I was just at Merrifield Garden Center (Merrifield location) and was buying an orchid and a separate orchid pot, and planning on using the below coupon ($10 off of $50). However the coupon was not accepted when scanned at the register and I was informed that orchids are excluded (even though that is not stated on the coupon), and pretty much told that whatever the coupon states is irrelevant. So I cancelled the purchase. Looks like a bad business practice to not accept your own coupon.

Buyer Beware..
Attachments:

You should have used the Mosaic District garden center coupon. That would have been accepted.

You sound like the kind of asshole that wants a discount on sale items. I love watching people like you throw temper tantrums, and then discover that item truly doesn't qualify for a discount.

No Soup For You! Wrote:
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> You sound like the kind of asshole that wants a
> discount on sale items. I love watching people
> like you throw temper tantrums, and then discover
> that item truly doesn't qualify for a discount.

Very mature of you to respond that way. Calling names, and making accusations like that.
Does your Mommy know that you're on the computer?

Nothing I was trying to buy was an “on sale” item. However, the 3 people I dealt with (person who wrapped orchid, cashier and checkout supervisor) were somewhat surprise that the coupon I presented did not exclude orchids, pointing instead to a completely different type of coupon that they found (completely different than the one posted above) that did excluded orchids. The total purchase that I was attempting at Merrifield was $90 (with tax). After leaving, I ended up buying an orchid pot from Home Depot, and a similar orchid on sale at Harris Teeter, total price was less than $25.

It’s bad business to mail coupons to all of Northern VA and then not honor them.

Buyer Beware

Customer10-14 Wrote:
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> Nothing I was trying to buy was an “on sale”
> item. However, the 3 people I dealt with (person
> who wrapped orchid, cashier and checkout
> supervisor) were somewhat surprise that the coupon
> I presented did not exclude orchids, pointing
> instead to a completely different type of coupon
> that they found (completely different than the one
> posted above) that did excluded orchids. The total
> purchase that I was attempting at Merrifield was
> $90 (with tax). After leaving, I ended up buying
> an orchid pot from Home Depot, and a similar
> orchid on sale at Harris Teeter, total price was
> less than $25.
>
> It’s bad business to mail coupons to all of
> Northern VA and then not honor them.
>
> Buyer Beware

You obviously did something wrong. I am not sure what you did wrong. but they did.

There is a much better garden center in Beltsville.

I didn’t do anything wrong, they just refused to honor my above coupon when buying a $60 orchid (and $25 pot), based on an apparent internal policy that they don’t discount their orchids. I assume their contention would be that the exceptions listed on the coupon I presented are incomplete. But, it’s still bad business.

I posted it here, and on Yelp and on AroundMe.

Enough said,

Buyer Beware...

Historian Wrote:
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> There is a much better garden center in
> Beltsville.


Want to keep my tires and not get mugged.

Not a fan of Merrifield either. It could be my imagination but I always got a sense of smugness and arrogance the few times I went to the Fairfax one. Never particular welcoming or warm. No reason to be that way that I can see.

Also realized their prices are relatively high and you can get many of their items elsewhere for cheaper. What did it for me was they sell stuff on their website for more than in the store sometimes and won't price match it. They then act like assholes trying to justify it. Go to Betty's down the road (if Fairfax) or Home Depot/Lowe's as mentioned.

So, what orchid did you get? Is it blooming? Can you post a picture?
I've grown more than a few of them in the past, so just asking out of curiosity.
And I will say that, I learned a long time ago that Merrifield Garden is expensive as (insert expletive here) when it comes to their orchids, (as well as many other things).

Do they sell alcohol?

Von pres Wrote:
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> Do they sell alcohol?

I believe they do in their cafe.

To the O.P. - most of the time, the prices at Merrifield Gardens are high and even with the coupon, you're still overpaying.

PG Shitty Wrote:
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> Historian Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > There is a much better garden center in
> > Beltsville.
>
>
> Want to keep my tires and not get mugged.

It's a safe neighborhood. There is a Costco about 1/4 mile down the road.

I saw some guy with a new Ferrari at the Home Depot down the street. If I were Merrifield I would charge a lot too.

Historian Wrote:
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> PG Shitty Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Historian Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > There is a much better garden center in
> > > Beltsville.
> >
> >
> > Want to keep my tires and not get mugged.
>
> It's a safe neighborhood. There is a Costco about
> 1/4 mile down the road.

I live in McLean. F&@king Costco is for the Centreville lower class. I don't drive a Handa Civic.

Someone who lived in McLean wouldn't be bitching about Merrifield GC not taking their coupon. They probably wouldn't even drive to Merrifield to buy an orchid.

Is it still owne dub the Warhurst family?

At Home Depot, find the checkout clerk whose English is terrible, and demand the 10% military discount. They are always too scared to ask for proof because they don’t want to cause a scene!

I hate it when you coupon cunts hold up the check out lines trying to save 37 cents on a 2 dollar purchase. Cheap ass fucking cunts.

CooponCunts Wrote:
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> I hate it when you coupon cunts hold up the check
> out lines trying to save 37 cents on a 2 dollar
> purchase. Cheap ass fucking cunts.

18.5% savings sounds pretty good. All for a < 2 second scan of a barcode.

You sound like an idiot. You can't afford to be smart, so maybe you should save some money with a coupon sweetheart.

I always go to the Merrifield Garden Center and break things. I can't help it if a bird bath falls over when I'm next to it. Also, those Japanese Maples are spindly and have a tendency to break off below the graph line, so there's always a group of them looking sideways after I walk past them.

The following apology was provided by Merrifield:

We are very sorry about this mistake. We used to exclude orchids from this discount offering, but we recently decided to no longer exclude them. That's why there was nothing stated on the coupon about excluding orchids. However, our computer system unfortunately had not been updated, and so it informed the cashier that no discount could be taken on the item. We apologize not only for this mistake, but also for not getting a manager to take care of this and override the system, and give you your discount.

This problem has been now been fixed so it won't happen again, but we're very sorry that you came in and were not given the discount that you were rightfully entitled to. We'd love to have a chance to make this up to you, so if you don't mind, we hope you will email our customer service manager....

Pic of the letter or it didn't happen.

I dindo nuffinz, see Wrote:
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...Japanese Maples are spindly and have a tendency to break off below the graph line....


I think you mean "graft" line.

Didn't Happen Wrote:
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> Pic of the letter or it didn't happen.
Attachments:

My mom won't go to the Merrifield garden center in Fairfax/rt 29 either. She's old and fat, and doesn't look the best anymore but she's kind and friendly. When I gave her a gift certificate as a mothers day present from Merrifield she thanked me but I could tell something was off. She told me that the people there seemed 'too good for their own manure they were selling'. Basically, she said that they were all snobby and stuck up acting. Looking back to when I purchased the gift certificate....

1. There were a few young guy employees standing at the front entrance milling around, they all greeted me when I was approaching but it seemed forced like someone told them to do it.
2. The older women working throughout the store definitely gave off a snobby vibe in their conversations, even though they were smiling at me. You can just tell when people hate dealing with the public.
3. The younger teen/20's girls at the register seemed to ape the behavior of the snobby older women, but without the smiling.

What it looks like to me is that a wealthy family owns this place, they give off a snobby vibe because they are rich and generally hate having to deal with 'lower class looking' people. And the employees feed off that behavior because the 'successful' of their lot do it, and they think that is expected behavior.

What's really funny about that snobbish vibe is that the whole business started by Bob Warhurst was founded on a trash collection service. Saleable items from trash picking we're sold in a junk market type of operation which led to the plant business.
Bob was a very hard working young man from Alabama who followed his brother up here and never quit.
He included his family members and made a real success.
Some of the latter family members and employees don't have it like Bob did and think that because they have a lot of wealthy clients that they are "special" .
Too bad it's going that way now.

Trash collectors Wrote:
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> What's really funny about that snobbish vibe is
> that the whole business started by Bob Warhurst
> was founded on a trash collection service.
> Saleable items from trash picking we're sold in a
> junk market type of operation which led to the
> plant business.
> Bob was a very hard working young man from Alabama
> who followed his brother up here and never quit.
> He included his family members and made a real
> success.
> Some of the latter family members and employees
> don't have it like Bob did and think that because
> they have a lot of wealthy clients that they are
> "special" .
> Too bad it's going that way now.


Wow, OK thanks for the insight. Usually there's a story behind a situation like that where people running a business seem a little off one way or another. Too bad for them, my parents are doing well in retirement and now they only go to Burke Nursery. They are a family business and they seem to be relatively friendly enough.

Customer10-14 Wrote:
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> Didn't Happen Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Pic of the letter or it didn't happen.


That "Letter" looks fake and manufactured. I don't understand why you are slandering a great local company like the Merrifield Garden Center.

Your rebuttal seems manufactured.
The apology from the garden center would imply that this incident did occur.
The stupid little matter of a discount is less important than how employees present themselves and consequently their employers however.

I usually just go there to walk around and get free coffee.

Fake News garden Wrote:
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> Your rebuttal seems manufactured.
> The apology from the garden center would imply
> that this incident did occur.
> The stupid little matter of a discount is less
> important than how employees present themselves
> and consequently their employers however.

I don't think Merrifield Garden Center is in a position where they need to issue an apology, because they have done nothing wrong. Some misdirected customer somehow felt entitled to a discount on an item that is clearly not included with the discount coupon.

Someone has put together an apology letter that somewhat looks real, but it is clearly a fake.

Trash collectors Wrote:
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> What's really funny about that snobbish vibe is
> that the whole business started by Bob Warhurst
> was founded on a trash collection service.
> Saleable items from trash picking we're sold in a
> junk market type of operation which led to the
> plant business.
> Bob was a very hard working young man from Alabama
> who followed his brother up here and never quit.
> He included his family members and made a real
> success.
> Some of the latter family members and employees
> don't have it like Bob did and think that because
> they have a lot of wealthy clients that they are
> "special" .
> Too bad it's going that way now.

Sorry to hear all this negative stuff about the Merrifield Garden Center. I knew Bob Warhurst and nobody could ever accuse him of being snobby.

Two things:
Ariana P. A MGC Employee Posted an apology.
Nobody said Bob Warhurst was snobby.
Why even write anything if you have absolutely no idea what is being discussed?

Fake News garden Wrote:
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> Two things:
> Ariana P. A MGC Employee Posted an apology.
> Nobody said Bob Warhurst was snobby.
> Why even write anything if you have absolutely no
> idea what is being discussed?


How can you defend a fake apology? The reason the apology is a fake is because there is no reason an apology to be given.

So now you have to admit that MGC issued an apology
That's progress.
Defining what you previously stated didn't exist as "fake" because you don't agree with the underlying reasoning is not progress.
It's like I said before.
Why write anything if you don't understand what is being discussed?
Making up ones own definitions of words just highlights the depths of your stupidity.
Go watch the NFL retards and leave the adults to pertinent discussions.

Fake News garden Wrote:
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> So now you have to admit that MGC issued an
> apology
> That's progress.
> Defining what you previously stated didn't exist
> as "fake" because you don't agree with the
> underlying reasoning is not progress.
> It's like I said before.
> Why write anything if you don't understand what is
> being discussed?
> Making up ones own definitions of words just
> highlights the depths of your stupidity.
> Go watch the NFL retards and leave the adults to
> pertinent discussions.


I never said that MGC issued an apology. My reasoning is that MGC did nothing wrong, so any apology issued in the name of MGC would be a fake apology.

Do you get it? Have you got it?

Shop Elsewhere Wrote:
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> Not a fan of Merrifield either. It could be my
> imagination but I always got a sense of smugness
> and arrogance the few times I went to the Fairfax
> one. Never particular welcoming or warm. No reason
> to be that way that I can see.
>
> Also realized their prices are relatively high and
> you can get many of their items elsewhere for
> cheaper. What did it for me was they sell stuff on
> their website for more than in the store sometimes
> and won't price match it. They then act like
> assholes trying to justify it. Go to Betty's down
> the road (if Fairfax) or Home Depot/Lowe's as
> mentioned.

You can't blame Merrifield for not price matching. Show me a Lowes that has multiple people on site with advanced degrees in plant sciences, and that has customer education programs that Merrifield has. Merrifield is expensive as hell, but when you go there with a problem you get a very smart person who had decades of experience giving you an excellent solution.

That said, they do take an organic first stance on about everything, even when the organic solution pretty much sucks. And yeah, they're pretty damn smug. If you're not following the utmost gardening practices, they get all snippy.

But whatever. They know their shit, so you put up with that.

Fake News garden Wrote:
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> Two things:
> Ariana P. A MGC Employee Posted an apology.
> Nobody said Bob Warhurst was snobby.


Let me reword what I said. Bob Warhurst would never tolerate any of his employees being snobby.

There is another very good orchid shop located in Vienna @ 390-B Maple Ave, “Orchids For You”. They typically have a wide variety of Orchids, and after spending $100 you get a 10% discount card. It’s prices are not too high (even without the 10% discount), a little lower than MGC (but higher than Home Depot). They will also repot an orchid for you (nice to know), and are very knowledgeable about orchids and orchid care.