View Full Version : I Am Pissed Off And When U Read This You Will Too
xavierdlc61887
02-25-2008, 10:19 PM
I went to Lowes and saw 2 bottle palm perfectly fine nice leaves and trunking :( anyways i asked them why they were in the trash. Get this they said "COMPANY POLICY WHEN THEY ARE RETURNS WE HAVE TO THROW THEM AWAY" I asked what can i do to save them...buy off for 50% take them free.....nothing so i left pissed off so i wouldnt make a big scene.
its 8:00 PM i go back and the palms are still there, i ask the new shift emplyees......they tell me the same thing....again i tell the guy in charge what can i do to save them please it hurts me to see them get thrown away like that....well i stood there till closing and nothing changed i was escorted away by security and i am now here venting out and pissed that chain stores do this things just because they were returned they need to throw them away....anyways
I know im going to get kicked around here but what could i have done to save those palms??? and has this ever happend to anyone here????
Whatever
02-25-2008, 10:22 PM
Yeah that's pretty messed up.
NanaNut2
02-25-2008, 10:34 PM
Lowe's became my least favorite store when they refused to honor their $10 off any plant coupon after saying they would. My policy, is simply never to return, not spend my money there, and never recommend it to anyone. Just a one person protest. Other's must feel the same way, since the store parking lot is mostly empty when I drive by. Anyway, save yourself a bout of high blood pressure. You most likely can't change their policy. Just boycott the store.
NanaNut2
JoeReal
02-25-2008, 10:36 PM
Well, when I was still younger, I used to check out the trash bin behind Home Depot. Sometimes they dumped all their "dying" bare rooted plants in there. I would collect them and resurrect them. My success rate is over 80%. And so I always give away potted fruit plants as gifts to friends. Now they put a lock on their trash bins.
Another way that you can do is go to customer service and ask for the store manager to make a deal. I've done that and often get away with just a fraction of the original price. Sometimes I get them for free if you ask the store manager.
I recently hauled about 10 bags of concrete for free, simply because all of the bags have some damage (leaking concrete powder) one way or another. I simply asked what they are going to do with those and they told me if I can haul it to my van, it's free.
xavierdlc61887
02-25-2008, 10:36 PM
there must be something an orginization that helps save plants from stores like that....ahhhhhhhhh whyyyyyy :(
i did ask the manager and he said they cant resell them...which he never answerd my question if i can have them free :(
jason
02-25-2008, 10:53 PM
there must be something an orginization that helps save plants from stores like that....ahhhhhhhhh whyyyyyy :(
i did ask the manager and he said they cant resell them...which he never answerd my question if i can have them free :(
I am by all means not this type of person,,so I hope people dont think I am this way cause Im not,,but If the palms were not that big I would of grabbed them and ran like hell,,walmart did the same thing to me this summer when I asked what they are doing with all the cannas that are in the garbage,,they said throwing them away cause the season is done they would not even let me buy them,,,,what a waste and to think this happenes all over the united states each year,,take all those plants thrown away their would be enough to landscape everyones yard in the us im sure,,,sorry to hear that bro!!!!!
Taylor
02-25-2008, 10:59 PM
Start something like a, or even call it the Plant Savers Society.
STEELVIPER
02-25-2008, 11:01 PM
Grab them and run!!! :nanaruns:
natedogg1026
02-25-2008, 11:05 PM
Sounds like me, Jason, and Mark got a plan.
jason
02-25-2008, 11:15 PM
Sounds like me, Jason, and Mark got a plan.
Yea really I can run a 40 yard dash in about 4.9 seconds,,it might be a little slower with the palms but im sure they would still not catch me,,LOL!!! That is really a bunch of crap,,I would every day look in the dumpster to get them ,,and also to prove a point!!!! Who cares if bottle palms are common they still are a really nice looking palm many of us would love to have!!!!
Lagniappe
02-25-2008, 11:27 PM
Re: You might be a banana feind ......
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The posts lost thier number sequence...lol....anyway :
......if you get plants outa the garden center dumpsters (palms too)
harveyc
02-25-2008, 11:37 PM
I kind of like Lowe's. The are stocking some tropicals when most others won't.
I am more bothered about the reason behind the policy for throwing those plants away then the loss of the plants themselves. Unless things have changed since I was working in a business that financed nurseries, these large box stores make guarantees to attract customers but pass that directly onto their suppliers. If Lowes or Home Depot neglects the plants and they die, their supplier has to give them credit for it. If the customer neglects the plant and kills it and brings it back six months later, the supplier eats it. The supplier can't handle a wide variety of plants in various conditions and take care of them and the big store gets their money back but can't sell them. It's all part of the assembly line of big volume plant sales. It drives many suppliers out of business because they can't make a profit on slim margins and these crazy return policies.
NanaNut2
02-25-2008, 11:45 PM
Like I said, boycott them. Let them know why. Profit is always the key to change. When enough customers are unhappy about a practice and it begins to affect business, then things change. But I do like the idea of grabbing them and running, lol. If I were younger ...
NanaNut2
harveyc
02-25-2008, 11:52 PM
If you boycott Lowe's you need to boycott all of the big box stores. One store offers the money back guarantee because the others do.
xavierdlc61887
02-26-2008, 01:09 AM
thanks guys and im thinking of doing that for the next couple of days :D of going to check the dumpster but i doubt ill succeed as the dumpster is inside the nursery :/ oh well still gonna try though :D
Richard
02-26-2008, 03:29 AM
Harvey hit it right on the head. For a volume dealer, doing anything other than tossing a returned plant impacts the time of both the supplier and the resale employees - which neither can afford. Further, re-distributing the plant without a sale opens up all kinds of liabilities with their resale licensing, agricultural licensing, and again their suppliers.
NanaNut2
02-26-2008, 04:58 AM
I suppose an alternate to boycott, would be to wait outside the store for hours, waiting for people with returns to show up. Divert them and pay for the return outside the store.
They do this at the humane society for dogs and other pets. Generally you get them cheaper.
NanaNut2
Lilith
02-26-2008, 07:02 AM
I have had similar experiences at both Lowes and Home Depot here.
Once at Home Depot, an employee was cleaning off the fairly large and extensive "Exotic Angel Collection" tables, and there were plants, broken off stems and branches and leaves and all sorts of stuff being tossed both in the trash and hitting the ground.
A little old lady (I estimate this lady was about 75, she was definitely old enough to be my mom and I am almost 50), she was petite and pretty fragile looking anyway...she saw a broken off plant part on the ground and started to pick it up, and while she was [I]bent down[I]getting it the employee literally RAN over, snatched it our of her hand and said in an extremely loud voice, "THAT'S TRASH! YOU CAN'T HAVE IT! DON'T PICK ANYTHING ELSE UP OR I'LL HAVE THEM MAKE YOU LEAVE!"
There were quite a few customers standing around watching with pretty astounded looks on their faces at this employee's behaviour.
I was pretty appalled, so I walked over and said, "You know, people like YOU are the reason why Home Depot's stock is at an all time low and people avoid your store and shop at Lowes. You should be ashamed of yourself for talking to this lady like that. I hope you speak to your own mother in a more respectful way."
People around me started mumbling their agreement and generally giving the employee the skunk eye, and she started trying to justify her behaviour by parroting the store policy. No one was interested in what she had to say.
Our Lowes and HOme Depot (we have 2 of each in town) have started putting already bloomed orchids, frostnipped stuff, and otherwise viable but still damaged or unsalable stuff on special carts and marking them down 25-75%. If you are there at the right time, you can get some perfect orchids (all-be-it they are the run of the mill generic box store varieties) for $3-5. Nothing wrong with the plant, just out of bloom.
Walmart has always had a "plant graveyard" of extreme markdowns. I have gotten a lot of nice stuff there
jellyfish_sky
02-26-2008, 08:03 AM
I really hate to have to deal with all that mumbo jumbo bix box stores policies. I'm reading those stories up here and I feel outraged by your experiences at Lowe's and HD. My only bad experience at HD was that person in the plant section didn't know what she was doing (but at least she was nice when I asked her something).
I'm sure if the returns were pets and tossed in the garbage, people would freak out! Why not plants? (I wonder what they do at WalMart with fish returns...)
I usually try to avoid going to any big box stores or at least buy my plants there. There are always nurseries with good quality plants where you can also get good deals. Or small florist shops that can get you great plants if you order. I think boycotting would be my favourite solution!
stokesjl
02-26-2008, 11:10 AM
I am by all means not this type of person,,so I hope people dont think I am this way cause Im not,,but If the palms were not that big I would of grabbed them and ran like hell,,walmart did the same thing to me this summer when I asked what they are doing with all the cannas that are in the garbage,,they said throwing them away cause the season is done they would not even let me buy them,,,,what a waste and to think this happenes all over the united states each year,,take all those plants thrown away their would be enough to landscape everyones yard in the us im sure,,,sorry to hear that bro!!!!!
they don't even compost them? way to save the planet wal-mart!
Richard
02-26-2008, 12:42 PM
they don't even compost them? way to save the planet wal-mart!
San Diego (city) has a recycling and greenery program: on alternate weeks they pick up barrels of one or the other along with the trash. At the city facility, they process several hundred yards of greenery per day with a machine that mows down mulch piles the size of houses. To their credit, they also have capacity to process old or surplus lumber.
Now businesses in San Diego typically contract their refuse disposal with companies like EDCO. If the business separates refuse into different dumpsters, then they can contract with EDCO to make separate pickups and hence recycle.
The issue is that certain fiberous plants - including palms, yucca, etc. are hell on the machinery and in general do not produce good mulch and compost. Consequently, they are on the "unacceptable" list. The connection with this discussion is that the high volume stores would rather not spend time sorting their trash (the same problem occurs with residents of apartment buildings). The city of San Diego has been taking steps in this area passing ordinances to require recycling of paper and plastics from all stakeholders, but they have yet to follow through with a requirement for greenery.
There are 3 Home Depot stores within 12 miles of my home. The employees at one of them are very proactive and have developed an efficient system for "go-backs" in the Returns department - unique to that store. I noticed that they have also started sorting plant material. They have 4 dumpsters in the rear: trash, recycle, greenery, unresaleable lumber & sawdust. The dumpsters are in a secure enclosure.
I have also noticed that if you go into the millworks (milled lumber) section of any of these Home Depots, they have a barrel of scrap lumber next to a steel workbench with tools, and you can cut the length you need. It is sold by the inch at the same price of the full lengths. I asked an employee at one store about it: he said that they hardly throw any milled lumber away anymore.
Tropicallvr
02-26-2008, 01:57 PM
That's good to hear Richard.
My first 3 bananas I owned were Musa basjoo's being hauled to the dumpster(under watered, and browning), and I stopped the guy with the weel barrow and asked if I could have them, and he said "were not supposed to, but meet me out back by the dumpster", so basically that was all she wrote, been addicted to bananas ever since.
sandy0225
02-26-2008, 06:55 PM
!hen I first started my greenhouse for a hobby, I needed pots and it looked like they were throwing plants away at Lowes. They were all thrown in a cart. I asked if I could have them so that I could have the pots and they said they return the dead plants like that for credit to their supplier, so no can do....I suppose the supplier throws them away instead, because I went back a few days later and the cart was gone,and the plants/pots weren't in the dumpster.
Ahava
02-26-2008, 11:00 PM
!hen I first started my greenhouse for a hobby, I needed pots and it looked like they were throwing plants away at Lowes. They were all thrown in a cart. I asked if I could have them so that I could have the pots and they said they return the dead plants like that for credit to their supplier, so no can do....I suppose the supplier throws them away instead, because I went back a few days later and the cart was gone,and the plants/pots weren't in the dumpster.
This is pretty much it in one. I work at Wal-Mart, I used to work for the Target Lawn and Garden. Once plants started dying, my supervisor would mark them down once the blooms were spent and whatnot. The management of the store had her stop doing that because they'd rather get the "FULL CREDIT back" instead of just half price dollar amount they were getting, because the supplier either credits them back or replaces the plants, and the supplier wants to see the plants and destroy them so they KNOW they aren't getting stolen from, think about it from a business standpoint, a retailer's giving you back just the pots and no plants... you as a business owner need to make sure the retailer is keeping to their word. Now at the Wal-Mart I'm at, the Musa Zebrina's they had were pretty frost bitten, they sold them to a customer, the whole lot for a dollar a piece, but it depends on the manager, maybe if you go to another Wal-Mart, the supervisor may refuse because of whatever deals they have with the nurseries they are getting their plants from. As for fish, when they die, they are credited back to the store, they are just tossed in the compactor..., just as if a customer breaks a plate or whatever and walks away... it's all credited back, that's why people aren't forced to pay anymore for things they break... It's not looked as a living organism as just a dollar amount and way to make a profit. But I guess that's why these big places stay in business the way they do. I used to try and save plants all the time when I worked for Target, by trying to water them properly and give them proper care, as did my superviser, who worked in the fields a good deal of her life... but sneaking away with half dead plants,... wasn't worth losing my job.
:martialartsnaner:
chumleyrobert
02-26-2008, 11:12 PM
I have tryed to save plants also from the dumpster Or the compactor (like Walmart uses). I have found that different stores have different policies. However, in your particular case of the "bottle Palm" or"Hyophorbe Lagenicaulis" from the Mascarene Islands is now considered "greatly endangered, being reduced to a single wild population" on the Islands Or (in the world). Your Lowes manager may want to know this fact quoted from.... Palms Throughout the World.... by David L. Jones.....Smithonian Institute Press 1994 I wish you well Fernie ,don't get arrested over it. Robert Chumley
xavierdlc61887
02-26-2008, 11:22 PM
hey robert should i tell the manager to call u :D or should i just print this out and show it to him :D
jellyfish_sky
02-26-2008, 11:30 PM
I wonder if writing polite and concise complain letters to each store would make a difference. Perhaps we could really make a difference! But then there's all the bureaucracy of big box stores.... :(
chumleyrobert
02-27-2008, 12:25 AM
I would do both Fernando. I would be happy to inform him of the significance of this situation. Robert Chumley
chumleyrobert
02-27-2008, 12:54 AM
I would think the management teams of Lowe's, Walmarts, and Home depot's would be very interested in proving that they're "Green Oriented" counteracting 'Global Warming' and would at least want to help save the "Bottle Palm" and perhaps other threatened species that are both endangered in the wilds,,,,,, and here at home at our local stores by apathetic or indifferent managers who seem to get some perverted joy out of "playing God" and destoying these beautiful life forms instead of allowing local horticulturists like yourself to rescue them and aid in their rehabilitation to a normal peaceful life. Otherwise , they may become called by some people as "the most well known Poachers of the later half of the 20th century". Robert Chumley
tgtobb
02-27-2008, 01:21 AM
Offer to work for free, part time. You'll be willing to provide your own tools, insurance and uniforms while partially cleaning out their dumpster twice weekly :)
Regards/Roger, in Bangkok
Richard
02-27-2008, 02:44 AM
,,, and here at home at our local stores by apathetic or indifferent managers who seem to get some perverted joy out of "playing God" and destoying these beautiful life forms ...
I don't think they are playing God at all. Instead, they are trying to keep their job. I can personally verify that right now the job market is very tough.
Now at one of my local Home Depot stores, they have figured out away that everybody -- including the planet can win. If you don't like what is happening at your local store, then at least give the manager a print out of what I wrote below. I'm sure they'd love to improve their go-back system anyway.
mskitty38583
02-27-2008, 10:29 AM
i had the same problem. when they get things returned they the company recieves credit for that item. weather its walmart of lowes they do the same. so they just throw it out. now when you go to walmart you can get the ripped open bags of potting mix for half off. this is what happens when you take it up with the store manager more then 20 times in a growing season. lowes....it seems that everyplant i bye there has bugs that come out of nowhere. and when you tell their dept head, he just shakes his head and says i dunno know. so yes these places are stupid to throw away a plant that they can mark down half price. the company will still get credit for it and they still make money on it. maybe next time call for the store manager, if he dosent want to do anything, get his name and associate number and call the corporate and tell them about," the wasteful spending that lowes is costing the company." you start talking about wasteful spending to a corporation someone is gonna listen! just my .02 cents. and dont feel so bad we are with you!
Ahava
02-27-2008, 04:00 PM
MsKitty I have often wondered the same thing. You worked retail too so you know what I was talking about. And you also know until you go way up the chain in management, like district management up, they don't care, they really don't care... until you go to a higher manager who doesn't care, but doesn't like to be bothered about little things, so he chews out the store management, then things change... let me tell you how much management cares.... just the other day I had a customer asked the location of where they put the popcorn canisters, well the venders move them on us everyday, I didn't know since they moved them up front, and I had just gotten on the clock, and so I asked my CSM (Front lanes management) where they were since she had been there all day, and she said to me, "I don't know and I don't care since I'm off in ten mins..." Well needless to say I went and found the tins myself because, well I'm just a decent person, besides not just good customer service... and this is another thing I read... if you deal with the regular workers, and they have a bad attitude, it is more then likely the attitude of the management because the lower workforce for the most part reflects the attitude of the management. But the best way to get them hopping is to call the corporate and bitch like you never bitched before and annoy the heck out of them... that gets the ball rollin... :07: I'm sorry to say...
I SO need to get out of retail for what little sanity I have left
Richard
02-27-2008, 04:27 PM
... if you deal with the regular workers, and they have a bad attitude, it is more then likely the attitude of the management because the lower workforce for the most part reflects the attitude of the management.
Yes, the old adage is: poison drips from the top down.
xavierdlc61887
02-27-2008, 04:47 PM
well i printed the thread and showed it to the store manager and he said to leave before he called the police and security....i stood my ground and said call them i think they should see this....me all scared....they called security only and escorted me out again this time i cursed and things about global warming and keeping the earth green and being only in for the money and that your commercials are very hypocritical they just said have a great evening sir and that was it i left think im not wanted in that store anymore....so much for getting hired there...kinda happy though because i wouldnt want to work where a store does that stuff and doenst care about anything excopt money. ok well i dont know what else to do so i guess im only one person who cant beat the giant :(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(
Zac in NC
02-27-2008, 04:48 PM
I have tryed to save plants also from the dumpster Or the compactor (like Walmart uses). I have found that different stores have different policies. However, in your particular case of the "bottle Palm" or"Hyophorbe Lagenicaulis" from the Mascarene Islands is now considered "greatly endangered, being reduced to a single wild population" on the Islands Or (in the world). Your Lowes manager may want to know this fact quoted from.... Palms Throughout the World.... by David L. Jones.....Smithonian Institute Press 1994 I wish you well Fernie ,don't get arrested over it. Robert Chumley
Thats Very True.
This thread really makes me sick about what Lowes and Home Despot does.
Zac
Zac in NC
02-27-2008, 04:50 PM
well i printed the thread and showed it to the store manager and he said to leave before he called the police and security....i stood my ground and said call them i think they should see this....me all scared....they called security only and escorted me out again this time i cursed and things about global warming and keeping the earth green and being only in for the money and that your commercials are very hypocritical they just said have a great evening sir and that was it i left think im not wanted in that store anymore....so much for getting hired there...kinda happy though because i wouldnt want to work where a store does that stuff and doenst care about anything excopt money. ok well i dont know what else to do so i guess im only one person who cant beat the giant :(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(
HOLY COW! They called security on you? Thats ridiculous. i don't think I'll be buying anything else from them then. They are just losing business.
Zac
xavierdlc61887
02-27-2008, 04:54 PM
yes thatsthe second time too :P im really sad that those 2 bottle palms and other plants as well are going to become destroyed all because they were returned :( i mean the company that provided the money loses here and the big chain stores still win its a sick feeling but thats just the way it is and it sickens me....this just inspires me to open up my own nursery even more and work extra hard to keep and educate people about plants and discourage them to buy from big chain stores, because atleast with a single person nursery owned will help the customer out on how to raise,help them if the plant isnt doing well etc. ok well thanks for understanding guys it really relieves me that u have my back :D
Whatever
02-27-2008, 04:58 PM
They came from the earth and they will just go back to the earth. I wouldn't get THAT upset over it.
Richard
02-27-2008, 05:07 PM
This thread really makes me sick about what Lowes and Home Despot does.
Zac
There is one Home Depot store in my locale where the Manager and the Employees really "get it". I will continue to shop for tools and building supplies there. I'm sorry to hear that the same is not true in your area.
NanaNut2
02-27-2008, 09:29 PM
I have one more idea that may help remedy the situation. Have you ever thought of contacting the media? In our area there is always one dedicated reporter who will follow up on human interest stories. Look at your evidence and then confront management at the store. This will usually get a response from the public, at least those who care about green issues in this case.
When enough flack is received over the policies, the store listens. And change happens. Bad press works all the time ... he he he.
I didn't tell you that when I tried to redeem Lowe's coupon, the store clerk followed me out of the store and took down my license plate number !! As I said before, I will not be shopping there again. I was so offended. I would agree at this point it sounds as if it would be better for you not to enter their store again.
NanaNut2
xavierdlc61887
02-27-2008, 10:02 PM
yes thats what told myself now that i would not enter any HDs and Lowes stores :-/ well except for tools and lumber :P ok well thanks for all the responses and help guys
jpfloors
03-01-2008, 01:12 PM
there must be something an orginization that helps save plants from stores like that....ahhhhhhhhh whyyyyyy :(
i did ask the manager and he said they cant resell them...which he never answerd my question if i can have them free :(
Hey Fernie, you should have just taken them from the dumpster and left. Was the dumpster in a clear sight near where employees could of seen you or in the back where no one would be? Worse WORSE case senario you could have been arrested and gotten publicity (highly doubtful) LOL I seriously doubt they would press charges as they wouldn't want the bad publicity!
You could have also tried to call corprate. Tell them they had something (in the trash or not) that could have made them some money off of rather than a loss or at least saved on their trash bill as they usually pay by the pound, reason someone that stated above was given free concrete. Trust me, the store manager would have been given unwanted call over that (I still would call anyways).
If it's trash to them, I don't think they'd go through the trouble of calling the cops. I would have just taken it without asking. Hell, if police can do it without a warrent to solve crimes, why wouldn't you be able to in order to save a living thing!!! Not to side wtih the manager, but it almost does sound like he was telling you to take it anyways by not giving you an answer. But I wasn't there, so I didn't hear his attitude, tone of voice, expressions... yada yada yada.
Hell, my dad gave me a NICE Bombay CD revolving case made of nice cherry wood, had a tiny scratch, reason they threw it out. DAMN how wasteful our country is. I compost, recycle, and donate 80% of my trash and only have about a bag to two of trash for the trash guys per week!
YOU HAVE MY SUPPORT!!!!!!!
Josh
formontcalamus
03-02-2008, 11:38 PM
Xavier . . . Control yourself . . we live in a cruel world full of people who only want to make money or employees who care not or know nothing about the plants they are employed to sell. Sometimes they put the cart of half dead plants outside or out back. If you are carefull you can get away with just taking them (I do).
Wholesale and retail nurseries on average throw away about 10% of all plants grown or purchassed due to overgroth. Its unavoidable. . . Logos Calamus
mskitty38583
03-03-2008, 09:54 AM
you could have taken them from the dumpster. and i can tell you why. the law states that if someone has thrown away anything in a traash can , a dumpster, a trash bag, and it is not in the cause way of the property( if it is outside the area of the store it becomes public property. the reason i know this is when people put there trash out for the city to come pick up and it is so may feet from the domaine(store, house, etc) the police can go through that said trash to look for evidence. they do not need a warrent to go through your trash.PLEASE keep in mind if the dumpsters are next to the building or within 50 feet it still belongs to the buisness. if it is farther then that it is public property.( the trucks have to come get the trash). PLEASE REMEMBER TO OBEY THE LAW. if there is a sign that states no dumpster diving....then that means no dumpster diving.
Richard
03-03-2008, 05:05 PM
I went to Fernie's favorite store today ... a Home Depot in San Diego where the management seems to actually care about employees and outcomes. Anyway, while heading down the irrigation isle looking for some bleeder valve screws I saw they have started a "cut your own" program next to the plastic irrigation pipe and are selling it by the foot.
:0490:
xavierdlc61887
03-03-2008, 05:09 PM
yeah we have that here too and its good to hear that theres places that actually care about plants and dont want to throw them away :D
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