Author Topic: Another experience with Top Tropicals Nursery  (Read 43248 times)

BestDay

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 860
  • Long Beach, CA 10B 22
    • View Profile
Another experience with Top Tropicals Nursery
« on: September 16, 2014, 04:24:17 PM »
Hi all, Two years ago I ordered twelve Mango trees from Top Tropicals Nursery.  This year when my Cushman fruited the fruits looked nothing like Cushmans.  Cushman fruit is round and yellow, my fruit was oblong and green that colored up to orange and red.  My Southern Blush that I received from them has Mango Malformation Disease.  Reference this posting for pictures of the flower panicles http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=12129.msg155746#msg155746 .  This disease causes trees to grow very slowly, set little fruit and it is very contagious.  Luckily the first year I noticed the flowers looked strange so I have been very careful not to spread the disease to my other trees.

I contacted Top Tropicals almost three weeks ago and talked to Heather.  She asked me to email here photos of the mislabeled Cushman tree and the diseased Southern Blush.  I did.  After not hearing back from her for several days I called and talked to her.  She agreed that the Cushman tree was mislabeled and said they would ship me a replacement.  She said that they were talking to their plant expert about the Mango Malformation Disease and they would get back to me. She told me that she had never heard of Mango Malformation Disease before.  This was shocking to me as it shows how completely clueless this Nursery is or that she is willing to lie to me to.

After not hearing from Heather for a week I started calling Top Tropicals each day.  For a week I called every day and every day I got a different excuse, "Heather is on the other line. She will call you right back.", "Heather is off today.  I'll leave her a message and have her call you first thing in the morning.", "Heather is working in the field I'll have her call you when she gets back to the office."  Needless to say I never received a return phone call.  I asked the other people that I spoke to on the phone if there was someone else I could talk to about my problem.  Each time I was told that I needed to talk to Heather.  One of the other girls that I spoke to on the phone told me that their plant expert had told them that I must have obtained the disease from one of my other trees.  I told her that this was the only tree I have with this disease and that the entire tree has the disease.  To me, if every flower on a three gallon tree has Mango Malformation Disease then it probably got it from dirty equipment when it was grafted.

After almost three weeks and with unreturned phone calls to Top Tropicals I have contacted my Credit Card and I am disputing the charges.  I also plan on reporting them to the appropriate California agricultural department.  To let them know that Top Tropicals is shipping diseased trees into California and doesn't appear to care.  I know there has been a lot of talk on this forum about different online nursery options for California.  In the past I have defended Top Tropicals and told people about the large trees I received from them.  With Top Tropicals poor communication and complete lack of responsibility for shipping me a diseased tree.  I can no longer recommend them.  For others considering ordering from them, the risk of receiving a diseased tree is simply not worth it.  This is a very contagious disease that can easily be spread.

Another unhappy Top Tropicals customer,
Bill
« Last Edit: March 15, 2015, 03:38:40 PM by pj1881 (Patrick) »

wslau

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 749
    • La Palma, CA, USA, Zone 10b
    • View Profile
Re: Another bad experience with Top Tropicals Nursery
« Reply #1 on: September 16, 2014, 05:00:37 PM »
A real bummer Bill.
I hope your credit card company sides with you.  Not sure what the statute of limitations is in CA and FL.
Btw, I've asked Champa Nursery to import more varieties of mangos into SoCal.  Hopefully we'll see more varieties regularly next spring so that we don't have to go through TT, which has been a hit or miss with most folks.
Good luck!
Warren

zands

  • mango_zango
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4455
    • Zone 10b, Florida, USA, 33321
    • View Profile
Re: Another bad experience with Top Tropicals Nursery
« Reply #2 on: September 16, 2014, 05:43:10 PM »
What a cluster! :( 
I hope you get some money returned.

ClayMango

  • MangoHunter
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1358
    • Zone 9B Ca
    • View Profile
Re: Another bad experience with Top Tropicals Nursery
« Reply #3 on: September 16, 2014, 05:56:43 PM »
sorry to hear...My experiences have been purely pleasant with my 11 Mango Trees ordered....

I'm sure almost all largescale nurseries have mislabled a tree at some point or another....Hopefully they improve with their customer relation a little better though.
Thinking about joining a Fruitaholics anonymous support group...Fruit addiction has taken over my life!

NewGen

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1185
  • Zone 10a, Central Valley, CA, USA
    • View Profile
Re: Another bad experience with Top Tropicals Nursery
« Reply #4 on: September 16, 2014, 06:33:15 PM »
Every business makes mistakes. It's how they deal with it that matters. In this case, it's horrible customer service. I've bought from them before, and have been satisfied with what I received. Haven't had to contact them on any issue. This doesn't make me want to order from them in the future. Good luck to you in getting this resolved.

ClayMango

  • MangoHunter
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1358
    • Zone 9B Ca
    • View Profile
Re: Another bad experience with Top Tropicals Nursery
« Reply #5 on: September 16, 2014, 06:45:21 PM »
One thing I am curious about.... you mentioned "3 weeks of unreturned phone calls" Do you mean they also refused to answer you phone call 3 weeks in a row? or did they not return your call for the initial complaint after 3 weeks?

I'm sure they pick up their phones on a daily basis as they do large volumes of over the phone orders, unless they have your number on caller ID and are purposly avoiding you...hmmm...
http://youtu.be/ZomwVcGt0LE
Thinking about joining a Fruitaholics anonymous support group...Fruit addiction has taken over my life!

Cookie Monster

  • Broward, FL Zone 10b
  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4745
  • Eye like mangoes
    • Tamarac, FL, 33321, 10B
    • View Profile
Re: Another bad experience with Top Tropicals Nursery
« Reply #6 on: September 16, 2014, 06:56:38 PM »
Make sure to post on the garden watchdog: http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/2785/#b
Jeff  :-)

BestDay

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 860
  • Long Beach, CA 10B 22
    • View Profile
Re: Another bad experience with Top Tropicals Nursery
« Reply #7 on: September 16, 2014, 09:59:59 PM »
Claymango, yes they answer the phone sometimes.  But no one is willing to talk to me about my problem.  They tell me that I need to talk to Heather about it.  I leave a message for Heather and then she never calls me back.  Very frustrating.  She is obviously avoiding me.  I called them everyday last week, with no response.  I initially talked with Heather on August 29th, 19 days ago! 

The fact that they claim to not know what Mango Malformation Disease is, is very disturbing.  You would expect a nursery that ships all over the country to be knowledgeable.  If they don't know the warning signs of infected plants, then they could be shipping infected plants all over the country.

Bill

Tropicaliste

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 785
    • Washington D.C. Area, US 7a
    • View Profile
Re: Another bad experience with Top Tropicals Nursery
« Reply #8 on: September 16, 2014, 11:31:04 PM »
Wow, this smells of the run around. It's absurd why they wouldn't just replace your tree, and then you could've came on here and said "They replaced my trees, and they're fantastic folks", and the folks on here would have remembered this and given them a chance ... instead, it's more proof not to shop with them, bad business sense. No they can't replace every customer's plant but for someone calling everyday, the complaint legit, it's absurd not to replace it.

puglvr1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2039
    • USA, Central, FL xxxxx, Zone 9b
    • View Profile
Re: Another bad experience with Top Tropicals Nursery
« Reply #9 on: September 17, 2014, 08:51:34 AM »
Very sorry for your bad experience with them, their customer service sounds like a nightmare! One would think the best way to resolve this would be to just replace the tree...they would come off a hero and you would give them glowing recommendations...it boggles the mind  :o instead you are now posting warning many potential buyers to be aware of this situation...it doesn't make sense to me...one tree!?! Isn't it worth it to take care of the problem and be done with it??
« Last Edit: September 17, 2014, 10:09:40 AM by puglvr1 »

gunnar429

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3320
  • Nothing like fruit from your own yard!
    • West Park, FL 33023, Zone 10b
    • View Profile
Re: Another bad experience with Top Tropicals Nursery
« Reply #10 on: September 17, 2014, 09:32:20 AM »
give 'em the pickle!  Jeez.
~Jeff

"Say you just can't live that negative way, if you know what I mean. Make way for the positive day." - Positive Vibration

jcaldeira

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 998
    • Planet Earth
    • View Profile
Re: Another bad experience with Top Tropicals Nursery
« Reply #11 on: September 17, 2014, 10:19:22 AM »
I think it is asking too much to expect a nursery to cover a disease issue two years after the purchase.
Applying laws and rules equally to all is a cornerstone of a civilized society.

murahilin

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3285
    • USA Greenacres, Florida Zone 10b
    • View Profile
Re: Another bad experience with Top Tropicals Nursery
« Reply #12 on: September 17, 2014, 11:38:19 AM »
I think it is asking too much to expect a nursery to cover a disease issue two years after the purchase.

That would be understandable if the disease wasn't one that was shipped with the tree as is likely the case with the Southern Blush. Nurseries need to be held responsible for spreading malformation because there should be an implied warranty that you're getting a healthy tree when you buy it.

jcaldeira

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 998
    • Planet Earth
    • View Profile
Re: Another bad experience with Top Tropicals Nursery
« Reply #13 on: September 17, 2014, 12:45:58 PM »
I think it is asking too much to expect a nursery to cover a disease issue two years after the purchase.

That would be understandable if the disease wasn't one that was shipped with the tree as is likely the case with the Southern Blush. Nurseries need to be held responsible for spreading malformation because there should be an implied warranty that you're getting a healthy tree when you buy it.

Agreed, but the buyer should bear some burden to show that the disease was in fact present when the plant was purchased, and not introduced later.  Perhaps one's own pruning equipment spread the disease, or insects.

http://www.planthealthaustralia.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Mango-malformation-FS.pdf
Applying laws and rules equally to all is a cornerstone of a civilized society.

JF

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6652
  • North OC California Zone 10B/America Tropical 13A
    • 90631/97000
    • View Profile
Re: Another bad experience with Top Tropicals Nursery
« Reply #14 on: September 17, 2014, 12:48:16 PM »
Sounds like a nightmare Bill. We will all take notes and reconsider purchasing anymore trees from this outfit.

ClayMango

  • MangoHunter
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1358
    • Zone 9B Ca
    • View Profile
Re: Another bad experience with Top Tropicals Nursery
« Reply #15 on: September 17, 2014, 12:58:16 PM »
I agree 2 years waiting to report a desease would seem highly suspect in the companies eyes even though you are right. On top of that, they are already replacing 1 tree that they mislabeled...But the fact that you're looking for 2 tree replacements could twist and bend their perception of the truth as you maybe just trying to get over on them wiht extra trees, or just replacing an older tree for a newer, better variety...I could clearly see that being the case if i ran a buisness... Non the less, they need to practice better customer relations, unlike how they are treating you...

Again....The 11 Mango trees I have purchased have all been great incredible trees and have put on tremendous growth.....correction 12*** 3g Peach Cobbler is coming in the Mail this week....will post pictures on it's results
Thinking about joining a Fruitaholics anonymous support group...Fruit addiction has taken over my life!

MangoFang

  • Palm Springs, CA, Zone 9B
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1716
  • Palm Springs, CA
    • Riverside, Palm Springs/CA, 92264,9b
    • View Profile
Re: Another bad experience with Top Tropicals Nursery
« Reply #16 on: September 17, 2014, 02:11:58 PM »
So, stupid on their part Bill.  Like Tropicaliste said, all they have to do is just send you that second replacement tree, apologize and this whole bad report by you would have been much less negative. 

Sorry for the hassle you're going through......I'm so glad I am 98% done with getting any new trees.....

Gary

gunnar429

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3320
  • Nothing like fruit from your own yard!
    • West Park, FL 33023, Zone 10b
    • View Profile
Re: Another bad experience with Top Tropicals Nursery
« Reply #17 on: September 17, 2014, 02:15:29 PM »
So, stupid on their part Bill.  Like Tropicaliste said, all they have to do is just send you that second replacement tree, apologize and this whole bad report by you would have been much less negative. 

Sorry for the hassle you're going through......I'm so glad I am 98% done with getting any new trees.....

Gary

So you're saying there's a chance?!  That's a great way to say it so that it seems like there's no obsession/problem there, plus the door is open if you do get more.
~Jeff

"Say you just can't live that negative way, if you know what I mean. Make way for the positive day." - Positive Vibration

Jsvand5

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 976
    • Ocala FL
    • View Profile
Re: Another bad experience with Top Tropicals Nursery
« Reply #18 on: September 17, 2014, 02:34:07 PM »

Again....The 11 Mango trees I have purchased have all been great incredible trees and have put on tremendous growth.....correction 12*** 3g Peach Cobbler is coming in the Mail this week....will post pictures on it's results

Now you just have to hope that they are all the varieties that you paid for...

gunnar429

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3320
  • Nothing like fruit from your own yard!
    • West Park, FL 33023, Zone 10b
    • View Profile
Re: Another bad experience with Top Tropicals Nursery
« Reply #19 on: September 17, 2014, 02:36:49 PM »
Clay's TA/Haden Mango Stand will be open in 3 years!  ;)  (kidding)
~Jeff

"Say you just can't live that negative way, if you know what I mean. Make way for the positive day." - Positive Vibration

ClayMango

  • MangoHunter
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1358
    • Zone 9B Ca
    • View Profile
Re: Another bad experience with Top Tropicals Nursery
« Reply #20 on: September 17, 2014, 03:53:21 PM »
LMFAO...Gunnar dont you dare Jinx me man...... A whole Mango stand of Tommy Atkins at the corner of my block lol....

Well I can at least spot out my LZ with its non spreading, upright growth of Wavy leaves...this thing just wants to go up....
Thinking about joining a Fruitaholics anonymous support group...Fruit addiction has taken over my life!

mangomanic12

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 301
    • Phoenix, AZ
    • View Profile
Re: Another bad experience with Top Tropicals Nursery
« Reply #21 on: September 17, 2014, 04:55:15 PM »
Quote  "I'm so glad I am 98% done with getting any new trees..... "

Really sure  Gary  ;) we all believe  you ...lol

Mike


BestDay

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 860
  • Long Beach, CA 10B 22
    • View Profile
Re: Another bad experience with Top Tropicals Nursery
« Reply #22 on: September 17, 2014, 09:03:30 PM »
I could understand if Top Tropicals said they couldn't replace either tree because they had had fraud issues in the past.  It would be easy for me to take the Cushman label and put it on another tree.  Then I could take photos of the fruit and say the tree is mislabeled.  I could also have got an infected tree from another vender and be blaming it on Top Tropicals.  At this point they are completely trusting what I say and the photos I sent them.  I could understand this.  I might not be happy or agree with their decision but I could understand.  But when they stop returning my phone calls and say that they don't know what Mango Malformation Disease is, I start to feel cheated and lied to. 

I think if a customer orders twelve trees and has issues with two of them, some attempt should be made to make the customer happy.  Especially when the customer is saying that a tree was shipped with a very contagious disease.  For the prices they are charging they have profit margin to make sure customers are happy.

Bill

JF

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6652
  • North OC California Zone 10B/America Tropical 13A
    • 90631/97000
    • View Profile
Re: Another bad experience with Top Tropicals Nursery
« Reply #23 on: September 17, 2014, 09:26:06 PM »
I could understand if Top Tropicals said they couldn't replace either tree because they had had fraud issues in the past.  It would be easy for me to take the Cushman label and put it on another tree.  Then I could take photos of the fruit and say the tree is mislabeled.  I could also have got an infected tree from another vender and be blaming it on Top Tropicals.  At this point they are completely trusting what I say and the photos I sent them.  I could understand this.  I might not be happy or agree with their decision but I could understand.  But when they stop returning my phone calls and say that they don't know what Mango Malformation Disease is, I start to feel cheated and lied to. 

I think if a customer orders twelve trees and has issues with two of them, some attempt should be made to make the customer happy.  Especially when the customer is saying that a tree was shipped with a very contagious disease.  For the prices they are charging they have profit margin to make sure customers are happy.

Bill

You know what, TT is ignorant. if they would have settled with you it would not be in public.......when you are in business there are profits and losses.


MangoFang

  • Palm Springs, CA, Zone 9B
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1716
  • Palm Springs, CA
    • Riverside, Palm Springs/CA, 92264,9b
    • View Profile
Re: Another bad experience with Top Tropicals Nursery
« Reply #24 on: September 17, 2014, 11:20:42 PM »
Gunnar - I've got my addiction under control now.  Those last 3 years of the 12 step programs
really work!

Really.....other than switching out some undesireables, I'm DONE!!!!!!


 :P


Gary