Completely unsatisfactory and difficult experience from start to finish
Our gardener had recommended Mole Valley Farmers, as it would allow us to purchase from a local organisation and from people themselves involved in farming, rather than buying from a large and anonymous company. However, once we had placed our order it took over seven attempts for it to reach checkout, and this was done across multiple computers, browsers, and even two different addresses. With one option to pay we were repeatedly sent back and informed that our cart had changed since attempting payment, which it had not, while with another the screen from the bank asking for confirmation of payment via the app disappeared twice, taking us back to the initial page. Only on the third attempt was the confirmation page stable and I was then able to pay for the order.
We received an email on the morning of 30th March informing us that our delivery had been dispatched, but the tracking link gave no information at all, so we were unable to find any indication about when the order might arrive. That remained the case until approximately 10 o'clock on 1st April when a delivery driver arrived unannounced with the mulch, which he then said that he could not bring onto our drive because it was covered with gravel. He also told us that the delivery conditions specified kerbside delivery only, but this was not mentioned in our confirmation email, nor was it noted at any point in the ordering process. The driver was, in my opinion, not helpful at all, telling me repeatedly that his day was "time sensitive" and that he needed to drop off other orders.
Eventually I persuaded him to wait while I shovelled enough gravel out of the way for him to leave the pallet just inside my gate rather than on the kerb outside where it would have blocked access for my neighbours, and I then moved the bags myself individually to where I had originally wanted them to be placed. I checked the tracking link again after the driver had left - there had still been no update and no warning that the delivery was arriving. I should mention that shipping and handling fees made up £55 of our £160 order.
It was fortunate that I was in, for two reasons. Firstly, had we been out presumably the driver would either have been unable to secure a signature for delivery or would simply have left the pallet in the road and gone on to his other orders. Secondly, my partner is physically disabled, so had I not been at home then they would have found it completely impossible to have dealt with this situation, which would have involved the sudden arrival of a large delivery together with a driver doing their very least to help while repeatedly mentioning that they were on a time limit.
I emailed Mole Valley Farmers immediately, outlining all of the information above and my dissatisfaction with the entire experience, and the only communication that has come my way was a request for a review, so here it is. I still await any direct contact from them about my order.
In all, despite our intention to help a local business, I will not be buying from Mole Valley Farmers again, as this whole experience, from the initial attempts to purchase to the non-existent tracking to the unexpected and problematic delivery to the lack of response to my complaint has been well below any acceptable standard.