FlyTrapCare Forums

Hello all,

Just recieved my order from Cook's Carnivorous Plants. I ordered an N. Glandulifera x Tenuis and a large-sized Akai Ryu flytrap.

Let's start off with the Nep:

First of all, they sent me the WRONG plant. They gave me an N. Spectabilis x Tenuis BE-3884 when I was SUPPOSED to recieve a BE-3891 GLANDULIFERA x Tenuis. That didn't tick me off as much as the quality if the plant I recieved. The main growth point was BLACK and the plant was shipped in a grocery bag. Most of the leaves were horribly wilted and broken , including the only forming pitcher it had. I contacted them about this but they have NEVER responded to ANY of my emails. Hopefully this one is lucky.

Flytrap:
I recieved this one a bit more secure in a ziploc bag. It was marked as 'Near Flowering,' which I am guessing is adult-sized. It was pretty small but that's what I get from buying during dormancy. OK condition.

Pics: 1 star. Never ordering again from these guys.

Please share your opinions/experiences here also. All are appreciated.

Thanks and happy growing
Max

Pictures aren't loading?

Carnies wrote: ↑Thu Oct 28, 2021 1:42 am Pictures aren't loading?

Yeah I can't fix that but I viewed them by right clicking and selecting "open link in New tab."

Oh, I can see it now.

Sorry that happened to you man. On the up side, the Nep will probably bud off a dormant node below the black.

Apollyon wrote: ↑Thu Oct 28, 2021 2:10 am Sorry that happened to you man. On the up side, the Nep will probably bud off a dormant node below the black.

Yeah that's what I figured would happen anyways but just wanted to warn forum users. I believe spectabilis has tougher care requirements (?)than Glandulifera so I will have to do what I gotta do IG.

Surprised this happened since a lot of people had good experiences.

Sarracenia2004 wrote: ↑Thu Oct 28, 2021 2:18 am OOOOhhh nooooo
worst quality ive ever seen...

I know lol

Yeah. I mean I can understand that mix-up, mistakes happen and that one is understandable but some of that sounds like misrepresentation and lack of effort. The lack of customer service and follow up sounds bad too. Idk how these people expect to hold onto business if they dismiss their buyers like that. If you have a means to, try to get it into high humidity to ease its recovery some.

Apollyon wrote: ↑Thu Oct 28, 2021 2:24 am Yeah. I mean I can understand that mix-up, mistakes happen and that one is understandable but some of that sounds like misrepresentation and lack of effort. The lack of customer service and follow up sounds bad too. Idk how these people expect to hold onto business if they dismiss their buyers like that.

Exactly. Looks like they have declined miserably in the 30 years of this website being open.

I'll throw in my experience with two orders now, only issue I had at all was that he missed printing out my last order so it ended up shipping a couple weeks later than it otherwise would've. I got a nearly immediate response when I asked about it through FB though, and wasn't particularly bothered by it since it was kind of an impulse buy anyway. However, I have read about other people who have had experiences like yours too, so it seems to be fairly hit or miss with him especially outside of sarrs. Which to some extent is kind of understandable since afaik it's just Dean running the whole thing and he apparently has a full time day job too, but I get there's still really only so much you can forgive as a customer.

Idk, I can see both sides. If it's one guy and he's doing it with a day job, that'll burn someone out. But it's a choice. Following through with customers and making mistakes right would continue to provide him business though. People remember stuff like that. A lot of nurseries seem to really slack on that or are just indifferent. There are some good ones too

@Sarracenia2004, I agree, absolutely. It's fundamental in a service job to actually provide the service. They forget that and they lose business to the next guy who does answer their e-mails. From what I read, that was a disturbingly careless way of going about it; the packaging. I get that Neps can get large, dessication is likely a risk. However, they should account for it and have a plan if they actually intend to sell it and send it out. Extra large bags, or even sealing the pot, putting some stakes in there to brace it and buffer it with packing peanuts. A grocery bag is something I'd expect from a kid selling to me on facebook. I don't know, when I sell plants, I try to make it a good experience. I make sure to double check what I'm giving them, offer the best of what I have available and make sure things turned out alright. I answer questions. However, I've worked a lot of service-oriented jobs in my life in one form or another so those things stuck. I get you can't do that on a grand scale but if there's an actual problem, it shouldn't be ignored. I had that same experience with Carnivorous Plant Nursery when a Heliamphora got caught in the busted covid holiday black hole last year (where the packages would arrive at a hub and get lost) for a month. Didn't even ask for my money back, I asked if something could be done if the thing did die and radio silence.

I ordered from this shop like 10 years ago, and had a similar experience. They seem like nice people who really care about their plants, so I'm just puzzled. Maybe their kids are running the store for them? They must get a lot of angry emails from dissatisfied customers. I can't imagine they would just be okay with that after so many years.

Sorry to hear that @MaxVft... Double sorry because I was the one who recommended that you buy from Cook's...
They usually get my plants right, even on massive orders of 6-8 plants.
I find it funny that there was a mishap, especially since the seller replaced your plant with an even more exspensive plant.
Nepenthes spectabilis x tenuis costs about $30 each but you got 1 (and a half) for the $15 you paid for the origional nep.
When you think about it, nepenthes glandulifera x tenuis ran out around the time you ordered (I do weekly checks).
Do you think the seller was trying to give you an alternative plant in the place of the origional plant as a "sorry, none left, take this instead"?

@Cphunter101 it's possible but wouldn't he have included a note in the order and/or emailed me about the issue?

Also it's completely fine about the recommendation, it was all my choice and things happen.

MaxVft wrote:@Cphunter101 it's possible but wouldn't he have included a note in the order and/or emailed me about the issue?

I don't know... Did you check the paper care sheet that Cook usually sends with the CPs?
It's only a guess that the seller had purposely swapped your CP...
Well, how do you feel about this other nep?

Edit: I grow many spectabilis crosses with little to no problem.
My tenuis cross is currently growing vigorously.
I think both species just need plenty of light and humidity.
They don't care much about the temperature, just don't freeze them.