I got a notice from them a few days ago that my shipment would be delayed. I live 2 hours from their plant. I called but had to leave a message which was not returned. I emailed and got a reply - my order will be shipped end of February, the catalogs are running behind and will be shipped "in the next couple of weeks" and due to covid, no code and no discount. Future promotions will be on email newsletter or social media. I ordered in January......may do another order. I normally pick my roses up but they wouldnt even put them outside the door of the office for me to get - so had to pay shipping. Unless most of their workers have not been coming to work for months......I really dont see why there is this big flap about delay in shipping, no discount code or sending catalogs........havent had this problem with anyone else. Oh well......at least they will get here by end of February.

Judith

I got my catalog today. Didnt see a coupon

I see absolutely no correlation between a discount and Covid. Absolutely ridiculous.

On a separate note, good catalog or just meh?

I havent really had a chance to look at it yet..just opened the plastic wrapper and checked to see if there was a coupon code anywhere lol!

It looks very similar to last year's style. I prefer the old style catalogs better. It does have that fold out -Index by Color in the back that catagorizes all the rose by color with photos. Wow there is a ton of pinks lol.

oursteelers is right. There is zero correlation for no usual tiny discount and an overhyped illness (ask this guy that had it (LAST MARCH BEFORE all the insanity was executed)- felt like ozone poisoning and the air was made of syrup and I couldn't find normal relief while breathing plus shortness of breath).

Steven

What is the big flip about a coupon? If you want a rose, buy a rose -- if you need a coupon code to justify your purchase, you really don't want the rose that badly.

Mxk3, I understand your point. But I want to buy 20 roses, a coupon is useful.

I understand and I do like a good coupon as well. If any of you are like me, though, I‘m generally placing an order early and have to call after I receive the catalog and coupon code. With their limited staff and delays, I would personally rather they focus on shipping than handling calls to add coupon codes. Coupons are also to incentivize consumers and increased sales and they don’t need that right now since they cannot keep up with current demand and so I understand why it’s not being offered.

For me the whole coupon thing has multiple parts...

It’s like the boss who gives you a ham as a holiday bonus and suddenly stops even doing that. It‘s nice to have a little appreciation shown at the end of the year

When you are making a big purchase 15% does make a difference

When you stop something like this, it rarely comes back

And lastly, the first holiday season without Austin Sr they take away the coupon. What other things will they discard doing?

You will get a discount if you are a current member of the American rose society, at least I did.

Nearly fifty bucks to join THE rose club for a 10% discount at DA?
I believe I would respectfully decline that proposition as a poor value regardless of other purported benefits such as newsletters, other discounts, and meetings with folk who on average are probably more into exhibition style HT's opposed to the love of the rose itself.

As an example, my prior employer mandated we sell eyeglasses with EVERYTHING added to the lenses in what they called "top-down selling" (I believe in UV protection and anti-reflective coatings plus a pair of polarized sunglasses) and push designer frames and to tell the patient it "maximized their insurance benefit". (Then PUSH multiple wardrobing pairs on to of that!)
That may be true, but when a regular patient/consumer is staring down the barrel of a pair of $300-500+ prescription eyewear AFTER insurance, it can be upsetting and misleading to say the least even if every discount and feature the insurance helps with is used. Especially when living in a more rural area with generally less knowledgeable folk or those who don't like frills and doodads. Those types of folk view what you're doing as a scam because they believe insurance should cover everything with just the co-pay, and equal to what car dealerships do. That doesn't mean they don't want or need to see as well as possible while looking as good as possible, but they just can't afford it or are unwilling to do so.

For DAR-USA, it isn't about wanting anything badly enough but rather being as responsible as possible in disposing income for a pleasurable pastime. Plus it's an empty change dropping the discount they've always had. They really can't blame it on COVID, but will to justify their actions. They've had nearly a YEAR now of COVID to prepare. This isn't some surprise that's popped up within the last three months. What were they doing in that year? Haven't they experienced record on-line sales and are unable to send roses to stockists?

They're certainly aren't hurting for profitability so as to not provide the coupon because even after the coupon guess what- they're STILL profitable. Otherwise, being a business, they wouldn't do it.

There are so many factors and aspects that to outsiders appear to be the equivalent of poor management, poor execution, sitting on thumbs, and expected greed
You can literally do anything if the action is labelled as being in an individual's "best interests" or slapping a "safety" concern upon it.

Plus, it's adding up to changes we're clearly seeing with the passing of David Austin Sr, and even though it's unlikely, I can't help but wonder if things will unravel with the visionary himself gone.

Things are expensive enough as it is for regular folk and it's only getting worse.

Beautiful days in the garden ahead,

Steven

All, let‘s leave a comment on their social media

https://www.instagram.com/p/CK0xlWug2Nw/?igshid=1td2em1s2oqhf

we can still be nice about it obviously, but let them know what was said above. last year was my first year ordering roses, I ended up paying 3x for shipping. I was hoping I could get the discount too 😂😂.

maybe if we let them know they will change it for next year. They seem pretty responsive!

What effect do you think letting them know your displeasure at not getting a coupon and then continuing to buy roses from them will have? I can tell you --> none. Why would it? You're buying from them anyway. {shrug}. Unless the company itself is hit in the pocketbook there really is no incentive for them to incentivize purchases.

Not getting live merchandise within a specified time frame is a genuine customer service complaint. Whining that you didn't get a coupon code isn't.

It does let them know they're beginning to anger and alienate their previously loyal customers.

What do companies do to try and stop bad publicity?

EVERYTHING.

Everything from covering up deaths of consumers/recipients/users to asking someone politely to threatening a lawsuit.

WE have options and I prefer to not have it implied that I have to do what any company says, and we do not HAVE to buy from them.

If more folks put their money where their mouth is we could bankrupt evil entities like Nestle and Disney and actually change the world.

Cheers.

Steven

"If more folks put their money where their mouth is we could bankrupt evil entities like Nestle and Disney and actually change the world."

I agree. But that's the problem -- people don't. They whine and complain but then continue to support the companies through their dollars, so nothing changes.

Although, I don't equate DA not offering a coupon code to being an "evil entity". People have become so accustomed to coupons and "sales" that paying full price for something is almost anathema. I just don't get this mentality, be it with plants or clothes or whatever -- if you want it and can afford it, then buy it. {shrug}

I don't know why this DA coupon backlash is irking me, but it is. I better bow out of the conversation now, though -- I have a feeling I'm doing some irking of my own on this thread. :0)

On the rose front, I think I'm going to pass on that Golden Celebration I've been hemming and hawing about -- I'm too concerned about it being a blackspotty mess. The Royal Jubilee sold out already, or I might have ordered another one of those -- that is one heck of a beautiful, fragrant rose.

I just looked at their website - they are out of quite a few roses including Eustacia Vye and Gabriel Oak. Have not seen them sell out of things this early. I made an order early January, these were 2 I got, glad I did not delay. Going to make another order but have ordered a couple of Austins from Hortico and Roses Unlimited too. Dont know if they didnt get in the amount of stock they usually do or if more people are buying........I have read they are not shipping alot to US nurseries.

I had gotten used to the coupon and it encouraged people to buy early - before end of February I think. Perhaps this year, with more limited inventory, they didnt do it in order to have more stock available to those who ordered later. I have found their roses to be top quality and they grow well. Their customer service has been good so though some savings is appreciated, I like the product and not going to deny myself due to lack of a coupon. Main thing I dont like this year is that I live 2 hours away, have always picked up my roses when I go to Tyler and paid no shipping. This year, they wont even shove the box out the door for me to pick up! So now I have to pay shipping - which is more than I would have saved on a coupon. Now......no coupon and have to pay shipping! All I would have to do is jump out of the truck, put the box in and be off. No way to even breathe the outdoor air for more than a couple of minutes! Makes no sense to me.....but it is what it is and I will enjoy the roses so not worrying about it.

Judith

Has anyone in the US received DA roses this year? I got another email from them, citing more delays due to the recent storm in. Texas...

Nope nothing yet

I haven’t gotten an email and certainly hope I get some info soon ! What a mess it’s going to be for them getting all these orders out .

i just made another small order online - didnt get my confirmation so called. Couldnt even get them on the phone "due to covid". I am getting pretty sick of people using that for any excuse not to do something. Cant even talk on the phone?? But they did respond promptly to my email inquiry. No word as to when roses will be shipped but I just got my Regan roses yesterday, thankfully just after the polar vortex was over. They look really good - big fat green canes, lots of roots. Cant wait to plant them today!

DA should be able to begin shipping. Temps will be in the 70's today [last week it was 6!] They should be able to begin shipping soon.

@alameda you bought your roses from Regan Nusery in California?

Judith, thank you so much for your reasonable and rational response and explanation. It is so greatly appreciated.

I think some are missing the point regarding the disappointment of the lack of the promotional code. There's so much more to our repulsion to DAR-USA than a mere coupon. That should be clear- it's their business practices. The lack of coupon is the cherry on top, but to each their own with what one decides to focus upon. It is also painfully obvious that not offering a coupon is *not* the reference to evil, but how they treat their stockists and their general business model. Can you imagine if every horticulture company behaved as poorly as DAR???

Sadly, there is no 2021 Promotional Offer as I received my new catalogue a couple of days ago and found it to be generally starved of content with my full opinion disclosed elsewhere on the forum. I have still ordered as I wished to try several of their varieties directly from them because to myself, it adds to the allure to purchase the product from the raisers of it. Even if they aren't, it makes them seem more special. It's probably all part of their wickedly good marketing tactics.

As I also mentioned, their known business practices and latest announcements have me quite tempted to cancel my orders placed with them. One customer may not be much to them, and nobody here has to care what we do with OUR OWN money, but I'll tell ya- they add up. If I were to cancel my orders with DAR-USA, that amount could be a car payment, big credit card payment, rent payment, a house payment, a good chunk into savings, or even a month's worth of groceries for someone like myself. All things incredibly more important than some designer roses from a greedy firm.

That is not insignificant.

Happy gardening!

Steven

HU - yes, I got my roses from Regans in Calif. Very pleased with them! Just got them potted up. Today, I hear we are going to get another possible snow sometime in first 2 weeks of March! Can hardly believe this! Last week this time it was 6 - today it is 82. Only in Texas.......

@Alameda, I am in CA and trying to get roses in TX and you are in TX and getting roses from CA :-)

BTW, I visited Regan before and they indeed have good quality roses. I got my Eden climbers from them.

HU - ha ha, ironic isnt it!

@MiGreenThumb (Z5b S.Michigan/Sunset 41) Elevation: 1091 feet I largely agree with you about their practices, but please don't call COVID an overhyped illness...my mom just lost her uncle to it in January and my church has lost multiple people. Half a million people have died from it. If more people had paid attention to the "hype," more would be alive today.

I understand the comment probably comes out of frustration, but not everyone was fortunate enough to react to it as mildly as you did. It's a very lethal airborne disease that--if anything--the former president downplayed because he knew the gravity of the situation and the things mass panic would do to our security and economic stability.

That aside I 100% agree--their practices regarding people who sell their roses are obnoxious, they "retire" roses people love as soon as they're out of patent, forcing people who have contracts with them to only sell ones under patent, and despite their royalties somehow *they're* struggling while those smaller nurseries who've faithfully carried their roses at whatever cost, regardless of if grafts take, have still managed. It's really gross.

So I'm itching to buy Wollerton Old Hall but the combination of all of the above plus the "we can't give you even $3 off" attitude has kept my finger off of "buy" -- if anyone has any non-DA repeating, very fragrant, light apricot, cupped climbers I'm all ears.

I'm not going to get into it, but yes it is because that's why the vast majority are fine. Even more so with the supposed "asymptomatic" nonsense and that any cloth at all will do to protect you from this deadly plague, but not from wildfire smoke (CDC).
I had it myself. It really was like a flu with a couple days of asthma/ozone poisoning/thick air sensations.
Let's not also forget that SARS 2006 wasn't as contagious, but was five times deadlier.
It is overplayed. A whole political group based their entire campaign on a temporary issue.
Oh dear.

Steven

@MiGreenThumb (Z5b S.Michigan/Sunset 41) Elevation: 1091 feet okay, you're coming across as an actual sociopath. Just because *you* had it and you were okay doesn't mean other people reacted that way. Half a million people died in a country of 300 million. That is not negligible. My family is among the bereaved. Your callous disregard towards the loss of life is profoundly troubling, and I would like to think you're better than this. Until you develop a modicum of empathy, I suggest you stick to your poetry and roses.

This is not the place.

My Navy son just tested positive today. His squadron had to be in Nevada for a couple of weeks - a few guys went to Reno and now look. My son stayed put but didnt help him. Dont know how many will come down with it now. Texas just opened up but I am not changing anything I do. Honestly, its not that much trouble. I go do things I need to but am happy to stay home and fuss over my poor roses trying to survive the recent ice age. I have never seen such destruction, most had to be cut down to 1-2". But both my first David Austin order and my David Austin/Palatine order arrived today so hooray, I am going to be able to plant some roses that I actually know are alive!!

Aaron, if you dont have Polka - you need to get it! It is just beautiful - just what you want, apricot, beautiful petals. Mine was growing great, huge long canes, until the snow/ice zapped it. I am heartsick - all those beautiful canes gone and lost roses.....am betting they will have to be whacked to the ground - IF it is still alive. I may have to buy another just in case.......I think my rose buying is going to jump into high gear this year.......I DO have an excuse!! And I do have Wollerton Old Hall and I will tell you I am very pleased with it.......all my Austins seem to have weathered this awful weather very well - I am not having to cut them down to nubs. Wollerton Old Hall and Polka would look wonderful together with something lavender in between - like the strong growing Posidon. Really.......you need Polka!!

Judith

I just ordered Polka the other day. I dont know why I waited so long Ive been wanting it forever! I love the wavy petals. I hadnt thought of putting it with lavender. I bet that would be pretty! I will have an extra Quick Silver.

@alameda/zone 8/East Texas I'm putting it right behind Florence Delattre so that's just the ticket--thank you for the recommendation!! I hope your son recovers well.

My next door neighbor has a Polka, I love it. She doesn’t do anything special to it and the rose looks beautiful. The few times I’ve been given blooms they seem to last a decent amount of time.

I ordered Polka for this year too! I'm usually really not a far of the loose wavy petals look but I've decided to try to get all sorts of bloom forms this year to try. You never know, sometimes experiencing a flower in person is different from photos. Plus I love the apricot color. I used to really want WOH but read too many accounts of the petals going a dirty looking color at the end so it scared me off for a bit, and then I ordered Jude the Obscure which is too similar in bloom form and color for me to want to have both. Not enough space in my garden for anything to be even remotely repeated.

Can't wait to see how everyone's Polka comes along this year!

Aaron, I'm sorry that your family went through that. 💛 This has been so hard on so many people, and even when someone recovers, watching a loved one struggle with illness or injury, waiting in limbo because you don't know if they'll pull through or not, is so hard and traumatic for families and friends. I just went through that and it was gut-wrenching. I hope you and I and so many others are able to find what comfort we can in our gardens. Maybe I'll cut extra bouquets for others just to spread some love and comfort. I look forward to seeing photos of how your garden progresses this year, if you feel like sharing any.

Where did you all order your Polka? Whether mine recovers or not, I still want another one. Even if it does, I think I am going to have to cut it to ground level. Same with Quicksilver and that thing grows like the Jolly Green Giant.

@MiGreenThumb (Z5b S.Michigan/Sunset 41) Elevation: 1091 feet I'm SOOOOOOOOO glad you survived covid. I'm so glad you weren't inconvenienced. But I HAD an aunt, two dear friends, and at least six acquaintances THAT I KNOW OF, who were not so lucky. I would say that their deaths can hardly be "over-hyped". I sang at two of their funerals. How dare you minimize the experiences of others just because you were lucky. I am literally so angry right now I can barely type. One of my friends died because they were turned away from the emergency room, because the hospital was already beyond capacity. By the time he spent another day at home and they took him to a second hospital, he was in renal failure from sepsis, and had a blood oxygen level of 40. He lived two more days.

Regardless of your political leanings, about which I don't give a ****, you have just made light of the hell I have lived through for the past year. And my situation is nothing compared to the ones who were mothers, fathers, spouses or children of those who died.

May you never have to go through what I've been through. On second thought, I hope you do if it might make you remotely empathetic to other humans.

@alameda/zone 8/East Texas I ordered mine from High Country Roses, which I believe still has them in stock.

Thank you Magpie!

I ordered mine from FreshGreenLiving from etsy. $19.99 & free ship. They are usually band size plants.

Nick, that's gorgeous! I wish my neighbors grew pretty roses.

I'm excited to see everyone's Polkas. I planted an own root last fall and I can't wait for the blooms. @Nick 10bSW17 your neighbor's Polka looks great!

@Aaron Rosarian Zone 5b, I found an own-root WOH sold by another nursery that I see others raving about on another thread. If you're interested? Yes I'm sure DA still got a cut of this, but idk how you feel about buying it anyway from an independent nursery?

https://allmythyme.com/shop/ols/products/wollerton-old-hall-own-root

Polka --> what a happy name for a rose!

@Aaron Rosarian Zone 5b Is Wollerton under patent? That rose roots very easily, and I have several one year old rooted cuttings and would be more than happy to send you one, because you are an amazing human being. We’ve lost family, too. Our daughter is high risk. That’s all I’ll say about that. Shoot me a message?

@Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b) I just saw your post, I didn’t mean to step on your toes, that’s a great suggestion, too. Aaron, I ordered a few roses from the site Magpie suggested just today based on the recommendations from that thread.

@Katherine OK zone 7b Lol you're not stepping on any toes, it's not like I get a sales commission 🤪 You're such a sweetie, your suggestions are more than welcome.

I have a couple of roses coming soon from All My Thyme - they are very nice people to deal with and I will be able to comment on them when they get here.

@Katherine OK zone 7b that's really so sweet of you! I think it is under patent so I'm going to try an order from All My Thyme. I've never bought from them and excited to support someone other than DA. I really appreciate it!! And thank you @Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b) for directing me to them!!

@fig_insanity Z7b E TN I'm terribly sorry to hear you've gone through that. A lot of people are having a hard time this year. I think we're all going to collectively have to process both the losses we experienced and some of the reactions to it. I know some of my family responded quite selfishly and it changed my opinions of them. If you ever want to talk about it I'm here.

@Aaron Rosarian Zone 5b I tried to send send you a private message, but you don't have your messages turned on. I wanted to thank you for your kind words. I regret the public rant about something so personal, but at the same time I desperately needed to vent. This has been a tough year (and counting) for all of us. Again, thank you (and all those who sent messages) for your kindness.

John