What do you like most in a quality seller?

[mrz1988]

I figured I'd make this post for the current and future seed salesmen on this site. What do you think is most important about the business you buy your seed from?

I am not speaking of any sellers in particular on this whatsoever. My experiences have been pretty fantastic with every source I've ever had, mostly because I will buy from the smaller sellers than the big name companies that will hurt you. That being said, here's my two cents on what's important as a whole:

Bottom line is I want to be able to expect and anticipate problems down the line but be able to avoid them if possible. I don't want to buy from a company and have very low germination or a high rate of hybrids because quite simply chili growing is time dependent. I don't have time to ask for new seeds once I've started, and when the peppers start bearing the wrong fruit it's too late to fix. Of course great customer service is a no-brainer and I expect nothing less from the small businesses that sell seed. Almost all of them have this quality. But the bottom line is that no matter how good your customer service is, if my seed wasn't what I was expecting there was a variable in my grow season that I couldn't control and it can be easy to be disappointed.

That being said, I don't expect a seed seller to have 100% control over hybridization and germination. It's pretty much impossible unless you have amazingly controlled environments and quality seed/pod selection. I think the MOST important thing is having an honest, open policy with the customers. If you didn't grow your own seed, I want to know. I you have done a germination test and had lower than average germination, go ahead and let me know and maybe give me a few extra seeds because of it. If your plants have been open pollinated or carefully isolated I'd like to know that too. If I know all of these things I can properly weigh risk on my own without having to delay my season. If I'm still disappointed, that's when the great customer service can come in at a close second.

I can germinate a lot of seeds if I'm worried about germ rates, and if I knowingly buy OP seed I'll be more intrigued by a hybrid than upset by it. What do you guys think?

 

[POTAWIE]

They should know and grow their own seeds in isolation, and have good customer service. There are far too many re-sellers or people selling products they know nothing about other then the fact they grew it once and saved seeds

 

[PaulG]

Since I'm a hobby grower at this point, I guess I just want to
know what I'm getting. I buy only a few seeds of any kind, so price is not
a major consideration for me. A seller who is open and honest probably
has pretty good customer service as well. High germination rates? In this
exploratory phase of growing chile peppers, I only grow one of each variety
I'm trying out to see what works here, so If I get two decent seedlings to choose
from, I'm good. Of course, this probably will change over the course of a
few growing seasons! Anyway, I have nothing but good words for the
sellers on this forum, or recommended by the members. The
best have 'all of the above'. Was that a trick question?

 

[AlabamaJack]

+1 Potawie..

OP - open pollinated is often misused...Open pollinated doesn't mean the plant was not isolated...it simply means pollination by wind, insect, movement, etc...

the terms isolated and non-isolated are what tells you the purity of your seedstock...

meaning, if a seed supplier uses the term open pollinated meaning not isolated, I would do a double take and try to understand if the seller really knows what he is selling or talking about...

 

[mesatrin]

The thing that I dislike the most about some places is how they will make up their own name for plants. They will get one plant with larger pods than the rest and will harvest all the seeds and call it jumbo mumbo grandioso <Pepper X> and act like it is a new strain of <Pepper X>. Which creates a misconception among the community.

Germination rates is a hard thing to put off onto the seller. It is not always their fault, or even your fault. Some seeds just don't germinate. I have had seeds from the same pack germinated in the same method at the same time and one baggy have 90% germination rate and another baggy have 70% germination rate. I do the paper towel in ziplock method and some times do two baggies as to not jumble up the seeds too much. Keeps the roots from interlocking.

 

[orangehero]

If you want to get really picky, they should mention how the plants were isolated, as some methods are more trustworthy than others.

Also a large selection is an important consideration.

 

[Indiana_Jesse]

For those who SELL seeds, I expect great effort in isolating varieties for purity. I really disagree with selling seeds for profit without this effort.
I'm willing to pay a little more for confidence that I'm getting what i'm buying.

 

[Dulac]

Open and honest product information is the most important one for me. This helps me choose what I want. I may have a hard choice between two or more peppers.

 

[Cerberus]

I would go with yes for all options.

 

[Spankyscolts]

I vote for all the above and I find this a very interesting thread as I do intend to sell seeds. I think isolation details and just basic steps to assure you're selling a quality product such as selecting the best pods and from them the best seeds and germination tests etc. All good stuff!

 

[mikeinsc]

I don't mind if a supplier doesn't grow their own seed but at least do your own due diligence with whomever the grower is. Does the grower fertilize before harvesting for seed? Visit the grower if possible and check out that stuff personally. Do your own germination test. Put that information out there for the buyer.

I look for variety, good packaging, germination testing and a solid working knowledge of the product you have. The company website should be easy to navigate and have a few sentences about the product. Pictures would be nice too. The person or company should be easy to get in touch with and reply within a reasonable amount of time. Be truthful about the product even if you don't know that much about it.

 

[POTAWIE]

For me, price is not important, I usually only buy a variety once if at all.
Germination rates has never been a problem for me with the excception of Reimers who are scammers. Never buy from them!!!
Low hybrid rates or seed purity is extremely important to me. I hate wasting whole seasons on garbage. Even if they turn out good, if its not what I expect then I generally don't want to waste my time on them
Customer service and honest/open information I would class together and I find it extremely important as well. Once again never buy from Reimers who have the worst customer service and they are the furthest thing from honest. Complain to them and they treat you like a criminal