Comments regarding Heirloom Acres Seeds

Posted on March 15, 2010, updated April 13, 2014
Posted on January 26, 2009, updated March 15, 2010
We have purchased seeds from Heirloom Acres for the past 3 year for our greenhouse (to grow for plant sales in the spring). They have been a little slow shipping in the past (growing pains), but not any slower then other seed companies at this time of year and I have always gotten what I ordered. I've also always gotten an e-mail response within a few minutes upon placing my order. If you have placed an order and not received the confirmation e-mail I suggest checking your spam folder - it is probably there.

After reading comments here I was concerned about ordering from them this year. I decided to go ahead since the past 2 years I have had a positive experience, except for one set of seeds that didn't germinate well (they were replaced free of charge). I placed my order and as anticipated received the reply e-mail withing a couple minutes. I had placed in the comments field on the order that I would like to know when my seeds would ship. I received an e-mail from Thom Kirk 19 minutes later - I would say that's pretty response.

I was told my seeds would ship in 2-3 weeks. I received an e-mail this morning that they were packaged/shipped yesterday which was Sunday so it seems to me they are working hard to get their orders out. I ordered some seeds from another company (HA didn't have these) on the same day and just received them on Friday.

I would suggest doing business with them - good prices and decent seed counts.

Dave
RocK Meadow Farm
Union, CT

I placed an order for 73 varieties in August 2012 and received my order in September 2012 after calling a few days prior asking where my order was. 3 or 4 varieties were unavailable and not shipped. I didn't find that out until I received the shipment, but I wasn't charged for them. One was a yellow fleshed watermelon which I was disappointed I wouldn't be able to plant.

I planted the seeds end of May 2013 and have so far had a great season. Excellent germination of everything except lettuce and brussels sprouts, but that may have been my error. Very high quality carrots, beets, cucumbers, zucchini, squash, cabbage, tomatillos, radishes, turnips, rutabagas, melons, kale, etc. Broccoli germinated but didn't turn out very well. Could just be the variety.

I'm sorry to see this company closing after apparently so many negative reviews. They had an impressive selection of high quality seeds and I was looking forward to ordering from them again for next year.

Early in 2013 and after numerouscalls, they sent a partial order. On the 26th of june we sent a certifield letterreqiesting a refund of $49.25 for the items that were never shipped. The company refused to accept the certified letter and was returned to us. After reading the comments on this site we immediately filed a complait with the states attorney general.

Posted on May 9, 2013, updated May 16, 2013
Posted on May 9, 2013, updated May 9, 2013
Posted on May 9, 2013, updated May 9, 2013
Posted on May 8, 2013, updated May 9, 2013
Unfortunately, I need to write this. I placed two orders on February 17th, totaling $ 327.00, for vegetables, herbs, and flowers. February 26th, both checks cleared our bank account. We received one email on March 6th, confirming one of the orders. After numerous faxes, phone calls, and emails, we finally received a confirmation email on April 2nd, that they had found my orders and were working on them. Since then we have made many attempts to contact them. They hide behind the fax machine and email. As of May 8th, we have not received our orders or a refund.

They provide Zero Customer Service.

After finding Dave's site and seeing all the negative feed back on Heirloom Acres Seeds, I would highly recommend not ordering from them.

Ordered two months ago, credit card promptly billed, no seeds, no response to email. The total lack of communication is extremely frustrating. Site said a couple of weeks until seeds come but now it has been more than eight and it is way too late to start most of these things. I wish I had done a little research before ordering from this company. I will never order from them again.

Ordered potatoes & pepper seeds and my account was charged on March 11. Haven't heard anything from the company, and no sign of my potatoes or pepper seeds (which I would have liked to start by now). Emailed them on both 4/17 and 4/24. Tried to call both days, phone went to fax tone, so tried to send a fax and it didn't go through. Tried to send a comment on their website and it didn't work either. I realize they are a family owned business, but ignoring customers is unprofessional and I won't order from them again. I did last year and though my order came late, I at least got it. This time all I've gotten is being ignored.

Posted on April 16, 2013, updated April 16, 2013
We really like Heirloom Acres! Granted, if we order late in the season, sometimes we have to wait for our order and we have had to wait a while for a refund or two for back ordered items, but this doesn't bother us. Every time we have called with a concern, the person on the other end was attentive and kind. They also have the best prices that we have found online. We will keep ordering from this company as long as their doors our open!

Posted on March 26, 2013, updated April 10, 2013
I ordered $40 worth of seeds on Feb 23, 2013 and was charged immediately, but have not yet received my order. I have emailed numerous times, with no reply. I have called numerous times, but there is no answer and no voice mail. Their website says it takes about 2 weeks for shipping, but we are now pushing into week 5.

Today I filed a complaint with their local BBB. We'll see how this works out!

Posted on March 2, 2013, updated April 8, 2013
I have had no luck getting anyone to answer the phone for days, either 3 rings and a disconnect or busy, no answering machine and now the web site is down. I wonder if I kiss my order and my money good-bye.

Posted on March 28, 2013, updated April 5, 2013
Received my order confirmation e-mail with the correct billing amount.

Then was billed a totally different amount with no explanation on the billed notification,

3 phone calls to Heirloom acres not answered, will update as I find out more- Terrible customer service so far...

I ordered seeds March 1, got the confimation email and my credit card charged, all within a couple of days. I've been waiting, I tried calling, either no answer or fax machine picks up. It's now April 3, I've emailed 3 times with no response so I'm calling my credit card company for a refund and to see if they'll investigate this fraudulent comapny to prevent further issues. How can we get this company banned from business online? This is becoming an angry joke on customers trying to grow heirloom plants.

Although I have ordered from this company in the past with no mishaps, something has changed for this small, family owned business. I placed an online order on Feb 27th (over a month ago). I received an email confirmation and a charge to my credit card. However, I have not received my seeds. I sent an email four days ago asking for the status of my order, but have not received a response. I have attempted to call the only number on their website, but repeatedly get either a busy signal or a fax tone. I had planned to begin planting next week, but I don't have any seeds. While their website insists they have "unbeatable" customer service, the amount of negative feedback they have received indicates otherwise. I am going to try to get a credit to my card and will order elsewhere.

I ordered on Feb. 9th 2013 and still waiting....wish i had seen this websited earlier. I have contacted them by email since the 16th of March, no replies. the contact info on the website is not working, and the phone is either busy or just rings and goes to a fax noise. I am very concerned. what can i do next?

Ordered seeds from this company in spring 2012 and there was a long delay before delivery. I emailed with no response, then called a couple of times and finally spoke to a person who seemed not at all concerned with my issue. The vegetable seeds finally did arrive and were nothing spectacular, nothing better than I could have bought from a rack at the hardware store.

Posted on March 8, 2013, updated March 17, 2013
Posted on February 28, 2013, updated March 8, 2013
DO NOT ORDER FROM THIS COMPANY!

First, I want readers to understand that I order from approximately 12 different heirloom and organic seed companies each year, both small and large operations.

On January 31st, I placed an order for 14 different types of seeds with Heirloom Acres for a total of $24.75 and received an immediate order confirmation to my email.

After more than 2 weeks of waiting (most small and large seed companies manage to get my seeds in my mailbox within 5 days of ordering) I sent an email to Heirloom Acres on February 17th asking if my seeds had been shipped.

No Reply.

On February 25th, I again sent an email asking where my seeds were and that maybe they should take a look at the Garden Watchdog site to help them improve their customer service a little better.

No Reply.

I intend to call them tomorrow, March 1st, and will keep the Watchdog community updated as to the outcome of my order from this company.

I placed my order with Heirloom Acres with high hopes. I immediately received an email confirmation of my order. They state on their website that they are a small family run company so orders can take up to 2 weeks to process. So after about 2.5 weeks I sent an email to ask about the status of my order. I received no replay. I made countless attempts to call, but the phone is never answered and there is no voice mail or answering machine. I made another attempt at emailing and again received no reply. So I then found Dave's Garden and found I was not the only one having issues with Heirloom Acres. I called my credit card company and filed a claim for fraudulent charges. Fortunately they refunded my money.

Posted on March 5, 2013, updated March 10, 2013
Posted on February 26, 2013, updated March 5, 2013
Order placed 1.23, charged 1.24--nothing received and no response to 3 emails. I can understand the delay in what is probably their busiest time of the year, but lack of communication has caused them to lose me as a customer. Very unprofessional.

Just adding my two cents to the recent complaints. I've been gardening for a long time now and have bought seeds from Seeds of Change, Amish Acres, Johnny's Selected Seed, and Sustainable seeds just to name a few. I've never had someone charge my credit card before shipping my order and never not received what I've requested without an explanation, and never had my emails ignored or phone calls unanswered......... TILL I WAS DUPED BY HEIRLOOM ACRES.
I ordered $120.00 worth of seeds including the outrageous shipping cost of $26.00 because like some others who have commented here, I thought they seemed to be a nice family run business offering the same seeds as some of the big name companies, and at a significant savings. I waited for about two weeks and then started trying to make contact, first with emails, then with calls. USELESS!.
Called my credit card company. They can't pursue till a month has passed, but in the mean time I won't be held responsible for the charge and eventually they will try to get some resolution from Heirloom Acres.
I should have been smarter and googled their name with the word scam or complaint and it would have saved me the headache.
Live and Learn - or in some cases, just Live.
Peace

I ordered my seeds in early January 2013. I went with Heirloom Acres because they were the least expensive. On January 30th my card was charged. By February 26th I sent them an email inquiring about my order. I first tried sending an email straight on their page and it wouldn't go through so I sent the email through my gmail account. The next day I got an automated message saying my message was "delayed" and they would continue to try to send the message for the next 2 days. Today I decided to try to call them to try to get to the bottom of everything and their webpage is now down! I'm starting to panic because I wanted to get my seeds started. This is my first year planting a garden and I am now very discouraged. I may have only spent $20 but I am very broke and now have to spend more money to get my seeds. It'll be money well spent, but I shouldn't have to go through this. I am very laid back and do not complain about anything very often, however I am extremely disappointed in their company. I would NOT buy seeds from there if I were you. Now I will try to find heirloom seeds in a store or find another website to order them from. Don't waste your time or money on Heirloom Acres!

I love using this company & have ordered from them for years! They are maybe not as fast as the bigger boys, since they are family-owned & operated (and might I add a BIG kudos to all the families who slug it out together in business!!), BUT this enables them to be personal, keep their pricing fair and make a wonderful, sustainable difference in our high-powered world. IN my experience, I have found their seed germination rates to always be higher than indicated, their catalogues concise & full of information, and, mostly, I love the fact that they sell open-pollinated seeds. I give them 5 stars!

We are a small family owned seed company from Minnesota.
Heirloom Acres buys some of their seed types from us- mostly heirloom corns, popcorns, and sorghums. They purchased quite a sizebale order from us in January 2012 and to date we have NOT received any payment from them. The order was in excess of $800, so this is no small problem.
I have tried to contact them MANY times- but have heard NOTHING. I contacted the Better Business Bureau in Missouri and reached a dead end. I just wanted their regular customers to know that we feel that that Heirloom Acres is
not a reputable dealer at this point in time.

I ordered 9 items on Nov 7 and received an order confirmation. After waiting more than a month (Dec 14) I emailed them to ask for a status update. Now it's 5 days later and I still haven't received a response.

I expect a company to at least communicate when it cant fulfill my order so I can order from somebody else.

I ordered black aztec, green oaxacan and ornamental indian corn on the evening of May 9 and received a receipt by email immediately. May 15 I received shipping confirmation with a tracking number, and received the package May 17 here in Deltona FL. Only 8 days from order to receipt of goods. Order was complete and packaged well. I planted 12 seeds of each 3 kinds to check germination. All of them came up. I will order from them again.

I placed an order online with Heirloom Acres seeds on March 5 2012. I submitted my debit card information and waited to receive an e mail confirmation. Nothing happened. I called and the lady said the debit card submission was declined. I check my debit card and the balance indicated enough to cover the amount due. I heard nothing for several weeks. I called and the lady said I could send them a postal money order. I did. I received an e mail notifying me confirming the order and receipt of the e mail. I waited. Nothing arrived in the mail. I called today, May 8 and the lady said they had received the money order, but nobody had shipped the order yet. While she was on the phone with me, she gave me a routing number for the US post office, after she said she calculated the postage and received a routing number. If I had not called her today, nobody would have taken any action to mail my order to me. If I do not receive my seeds in seven days, I will notify this website about the failure to receive my order for seeds that amounted to $15. I told the lady about the many negative comments about her company at Dave's Garden Watchdog and she said she had never heard of Garden Watchdog. I will wait to see if I receive my seeds. She apologized but I said to her any such apology was worthless, inexcusable, unpardonable and unforgivable. I asked her how many people on the payroll of that company depended on it for their livelihood and she said about 10. I thanked her for listening to my complaints. She did at least give me a tracking number for my shipment. Thankfully, I have in my possession over two dozen seed and nursery catalogs I can order seeds and plants from. Thank goodness for competition in capitalist private enterprise.

Posted on April 16, 2012, updated April 24, 2012
Posted on April 15, 2012, updated April 16, 2012
~*SPOILER: Underfilled Bulk Sizes*~

*sigh* I have ordered from Heirloom Acres Seeds for years. I would say that all years prior have been a "Neutral" experience, with LONG waits for my seeds and frequent back-orders. I have stuck with them for the nice selection and great prices. But frankly, I am getting a little worn. This year I decided to try and contact them about the wait on my order. The order was placed on March 8th. I contact them on April 2nd. No reply. On April 13th my order arrives, for the most part. Only three backorders. I figure that I am happy to have the large majority of my order.

BUT WAIT! I ordered several packets in OUNCE weights. I don't have a scale, and for the most part things seem right... Except for my California Giant Zinnias and Detroit Dark Red Beets. By hand-test they just seem SOOOO light, and upon peeking inside they have about as much as I would expect from a big-box-store packet(i.e. enough for a scanty row). ~***In comparison to my other "ounces", these are absolutely short.***~ This is NOT something I have experienced from them before, and am hoping that it is just a fluke of a busy season. I contacted them today, and am awaiting a reply. This review may shift to neutral in the event I get a timely reply regarding what to do about my underfilled seeds.

I have always given this company the benefit of the doubt, and patiently awaited the tardy arrival of my seeds. Quite sad to see the myriad of negative comments here... Customer service has got to be the EASIEST thing to improve, especially with a family owned/run business. *tsk tsk*

My husband chimes in when I say I don't want to order from Heirloom Acres again with, "But I love their radish mix! It's the ONLY thing I'll ever order from them again." Narrowly saved by the Chow Chow Blend.

I placed my order on February 1, 2012 and didn't hear anything for the longest while. Finally I gave them a call near the end of February to find out if they had any estimate on when things would be shipping and whether my order had gone through (since my card hadn't been charged and I hadn't received anything via e-mail). I had become nervous based on reviews here and elsewhere, but lo and behold! My package was shipped out 2/21/12-- YEAH!

When I got it, things were backordered but since I hadn't been charged for them yet it wasn't an issue. I called back around 3/12/12 to ask about my backordered seeds and was told "oh, we have all those in stock!" I have to wonder whether I would ever have received ANY of my seeds if I hadn't been so persistent about calling. My backordered seeds were shipped out 3/13/12 and everything was fine.

When I received my backordered seeds I noticed they had charged me AGAIN for my potatoes and had mis-calculated the pricing on everything else and the total was off by $1. I sent an email requesting a refund of the potato cost + $1 that they had over-charged me. Never got a reply. Have tried calling every single day but always get a busy signal. Sent follow-up emails and never get replies. Today I contacted my credit card and disputed the charge through them since Heirloom Acres doesn't want to give me my money back.

Originally, before the over-charging incident I was going to give them a neutral or a positive-- they have great prices and as long as you order EARLY and hold their hand by calling every week to check on your order, you get your stuff. I know getting upset over $10.95 is ridiculous, but I shouldn't have to spend this much energy to get my money back that THEY over charged me for. So I will not be ordering from Heirloom Acres again, and I wouldn't recommend them to anybody (and I have steered people away from them locally).

Posted on April 9, 2012, updated April 12, 2012
Posted on April 9, 2012, updated April 9, 2012
I wish I had come here before ordering from them. I almost gave them a neutral because I know they are a small family company and things aren't always as smooth then but now I have a different opinion.
I had problems with a disparity between the website price and catalog price for 2 items which they said would be fixed and wasn't. Whatever.
I had 3 backordered items, ok, but no estimated date. I sent 2 emails to the email on the order form and had no response. When I then called they said 2 things were available and sent them. If I hadn't called would I have gotten them? The third item was still backordered so i called today and it was like talking to some dumb boyfriend of one of the daughters. He had no clue and I need my seeds as I have a veggie business!
I appreciate the germination rates honestly put on the packets but they seem low. I love their low prices but it is all for naught when the seeds take so long to get and shipping is rather high. I would much rather order from Fedco. Sorry HA but you need to run your small business better.

Almost a month after ordering I had to file a complaint with Paypal to get a response. I got my seeds soon after filing the complaint, but never a response.

Posted on November 28, 2011, updated December 7, 2011
Posted on November 21, 2011, updated November 28, 2011
Posted on November 10, 2011, updated November 21, 2011
You'd think I'd have enough sense to look HERE before I ordered from someone online. But - not sure why - I didn't.

Ordered well over a week ago, the only proof I have that I ordered anything is the charge on my card. I've rec'd no confirmation email, nothing at all. Of course I can't get any information on my order, can't find anyone to tell me anything. So I'm going to do a chargeback - this will teach me.........I know better. Dave's is here for a reason and I need to use it. Grrrrrrrrrrrr...........

In April, I ordered five items. After three weeks of waiting for them, I contacted Heirloom Acres on a Thursday and inquired what was happening with my order. I was told the order was ready to go and would ship the day, it shipped on Monday. The order showed up the next week with only two of the five items I ordered. The invoice showed three items backordered, which was not mentioned to me when I contacted them. Over the next two months I called them several times and was told by them one item might be coming in the next day or possibly something else might be arriving.
I finally had enough and called and told them I wanted a refund. After two weeks of waiting for it to post to my account, I called again and was told I would be refunded. This went on for a couple more weeks until finally most of the order was refunded. They shorted me five dollars and I felt happy about just getting most of it back.
I will never order from this company again and would urge anyone thinking about ordering to call and confirm that the items are in stock before ordering. To say their customer service is bad is to imply they actually have customer service.

Posted on July 3, 2011, updated August 4, 2011
In made my order in April. I received it in a timely manner. However, a $12.95 potmaker was omitted. No explanation. I emailed asking what happened, and received an email back saying it was back ordered and I should expect it in a week or two. Never received it or any explanation, so I phoned and told them that the time for using it was past, and I wanted a refund. I was promised a refund. No refund, no explanation.

I just sent them an email, cc'ing a lawyer friend, demanding my refund and threatening legal action. I really shouldn't need to do that.

I'll likely use them again because they have such a good selection of seeds. But their customer service stinks.

I placed an order with Heirloom acres in late winter and it took over 3 weeks to receive it. I called after 3 weeks and told them I needed to get them started in my greenhouse, because I sell my produce. I was told I should have specified that I wanted my order rushed! I did receive my seeds a week after that. I was happy with the seeds I received but dissatisfied with how long it took and the attitude of the person who answered the phone.
I took another chance and placed another order on May 20th, via e-mail and paid with paypal upon placing the order. Knowing that the last order took so long and having to have called to check on the status of my order, I call a week after placing the second order in hopes of moving things along quickly, being planting season has already begun. The Lady I spoke with said "well, you just placed the order a week ago!". I asked if it would be processed this week because I need to get the seeds in the ground. living in RI, we have a shorter growing season. She said "yes". I asked if I would have the order by Friday of last week? She said "yes" and that she would put the order in PRIORITY STATUS. Today is Monday and though it is a few days later than when my seeds were suppose to arrive, I have called and no one answers at 2pm. This is not the first time that no one answers the phones.for both my first order and second placed. I have another order well over $125.00 but will not be placing it. I also have carrot seeds from the first order that I have not received.

I ordered from this company, and I STRONGLY suggest no one else does. I figured since I lived in the same state that the seeds would get there in a reasonable amount of time. 2 weeks go by, and no order. I called because I was moving and they said they "Forgot to fill my order". So they updated the new address to send to and I thought all was good to go. Nope. Called about 2 more weeks later and they again, "Forgot to fill my order" because someone "Lost my order". Like the other person said... they took the money right way, but can't ship worth a damn.

I was assured (again) that it would be filled and sent out. Still... nothing. Called a week later, they said it would be sent out the next day (again) but now 3/4 of my order was on backorder. So I told them to refund that portion and just get the rest sent out. I called later in the week and they said "Yes, it was shipped yesterday". Great... except they called me today and said they got my address wrong and had to get the right one from me to send out my order. WHAT??? I thought it was shipped YESTERDAY (that was last week)... nope.

When I mentioned that the refund amount didn't make it back to my paypal account, they said it was "marked as refunded in their system, but someone forgot to do it". I finally got my refund today, now let's see if the seeds actually make it here. They were rude when I complained about the lack of service and the fact that they wasted a great deal of my planting time. There was no trying to make it right... just a snotty, "Well all I can do is say I'm sorry good luck finding your seeds somewhere else."

I WOULD NEVER recommend this company to anyone. You're better off planting the money and wishing for a money tree, because this company does not deliver... literally. Worst customer service, and unprofessional. Run, don't walk... to any other seed company but this one. Shop at your own risk!!

As with many other reviewers, I received my seeds well over a month after I ordered/was charged. If it's going to take that long to ship, any reputable dealer would inform you of the delay. And frankly, with gardening being such a time sensitive activity it would seem even more prudent to have a timely shipment of all orders.

The price was very good, but unfortunately the germination rate on the seeds I received was a joke. Out of the 24 varieties I ordered, there have already been 5 with a germination rate of ZERO. Believe me, the cheap price of their seeds is definitely reflected in their quality.

Ordered seeds March 27. Money taken from my PayPal account. No confirmation from Heirloom Acres so a week later I called. Was told no confirmation sent if ordered through PayPal, but that my order had been received. April 21 opened a dispute via PayPal that order not received and asking them to cancel. No response. On 4/23 escalated the complaint. No response. 4/28 seeds received without explanation. Too late to start seedlings indoors now. Will NEVER order from this company again. STAY AWAY. I order online all the time. This is the ONLY company I have received such poor customer service from. Will also cancel my PayPal account as they have not been responsive to this complaint either. Also posting to PayPal so my gardening friends know to avoid Heirloom Acres.

very slow, but worth supporting because seeds are sourced from small scale producers, not monsanto.
seeds arrived three weeks to the day after order was placed. i asked to receive backordered items (or a refund) from last year's order, and did, but i'm not sure i would have unless i asked. great prices, and quality seed. just super slow and somewhat sluggish to communicate. feels like playing roulette with the frequency of backorders.

Placed my order on February 26. March 2 I found Daves Garden reviews. I was sick, we are a small business in our second year. I e-mailed them and asked would we be notified when shipped. Said they were very busy and would go out next week. March 14 order was on our front porch all except one package of Basil that was backordered. They lived up to their word and I would buy from again. Their prices are the best!! Everyone deserves a chance. Good luck and hope you are very succesful. Jean

We are very pleased with our experience with this company. We placed our order on 2/27/11, emailed them about a week later to check on the status of when it was going to be shipped and they responded back within a day. We then started to read the negative comments and got worried. We emailed them again to make sure our order went out and they responded again within a day that the full order had already went out. Within a couple of days later (3/14/11) we received our package with the full order inside. We had ordered about $50 of seeds, a large variety of different seeds.

I have never been so frustrated with a company before. They might need to change their name to Backordered Seeds. Seriously, half my order was back-ordered. I placed the order in December and am STILL waiting on a few packets of seeds and have no idea when or if my plants will arrive. Maybe they're having a hard year, but they'd do well to communicate better, maybe customers would be a bit more understanding.

Germination has been good or average on the seeds I have gotten and their prices are decent. But needless to say, I won't be bothering with this company again. Reliability and communication is important to me.