the trade and they get more respect. Maybe they should just pull out of the public aspect and say retail only. Would save them all the negative comments.

http://www.meiosis.co.uk/fruit/martlet.htm
http://www.carrobgrowers.co.uk/soft-...s/gooseberries

[FB.]

I've had some dealings with Chris Bowers & Sons a few years ago and as a result of my experiences I would not buy from them again nor would I encourage anyone else to.