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Heirloom Acres Seeds

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 194
New Bloomfield, Missouri 65063 (United States)

Phone: 573-491-3001

» E-Mail them
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Recent reviews:
Past month Past 6 Months Past 12 Months
Positive 0 0 9
Neutral 0 0 3
Negative 1 4 12
This company offers a variety of seeds.

Other helpful information:

  Feedback History and Summary  
34 positives
5 neutrals
25 negatives

Comments:

Displaying the 50 most recent comments:

RatingAuthorContent
Negative brandie21
Tucson, AZ
(Zone 8a)
(7 reviews)
November 05, 2009
Posted on October 13, 2009, updated November 05, 2009
Posted on March 25, 2009, updated October 13, 2009
I have ordered numerous times from Heirloom Acres and never had any problem with getting orders in a timely manner until last fall. I originally thought receiving my Fall order after weeks of waiting. But now after reading all of the comments and waiting for the rest of my Spring order I am not so sure. I placed my Spring order February 15th with the Pay Pal payment clearing on the 18th. I emailed them 2 weeks later when I still hadn't received a confirmation just like with my Fall order and I was worried that it had dropped from their system just like my fall order so I emailed them and waited for a response. After 3 days with no response I emailed them again. That time I received a very nice email from Renate stating that they were really busy and it was taking 2 weeks for orders to go out, I didn't point out that it had already been 2 weeks. I waited another 2 weeks for my order, after not receiving anything from them I emailed them again on March 16th, when I returned home there was my order in the mailbox. After checking my order I realized that there were a few items that had been backordered, another that doesn't ship until Spring, and one that didn't specify why it wasn't sent. I figured that since I had just sent them an email, surely someone would email back to say my order had shipped and then I could ask when to expect everything else. Of course I still haven't received a response so I had to email them again on the 24th because I wanted to try and catch them before they shipped the remainder of my order to see if I could just place an order for plant labels, pay the shipping on those and have everything shipped together but I still haven't receive a response, so they must not want to sell me anything else. I hate giving them a negative comment because they used to be a great company to deal with, I realize that they grew very fast and have some family issues but it is very sad that they have allowed those things to affect their business so badly. I really hope they can get their things straightened out because I used to really enjoy ordering from them.
On April 2nd, 2009, brandie21 added the following:

Well, It has been a week since my last email to Heirloom Acres and still no response. I tried to fax them but the fax would not go through. I wonder if they meant that my order would ship later this spring or next spring. I should have asked.
On April 10th, 2009, brandie21 added the following:

Well, it has been another week since my last email to Heirloom Acres and still no response. I faxed them on 4/8/09 but no response to that either. They must have the worst customer service ever.
On April 10th, 2009, brandie21 added the following:

Well, I just tried to log onto their website for my weekly Friday email and their home page comes up but none of the links work. I just sent an email to the email on their redirect page so we will see what happens. I have asked them to cancel the rest of my order and credit my Pay Pal account within the next 7 days so we will see what happens. It's really too bad when a company that was once one of the best has just went down the tube.
On April 14th, 2009, brandie21 added the following:

Well, no response as of yet. I did try their website again, it seems to be working today so that must have been a glitch.
On April 23rd, 2009, brandie21 added the following:

Well, after still receiving no response from Heirloom Acres after my numerous emails and still no refund on the remaining items on my order I have contacted the BBB and the Missouri Attorney General's office and filed complaints with with both offices. I would suggest that anyone else who is having issues with this company do the same.
On May 14th, 2009, brandie21 added the following:

Well, it is now May 14th, one day shy of 3 months waiting for the remaider of my order. I've notice recent comment stating that Heirloom Acres is now stating 4 weeks delivery time. Maybe they meant to say 4 months. The Better Business Bureau had gotten no response from them in regarding to my complaint and the Attorney General's office is still looking into my complaint with them. Obviously Heirloom Acres doesn't care about the customers they have swindled or they would be taking care of all the other customers that are still awaiting orders. I hope that people are very careful about placing orders with this company. Good Luck.
On September 24th, 2009, brandie21 added the following:

Here is what the Better Business Bureau of MO came up with. I still have not received the rest of my order from February, so if you are planning on ordering, just DON'T.

BBB Rating
Based on BBB files, this business has a BBB Rating of F on a scale from A+ to F.
Reasons for this rating include:
12 complaints filed against business
Failure to respond to 10 complaints filed against business.
BBB does not have sufficient information to determine how long this business has been operating.
BBB does not have sufficient background information on this business.
Click here for an explanation of BBB Ratings
The BBB has received numerous complaints against this firm that sells seeds. Complainants primarily allege failure to deliver orders, delivery of incomplete orders, and difficulty contacting a representative of the firm. These complaint patterns are reflected in the complaint statistics below.



Back to top
Business Contact and Profile

Name: Heirloom Acres LLC
Phone: (573) 491-3001
Address: 2529 CR 338

New Bloomfield, MO 65063
Website: http://www.HeirloomAcresSeeds.com
Principal: Manager
Customer Contact: Manager
File Open Date: April 2008
Type of Business: Seeds & Bulbs-Retail
BBB Accreditation: This company is not a BBB Accredited business.
Additional DBA Names: Heirloom Acres Seeds



Back to top
Business Management
Additional company management personnel include:
Thomas Kirk - Owner
Renate Kirk - Manager


On October 13th, 2009, brandie21 added the following:

I received the following email from Heirloom Acres after I sent an email again inquiring about my order from Feb.

Good afternoon. I do remember that we have difficulty with an order not coming through paypal to our system this spring. The notes that I have, has the order marked as complete/resolved. I do remember dealing with the order, The details of the order I do not have since it did not come through to our data base. I have a list of the items ordered that I printed off paypal; please provide me with the details of what items on the order have not been filled. You can fax me a copy of your packing slip so that I can see the Back ordered items. Fax # 573 491 3002. I will be glad to refund the items or ship them if they are available. Sorry that this has gone unresolved for you, my notes showed it complete. Talk to you soon, Renate.

I have sent her the packing slip so we will see if we can get this issue resolved. It seems that they are attempting to try and correct the issue. I will repost if I hear anything more.
On November 5th, 2009, brandie21 added the following:

As of today my Pay Pal account has been credited the amount owed by Heirloom Acres. Once I finally got a response from Renate she was very efficient is getting the money back to me. Unfortunately I will have to leave my rating as negative as it took 9 months to get this issue resolved.
Negative vtbeachldy
Blanchard, OK
(2 reviews)
July 20, 2009
Sorry, folks, but I'm posting a negative on this company-- one I have done business with for several years. I've had a backorder with them since the first week of April that still isn't cleared and a promise for replacement seed (wrong item sent) since the same week. I've sent an email every week for the past month with no response. If this is how they treat a good customer, I can't imagine how they treat a poor one. It's only $18, but that could be credited in a matter of minutes-- just DO IT!!

BTW, if you're ordering your seeds in April and thinking you're going to get them within a week, you must be dreaming. That kind of service happens in January and up to the 15th of February. After that, expect 2 to 4 weeks for delivery from ANY seed company. Read Johnny's disclaimers, for example-- and they're one of the best.

Negative memomz1
Sacramento, CA
(1 review)
July 18, 2009
It's been a month since placing my order and still nada... I emailed them and did not receive a response... I phoned and their voice mail is 'full' so could not leave a message. I do not mind waiting but would appreciate communications to the effect. Regret I did not check reviews prior to ordering.
Negative asanow
Provincetown, MA
(2 reviews)
June 15, 2009
DO NOT ORDER FROM THIS COMPANY.

My experience mirrors that of the other posters here with a negative rating for Heirloom Acres. They do not practice good business and ignore customer service requests.

I ordered from them and received no indication that anything was being processed--other than that they had speedily taken my money. I then had to email twice (both of which were ignored) and call just to get an order update. The order arrived partially filled, though they had accepted my payment for a full order.

Given that it was much too late to plant the seeds that were backordered, I requested a refund for what they didn't ship. This took 2 emails (ignored) and 3 phone calls--and two months later, they have yet to refund my money.

I've put in a complaint with the Missouri Better Business Bureau, which the company has also ignored.

Gardeners: there are many other online vendors who are honest business people! Let's patronize them instead.
Neutral Cbryant
Eads, TN
(1 review)
May 09, 2009
These folks are struggling from too much business and I personally think they are a bit out of bounds to continue to take money when they can not supply their customers within a reasonable shipping timeframe or even comply with the worst case of 2 weeks as stated on their site. Families are depending on gardens this year and every week that goes by with no seeds is a loss of food and resources. I finally got my seeds after nearly 3 weeks. After three emails and several dozen calls (that all resulted in busy signals or a silly answering machine that said "answer off" and hung up) I finally got someone on the phone by calling early Saturday morning.

She was direct but cordial and told me they were running 4 weeks on shipping. I was as polite as possible but I did suggest they edit their website to let ppl know they were running 4 weeks instead of the questionable statement that delivery was "rarely longer than two weeks"

Within five days of my call, I received most of what i ordered but did not get a few of the seeds. It was stated that they were back ordered or "credited", although I have not confirmed any credit.

Their seeds look good and they did express mail them, however these ppl are apparently just understaffed for the volume they have. I think buyers expect to get seeds faster than 3 or 4 weeks.

Very frustrating not to be able to easily communicate with them and that only adds to fear and speculation.

Bottom line: order from someone else unless you can handle a lengthy delivery cycle. Heirloom acres....my advice to you is to communicate better with your buyers.
Positive steffanie3
Orofino, ID
(3 reviews)
April 27, 2009
I got my order just fine, I ordered way ahead of time so the slow delivery is just what I wanted. Everything looks good. I ordered shallots and sunchokes.
Negative Majisto
Smithtown, NY
(2 reviews)
April 27, 2009
My situation is in line with many of the other negative posts about Heriloom Acres, unfortunately.

Placed order on March 31st for ~$25, paid through PayPal. Did not get order confirmation but sent email through website and got email back saying to the effect of "Sorry we are really busy, orders are 3 weeks behind".

Read many of the comments here 4/24 and started getting anxious about my order, tried calling directly, got busy signal. Tried calling again this AM 4/27 and busy again.

I have initiated a dispute with PayPal and they have not responded to my charges via PayPal. I don't know if that will help me get a refund or not, I have never had to do this before with a vendor.

Needless to say, I am not pleased with how they are "running" their business. Maybe they grew to fast? Maybe they have other family issues going on right now? They should have stopped taking peoples' money if they couldn't send out what people have paid for!!
Negative mikechopapa
Spokane, WA
(1 review)
April 24, 2009
I placed my order [$121] on April 4, 2009.

My credit card was posted the same day.

Twenty days later I have not received my order and have not been notified of shipment.

I requested an explanation by email and received no response.

I attempted to reach their office numerous times on April 24th. The line was busy on every attempt.

I requested that my order be canceled via email and received no response.

I notified my credit card company and placed the transaction in tentative dispute. I will file a formal dispute when the the form arrives in the mail.

The Attorney General of MO needs to shut these people down.

.mike chopapa.

Neutral retiredgardner
Kennett, MO
(1 review)
April 16, 2009
Think I know why you buyers are having problem with Heirloom Acres Seeds.

As an old retired farmer from the south part of Mo. and now enjoy gardening, and visit Daves Garden

site almost daily and also read Daves Watchdog site and keep seeing all the negative feedback

from buyers about Heirloom Acres Seeds. I thought I just have to take a look at this companys site so I

pulled up thier web site and thought what a beautiful setting, beautiful big red barn in the back ground of a family

photo of a family with a story of thier kids learning values, and all the bible quotes, WOW!

Was getting ready to taking a trip up to north Missouri any way so just decided to take a different route and take a look

at the beautiful country side and see this company with so much negative feedback. After getting a Mo. map, printed off

the info from their web site along with the photos, names and location

took off on a side trip going up Hwy 54 for a change just to take a look. It was a lovely trip up through the Lake Of The Ozarks

and New Bloomfield, Mo. was easy to find, it’s a nice little town of just under 600 people ,

all of which were very friendly and INFORMATIVE! They directed us out

of town about 4 miles where we were looking for that pretty red barn and the fields

of Heirloom Acres. Did think it was strange there was no other large farms around and no large barns.

It was a beautiful day but after driveing around and not finding the business or a sign, decided to ask some of the

people working in their yard in the area so stopped and inquired again where we might find Heirloom Acres Seeds.

The area people were happy to point out the old building about a block away. Cant be Heirloom Acres Seed Co, look

at this info from the internet! Look at that red barn and there is the family. Yes that the Kirks and Yes that the seed co.

That pretty red barn shown in their ad, NOT, in fact it is a small, very run down old building which the people said at one

time was an old church built in the 1800’s with a Porta Potty out back setting on maybe [?] an

acre of land and an old junker pick up truck parked beside it.

THAT CAN'T BE IT, where is the beautiful red barn and all the fields that grows all those many seeds.

Again continueing to question the neighhood people, IF they were SURE that was Heirloom Acres Seed Co

they assured us it was. Seems some of the neighborhood kids work there after school packaging seeds along with

their own 4 young girls they are teaching "values". So have to accept the fact that the people know where thier kids

work after school.

There is no big red barn and there is no fields they work in, just sounded like a lot of children

trying to keep up with all those orders. Could be why the people are having problems getting thier orders.

What an interesting day, and what a lesson learned, but was well worth the detour.

Just shows that anyone can make an internet site look great.

Wonder where all those “heirloom” seeds do come from?



Negative gardener909090
Tulsa, OK
(3 reviews)
April 08, 2009
Horrible horrible horrible service. Ordered on 3/13, over $100 of seeds, books, plants. Money taken from my CC, no scheduled delivery date given and the website says 2 weeks. As of today, 4/8, no order and no response to the emails I've sent to follow up. I'm about to have my credit card pull the money back and try to find everything I can locally. This is ridiculous. If they need help, they should hire it or go out of business. Never again, not worth it at all. I agree with the other poster that the positives are probably planted by the owners because this is just ridiculous and seems to be an ongoing problem. We needed this order to have starts by late March.
On April 15th, 2009, gardener909090 added the following:

4/15 - Just cancelled order and submitted to my credit card that the money be pulled back (the money was taken 3/13). After 3 calls since last week (once it was going to be just a couple of days, then i called this monday and it was going out Tuesday, then called today and it was held up because of a product not being in<--does this keep them from sending allllll the other products??) When I cancelled they tried to argue that they were doing better than any of the other heirloom companies and got an attitude.
On May 11th, 2009, gardener909090 added the following:

On 5/3 they finally credited my account, but they did not credit the full amount. I'm not dealing with them anymore, i'm going through my credit card company and the BBB. I received no products and cancelled the order before anything was even shipped, they have no reason to hold any of my money. I think this company is a scam. I order stuff online all the time and all the companies I use bill your credit card when your order is filled, not when it is placed.
Negative ElisaNC
Matthews, NC
(1 review)
April 07, 2009
My seed order (which totaled $80) from Heirloom Acres Seeds was placed on 3/15/09 by credit card.

It is now Monday 4/6/09 and I have not received my order yet.

I e-mailed them yesterday, Sunday 4/5/09 at 7:49PM EST to let them know I hadn't received the order yet and when that would happen. And I haven't received a response yet.

(I e-mailed directly from the e-mail order confirmation originally received on 3/15/09 that came from kirk@heirloomacresseeds.com).
Negative margaret45601
Oakland, CA
(1 review)
March 25, 2009
I researched this company after having a bad experience with them . I typed heirloom acres seeds complaints in the google search bar and found many negative comments. i further researched to find that they have an F rating with the better business bureau... the link is http://www.bbb.org/stlouis/business-reviews/seeds-and-bulbs-... you can highlight the info put it in your search bar to find out about this company. You can also make a complaint about them at this link. After dealing with Thom and Renate Kirk I decided to look them up individually on missouri case net. the link is [HYPERLINK@www.courts.mo.gov] after that click on litigant name and enter Renate kirk. It seems she not only takes your money but she doesn't pay her bills either. And then there is this site which shows that they have no regard for customer service or providing products in timely manner if at all. In one review I see that they blamed their poor service on their daughter's health. But after researching they had trouble long before the health issues of their daughter. Kind of makes me wonder what else they are hiding. Steer clear...they hide behind religion but they aren't practicing what they preach. No true christian would behave in this manner.
On April 13th, 2009, margaret45601 added the following:

I wanted to add the link to the attorney general office so people can make a complaint. the link is [HYPERLINK@www.consumer.ago.mo.gov] If you feel that this company has cheated you out of money or is running a dishonest business then this link is the place to report them. They shouldn't get away with taking good honest people's money without provide the promised product. It is illegal and they should be stopped

On April 25th, 2009, margaret45601 added the following:

guess what...I thought I would look to see if they buy anything on ebay (seeds?) and low and behold they do... here is the link http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350191068... . so you can't even be sure that the seeds they sell are authentic if they are buying them from people they don't even know.
On April 25th, 2009, margaret45601 added the following:

for some reason the link I provided isn't showing the seeds that he purchased on ebay but it was a bulk amount of 500 that he purchased. Hopefully this link will take you to heirloom acres purchases. you can find items that he has purchase buy clicking on the view item button to the right of each auction. the link is http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&user... hope it works for you. at the very least it shows that the money you have sent them that they arent returning is being spent on ebay instead. the seeds they bought are under seedsandmore. very interesting.
On April 30th, 2009, margaret45601 added the following:

After I talked with a friend about how awful heirloom acres seeds was she recommended another seed company. I checked it out and here is the link http://www.morgancountyseeds.com/
they have the same stuff that heirloom acres has but morgan county seed company actually has good feedback on customer service and great prices. Wish I had found them first before I had to put up with all the deadbeats at heirloom acres seeds. Give morgan county seeds a try.....like a breath of fresh air after the foul smell surrounding heirloom acres seeds.
Negative mibbyblues
Maypearl, TX
(3 reviews)
March 24, 2009
I placed well Over a $100 dollar order on March 1st. I checked my credit card statement and they charged my card and took my money.

Tonight is March the 24th and I still have not received my order. I have emailed twice and called once to no avail and with No Response.

I am about to run out of time for planting most of the ordered seeds,.,
So, if my seeds don't arrive in the next 3 days then I am going to call my credit card company and site that this company committed fraud and to pull my money back from them for taking my money without specific performance(sending my order).


I will repost with any future developments.
On March 26th, 2009, mibbyblues added the following:

Well, after a weeks worth of emails and calls I finally got a response from my fax(where I tell them that if I don't get my seeds and an explanation I will have my band suck the money back out of their account).

Here is their response:


Thank you for contacting us by fax, We are very slow this year getting to our emails because of the extremely high volumne received. I apologize for the lack of communication. Your order is in the queue and will be filled by this weekend. Thanks very much for your business................Thom



Notice they do not site when my order will be shipped; only when it will be filled.
I have already contacted my bank and instructed them that IF I have not received my package by Thursday at 3:00 they are to suck back my money immediately. My bank has no problem.
I am willing to give ample time for the shipment to arrive; but a month is NOT STANDARD.
I ordered from Baker Creek Seeds this year also(like last year) and received my seeds in under 7 days. I also ordered from Hazzards and received my seeds in 4 days.
I can give you other sources I ordered from and all shipped in under 7 days. Most did Not draft my money until after they shipped.


I will update as things happen.
On March 31st, 2009, mibbyblues added the following:

Well, the weekend has passed and its now Tuesday and I do not have my package! What a shock.......

Today 3/31/09, I received this email from Kirk and Heirloom Acres Seeds:


A package was shipped to you on 03/27/2009 via U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail, Large Flat Rate BOX to the following address:

The following optional services were used: None

The package's Delivery Confirmation ID is

To check the delivery status of your package at any time please visit:
http://www.pbshipstream.com/status.cfm?
or the U.S. Postal Service's web-site:
http://www.usps.com/shipping/trackandconfirm.htm

Thomas Kirk





I DID CHECK ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT THE INFORMATION WAS ENTERED INTO THE COMPUTER BUT THAT THE USPS HAS NOT YET EVEN RECEIVED MY PACKAGE FROM THEM TO SHIP SO AS YET THEY CAN NOT CONFIRM A ARRIVAL DATE!



HERE IS MY RESPONSE:


I have checked online and on the phone with the USPS AND you writing me saying that my package has been shipped to me since 3/27/09 is NOTHING BUT A BLATANT LIE.
The US Postal Service says that your company electronically notified them that you would be shipping me a package; BUT AS TO DATE THE US POSTAL SERVICE HAS NOT RECEIVED ANY SUCH PACKAGE FROM YOUR COMPANY.

Copied and pasted from the US Postal Service:







Label/Receipt Number:
Status: Electronic Shipping Info Received

The U.S. Postal Service was electronically notified by the shipper on March 27, 2009 to expect your package for mailing. This does not indicate receipt by the USPS or the actual mailing date. Delivery status information will be provided if / when available. Information, if available, is updated every evening. Please check again later.


I WILL BE CONTACTING MY BANK AND DEMAND THEY FORCIBLY SUCK MY MONEY BACK OUT OF YOUR ACCOUNT AND THAT THEY ASSIST ME IN FILING CHARGES OF FRAUD AGAINST YOUR COMPANY.

You have been unkind and unfair and cheated me out of the ability to actually acquire the seeds I needed to plant by the end of this month(March) to be able for me to provide for my family during these difficult financial times.

You took my money and promised me items in return. You have my money and I do not have my items. AND you are NOT being honest and fair in giving me a real timeline in which to expect my items. Instead you are filing mailing slips with the US Postal Service without having a package to send in an attempt to gise the fact that you have not shipped my items .
I am DEMANDING SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE FROM YOUR COMPANY.


You have 24 hours sir to make this situation right!


Positive jamesniemela
Pelkie, MI
(1 review)
March 16, 2009
I ordered from Heirloom Acres Seed for the first time this year. Was a bit concerned about some of the negative reviews, but rather than just believe what people say, I wrote to Heirloom Acres Seed and asked for their side of the story. It seems they are a company that just was experiencing growing pains. I put in a couple hundred dollar order, with many different varieties, and received everything but 4 minor backorders. After I had placed the order, I realized I needed a few more varieties of seed. So I called them up, and the young lady I spoke with there assured me it would be no problem to add to my order that was already placed. How many seed companies will combine orders? That's just one of the many nice things about doing business with a smaller company. I'm thankful for the opportunity to do business with an overtly Christian, family-operated company, and I plan to order from them again in the future.
Positive tn_richard
Eidson, TN
(1 review)
March 12, 2009
I thought I should write after seeing the number of negative comments about this company. I have ordered numerous times from them and have been completely satisfied with their service and product and I am getting ready to place another order with them. Their seeds are excellent - never a problem with germination. It may take 2-3 weeks to receive the order but that is normal and if you order early enough, it should pose no problem. They are a small, family business and because of their outstanding service and product and because of the concerns over the economy, their orders have increased significantly. They don't answer all of my emails because they are so busy and I write too many, but they always get my seed orders to me. I have no reservations about doing business with them and would much rather do business with them than big companies. They have always been honest and trustworthy with me and it's a pleasure to deal with them.
Positive Albinobullnose
Casey, IL
(Zone 5a)
(1 review)
March 02, 2009
I have been going to the Kirks for the past four years and I have had a wonderful relationship with these folks. Some things people should keep in mind when buying seeds now in these current times as far slow orders is that in a bad economy people have been buying seeds on a scale not seen in modern times. Last summer the Kirks also had a virus put into their system and it was down for a while. The amount of orders he has had this last year (THOM) has been very overwhelming to them . They also learned last year their oldest daughter had a heart defect in a routine physical. When I order from them I always CALL them first to see what is available. People do no realize that this is a very small business and what it takes to run it. I also have a question. Why are major seed companies putting out catalogs in DECEMBER? SO that you order early. First come, first serve. All seed I order has a good germination too. I have had no billing problems with this company ever. The money I spend with them has always been a good investment. AND NO I am not related to them.
Positive plantinthings
Centerville, PA
(1 review)
February 24, 2009
Got to say I was pretty nervous in placing my order this year (09) after reading all the comments here. I know in previous years I've had good service thru them, after much thought and consideration I decided to give them a try.
I placed my order Jan. 30, 09, got confirmation within minutes (I also placed a order thru another company the same day and this order was recieved on Feb 13, 09). I started getting antsy so decided to call them (Heirloom Acres) on Feb. 16, she said they were backed up due to the holiday (President's Day) and would call me tommorow. I couldn't wait till she called so I called again on Feb. 17, she assured me my order went out that day priorty mail and I would receive it soon. It came in Feb. 19, just as promised. Only had 2 backordered items and I had placed a good sized order $106.
I will do business again and thank you Heirloom Acres for the decent prices you offer on your products.
Neutral plutodrive
Denver, CO
(Zone 5b)
(1 review)
February 23, 2009
Great selection and prices but way too slow on delivery.
Positive ANNIE20
Calhoun, GA
(2 reviews)
February 23, 2009
I Placed an order with this company in Jan. 2009 as of today Feb. 23, 2009
I haven't received any seeds that I ordered. I have placed 2 emails with no response, Placed 3 Phone Calls and was told that I order was somewhere close and would be shipping soon. I need the tomato seeds to start indoors.
I'll let you know If and when I recieve my order.
On February 23rd, 2009, ANNIE20 added the following:

Just wanted to let you know that I received my order today but somethings are backordered with no explanation.
Am gonna call them and see what they say. Will post later with answer of backorder
On February 23rd, 2009, ANNIE20 added the following:

I called the company and the answer was that they didn't know when they would get the bean seeds in. On the website it doesn't say that they are outta stock. Probably won't do business with then again.
On March 5th, 2009, ANNIE20 changed the rating from neutral to positive and added the following:

I just received the balance of my order. The quality and quanity of the order looks good. I believe this company will
be a good one to order from. The only thing is that they are a little slow on shipping. But he prices JUST CAN"T be BEAT. Just order early. Seed are packaged well with all information on the package.
On March 18th, 2009, ANNIE20 added the following:

Just wanted everyone to know that the seed I ordered from
Heirloom acres are wonderful. I have planted some tomato seeds and they were popping the soil in 4 days. Really hardy looking plants. I'm sure the other seeds I purchased will germinate just as well.
Negative elle006
Hillsborough, NC
(2 reviews)
February 22, 2009
I ordered over 2 and half weeks ago, and have not yet received my order. Have sent numerous emails the last 5 days, asking when my order should be arriving and no response. On their site it says two weeks max for orders to arrive. I was planning on starting eggplants and peppers this weekend.... Finally sent an email to cancel my order and filed a paypal claim (which has not been responded to by heirloom acres either). Should have read reviews on Dave's Garden BEFORE ordering, but I just found this site.
I spent over $50 with Heirloom acres seeds bc the prices were so good. Now I've spent another $50 rebuying seeds, and have yet to be reimbursed. I'm fairly confident in Paypal refunding me , but we'll see. I would not recommend purchasing anything from them, esp. if you're spending over $5! And Frankly, I am starting to think that the positive reviews listed here for heirloom acres are posted by actual employees trying to save face. My apologies if I am wrong in this assumption, I just don't understand how my experience could be SO BAD within weeks of other's positive experience. Plus I'm fairly perturbed that I've been cheated out of $50.
Positive JolaViola
Bristow, VA
(2 reviews)
February 21, 2009
OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER SRVICE.

I ordered a few heirloom tomato seeds and pale echinacea.

Seeds were very inexpensive and shipping wasn't as fast as I've seen before, but arrived in plenty of time to plant tomato seeds. One incorrect packet was sent (Amana Organe instead of Anna Russian tomato; we contact the company by e-mail and they responded via e-mail and immediately sent the correct seeds.

I will be ordering from the company again.
Positive dheck1961
Stafford Springs, CT
(2 reviews)
January 26, 2009
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
Positive kencctt
Arabi, GA
(1 review)
January 09, 2009
I have talked to Heirloom Acres about some of the negative comments I have found about them. I too have found some difficulty in obtaining seeds from them.
They explained that they simply grew to fast and would have to get used to all the new attention they are getting.
Give these guys another try. I think they still wish to give great service. They just had to adjust to all the new business they received. They are trying to cope and I also suggested some new technology to help with automatic emails and such.

They are still a great company! Just give them another chance.
Negative chicochi3
Fayetteville, AR
(Zone 6b)
(19 reviews)
January 08, 2009
Please don't send your money to this company. They take money for your order and you never get anything, not even an email from them.
Negative ddzimmerman
Universal City, TX
(1 review)
September 06, 2008
It has been almost 3 weeks from when I placed an order, and I have not received it - or any communication from the company. I've emailed twice and called once in the last few days - nothing. Their website says it "rarely" takes more than 2 weeks for orders to ship.

I've gone out and purchased some of these seeds, unfortunately as hybrids, locally, because I needed to get them in the ground this week.

I won't order from Heirloom Acres Seeds again.
Negative jman4117
Hemingway, SC
(1 review)
July 01, 2008
The Service:
These people are very slow, and apparently have no way to keep track of orders (they bill you the day of the order though, whether the product is in stock or not). I placed my order on Jan 22, 2008. After numerous emails in the first week in February, they finally shipped it on the 14th. After getting it around the 18th and sorting through everything, I didn't have about 10 seed varieties out of the 30 or so that I had ordered. I emailed back about it and they apologized and said they would correct it. After a month of sitting on it, they shipped a 2oz package of soy to me that I didn't order to begin with on March 17, 2008. I emailed them back a few more times until about April and they just ignored me. I eventually gave up on getting the seeds or the roughly $15 back for the packages they didn't send.

The Seeds:
The summer squash, blue corn and broccoli seeds were excellent, the rest were mostly mediocre with about 40% germination, with the beans being utter trash that likely introduced a fungus to my garden. I definitely didn't get my $90's worth out of the deal.
Negative d_montaigne
El Cerrito, CA
(4 reviews)
May 28, 2008
I originally spoke with Mr. (Thom) Kirk on Friday, May 2 in the afternoon when their website "ate" my order. I made the order to him, he verified that they had received it on their end, AND that everything was in stock. He told me that it would ship mid-week "next week." That would have been approx. Wednesday, May 7.

I hadn't received anything, even an email, by Sunday, May 11, so I emailed them via their website. No response.

I telephoned and left a message inquiring after my order on Wednesday, May 14. No response.

I sent a second email Saturday, May 17. This one stated that I "was thinking very strongly of posting" my experience with them on the Internet gardening forums in which I participate. Nope, not even an email that "We're working on it."

So I went to a highly-recommended source on the Internet and ordered most of the seeds I had previously requested from HeirloomAcresSeeds. My second order--from the other company--arrived Friday, May 23. Wow.

I had given up on HeirloomAcresSeeds and was just waiting for my credit-card statement to come in to make sure there wasn't a charge from them on it.

So, on Tuesday, May 27, the order TA-DA! arrives in the mail. No note of apology, no "good-will" packet even of tomato seeds, no reason for the communication freeze-out. Nothing by way of explanation. The complete order of seeds and tubers was in the envelope, together with a print-out of my order and my charge-card receipt.

But, on further review, I saw that my credit card had been charged way back on the 2nd of May--three weeks before the order shipped!

I am so glad I found this Garden Watchdog in the meantime so I can share my poor service experience with others. It's really too bad--the Kirks have a tremendous variety of plant seeds and tubers--but if they can't get their order fulfillment together, they need to

1) hire some help or
2) affiliate with an order-fulfillment firm so they can concentrate on the growing part.

Meanwhile, I'll let others give HeirloomAcresSeeds their money and see whether their ratings here improve.
On June 4th, 2008, d_montaigne added the following:

Update as of June 3: I received my credit-card statement today. The Kirks and their firm are so disorganized that not only did they charge me on May 2 (three weeks before the order shipped) but they charged me again on May 9. *sigh* I'm going to let my credit-card company deal with them; I never did get a response to my two emails and telephone call except that the order arrived three weeks after I had been told it would. :-(
Negative aerontg
Sadieville, KY
(1 review)
May 23, 2008
I do not think ANYONE should ever take payment without delivering services. This is exactly what Heirloom Acres Seeds did. Our payment with VISA was processed 05/15/08, and today we still had not received our order. Being 05/23/08 that makes 8 days since we paid for our order. I called them today and the lady that answered the phone seemed to have no idea where my order was, other than saying "It's probably right behind me, ready to be shipped. We are running about 10 days behind". Would have been nice to hear something earlier about this problem. I called them yesterday (05/22/08), asking why we had not yet received our shipment, and heard nothing back from them. Judging from the dialogue between that lady and me, I feel it's safe to say that I would have NEVER heard anything back from them. They made indeed bitten off more than they could chew, as far as running a business goes. I can forgive that. I can not forgive anyone taking my money without giving my produce at that moment, or at least delivering it within a day. I call that stealing.
Negative HeritageFarm
B, CO
(Zone 5a)
(3 reviews)
May 21, 2008
MIXED EXPERIENCES. Previous Orders (pre 2007) Were WONDERFUL Experiences. Current order in 2008 - slow & no responses to my enquiries!

Have ordered from Heirloom Acres in the past with GREAT experiences! Good Communications & a level of honesty that is rarely seen - they refunded the overage on the shipping charges applied by PayPal.
I was impressed & have returned to them one other tieme since with a 2nd great experience, even though I was late ordering they still got the seeds to me likity split & in plenty of time!

I placed my current & 3rd order back on May 2nd & paid for it via PayPal. Other then the PayPal Receipt for payment I have heard NOTHING about this order.
Now they indicated on their website that presently order processing was taking 14-days, so if you needed your order sooner, to please let them know when you needed it by & they would do their very best to accomidate. I indicated May 20th ---- more then 14-days later.
To date, nothing heard & nothing received. I have e-mailed twice to enquire about my order, at least confirm they were working on it, & just faxed them an enquiry indicating that on day 31 if I had not heard from them or received the order that I would dispute the charge with VISA & with PayPal.
HOPE TO HEAR FROM THEM SOON. Already figuring the seeds & costs will be wasted for this year unless they arrive within the next week!

Really hate to see such good quality & service oriented heirloom suppliers dropping the speed-of-service & good communications. Quality goes much much deeper then simply the product - - Quality Service & Customer Care is just as important as the product!
Heirloom Acres use to know & exhibit that in their business..... hopefully the past year has just been a fluke for them & they will soon be back on track!
On May 22nd, 2008, HeritageFarm added the following:

After getting my fax letter enquiring about my order & threatening to file a complaint with PayPal and dispute the charge on my VISA, Heirloom Acres finally responded - appologizing for not having taken the time to respond to my e-mails (they were out "working in the field").

In a voice mail they left me yesterday afternoon they say:
The Order Is "Boxxed And Ready To Go".
The Order Will Be Shipped "Priority In The Morning" (this morning).
Sorry For The Delay, The PayPal Notice "Never Came Thru".

A bit concerned about the PayPal issue as I got immediate confirmation & e-mail receipt of the payment & order thru PayPal almost instantaniously. I will be asking PayPal to check into this matter to ensure the merchant was sent notice as I am certain they were.
We'll watch for the package & see if in fact they did send it Priority this morning as promised & hopefully will find everything in good order, well packed, & as ordered.

I'm for giving this company a 2nd chance, 1 bad expereince out 3 orders deserves an opportunity for them to have another chance in my book.
On May 28th, 2008, HeritageFarm added the following:

Received my order via UPS yesterday evening.
Everything was in good order except a substitution of a White Popcorn for the Yellow Popcorn ordered - no problem for me, though the client that contracted with me wanted a yellow popcorn. The contract (which wasn't placed until May 1st) has been cancelled as a result meaning I lost money due to the substitution.
3 Items are on back-order. ALL 3 are 90+ days to harvest so even if shipped next week they will be worthless to me.

BACK-ORDERS: Federal Law requires merchants to advise customers of expected ship dates & offer the opportunity to the customer to cancel the back-ordered items. Then about every 45 to 60 days the same notice has to be provided again.
Heirloom Acres did not provide expected ship date info, just "back orderd". I'm going to e-mail them & tell them to cancel the 3 items & refund the money. We'll see how that goes.
Being that this order was placed late (May 2) & apperantly was delayed due to PayPal (per the merchant), I'll give them another chance the next time I have a client wanting me to grow varieties offered by Heirloom Acres.
On June 1st, 2008, HeritageFarm changed the rating from neutral to negative and added the following:

MAJOR COMMUNICATIONS ISSUES!! Seems they only respond if you indicate your intent to file a claim against them with your credit card company!
(PayPal is much easier & quicker then your bank to get reimbursed if they fail to ship the merchandise in a reasonable amount of time & won't refund your money).

I requested the backordered items on my order be cancelled & the funds charged be refunded "immediately".
3 days later there had been no refund via PayPal nor had I received even an acknowlegement of my request.

I made a 2nd request.

I also faxed a 3rd request stating that the items on backorder would be a waste as the growing season was in full swing & rapidly getting shorter - too short for the time frame required by those specific seeds.
I also stated that they had 5 business days from the 1st request to issue me a complete refund of the 3 backordered items + the 15% shipping that they had charged me or I would file a complaint & a claim with Paypal as well as dispute the charge with VISA. A claim with VISA would as well cost them the interest that had accumilated since the original charge due to "merchandise charged not being received".
The next day PayPal received the refund minus the shipping!

The two & ONLY two times this year that they have responded to my enquiries has been when I have faxed threats to them stating I would file a claim with PayPal & VISA.
Seems they don't care about ratings or posts on this site or other sites - they don't even care enough about the customer to respond to enquiries.
It appears they only listen to the almighty $$$ & when that is threatened by potential claims against them they respond very quickly - & that's the only time they have responded to my equiries!!
On December 1st, 2008, HeritageFarm added the following:

REMEMBER, YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR! IF YOU WANT GOOD SERVICE, PAY THE EXTRA $$ TO SOMEONE ELSE!

Placed an order in Late October for seeds for the upcoming growing season ......
BIG MISTAKE!

The day after I placed the order, I gat a phone call from someone at Heirloom Acres Seeds advising me that the majority of my order would ship by the end of the week though a few items would not be available until December so they would ship seperately.

GREAT! WONDERFUL! I RECEIVED UNSOLICITED COMMUNNICATION FROM HEIRLOOM ACRES SEEDS!
WONDERFUL SERVICE!

21-days later the seeds still had not arrived. I e-mailed & they responded a couple of days later with an appology, seems their daughter was sick in a hospital 2-hrs away for the past 3-weeks.
That's fine, I can understand that..... however they did not communicate that to me nor did they ship when they said they would --- leaving the customer seriously questioning what was going on.

They sent me an e-mail saying my seeds would ship "tommorow".
Then I got an e-mail from FedEx saying they had received the shipping info (not the actual package).
It was several more business days (like 3) before FedEx actually received the package from Heirloom Acres Seeds. So the actual shipping time of the package turned into almost 2-weeks!

Still have a few items on backorder which I have already paid for.
If they don't arrive by the end of December I'll notify the bank that my CC has charges on it for merchandise not received & let them deal with Heirloom Acres Seeds & reecover my $$$.

My days of dealing with Heirloom Acres Seeds have come to an end .... Cheap cheap prices though you tend to get what you pay for! ZERO SERVICE!
On December 30th, 2008, HeritageFarm added the following:

FIND ANOTHER PLACE TO BUY FROM!

STEER CLEAR!
STAY AWAY!
DO NOT TRUST THEM IF YOU ARE DEPENDANT ON WHAT YOU ORDER FROM THEM!

Multiple broken promises! They promise shipping on specific dates & a refund for unavabale items 10 days after that date, no shipment made & no refund made either!

How can anyone who conducts business do such a poor job of it & still stay in business?
Their poor business & their many broken promises has tarnished my reputation so badly I don't know if my business will ever recover! If it doesn't, you can bet there will be legal action to recover my damages.

My reccomendation?..... DO NOT BUY FROM THIS MERCHANT!

I will be filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau in my state & in their state!
I believe all potential customers should have every opportunity to understand what to expect & who they are dealing with!
Positive daniel2000
Somerset, KY
(6 reviews)
March 14, 2008
Excellent service and prices.
Seeds arrived quickly and were packed nicely and were very well labeled. I emailed several questions about my order and was promptly answered by Thom Kirk.
Great company, I would not think twice about buying from them again.
On March 14th, 2008, daniel2000 added the following:

I just thought I should mention that I have made 2 seperate orders from Heirloon Acres this year and both orders were 100 percent perfect!

Negative Rose_Tyler
Redford, MI
(1 review)
March 04, 2008
Great selection, great prices, good germination, but very poor and extremely slow service.

I ordered in early January, and after over six weeks emailed to check the status of my order (that I had already been charged for). A few days later, I finally received my package (minus the backordered items), and not until nearly a week later did I receive a response to my email, stating that my order had already shipped (though it hadn't when I sent the email, according to the postmark... they waited until after shipping to respond to me).

I had also requested they cancel & refund any backordered items, and in the email I was told they did not know if any items were backorderd (two were and at this point are not worth the hassle of trying to get a refund).

Next year I will gladly pay higher prices and get all my seeds in time for planting. But if you order very early and have the time and patience to go back and forth with them to ensure your order gets shipped and that they don't hold the entire thing for one backordered item, then it's a pretty good deal.
Positive amourane
Sedalia, MO
(1 review)
March 01, 2008
we ordered our seeds in jan and was told the exact date it would be shipped out we recieved our order with in 4 days of the date they said they would ship the seeds all grow and would send anyone else there
Positive Ladykitsu
Westminster, CO
(4 reviews)
February 23, 2008
Ordered seeds on 1/26/08 and just recieved them 2/23/08.

I knew I might be in for a wait when I placed the order to start with (which is why I ordered so early), but at the time, the orders were having a very quick turn around. The prices were VERY good, so I took a shot. I sent an email around 2/20/08 to find out where my order was because the website was saying that the orders were only taking 2 weeks to ship due to the (now) high volume. They were very fast in replying and let me know that my order should have just gone out.

Looking at my order, it appears the cause for the delay in shipping was that 2 items were backordered. To make up for the delay, they gave me a couple double packets of seeds (so it is something I can USE). While it would have been nice to have someone tell me the reason for the hold up, from a buisness standpoint, with hundreds of orders they get, I understand that just wouldn't be doable. The quick response to the email and the extra USEABLE seed, IMO, does make up for it.

So long as you can plan ahead and order early, I will still buy from them.
Positive Melissa_Ohio
Southwestern, OH
(Zone 6b)
(37 reviews)
January 12, 2008
I've been ordering from them for several years. Never had a problem with timely shipping, or with germination rates. I like to spread my seed $ around some, but there are a few companies that I *always* order from. This is one of them.
Negative dcwik
Bailey, CO
(2 reviews)
October 08, 2007
First time I ordered (last year), no problem. This year took a very long time to receive seeds, had to ask for them. Amount charged was different than total in confirmation email. Two seeds were back ordered and was told they would ship asap. Had to ask about the back ordered seeds just the other day (ordered in May) and was told they should be in in December. Company has dropped the ball big time.
Positive gardenbumpkin
San Francisco, CA
(7 reviews)
May 11, 2007
My first order with them weren't that great because they didn't give me enough seeds on certain seed pkts, but I emailed Mr. Thom about it. He emailed me back with an apology and explaination and in less than a week I got my replacement and some.

My next few orders were perfect!

Positive karmala
Templeton, CA
(1 review)
April 26, 2007
I ordered from Heirloom Acres Seeds for the first time. The entire experience has been well beyond my expectations. The seeds all arrived in a single large box and I was able to start planting just 2 weeks after ordering. After only 1 week in the ground... seedlings are sprouting in the garden already! I also ordered some herb plants, strawberry plants, and asparagus crowns. All of the plants were perfectly and carefully packed. They also are doing great! Also...their customer care is timely and gracious. I have called several times with questions and was met each and every time with patience and reassurance. I look forward to many years of continued business with this company and its staff.
Positive cowboygardener
Slaton, TX
(Zone 7b)
(2 reviews)
March 24, 2007
This was my first time ordering from Heirloom Acres and I was impressed with the service. I ordered both individual packages of seeds and seed collections. They were out of one type of seed in one of the collections and sent me a refund check. I would have preferred a substitution instead of the check but no big deal. And the shipping was very fast. I ordered online and they must have sent the seeds out the next day! I just planted the seeds tonight so will have to wait and see how they do but for now, I'm very pleased.
Negative oldgaredneck
Roberta, GA
(Zone 8a)
(1 review)
March 23, 2007
Placed two separate orders a week apart - after multiple emails, finally received both orders SIX weeks later....
Buyer beware! I will NOT order from this company again....
Negative lazyox
Alton, MO
(4 reviews)
March 20, 2007
Good seed at great prices, but having waited over a month to receive my seeds two years in a row makes me unwilling to order from them again.

Last year I ordered late and so was patient knowing they are farmers, too, and were busy. But, I eventually e-mailed asking if I would ever receive my order. Their explanation was that they were holding my entire order for one back ordered variety. Well, I ended up getting the seed too late to plant most of it. What I did plant last year was mostly good, although some of the seed was substandard.They were apologetic, so I decided to give them another try.

It has been four weeks since I ordered, and I have not received my seed. The three other companies I ordered from sent my seed within a week. I called today and was told that they are running three weeks behind. I asked them to cancel my order if it had not shipped yet, as it is too late to start most of the seeds. The lady I was talking to checked her shipping log and told me that my name was not on it. Then she told me, "But my shipping log is innaccurate." She is supposed to call me tomorrow.

My impression is that this company has grown too fast and has not kept up organizationally. In this day of instant gratification, they need to update their systems and get more help if they want to compete. If they don't want to compete they should make it very clear in their catalog that you should not order from them if you need your seed within a month.

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