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On Jun 17, 2008, johnsvmf Morgantown, WV (Zone 6a) wrote:
I placed an order for 2 plants in mid February 2008 that Hirt's indicated were in stock and would be delivered in days. 30 Days after I placed the order (mid March) I called to inquire about the status and I was told they would ship early spring. 60 days later I received a snail mail notification that the primary plant I wanted was not in stock. I called to cancel the order since Hirt's didn't reduce the cost of shipping and I only ordered the plant they had in stock to defray the shipping cost in the first place.
I was informed that the lone plant was en route. Hirt's customer service told me to refuse shipping and I would receive a full refund to include shipping. 60 days after the plant was returned and Hirt's didn't refund my money I again inquired about my account status. I received unprofessional treatment and was generally given a hard time. Since I placed the order through Amazon I decided to seek resolution through them. Amazon refunded my money with 8 hours of investigating the situation.
I had previously purchased peonies and fruit trees from Hirt's gardern and everything was fine. This experience was unrewarding and I will not be back.
I tried this company for the first time this year for their unusual seeds. The package came in a reasonable time. All the seeds were in small ziplock bags and no planting information. Planting per normal recommendation for the pant types I got resulted in very poor performance. Less than 30% of the cauliflower germinated and less than 5% of the spinach. I have received no feedback from the compnay and their website leaves you with the impression that seed sales are "as is" with no guarantee. Needless to say - I may be shopping around in the future.
On a good note - all the Hmong Cucumbers did germinate. This is the only company that seems to have Red Hmong Cuke seeds.
Purchased two kinds of lily bulbs. They came in paper bags marked in black felt tip pen.
Arrived dead. They told me to follow package directions and send them back to Holland Bulb company. I wrote back to tell him there were not package directions and they did not respond. I looked up contact information and called the number. I asked if Alan Hirt was available and he asked what the call was about. He said I had the wrong number. I asked if I had dialed (and read the number aloud) he said I had mis-dialed. I dialed redial and read that the number did match the contact number he gave. Subsequent calls all resulted in hangups on his end.
Ebay said that he is required to have legitimate contact information and says I can also report him via Paypal "significantly different from description." I did this as well. With such a negative history, why don't people shut them down?
On Jun 9, 2008, PaisleyRioux Manhattan, London, NY wrote:
Ladybugs arrived within a week of ordering. They were humanely packed and appeared very healthy, even on one of the hottest days this year. Enclosed instructions were thorough. The ladybugs are about to dine on scale and aphids. Chomp, buglets, chomp! And then go forth and multiply!
My best friend and I are both avid gardeners. We went in together to purchase 2 prayer plants from this company in an eBay auction a few months ago. The auction was for 2 different kinds of prayer plants, one that she wanted and the other one was for me.
They arrived 2 weeks later. Many of the leaves on my friend's plant were crumpled, broken and torn. She removed the damaged leaves and the plant has since grown back.
On the green one that was mine, a lot of the leaves had large brownish spots and brown edges. I removed the leaves with spots but new spots kept coming up on other leaves. My friend and I sent several emails to Hirt's asking for help. They only answered one of the emails, in which they asked for pictures of the plants. We sent the pictures then heard nothing more from them. No apology, no offer to replace the plants or offer a refund. They did not even answer our requests for advice on how to get rid of the leaf spots from my plant. This company is severely lacking any kind of good customer service ethic.
Luckily, I decided to purchase another prayer plant from a different ebay seller to replace the one I got from Hirt's. That seller not only sent me a bigger, healthy prayer plant but she also helped me get rid of the leaf spots on the other prayer plant I got from Hirt's.
I ordered 4 plants from Hirts off Ebay, they arrived packaged safely and shipped promptly. All the plants were rather large for on-line plants and looked nice and healthy and have shown growth since being planted. Overall considering the other reviews here I have to say I was pleased with my purchases and would consider buying from them again.
Purchased a bunch of stuff via multiple orders from their website. Everything came except for one order, 2 sets of netted peat pellets, a whopping $5 of price. It didn't come. After repeated attempts via email I was told "USPS has it marked delivered, ask them where your stuff is." This company has no idea of customer service.
SAME AS THE OTHERS
I ordered through amazon.com. I ordered tomato plants and vegetable seeds in April and they sent the plants US mail and it was 19 degrees here and snowing so the plants arrived frozen solid. When they thawed they were limp and dead and I notified them immediately. and they were very rude and will not refund my money or replace them. I have a complaint in with the Ohio Attorney General and BBB right now,so I am hoping they will help me......I am in a very rural area and very far from stores and unable to drive the distance to the grocery store very often so I wanted to grow fresh vegetables at home.
I have not planted the seeds yet as it is still freezing here,so I don't know whether they will grow or not.
A bad business! Won't find a repeat customer here. The negatives reviews on here, Amazon, & Ebay are right. I received a damaged plant (many broken branches, droopy leaves, dry soil). I contacted them, they asked to send pictures, I sent them multiple pictures as proof, didn't hear from them since. There are good and bad mail-order businesses out there, this is a bad one.
On Apr 29, 2008, dogwalker Marlborough, MA (Zone 5b) wrote:
I ordered a Monkshood from Hirts through Ebay. Made my payment right away. Plant arrived about a week later. It was in a very small box filled with those white peanuts. When I took the plant out I found that it was damaged. The stock was about 5 inchs long but was bent and broken about 1 inch from the soil. When I called they told me to take a picture of the damaged plant and email it to them. I guess they didn't trust me over a $7.00 plant. I took the picture and emailed it along with the invoice. About 2 days later I got an email back that said, "just cut the stem below the damage, it will grow back".
That was it!
No, "sorry sir about the damage"
No, "we will be glad to replace that plant for you".
No, "we'll be glad to refund your money sir".
All I got was CUT OFF THE DAMAGE.
If this is their idea of customer service, I don't know how they stay in business.
There are too many other places to buy my plants and spend my money then with someone who plainly shows that they really don't care.
On Apr 14, 2008, DallasDad Murphy, TX (Zone 8a) wrote:
I've had mixed results with Hirt's. Over the past six months or so, I've ordered a large number of things from them -- seeds, starter plants, and potted houseplants.
Most of the seeds have been viable. I had some trouble with a few varieties, so reordered and had trouble again (no germination). I called them to ask for culture instructions, and they didn't have any suggestions beyond what I was doing already. They did send me replacement seeds without my asking. Still no luck, so either the seeds are just no good or my germination technique is wrong.
Some of the starter plants I ordered during the winter arrived damaged. They appeared to have frozen slightly during transit. Hirt's replaced them. Once they asked me to email photos before replacing them. In each case, they both refunded my money AND sent replacement plants.
A few of the starter plants I ordered this spring (Feb and Mar) were pretty sickly-looking. Spindly and weak. They did not survive transplanting. I should probably have called and gotten replacements right away, but since I went ahead and put them into the ground, I didn't feel right complaining to the company weeks later when they died. (The hardy hibiscus were the worst problem. Of a flat of 25, only 10 lived. On the other hand, I ordered another flat of 5 later on, and all 5 are doing well. They were much larger and sturdier than the first group. Perhaps the first plants were too young to be shipped?)
The potted houseplants were exactly as advertised, and are all thriving.
I bought a daylily from Hirt's via Amazon. I received the plant within one week. It arrived in excellent shape in a 4 inch square pot, fully filling the pot ; it was also packed very well. I have bought daylilies from several suppliers and this plant was definitely in the better quality class.
On May 7th, 2009, mbabbitt changed the rating from positive to negative and added the following:
I ordered 2 diferent dahlias from them via Amazon -- 2 to a bag, 4 in all. I got dead stuff -- and nearly dead stuff. I will never buy from these guys again. They should never have been sold and should never have been sent. Their phone customer service is only 4 hours per day. Good luck getting through. When you get such garbage, you realize these people really don't care what you end up with. What a disgrace.On May 9th, 2009, mbabbitt added the following:
I tried the email address and asked for my money back. I got an email saying I would get a refund. At least that was good, but nonetheless, garbage like was sent me should never have been sold or sent in the first place. Have they heard of quality assurance or quality control? Obviously not.
I am soooo not impressed with this company. I found them as seed sellers on Ebay, and decided to peruse their website for exotic and tropical seeds. I placed an order of about $100 with them.
It took longer than I expected to receive my order. The seeds were packaged in tiny ziploc bags with VERY little information about the contents. I had to spend hours googling the genus info to know how to propagate and care for anything I planted.
As it turns out, all that time researching was completely wasted. NOT A SINGLE seed I received has sprouted. MANY were not even viable at the onset. Even the ones that did not float (i.e.--the test for viability) have done NOTHING.
I use the chamomile/hydrogen peroxide method of pre-soaking and scarified the hard seeds, and still have had NO LUCK. This method works with about a 90%+ success rate for me, usually. It HAS to be the seed quality. I am so disappointed to have gone through all the money and trouble of researching, waiting, planting, etc. just to have all hopes of pay-off dashed.
Luckily, I have since found Garden Store & More. Although they don't seem to carry the exotic and tropical non-flowering tree seeds I was hoping for, they have MANY, MANY other types of tropical and exotic plant seeds to choose from. Their customer service has also won me over, and 99% of the seeds they've sent me have germinated!
I really wouldn't recommend wasting your time or hard-earned money on Hirt's.
I GOT SOME PLANTS AND SEEDS FROM HIRTS THE PLANTS ARE NICE BUT THE SEEDS DID NOT GROW! THEY HAVE HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE! THE OWNER IS RUDE AND TERRIBLE TO DEAL WITH! BEWARE OF THIS COMPANY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have ordered from Hirt's greenhouse's website and also eBay for the past 2-3 years. My experience with them has been nothing but positive. I ordered 2 live plants, which ended up dying, but due to mistakes of my own, not theirs. The plants arrived in great condition. Problem was, I had not grown anything like them before and ended up doing them in myself. I have ordered several different types of seeds from them as well. Right now, I have gazania growing and doing wonderfully. I have recently planted some more seeds I had purchased from there and will update on those at a later date.
On Mar 16, 2008, tomatogrower21 Orange Park, FL wrote:
They may have wonderful products, but beware and make sure you read all the details regarding delivery dates.
Terrible customer service, I'm not sure they understand
they are dealing with people who can find other sources
for product where the seller is glad to have the business.
One time dealing with them was enough for me. And, yes,
I agree some of the positive "experiences" do sound
contrived.
I ordered picotee blue morning glory seeds from this company recently. It was the first time I heard of Hirts and thought I'd try them. The seeds arrived 4 days after my order. They were packed well and had good, very understandable planting instructions. i have started a few, so will see how well they germinate. If they do well, I definitly will order from them again!
On March 20th, 2008, dmdula added the following:
Well, planted 4 seeds out of 10 and the next day one was already up! turee days later, 2 more up! Will order from them again for sure!!!
On Mar 13, 2008, MistyPetals North Augusta, SC wrote:
I purchased two plants from this company on Ebay last spring and waited and waited and waited for them to bloom or do something. Summer came, not a leaf or anything else. These plants did absolutely NOTHING!!! I am more than a little disappointed.
I am very angry regarding this situation.
Tonight, I ordered seeds from a company named SEEDMART, which I now after 'winning', realize is affiliated with HIRTS. When I realized they were the same company, I quickly tore up the invoice. They can never have another dime of my money. They DISGUST me!
A better way to spend cash is to donate it to charity. Also, I have the sneaky suspicion their positive feedback here is self-produced. BEWARE!
End-rant
HELLO PEOPLE......
MY EXPERIENCE ON THIS COMPANY IS WORST; HORRIBLE ; I ORDER 1 ITEM ON EBAY BUT I FOUND OUT THAT THEY R CLOSED WHERE I LIVED SO, I CANCELLED IT COZ I WANT TO SEE IT IN PERSON SO I CALLED AND E-MAILED THEM AND THEY SAID NO PROBLEM ... SO I WENT THEM IN PERSON COZ I'M CURIOUS OF ONE ITEM HOW IT LOOK LIKE AND I ASKED HER WHERE IT IS THAT ITEM AND SHE QUICKLY REMOVE THE TAG AND TRY TO SELL ME THE WRONG ONE BUT I TOLD HER I WANT TO SEE THE TAG AND NAME WRONG AND THEN SHE CHANGE HER STORY SAYING THIS IS THE CLOSEST PLANT WE HAD...I STILL PURCHASED PLANTS AND WHEN I CAME HOME I READ MY E-MAIL THEY DIDN'T
CANCELLED IT I EVEN TALK TO A WORKER WHEN I WAS THERE SAYING THEY WILL TAKE CARE OF IT... SO I CALLED AGAIN AND THE I TALKED TO THE OWNER HE WAS REALLY RUDE ON THE PHONE. SO THOSE PEOPLE WHO WANTS TO ORDER ON THIS COMPANY WATCH-OUT !!!!AND GOODLUCK!!!!
On March 8th, 2008, rob1977 added the following:
exuse me for the spelling errors !!! it's our keyboard malfunctioning....thanks
On Mar 1, 2008, Jen_D Millerstown, PA (Zone 6b) wrote:
I just recently bought a Jenny Dahlia tuber from them. It arrived VERY quickly. It was well packaged and the tuber looked great. Price was decent as well. Would have no fear of buying from them again!
On Jan 30, 2008, Yinepu Athens, OH (Zone 6a) wrote:
I just got a Nepenthes ventricosa from them, and although it was below zero here and just above it there, it came in perfect condition. I also bought my Vanilla planifolia from them back before Christmas (again, horrible weather and even further south than where I am now), and it arrived in great shape. I think they are a great company once you get past the shipping ordeals some people have had with them.
On Jan 26, 2008, lakeeriegarden Lorain, OH (Zone 6a) wrote:
Ordered four packs of vegetable seeds at a better price than almost all of the competitors. Got them in TWO DAYS! I got a few extra seeds of each and they were clearly labeled and packaged nicely.
I ordered a goldfish plant from Hirt's through Amazon. It arrived rather quickly but it looked pretty beat up when I opened the box. I followed the instructions that were enclosed and within 24 hours it looked good as new. I lost about 20 small leaves (out of maybe 200-300) and there were a couple of broken stems. I just popped the broken stems in a shot glass and they are already trying to sent out roots. I'm pretty happy and am looking forward to doing business with them again.
On Jan 17, 2008, pajaritomt Los Alamos, NM (Zone 5a) wrote:
I ordered 5 packages of poppy seed from this company in October. Two were sent right away. Two were backordered but came within a few days. One never came at all. When I contacted the company by email to find out when the last one was to come, they told me that their records said they had already shipped it. I kind of doubt that since I have not had trouble with stuff missing in the mail and since the cultivar that never came is out of stock at many other nurseries. i will not order from this company again and should have paid attention to their poor rating here on watchdog.
I received an amayrillis bulb as a gift ordered from Hirt's. I knew what had been ordered for me so when I received something else, I contacted Hirt's. The customer service was awful. I asked why I didn't get what was ordered. Response: "we had an employee that wasn't paying attention to what she was doing." I was then told to return the in-correct bulb and they would "make a note" to send me the correct bulb next year!!! I asked if the gift sender had been notified that the correct bulb was not sent and was essentially told that that wasn't their problem. I finally told them that I would just advise the sender to longer do business with them.
Also, my sister-in-law received an amaryllis bulb from Hirts (same gift sender) and it was rotten.
I just received my first order from them, some morning glory seeds. They arrived in a reasonable time and had culture instructions. I decided not to plant them, though, for a couple of months until danger of freezing in the Riverside, CA area is past.
On Aug 22, 2007, Hillbilly_Gran Jasper, AR (Zone 7a) wrote:
I have purchased bulbs from them via Ebay, on several occasions. In one order I received nothing more than dried out husks, the date on the package was for the PREVIOUS year! They were replaced, but when the 1 that survived bloomed it was not what I ordered. None of the others, and we are talking about a dozen or so, never even sprouted!Whenever I find something I want and they are the seller---I look elsewhere. Buyer beware!!
August 20. 2007---Terrible experience with Hirt's through Amazon. The plants I received were a total disgrace. I had several conversations with Pam (she was always very nice) Allan is the owner and he is the problem. I sent him digital photos of the plants---no comment and this has been dragging on since July. No response no offer of any replacement so I took my only recourse and had my credit card remove the charge from my account.NOTE: IF YOU PAY BY CREDIT CARD YOU CAN HAVE THAT CHARGE REMOVED FROM YOUR BILL. YOU MUST PROVE YOUR CASE BUT THAT IS NO PROBLEM WHEN YOU KEEP YOUR PAPERWORK.
It is very obvious to me why they have such a negative record, it's a shame that Amazon deals with them. I would NEVER deal with them or say a good word about them in the future.
Beautiful variegated Mother of thousand..vibrant colors and large in size. Shipping was super fast, and plant well-packaged. Considering this is the first time I've seen the variegated version, I consider it hard-to-find..Even though it's rare, the price was exceptional..Thanks, Hirt's...Toni
On October 3rd, 2007, Toni05 added the following:
Received my second order from Hirts today..A cute, and very healthy, Calico Heart. Leaves are in pefect condition, insect-free.
Shipping was done with care, and arrived faster than I expected. On November 23rd, 2007, Toni05 added the following:
Received two beautiful episcias today from Hirts: Spearment Flame and Chocolate Cream..Each arrived in 4" pots; they're a lot larger than I expected for their prices.
Plants arrived a lot faster than I thought, especially since it's a holiday week. (Thanksgiving)
I also like the fact Hirts enclosed pots and Episcias in plastic since they dote on humidity. On March 11th, 2009, Toni05 added the following:
Received a Lace Leaf Aralia Tree today. Plant arrived in perfect condition. Stands 19" tall. Shipping was prompt, and plant well-packaged.
I didn't think to leave feedback for seeds ordered in January 2009.
Once again, shipping was quick, seeds labeled, and everything in order. No missing packs, no complications. Toni
On April 21st, 2009, Toni05 added the following:
Ordered a 'rare' Yellow Christmas Cactus. I received a very healthy specimen, quite full, in a 4" pot.
Plant was well-packaged, and arrived quickly.
Hirts has interesting varieties. Toni
On Jun 26, 2007, gator765 Hauppauge United States wrote:
I recently ordered from Hirt's Gardens for the second time. My plants (16 Serrano Peppers) arrived quickly and in great shape. Even better, the plants were advertised as 4" high but were more than 12" and already flowering. I know some people have had bad experiences, but my two transactions have been good.
I placed an order for 5 African Violets from Hirt's through Amazon. They arrived in a timely manner however they were a real big mess. The 4" pots were set into a Priority Mailing box with nothing covering them. On top of this they had poured styrafoam packing peanuts. One of the five plants was still upright the rest had spilled. Soil was stuck to the leaves of the plants, most of the leaves were damaged.
I contacted there customer service twice and have never heard back. I could of returned them but having purchased through Amazon and using a gift certificate I could only receive credit or replacement. I had little doubt the shipping would improve with replacements so I attempted to salvage the plants.
They appeared to have been beautifully full developed plants when they went into the box for shipping but are now not much more than starter plants and I'm not sure they will make it.
Needless to say I will never order from Hirt's again.
On Jun 6, 2007, amandaemily Colville, WA (Zone 5b) wrote:
I purchased Chicago Hardy fig from one of their eBay auctions and it arrived quickly and safely packed (there was even tape over the pot to keep the dirt in it - I've received many plants from others in the mail with dirt spilled all over the box)
I found this company by doing an ebay search for a particular plant that I was having trouble finding elsewhere. They had a good ebay rating, so I took a chance and am really glad that I did. I have never before received such nice plants in such good shape. They were very large, very healthy, very well packaged (not even a crinkled leaf) and arrived in record time. I couldn't believe my eyes. Because I was so thrilled with this order, I came on specifically to look for Hirt's Greenhouse so I could leave a good rating here too and am totally blown away by the negative experiences. Maybe I was just lucky, but I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and will try them again.
Out of my 5-plant order through their Amazon.com storefront, 2 were wrong. I ordered Cyperus alternifolia (Umbrella Plant) @ 2/$5.99 total, and got 2 Darmera peltata (Umbrella Plant) @ $5.99/ea. These weren't the plants I wanted, but the error was in my favor, and the cost to ship them back is more than my original $5.99 I paid. Sooooo, I guess I'll keep them.
Just beware that maybe items aren't what they are supposed to be.
Shipping was really quick; 3 days from when I ordered to when I received them.
On Apr 19, 2007, deepuff Tavares, FL (Zone 9a) wrote:
April 2007, I ordered the double pink coneflower from them because my expensive root from Parks Seed dyed after about 3 weeks, Hirts sent me a very nice potted double coneflower, which now has a bud. The red one they sent came with two buds, I also the following weeks ordered some of their daylillys, everything was just fine. Also when the plants arrived on a Wed, I didnt have time to plant them so I just set them in window sill till weekend came.
I will gladly oder from Hirts Garden and no more from Parks.
On Apr 4, 2007, bobbi_s Richland, WA (Zone 7a) wrote:
I ordered a harlequin big leaf hydrangea, a pinky winky hydrangea, and two rubymine phlox. I was very impressed with the size of the plants, and they were delivered within two days. I am very pleased with their service, and will order from them again. Their prices are good, and their products are healthy. I am very happy with the plants I received. These items were purchased off ebay, which is the first time I have ordered plants off ebay before. I will order again in the future.
On April 12th, 2008, bobbi_s added the following:
This is the second year I have ordered from them, and ordered two goldmine phlox, and also 4 red mexican hat perennials. The plants arrived in great shape, nice size, and will be planted into the ground tomorrow. I will order again from them in the future.
I ordered seeds from Hirt's for the first time this year. Seeds were in good condition, and are just starting to pop up. I was impressed with the unique variety of seeds and some plants they have to offer.
Though they are lacking in planting/sowing instuctions, at least with the seeds I ordered.
