Chris Bowers & Sons Avis 1 791

Do not waste your money. Rude customer service.
Ordered two fruit trees last Autumn 2025. It became apparent this Spring that one was a totally different type of tree. Mistakes happen - I get that. But I wasn’t prepared for the rude reply to my email. So much for Gold Star guarantees!

I ordered 4 bare root fruits trees from Chris Bowers & Sons 2 Apple, 1 apricot and 1 Damson. All arrived in March well packaged, though the damson didn’t look too great from the start. Having planted many bare root trees and hedges previously we knew it can sometimes takes them a while to show signs of life.
Now 9th May the damson as suspected is dead, as is the apricot, the apples on the other hand are doing well. Having planted 22 trees from various companies these are the only two that have failed!
So I phoned Chris Bowers, like everyone else no answer! So I emailed them this afternoon to ask for a replacement, but I had deleted my email with my order number on. So sent my name and address along with the email hoping they could track it down, most companies can.
Unlike other reviewers I had a very prompt reply, as follows
‘we will replace but we definitely need the order number; it will be on the packing slip if you don't have the original e-mail confirmation.’
I explained I no longer had the packing slip as I threw that out back in March! So asked if they could look it up using my address, I listed what trees I ordered, even the date when payment was taken and for how much.
They replied very promptly again with this
‘Our database doesn't work that way, most more sophisticated online CMS databases don't these days. That is why an order number is provided - twice.’
I’m sorry but there was no need to be condescending about it, so I replied ‘I’m sorry your system can’t be that sophisticated if you only have one way to call up a previous order!! Also not a To, kind regards or we apology for this, exactly what I have copied and pasted above!! Disgusting!!
I know I haven’t given them a chance to rectify the issue, but after that I’m now not bothered if they don’t. Customer service goes a long way and clearly they are lacking in this area and reading other reviews their standard of trees are too. Far better quality and size from my local nursery, they were out of some of the varieties hence why I placed the order with Chris Bowers in the first place!
Never again!!

i ordered 3 damson trees, of the three one arrived obviously dead, i tried to contact the company by email and by telephone, neither of which were answered. i have no other way to get in touch, so i wrote by snail mail, again no reply.
i leave it to you as to choosing a company with zero customer service.

Ordered two bare root trees, followed care instructions and planted out. One turns out to have a failed graft, and is only alive below the graft. They are unresponsive to emails, calls and social media. Not honouring their guarantee about trees surviving the first year. Avoid at all costs.

I bought 2 pear trees in December last year and it wasn't until recently when they started to sprout that one was half dead. I was advised to cut the dead section off. This meant I was left with a tree about a foot high instead of the 4 foot high tree I had bought. Clearly I am not satisfied at all. The so called gold standard guarantee says that if the customer is not satisfied they will replace or refund. Neither has been offered. They just ignore my messages.

We ordered three bare root trees which came really quickly and were beautifully packed with minimal plastic. Two of them were good healthy trees and soon flourished, and are now in leaf, but the third one did nothing. We decided it was dead and asked for a replacement, they took a couple of weeks to reply to two emails but the new tree arrived within days of the second email. It’s looking really healthy and I’m sure all three will bring us joy for many years.

Ordered a specific cherry tree variety bare root through the winter. Upon leafing out and blossoming it is not the variety ordered. I have emailed the listed Chris Bowers customer service email TWICE over the course of a month with no reply received. I have given them time to respond as I appreciate this is a busy time of year. Receiving no reply is a great shame as it has reflected poorly on the business in general and the tree ordered was not cheap for something I really do not want. I should have done my research on the business as this is clearly a problem that has occurred to other customers before. Sadly, very disappointed. I am happy to forgive a mistake if it is remedied accordingly but I am less inclined to forgive this sort of behaviour.
One star for the plant, it is doing well but overall not impressed. Look elsewhere if you are after something specific.

Tree not as ordered. Chris Bowers do not reply to emails or phone calls. AVOID this company. An astonishing 34% give only one star.
I ordered a ‘prunus Autumnalis Rosea’ mid January. Tree delivered on schedule and looked good, but of course it was dormant. I’ve looked after it carefully and it came into leaf and flower. But it isn’t autumn flowering and it’s not ‘rosea’ , that is, pink. I have taken photos which I sent to Bowers, with no response.
I don’t know what variety it is, it looks a lot like a common wild cherry. It will grow to big for the space in my little garden
I feel very cheated and angry, but I’m not giving up. I paid £34 for this tree. Absolutely dreadful service.
I’m now going to ring Trading Standards!
This company mustn’t be allowed to continue with these standards.
Please note ; you have to give a date to this experience, I have given the date I contacted Bowers, tree bought in JanuRy.
UPDATE. 2/5/26. FEELING VERY CHEATED BY BOWERS , I CONTACTED PAYPAL. RESULT! FULL REFUND VIA PAYPAL.

Extremely poor service from a company that clearly doesn't give a toss about their customers. My order was placed on 16 March. Absolutely no contact or update to inform me that it would be delayed. I tried repeatedly to call but no answer. By the 24 March I sent email to cancel order and continued trying to contact them. Still no reply. Got a message from delivery company on Saturday 28 March - 12 days after ordering - to say package arriving that day. What I got was a dried up dessicated sapling that couldn't be revived. We gave the tree some TLC, potted up in good quality, free draining soil. Today is 30 April and still no sign of life. Total cost of order was £38 for a dead sapling. Absolutely shocking way to treat people. If you can't supply what has been ordered, alive and on time, then at least have the decency to let customers know, apologise and refund their money. BTW happy to supply photos of said tree if you don't believe me!!!
Update - 10 May 2026 - I can confirm that our Cheal's weeping cherry blossom is dead. Absolutely no leaves and no roots have formed. No surprise at all since what was supplied by Chris Bowers was a dried up twig with no roots.
Still can't get through on the phone, have sent an email requesting a refund but I suspect they will ignore it.

Fantastic customer service and excellent fruit trees. All arrived well packed, none damaged. Expert advice when I need it!

After 9 days of waiting for dispatch, I asked for an update (twice), only to find out they won’t sell me what I ordered

Update.

Tried ringing again and got to speak to someone "briefly"..... yep I was put on hold and 10 mins later I was still on hold...

Tried ringing back but got the "Full answering Machine again."

Truly Appaling.

One star because you have 2.

Placed an order but no contact on when would be delivered just an email the day before.

Ordered 2 pear "trees", got sent "Cordons".

Tried ringing the number on the website 4 times but no one picking up..... went to voicemail, only couldn't leave a message because it was full........

Appalling Customer Service. I only used them because no one else had trees only Cordons, the irony.

I hope... I've ordered two apple and one damson tree. Although it took longer than expected, the trees look healthy and alive, the quality seems good.

Absolutely delighted with everything I’ve had from this company. I’ve created a mini orchard in my garden with fruit trees and berry plants and all are thriving . I bought them as bare root in the Winter months and everything is flowering and doing well. Delivery is not the fastest but that’s no worries as everything is couriered well packed in straw and undamaged . I highly recommend this company and I won’t go anywhere else now.

Bought four fruit trees (bare root) three no problem with, but the blue tit plum tree no sign of life, the branches are turning brown and shrivelled up, the branches growing from trunk are brown and disease looking. To me it’s one of those things, but the customer service is shocking, sent an email with photos, reply was sometimes it’s mid May before any sign of growth so leave till mid May. I sent him another email yesterday with new photos and tree looking worse, same reply leave till mid May and take notice of their expert advice. So replied to them again and asked about replacement (said no bare root available) I asked if I leave till mid May and tree is still dead are they going to refund the money (no reply) my advice is rather and go were the customer service is terrible I would recommend you go to EBay your customer service will be better. This company you should avoid you will be wasting your money and time.

Ordered some grapevines and they arrived today, not within the 7 working days they advertised but still not too long - about a week later. Plants look ok when they arrived. Agree with others the communication could be improved, especially if delays are expected. Overall satisfactory.

My 2 Garden Lady 'imposter' peach trees, bought from Bowers and referred to in my post of July 25, are still thriving in the garden. This is the good part.

Bought from Bowers as Dwarf Garden Lady Peach, one again shows an excellent crop of forming cherries, the other ( a replacement for the 1st) is forming what appears to be some species of nut. This tree is also not even a dwarf as ordered.

In general, a customer of trees often doesn't know what he's been sent until 9 months later. So my conclusion from my own experience after 9 months is that I was supplied reasonable quality trees but exhibiting a ' pot luck' fruiting body.

Just don’t be tempted to order from Chris Bowers and sons. 4 dead trees. Packaged in old compost bags. Thrown onto the door step. Sent bare root in full leaf. “Professionally pruned” trees torn and damaged where they had been pruned. All 4 trees wilted, dry and totally dead. As a professional gardener I was shocked and embarrassed to have used this company. Even worse phone goes straight to answer machine. No response to emails. I won’t make the same mistake twice. Will be re ordering trees from a reputable supplier.

Never use Chris Bowers again. I ordered a bare root Cheales Weeping Cherry in January. Planted it and it has flowered but it is definitely not Cheales. It has single white flowers. I have messaged them via their web site and tried to phone them dozens of times. Left an answer machine message. All to no avail. They are just not contactable. They are absolute rubbish so be warned - do not buy from them.

Please read before buying.

Both CRJ Fruit Trees and Chris Bowers are the same company. They clearly say they dispatch within 3-5 days of ordering, they don’t. The delivery whenever they like and don’t answer emails enquiring where your order is. They don’t answer emails either but if you enquire about buying you get an instantaneous reply. If you complain you get a horrible rude response back.

I have had to report them both to Trading Standards and HMRC for their practices.

Please avoid at all costs. There are brilliant companies you can deal with instead.