Review Highlights
“ Lane Rider is a man of integrity who knows his business; you can be confident that he will do an excellent job.” in 6 reviews
“I have nothing but praise for the fountain service I received from Jonathan, the co-owner of Yellow Lotus.” in 2 reviews
“My fish are thriving and my pond is full of beautiful water plants thanks to their help and advice.” in 4 reviews
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About the Business
The Beauty, Tranquility and Magic of Water in the Garden. Sales of Pond Supplies, Water Plants, Premium Koi.Design & ConsultationConstruction of Residential & Commercial Water Features.Repair & Maintenance of Water Features.
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Overall rating
18 reviews
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1 star
- Maikeru S.Berkeley, CA95665Jul 29, 2018
Yellow Lotus is a small shop owned by a couple in their 60s. The small shop is conveniently located right off 580 near Home Depot. I hired Lane to expand my pond from 18" deep to a full koi pond, 48" deep with a bottom drain and skimmer. I got to know Lane a bit over a couple of weeks. We now have large koi and the water quality is unbelievable, crystal clear to the bottom. Lane is a total expert. He knows pond design inside and out, you're not going to find a more knowledgeable person. Okay, there are some things to understand. Running an efficient profitable business is secondary to Lane. He is a craftsman first, he loves to talk and he's a really interesting guy. A Vietnam vet who's seen it all, he's not going to always meet a deadline or even arrive on time. He is a master at his craft but he has 300 regular pond maintenance customers plus new installations and running the retail shop. Again, he's more artist than businessman. This is why we see the unhappy reviews here. People expect the trains to run on time and get very fussy if they are inconvenienced. I guess there is a question to ask yourself before you hire Yellow Lotus. Is it worth dealing with imperfect scheduling for a master at his craft? Does this Asian/Zen inspired garden and pond you have inspire patience in you? Or, is it just a pond?
Helpful 1Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Miriam W.Berkeley, CA22958May 9, 2024
Very strange business model. A year after contacting Lane and discussing my project he finally was able to come and look at it. We are not in Marin but the East Bay. The owner of this company is lovely but obviously can not handle projects which involve physical work. Just to save others the time and effort---look elsewhere. How could you possibly assume a start or finish date? A deposit would be scary so we will move on. Very sad.
PS. He did finally let us know he couldn't handle the job.Helpful 1Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 1 - D D.San Francisco, CA0302Nov 30, 2023
Very strange business, there is never a quote for a job they say they can do. They just charge whatever. Their rate is between $120 - $95 an hour.
Pumps and filters can be found way cheaper anywhere else, I assure you you will save at least 100 bucks.
Check Mike's review and you will know exactly what to expect.Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - 8016911681Jun 24, 2021
Everything about Yellow Lotus Water Gardens was fantastic! Pepper, the wonderful person who first helped me over the phone and today in person, is so full of information and experience that buying plants for our Bio-pond was a snap. Hubs and I took pics of the area in question and Hubs, being the Engineer of our project was able to give square footage. From that Pepper was able to direct us to her nursery and make viable suggestions.
Most necessary were plants that would help with reducing water evaporation. Check. Next, Hubs wanted Pennywort and Creeping Jenny. Check. I wanted variety in height and color. Check. Had to stay on budget. Check. Looks like all boxes are checked!
Our work begins and thanks to Pepper and Yellow Lotus Water Gardens, we're going to be playing in the water this afternoon.Helpful 28Thanks 1Love this 30Oh no 0 - Maikeru S.Berkeley, CA95665Feb 2, 2022Updated review
Yellow lotus was recently sold and unfortunately run into the ground. Their hours were inconsistent they didn't answer the phone and it was very disappointing.
The The good news is the original owner has taken the business back and he is a wealth of knowledge with over 40 years of pond repair and maintenance experience!!
He has restocked the store and beginning to keep regular hours again give them a try!Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0Jul 29, 2018Previous reviewYellow Lotus is a small shop owned by a couple in their 60s. The small shop is conveniently located right off 580 near Home Depot. I hired Lane to expand my pond from 18" deep to a full koi pond, 48" deep with a bottom drain and skimmer. I got to know Lane a bit over a couple of weeks. We now have large koi and the water quality is unbelievable, crystal clear to the bottom. Lane is a total expert. He knows pond design inside and out, you're not going to find a more knowledgeable person. Okay, there are some things to understand. Running an efficient profitable business is secondary to Lane. He is a craftsman first, he loves to talk and he's a really interesting guy. A Vietnam vet who's seen it all, he's not going to always meet a deadline or even arrive on time. He is a master at his craft but he has 300 regular pond maintenance customers plus new installations and running the retail shop. Again, he's more artist than businessman. This is why we see the unhappy reviews here. People expect the trains to run on time and get very fussy if they are inconvenienced. I guess there is a question to ask yourself before you hire Yellow Lotus. Is it worth dealing with imperfect scheduling for a master at his craft? Does this Asian/Zen inspired garden and pond you have inspire patience in you? Or, is it just a pond?
- Mike W.San Rafael, CA1225141157Feb 20, 2021
Don't waste your time looking for pumps and fountain/pond supplies at the hardware stores; you'll wind up spending time and money unnecessarily.
These folks know what they're doing and solved my problem in 5 minutes.
Always better to shop local small business :)Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Jan 26, 2019
We had a great experience with Yellow Lotus.
We ordered 3 Giant Egyptian Papyrus from them and got what we wanted.
THE SERVICE
Abhiya was very helpful in ordering our plants. She was very respectful on the phone and took the time to check their inventory and recommended we check back in March when the giant Egyptian papyruses are in season. We receive them and loved the quality of the plants. We plan to order more.Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Stephan J.San Francisco, CA5930Oct 4, 2020
They are under new ownership and the new owner was very helpful with my bacteria bloom issue I'm experiencing with my pond. He gave me lots of good advice and recommended some products to get my pond back on track.
They also have a nice selection of water plants, pond supplies, and equipment.Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Cheryl M.Mill Valley, CA01Apr 19, 2021
I have nothing but praise for the fountain service I received from Jonathan, the co-owner of Yellow Lotus. He is extremely knowledgeable, thoughtful and considerate in his work. He saved me from purchasing a new fountain pump by repairing what I had and he taught me the ins and outs of fountain maintenance.
Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Mike S.Santa Fe, NM08Aug 24, 2018
Terrible! BUYER BEWARE! Wack job owners. Be very careful. A year ago I purchased a pond pump from Lane. After two DOA pumps from Amazon, I went to Yellow Lotus. I was after a quality pump, with an extended warranty. I was assured that the $200 pump, with a 5 year warranty, he showed me would do the trick. Was promised that an immediate replacement would be given, if it failed. Paid more then others online, but I was buying locally and would avoid shipping in the future, should I need it. 5 years.
I had the pump for about a year when the spindle shaft inside snapped. Boy, was I glad I purchased locally. I took the defective pump back to a Yellow Lotus for a replacement. Lane's wife was there. I explained the problem and that I wanted to exchange for a good pump. That's when the trouble started. She tells me it's my fault and no replacement. I explained the conversation and promise, at time of purchase. She was firm. By the way, I also provided her with the orginial receipt. After a bit of arguing and a request for appropriate customer service, she went off on me. Started screaming I was a racist and hated Chinese people. WTF JUST HAPPENED TO ME?? When I told her that my daughter-in-law was from Mongolia, with a lovely family, she dropped the race card. I asked her for her name, and she refused. She pulled the exact pump off the shelf and gave it to me. I gave her the box, for a return to the vendor. I gave her my card and left. What a bazaar transaction.
Stay with me, here. About 10 minutes later, her husband Lane calls, while driving. Now he is going off on me. After a short conversation, he lays a big "F Bomb" on me. He shouted to get f**ked and then threaten that he'd kick my ass if I ever came in his store again. Truly amazing! So folks, if you elect to do business with these bazaar people, please be careful and be forewarned.Helpful 3Thanks 0Love this 1Oh no 0
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