Gardening Cuttings: Disgruntled by post

Karen Liebreich writes from London W14 with a complaint about mail order firms. 'I ordered 25 bulbs of Allium christophii from one nursery in August,' she says. 'They kept the order for a month and then returned my cheque - sold out. I then ordered from Van Tubergen in late September. I rang them twice and each time was assured the bulbs were on their way. Two months after I placed my order, I got back my cheque and a polite note that they too were sold out. I am becoming more and more doubtful about buying by mail order.'

Most nurseries operate a first- come-first-served rule, so an early order will always have a better chance than a late one. Nevertheless I would like to hear from other mail order buyers who have been disappointed, either because plants are sub-standard or because they do not arrive at all. Please include full details of the products and firms involved.