Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/18/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  After researching several options for purchasing trees for my landscaping project, I landed on Fast Growing Trees as they advertised a one year Alive and Thrive Guarantee with their purchases. I order eight ************************ on 4/15/24 through their website and received an email confirmation (which advertised their Alive and Thrive guarantee at the bottom). I noticed two of the trees starting to die around October and did my best to keep them alive. Another started to show signs of dying about a month later. In March 2025 I checked the companys website to see what I needed to do to file a warranty claim. I followed the steps and submitted the form. I was emailed back asking for more photos and to answer a few questions about the care of the trees. After this information was sent in on 3/18/25 I was notified that the warranty was not added to my cart during my purchase, so I would be unable to file a claim for the three dead trees. I pulled up the website again and found the Alive and Thrive guarantee and nowhere does it state that this was an option I needed to select. I have no recollection of this being something additional that needed to be purchased or added on as it was advertised all over their website that this was what made them different and that every online purchase had this guarantee. After emailing back and forth with ****** on 3/18/25 he advised that at the time I purchased my trees it was an option I needed to select, but the warranty has since changed to be automatically applied to purchases. He was unable to provide me with any proof that my purchase did have this guarantee and simply stated it was in their systems internally. Nowhere on their website or in their terms and conditions does it say that this would only apply if the option was selected at check out. The company is now refusing to honor their warranty that was advertised to me at my time of purchase.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/19/2025

  Thank you for your feedback and we are so sorry you are having difficulties getting your trees replacements. Our One Year warranty was an optional option to add to your order at a cost when you had placed your order. Our Policies changed May 2024 to offer a free One Year Warranty to orders placed online. We have provided a screenshot of our previous terms of service.
  We have reached out directly and offered to coverer the three plants for store credit or replacements. Let us know if you need any additional assistance. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/19/2025

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to my complaint, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Thank you. 
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/17/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On April 15th 2024, I purchased 64 trees from Fast Growing Trees, along with an additional warranty that explicitly stated my plants would be replaced for any reason within a year. Despite my diligent care, six of these trees have perished. I reached out to the company to exercise my warranty and request replacements for these trees.Fast Growing Trees has refused to honor the warranty, claiming that the trees were lost due to cold weather and are not eligible for replacement. This reasoning is inconsistent and unfounded, as all 64 trees were planted in the same backyard, experienced the same climate (Zone 7), and followed the same watering schedule. The other 58 trees are thriving, demonstrating that the six I am seeking to replace did not succumb to general weather conditions but rather to other factors covered under my purchased warranty.Despite multiple email exchanges, I have been met with dismissive responses and refusals to replace the trees as promised. The warranty I purchased was not the company's free Alive and Thrive policy but an additional paid warranty, explicitly covering plant loss for any reason. The company is now refusing to stand by their own terms.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/18/2025

  We are so sorry for the confusion with your warranty coverage. We have reached out and assisted with replacements for the 6 trees that have perished., Let us know if you need nay additional assistance. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/19/2025

  Thank you for finally acknowledging the mistake and processing the replacements. I appreciate that this matter is now being resolved, and I look forward to receiving the replacement trees.
  
  That being said, I am disappointed in how this entire process was handled. It should not have taken multiple emails, repeated explanations, and the threat of escalation for the company to honor the warranty I paid for. The responses I initially received were dismissive and contradictory, despite my clear and reasonable request.
  
  I hope that this situation leads to better training and internal review so that future customers do not have to go through the same frustrating experience to receive the service they were promised.
  
  Again, I appreciate your assistance in getting this resolved, and I look forward to receiving confirmation of shipment.
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/03/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I contacted fast growing trees when several of the trees arrived looking quite sick, I was told to email them photos, which I did because were under warranty. The woman on the phone verified that we were in the right growing zone and recommended that I use some special soil that had added fungaland bacteria to help the roots grow quickly. I did take her advice and used it when the new trees arrived. However, the trees were dead shortly thereafter, and I had one planted in my yard one planted at my sisters home,the others in pots just to see if the soil was the problem. Time passed and I got a notification that another payment for these trees came out of my account and I contacted them and told them the trees were now dead and I wanted a refund or replacement because of the warranty, I was told that the trees are not underwarranty because of my grow zone and that I shouldve never been given replacement trees in the first place. The woman on the phone named ***** on March 3, 2025 at 1:30 PM. Advised me that you should never buy trees online because will die if theyre not for your growing zone. My growing zone was verified on the first phone call when they replaced two of the trees and I did have the correct growing zone accordingto them at that time. I was virtually scammed into spending $400 on trees that would all die and would never have a chance to grow in my ZIP Code. I feel it was fraudulent and misleading advertising, I was in the correct growing zone at the time of the order or else they wouldnt been able to enact the warranty initially, now they are changing their story and saying that I do not live in the grow zone, and I believe that they are changing the story because they do not want to refund my money for the sickly trees that were shipped. Im asking for a full refund, I would have been happy with some replacement trees that would grow in my location, but they did offer me that option. Im paying interest on dead trees that were under warranty.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/04/2025

  We are so sorry your trees have perished. Since plants are living products, they react to their environment and we are Unfortunatly unable to Warranty or Guarantee plants grown outside of their recommended growing zone. Since you are located in zone 10, it is not recommended to grow the selected trees in your location. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this has caused. We have attached our terms of service. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/25/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  In 2021 I purchased a dormant tree from *** with a one year guarantee. The tree failed to thrive and never came out of dormancy. After some back and forth with FGT I was issued a Gift Card for the cost of the tree ($180) as promised. Since the planting season was over by the time this was issued I didn't immediately purchase another tree. I recently went to use the Gift Card I was issued only to find that the link no longer worked and it said it was expired. As a consumer in ********** I am protected by CA Civil Code ****** which nullifies expiration dates for Gift Card such as this. After requesting the Gift Card be reissued multiple times FGT is refusing to honor the value.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/26/2025

  We have reached out to follow up and have reinstated the gift card. Let us know if you need any additional assistance. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/26/2025

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to my complaint, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Thank you. 
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/24/2025

  Type:Delivery Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  12 trees ordered only 10 delivered. Have had no luck, constant delaying tactics and very poor customer service.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/25/2025

  We have reached out and assisted with replacements for the 2 missing plants on the order. Let us know if you need any additional assistance. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/25/2025

   
  I am rejecting this response because:

  This is the third time the trees were supposed to be delivered. Still no tracking number as promised this morning. The matter will be resolved when the trees are delivered.

  ******* *******

  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/26/2025

  This was processed for shipping via *** Ex today. Here is the tracking:
  *****************************************************************************************
  
  Let us know if you need any additional assistance.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/27/2025

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to my complaint, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Thank you. 
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/10/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Fast Growing Trees claims to have a year guarantee against their plant dying. I reported that 4 of the 8 Leyland Cyprus shrubs I purchased have died or are dying and they keep giving me the run around. I've gone back and forth with emails, answering endless questions and providing several pictures. The final straw is they want me to do a scratch test on clearly dead as a door nail plant. They DO NOT honor their guarantee which is listed on the sales receipt with every purchase.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/11/2025

  We are so sorry your tree perished. We have reached dout directly and offered a replacement if you cover the shipping cost under our warranty. Let us know if you have any additional questions or concerns. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/04/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Bottom line, the six Boston Ivy plants that were mailed 3 feet tall each never grew after a few months. When I asked for refund as they guarantee for one year, they refused. False advertising and fraud company. Don't buy from them.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/06/2025

  We are so sorry your Ivy plants have not grown as anticipated. Our One Year Warranty covers plants that have perished within 1 year from shipping. Unfortunatly our warranty does not cover a refund and issues a one time replacement if you cover the shipping cost or a store credit for the price paid for the plant. We have reached out directly to provide additional assistance.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/06/2025

   
  I am rejecting this response because:The plants arrived dead. I am filing a dispute with my credit card company.
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/11/2025

  We are so sorry, if you do open a dispute, we would be unable to assist on our end until the Bank makes a decision on the dispute. 

  Due to the time of year your order was shipped, it is likely that the Boston Ivy is dormant but should push out new growth as temps warm up.
  We will not accept a plant loss claim for dormant items until they've been planted in the ground and given adequate time to exit dormancy. We prune our trees and plants before shipping, free of charge. This may temporarily reduce your tree's size but promotes growth for a larger, ****** effect in the spring.

  We have also attached a link to our terms of service:
  We will not accept a plant loss claim for dormant items until they've been planted in the ground and given adequate time to exit dormancy. We prune our trees and plants before shipping, free of charge. This may temporarily reduce your tree's size but promotes growth for a larger, ****** effect in the spring.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/11/2025

   
  I am rejecting this response because: I'm not worried about it! You can now explain it to my credit card company how it is ok to sell dead plants to people and not refund them. It's been almost two months and not one sign of life.  We live sunny in *********** near the ocean so they've had plenty of sun, water and clean air. Shame on you!! 
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/23/2025

  Type:Delivery Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Ordered an olive tree and it arrived dead. For $200 I would expect and alive tree. Filed two claims online and never heard back. Tried calling and they turned us away. I just want a full refund to my ****** I dont want a replacement. There are eleven pages of bad reviews on this site for a reason. If I dont get a refund I will dispute it with my bank.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/27/2025

  We are so sorry your tree arrived in poor condition. We have issued a refund for your order under our guarantee. Please allow 3 to 5 business days for this to reflect back to your payment method on file.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/06/2025

  Type:Delivery Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Ordered 8 black bamboo trees in 2020 from Fast Growing Trees. Trees were doing well until two months ago when they began to flower. This cycle only occurs every ***** years, and causes the death of the plant. Now I have over $2000 in dead/dying black bamboo that should have lasted at least 30 years. Contacted the company and was told that the plants have passed warranty and refused a refund. However, I feel that the company provided me with plants that they knew were from trees that were going to flower and die.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/07/2025

  We are so sorry, since we sell living products, we are unable to warranty our plants past one year from delivery. Unfortunatly mother nature is out of our control and there are many environmental factors that can affect the health of plants. The Black Bamboo does tend to bloom around the same time every few decades but it does not mean that the plant will completely die off. With fertilizer and care, established ****** may be able to sustain throughout the bloom cycle and continue to grow. 
  We sincierly apologize for any inconvenience this has caused. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/19/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I ordered 2 pecan trees on line for a memorial for my late husband. I didnt notice there was a problem until I saw my credit card bill. I was charged for 4. I tried to call the company that afternoon, but the message said their lines were down. Today, A very rude employee said there was nothing they could do, they had already been shipped. ************* double charging customers and then saying there is nothing they can do.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/23/2024

  We are so sorry you mistakenly placed two orders. It appears these were placed 3 mins apart online. We do send email confirmations immediately once an order has been placed. As a one time courtesy I have issued a refund for one of your orders in the amount of $307.30. Please allow 3 to 5 business days for this to reflect back to your payment method on file. Let us know if you need any additional assistance.