This is the 3rd year I've ordered from Rare Seeds. Each year I have not had luck with the rate at which the seeds sprouted. Initially I thought it was me & something I was doing wrong. But after 3 years of very little results, I'm thinking the seeds don't have a very respectable germination rate. After a month, most of the seeds I purchased (10 different flowers) haven't even sprouted. Very disappointed, will not order from them again.
Not to mention it took over two weeks to get my order filled.
Response from Baker Creek Heirloom SeedsFeb 17, 2025
We're sorry to hear you had trouble with the germination of your seeds. There are many things that can affect the germination of the seeds after they leave our warehouse, including irradiation by the shipping company. We do offer a 2 year germination guarantee on all of our seeds, and would be happy to work with you on any issues.
DE
Deniz
Generous company with fertile seeds
All of the seeds that I received germinated. They are very generous, sent more than what it says on the packet. They do not charge for the postage unlike other companies. Their prices are very reasonable. The seeds started to germinate at the earliest day of the day range that is shown on the package, some even earlier. I highly recommend Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds -rareseeds.com. I will buy only from them. I had pretty stale seeds with high postage fees from some other companies. rareseeds.com is the best, in my opinion and experience until now.
Response from Baker Creek Heirloom SeedsFeb 17, 2025
Thank you!
DW
DJ W.
It took over 20 days for me to get my…
It took over 20 days for me to get my seeds purchased also they dont provide tracking information however you pay alot for shipping this is insane and bad customer service
Response from Baker Creek Heirloom SeedsFeb 17, 2025
We apologize, but the only shipping we charge is for international shipments. We held out as long as we could, but we sadly had to recently start charging. International packages can take several weeks, as we have no control over customs or the postal systems handling the package. You should have received a shipping confirmation email when your order shipped, that included a tracking link.
BT
Bao T.
Disappointing experience w/ customer service
**Update: Customer service is trying to fixed the issue.
I had a great experience with them the first time I ordered. The second time around was utterly disappointing. This order included both seeds and live plants; the company shipped them separately with two different tracking links, and I have received the plants but not the seeds. The plants were too young and small to be sold at that price. Additionally, their customer service is not very bright. They didn't even read my email description and kept telling me that the order had been shipped.
Response from Baker Creek Heirloom SeedsFeb 17, 2025
We're glad that you received the reshipment of your seeds after it was determined that the first order was lost in transit.
SB
Shellie B.
My positive experience with Baker Creek heirloom seed co.
The package I received was all the packs of flower seeds that I ordered perfectly packed in well made envelopes describing the plants and the growing processes needed in detail. I recommend and they do as well,to make sure you use a seedling heat mat for proper temps for fine seeds . Baker Creek heirloom seeds are amazing and has wonderful selections. They were prompt and my package was delivered with in three days. I will order from them again after I get all these seedlings in the ground. Very pleased and successful. Thank You So much !
Response from Baker Creek Heirloom SeedsFeb 17, 2025
Thank you!
EL
elitehunterkiller
I ordered some seeds and they came (i…
I ordered some seeds and they came (i do a msll tester order to see if they are good or not first) and i love the seeds. So i did another bigger order and thats when i had problems. Half the stuff didnt come thou and they said sorry we will send the stuff again and never heard form them again and yes nothing came thou.
Response from Baker Creek Heirloom SeedsFeb 17, 2025
We're so sorry to hear that there was trouble with your order. If you could email [email protected] with ATTN: Lisa O, I would be happy to look into the issue for you
MP
Mary P.
A long-lived company with solid results
Like most people, if I write a review of a company on Trust Pilot, it's because I'm unhappy. I saw the low scores here and it occurred to me that I should probably write a positive review to off-set this a bit.
I'm a long-time, seasoned gardener and been using Baker's Creek for close to twenty years. I've never had a problem or question that couldn't be solved with an email. Their people are courteous and helpful and they reply fairly quickly. Their seed is priced reasonably and they generally ship out quickly. I've never had something not come at all.
What purchasers need to know is that Baker's Creek works with a number of non-GMO suppliers around the world.
On a handful of occasions, I've had issues with spinach with poor germination. Most of the time, when something doesn't germinate (or has a poor rate of germination), it's gardener's fault for planting it too early or too late or not watering often enough (or watering too much). But after the second year in a row of spinach with poor germination, I reached out to them and they refunded my money (they also offered to replace the seed), no questions asked. They also thanked me for letting them know.
I want you to know that I haven't had that problem since.
Last year, a variety of squash I purchased came up something completely different (looked like a wild melon, actually). I thought it was sort of funny and reached out to BC, sending them pictures. Like me, they were fascinated by it (we exchanged a couple of notes), but they refunded it quickly, explaining that they get their seed from a number of different suppliers (which I mentioned above) and they'd communicate this to their supplier.
In twenty years, they've never disappointed me. I love the sheer variety of seed they often and I've had lots of opportunities to experiment with crops that I might not have gotten to try otherwise. My kids (all adults now) still remember the year I grew the spiny fruit that looked like it came from Mars. And the purple (green) beans delighted my grandkids.
This company is worth your time.
Response from Baker Creek Heirloom SeedsFeb 17, 2025
Thank you!
KS
Kari S.
Very low germination of seeds…very…
Very low germination of seeds…very disappointing. Out of 30 tomato seeds 2 germinated. Dollar tree seeds are better, save your money. Will not order again.
Response from Baker Creek Heirloom SeedsFeb 17, 2025
We're sorry to hear you had trouble with the germination of your seeds. There are many things that can affect the germination of the seeds after they leave our warehouse, including irradiation by the shipping company. We do offer a 2 year germination guarantee on all of our seeds, and would be happy to work with you on any issues.