WARNING! Please read before you use Hazelton’s.
Never in my life have I dealt with such a sketchy, dishonest company. I strongly recommend you read my review before considering placing an order. with them or their sister companies.
I ordered four fruit sympathy gift baskets (totalling $500) for my cousins, whose mother passed away. Hazelton’s website is great - looks legit, lots of options, I customized the baskets to include exactly what I wanted, and check out was easy. I selected next day delivery with the idea that all of the baskets would arrive a day before my aunt’s visitation as a buffer, as the recipients were going home out of town immediately after. A day after the baskets were scheduled to be delivered, I received a notification indicating my baskets were with a driver and was provided a tracking number and his contact information. By 8:30pm the baskets hadn’t arrived, so I contacted the driver. He said the baskets were supposed to be in his car, but Hazelton’s never gave them to him. I tried contacting Hazelton’s many times via phone, email and chat on their website to no avail. I indicated that the recipients were heading home out of town and if I didn’t receive the baskets within a few hours, they’d be of no use to me. Furthermore, my order consisted of perishable items (fruit and pies), so a delay impacts the quality. I finally received a generic response from Hazelton’s saying their deliveries are delayed because it’s busy near Easter (not my problem, Easter doesn’t exactly come as a surprise each year) and that per the terms and conditions, no refund would be issued despite a two day delay in delivery. It’s important to note that I was never informed there would be a delay.
Finally, after my family members left the city, the baskets arrived. I expected that for $30-$70 in fruit per basket, we’d receive more variety than just apples and oranges (I asked for a variety). They substituted the beer I selected for a cheaper beer, but still charged us for the more expensive one. They also delivered someone else’s basket to my house, and I’m left to track down this person on my own because Hazelton’s doesn’t answer the phone or respond to emails. There’s a reason they have an F rating on Better Business Bureau.
I’m astonished at Hazelton’s poor customer service and slimy business practices. Don’t be fooled by the 4-5 star reviews. I strongly encourage you to Google search “CBC Hazelton’s Gift Baskets”, “Trustpilot Hazelton’s” and “BBB Hazelton’s”. I’m not the first person who has had an experience like this. Thank goodness my fruit was in good condition, unlike many others who received rotten/mouldy produce. This company is part of a much bigger conglomerate, The Baskets Group, which also owns Yorkville Gift Baskets, Bro Crates, Hops Collective, Good 4 You Gift Baskets, Gifting Kosher, Heart Thorn, North Pole Company, Toronto Blooms and Monthly Sommelier.
I, like many others, have had a nightmare of an experience. Do yourself a favour and order from a smaller, local gift basket / floral company. No, there’s not as much selection as you’ll find on Hazelton’s website or one of their sister companies, but at least you’ll deal with an honest company and know you’re getting what you pay for. If you’re determined to use Hazelton’s, do yourself a favour and read the terms and conditions first. Be ok with them, because if ANYTHING goes wrong with your order (likely), they’ll use the terms and conditions to their advantage.
