The scoop on 'Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens)'

Company Profile   Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) Mailing Address: 1 Parkton Ave Greenwood, South Carolina 29649 (United States) Phone: 800-213-0076 Catalog Order Page: Hyperlink Paper Catalog Cost: Free Visit Park Seed Company (aka Park's Gardens) at: Park Seed Co. Inc. Garden Center in Hodges, SC » E-Mail them » Visit their website Recent reviews: Past month Past 6 Months Past 12 Months Positive 6 9 20 Neutral 2 2 7 Negative 4 11 81 This company is affiliated with 6 companies: Wayside Gardens Jackson & Perkins DollarSeedStore.com Park Seed Wholesale Growers Park's Landscapes Perfect Plant, LLC This company offers a variety of plants and seeds. This company specializes in: Plants: Perennial Flowers Seeds: Vegetables Other helpful information: Accepts retail and wholesale orders Member of Mailorder Gardening Association Member of National Garden Bureau

Company Comment, posted on January 26, 2006:   Our company is the American gardener's premier source for top quality, untreated seeds. Our selection is unmatched (approximately 1,100 varieties available), and our products provide excellent value for the money. We've been delivering great gardening experiences since 1868—Always Dependable! In our quest to sell only the best, we works with the top growers and developers around the world to bring new seed and plant opportunities to our customers. And our exclusive ParksPak(R) packaging and quality control processes ensure that seeds are kept at optimum low light/low humidity conditions until you are ready to plant them. Finally, to make sure that every gardener experiences success with seed, we enclose a free Gardener's Handbook with every order. If you'd like to learn more about our company and its history, please visit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_Seed_Company). And for a delightful vacation experience, we invite you to come to our national headquarters, garden center, and trial gardens at 1 Parkton Avenue, Greenwood, South Carolina (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_Seed_Trial_Gardens). Of course, the best way for you to get to know us is to place an order with us and let us serve you personally. We welcome your input and questions, either via our online comment form (http://www.parkpr.com/feedback) or by calls to our customer service representatives and horticulturists (800-845-3369). We Guarantee all products to be high quality, true to type, shipped properly, and to perform as advertised. If this is not the case, notify us as soon as possible, and we will gladly resolve the issue, offer gardening advice, or provide a merchandise credit. Please understand that we cannot accept responsibility for the results of extreme weather, neglect, unforeseeable acts of nature, or ignoring our hardiness zone recommendations

Feedback History and Summary   343 positives 82 neutrals 278 negatives

Comments:

Rating Author Content Negative kjd Parker, CO (3 reviews) February 8, 2010 I have ordered seed from Park Seed for over 25 years. In the past, orders have been processed in a reasonable period of time - even late orders were received within a week or two. Last year and this I waited up to a month before receiving anything. I realize mid/late winter is a busy time for seed companies but I received all seed from other suppliers within 2 weeks. It's unlikely I will order from Park again unless there is something that no one else carries. Negative pokey1228 Falls Church, VA (1 review) February 8, 2010 Ordered blueberry plants in Nov. 08 for shipment in "early March" Contacted them in early April and was told that they wouldn't get to me until the beginning of May. I canceled my order but all I got was store credit. So I ordered seeds for this upcoming season. 1+ week later, still not shipped. No indication as to when they will be shipped. The products I've gotten from them seem good, but why bother? You have no idea if you'll actually get them. Positive tuna572003 Hanover, MI (3 reviews) February 4, 2010 I've ordered from Park seeds for years and haven't had many issues. The biggest one would be that they don't always have things in stock but I have always received them before I'm ready to start them in my greenhouse. The seeds have been well packaged and they carry varieties that I can't find elsewhere. I comparison shop and don't find them a lot higher than some other companies. Negative sm_haghighat Bellevue, WA (1 review) February 3, 2010 Posted on February 2, 2010, updated February 3, 2010 Poor customer service. Poor shipping. I would not order from this company again. Quality of seeds unknown at this time. Detail: I made an order for 11 different seeds on January 25th. I called on January 31st which was a Thursday and asked about my order status. They said nothing is shipped since 2 items are not in stock which would become available in the first week of Feb. I asked them to send what is available and send the rest in a separate shipment. They said they can't ship anything today, there is no shipment on Fridays and Mondays, so my order will be shipped on Tuesday. I call on Tuesday (Feb 2nd) and they know nothing about my coversation on Thursday. Now they say 3 of the itmes are on back order and they won't be available until late Feb. So nothing is going to be shipped until then. Unbelievable! So I ask them again to send what is available now. I'm not optimistic about getting my seeds anytime soon. I should have listened to other bad reviews and not ordered from them. On February 3rd, 2010, sm_haghighat added the following: Update: I Canceled My Order . I called on Feb 3rd and they initially said it's going to be at least 10 days before they ship my seeds. I told them I called yesterday and asked for the available seeds to be sent immediately. They acknowledged that there is a note on my order to do a rush delivery but said there would be another four days before my order is shipped. I got "most" of my seeds from Lowe's in Burpees packages for at a lower price and canceled my parkseed order. I'm suprised this company can stay in business with such a poor customer service. Neutral jazzytraveler Ballwin, MO (1 review) February 2, 2010 Ordered seeds on 12/22. They were shipped 1/29 after I sent an email of inquiry on 1/23. (I did receive an immediate reply on 1/23 that stated they'd put a rush on the order...notice the ship date of 1/29. Rush must mean six days?) One item is still on back order. Very slow service. More than likely won't use again. I need more reliability. Also, catalog is now offering 10% off entire order. I wrote to ask if I could have a discount on the existing order since I waited so long but no reply. Positive boxcar_grower South Hadley, MA (Zone 6a) (5 reviews) January 31, 2010 First off I can say I am surprised the read such negative comments about Park's. I have ordered many seeds over the past years and have always been completely satisfied with the speed and quality of the products. The problem I have with seed companies is the presentation leads people to believe that these companies are seed producers. Nother could be farther from the truth. Most of the seeds I received in the January 2010 were from Japan or various European countires. That shocked me. Positive gardenboy1985 Stratford Canada (6 reviews) January 29, 2010 I Have ordered seeds from Park's for the past 5 or 6 years with no problem's at all! The seed all germinates well. There catalogue is wonderful and is a very good place to get hard to find seeds. Seed is well packaged in foil envelopes to keep them fresh for a long time. Customer service has been excellent to me. And they make ordering seed from Canada a breeze. I Would gladly recommend this company to anyone and will contine to order from them! Positive hairyjo Danville, CA (1 review) January 21, 2010 I saw the negative reviews, but they had the viscara and the mimulus that I really wanted so I only ordered 3 packets of seeds. They arrived within 10 days and the viscara and mimulus have already germinated so I'm pleased. Positive toughgardengeek Bethpage, NY (6 reviews) January 19, 2010 I have ordering from Parks for many years, but seeds only. So far, orders have been on time, and good germination rates. They have had some very nice introductions, like the profusion zinias, and a good overall selection and fair prices (I have noticed some increases this year though). I like the foil packets for re-sealing the surpluss seeds. The only complaint I have is that orders often arrive in many seperate shipments and I have to do some more checking. After reading some of the negative comments, I would like to add that I would not buy bulbs, shrubs, etc. from what should be a seed company, I go to a bulb, tree/shrub, perrenials plants company. Negative Checks Clyde, NY (1 review) January 18, 2010 I received my 2010 seed order in very quick fashion but two of the packets are stamped packed FOR 2009. I called and was told that the seeds were still covered by the guarantee and will have been tested for germination. I told the friendly phone rep that I did not pay for or want last year's seeds. They gave me a credit but I still will have to spend it with their firm. Most of the seed packets did not have any date stamped on them - the prices were less than listed in the catalog - and now I wonder what year they were packaged for. Positive newday73 Chesapeake, VA (5 reviews) January 16, 2010 I have ordered seeds from Parks off and on over the last few years and have not had any problems with the orders nor with the products. I like the foil type packets and the directions and I have had good success with germination and the plants that resulted. I have not ordered any plants and probably will not as I like to grow from seed and/or propagate from plants myself and have been doing so for many, many years. I just received their new 2010 catalog which is always very informative, nicely laid out and I like the plants (flowers) being listed in alphabetical order with a heading as to whether they are annuals, perennials or biennials. I also noticed that their prices seem to be lower than other companies, such as Burpees, in many areas. I will be ordering seeds from them again. Neutral gardenpom Melbourne, FL (4 reviews) January 13, 2010 Posted on October 21, 2006, updated January 13, 2010 I have been ordering from Park Seed for a good 30 years, since moving to Florida in 1975. They have always provided fast service, excellent seeds and plants, and excellent customer service. I just received two Verbena plants last week that looked OK upon arrival, but within 24 hours had shriveled folaige and now appear dead. I have e-mailed them about this, so we'll see if they are still the company they used to be. I expect they will be good to their word, and if they aren't I will be back to let you know. On October 22nd, 2006, gardenpom changed the rating from positive to negative and added the following: Well, I'm back to update my recent post about Park Seed. In reading the letters from other people I was dissapointed to find out Parks is no longer a family run business. That may explain how the company has changed for the worse. I e-mailed them to tell them my two Verbena I received died practically overnight...they tried to tell me the plants have simply gone into dormancy (overnight). The plants are DEAD. I am not going to fight with them over $7.95. The bad publicity they get will hurt them more than the money will hurt me. They are no longer the wonderful seed company I dealt with for YEARS. Enough said! On January 23rd, 2007, gardenpom changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following: I will not let one bad experience undo all the years of pleasure I had ordering from this company. I wish they were the same trusted company they used to be, but since they are not I will no longer order from them. I will change my rating to NEUTRAL. On March 16th, 2008, gardenpom added the following: Against my better judgement I did order once more, from Wayside Gardens, only because I wanted a Butterfly Rose bush and could find it no where else. My credit card was charged and I waited for my Rose. I never heard anything so I finally e-mailed them as to the whereabouts of the Rose bush. They explained the ones they had been sent were not up to their standards and were sent back. To make a long story short, the Rose I ordered in spring did not arrive till fall. It was a decent sized and healthy plant when it finally did arrive. Most reputable companies will not charge a credit card until they ship an item, but Parks wastes no time getting their money up front. I am leaving my rating at neutral only because of the years of good service I had from Parks companies. But I will NEVER order from this company again. There is NO EXCUSE for not keeping a customer informed about their order. On January 26th, 2009, gardenpom added the following: Very sad reading all the reviews here, because this was ONCE a wonderful company. I eagerly read through the winter catalogs, checking off what I wanted, and would order a few times a years, always getting excellent service. I still receive their catalogs, but now they go straight to the trash. On January 14th, 2010, gardenpom added the following: Just received the spring catalog and was almost tempted to order a few things. They do have one of the nicest seed catalogs out there. Thank goodness I came back here to the reviews. It brought me back to my senses. Catalog to recycling. Positive GuiltTrip Dade City, FL (1 review) December 29, 2009 I ordered seeds last year and they came in on time with a planting guide booklet that was good. I had a really nice Garden , they sent me a free bonus packet of banana sweet peppers that grew like crazy I pickled 8 quarts and gave away bags full. I just reordered my spring selection, Parks is my seed company of choice, Grady, Central Florida Gardener Positive Dav64 Myrtle Beach, SC (2 reviews) December 14, 2009 I am surprised with all the negative ratings. I hope they have not had some idiot take over since the spring of 2009. I have ordered from them yearly since 1999 and I have had some pretty good experiences dealing with this company. My orders were recieved in about a week. I will often use the website to pick which seeds I want and then phone-in my order to make sure they have them in-stock. I hate waiting for something and this works great for me. The phone ordering department is great (patient and professional). I phoned in this year's (2009) during March or April, their busy season, but maybe that is why they had the seeds I wanted in stock? I nearly gave them a neutral rating due to the price. But the seeds that I order for my garden are specialty and I have found their price to be the best (compared to the other companies that carry the some varity) and the seeds germinate well. Negative Badgertalk Nashville, TN (Zone 6a) (9 reviews) November 20, 2009 Three problems - (1) one package of seed was open, when I called the person who answered didn't seem to think this was a problem- they asked me about the number of seeds (2) very poor germination of lettuce - I mark all my plantings by variety, date planted and source. There is no question what came from Park (3) the one live plant I ordered was a rooted cutting - not even a plug - it had one straggely root and did not make it. Negative OkieGardening Edmond, OK (1 review) October 7, 2009 No problem with the seed, germination rates, or plants I ordered. Everything was above average or better in quality. I could almost give a neutral rating but for two issues: First, it took 4 separate phone calls to finally receive all of my order. Second, I find Park's prices high in comparison to other companies with the same availability and selection. Summed up: too much work to get my order and the same or acceptable substitute varieties can be found elsewhere for less money. Park Seed is affiliated with Wayside Gardens. I had a much better experience with Wayside, however, I ordered two plants from Wayside versus 60+ packages of seed from Park. Negative SonjaSkyles Elk Grove, CA (Zone 9b) (13 reviews) October 7, 2009 WARNING! It is extremely difficult to get your money back from Park. I accidentally ordered the same thing twice, an Alstroemeria collection. My American Express card was charged $38.14 on 6/24/08 for order #5385329 and $38.14 on 8/11/08 for order #5422549. After writing to them about the mistake on 12/6/08, I received a credit to my American Express card of $38.14 on 4/2/09. I e-mailed them 11/17/08, that I had not yet received order #5422549 and was told, that it would be shipped in the spring. On 4/23/09 I wrote again requesting shipment of order #5422549, and I was told that it had been cancelled, because it was a duplicate order and my account had been credited $38.14. They had cancelled both orders, but only returned the money on one of them! On 4/28/09 I was told, that the Alstroemeria collection was no longer offered and I would get the credit for the other order within 7 to 10 days. On 7/30/09 I was again promised a refund. That was the last I heard from them. On September 25th, 2009, SonjaSkyles added the following: After I made this comment, I also sent another e-mail to Park, and received a reply, that I would get my refund within 30 days. On October 7th, 2009, SonjaSkyles added the following: On 10/5/09 I finally received the credit for the second order. I may order from them again, if they have something I want badly, but this was still a bad experience. Positive cisco2 Abbeville, SC (1 review) September 10, 2009 Message: 'Hi, I just want to thank you for another great garden. All my vegetables were wonderful this year. I order all my seeds from you. I was very impressed with the Parks Early Thickset Peppers. This was my first try with them and they were wonderful. Applesauce tomatoes are big and great tasting. Also, all my flowers were beautiful.The Sunny Smile Sunflowers were filled with blooms. My Easter Egg plant is filled with eggs and everyone can't believe it's real. Thanks for another great year. Look forward to receiving my 2010 catalog. Thank you for being such a dependable company. Linda from Virginia' Negative willmetge Spokane, WA (Zone 5b) (5 reviews) September 10, 2009 Very misleading description of Heteropappus meyendorfii (Blue Knoll). The photo is totally doctored. I've grown this variety for years and it looks nothing like the photo. The information provided is very misleading and contradictory. The subheading says "Neat little cushion of lavendar blue" and the description refers to it as "powder blue". I would consider it a soft blue violet that is definately not a "neat little cushion". The description says "in late summer, when all the summer annuals are fading and the fall color hasn't yet got started, it is nothing short of amazing" and then states at the bottom "sow seeds in January or February for October and November bloom". It always is the last thing to bloom for me, even after the garden Mums. I have never had it bloom even close to summer. Negative RedMechanic Allentown, PA (1 review) September 4, 2009 Not only am I fed up with the "Oops, that's out of stock and won't come in until growing seasons is half over" garbage, but the products that do show up are lousy as well. I ordered white cucumbers that are in actuality plain, boring green. They're also covered in cactus-like needles that gave me hives from picking them. I ordered multi-colored packs of bell peppers that are--you guessed it--green. I've left some on the plant until they started to rot, and still they haven't changed colors. I ordered rose seeds that didn't even germinate. Every time I called, they told me to "give them some more time". Is four months long enough, boys? I am so over Parks. There are plenty of companies out there who actually stock the products they advertise, and whose merchandise fulfills its basic description. Negative vanagon Harrisonburg, VA (1 review) August 26, 2009 This company used to be very good but they are now unreliable and will not receive any more orders from me. My complain is like many others -- they stall and stall on issuing refunds for merchandise they never shipped. I placed an order on 4/30/09 and while the full amount of the purchase was charged to my credit card, only part of the order shipped. After repeated calls, I was informed that the product was out of stock. I requested credit to my credit card account and they said it would be posted immediately. That was 3 months ago and with every phone call, they say the same thing "Oh we are sorry that has not been posted, but it will be on your next statement". I can check my credit card account on line and see daily posting and the credit is never posted. Unfortunately, I will have to file a complaint with the BBB and my credit card company, something I have never done before for any merchant. Negative MasterFrodo Matawan, NJ (1 review) August 17, 2009 I ordered two different varieties of Thai Pepper plant seeds. When they arrived, I followed the directions printed on the packets and soon had two sets of plants growing. I repotted them when they were larger, but soon had concerns because the thai pepper plants that I'm familiar with normally have woody stems/stalks, and these were green and sagged easily (I needed to brace them). Now that they are larger, and I actually have fruit growing, I see that what they sent me were varieties of tomatoes. Not Thai Pepper plants. I would never buy from this company again if they can't keep track of their seeds. I pity the person who ordered tomato plants. Negative sfeldman2005 Santa Cruz, CA (6 reviews) August 6, 2009 Today I received seeds I ordered so long ago, I'd forgotten they were on order. Now it's too late to plant. Meanwhile the veggie and herb seed packets I did receive last spring didn't have any growing information on them, the number of seeds inside were skimpy and germination rates were not great, even for items that are so easy to grow like the mesclun mix lettuce. Not a successful experience. Negative IndianaMom Tipton, IN (2 reviews) July 7, 2009 WARNING WARNING WARNING...STAY AWAY FROM PARK SEED AND OR ANY AFFILIATES...I only wished I had known. 4 internet orders placed in early spring I had to cancel due to being laid off from my job (company has since filed bankruptcy) Orders totaling $447.40 were all billed to my credit card prior to shipment. When I called to cancel all orders due to job status I was told no problem, cards would not be billed. I have spent countless hours documenting, and calling Park Seed to obtain my refunds. Closest thing I have received is 4 post cards with a credit certificate number to apply to my next order. NO WAY!!! This was my first and will be my last experience with Park Seed. I want my money refunded and have now posted an official inquiry/complaint through the South Carolina Better Business Bureau (easy to do online at website). SAVE yourself a huge headache and just steer clear from this company and it's affiliates. BBB matter is still pending. I'll let ya know how that comes out. Negative catgrass09 Columbus, OH (1 review) July 6, 2009 Stay away from this company. I have nothing wrong with the products they sell, but I have a HUGE problem with the way the company treats its customers. First, they sent my order to the wrong address and overcharged my credit card. You will not be notified of any products unavailable at the time, until you receive your items in the mail. The customer service is exceedingly unhelpful when getting refunds. Don't waste your time trying to get your money back through them. I would call the customer service to confirm the amount you need refunded, then go to the BBB for help. Here's the website to help you get started: [HYPERLINK@odr.bbb.org] Positive hollynorth Avondale, AZ (1 review) June 19, 2009 After reading the reviews here, I almost didn't order, but I'm glad I did. My seeds arrived within two weeks (minus one packet but right after I placed my order they informed me that those would be shipped later). They communicated well with me regarding shipping dates, etc. I counted several seed packets when they arrived: I wasn't shorted any seeds. I went with Park because I couldn't find such selection at low prices anywhere else on the web. When I bought seeds from them when I was a kid, they grew very well, so hopefully the quality is the same. I did buy after the seasonal rush, so maybe that's why they came so quickly. At any rate, I am satisfied with my purchase. Negative Gyrral Binghamton, NY (1 review) June 17, 2009 My experience was so similar to Clairemonts (May 18) that I took that advice and contacted the Better Business Bureau. I had ordered seeds and equipment online back in early March. Turns out both items were on backorder but website never disclosed this fact. After multiple emails w/no reply and and multiple phone calls where very pleasant company reps promised delivery dates that never came true.. I finally cancelled the order on 4/14. At that time I was informed that my credit card had already been charged which infuriated me further and that it would take 30 business days for a credit to be applied to my VISA. When I complained about that too, Park supervisor said that she expedited a credit and it should appear in 4-5 days. It didn't ! So I lodged a complaint with BBB and finally rec'd a credit on 5/20. Run... don't walk away from this company. Negative AuntBusy Stuart, FL (2 reviews) June 17, 2009 By far the WORST online seed shopping experience I have ever had! It took them over 2 weeks to ship order. The packets had no plant description and were no longer listed on their website, so such things as flowers were difficult to identify. The vegetable packs, such basic items as corn, beans, tomatoes etc, were from China origin and other foreign sources! Now, I would expect exotic flowers seeds to be imported, but common vegetable seeds? I would like to know they are selling me imported vegetable seeds before I decide to buy. I returned my order with a tracking confirmation number from the USPS. My return arrived at their facilities on May 7th. It took them, 3 phone calls, 1 email to customer service, and over a month to refund my credit card! Last call made was on June 8th and I finally saw a credit posted 3 days later! Would NEVER buy from this company again! Negative LilySpringer Broomall, PA (1 review) June 14, 2009 I ordered a number of plants from Park seed back in Feb. 2009. The catalog said the plants would be delivered at the proper time for planting in my area (zone 6). By mid-May I had received nothing. I called customer service & spoke with a very nice lady who said the plants would be shipped in the next couple of weeks. The end of May some of the plants arrived. Interestingly, my credit card was billed at the time of my order in Feb. I emailed the company & asked where the remainder of my order was. I received an email a few days leter explained the remainder of the plants would arrive shortly. They did arrive 1-2 weeks later - in mid-June. Needless to say I was disappointed with the timing & the lack of communication about my order, especially since I had already paid for the plants. All the plants have survived. But normally I would have expected these plants to have been received much earlier than late-May & into June. Especially since all the garden centers had all their plants out for sale in April! I will hesitate before ordering from this company again. Negative topofmurrayhill Flushing, NY (Zone 6b) (3 reviews) June 2, 2009 I enjoyed gardening until I had to give it up for many years in favor of an urban lifestyle (midtown New York City). Last year I was finally in a position to go back to gardening again, so I started by ordering clematis and roses from Park, because I was familiar with the brand from way back. This order caused me more anxiety than it should have. The plants trickled in over the course of about two months. The clematis were delivered in a more timely manner than the roses, but were quite small and required a lot of TLC to make it through their first season. There was one arbitrary substitution of rose varieties and all the plants arrived much later than optimal for bareroot planting. This made them easy prey for aphids and very vulnerable to hot weather. The last to arrive had to endure a heat wave shortly after starting to leaf out. All the plants ultimately survived and are thriving in their second year. However, the service I've received from other suppliers has been so much more timely, the communication much better, and the service more personal. Now that I'm getting familiar again with the world of suppliers, I don't see any reason to order plants from Park ever again. Negative crashbandiscoot Springfield, OH (Zone 6a) (4 reviews) May 29, 2009 This spring and last, I have ordered seed from Parks. I primarily just want to purchase annual flower seed. I have found their germination rates to be poor. I spend anywhere from 2.00 to 3.00 dollars for a package of easy to grow things like zinnia, marigold, ect. Flowers I can direct sow. And for two years now, I am just maddened by the very poor amount of seed that actually makes flowers! I have found I can pick up a pack of .79 cent seed at the drugstore, get a whole lot more and better seed. I always want to order seed from their website in January and Feburary, because everything looks so enticing that time of year. I will not be doing that again. Negative cyclops101 Wakefield, RI (2 reviews) May 24, 2009 I thought it was me. Park Seed Company has to be the worst experience I have ever had with a seed order. Most of the Items were back ordered and arrived late for planting. All the packets were short seeds. When you are paying $4.00 for 20 seeds and nothing exotic mind you that is pretty pricey. Every packet was short 4-5 seed short and that's 20- 25%. I complained to customer service telling them I was not looking for my money back but was trying to make them aware of the problems. I got no response. I used to be a wholesale grower and purchased a lot of my seed from Parks and never had a problem. Of course that was 25 years ago. How times have changed. I will be looking for a new vendor for next year. Positive Windy_4b Albert Lea, MN (1 review) May 23, 2009 I placed my order for flower and herb seeds on May 17 and received them on May 23. The order was well-packaged and complete. I'm very pleased with this experience. Negative Mertsie Sylva, NC (2 reviews) May 23, 2009 My 1st order with Park Seed was for 20 crowns of Jersey Knight Asparagus, an all male cultivar that rarely produces female plants. My shipment arrived late for my zone, out of dormancy and every crown is now flowering/has berries on it-all female plants. The wrong product was obviously shipped. Complaint by phone was well received. Money to be refunded back to card, not including shipping amount. Offer was made to replace asparagus except I only need and have room for 20! I expected the correct item sent in a timely and dormant condition the first time. Negative Adelphos Bloomsburg, PA (1 review) May 21, 2009 I ordered a blueberry plant through Park Seeds for my mother, for Mothers Day, but my mother never received it. Instead of sending another plant, they told me to contact UPS. UPS claimed it had delivered the package, but would investigate. If they were found liable, in their own investigation, they would reimburse me. So instead of taking some small amount of responsibility, which would have retained my trust in the company, they just passed the blame on to another company. I tried Park Seeds because one of their competitors did the same thing the last time I ordered plants online. I would recommend going to local retailers. Negative imagal49 Monterey, TN (Zone 6a) (3 reviews) May 19, 2009 After years of dealing with Park's, I happily placed my order in early January of 2009. I was miffed at the tacked-on 'fuel surcharge' which they hadn't rescinded even though fuel prices had bottomed out at around $1.75 a gallon. Ok, I'll give them that one. My initial reaction after waiting 3 1/2 weeks was, where's my order? I'd received no communication from them, and checking their website for status is an exercise in futility. Another 1 1/2 weeks went by, and I received part of my order. As with other comments here recently, the balance dribbled in 1 and 2 packets at a time. As planting time arrived, I was surprised to find that many packets labeled '50 seeds' contained, in fact, 20-25 seeds. What's up with that? In all fairness, I have to give them kudos for the asparagas roots - though pricey, they were huge, clean and worth the price. Even so, I've definately crossed Park's off my list of future seed suppliers! Positive brandywinefran West Chester, PA (3 reviews) May 19, 2009 I was really surprised by all the negative comments, since my orders this season (seeds) were fine. I have ordered seeds from them for quite some time. In fact, I needed to add two types of seeds to my second order, and my request was handled with no problem by a helpful CSR. Maybe I was lucky, but honestly, I have no complaints. Hope these negative trends are addressed soon, they've been a good source for me. Negative Clairemont San Diego, CA (2 reviews) May 18, 2009 YOU CAN GET YOUR MONEY BACK FROM PARK'S. Here is how. My experience with Park's is dismal. After more than 40 years as a regular customer, this was my final order. My story is similar to everyone else' on here. After dealing with Customer Service on the phone and by emails, the promises never materialized. Eventually I received a merchandise credit which I would never use after their downfall. I reported this to the BBB which is a very easy online effortless way to complain. Within 4 days, my credit card account was credited. They do respond to the BBB since they are a member. It is illegal for them to charge you until the items are shipped. That is the law. Read their guarantee. Make them honor it. You will get nowhere with Customer Service, although pleasant people, their hands seem to be tied. Complain to the BBB and you will get results. Do not accept a merchandise credit. Demand they refund your money. If you hit them where it hurts, eventually they will either go under or be forced to improve. With the current ownership, I'm betting my money on them going belly-up. Do not allow them to rip you off. Take action and report them to the BBB and your credit card company. You will get the proper results. Justice is sweet. Negative tsherril Montgomery, TX (1 review) May 18, 2009 Be warned this company is practicing unethical (possibly illegal) practices holding your money while they never plan to ship your merchandise & then taking forever to refund your credit card. **** Buyer Beware **** I ordered some seeds on 3/2/09 on the internet. It informed me that they would ship in the next 2 weeks. When 2 weeks passed I checked the online status and it said "shipping soon". I called them and they said it was back-ordered and would ship Friday. 10 weeks later they are still saying the same thing. They did ship the "free gift" right away so that they could charge me the shipping and order fee right away while I endlessly wait for the product I really want. When I called on 5/18/09 to cancel my order since I was never going to receive it they said it would take 30 days for my credit card to be refunded. Can you believe this for a product that was never shipped. I am notifying Visa of this practice and encourage everyone to do the same. The best way to prevent a company like this from operating is to keep Visa/MC from allowing them to use their credit cards. http://www.mastercard.com/us/personal/en/contactus/merchantv... Negative gardnbug Travelers Rest, SC (1 review) May 18, 2009 I wish I had known about this website before ordering from Park Seed!! They are giving out incorrect information regarding planting times. My local extension office advises planting potatoes mid to late March - when I did not receive them by the first of April I called customer service. They said I would receive the potatoes "at the proper planting time for your area, which is mid to late April". It is unbelievable to me that a large company like this would make such a major error. I cancelled my order and asked for a refund, which I have still not received. It has been well over a month ago. It also took me 2-3 months to get some of the seeds I ordered. In fact, I ordered some seeds in February that I still have not gotten! I emailed customer service about this also, since the website said the seeds SHIPS NOW, and she actually told me that SHIPS NOW means AVAILABLE FOR SPRING SHIPPING. What?? Also, I ordered Jersey Giant asparagus, which are suppose to be 99% male, and at least 30-40% of my bed is female. And, I also received my onions a month late and they are looking pitiful in my garden. I will never order from Park Seed again, which is a shame since I don't live very far from them and would like to be able to support a local company. But not anymore.

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