Balsam Hill. A festive tale of disappointment.

[MKCH]

Hello Mumsnetters. I have posted this on the Balsam Hill Facebook page but I thought I'd post it here to warn you all of the utterly shocking pile of shite Balsam Hill has been for me this year. If anyone has any wise words as to how I can get them to pull their socks up, please let me know.

Hi Balsam Hill.

Let me tell you a little story.

It was the evening of 27th November, 2020. My fiancé and I had just put our little 11 month old baby to bed, and were sitting peacefully watching Below Deck on Netflix (it was very good - their customer service is excellent by the way, a real example of how paying premium price means you get premium service. Anyway, I digress.)

After having discussed what Christmas tree we should get this year for a few months (I am an avid 'real tree' fan, he prefers a fake one as it's less hassle - or so we thought) I finally relented and agreed that we would get a fake tree this year. The only thing I stipulated was that we bought from Balsam Hill, as although they seemed ridiculously expensive, having looked at Mumsnet, they seemed the most life-like and with the best branches.

I went ahead and placed the order. The delivery times came with a caveat that due to the pandemic, and higher delivery needs from partners, there may be a wait, longer than usual, of 5-10 business days for the tree to arrive. 'No problem!' I thought. 'That takes us to 11th December at the latest but I'm sure it'll be before that.' (Ha, wrong).

Imagine my delight when on 1st December I received an email saying that my order had been shipped! Great joy.

I rushed to the website to check my order status. Uh oh! (As my daughter has just learnt to say). It says my order was delivered on 13th November! That obviously isn't right as I didn't order the tree until 27th November.

So there I was frantically checking the DPD website as well. This one was more promising - it said that the package was on its way to the depot in Leicester. Great, I thought. I'll just keep an eye on it.

I logged back on to the DPD website... what's this? The tree has been returned to sender and it's on its way to the Netherlands? What on earth is going on?

I spoke to some advisors and they said not to worry, it would be re-shipped. Great! This was early last week.

Since then I have spoken to two online chat agents, who basically said they couldn't do anything. I have spoken to three advisors over the phone (poor souls, they have definitely born the brunt of my wrath). I have communicated with you on Twitter. And I just keep getting the same, bog standard message that delivery may be delayed due to high volumes.

My new tracking number says my order was delivered on 20th November. My other tracking number says it will be delivered on 21st December.

21ST DECEMBER!!!! FOR A CHRISTMAS TREE - THAT I ORDERED ON 27TH NOVEMBER!!! It's kind of time sensitive, you know?

Why have you not expedited delivery? Why have you not thought 'Uh oh, we've royally screwed up here, we need to get this tree out, pronto'? You can't keep blaming DPD or UPS here - it's YOU that I paid, it's YOU that needs to deliver this tree. If I ran a business like this, I'd be sorting it myself, and travelling overnight to hand deliver it with a full male voice choir singing carols followed by reindeer pulling the tree on a sleigh, complete with santa, to make it right.

Remember what I said at the beginning about premium price meaning premium service? You are NOT following this trend.

A lovely guy called Aaron from your customer service department has just told me he is going to escalate it... but as optimistic as he was that it could be sorted, I am not holding my breath.

You're a disgrace, a disappointment, and I will never, NEVER, recommend your company to anyone, ever.

Thank you for listening to my festive tale of woe.

I'd go out, get a real one, cancel your order and demand a refund. Even if you end up with a real one and a Balsam Hill tree, at least you'll be all set for next year!

@HunkyPunk
Yes, I'm at that point now. I've just been holding on to a slight glimmer of hope that it might be delivered tomorrow (the most recent tracking number, when it was issued last Wednesday, said that it would be delivered tomorrow. Then on Thursday it said this Friday... and now today it says 21st December. It's a complete farce.)

My DP is at work this morning but as soon as he gets back I'm going to let him know we're going to buy a real tree from somewhere (god knows where, even B&Q has taken all its Christmas stuff away) and cancel the order. UGH.

There are some trees still to be had. It's only the 15th, after all. Don't panic yet! But I know, there's nothing more frustrating than having to passively 'wait and see' while some company cocks up your order. I always feel better when I take things back into my own hands. Good luck! 🎄

Really??? It's not funny or clever, just a self indulgent rant.

You'd have more luck with a straightforward statement and a statement saying what you expect them to do to put it right.

I ordered our tree on 28/11The BH website warned it might take longer than usual to arrive. It turned up on 11/12. I think they've had done problem with the messaging around despatch dates ......but tbf I've ordered a lot online so it might be another company I'm thinking of.

I must say I’ve used BH. a few times and never had an issue and their customer service has always been great . Lots of people have had issues with deliveries of all kinds of things it’s a hazard of buying in November / December during a pandemic .

Hmmm to be honest I would not be surprised to be waiting 2 weeks for delivery of a Christmas tree in the current situation.You must be aware all delivery companies are totally swamped. Everything is taking waaay longer to be delivered. Companies are juggling new working ways to be COVID secure and facing lots of staff off either I'll or isolating. If I had ordered a tree right at the end of November I would possibly have expected it to be touch and go whether it would be delivered in time for this Christmas

@HexagonsHecateAndHecuba

Yeah.... I tried the straightforward 'I'm not happy, sort it out' and look where that's got me! Of course it's a self-indulgent rant. What else is a complaint meant to be? I'm utterly pissed off!

And if I'd ordered on the 27th and it'd arrived on the 11th, I'd have been ok with that. That's within the extended delivery period that they keep banging on about on their website.

And glad tidings of peace and goodwill to you, too

I get what you're all saying, but in that case they should have been honest and not said 5-10 working days (which is an extended delivery schedule for them). 5-10 working days took me to 11th December. I then thought it'd be ok to give a few more days grace.

Nothing else I have ordered, and has been delivered by DPD or UPS, has taken almost three weeks to arrive. The tree is in stock. It's already made its way to my local delivery depot once - and then got returned to sender.

I really don't think it's too much to ask.

Looking at Twitter you are far from alone in this experience.

Honestly I get that you're a bit pissed off but that whole diatribe just sounds massively pompous.

I had a problem with a different company earlier this year but similar issues, including claiming delivery, it being returned to depot as "refused" (never even arrived) and then finally turning up 6 weeks late. Damaged.

They aren't interested in your narrative and storytelling skills. Be simple, clear and factual and escalate it as high as possible. Your message is getting lost in all the extraneous detail about your child and what telly you like.

It's flipping frustrating I know. Good luck with getting it rectified.

I just thought I'd try something a bit different in case it actually made them read it! 😂

Ugh I'm just so bloody annoyed. It's a lot of money isn't it and I just wanted a lovely Christmas tree.

Thanks folks.

Moral of the story - a. Don't tell a story. b. Don't buy a Christmas tree at the end of November. c. Don't trust Balsam Hill 😂

You are ranting about the wrong people, this isn't BH this is DPD.

It is like me posting a letter that takes a long time to arrive and the recipient blaming me for the postal service.

Covid has affected everything. Far more people are shopping online for stuff and so there are more parcels than ever. Plus it is Christmas, a busy period too. Health and safety at work means that social distancing has been put in place to keep workers safe.

I understand you are disappointed that you haven't received your tree but the issue is DPD not BH. I have had "24 hour delivery" not happen on 3 occasions recently. I just understand that deliveries are slower than normal.

I very much enjoyed the OP’s ‘self indulgent rant’

I know the feeling ordered a Christmas CD for DS in November 5 days shipping it said. Tracking says arriving 9th Jan ? So total lie but what do I need a Christmas CD in January for? He probably won't even use CDs next year, it's such old technology , it's just a novelty thing this year as he found an old CD in our garage.

God, I'm so glad it's not my job to read and respond to this kind of crap.

Feeling very sorry for the Balsam Hill customer service team....

You are not the only one I have heard has had this sort of trouble and your post has made mr decide I do t want a bh tree. It's not good enough to blame couriers when other companies are managing to send their deliveries out on time.

You should have taken note of those Mumsnetters (like me) who say Christmas Tree World's trees are as good as Balsam Hill and much cheaper.

Also you deal with real people, like Dave, who gives good advice and is is very helpful and friendly.

@MKCH a complaint (or at least a decent one) is short, factual and sets out what remedy the complainant wants.

Anything else is a self indulgent whinge.

Just go and buy yourself a tree from elsewhere and stop bring such a drama llama about it. Companies fuck up.....yes it's annoying, I ordered a BH tree because y brand new M&S tree was faulty and they didn't have another in stock. I didn't feel the need to moan on the M&S site in the most passive aggressive way possible.

Honestly, you have made a mountain out of a molehill with this. Enjoy your Christmas and your tree when you get one 🎄🎄🎄

Facebook has a ‘Balsam Hill Complaints Page’. Lots of problems with lights and slow or non delivery.

BH messed me about massively end of November and early December too. Sent completely wrong tree and then the tree I wanted was out of stock as they wouldn't expedite delivery. Shocking experience. Multiple phone calls over several weeks trying to sort stuff with eventually no tree to show for it. Bought one elsewhere last week instead. Was gutted as I bought a small one from them last year which was great. Wouldn't buy again though as customer service so appalling

I ordered an artificial tree on 6 October from a national garden centre. They said there’d be a delay and it arrived on 25 November.

Unfortunately they’d sent the wrong tree. Even more unfortunate was that the tags on it were for the correct tree name and I spent an hour putting it together and fluffing it before I realised it was much thinner than I was expecting. Turns out they’d sent me the slim version of my tree rather than the standard width (not mentioned on the tags or box).

Spent another hour taking it down, re-boxing and calling to try to get it rectified. They were very apologetic but my tree was no longer in stock. They offered me a discount on another one but it was the only one I liked so I just had the return and refund.

These things happen, particularly at the moment when staffing is effected and I think there’s been a rise in the sale of artificial trees this year. I don’t have it in me to get worked up about it tbh. Yes it’s disappointing and I agree that the service isn’t what you’d expect from a company that has placed adverts in Christmas films!

Hopefully you can arrange a refund and get a real tree this year and a beautiful artificial one in the sales.

Yeah this is a delivery company issue. Back in the summer, we had one that took my new mattress back to Spain because apparently they tried to deliver 3 times and failed despite DH working from home in the living room containing the front door. Can't remember who it was though.

I wouldn't have ordered a tree from them on 27th Nov and expected it to be with me in good time for Christmas. Also YABU massively so to give any customer service employees your wrath. Don't be a dick.

You didn’t actually write that did you?

I wouldn’t even read that shite if it was my job to. Maybe that’s why they haven’t been forthcoming with a response.

You should just cancel and move on. Or rewrite an actual complaint sans the cringey attempts at Sophie Kinsella-esque writing! Much more likely to get somewhere.