RHS Reviews 259

The RHS is a good and worthwhile charity but the back office is evidently understaffed and they will lose custom as a result. Emails go unanswered, telephone lines provide a several minute blurb then fail to connect you to a person to take your call or simply state that there's no-one available to take the call - this is at 9.30am. I was simply hoping to ask whether members could take a guest to their members only days at Hampton Court.
I shan't bother rejoining! I wonder how many others they have lost

I have visited RHS Bridgewater on several occasions and have recently become an RHS member. Whilst the garden visits have all been lovely I have now decided to take my own packed lunch and drink as each time I visit queues for the main cafe and the smaller drink/cake outlets
have unacceptable queues. It simply spoils the day when you have to queue for very long periods of time to get a coffee or buy lunch. When I visited last week I over heard someone who had queued for some considerable time say "that was a waste of time, they are not doing sandwiches today"! There is either not enough capacity or serving staff are very slow.

I eventually received my order from RHS. For over £10 per plant I expected something more than a 2cm tall seedling. Absolute rip-off. Buy from a nursery instead, one where you can see what you're spending your hard-earned money on. Very very disappointed, I chose to shop with RHS because I thought they would be ethical and give value for money - it seems not.

I am very disappointed with RHS. Ordered a named Rose for a 90th birthday gift online. The rose arrived 2 days before birthday party, it was in poor condition, the buds were never going to open and the rose was covered in aphids. It was too late to send it back for a replacement so had to buy something else. I would expect more from the RHS.

2nd visit
Just as poor as last August
Too few blue badge spaces-couldnt get one
The area next to the entrance could be used to create more
Too few loos
The ones near the chimney are so small it's impossible for someone coming out of not to touch those queuing
Cafe still awful despite every review complaining about it
Has to queue
25 minutes just get thru the entrance another 20 to get coffee,5 minutes for the loo
So a third of our time was spent in queues
Again had to go to a pub for lunch
And there's more colour in my Dad's garden
Won't be going again
Oh and they don't answer the phone

Disappointing response by the RHS who I contacted to ask if I was able to a) either have a refund or transfer my Chelsea show tickets and b) to pause my membership/ cancel due to an unexpected serious illness - this is in stark contrast to other companies who have been very understanding, helpful and flexible . Having lodged a complaint have not been contacted.

Chelsea Flower Show 2023
Been to the Chelsea Flower Show today, absolute diabolical rip off £33 for 2 Pimm’s - plastic beakers full of ice this is just outrageous, didn't realise until the notification came through on my card app later. my fault for not checking the price thought I would be paying an unreasonable price but! It was bad enough you could hardly move for the number of people at the show through over selling! We won't be going again.

Malvern show £26.50 to see 6 small show gardens, the rest was plant sales or burger bars - what a waste of money.

Bought tickets for Malvern Spring Show with ticket protection and unfortunately had to cancel. They wouldn't give us our money back even though we had a valid reason. Seems money is more important to RHS then it's reputation and customers. Never again!

Ordered a Rose and a Hibiscus. The Hibiscus was smaller that expected but the Rose was in a terrible condition and appeared to have Rose rust a fungal disease that produces an Orange fungus on the leaves. This was sent to me despite their website stating all plants are inspected prior to despatch. The unbelievable “expert” response was that this was to be expected and to take off and burn the leaves!!

Having booked for the last 3 years to attend the Malvern Spring show with no issues this year we booked requested as always the GOLD Parking indeed the system indicated booked as it always did, continued to pay all ok BUT when the tickets arrived NO gold parking pass I telephoned only to be told I did not book gold Parking and I should have checked before I purchased the Tickets (Indeed I should) there was nothing they could do as all Gold parking is FULL
Tough better luck next year they said.

Well let me tell you there is no next year if this how we are to be treated indeed if you check the website NOW it tells you when booking Gold parking its booked but fails to add to tickets given we trust THE RHS this underhanded thus our ticket to us is now not useable (13293945) £62.25 down the drain.

We bought six plants from the RHS on 22nd April. We received 5 but money was taken for the whole set. Complete cost to us was £150.97 but plant with price £79.99 was missing. Two of the plants we received are in a poor condition. We complained to them about all the money being taken before the plant had been delivered and also about the poor condition of two plants (with photo's). We also asked to cancel the order for the undelivered plant. No response from them and then three days later we receive notification that they are sending us the plant that we asked them to cancel the order for. All of this goes against their own policies (such as cancelling an order within 14 days, getting back to customers within 72 hours). Wish now we had just gone to a local garden centre for our plants. The only customer service we have received so far is from the automatic e-mail response

RHS Wisley used to be a wonderful place to go. The gardens are still beautiful and so well cared for. Unfortunately the other jewel in the crown - the tearoom is no more. To explain how this lovely experience has been destroyed would take too long so here are a few highlights. Dirty, unwelcoming, grey, overflowing bins given star placing at the cafe doors, sour staff, no crockery, no teapots, sad choice of food. No lovely plants around the place. It felt like an unloved corporate canteen. Oh RHS Wisley - stop planting trees in squares of gravel and get back to what you used to do so well.

Awfull take on chicken supreme....no creme sauce so dry, with cous cous and seared minimal veg.
What on earth by any stretch of the imagination is pesto with no basil?
Complain and you're left waiting 15 minutes and then to have to enquire about your already paid for pud.
Did they mark our card.
We already know that chicken supreme refers to the cut but the traditional sauce was nowhere to be seen. Dry and tasteless complain at your peril!
Table service?

Just joined and now I see the RHS are giving a free gift if you join now! Which is a slap in the face for those who have like me rejoined. I thought this "new customers only " was a thing of the past. I will not be renewing next time that is for sure

RHS Bridgewater cafe. After another enjoyable walk around the gardens and ready for a cuppa I was again disappointed with my pot of tea, luke warm and very weak no matter how many times I stirred it.

I have been unable to access my saved seed and plant information all afternoon. I just get the message Service Unavailable. The website is painfully slow at the best of times but this is even worse than usual.

I’ve just joined but I’m so disappointed with the website ( one of the main reasons for joining ) I don’t think I’ll renew my membership. The lack of consistency, photos and missing information is ridiculous. I can see the better information even on a standard garden centre website. Come on guys put some money and effort into the website, you’re supposed to be the experts!!

RHS Customer services unhelpful, inflexible & off putting.
I was purchased a new annual membership by my daughter.
She purchased it online the however the membership didn’t arrive until over two full weeks later. This meant in effect the first months membership was lost as the pack was purchased at two thirds into the calendar month.
This to me seems somewhat unreasonable to say the least. I did think customer service would be able to help … but non of it … a brick wall.
I would suggest perhaps spending your hard earned money elsewhere rather than on this organisation that claims charity status, using unpaid volunteers but then pays its execs & senior management huge city of London style salaries.

Gardens lovely, relaxing walk very nice. However the service in the cafe very disappointing, and the prices for food are very high. Why they didn't have the small counter serving hot drinks like they did in the summer doesn't seem to be very sensible, means the que takes twice as long especially frustrating if you just want a drink