We have detected that javascript is currently disabled. To get the fullest experience from our site we suggest enabling javascript. If you have any issues using our site please contact us.
"I purchased a Blue Spruce Christmas Tree and it is the 'perfect' tree that I have been looking for! It was easy to assemble by myself and after shaping is a beautiful tree. From time of purchase on line to delivery was 3 days. I will definately recommend this company to my friends. Rhonda"
"Assembled on 12/22, base so stuck together that weld broke while trying to expand it. Numerous rubber "realistic" tips had broken off during transit and more broke off easily during assembly and expanding the limbs. All lights working on 22rd but a strand was out the two days later. Nothing had changed overnight. Way too many lights out to check individually and why should you have to on a new tree. Overall cheap looking tree. I expected much more at the sale price of 399.00. Very glad I did not purchase it at retail price. Stay away from this company's products. No guarantee beyond Christmas Day? I can't return it now? Who would spend hundreds of dollars on something that may not last much longer than that."
"I placed an order on 12/6. Got no confirmation so I e-mailed on 12/7. Received response 12/8 verifying my order and saying that my order had been shipped on 12/7. I called on 12/13 to find out where my order was and was told that my order was cancelled and the item was out of stock! How does an order go from "shipped" to "you're not getting one"? Insult to injury: I never even got an apology from either of the two agents with whom I spoke. No Mea Culpa. I've seen better customer service at the dollar store. Horrible service."
"Karen K. Katy, TX ? - Dec 16, 2011 Oh my gosh!!!! BUYER BEWARE!!!!!!!! Im WASTING $200 to send this $1600 piece of S*** BACK!!!!!! It's BRAND NEW and the lights don't work!!!!!!! And to quote the review by balsamhillsucks, "They just don't care about their products or their customers." BELIEVE IT!!!! IT's TRUE!!! I am saddened that I got suckered in and believed the good reviews that Balsam Hill obviously sends in themselves! And I agree with the rest of the unhappy customers it has been THE WORST Christmas experience EVER!!!!! Balsam Hill is a VERY SHADY COMPANY!!!!! It DOSEN'T even rate 1 star....but I have to at least put one in order to send this! Was this review helpful? Yes - No - Flag as inappropriate balsamhillsucks ? - Dec 21, 2010 This is one of the worst e-commerce retailers out there. They just don't care about their products or their customers. I spent $2000 on a 12' tree from Balsam Hill. It arrived defective and has continuous lighting problems. This year more than 2000 out of the 4000 light bulbs do not work. Balsam Hill just says, oh well, you have to do maitenence now and again. The tree was bought at the end of 2009. Its in its second season this year. Balsam Hill is full of excuses and promises to call you back or send spare parts. Its all false promises. Once they have your money they just don't care. The Better Business Bureau shows dozens of complaints about Balsam Hill. Actually, all you have to do is Google the words "Balsam Hill Complaint" or "Balsam Hill Reviews" and you will find hundreds of unhappy customers. One customer has a dedicated web site called www.balsamhillsucks.com ! Please, do not but a Christmas tree from Balsam Hill. It will be the worst experience you have. Its a shame the recession didn't wipe-out this shady outfit! "
"We noticed after about 5 hours of use that there were a strand of lights out...the $500 tree was likely Dead On Arrival and we just did not notice the broken lights earlier.
Customer Service (even my letters to the Found/CEO) refuses to pay for return shipping even after 5 phone calls and 2 emails to the CEO. They state only other option is to wait until their Warranty Service Department opens in February to get replacement parts!!! They want me to wait 60+ days for PARTS on a 5-hour used broken tree?! Then dig it out of the basement next summer, put it together with the new parts, test it, then box it back up in the basement, then open it again Christmas 2012 and see if it works still?! Moreover, they said I had to return it by Christmas 2011 (10 days from now) or I would not get a refund on my $500 tree purchase!
Writing Better Business Bureau and California Attorney General.
***Short of story: STAY AWAY FROM BALSAM HILL! ***
Google and read the other horror stories. There are even websites solely dedicated to Balsam Hill complaints! "
"Terrible customer service model. First I didn't get any response from my email for days and finally after resending it, a rely came. Then on the phone the person was very unfriendly - no customer service skills. I purchased a tree and wanted to exchange it for a larger one but they don't do exchanges. You have to just buy the next one. The return policy is is not customer friendly. And, the cost of shipping back is so high you may as well keep the darn thing."
"Big problem and no way to get help..... we went to put up our tree...just the third Christmas we have had it....over one third of the lights won't work...not just one strand...although it might have been a strand out but when we tried to determine which strand it was we couldn't as the way they were intermixed made it impossible.... maybe it's just a lot of bulbs, but if so they are scattered all over the treet? But I mean LOTS.....customer service says it is normal to have them go out in storage due to lightening in the summer and static ! Maybe...but all the other lights stored with the tree are just fine....
We have a large tree lighting event in 6 days and so were concerned. I called the company expecting them to stand behind their beautiful tree....Three calls later speaking with nice but not very helpful people I was told the trees are made and assembled in China and that the old 5 year warranty was changed to 3 years (three months before we bought the tree).
So.... well over a third of the tree is dark and after three LONG calls I am told that the warranty on the lights expired about 5 weeks ago....and so on a ten year warrantied tree the company feels they have to do nothing....HOWEVER the supervisor offered to "make an exception" and send me four strands of lights and some bulbs. I asked them to overnight a new tree which would just give me time to "fluff" it, decorate it and get ready for our first guests arriving on Saturday. I was told no.....and as others have mentioned they don't do repairs until February "even on trees in the 3 year warranty". To top it off they have no trees to back up problems...like replacements...so if one is needed it has to come from China after February. They said they couldn't expedite shipping on the bulbs or lights either. "Corporate wouldn't approve it"...
We have tried to get the old lights off and couldn't do it. They are very crossed on the tree and it one case seemed attached to the branch.so we either have to buy a new tree for our tree blessing and lighting event or decorate and light a tree with almost half the lights out. I asked customer service about replacing the bulbs myself and was told thee ones they use are brighter and the ends might be different... I thought we could just take off all their lights and start over with new ones.....Can't do that either I guess....
A $500 tree is meant to last more than 4 weeks of use. Did I mention this is a Convent and we bought the tree with donated funds hoping to save money from having to purchase a "real" tree every year. ... Did I mention that the Bishop is doing the tree lighting and blessing next week.... and that a number of people will attend?
We are VERY disappointed in the lack of concern for us who are your customers. We have a steady stream potential customers through the convent each Christmas and for the past two years many have commented on our beautiful tree. Unfortunately this year I will be suggesting that as beautiful as the tree is, that they NOT buy one from Balsam Hill. I can no longer recommend your company."
Ours has not had wiring problems as other reviewers here have experienced, but the incidence of bulb failure has been far beyond what could be considered normal. Their web site says that you should expect "a few" bulbs to fail now and then. This is laughable. After the first year of ownership, so many bulbs were out that I was convinced it must be a wiring problem. We contacted customer service and were told that we would have to send the tree back -- at our expense. How? The tree is 7' tall and breaks down into five sections that take up a great deal of room. It also weighs quite a bit. Will they provide packing materials? No. I can only imagine the cost of packing and shipping a tree like this. A "warranty" that requires the customer to return a product like this to the manufacturer at the customer's expense and risk is like having no warranty at all. It's like buying a Ford automobile and being told that if you want warranty service you'll have to ship the car back to Detroit at your expense. It's absurd and complete joke.
So I purchased a tool to test line voltage in order to diagnose the problem. It turned out voltage was present in the strings. It was the bulbs themselves. Dozens and dozens and dozens of them were burned out. As I write this, I've worked on four out of the five sections of the tree, and have replaced over FOUR HUNDRED individual lights. I've put hours of work into this.
I contacted customer service to complain about the extraordinary number of burned-out bulbs, which any thinking person would know cannot possibly be normal. The customer service rep was argumentative, and insisted that this was normal. No apology, not even an expression of sympathy for the frustration and irritation of having to spend so much time and effort replacing so many bulbs.
So here it is straight from the horse's mouth, folks: If you buy a Balsam Hill tree, within two years you should expect to have to replace hundreds of bulbs yourself. This is "normal". Defective bulbs? Nope, that's not the reason. Defective design leading to premature bulb failure? Nope. Balsam Hill says this degree of bulb failure is normal. After spending many hundreds of dollars for your tree, enjoy the many hours of tedious work that will be required of you replacing substandard lights that the manufacturer describes on its web site as "high-quality". Because your only other alternative will be to ship the tree back at your expense.
One star is too high a rating for this company and its terrible products. Don't say I didn't warn you."
"Wow, I’m really surprised at the reviews here...We have a Balsam Hill tree – the Berkshire Mountain Fir - and we absolutely love it! We bought one of their lower cost trees but it is still very high quality and we’ve had no problems with it. It’s a slim style tree which we think looks really elegant and doesn’t take up too much space in our living room. Despite being a slim tree, it still has a lot of branches and a very natural full look. Granted, it didn’t look as full out of the box and I did have to spend some time shaping the tree (they give instructions in the box on how to do it) but once we shaped it, it has looked great. We’ve had it a couple of years now, and haven't even had any bulbs burn out - but they included extra bulbs for when we need them. We're very satisfied with our Balsam Hill tree. "
"Avoid Balsam Hill trees. Customer service is very weak - google Balsam Hill complaint and see what you get. Our tree had a part that would not light up. When we called about the problem, we were told they could not send the replacement before Christmas but that they would send it after Christmas. However, after Christmas, they sent a letter saying that if we still had a problem with our tree we needed to call them up and discuss it! Keep in mind that when we called customer service the first time they kept us on hold, no joke, for 1.5 hours. Do yourself a favor and avoid."
36,421 stores
1,204,129 reviews
5739 shoppers online now
Rating
Full Rating Profile
8 reviews 
Visa / Mastercard
American Express
Discover
Money Order
Check
Standard Next Day
posted Dec-26-2011 
![Share](javascript:share_rating({"review_body":"Assembled on 12\/22, base so stuck together that weld broke while trying to expand it. Numerous rubber \u0022realistic\u0022 tips had broken off during transit and more broke off easily during assembly and expanding the limbs. All lights working on 22rd but a strand was out the two days later. Nothing had changed overnight. Way too many lights out to check individually and why should you have to on a new tree. Overall cheap looking tree. I expected much more at the sale price of 399.00. Very glad I did not purchase it at retail price. Stay away from this company\u0027s products. No guarantee beyond Christmas Day? I can\u0027t return it now? Who would spend hundreds of dollars on something that may not last much longer than that.","link":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/Balsam_Hill_Christmas_Tree_Co\/comment\/1054075#comment1054075","store_thumb":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/thumbnail\/Balsam_Hill_Christmas_Tree_Co.jpg","store_name":"Balsam Hill Christmas Tree Co.","username":"DinahA","rating":"1"}, "single");){kind=link}
![Share](javascript:share_rating({"review_body":"I placed an order on 12\/6. Got no confirmation so I e-mailed on 12\/7. Received response 12\/8 verifying my order and saying that my order had been shipped on 12\/7. I called on 12\/13 to find out where my order was and was told that my order was cancelled and the item was out of stock! How does an order go from \u0022shipped\u0022 to \u0022you\u0027re not getting one\u0022? Insult to injury: I never even got an apology from either of the two agents with whom I spoke. No Mea Culpa. I\u0027ve seen better customer service at the dollar store. Horrible service.","link":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/Balsam_Hill_Christmas_Tree_Co\/comment\/1019083#comment1019083","store_thumb":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/thumbnail\/Balsam_Hill_Christmas_Tree_Co.jpg","store_name":"Balsam Hill Christmas Tree Co.","username":"sp1568","rating":"1"}, "single");){kind=link}
![Share](javascript:share_rating({"review_body":"Karen K. Katy, TX ? - Dec 16, 2011<br>Oh my gosh!!!! BUYER BEWARE!!!!!!!! Im WASTING $200 to send this $1600 piece of S*** BACK!!!!!! It\u0027s BRAND NEW and the lights don\u0027t work!!!!!!! And to quote the review by balsamhillsucks, \u0022They just don\u0027t care about their products or their customers.\u0022 BELIEVE IT!!!! IT\u0027s TRUE!!! I am saddened that I got suckered in and believed the good reviews that Balsam Hill obviously sends in themselves! And I agree with the rest of the unhappy customers it has been THE WORST Christmas experience EVER!!!!! Balsam Hill is a VERY SHADY COMPANY!!!!! It DOSEN\u0027T even rate 1 star....but I have to at least put one in order to send this! <br>Was this review helpful? Yes - No - Flag as inappropriate<br>balsamhillsucks ? - Dec 21, 2010<br>This is one of the worst e-commerce retailers out there. They just don\u0027t care about their products or their customers. I spent $2000 on a 12\u0027 tree from Balsam Hill. It arrived defective and has continuous lighting problems. This year more than 2000 out of the 4000 light bulbs do not work. Balsam Hill just says, oh well, you have to do maitenence now and again. The tree was bought at the end of 2009. Its in its second season this year. Balsam Hill is full of excuses and promises to call you back or send spare parts. Its all false promises. Once they have your money they just don\u0027t care. The Better Business Bureau shows dozens of complaints about Balsam Hill. Actually, all you have to do is Google the words \u0022Balsam Hill Complaint\u0022 or \u0022Balsam Hill Reviews\u0022 and you will find hundreds of unhappy customers. One customer has a dedicated web site called www.balsamhillsucks.com ! Please, do not but a Christmas tree from Balsam Hill. It will be the worst experience you have. Its a shame the recession didn\u0027t wipe-out this shady outfit! ","link":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/Balsam_Hill_Christmas_Tree_Co\/comment\/1018099#comment1018099","store_thumb":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/thumbnail\/Balsam_Hill_Christmas_Tree_Co.jpg","store_name":"Balsam Hill Christmas Tree Co.","username":"kbkurt","rating":"1"}, "single");){kind=link}
![Share](javascript:share_rating({"review_body":"We noticed after about 5 hours of use that there were a strand of lights out...the $500 tree was likely Dead On Arrival and we just did not notice the broken lights earlier.<br><br>Customer Service (even my letters to the Found\/CEO) refuses to pay for return shipping even after 5 phone calls and 2 emails to the CEO. They state only other option is to wait until their Warranty Service Department opens in February to get replacement parts!!! They want me to wait 60+ days for PARTS on a 5-hour used broken tree?! Then dig it out of the basement next summer, put it together with the new parts, test it, then box it back up in the basement, then open it again Christmas 2012 and see if it works still?! Moreover, they said I had to return it by Christmas 2011 (10 days from now) or I would not get a refund on my $500 tree purchase!<br><br>Writing Better Business Bureau and California Attorney General.<br><br>***Short of story: STAY AWAY FROM BALSAM HILL! ***<br><br>Google and read the other horror stories. There are even websites solely dedicated to Balsam Hill complaints!<br>","link":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/Balsam_Hill_Christmas_Tree_Co\/comment\/1017661#comment1017661","store_thumb":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/thumbnail\/Balsam_Hill_Christmas_Tree_Co.jpg","store_name":"Balsam Hill Christmas Tree Co.","username":"ericinct","rating":"1"}, "single");){kind=link}
![Share](javascript:share_rating({"review_body":"Terrible customer service model. First I didn\u0027t get any response from my email for days and finally after resending it, a rely came. Then on the phone the person was very unfriendly - no customer service skills. I purchased a tree and wanted to exchange it for a larger one but they don\u0027t do exchanges. You have to just buy the next one. The return policy is is not customer friendly. And, the cost of shipping back is so high you may as well keep the darn thing.","link":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/Balsam_Hill_Christmas_Tree_Co\/comment\/1008343#comment1008343","store_thumb":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/thumbnail\/Balsam_Hill_Christmas_Tree_Co.jpg","store_name":"Balsam Hill Christmas Tree Co.","username":"mschaefe","rating":"1"}, "single");){kind=link}
![Share](javascript:share_rating({"review_body":"Big problem and no way to get help.....<br>we went to put up our tree...just the third Christmas we have had it....over one third of the lights won\u0027t work...not just one strand...although it might have been a strand out but when we tried to determine which strand it was we couldn\u0027t as the way they were intermixed made it impossible.... maybe it\u0027s just a lot of bulbs, but if so they are scattered all over the treet? But I mean LOTS.....customer service says it is normal to have them go out in storage due to lightening in the summer and static ! Maybe...but all the other lights stored with the tree are just fine....<br><br>We have a large tree lighting event in 6 days and so were concerned. I called the company expecting them to stand behind their beautiful tree....Three calls later speaking with nice but not very helpful people I was told the trees are made and assembled in China and that the old 5 year warranty was changed to 3 years (three months before we bought the tree).<br><br>So.... well over a third of the tree is dark and after three LONG calls I am told that the warranty on the lights expired about 5 weeks ago....and so on a ten year warrantied tree the company feels they have to do nothing....HOWEVER the supervisor offered to \u0022make an exception\u0022 and send me four strands of lights and some bulbs. I asked them to overnight a new tree which would just give me time to \u0022fluff\u0022 it, decorate it and get ready for our first guests arriving on Saturday. I was told no.....and as others have mentioned they don\u0027t do repairs until February \u0022even on trees in the 3 year warranty\u0022. To top it off they have no trees to back up problems...like replacements...so if one is needed it has to come from China after February. They said they couldn\u0027t expedite shipping on the bulbs or lights either. \u0022Corporate wouldn\u0027t approve it\u0022...<br><br>We have tried to get the old lights off and couldn\u0027t do it. They are very crossed on the tree and it one case seemed attached to the branch.so we either have to buy a new tree for our tree blessing and lighting event or decorate and light a tree with almost half the lights out. I asked customer service about replacing the bulbs myself and was told thee ones they use are brighter and the ends might be different... I thought we could just take off all their lights and start over with new ones.....Can\u0027t do that either I guess....<br><br>A $500 tree is meant to last more than 4 weeks of use. Did I mention this is a Convent and we bought the tree with donated funds hoping to save money from having to purchase a \u0022real\u0022 tree every year. ...<br>Did I mention that the Bishop is doing the tree lighting and blessing next week....<br>and that a number of people will attend?<br><br>We are VERY disappointed in the lack of concern for us who are your customers. We have a steady stream potential customers through the convent each Christmas and for the past two years many have commented on our beautiful tree. Unfortunately this year I will be suggesting that as beautiful as the tree is, that they NOT buy one from Balsam Hill. I can no longer recommend your company.","link":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/Balsam_Hill_Christmas_Tree_Co\/comment\/993247#comment993247","store_thumb":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/thumbnail\/Balsam_Hill_Christmas_Tree_Co.jpg","store_name":"Balsam Hill Christmas Tree Co.","username":"STIPerk","rating":"1"}, "single");){kind=link}
![Share](javascript:share_rating({"review_body":"Do NOT buy a Balsam Hill pre-lit tree.<br><br>Ours has not had wiring problems as other reviewers here have experienced, but the incidence of bulb failure has been far beyond what could be considered normal. Their web site says that you should expect \u0022a few\u0022 bulbs to fail now and then. This is laughable. After the first year of ownership, so many bulbs were out that I was convinced it must be a wiring problem. We contacted customer service and were told that we would have to send the tree back -- at our expense. How? The tree is 7\u0027 tall and breaks down into five sections that take up a great deal of room. It also weighs quite a bit. Will they provide packing materials? No. I can only imagine the cost of packing and shipping a tree like this. A \u0022warranty\u0022 that requires the customer to return a product like this to the manufacturer at the customer\u0027s expense and risk is like having no warranty at all. It\u0027s like buying a Ford automobile and being told that if you want warranty service you\u0027ll have to ship the car back to Detroit at your expense. It\u0027s absurd and complete joke.<br><br>So I purchased a tool to test line voltage in order to diagnose the problem. It turned out voltage was present in the strings. It was the bulbs themselves. Dozens and dozens and dozens of them were burned out. As I write this, I\u0027ve worked on four out of the five sections of the tree, and have replaced over FOUR HUNDRED individual lights. I\u0027ve put hours of work into this.<br><br>I contacted customer service to complain about the extraordinary number of burned-out bulbs, which any thinking person would know cannot possibly be normal. The customer service rep was argumentative, and insisted that this was normal. No apology, not even an expression of sympathy for the frustration and irritation of having to spend so much time and effort replacing so many bulbs. <br><br>So here it is straight from the horse\u0027s mouth, folks: If you buy a Balsam Hill tree, within two years you should expect to have to replace hundreds of bulbs yourself. This is \u0022normal\u0022. Defective bulbs? Nope, that\u0027s not the reason. Defective design leading to premature bulb failure? Nope. Balsam Hill says this degree of bulb failure is normal. After spending many hundreds of dollars for your tree, enjoy the many hours of tedious work that will be required of you replacing substandard lights that the manufacturer describes on its web site as \u0022high-quality\u0022. Because your only other alternative will be to ship the tree back at your expense. <br><br>One star is too high a rating for this company and its terrible products. Don\u0027t say I didn\u0027t warn you.","link":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/Balsam_Hill_Christmas_Tree_Co\/comment\/967431#comment967431","store_thumb":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/thumbnail\/Balsam_Hill_Christmas_Tree_Co.jpg","store_name":"Balsam Hill Christmas Tree Co.","username":"MRichardsNY","rating":"1"}, "single");){kind=link}
![Share](javascript:share_rating({"review_body":"Wow, I\u2019m really surprised at the reviews here...We have a Balsam Hill tree \u2013 the Berkshire Mountain Fir - and we absolutely love it! We bought one of their lower cost trees but it is still very high quality and we\u2019ve had no problems with it. It\u2019s a slim style tree which we think looks really elegant and doesn\u2019t take up too much space in our living room. Despite being a slim tree, it still has a lot of branches and a very natural full look. Granted, it didn\u2019t look as full out of the box and I did have to spend some time shaping the tree (they give instructions in the box on how to do it) but once we shaped it, it has looked great. We\u2019ve had it a couple of years now, and haven\u0027t even had any bulbs burn out - but they included extra bulbs for when we need them. We\u0027re very satisfied with our Balsam Hill tree. ","link":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/Balsam_Hill_Christmas_Tree_Co\/comment\/938089#comment938089","store_thumb":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/thumbnail\/Balsam_Hill_Christmas_Tree_Co.jpg","store_name":"Balsam Hill Christmas Tree Co.","username":"epinionated7","rating":"5"}, "single");){kind=link}
![Share](javascript:share_rating({"review_body":"Avoid Balsam Hill trees. Customer service is very weak - google Balsam Hill complaint and see what you get. Our tree had a part that would not light up. When we called about the problem, we were told they could not send the replacement before Christmas but that they would send it after Christmas. However, after Christmas, they sent a letter saying that if we still had a problem with our tree we needed to call them up and discuss it! Keep in mind that when we called customer service the first time they kept us on hold, no joke, for 1.5 hours. Do yourself a favor and avoid.","link":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/Balsam_Hill_Christmas_Tree_Co\/comment\/677077#comment677077","store_thumb":"http:\/\/www.resellerratings.com\/store\/thumbnail\/Balsam_Hill_Christmas_Tree_Co.jpg","store_name":"Balsam Hill Christmas Tree Co.","username":"taracity","rating":"1"}, "single");){kind=link}
"I purchased a Blue Spruce Christmas Tree and it is the 'perfect' tree that I have been looking for! It was easy to assemble by myself and after shaping is a beautiful tree. From time of purchase on line to delivery was 3 days. I will definately recommend this company to my friends.
Rhonda"