BetterWeather.co.za

Hi guys,

So I was wondering if some of you had tried BetterWeather...
I recently had a rather discouraging experience with them. Unfortunately that was my first order and will very probably be the last time I order plants online :suspicious:

We initially ordered 11 plants which were supposed to be shipped the following week because it took them 4 days to accept the payment (although we both bank with FNB which should have sped up the process a bit). Long story short, the plants were only shipped two weeks later and... well, only 5 of the plants in there were actually things that I ordered.

Here's the original order, in green, the plants that we did get:


[TABLE="class: std, width: 755"]
[TR="class: item"]
[TD="class: bold"][/TD]
[TD]Staurogyne repens[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: item, bgcolor: #F3F3F3"]
[TD]--[/TD]
[TD="class: bold"]Hygrophila difformis[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: item"]
[TD]rosaefolia[/TD]
[TD="class: bold"]Alternanthera reineckii 'rosaefolia'[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: item, bgcolor: #F3F3F3"]
[TD]Aurea[/TD]
[TD="class: bold"]Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea'[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: item"]
[TD]--[/TD]
[TD="class: bold"]Lilaeopsis novae-zelandiae[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: item, bgcolor: #F3F3F3"]
[TD]--[/TD]
[TD="class: bold"]Microsorum pteropus (Java Fern)[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: item"]
[TD]--[/TD]
[TD="class: bold"]Eleocharis Parvula (Dwarf / Japanese Hairgrass)[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

We received no explanation as to why most of the plants were not placed in the package... to add insult to injury, some other random aquatic plants were placed in the bags that were supposed to contain the Reineckii and repens (as per the writing on the bags).

And for the 2 weeks delay and lack of communication, we were generously offered some 'freebies': a handful of 1 or 2 cm long clippings, heads and leafless stems at the bottom of one of the bags.

Now as I explained to him, I understand that this might have been a busy period and that availability might not always be easy to manage but... that was about R500 worth of plants and all I got from my order was the 2 medium sized Java Ferns, 2 Japanese Hairgrass and 2 Lilaeopsis...

So I just wanted to know if anyone else could report similar experience with them or if I was just really unlucky on this one.

Anyway... you gotta try a bit of everything to find out what works for you... well this didn't work for me

 

Have you taken the plants and grown them submersed? As most of the plants being sent is grown emersed. I have had only great service with them. and i know of a few other people who buys a lot of plants very often from them.

 

Yeah I never have issues with Richard, always got what I wanted and most of the time a bit more then usual.

He has got the best plants out there.

 

Hi Alexia / Marlon.

I am terribly sorry that there was no communications regarding your order. that was my fault and i did admit to it. You ordered plants on the 26th of December which is a Thursday and unfortunately i cannot send plants then for fear of being at the courier over the weekend. then the following week was the new years week. coupled with public holidays, it was unsuitable to send then. So i contacted you that i would send it the following Monday - which i did. there was no communications to your order for maybe a week. i am sorry and i have sent you extra quantities of plants.

But, I am 100% certain that i sent you the right order with extra plants. i made sure of it.

i do however get many complaints about my plants being sent incorrectly which in almost all cases there had been a missunderstanding and i think i know what happened here.

are the plants that you say are the wrong plants these ones i attached?
Roseafolia


Staurogyne Repens

Difformis


basically i grow what are called Emersed plants (aquatic plants out of water). because:

1. They are easier to propagate
2. They transport easier
3. They adapt faster and better in your tank

when aquatic plants are grown out of water, they take on a totally different form.

for instance, difformis which i have attached will transform to its underwater form after you plant it in your tank. so does the rosaefolia. if you dont believe me, ask the other members on this forum and on APSA. please check the photos on google when you search for emersed difformis:
Error 403 (Forbidden)!!1

another thing that you have mentioned in your email to me is the 2 inch stems. those are staurogyne repens and last i checked it is mainly (or even only) sold as short stems in all pet shops as it grows a dense carpet.

im sorry that there was all this confusion. i have been putting off doing a FAQ for my betterweather site and i guess questions like this as well as delivery times can be answered faster. also in future i will close rather for December as i had issues with my courier being unreliable in the last few weeks of the year.

thank you for your complaint but i hope that this has been cleared up?

we aim to have every customer satisfied with their purchase. so to others, please dont feel discouraged to contact me through email on my site. all suggestions etc are welcome. this is my side business so sometimes replying does take some time.

ps, whatever i have on my site is what i have in stock. i will NEVER send a customer a plant they didnt order intentionally. and if i do i will contact you with regards to the plant you ordered and that i dont have in stock.

 

Thank you for the well explained answer.

It does make sense.

 

these are the current FAQ's i have that i will post soon. anyone else have any suggestions?

Q: The plants that I received don’t look the same as the ones I ordered online. Did you send me the wrong plants?
A: You could be mistaken as many of the plants that I grow are emersed plants. This in short, means that they are grown out of water and may look totally different to the ones underwater. But don’t worry, aquatic plants transform from emersed plants to submerged plants once you plant them under water! This by itself is amazing to see as well! So please check the name of the plant in question and search for its emersed form and see if it is indeed the same plant? If not, please contact me with photo evidence and I will gladly replace that plant for you.

Q: When do you ship your orders?
A: Mondays to Wednesdays only. This is done so to prevent any delays and potentially stay over the weekend at the courier company.

Q: How long does it take to ship?
A: If you are in Gauteng, your plant order can get to you as early as the same day I send it or - latest should be overnight. If you are outside of Gauteng your order will be delivered overnight within a day. But if you are in a “remote” area (specified by the courier company), your order can take up to 2 days to arrive. If you would like to know if you fall into this category beforehand, you are welcome to contact us.

Q: If I select the local pick up option to collect my plants, where about do I meet you?
A: At an Engen garage near my place by Linksfield offramp (JHB). If you have selected this option, I will contact you once your order has been changed to the “Payment accepted” status.

Q: I live in a plot/an area not easily accessible. 1. Would it be possible to send my order through South African Post Office, counter to counter? 2. How do I enter the address to complete my order and 3. will I need to pay extra?
A: 1. Yes we will ship counter to counter with SAPO, though, we do prefer door to door with our courier as they offer insurance. Please contact us to arrange this after you complete your order so we can take note.
2. Please use a PO BOX address for your order. Alternatively you can also just use the name / area of your post office.
3.No extra charge will be incurred.

Q: How much/many plants do I get per portion?
A: There is a “Minimum Number” specified for each plant when you click on the product – HOWEVER, 95% of the time, we give much more than that. Sometimes even up to twice the minimum number. It all depends on how much of the plant we have.

Q: I don’t have a bank account. Can I pay directly into your account at a bank branch?
A: Yes, ofcourse.

Q: I don’t have a bank account and I would like to collect from you. Can I pay you in cash?
A: We don’t prefer this option (for security reasons) but in special circumstances we will allow this. Again, please contact us to arrange this.

 

Very nice and informative response.
Will definitely get back to you :amuse:

Thank you for the WhatsApp based support too.

 

Now that is what I call support. Even better than my IT support skills!