Kelley's Korner Orchid Supplies

[JScott]

I've recently placed a couple orders with Kelley's Korner, and I've been very pleased with what I got, and their customer care is superb. But that's not the beginning of this story. This story starts over three years ago.

In September of 2017, I joined the AOS for the first time. I signed up for the print copy of the magazine for an extra charge. I didn't get a magazine in September. I didn't get one in October. Finally I got one in November. I didn't get a new membership packet, which seems like something I should have got. Seems like there should be a membership card with my member number on it, or something like that. I never got anything of the sort. I got nothing from them at all.

Several months later after still receiving no copy of Orchids, I emailed AOS about the missing magazines. They were less than concerned. The person I talked to worked on it unenthusiastically for a while. We emailed each other back and forth a little. Finally after i hadn't heard from him for a while, I emailed and asked him what the status was of my problem. I got no response. My two year membership passed, and I never got another copy of Orchids.

Finally, my membership expired. I didn't renew right away, because I had decided I would not renew. However, after a few months later, I thought I'm in a new address in a new state, and my membership has expired, so if I join again, it's like I'm starting all over. Maybe I'll go ahead and join again. So I did. That was in December. I know they had my correct address because I got a fundraiser letter from them. But I never got a welcome packet, a membership card, or anything. I didn't even get a copy of Orchids for December, January, or February.

Finally, I was mad enough that I emailed them, told them that I regret having joined again, and I demanded not only the three magazines from my current subscription that I had missed, but I wanted all 23 back issues from my previous two year membership that I never received. I told them that if they could not solve this problem within 7 days, they were going to cancel my membership, give me a fill refund, and refund me the difference between the price for the print edition of Orchids and the online only access from my previous two year membership. They finally got it together, and three months later, I got a big box with all my back issues.

But I still don't have a membership card. I had to email the AOS to ask them what my membership number is to get a discount at SVO, because I never got any kind of welcome packet, and I have nothing that has my membership number on it.

Then two days ago, I placed an order with Kelley's Korner. He sent me an email back asking me to send him my 30 dollar off coupon that I got when I joined. I said what the hell? What 30 dollar coupon? I've never heard of such a things. I emailed the AOS and explained my situation, not just the 30 dollar coupon, but all the troubles I have had with them. The next day, I got a response from the AOS. It was a fundraising request. It wasn't a new email thread. It was a response to the email I sent, but if failed to address my concerns. It just asked me to send them more money.

I lost it. I sent them an email back asking if they even bothered to read the email I sent them and if they even cared about my issue. I said the only time they care about me is when they want money. I'm paid up for almost two years now, so they have no interest in me. In two years when my membership expires, I'll get inundated with emails asking me to renew my membership. I said i want my 30 dollar coupon, I want some sort of document that has my membership number, whether it is a member card or whatever they send you when you join. I don't know what it is. i've never seen one. I got no reply. Nothing. Not a word. I even told them that once my membership expires, I certainly won't be renewing. And they had nothing to say to me. Not a thing.

I had CC'd Kelley's Korner in this email thread so he could see what I was dealing with, and you know what he did? He gave me 15 dollars off my order. It's not 30 like the coupon I was supposed to have got, but it's a hell of a lot more than 0, and it's certainly more than he had to do. They didn't own me anything. I didn't have the coupon. They didn't have to give me a discount. But they did anyway, because they care about my satisfaction, unlike the AOS. I am so done with the AOS. I emailed them and told them to stop sending their fundraising emails, because they're not getting another penny out of me. They didn't respond to that either. I've never felt so unimportant to an organization I paid to join before. I'm so done with AOS, but no not done with Kelley's Korner. They did a really great, kind thing for me that they had no obligation to do, and I an eternally grateful.

i highly recommend you shop there. They have good stuff, and they are so nice and customer oriented. They made me feel like I matter to them. They made me feel like my business is important to them, and I cannot thank them enough.

So I guess that's all. Screw the AOS, but shop at Kelley's. You'll be glad you did. I'd even encourage you to ditch the AOS if you've been treated them the way I have. I can't possibly the the only one. There must be others. Why renew when they clearly don't care about you? The benefits aren't even that great anway, so go ahead. Ditch the AOS. They are useless anyway.

[DirtyCoconuts]

cheers to Kelly's...that is unacceptable and NOT surprising about the AOS...at least not to me.

[JScott]

The fist time something happened and I said I wasn't going to renew when I expired, I didn't know if I meant it or not, and as it turned out, I didn't mean it, because I ended up joining again. This time I mean it. They're not getting another cent from me. And that was so nice of Kelley's Korner. That discount had to come out of their own pocket. They might as well have taken 15 dollars out of their wallet and handed it to me. That was an amazing thing for them to do. I am beyond impressed. But the AOS can GTFO.

[Keysguy]

FYI-----there is no "she" at Kelley's Korner. It is owned and operated by Daryl and Carl. Good friends running a great little business.

[DeaC]

JScott...membership #s are above your name on the wrapping that holds the magazine. Pertinent phone #s are found near front of mag.(Services) which may have gotten you quicker action than email. And KK is top drawer IMO.

[Leafmite]

I was thinking of joining the AOS but this definitely gives me pause.

I have never ordered from Kelly's Corner (Wayne Roberts of Roberts Flower Supply belongs to our Orchid Society) but I have heard that they are really great.

[JScott]

LOL I keep getting everybody's gender wrong. I saw the name Kelley, and assumed it was owned by a woman. But of course, Kelley is a common last name too. Sorry about that. I'll go through and change all the pronouns haha.

---------- Post added at 01:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:40 PM ----------

And by the way, I know if you are just now hearing all of this, it may sound dramatic like I've overreacted, but remember that this has been going on for three years. For two years, I didn't even get the magazine that I paid for. I was supposed to get a welcome packet, which I never got. I know you get get into a lot of botanical gardens for free if you are an AOS member. How do you prove that? Is there a membership card? It seems like there would be a membership card. That makes sense to me, but I don't know because I never got a welcome packet. DId that contain a membership card? It's like I paid my money, and they immediately forgot that I even exist. So if this sounds dramatic and over the top to you, remember how long I have been dealing with this, and how many times i have reached out to them and got no response, and how many of the things they were supposed to do for me as a member that they didn't do. I'm not being overly dramatic here, and I'm not overreacting. Three years is far too long for this to have gone on, and I'm done with it.

---------- Post added at 01:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:49 PM ----------

And furthermore, I learned that being polite and patient with them doesn't work. The only way to get anything done, to get anything you need from them, is to be an a-hole and treat them like crap. That's the only way to get their attention. You better believe I tried being patient and polite and understanding, and that got me nowhere. I didn't start out being ugly to them. That only happened after they gave me no other option.

[estación seca]

I try as hard as I can to befriend people active in organizations I belong to. Then if anything goes wrong I can gently mention it to them instead of calling the person who is supposed to answer the phone. This not only works better long term, it keeps me from having to make the person who answers the mail angry. Remember they'll be answering the mail for a long time.

The AOS ran into serious financial trouble a few years back after spending an awful lot of money during boom times. I don't know how much they've recovered.

Back to the AOS - try and befriend judges in your society, or visiting local meetings. Befriend speakers, many of whom are judges themselves, and many of whom have served on AOS committees. Ask a lot of questions.

[Keysguy]

Which reminds me, I don't think I've seen an Orchids magazine in a couple months.........

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Keysguy

Which reminds me, I don't think I've seen an Orchids magazine in a couple months.........

I know that they had issues with mailing, their office was closed due to COVID-19 issues, I don't know if they are back yet, if they are, I'm sure there have been serious backlogs. (They could publish the electronic version since that could be done remotely, but printing and mailing require physical presence of someone someplace.)