Seed Savers Exchange specializes in heirloom and open-pollinated vegetable, flower, and herb seeds, positioning itself as a resource for seed preservation and gardening heritage. This page aggregates shopper ratings and reviews to help you evaluate the reliability of orders, seed quality, and customer service before making a purchase.
Seed Savers Exchange Reviews
What Shoppers Say About Seed Savers Exchange
Seed Savers Exchange receives polarized reviews, with shoppers split sharply between one-star and five-star ratings. Satisfied customers, particularly long-time members, praise the quality and germination rates of the heirloom seeds, noting that orders consistently arrive despite longer shipping times. However, a significant portion of recent reviewers report serious fulfillment and customer service issues, including orders that never arrived, false claims about resending packages, unresponsive follow-up, and refusals to replace seeds that failed to germinate or were potentially damaged in transit.
The most prevalent complaint centers on the company's handling of missing shipments and damaged seeds. Customers describe feeling dismissed when reporting problems, receiving contradictory information from representatives (including allegedly false names), and experiencing a lack of accountability once payment is processed. These issues appear to represent a notable departure from the experiences of longer-tenured customers, suggesting potential recent operational or service challenges.
Customer Reviews (7)
Sorted by: Most recentAfter being a loyal customer for years, I've had two orders show as delivered that never actually arrived. Seed Savers basically dismissed me and made me feel like I was trying to commit fraud. I've dealt with plenty of other companies that step up and either replace or resend orders that go missing. If you're thinking about ordering from Seed Savers, I'd really suggest checking out other options instead.
Placed an order for over a hundred bucks and it never arrived. When I called to check on it, they told me they resent it, but that was completely false. I called back again and a representative gave me a fake name and promised someone would follow up with me, but that never happened. Later that same day I tried once more, and a different person answered saying the first woman wasn't working that day, but suggested I just wait another ten days beyond the original delivery window. This company has really gone downhill. I will never be ordering again. Something is seriously broken in how they operate.
The seeds I ordered didn't sprout. When I called to see about getting replacements, they refused to send new ones or even talk about possible problems with how the package was handled during shipping that might have damaged them.
This has been a complete rip-off from start to finish. I ordered some seeds that never showed up, and when I contacted them about it, they basically washed their hands of the situation once the sale went through. Asked for a tracking number to help track down my order but got nowhere. When I inquired about what shipping company they used, the response was incredibly rude and unhelpful. They acted like they didn't want anything to do with me even though I was nothing but polite. The way they completely dismissed my concerns honestly left me stunned.
Been a customer for over a decade and I have to say Seed Savers Exchange consistently delivers top-notch heirloom seeds. While they don't have quite the variety you'll find elsewhere, their germination rates are honestly unbeatable compared to other places I've tried. Sure, shipping takes a bit longer than expected, but your order will arrive. You get tracking information too, which is nice. The team is always helpful and courteous when you reach out with questions. If you're serious about quality heirloom seeds, I'd definitely recommend giving them a shot.
This is my second order from them and unfortunately my second disappointing experience. Both times I got dead or non-viable plants and seeds. Their voicemail box is perpetually full so calling doesn't help. Last time they only offered replacements on the plants but wouldn't refund anything, and the seed packets showed up with visible mold. I want to support what they do as an organization, but I just can't justify ordering from them again based on what I keep receiving.