Bast Brothers review: Be careful when buying from this business.

I'll start with the good points. The showroom, social media and marketing are "over the top" and "to die for" -- you will feel great forking over your money because whoever designed the shopping experience (both online, and in-person) is talented, and they seemed to smile while taking my money. They also have a good selection of plants that are healthy.

The bad. I spent around $700 for trees and planting supplies. Leaves developed issues and I returned to them for advice. I bought the product that was placed in my hands and doused, as instructed.

As a result, the leaves were damaged. I called the next day on Mother's Day for help because I didn't know what to do. I was in a panic and didn't want any more damage to occur to my trees. The employee who answered the phone wouldn't let me speak to the owner and said that I have to work with them, and, instead, email the owner and he would get back to me sometime next week.

This made me feel like, as a customer who had already forked over money, I was no longer important enough to help while they pursued cupidinous profits on a holiday.

I received a call the following Tuesday. No help offered, and Bert Bast denied that his employee told me to douse the plants and would not promise to replace the plants if they died as a result of the recommendation that was prescribed. Where's the humanity or empathy - if I had a customer who just forked over a better part of a grand and was concerned for the health of their trees, I'd offer them reassurance. This speaks volumes about how a person conducts business, in my opinion.

After this experience, I wrote a review and they were quick to respond with an accounting that altered details that appeared to favor the nursery. This is simply shameful. Again, an indicator of how business is handled.

I expected more from shopping at a nursery with a reputation for high prices after returning to them and spending $18 for product that costs $10 elsewhere. I thought I was investing in a trustworthy business relationship and good advice.

Boy, I feel hosed. Especially after speaking to the manufacturer of the spray, who explained that the damage is consistent with over-application - and confirmed that damage would occur over a couple days post-application be cause the coating on the leaves was too thick. Instead, it was explained by the manufacturer that a even application that is neither layered nor saturated is recommended - and to shake the tree to disperse the spray for even coverage.

Nothing the nursery prescribed aligned with what the manufacturer told me, nor what I read on the website or the bottle.

Over all, I am upset and disappointed. I imagine the average person who buys a couple flowers won't run into a situation like this. Shame on me for not buying a $40 shrub first -- it would have been a much more affordable way to learn how they do business.

View 0 more photos