Please help - Who do I contact to make a complaint and try to recover funds?

[4orm]

We just returned from a great trip! Although we both got extreamly ill, thanks to sudafed and advil we did everything we could
The only sour point is this:
We were at Epcot for the Flower and Garden festival...there is a booth set up with people selling pulmeria cuttings. We are from Canada and told one sales person that we would love to buy but don't think we can take them across the boarder. She said it was not a problem and she sells to many Canadians every day. I asked about a certificate that I have had in the past to allow the plants to cross the boarder. She said there is no need because they have no soil and are dormant (went on a whole long tangent about this) and we would have no problem. We decided to think about it, but bought $50 worth on our last day. Before the purchase, again all our worries about bringing them home was met with all the right answers from 2 other different sales people.
Of course we claimed them on our customs form and a sympathetic agriculture customs agent told us we unfortunatly bring them home and they would have to be destroyed because there was no certificate. Grrr! I asked about that numerous times!
The customs agent gave us a receipt of proof that they were taken with all the legal stuff.
Now, because of all the blantent lies from the sales people I would like to be reimburst for the money we are out (we have the reciept still from the sale and the paper work from customs) and a sign be posted that the plants can only be transported within the US. We don't want others to go through this. I feel taken advantage of.
Does anyone have a phone number of who to call for something like this?
Thanks and sorry to ramble on!

 

[TrickyFish]

Oh that's terrible! I have no real help to offer you, but those sales people should really be more knowledgeable. Were they Disney people or does Disney allow vendors in for the F&G vestival?

 

[4orm]

They had 'guest' badges on, and their 'used car salesman' attitudes did not say Disney to me. I found their website online...but I think I should contact Disney first because they are representing Disney just by being there I think.
I should have known, they weren't even knowledgable about their product. The cuttings they were selling they didn't have for show, and the plants for show they weren't selling, so you didn't really know what you're buying. If you asked which plant smelled like which cutting, the sales person would go to every plant and smell it first because they didn't know; well I could have done that on my own!
Not very professional.

 

[WDSearcher]

Calling Disney won't really do you any good, as the folks you bought from were vendors who paid Disney for the booth they were occupying at the Festival. If you want to warn Disney that these folks are giving out false info, then you can do that, but for complaints and reimbursement, you'll need to go straight to the company.

Be careful, though, about using words like "blatant lies" when describing what happened. It could well have been a mistake of the customs agents (it happens), or it could have been a change in policy since the last time the flower company checked. I seriously doubt that they set out to scam all Canadians or anything like that, since they certainly would have had a reputation as such by this point. So, when you complain, be sure you have dates, times, places, people's names (if you took them down) and other facts, but try to leave accusations and emotion out of it. You'll get a lot farther that way.

It does sound, though, like you had several warnings that you maybe shouldn't have purchased the plants from this group. The lack of professionalism as described, the lack of cuttings, the lapses in knowledge, the "used car salesman" demeanor. Sounds like your instincts were pretty good, and that you knew you shouldn't have purchased them, but did anyway. I'm sorry that it didn't work out.

 

[4orm]

You are totally correct. I was emotionally invested and need to calm down. I grew up in Hawaii and the plumeria flowers totally bring back memories.
It might not be 'blatent lies' but it is extreamly misinformed. They had a long explanation about the plant being a succulant and dormant and how the laws are different and for these. When I spoke with the agent, he didn't know where they would have gotten that from.
The company did not give any warnings, in fact it was the exact oppisite and acted like I was nuts when I asked for an agriculture certificate. I just knew about them when I brought back tulip blubs from the Netherlands which had certification.
We spoke at length with the agriculture customs agent, who gave us all the legal forms (which haven't changed in years) that states that no plant meant for propagation can enter without proper certification. Seeds are limited to 500g per person though. He said that this happend before and believes that they are taking advantage of people and urged us to contact Disney to make sure the proper action is taken, either to get the certs, or post the correct information.

All in all, it is our fault for buying even though our issues were explanined away, and it is our fault for not doing our own research, but since we were told that they sell many times a days to Canadians I thought the information from someone working within the Disney confines was correct.

 

[disneyaggie]

Here is a suggestion . . . here is the e-mail address for Guest Communications. Perhaps they can assist you in some way. I hope it works out for you!

Their e-mail address is: wdw.guest.communications@disneyworld.com

Here's some pixie dust coming your way! No customs documents needed!

 

[WDSearcher]

... but since we were told that they sell many times a days to Canadians I thought the information from someone working within the Disney confines was correct.

Unfortunately, simply putting someone on Disney property doesn't make them any more trustworthy than they are off property! I'm sure Disney did enough research to make certain that the company was legal, and had a good record in business transactions, but it's tough to totally screen everyone who comes on as a vendor. Disney would, probably, appreciate knowing that this group caused so many headaches for you! (But it's still the company's responsibility to pay you back.)

 

[Ziggie]

You are totally correct. I was emotionally invested and need to calm down. I grew up in Hawaii and the plumeria flowers totally bring back memories.
It might not be 'blatent lies' but it extreamly uninformed. They had a long explanation about the plant being a succulant and dormant and how the laws are different and for these. When I spoke with the agent, he didn't know where they would have gotten that from.
The company did not give any warnings, in fact it was the exact oppisite and acted like I was nuts when I asked for an agriculture certificate. I just knew about them when I brought back tulip blubs from the Netherlands which had certification.
We spoke at length with the agriculture customs agent, who gave us all the legal forms (which haven't changed in years) that states that no plant meant for propagation can enter without proper certification. Seeds are limited to 500g per person though. He said that this happend before and believes that they are taking advantage of people and urged us to contact Disney to make sure the proper action is taken, either to get the certs, or post the correct information.

All in all, it is our fault for buying even though our issues were explanined away, and it is our fault for not doing our own research, but since we were told that they sell many times a days to Canadians I thought the information from someone working within the Disney confines was correct.

Not sure if this helps any, but I would've believed them (the sellers) as well. In a situation where someone is representing an item, our natural behavior leads us to accept what they are telling us. After all, it is their product... we assume they have a good working knowledge of it.

By her telling you that "she sells to many Canadians every day" further implies an attitude of "listen, we know what we're doing here.. you can believe us and buy this product without worry".

And even though you will need to contact the vendor for a refund, I would definitely make Disney aware of exactly what happened. IMO, Disney is partly responsible because they approved the vendor for the show. What if you came across a vendor that said "if you buy this flower, you can plant it under the EPCOT globe". That would be just as wrong as what you were told.. IMO.

 

[UrsulasMyHero]

Not sure if this helps any, but I would've believed them (the sellers) as well. In a situation where someone is representing an item, our natural behavior leads us to accept what they are telling us. After all, it is their product... we assume they have a good working knowledge of it.

By her telling you that "she sells to many Canadians every day" further implies an attitude of "listen, we know what we're doing here.. you can believe us and buy this product without worry".

And even though you will need to contact the vendor for a refund, I would definitely make Disney aware of exactly what happened. IMO, Disney is partly responsible because they approved the vendor for the show. What if you came across a vendor that said "if you buy this flower, you can plant it under the EPCOT globe". That would be just as wrong as what you were told.. IMO.

being the Devil's advocate here, She may well sell to Canadians every day, that dosen't mean the plants are heading back to canada. Perhaps they're Snow birds she sells to. She said what she needed to say to soothe your fears. Unfortunately she was incorrect.

Disney's only liability here is that you paid admission to get in to their park. If I went to a show and bought something, and it didn't work, the Show's host wouldn't be at fault, only the seller. Please do contact Disney regarding the trustworthyness of this vendor, but don't expect a refund from them. DO contact the vendor directly and be prepared to fax your doccumentation to them.

 

[DebbieB]

Does your receipt say "Disney" on it or someone else (a vendor)? If it has "Disney" on it, I would think they have some responsibility.

 

[Ziggie]

being the Devil's advocate here, She may well sell to Canadians every day, that dosen't mean the plants are heading back to canada. Perhaps they're Snow birds she sells to. She said what she needed to say to soothe your fears. Unfortunately she was incorrect.

Disney's only liability here is that you paid admission to get in to their park. If I went to a show and bought something, and it didn't work, the Show's host wouldn't be at fault, only the seller. Please do contact Disney regarding the trustworthyness of this vendor, but don't expect a refund from them. DO contact the vendor directly and be prepared to fax your doccumentation to them.

Sorry, I disagree. Disney absolutely holds some of the responsibility in this case, imo. And I'm sure the vendor *knew* what the OP was referring to in regards to selling to Canadians.

I did say that she would need to contact the vendor as they are the ones that are culpable, imo. However, Disney needs to be made aware that *costly misinformation* is being handed out by one of their vendors.

 

[mking624]

Sorry, I disagree. Disney absolutely holds some of the responsibility in this case, imo. And I'm sure the vendor *knew* what the OP was referring to in regards to selling to Canadians.

I did say that she would need to contact the vendor as they are the ones that are culpable, imo. However, Disney needs to be made aware that *costly misinformation* is being handed out by one of their vendors.

I respectfully disagree. Yes, Disney SHOULD be made aware of what's going on...but held liable? For what exactly? Unfortunately, Disney cannot control every last thing that is being said (particularly by someone that is not a part of TWDC). This happened with Jim Hill when he led an unauthorized tour at Disneyland. Since he paid for admission to the park, should Disney then be held parttly liable for his unauthorized tour? No. Because they never authorized him to do it. Same here. They may have said "sure, come on it" and checked all their credentials, but they are not authorizing them to give out wrong information and they cannot be held responsible for an outside company giving information that is not in any way related to Disney. If a Disney guest told you that Epcot was the park that had Cinderella's Castle...would you then hold Disney responsible for that misinformation? After all, Disney DID allow that guest on their property. The bottom line is that Disney did their part, but there comes a point where we have to realize that Disney is not the culprit here. They should be informed of what's going on. But all other compensation responsibility falls squarely on the shoulders of the company who misspoke.

 

[pumpkinfish]

This is too bad! I saw those flowers and heard the spiel several different times (almost brought some back to mom after the last visit). They said the same thing then too. I beleive someone in the group listening lived in Cananda and the person told them they can travel over the border since there is lack of soil. Very interesting. Perhaps that custom's agent WAS wrong?!

Good luck with this. I am interested to see how it turns out...

 

[UrsulasMyHero]

Sorry, I disagree. Disney absolutely holds some of the responsibility in this case, imo. And I'm sure the vendor *knew* what the OP was referring to in regards to selling to Canadians.

I did say that she would need to contact the vendor as they are the ones that are culpable, imo. However, Disney needs to be made aware that *costly misinformation* is being handed out by one of their vendors.

I understand your point, but as you can see, I did agree with you that Disney does need to be alerted, but they shouldn't be expected to refund the guest's money for an item that is not of their inventory, but of an outside vendor. MKing64 reiterated my point perfectly.

As for the vendor, I never said anything about her not lying, I said she told the OP what the OP needed/wanted to hear to ensure the sale of the item. They are the only ones that hold any responsibility to our OP.

 

[GoldenOldie]

I don't suppose that you paid for them using a credit card, did you?

 

[BonnieA]

And the plumeria are not just a "flower and garden show" thing. I have seen them in the land pavillion on every trip I have taken in the last 2 years. I bought some 2 years ago. Mine grow but haven't bloomed. I gave one to my sister and it bloomed last year.

 

[Ziggie]

I respectfully disagree. Yes, Disney SHOULD be made aware of what's going on...but held liable? For what exactly? Unfortunately, Disney cannot control every last thing that is being said (particularly by someone that is not a part of TWDC). This happened with Jim Hill when he led an unauthorized tour at Disneyland. Since he paid for admission to the park, should Disney then be held parttly liable for his unauthorized tour? No. Because they never authorized him to do it. Same here. They may have said "sure, come on it" and checked all their credentials, but they are not authorizing them to give out wrong information and they cannot be held responsible for an outside company giving information that is not in any way related to Disney. If a Disney guest told you that Epcot was the park that had Cinderella's Castle...would you then hold Disney responsible for that misinformation? After all, Disney DID allow that guest on their property. The bottom line is that Disney did their part, but there comes a point where we have to realize that Disney is not the culprit here. They should be informed of what's going on. But all other compensation responsibility falls squarely on the shoulders of the company who misspoke.

First of all, you are reading much-too-much into my post. I said that Disney shares some of the responsibility. This is nothing at all like the Jim Hill incident as he did not have to meet certain criteria and then sign a vendor agreement with Disney. Have you ever been a vendor such as this? I have, many, many times. My agreements were all spelled out to the letter in what was expected of me. They told me exactly what I could and could not do.

Second, I never said that Disney would be/should be the one to reimburse her. I clearly said that the vendor was "culpable".

Third, your post really doesn't address what the issue is. The basic understanding you need to accept here is the Disney/Vendor agreement/license. It bears no relationship to a "ticketed guest".

 

[Ziggie]

I understand your point, but as you can see, I did agree with you that Disney does need to be alerted, but they shouldn't be expected to refund the guest's money for an item that is not of their inventory, but of an outside vendor. MKing64 reiterated my point perfectly.

As for the vendor, I never said anything about her not lying, I said she told the OP what the OP needed/wanted to hear to ensure the sale of the item. They are the only ones that hold any responsibility to our OP.

Nooo.. I never said Disney owed her a refund.

 

[Ziggie]

To the original poster:

I hope you get all this sorted out to your satisfaction. I'm off to Disney so I wish you all the best!

 

[RoyalCanadian]

There is a great difference between Dutch horticulturalists selling bulbs to Canadians (they know we're bring them home to Canada) and a vendor selling a plant to a Canuck in Florida -- they don't necessarily know we're bringing the thing home. A Dutch merchant will have that necessary documentation.

As well, it is not the responsibility of the vendor (or Disney, for that matter) to know what may or may not be imported into Canada. To give the vendor the benefit of the doubt (whether they are Dutch or American) -- they could very well have been telling what they understood to be the truth. They sell to Canadians. They don't know that the plants are being confiscated (at least those that are being declared). Therefore the plants (in their minds) are just fine for Canada. Yes -- the vendor should be made aware of the regulations regarding this.

It is ultimately up to each individual Canadian to make themselves aware of what they may or may not import into Canada. I don't want to "blame the victim" -- but one should understand they may be tempted to purchase some sort of plant material if they were to attend a flower and garden show at Epcot.