AIBU to think they should replace the Christmas tree?

[BloodOrangeCheesecake]

Hi all,

Apologies for any mistakes - English is my second language.

I bought a real Christmas tree at our local farmer’s shop few days ago, kids got all exited about decorating it this evening - only for us to find out that every single tip of every branch is chopped off (I’m assuming to make Christmas wreaths)

AIBU to contact the shop and ask to replace it?

DH says to leave it but it annoys me - I don't want a butchered Christmas tree.
It is quite visible (at least to me) and can’t really be covered with baubles etc

That’s not normal, I’d be annoyed as well. Quite often you can’t examine the tree - they are netted already. I’d want a new tree if I unpacked it and saw that,

Exactly - most of the tree looks fine.

I find the "everything about Christmas must be absolutely perfect" types exceedingly tiresome.

Of course it's a nice shape now, it's been trimmed to be a nice shaped tree!!

they have more than enough greenery without trimming the trees they're selling to make wreaths.

youre happy with the shape now, just get the lights & decorations on it, use the advice you've been given to select a tree next year.

I would love the tree all the more for it being imperfect.

Any "pile on" is purely because this is AIBU.

If you don't want, ahem, "robust" responses and don't have very thick skin, use one of the more appropriate topics.

how did you reach your conclusion as in all your previous posts you have only discussed your tree ?

Mate, it’s really not because you aren’t British…

I feel that pile on is because i’m a foreigner - it is something i notice quite regularly on here: responses are usually harsher and OP is often ridiculed even if AIBU is completely valid

No, the pile on is because you're being ridiculous.

at a guess the tree had some wild branches that were trimmed to give a better tree shape ?

I'm with you OP, I'd be really annoyed by that. I've had many live trees over the years and never seen anything like the state of that. It's very poorly done!!

If you can't take it back I would do as another poster suggests with the brown marker or polish, but honestly you're not wrong to be angry!!

Your tree hasn't "gone off" though has it? It's just got a few bits missing. Let the DC go wild with the decorations and don't give it another thought.

My advice would be the same whatever your nationality btw.

Christmas trees do not grow in nice regular shapes with lovely fullness. They have to be trimmed into shape. Like a hedge is trimmed into shape.

I had a tree I didn't like one year as little (harmless but annoying) bugs came out of it and their movement also made sap fall on to the presents. I wish I'd have just returned and swapped it for another as did not enjoy the tree at all that year. I've always had a real tree and it's the only year it's happened. I'd take it back and swap!

Someone upthread kindly corrected me - it is every tip of every main branch.

So about 20-30 tips of main branches in total were hacked off

I guess the use of “every single branch” might have confused people - i meant main branches that grow from the tree trunk (so their tips accirdingly), obviously.

“Nothing of sort” - well, it is quite visible on here; i see it very often. I guess anonymity on here allows many to lift the masks off

Don't waste your time arguing with people on here - no matter how strong your argument there will always be those who disagree just because :-D

I wouldn't be happy, I'd try to get a replacement too, though I'd expect them to argue you bought it as seen.

Call the shop, I'm sure they'd allow you to return the tree and replace it. I think our garden center has a flyer on return policy but that's for a refund, since you want a replacement I'm sure they'd agree. Mine is £65 also and nothing has been clipped off. I think it's not unreasonable to want to have a tree you are happy with. The only problem would be to deliver it back without the net but you could wrap it in something

But in this case only few random tips would’ve been chopped off here and there, right?

Surely chopping every tip of every main branch would just make tree “slimmer” in shape but not change the shape?

It looks a lovely tree to me. I don't understand the upset. It's such a small thing in life's bigger picture.

I would return it OP.

I’ve never seen a tree sold like that.

If it was delivered I’d be sympathetic but you say you picked it out and collected it? Stuff like this is ‘sold as seen’ you can’t take it back just because you’ve noticed a flaw.

I’d definitely take that back. It looks awful. For what it is worth, I made a wreath at an event today and the tips we were given weren’t long branches say 12-18 inches, they were short, just the tips, and were tied in with wire and then filled with baubles etc.

I'd laugh about it. "The year we had the really crap tree". Then next year either check more carefully or buy from a different supplier. Even in our small rural town, there are about 3 different options as to from whom to buy - so I suspect you could go elsewhere next year.

But I wouldn't demand money back or a replacement on a tree. It's not life snatching off turkey (which is unusable). It's just poorer in quality.

That’s a bit weird actually. I’m not sure if notice, but if I did I wouldn’t like it either. The ends of ours are nice and it wasn’t particularly expensive.

I’m not really arguing with them, just thought i’ll clarify since my english isn’t perfect🙂 Unnecessary nastiness from some people is a bit unpleasant though

I’ll just suck it up this year, I guess, and let kids go wild decorating it.

As others upthread said, life is too short to run around with damn Christmas tree.
I’m just disappointed with the farm shop if i’m honest - I’m a regular long standing customer. And it is quite obvious that tips were chopped off for the wreaths.
Oh well, will be buying next year’s Christmas tree somewhere else.

Merry Christmas to all

That's odd OP in all my years of buying Christmas trees I had not come across this before. But taking our tree out of the net we have 4 main branches cut.
Luckily ours can be disguised with a few baubles.