The original owner of this company (I'm sure it has changed hands over the years) spent time in jail for mail fraud in the 1950's.

A good reminder to check out a company carefully before ordering. One good source is GardenWatchdog where people post their opinions good and bad on mail order nurseries. Check it out next time...

You can also try the online BBB search but it doesn't contain many companies as GardenWatch Dog.
http://www.bbbonline.org/consumer/index.aspx

Sorry this doesn't help you now but to avoid future disappointments.

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden WatchDog Link

Thanks. I was just noticing that I got a catalog from Burgess seed with outstanding prices, and it occurred to me that the pictures, descriptions and prices were exactly the same as House of Wesley. They show a similar, but different phone number and address in Bloomington, IL. I was just checking to see if it was indeed the same company.

I had an awful experience with House of Wesley before I found the Vendor Ratings on various web sites. They charged my credit card a full month before shipping. I contacted them multiple times by e-mail and phone to cancel the order because it was too late for me to use, and they refused to cancel the order. I disputed the charge with my credit card company and got a refund. Then they shipped me the typical dead plants I've read about. I followed their own instructions and refused the shipment, having it returned to sender. They then sent me a letter advising that they fulfilled their obligation to ship me product and were rebilling my credit card. I'd already noticed the charge and disputed the rebill again. My credit card is issued by Chase, and they assured me that they charged the mercant a fee every time they canceled the charges for me and that it would stop. I also wrote back to House of Wesley threatening to contact the BBB, and state attorney general, as well as the FTC if my card was charged again, and advised them that they had violated state law by charging my card prior to shipment (and without having product in stock by their own written admission), and probably several federal laws because the business was conducted between states, over the internet and by mail. They have stopped billing my card, and I lost nothing but some time dealing with the whole mess.

BEWARE, DO NOT ORDER FROM HOUSE OF WESLEY. THIS COMPANY IS A SCAM.
90% of what they send you will die, they will not give you a refund, only a replacement which will also die. I have a small claims judgment against them but they still refuse to refund my money. Legal action, BBB and the rest does not bother this company, they are skirting the law and they know it. This is not an honest or ethical company, and they are a disgrace to the gardening community. TELL YOUR FAMILY & FRIENDS TO BEWARE ALSO.

Try listing this scam outfit with
http://www.ripoffreport.com/
I've found this site helpful in avoiding transactions with other companies whose bad reputations proceeded them. And thanks for the tip about 'house of wesley.'

It sounds as if these companies are as bad as the above posts say. But I am very curious as to why these reports are appearing on the New England forum. Most have never posted here before and are from distant areas of the country. One just registered in order to post here, I assume. Only two are familiar names on this forum. What's going on?

If you're from Arizona or wherever, just say so and be upfront about your information.

Yes none of these companies has a good or even medicore reputation.... It's buyer beware that's for sure!

Basically you get the quality you pay for. These companies do have a policy of returning the tag for a replacement plant. I have ordered from these folks before, and I would order from them again. However, I would only order very easy to grow plants like Vinca minor or other nearly impossible to kill plants. Don't order any trees or ornamental shrubs.

For some plants I have sent back the label for a replacement plants 3X! Each time the plant label policy was honored, but that really didn't do anything to help further my garden along. Getting the plants at that point was just a matter of getting what I paid for.