Balsam Hill, LLC

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/12/16) */
Hello,
We apologize for any discourtesy the customer feels they received as expressed in this review. We do value all of our customers and take all feedback seriously and improve from it and are truly sorry for the frustration they...

endured. We will honor the customer's request to return the merchandise at no charge. Once the Tree has been received back to our returns warehouse we will issue a full refund to the customer's account. We hope to be able to resolve this for them in a timely matter.
We have taken note of this complaint and will have the customer contacted on December 17th, 2014 to discuss the return arrangements.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (2000, 7, 2014/12/18) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)
We trust that they will honor their promise of a FULL refund, including shipping if applicable. We would like the three girls in customer service to be reprimanded. No one deserves to be treated the way we were treated. If they worked under me they'd have been fired on the spot. The customer service dept is how a company is seen and experienced. It's the interface between a company and its public. Your reputation is everything to a customer and your reputation is forever flawed in our view, thanks to those 3 little girls. (Adults? Adult children?) I'd remedy that if I were you.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/11/21) */
Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed regarding the lighting in the tree. The customer contacted us on October 24th, 2014 regarding one strand not working in a section. When there is an issue with a tree,...

we go through a troubleshooting process to verify the stated issue. The reason we do this is because often times a stated issue is nothing more than a loose bulb or something else minor which is easily adjusted to resolve an issue, and is not an actual defect. After completing troubleshooting, we requested documentation in pictures to verify the issue and help determine a resolution. Our policies, which are a part of our terms and conditions agreed to at the time of sale, outline this. On October 27th, 2014 we followed up with the customer on the requested the documentation, the customer stated he was not interested in the resolution and was just returning the tree. At this time we provided them the Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number and return instructions. The customer requested a label be sent at no charge for the return. We advised the customer they are responsible for the return shipping, as stated in the standard return policy, which they accepted at the time the order was placed online.
The customer states in this complaint, a solution of "rewiring" the tree was offered. In this instance, due to the customer not providing us with the requested documentation to verify a problem, a courtesy light strand was offered to assist the customer with the one strand he stated occasionally was not working. The customer declined this offer, instead saying they wanted to return the tree. If a customer wants to return a tree without verifying an issue with the product, then they are subject to our standard return policy. We will not make exceptions to the policy without verifying a product is defective as being claimed.
We have taken note of this complaint, but ultimately the customer did file a chargeback and we are awaiting response on the outcome of the case from the credit card company. We are unable to issue a refund for anything beyond what the customer paid whey they purchased the product and thus will not be able to issue credit for the return shipping the customer elected over providing the requested documentation to resolve the problem.
Regards,
Treetopia Customer Service
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2014/11/27) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
Poor business practice to sell a defective product and then make the buyer pay for the return.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2014/12/16) */
Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed regarding the policies they accepted at the time the order was placed online. If a customer wants to return a tree without verifying an issue with the product, then they are subject to our standard return policy. We will not make exceptions to the policy without verifying a product is defective as being claimed. The customer declined to provide documentation verifying any issues and as stated in our previous response the return shipping was at the sole responsibility of the customer. We are sorry the customer feels it is poor business practice to need evidence of a problem before providing a replacement part.

Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 11, 2014/12/19) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
They have an on-line business. Guess good business practices don't apply to them.

this company is un responsive. I tried calling but after long wait I gave up. I then sent an email and got response indicating they would contact me in 2-3 days. it's been 4 days now. the tree purchased came with a stand that was a pot with a metal rod set in concrete. the concrete was poor qualty and crumbled so bad it did not hold tree and was worthless. on top of no response they want returns shipped with customer charged $25 and this has to be done within a time frame before 12-25-16. hard to return since they don't respond to email and phone efforts not practical. this is a company I regret doing business with

Ordered a tree and ended up sending it back 2 days later since it was a close to what I had. Sent back using their label and they received it Dec. 8, for a refund. Site said using their label, refund would take 48 hours. As of today, I still have not received my refund (Dec. 21). Have call at least twice a week since they have received and customer service has been saying their back-up and I should receive credit within 48 hour. Looks like I will be calling again. Wanted this completed by Christmas but something tell me to get my refund I will have to become mean! I would not recommend this company

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/01/05) */
Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed with the shipment of their order. The customer placed an order online on December 7th, 2014 with Ground shipping. On December 11th, 2014 the customer contacted us...

and requested tracking information. That same day we attempted to contact the customer back to inform her that there was a delay in the shipment of her order. On December 12th, 2014 the customer contacted us again requesting a status update and we advised her that her item was delayed. We provided the customer with the options of waiting for the item she had originally selected or she could select a different item.
On December 16th, 2014 the customer contacted us to follow up on the shipment of the order and requested the tracking information. We advised the customer that the tree had not shipped yet and would be shipping soon. The tree shipped on December 19th, 2014 with FedEx 2-Day shipping and the customer received it on December 23rd, 2014.
On December 20th, 2014 the customer contacted us to see why the tree had not been delivered. We advised the customer that the tree was requested to ship and were awaiting the tracking information. On December 22nd, 2014 the customer contacted us and requested to return the tree since she still had yet to receive it and was not delivered within the timeframe that she was given. We honored the customer's request and provided return labels at no cost. A full refund was issued to the customer on December 26th, 2014. As the customer has returned the item and a full refund has been issued. We consider this matter to be resolved.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/01/20) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
While the business has credited my credit card, their response contains several inaccuracies.
At no time did Balsam Hill ever "attempt to contact" me. As you can undoubtedly tell, I would have welcomed such contact or effort on their part. Neither my home nor cell phone call-logs indicate such an attempt.
I DID discuss selecting another item and was ready to do so. However, after putting me on hold to "check on something" the Balsam Hill representative came back on the phone and stated "Good thing we didn't put that through. I was just told that your order incurred a delay in shipping but will definitely ship early next week".
The next week I again contacted Balsam Hill, as my order status on their website still showed the item as "Processing", a term used from the very beginning. I believe this was 12/16. I spoke with a wonderful woman who spent a great amount of time trying to figure out the problem. She and I both were fairly giddy when she said that she'd spoken with her supervisor after that person had checked with their warehouse in New Jersey and learned that "The tree will DEFINITELY SHIP ON WEDNESDAY!!" I replied "If you knew how many times I've heard that....." to which she responded "[redacted] (we were on a first name basis by this time) I PROMISE you that you will have your tree on Friday. Again, that did not occur.
Realizing that the minimum time for trimming the tree had passed [redacted] a few days prior, I called Balsam Hill on Monday, 12/22 and explained that I did not want the tree. I was told that I could return the tree AT MY OWN EXPENSE. I refused to waste one more bit of time, energy, emotion or money and stated that I would not pay to return it. The service rep said he would check with his supervisor. The rep came back on the line with the "good news" that Balsam Hill would be willing to "split the cost" of return shipping with me (it was at this point that my husband swears my head spun around on my neck and my eyes glowed red but I believe he is exaggerating slightly). I again responded "No", and at this point I: 1)asked to speak with the person on the next highest rung of the ladder and 2) advised Balsam Hill that I'd lodged a complaint with the Revdex.com and had been given a case number. They then agreed to email a return, pre-paid label for my use. Balsam Hill's response to you makes it sound like they did me a huge favor by "honoring my request and providing labels at no cost". I had to argue, cajole and ultimately be rather persistent/demanding before they agreed to do this.
Anyway.... I printed the label, the tree arrived about 3:00 pm on 12/23 and, as instructed by Balsam Hill, I immediately contacted FedEx to schedule a pick-up date. FedEx informed me that they were no longer doing pick-ups because they still had a huge volume of deliveries to complete before Christmas. I scheduled a pick-up for Friday, 12/26 (the earliest date available) and, again as instructed by Balsam Hill, contacted BH to let them know this information. Here is where Balsam Hill should, in my opinion, be slapped with whatever penalties are possible. When I made that phone call I was advised that if I did not have the tree "in the FedEx return system" no later than 11:59 p.m. on 12/24 I would not be able to return it without charge. I explained that the tree had only just been delivered 2 hours ago and FedEx was unable to pick it up within that time frame. It didn't matter. I was rudely told that the Balsam Hill web site "clearly states our return policy". I replied that the web site also clearly stated that orders would be shipped within 1-2 days of receipt, and would arrive within 2-3 days afterwards. They guaranteed 2-day shipping. I confess that I didn't read the caveat on the website regarding returned items, as I felt certain that delivery would proceed as stated on the site. Apparently Balsam Hill does not hold itself to the same standards as it does it's customers. They can ignore some rules when it benefits them.
So, after waiting 16 days for what should have been (as their web site clearly states!) a 5 day delivery, I am given approximately 24 hours (less, if one considers that this is happening the day before Christmas Eve and folks are a little tied up with other things)to get the thing back in their system.
Our neighbor was able to load the box into his SUV and he and my husband literally sped to the FedEx shipping center minutes before they closed that evening.
What would I like? I would like Balsam Hill to remove from its website their statement about processing and delivery times. It is misleading and false.
If the Revdex.com has the power to recommend fines or penalties for what I feel is false advertising on the part of Balsam Hill I would support that.
Oh, and I also would like Balsam Hill to reimburse me for the $45.00 bottle of scotch I gave our neighbor for coming to my rescue, taking the tree to FedEx when we had no way to do it ourselves (small, energy-conscious cars!), thereby allowing this awful experience to come to a close.

Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2015/02/05) */
Hello,
As stated in the previous complaint, we are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed with their order. The customer placed an order online on December 7th, 2014 with Ground shipping. On December 11th, 2014 the customer contacted us and requested tracking information, in which we advised was not available as of yet. That same day we attempted to contact the customer back to inform her that there was a delay in the shipment of her order. The customer contacted us back on December 12th, 2014 again requesting a status of the order. At this time we were able to inform the customer the tree had been delayed. We provided the customer the option of waiting for the tree she had originally selected with Expedited Shipping at no charge, she could select a different tree or the customer could receive a refund. The customer chose to wait for the original tree to ship, in which we did not specify an exact date.
On December 16th, 2014 the customer contacted us to follow up on the shipment of the order and requested the tracking information. We advised the customer that the tree had not shipped yet and would be shipping soon. In this complaint the customer is stating they received the two day shipping guarantee at the time the order was placed. They also claim the tree arrived without the two day shipping they were promised when they chose to wait for the tree to ship. This information is inaccurate. The tree shipped on Friday December 19th, 2014 with FedEx 2-Day shipping and the customer received it on Tuesday December 23rd, 2014. The order was delivered within the timeframe we specified and as reflected on the FedEx website for 2 Day shipments. The FedEx website states for FedEx 2 Day shipping items will deliver within 2 business days, this does not include weekends.
Ultimately, the customer requested to return the tree due to the shipping delay on the order. We honored the customer's request and provided return labels at no cost a day before the tree arrived. A full refund was issued to the customer on December 26th, 2014. The customer is now requesting we issue an additional refund of $45.00 to the account for a bottle of liquor they chose to purchase for a neighbor who helped with the return. We are unable to issue a refund for anything beyond what the customer paid whey they purchased the product and thus will not be able to issue credit for the bottle of scotch the customer elected to purchase for a neighbor instead of returning the tree with the label we provided at the time it was delivered, the responsibly for that lies solely on the customer.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 11, 2015/02/13) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
Many of the issues raised in my previous response are, I feel, still valid - with the obvious exception of the purchase of the "Thank You" gift for our neighbor who assisted us in the partial resolution of this fiasco with Balsam Hill. I didn't really expect them to reimburse me for this, given their track record. However, there remains one issue that I will pursue with them as long as I possibly can: False and Misleading Advertising.
Please take a moment and look at Balsam Hill's web site. It states:
1)"All items are in stock and ready to ship (except any marked as 'Out Of Stock')"
2)"Orders received by 12 pm on business days will ship the same day. Orders received on weekends will ship Monday"
3)"Standard Ground Shipping orders will arrive within 2-5 business days"
In their most recent reply to you, the Revdex.com, Balsam Hill focuses on the fact that the order was received by me within the proper time frame ONCE IT SHIPPED. They say the tree shipped on Friday, 12/19/14 and was delivered on Tuesday, 12/23/14.I never contended this was not so. My issue remains that their web site is false and misleading regarding the time frame between when they RECEIVE the order and when they SHIP it to the customer.
When I placed my order online on Sunday, 12/7/14 the tree was not marked as being "out of stock". According to information on their own website (and which I relied upon when choosing to order from them), this meant that the tree should have shipped the following day (Monday, 12/8/14). Balsam Hill acknowledges that they did not ship the tree until Friday, 12/19/14. Over the course of the next 11 days I was misled, misinformed and given a great deal of wrong information. They say on 12/11/14 they "attempted to contact me back to advise me there was a shipping delay". NEVER did Balsam Hill tell me that there was a shipping delay until I asked about cancelling my order. Then and only then did they mention a shipping delay. Balsam Hill then suggested I might want to order another tree. I asked if they would be willing to pay the cost of expedited shipping and was told that there was absolutely no way they could do so. They did offer a 10% discount on the cost of the tree (which would only cover about half the expedited shipping charges). Never-the-less, I did select a different tree and was ready to place the order. The Customer Service representative put me on hold for several minutes and when she came back on the line exclaimed "Good thing we didn't put this new order through! I checked one last thing and just learned that your original tree is shipping tomorrow!" I asked if she was certain and she told me that she had spoken with her supervisor and he was positive. THAT is why I chose to wait for the original tree to ship. Allow me to again state that Balsam Hill NEVER offered expedited shipping at no charge to me. If, as they say, "Calls are monitored or recorded to ensure customer satisfaction" then Balsam Hill should be able to prove that they are being truthful. But they can't. Because they aren't.
Balsam Hill should be required to remove their false claims from their website and issue an apology to anyone who, like myself, relied upon these claims (I consider them lies) when determining with whom to do business. I don't mean a "We're sorry the customer was unhappy and experienced frustration" sort of apology. I want Balsam Hill to take responsibility for their actions, misrepresentations and false advertising and admit that they were totally at fault. They claimed to provide a level and quality of service to which they didn't even come close. THAT is the source of my frustration and unhappiness. Companies should be prohibited from doing this to people - and then try to be deceitful and duplicitous about the circumstances that took place.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/12/29) */
Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed regarding the lighting in the tree. The customer contacted us on December 16th, 2014 regarding lighting not working in sections of their tree. As the customer...

purchased the tree in November of 2010, agreeing to the three year light warranty, they do not have a warranty at this time. We advised the customer they were outside of the warranty time-frame for the lighting for their tree. After completing troubleshooting as a courtesy and reviewing the documentation the customer provided, we decided we would send a replacement light strand to the customer, also as a courtesy. The light strand was shipped on 12/15/14 and delivered to the customer on 12/19/14. The customer states in this complaint that they contacted us multiple times with no resolution to the issue. This information is not accurate, as we sent them a light strand which would resolve the stated issue. Furthermore, the customer states they were originally going to purchase a newer tree with LED lights prior to this issue occurring and now feel they should receive compensation or discounts towards the purchase. As the products can be used without the lights the customer is more than welcome to remove them and still have longevity from the current tree or purchase a replacement section matching the current lighting options. As the tree is no longer under warranty, we already offered the customer more than what we are obligated to do.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 6, 2014/12/16) */
Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed with their tree. On November 19th, 2014 the customer contacted us with a lighting issue in a section of their tree. The tree is covered under warranty and after...

troubleshooting, it was determined a replacement section was needed. As the customer states in this complaint they were frustrated with the process of receiving a replacement section. The customer received the replacement section on November 29th, 2014 and states it was the incorrect lighting. We apologize for the mishap and have requested for the correct section to be shipped. At this time we are working to correct the issue and send out the correct section, as we advised the customer.
We have taken note of this complaint and will have a supervisor contact the customer to discuss the matter and see if some kind of resolution can be reached.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 8, 2014/12/20) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I have not been contacted by Balsam Hill in over three weeks.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 10, 2015/01/09) */
Hello,
As stated in our previous response, the customer is frustrated with the time frame on receiving the replacement section. We apologize for the delay, but as the customer purchased the tree in December of 2011 the inventory for their tree is no longer available. We reached out to the customer on December 24th, 2014 and apologized for the miscommunication as we were unaware the emails we were sending the customer detailing this information were not received. We informed the customer that the correct part will be manufactured in our off season and they would be receiving the replacement section sometime in summer 2015. Our policies in which the customer accepted when they placed the order online, outlines this information. We feel the matter has been mutually resolved and the section will be sent to the customer as soon as it is available.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/01/02) */
Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed with their order. The customer placed an order online on October 28th, 2014. On November 29th, 2014 the customer contacted us and advised the tree had a lighting...

issue in a section. The customer requested to return the tree, as it was outside the return time-frame we advised the customer this was not an option. On December 16th, 2014 we realized the customer had contacted us within the 30 day return time-frame and allowed the return. We apologize for any frustration this has caused. Ultimately, we issued a no charge return label to return the tree. We have received the tree back and we issued a full refund to the account. On December 31st, 2014 we issued a full refund to the customer's account. At this time we consider the matter resolved.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2014/11/06) */
Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed with the lighting option on the garlands they purchased from our company. The customer states in this complaint, that our website did not specify the garlands were...

battery operated and thought they would be able to plug into an electrical outlet, which is what they were looking for. The customer also states the only item on the website description page of the product ordered showing the battery operated option was the teardrop. The website has always shown battery operated under the Industry Leading lights description but, we did update our website so now it does clearly specify next to all the items on that page they are battery operated. The customer contacted us through email on 10/20/2014, in regards to the issue with the operation of the lights on their garlands. As there is no issue with the garlands except how they operate through the battery pack, which is not the customer's preference, we advised the customer about the exchange program.
The exchange option allows the customer to return the two garlands and exchange for two different garlands without the battery operation and if the items are the same price or higher the $25.00 exchange fee would be waived. The customer was also advised if they were not interested in the exchange option, then they could return the items under the standard return policy. We provided the customer the information needed to return the products. The customer states they should not be responsible for the shipping to return items that are damaged. The customer has also clearly stated in this complaint that the items are not damaged they are just not what they expected in the lighting operation and they want to return them. We realize the error and are willing to waive the return shipping fee to return the two garlands. We have attempted to contact the customer and are waiting to hear back from them. We are happy to continue to work with the customer towards the exchange or return of their items.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 9, 2014/11/07) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
They absolutely did NOT offer to waive the return shipping fee which is why I still have them and have until 11/11/14 to send them back. This makes the timing of thier response to my complaint even more interesting. All they have to do is email me the return shipping labels and we can close the complaint. As stated, they have NOT done that as they have tried to convey in thier answer. They just answered twice stating their return policy is what it is and then updated their website. They can email me the shipping labels, refund my money as they should have in the first place and we can close this. Until that time I will not withdraw my complaint. Ask them for the emails or I can provide them.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 25, 2015/01/05) */
Hello,
In regards to the customer's recent complaint: We received the garlands back on December 11th, 2014. We have refunded the order within the stated time-frame of the return policy which states: please allow up to 30 days after receipt of the return to our return center to inspect the return and apply the credit. The customer's credit was applied within 12 days. We do apologize for the confusion on the process but as the full credit for the garlands has been applied back to the credit card, we consider this matter to be resolved.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service
Final Consumer Response /* (2000, 27, 2015/01/07) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)
As I previously stated, I was finally credited. Balsam Hill always seems to have a answer pertaining to their policies for every complaint made against them.
I recommend their policies are given a closer look as to fairness and advertising. This complaint regarding shipping was ridiculous! They suck the customer in with "Free Shipping" on the sale (when it is really included in the price of the item) and then want the customer to pay full freight return shipping on any items that are damaged or in this case, misrepresented to the customer.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 6, 2016/01/20) */
Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed with their orders. The customer originally placed an order online for an artificial white Christmas tree on November 13th, 2012 for. On November 24th, 2015, the...

customer contacted us in regards to their white tree turning yellow. As the tree was covered by warranty, we determined that a replacement tree was needed and a request was submitted for a replacement.
On November 30th, 2015, an order was placed for a replacement tree for the customer and was shipped out on December 1st, 2015. On December 2nd, 2015 the customer contacted us in regards to the replacement tree arriving. The customer stated that they were unsure as to whether or not their warranty was going to be approved, so they had ordered the same tree on November 23rd, 2015 and had already received that one. They stated that they did not need two trees and, under the direction of our shipping partner, had refused the second order. We advised the customer that we typically charge a $75 refusal fee, but under the circumstances, agreed to waive the fee for the customer. We confirmed that once we received the refused tree back, we would issue a refund on the order that was placed on November 23rd, 2015.
On December 7th, 2015, the customer contacted us about the status of their refund. We confirmed that we had received the item back at our warehouse and were working on issuing the refund. We did advise the customer that due to the time of year, we were delayed on processing refunds, but assured them that we were working on it. The customer followed up with us again on December 26th, 2015, as they still had not received their refund. We apologized to the customer for the delay, and advised them that a partial refund in the amount of $25.00 had been issued back to the customer's account used for the purchase. As the amount of the refund was incorrect, a case was submitted by an agent to have the remaining $474.00 refunded.

As of January 19th, 2016, the remaining amount of $474.00 has been refunded to the customer's account used for the purchase. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and regret the time it has taken to resolve their issue. At this time, as the customer has been refunded in full for the replacement order that was placed on November 23rd, 2015, we feel this matter to be resolved.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 6, 2014/12/23) */
Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed with their tree. The customer ordered their tree in January of 2012. In this complaint the customer states they have had issues with the tree since they first...

assembled it almost 11 months later. We did not hear from the customer until December of 2012 when they called to express dissatisfaction with the look of the tree overall and declined to do warranty on the tree as they wanted to return instead. We advised the customer, as they were outside of the 30 day return timeframe, as stated in the return policy. Our policies, which are a part of our terms and conditions agreed to at the time of sale, outline this. We advised the customer a return was not an option but we were happy to resolve any issues through warranty. The customer declined this option. The next time we had contact from the customer was in September of 2014 when they contacted us pertaining to wanting to be removed from the mailing list. On October 6th, 2014 the customer contacted us to follow up on the request of being removed from the mailing list for the catalogs and mentioned the leaning of the tree. We requested documentation from the customer to confirm the issue and determine a resolution. After reviewing the documentation provided by the customer, the resolution was for the customer to donate their tree and we could replace it. At this time we are waiting for the donation receipt and we will send a replacement tree once it is received.

Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 8, 2014/12/29) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
Balsam Hill was aware of the 2 Manufacturing Defects with the pre-lit Christmas tree I purchased from the start in December 2012; the tree leans significantly and the pre-strung, wired on lights were not distributled evenly on the tree at the time it was manufactured. There were over a dozen contacts and follow ups with this company where their customer service was insulting and made no valid offer to have the tree repaired or replaced. Balsam Hill shows photos online of this product being lush and full, which is entirely misleading and deceiving. The cheap PE plastic used for this tree smells and the tips of the branches break off very easily. At the time of sale I was told the tree was 100% PE which it is not. My original complaint and requested resolution stands. They have my address and they can send me a Refund Check. I have no intention of accepting a replacement tree for this company's inferior product.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 10, 2015/01/19) */
Hello,
As stated in our previous response, we are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed with their tree, and that the level of customer service they have received has not met expectations. While troubleshooting the problems it was never our intention to make the customer feel like we thought they did not know how to set up their tree.

The customer ordered their tree in January of 2012. We did not hear from the customer until December of 2012 when they called to express dissatisfaction with the look of the tree overall and declined to do warranty on the tree as they wanted to return instead. We advised the customer they were outside of the 30 day return time frame, as stated in the return policy. Our policies, which are a part of our terms and conditions agreed to at the time of sale, outline this.
On October 6th, 2014 the customer contacted us to request to be removed from our mailing list and made mention again of the issues that they had with their tree. We requested documentation from the customer to confirm the issue and determine a resolution. After reviewing the documentation provided by the customer, the resolution was for the customer to donate their tree and we could replace it. Until we receive a copy of the donation receipt we are unable to move forward with warranty process. Having the customer return the tree for a full refund two years after it was purchased is not an option, just as it was not option when they first contacted us eleven months after purchasing the item.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 12, 2015/01/25) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
This company provides customers with false advertising of their actual products by doctoring online product photos and they provide customers with false information about their warranty policies; insinuating that they will honor a return/exchange on products with manufacturing defects.
The Sales representative I dealt with never even suggested that I do anything other than check the sections of the tree to make sure the lights were functioning after it arrived. That's exactly what I did and then I put the tree box in my closet for storage until December 2012.
In December 2012, I provided Balsam Hill with information concerning 2 significant manufacturing defects with their product. Balsam Hill's customer service representatives chose to ingore the issues, demean me and string me along for over 2 years, avoiding the issues. They only agreed to have me send the phoroa I had taken in January 2013, after they had a good idea that I was going to file this Revdex.com complaint. And it was only after filing this Revdex.com complaint that they finally offered to do what they should have done back in December of 2012. Well, that's just 2 years too late.
Two years of not having a decent tree to display, because the Balsam Hill Tree that I received is defective. $249 wasted on an cheap, low quality product that doesn't look like the online photo.
Why would I want to accept a replacement tree from this corrupt company?
This Revdex.com Complaint should be an outstanding, permanent blemish on this company's record to help protect other consumers.

WARNING!!!! DO NOT PURCHASE TREES FROM THIS COMPANY. I will tell you that the customer service is the worst we have ever experienced. We purchased a tree from them and it was too narrow. We have attempted to have this tree returned. In the meantime, they put in another order for a larger tree. They use diversion techniques constantly. Telling us we have to wait 48 hours for phone calls, return labels, etc. While not receiving anything. They did not send us any return labels. We have spent countless hours on the phone with them and also on their live chat. We have been disconnected, disrespected, & they refuse to put us in touch with a supervisor. We still have the first tree which we have been trying to get rid of for a week and a half. They have not refunded our money, but they were willing to take our money for another tree as well. We are $4000 into this and after a week, we were able to get a bill of lading, but no carrier.
They wanted us to drag this massive tree to fedex ourselves. Ridiculous. Then when I asked them to fax the label, after giving them alternate emails to no avail, we were told they do not have a fax. What kind of business is this? We then received the 2nd tree and immediately upon opening, realized that this has been repackaged and looked as though it had been used. But in good faith, because of all the issues we had with the first one, we put this tree up. It is defective. The lights do not work, save for one strand. In attempting to contact them several times, we were treated rudely. We again wanted to speak to a supervisor to no avail. We were told that their warehouse was closed... we did not ask for a warehouse... we asked for a supervisor. Again more diversion techniques. I am certain now that not only is this product defective, it was probably returned by someone for being defective...indicative of the way it was packed. We are so disappointed, especially after paying a high-end price for such a poor experience from a company. We plan on contacting the Revdex.com to report this as well. If you consider buying from them I recommend that you go to YELP and see all the same types of reviews as what I have mentioned. I wished I had done that before ordering this tree. You would be wise to consider going elsewhere.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/01/21) */
Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed with their order. The customer placed an order online on December 7th, 2014. On December 12th, 2014 the customer contacted us and advised us that one of the candles she...

had ordered was not working. We went through the troubleshooting and determined that the customer needed a replacement candle. We offered to submit the issue to our warranty team but the customer elected to return the candles instead due to the time frame in which it would take us to resolve the issue under warranty. On December 18th, 2014 we emailed the customer a return label to return the defective product at no cost. On December 29th, 2014 we were notified by the customer that she had not received her return label at all and another return label was generated and emailed to the customer on January 1st, 2015. We have since received the items back and a full refund was issued to the customer's card that was used on January 7th, 2015. Since the items have been returned and a full refund has been issued we feel this matter to be resolved.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/01/21) */
Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed with the wreath that they ordered. On December 5th, 2014 the customer contacted us to let us know that his wreath takes 4 D-Cell batteries instead of the 3 AA batteries...

indicated online and requested that we issue a refund for the cost that it would take for the customer to purchase rechargeable D-Cell batteries with a charger pack. We advised the customer that we would look into this and follow up with the customer.
As stated in the customer's complaint the customer did follow up with us on December 8th, 2014 and the agent he spoke with agreed to submit a request for a refund in the amount of $45.99. After the request for the refund was submitted we made a few attempts to contact the customer to request photos of the battery pack as all of the information we had available to us stated that the wreath only required AA batteries. When the customer contacted us on December 15th, 2014 to check on the status of the refund we informed him we would need photos of the battery pack, which the customer agreed to send in.
As of December 19th, 2014 a refund in the amount of $45.99 was issued back to the customer's account used for their purchase. Since the requested amount has been refunded and we have received no further contact from the customer we consider this matter to be resolved.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/12/31) */
Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed with their tree. On November 19th, 2014 the customer contacted us with a lighting issue in a section of their tree. The tree is covered under warranty and after...

troubleshooting, it was determined a replacement section was needed. As the customer states in this complaint they were frustrated with the process of receiving a replacement section. The customer received the replacement section on November 29th, 2014 and states it was the damaged. We apologized for the mishap and the customer requested for the tree to be replaced. We determined the resolution was for the customer to donate their tree and we could replace it. The customer accepted this offer. At this time we are waiting for the donation receipt and we will send a replacement tree once it is received.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/01/06) */
1-6-15
Sent via email:
I continue to be dissatisfied.
I had to donate the tree to charity, obtain a receipt and fax to Balsam Hill. Why am I doing all of the work? Balsam Hill could not get me an undamaged tree section after one week of forgetting to send it followed by two weeks of damaged items. The holidays are now over and I do not have a tree.
I was told that once they receive the fax a credit will be posted to my account, too bad most of the trees are sold out. Now what, wait until November and hope this doesn't happen again?
I would like nothing more than a refund. Especially since I was told that Balsam Hill recently changed the connections on this tree due to the connections constantly breaking.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2015/01/21) */
Hello,
As stated in our previous response, we are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed with their tree. On November 19th, 2014 the customer contacted us with a lighting issue in a section of their tree and after completing all of the necessary troubleshooting steps we replaced the section for the customer. The customer received the replacement section on November 29th, 2014 and stated it was damaged. We apologized for the mishap and reviewed the customer's request to have the entire tree replaced. We requested that the customer donate their tree and once we received a copy of the donation receipt we would replace the tree in full. As of January 7th, 2015 the requested donation receipt has been provided by the customer and the customer has chosen to wait for the original item to come back in stock for us to place the replacement order.
The customer has requested a refund, but as the tree was already a year old when we were contacted, a refund is not an option, and this is the reason the problem is being resolved under warranty. In regards to the connection, it was not changed because it was constantly breaking. As is the case with any product, over time the technology evolves and those updates are integrated into new products. As the customer will be receiving a new tree, that tree will have this latest update with the newer connection.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/01/27) */
Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration the customer has expressed with their order. While we can appreciate the frustration the customer has in regards to this order, this complaint is not an accurate representation of what has...

happened. Key points have been left out by the customer, and everything that has ensued on this order is the direct outcome of actions taken by the customer.
On November 18th, 2014 the customer placed an order online. The items were shipped out on November 19th, 2014 and received on November 21st, 2014. On December 15th, 2014 the customer contacted us and requested to return the item because a section of lights was not working. The customer did not agree to do any type of troubleshooting or follow any steps to verify there was an actual issue with the tree. The reason we go through troubleshooting is because often times a stated issue is nothing more than a loose bulb or something else minor which is easily adjusted to resolve an issue, and is not an actual defect. If a customer wants to return a tree without verifying an issue with the product, then they are subject to follow our standard return policy. Our policies, which are a part of our terms and conditions agreed to at the time of sale, outline this. As the customer wanted to return their trees we issued a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number and provided the customer with return instructions.
On January 13th, 2015 the customer contacted us again to let us know that they were going to return the potted trees and to request a return label. We advised the customer that they were now outside of the return time frame, which is 30 days from the date of purchase, and advised that a return was no longer available. As the tree is covered under warranty we are willing to resolve the issues the customer is having with their items, but a return is no longer an option at this time.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/01/29) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
Amazing! Balsam Hill continues to avoid the real problem. After calling and writing to them they still get it wrong. Yes, the lights did not work, but that was NOT THE PRIMARY REASON FOR WANTING TO RETURN THE ITEM!!! One Myrtle tree came out of the box with the main steel stem bent at almost 30 degrees, plus the lights did not work. The main issue is the bent stem, the minor issue was that the lights did not work; EVEN THOUGH we followed their procedure slip included in the box on how to get the lights to work if they don't - this must be a common problem for Balsam to include a fix-it-yourself note with their product. Nevertheless, the lights was the miner issue, and the bent stem was the major issue.
Why won't they address the bent stem??? When I called them on December 15th, this was the main issue for wanting to return the product. They went ahead and gave us a RETURN AUTHORIZATION NUMBER but failed to send us the right label so that FedX would pick it up! This is our complaint!!! They never supplied the right label that would authorize the shipper to ship it back. We were will within their 30 day policy with our complaint and need to return the product. What is our proof? Again, we received an authorization number from them on Dec. 15th: R.A. XXXXX-D
Final Business Response /* (4000, 13, 2015/03/06) */
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 15, 2015/03/09) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
Details in their response are not true. You do not need to "trouble-shoot" a bent stem in a product. This was a metal pipe that formed the tree and is was bent in a very ugly way. This could never be repaired by us. The lights on the tree not working was a secondary problem, which when "trouble-shooted" still did not work.
Next, we NEVER used their trees in our play! We immediately had to go out and buy two others from another vendor.
Question: Why don't they clearly read and respond accurately to our complaint. Balsaam Hill continues to twist the truth and fabricate details that never occured. This is becoming comical. I feel sorry for their management.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/12/24) */
Hello,
We are sorry for the frustration that the customer has expressed with their order. On December 5th, 2015 the customer contacted us in regards to an issue with their tree. When there is an issue with a tree, we go through a...

troubleshooting process to verify the stated issue. The reason we do this is because often times a stated issue is nothing more than a loose bulb or something else minor which is easily adjusted to resolve an issue, and is not an actual defect. Our policies, which are a part of the terms and conditions accepted at the time of sale, outline this. After completing the troubleshooting it was determined that the customer needed a replacement tree and a request was submitted for the replacement.
That same day the customer contacted us back and requested to return the item instead of having a replacement tree sent out. We advised that they could return the item and requested that return labels be sent out to the customer at no cost as the item was defective. We do apologize that the customer received an email stating that a replacement tree had been ordered. We had attempted to cancel the request for the replacement tree when the request for the labels was submitted, but were unsuccessful in doing so.

As of December 17th, 2015 both the original and replacement trees have been returned to us and a full refund has been issued to the customer's account used for the purchase. At this time, as the customer has received the full refund, we feel this matter to be resolved.
Regards,
Balsam Hill Customer Service