The scoop on 'Johnny's Selected Seeds'

Company Profile   Johnny's Selected Seeds Johnny's Selected Seeds has 1889 products listed in PlantScout. Mailing Address: 955 Benton Avenue Winslow, Maine 04901 (United States) Phone: (207) 861-3900 Fax: 1-800-437-4290 Catalog Order Page: Hyperlink Paper Catalog Cost: Free in US, Canada & Mexico » E-Mail them » Visit their website Recent reviews: Past month Past 6 Months Past 12 Months Positive 0 3 16 Neutral 0 0 2 Negative 0 0 2 This company offers a variety of plants and seeds. This company specializes in: Plants: Vegetables Seeds: Vegetables Other helpful information: Accepts retail and wholesale orders Gift certificates or vouchers are available Member of Mailorder Gardening Association Member of National Garden Bureau Signed Safe Seed Pledge

Company Comment, posted on July 03, 2002:   Johnny's Selected Seeds provides quality vegetable, herb and flower seeds and flower bulbs--as well as a full line of gardening/small-grower accessories--to home garden and commercial growers. An independent company since 1973, Johnny's prides itself on its superior product, research, technical information, and service. All of Johnny's seeds and accessories are thoroughly tested at their 40-acre certified organic farm in Albion, Maine, and are backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Phone or fax orders received before noon weekdays are shipped that afternoon. Orders received after noon are shipped the next working day. Your call is initially answered by an automated attendant, however, it's easy to reach a real person. And, the staff is very knowledgeable about gardening. Johnny's is proud to be a member of the Safe Seed Initiative, and we invite organizations, governments, businesses, and individuals to join us. Johnny's Mission Statement: "To provide superior product, research, technical information, and service to critical home gardeners, and specialty and small commercial growers." Johnny's donates a portion of profits to garden-related charities. For more information, visit the company web site at Johnnyseeds.com

Feedback History and Summary   207 positives 12 neutrals 16 negatives

Comments:

Rating Author Content Positive carlntam San Diego, CA (1 review) October 05, 2009 We're very happy with the shungiku (edible chrysanthemum) seeds bought in August from Johnny's. Initially we had problem with our check card and Jeff in customer service department was extremely patient and courteous. The seeds were sent promptly as soon as our card was re-activated. We planted them 3 weeks ago, and now we're having hundreds of baby shungiku plants about 1 to 2 inches tall. We will return to Johnny's for other seeds, for sure. Positive packetpete Feeding Hills, MA (6 reviews) July 21, 2009 Oh the quality is superb! Beautiful paper packets - environmentally friendly and recyclable with nicely nested seeds contained within - Very Very High germination - Please visit if you can - a wonderful place in the great State of Maine - Positive baffledq Salt Lake City, UT (Zone 6b) (3 reviews) June 22, 2009 I order from johnny's every year. Their seeds have incredible germination rates, and the heirlooms come true to their label, something I've had problems with from other mail-order seed companies. They have a lot of organic seed for sale as well, and more organic varieties are coming online every year. Excellent company with excellent value!! Neutral Calalily South Padre Island, TX (Zone 10a) (32 reviews) May 08, 2009 I was happy to find Johnny's online because seeds aren't always available here when it's time to plant. I had questions so I called the company and spoke to a very nice man in customer service. My order total came to around $40 and was shipped priority and arrived in 5 days. Shipping was around $10. I planted the seeds immediately, the germination on most was good. The second time I placed an order, also by phone, girl was not as nice as the first guy, order came to around $40, shipping was $10, order was sent regular mail and took 2 weeks to arrive. I have no idea why different shipping methods were used. I wasn't offered a shipping option when the order was placed. I would still have given the company a positive rating based on customer service, shipping and selection. Here are the two problems that I encountered with Johnny's seeds and why I give this company a neutral rating: germination on many items was terrible and seed packs contained more than one variety. The tomato seeds had 20% of another variety, the carrots had 3 different kinds of carrots when they matured, the lettuce contained two different kinds of lettuce seed. Germination of several packets was terrible, although when I replanted with seeds from another company I got excellent garmination. Company representative comment on September 08, 2009: On Sep 8, 2009 9:46 AM, Johnny's Selected Seeds responded with: Hi! Please contact our customer service department - they will be happy to help you and clarify the problems you had. We want you to be happy - please contact us today! Daria Walton, Webmaster, Johnny's Selected Seeds. Positive anitar49 Ridgeley, WV (7 reviews) May 01, 2009 My order was shipped quickly. Very good selection of some hard to find items in their catalog with growing information. I'd considered trying endive for a few years and their catalog was the only one I found with endive seeds. Positive beherenow6 Allenwood, PA (3 reviews) April 20, 2009 I love Johnny's for the great variety, high quality, and perfect delivery. They are a little pricey, but you get what you pay for. Plus, they have items you just can't find anywhere else, like my favorite Caselode peas. One of the best! Positive auntkel New Lothrop, MI (4 reviews) April 19, 2009 I placed 2 recent orders with Johnny's, both orders were completely correct and arrived in a very short time. I was hesitant to order at first when I read the warnings posted here about Johnny's getting seed from Monsanto, but after looking at the Johnny's web site I feel assured that they are committed to ethical and environmentally responsible practices. Positive jnaakins Othello, WA (6 reviews) April 15, 2009 I love Johnny's vegetable seeds! They outperformed my nursery transplants last year by far. This year I ordered more varieties and can't wait to watch them grow. They always ship quickly, and when I ordered a variety that went into backorder and then later weren't able to fulfill it, I was sent a refund check right away. Customer service has been great. This year I ordered flower seeds (impatiens and phlox- and some others I haven't sown yet) and so far have had TERRIBLE luck getting them to germinate, but I'm assuming that it could be me, or the species in general. Im not sure, but my rating stands. I'll definitely order again :) Positive purshia Bend, OR (1 review) March 23, 2009 I've been ordering seed from Johnny's since their first years in business. I don't order every year because my garden is small and I often have seed left over. In fact, when I check for germination in old seed I find I have more Johnny's packets at the end than any others. Their seed prep facilities must be first rate. I was sorry to read about the problems some people had with Johnny's' website purchases in the past couple of years. I have had mixed results ordering online from several otherwise good seed companies (not necessarily Johnny's), so I now routinely order from all of them by phone. I called in this year's order last Friday and it arrived in the mail today (Monday). Maine to Oregon in 3 days -- that's fast. I also had a very pleasant ordering experience with the person on the phone line, which I find to be the norm with Johnny's and most other seed companies I do business with. After reading past comments by other folks here, I can sympathize with some of their feelings of suspicion and mistrust. As the owner of a small business, myself, I can only say that everyone is human, everyone makes mistakes. My dealings with this company have always left me with the feeling that they are honest, high-minded people who are working hard to make the green world better, for both plants and gardeners. Johnny's has always focused on offering seeds for home gardeners who want quality, taste and environmentally friendly products. When they started, there weren't many seed companies interested in this. I am thrilled that they are still around to see the new interest in locally grown food, green products, etc. I also consider their catalog to be the most complete and informative gardening book out there, bar none. And I have never had a negative experience that I can recall, in 30+ years of buying from them. That's a pretty amazing record, I think. One more thing that, for me, is germane to my ordering experience, is the ongoing shift Johnny's is making from sole proprietorship to employee-owned. As a co-owner of small business (not garden-related) interested in making a similar change, I have a special feeling for other business owners who are moving this way. I believe it is the wave of the future, an antidote to the soulless corporate culture that has stripped the life from so many industries and hapless workers. Having struggled to make this happen in our own small company, I know the commitment it takes to make this happen, and I salute Rob Johnston for instituting this. It means he sees his employees as family and that's the kind of company I want to support with my own dollars. Negative okcboo Yukon, OK (1 review) March 23, 2009 I searched through johnnyseeds.com and was ready to order $30 worth of seed. I read the negative review regarding Johnny's using seeds from Monsanto and stopped order immediately. I confirmed through the link that Johnny's does in fact use seeds from Monsanto. Do not order from Johnny's or any other company using Monsanto! Company representative comment on September 08, 2009: On Sep 8, 2009 9:48 AM, Johnny's Selected Seeds responded with: Please read this article for more information. Johnny's is NOT affiliated with Monsanto: http://www.johnnyseeds.com/pdf/Who_Owns_Johnnys.pdf Thank you, Daria Walton, Webmaster, Johnny's Selected Seeds Positive SC_weedz Gilbert, SC (4 reviews) March 21, 2009 Johnny's is an excellent seed source. I have ordered from them for years, and have never had a cause for complaint. They are the 'gold standard' for seed companies, in my opinion. The times I've queried them about a product or seed, they have responded promptly and helpfully. Orders are promptly filled and shipped. My only "complaint" is that they are so far from my gardening zone- I wish they had even more items suitable for the hot, humid, disease ridden, ant infested, weedy Southern garden I'm tending ;) Negative GrannyBgood Mount Vernon, ME (1 review) March 20, 2009 I was planning to buy several varieties of seeds from Johnny's, and then I read THIS: http://www.opednews.com/articles/A-Call-to-Boycott-Monsanto-... And was Shocked to see Johnny's on the list of those who use Monsanto seeds (Seminis) , especially since many of my organic gardening friends use them. Please re-think your policy, and don't thtink you cabn just hide this! Company representative comment on March 20, 2009: On Mar 20, 2009 3:51 PM, Johnny's Selected Seeds responded with: This is simply not true. Please see Johnny's front page of the website for accurate information. http://www.johnnyseeds.com/home.aspx Thank you. Alisa Keimel Marketing & PR Manager Positive andreen Edgerton, WY (1 review) March 17, 2009 I recently ordered seeds from Johnnys Selected Seeds. The seeds arrived promptly, all were packaged in the United States. Now to see if Maine seeds will grow in the high desert of Wyoming, cold nights, hot days, limited water, Positive lilygrandma Ellijay, GA (11 reviews) March 16, 2009 I have been ordering from Johnny's for several years and have been very impressed with their seeds and service. My order this year was filled within 8 days (all the way from Maine!) with no missing packets. I also like their selection, and have had good germination with their seeds. Positive musquash Des Moines, IA (3 reviews) March 10, 2009 Wow. Johnn'y's sends your order out immediately. If something is not in stock, they send out what they have in stock, then send rest of your order as soon as they get it. So far, I have gotten the seeds that were out of stock much sooner then they originally said. Great customer service. Positive Amita Richmond, MA (3 reviews) March 10, 2009 I ordered my seeds online on Friday March 6. Less than 24 hours later, I received an e-mail notice that my order had been shipped. The seeds were in my mailbox on Monday. Great service! I usually order a few packets of seeds from each of several different catalogs (trying to support as many good companies as possible). Next time, I'll place the bulk of my order with Johnny's. Positive stormyla Norristown, PA (Zone 6b) (15 reviews) February 20, 2009 Shortly before Christmas, I ordered a Cedar Compost bin from this Company. I had searched the web for this particular item and found that even with the shipping charges, Johnny's was $50 cheaper than competitors. I expected to receive it some time in the end of December. It arrived in 3 days!!! It was very well packed and all parts were there and it was as easy to assemble as they claimed. The quality is quite good and the ease of opening it is very helpful. When I tried to order it through the website, I experienced difficulties. I called the Company late at night and left a message telling them that I needed help placing an order. They called back on the next business day and took my order. After such a pleasant experience I decided to order a nifty compost aerating tool called "The Compost Crank". I ordered it with no trouble through the website. The website showed that the item would be available in early January. Very promptly, I received an email confirming the order and estimating shipping in the first week of January. The tool arrived in Mid January. It was well packed and all parts and instructions were included. I can't praise this tool enough. It is well made, easy to use and makes quick and easy work out of a tough job. Based on my experiences, I will be ordering more tools from this company as they carry hard to find, unusual items. They speak with experience of using the tools and I have faith in their product recommendations. Positive flaco_guapo Brooklyn, NY (2 reviews) February 19, 2009 Excellent germination rates last year (much better than Park Seed's). Recommended. Positive jennoz Rochester, NY (1 review) February 15, 2009 They were one of the very few seed companies that made super-picky gardener Steve Solomon's list for the Northeast in his book "Gardening when it Counts" so I figured I would at least get good quality seed that germinates well and comes true as labelled. I ordered a packet of Copra Onion seeds, Lemon Cucumber seeds, Sugar Snap Pea seeds and 25lbs of Yukon Gold seed potatoes, which wont ship until April. I got everything about a week and a half after my mail order left my mailbox- VERY timely! I would HIGHLY recommend them for seed potatoes, you wont find a better price or anything even comparable anywhere. I purchased 25lbs for $16.75 plus $14.00 shipping for a toal of $30.75 for 25 lbs of seed potatoes. From Ronnigers it would cost $60.66 all total for the same thing, $41.95 for only 20lbs from Wood Prarie Farm, and $62.50 from the Seed Savers Exchange. As long as my crop turns out well, I will be purchasing my seed potatoes from them forevermore, thats almost the same price per pound they charge at the grocery store for Yukon Gold eating potatoes! And from what I hear and read, I wont even have to deal with poor quality as a result of getting such a good deal! Gotta love it!! Neutral lareinedujardin Ridgefield, CT (1 review) January 10, 2009 I too was affected by the hacking incident at Johnny's seeds and was very inconvenienced by having to get a new card and cancel various other orders. It would have been nice if they had offered those affected free shipping or something to compensate us. Because they did not, I did not order from them last year. I am giving them a "neutral" because they are still a good company and hopefully have learned something from this. Positive d_montaigne El Cerrito, CA (4 reviews) July 24, 2008 I was looking for a source for Belgian Endive (Chicory) seeds as well as some other, more normal, veggies for a cool-weather garden. The Endive will be an experiment, but the Mache should work, even during our rainy season--assuming we get one later on... After reading the reviews of Johnny's here at Garden Watchdog, I tried their website for myself last Friday afternoon (the 18th). I tried to order four packets of seeds, but my "shopping cart" only had two items in it, so I decided to order by phone. I called and spoke to a nice guy who let me know that all the seeds were in stock, and that they would be sent out on Monday (the 21st). I'd like everyone to know that the seeds arrived here yesterday--only two days after their stated shipping date!--and that there was additional growing information about the Endive in with the seeds. One additional item will be shipped in October, but the Johnny's order assistant and I were both clear about that on the phone. As always, I will watch my charge-card statement carefully, but in this case I believe the proverb "Once burned, twice shy" will rule. If I find out differently, I'll let everyone here know, but so far, so good! Company representative comment on July 25, 2008: On Jul 25, 2008 10:56 AM, Johnny's Selected Seeds added: Hi there - I wanted to take a moment and thank you, very much, for your business and for the second chance. We appreciate the opportunity to regain your trust. We wish you a great growing season! Sincerely, Alisa Alisa Keimel Marketing & PR Manager, Johnny's Neutral markc125 Winthrop, ME (4 reviews) April 01, 2008 Great selection, great tools. The collinear hoe is a great time saver. Seed prices are expensive as is shipping, even to a few towns away. I've had mixed success with germination. I prefer treated seeds and they do not offer this in many varieties. Positive rosethyme Denton, TX (Zone 7b) (11 reviews) March 07, 2008 This season was my first experience of ordering from Johnny's. My order arrived promptly and in good condition. I accidentedly ordered some treated Star Ship squash seeds which I didn't want. I emailed Cathe at Johnny's and she promptly sent out an untreated packet... free of charge. Cathe's customer service is excellent and it's nice to know there are companies left that try to make us gardeners happy. I will definitely order from Johnny's again. Karen Positive Ladykitsu Westminster, CO (4 reviews) February 23, 2008 I placed an order with Johnny's last year in 2/07, and had no problems with them at all. I like their "mini" packs since I don't typically use all the seed in a normal packet. I ordered a wide selection of veggies and the germination rate on all of them was fantastic, which also helped when you want to save money. I didn't have any shipping problems (it arrived quickly), or mixups with the order either. I will definatly buy from them in the future. Positive icebear Lisbon, ME (3 reviews) February 22, 2008 Johnny's is a great company, i have been ordering seeds from them for many years. I have been too busy the last couple (2)seasons to have the time to start seeds and get them planted out, so i can't wait to recieve this years order. One thing i think is so great is that some of the seeds i still have from YEARS (as many as 4) ago still germinated impressively when i tested them. I have called them before with general planting and care questions and was always treated very well and given excellent information. Their catalog is among the most highly anticipated, i always look forward to finding it in my mailbox. Positive dberylr Carlton, GA (1 review) November 15, 2007 i had some four year old broccoli seed from johnny's on hand and thought, oh, what the heck, and threw them all in a container. i do believe 100% came up. they're outdoors now, and i snip off a small salad every few days. no need to wait for heading up, the leaves make a good salad. i want to remark on the people who have had an unhappy experience ordering online. don't do it, with this or any company. there is invariably an 800 number to call, it's safe, and you can ask any questions you have at the time. Neutral Dobitus Colorado Springs, CO (1 review) July 25, 2007 I got a letter from the company about my credit card theft like many others. I agree with other comments that an email would have prevented much grief, but that takes quick action on the part of Johnny's. I am satisfied with the product, although the shipping seems expensive. The service is good, and you can't argue with the selection. I will order from them again, but will not use a credit card again. Sorry, but that's the price of not staying on your toes in this business. Positive GroundHogKiller Kennett Square, PA (4 reviews) June 05, 2007 After last years disastrous experience with Gurney's I found a local source of bean seeds (Johnny's) and had great success with their germination rates and quality. After this spring's problems with Vermont Bean, I planted last year's leftover bush beans from Johnny's and had approximately 90% germination which is excellent from year old seeds. I will use them again in the future and stay far away from Gurney's and Vermont Bean. Positive saintartaud Kansas City, MO (Zone 5b) (8 reviews) May 27, 2007 I ordered a bunch of seeds from this company this spring and am pleased with the results so far. The Cherokee Purple tomatoes were most impressive--very robust, resilient plants. I've also had good results with the common mint, holy basil, Roman chamonile, and foxgloves. Just planted the Wampum corn (untreated) and Autumn Beauty sunflowers, so can't speak yet on quality. They have a good selection of green manures too and in smaller amounts than many companies sell. It's also worth mentioning that their website is east to navigate, and their catalog is well designed. Would definitely buy seeds from them again. Positive loveofdirt Plymouth, MA (3 reviews) May 22, 2007 I have ordered seeds from this company several times over the years (but in light of the new and sneaky ways theives have I will go get one of those paid temporary cc to shop online with) and I am always pleased. We actually didn't order this year because we had so many seeds left from them, some years old, and decided to try them. Much to our surprise they have all come up under the grow lites so no order this year but I will be back to order from Johnnys at the next cabin fever itch. Positive philiph Carterville, IL (2 reviews) May 18, 2007 We purchased a variety of seeds from Johnny's, including two types of beets, the purple haze carrots, peppers, arugula, and several varietals of tomatoes. I'm pleased to report that within a short time of planting, all of our vegetables were growing and looking great, much better than seeds and plants we had purchased elsewhere. Last night we made our first arugula salad, which was wonderful, and reminded me that I should leave a positive review here. Additionally, I was impressed with their customer service representative over the phone and with their website, which is easy to navigate. And lastly, thanks to Dave's Garden, where I found the positive reviews that led me to Johnny's in the first place. Negative girlnextdoor Dane, WI (2 reviews) May 14, 2007 I think Johnny's seed selection is great, they have unique varieties at fairly reasonable prices. My negative is the ID Theft. I was a victim. I read their response and believe that they are honestly trying to fix the problem, but that doesn't put aside the fact that this was the first time I ordered from this company, and I may NEVER order again. I had to get a new Credit Card, call everyone I had recently placed an order with and tell them to change my card on file, or when they tried to run my card they would get a invalid # warning. I had to get credit reports and am still watch dogging them. I work in retail, and know they were very lucky that no one has yet used one of those stolen cards, or the fines levied against the company would be unsurmountable. It is a huge offense to not protect CC data. I ordered over $100 in seeds and was charged a very high shipping rate for a very small package. How about a good faith offer for those of us who had to go through this. Credit my shipping cost from this year; Send me a COUPON for free shipping over $25 for next year, or just a coupon free seeds based on a minimum purchase. Try to keep me as a customer, keeping my data safe is something that is required, going above that will keep me buying. Positive Xythria Lancaster, PA (1 review) May 13, 2007 I was a container gardener until this year. I have been buying a modest variety of seeds from this company for about 3 years, all of which have produced excellently. My orders are always shipped fast. The Sarian strawberry seeds I bought this year actually started germinating in 2-3 days and the hanging planter is now packed, so I am thrilled. I am still using some seeds from 2004 and they are sprouting and happy. Positive yentzn1 East Orleans, MA (12 reviews) May 08, 2007 I've always had positive experiences with Johnny's seeds. While I increased my ordering from a company that immediately dropped Monsanto variety, I believe that Johnny's is working hard to find substitutes and will ease out Monsanto seeds as soon as they're feasible.(Though I have no concrete knowledge of this except for a brief interview/quote from Rob Johnston). Please don't lose faith in this company. In fact, most other main seed houses also still carry the monsanto seeds, (Nichols,territorial,etc....). Company representative comment on May 09, 2007: On May 9, 2007 8:06 AM, Johnny's Selected Seeds added: Hi there - Johnny's carries a few varieties produced by Seminis Seed, which is now owned by Monsanto. I want to make this distinction because many seed companies had a relationship with Seminis before they were purchased. A part of Johnny's mission is to provide customers with quality, unique varieties. If customers demand varieties that only Seminis carries, we will provide those. However, as Johnny's finds varieties that are in all ways suitable to replace a Seminis variety, Johnny's replaces it with a variety from another vendor. We are slowly phasing out Seminis varieties, without harming customer demand for certain varieties. If anyone has further questions about this, please feel free to call us toll-free at 1-877-564-6697 and we'd be happy to talk to you about it further. Sincerely, Johnny's Selected Seeds Positive adadia Glenmoore, PA (Zone 6b) (24 reviews) April 25, 2007 I ordered several packets of seeds and some seed starting items from Johnny's this spring. Unfortunately, I had some serious problems with the post office - I moved last year and notified the PO, but they changed my address temporarily instead of permanently like I had been told. To make a long story short, when Johnny's shipped my order it was redirected by the PO to the wrong address (I think). Anyhow, I corrected the problem with the PO as soon as I found out, Johnny's re-sent the order to the correct address as soon as they were informed of the problem, and I got everything soon after. I am pleased with the way Johnny's handled my shipping problem, but I did end up receiving the seeds too late for planting cool weather spring crops-I blame that on the PO, not Johnny's. All in all, Johnny's got my order to me in a reasonable amount of time despite the PO's mistake. I would order from Johnny's again. Positive jbozarth Bolingbrook, IL (3 reviews) April 18, 2007 I ordered Mexican Sunflower (Torch) and Black Dragon Coleus seed from Johnny's in Feb. Seed arrived promptly in the mail, but largely failed to germinate. I ended up with a half dozen Torch, given the size of these plants relative to my yard that is enough. Called customer service to complain on the poor germination of the coleus though. They promptly sent a new seed packet and this time the germination rate was fine. Negative JimStout Phoenix, AZ (1 review) April 16, 2007 I am disgusted my mikeinmaine's fingerwagging. You didn't have to deal with a stolen identity because of the oversight and disregard for security of this company. I did. The fact that they didn't have antivirus on their computers, the fact that someone had access to all 12,000 credit card numbers, and the fact that they were unencrypted is just plain sloppy. How do they respond? A snail mail letter a few weeks after it happened! How many people threw it away thinking it was junk mail? How many people don't realize that this company put their finances at risk? As far as I am concerned, they deserve all of the bad press they can get. On April 17th, 2007, JimStout added the following: I understand that no one hacked into the system, by why would one person be able to read all 12,000 credit cards just by logging into a system? Why were the card numbers not encrypted/obfuscated/in an easy to steal format in the first place? Why were there not layers between the internet and intranet with sensitive information in the first place? That is extremely poor computer infrastructure. A letter seems very impersonal. Putting the burden on the customer to fix this situation seems like you are passing the buck. I almost threw that letter away. How many people are still unaware that you allowed their personal information to be exposed? How many of your customers had their cards used? Do you have any hard numbers? If you were a bit more proactive, perhaps with a phone call like was suggested earlier, I wouldn't be so upset. Now that this fiasco is winding down, all you have to do is worry about bad press while I have to deal with the paranoia because your company allowed someone to steal my money. Company representative comment on April 16, 2007: On Apr 16, 2007 10:37 AM, Johnny's Selected Seeds added: Dear Dave's Garden Community, Folks who were affected by the theft have every right to be upset. The stealing of credit card data was inexcusable. No doubt about that. Johnny's takes this theft extremely seriously and we are making necessary changes to prevent it from ever happening again. The increasing frequency of these crimes is disturbing and many, many companies are finding themselves in a similar and unfortunate position. Johnny's is deeply sorry the theft occurred. Our response, we think, was very fast (within 8 days of discovery). Johnny's chose to notify customers immediately, which is not necessarily the practice in these situations. Many companies choose not to notify customers for months while there is an ongoing investigation. We felt, however, it was important to be honest up front. Drafting the letter, having it printed, and then mailed took 7 days. We encourage our customers to call us and talk to us. 1-877-564-6697. It's toll-free. Call us. We would be happy to answer your questions. I wanted to address some of the statements being made, however, and lend perspective to the situation. We also have a FAQ available upon request for those who would like more information. Johnny's absolutely has security in its business and on the website. We absolute do have anti-virus scanners. On every machine, and we've had them constantly. Data on the website is indeed encrypted. Here were the weaknesses: 1. We had a single anti-virus program running on all machines. The libraries are updated every time there is an update available. We did not, however, have 3 anti-virus programs running. It is a fact that a single anti-virus program is not enough to capture all the nasty things thieves can throw at a system. We now have 3 in place, and nothing is getting through. 2. There is encryption on the site. The thieves did not hack into the web databse. They did not brute force an entry. They logged on with a valid username and password into a secured portion of the website and downloaded a small portion of order files. It was as if they were one of Johnny's employees. How they gained access to this information, we do not know yet. The FBI is still conducting an investigation. Credit card details are fully encrypted absolutely everywhere on the website and access to this information also now protected by requiring VPN restricted access as well as windows authentication, as well as admin interface user authentication - 3 tiers of secured access. Johnny's fully accepts and understands customer disappointment, anger, and upset. We feel the same way about this. We are sorry this happened. Johnny's 34-year business has been built on a firm foundation of excellent product and customer service. Our rating here, even with recent negative postings, is outstanding. This is the first situation to produce a mar on Johnny's otherwise unblemished reputation and we are asking customers to take a breath and to try to empathize. It doesn't excuse the theft. Nothing can do that. We are asking for folks to be human and to allow us to make the changes necessary to resolve the issue and to provide us with, we think, a much deserved second chance. Kind regards, Johnny's Selected Seeds service@johnnyseeds.com 1-877-564-6697 Positive mikeinmaine Brunswick, ME (1 review) April 15, 2007 I am extremely annoyed at the negative dings people have showered on Johnny's because of a matter that wasn't their fault. Their commitment to customer service is clear and of long standing. There is usually not a problem with an order, but if there is, a short phone call is all it takes to straighten the matter out perfectly. The seeds are of the best quality, the planting instructions clear, the growing suggestions are perfect-- and if someone has trouble because of a microclime issue or questions because of some other factor, an intelligent person on the other end of the phone or email will provide good, solid clear guidelines. This is an utterly outstanding company, and people whining because someone else gained access to their credit card information through theft should be ashamed of themselves. I wonder how well they would cope with a problem of this magnitude! A glance at the actual feedback for Johnny's will reveal only the barest minimum of complaint over the years save for this one issue. Johnny's will keep my custom, and they remain the firm I will suggest first when friends ask for advice on where to obtain seeds and gardening equipment. Mike Connelly Brunswick, Maine Positive bagel_k Central, NJ (Zone 6b) (11 reviews) April 15, 2007 I ordered some seeds from them last winter. The shipment was fast and seeds are great, very good germination rate seems like 100%. They have very interesting and large selection and nice catalog. I think it is sad that their rating went down because of data stolen from their computers. I also got their letter about my credit card information being stolen, and had to cancel my credit card number. I wish they deleted my personal information after they received my payment. But I hope they've learned their lesson and will get better virus protection for their computers. I'll order again. Negative elkwc36 Elkhart, KS (21 reviews) April 15, 2007 Their response to the credit card situation was poor at best. If I ever order from them in the future it will be through the mail and by check and that is only if I can't get the product anywhere else. And for some to get their notices 7 days or more later than the first is also uncalled for. I don't care if they would of had to pay overtime to call these people they should have. I hope they have learned their lesson but by their by their attutude I have my doubts. There is other vendors out there that really care about customers. On April 19th, 2007, elkwc36 added the following: I was involved in a similar case with another online transaction and was called immediately upon them finding the problem. And assume all others were also. I know it may cost a little more and also they may have to pull some people off other duties fora day or so. But those people may have plenty of time in the future if enough take their business elsewhere as it is evident it isn't a very high priority with Johnny's. If they would come out and say they made a big mistake in notifying people it would be different. We all make mistakes but to uphold their poor response just makes you think they would do it the same way if it happened again. JMO On January 12th, 2009, elkwc36 changed the rating from neutral to negative and added the following: The total lack of response by Johnny's show their lack of concern for their customers and the inconvenience they experienced.

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