Quote:
Originally Posted by clkeiper
Yeah, I agree and it makes me mad that I have to pay separate shipping from all of the same return addresses so, I limit what I buy to TT and HPS. I would buy more, but I can get by with those two.
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Agree. There are enough places that offer good seeds that it's often policies that decide where I place orders -- shipping costs -- promptness of shipping of items listed as in stock -- whether they observe "no substitution" specifications -- how they behave if they make an error -- whether they try to compensate with a credit rather than a refund if they can't/don't fill an order in a reasonable time. (I don't object to places offering a credit as an option, but I do object to those that have a "once we have your money we keep it, whether we can deliver what you ordered or not" policy.)
And of course reasonable shipping time varies -- delays are understandable with a part time small family operation like Sand Hill that says clearly that they fill orders as soon as they can, but not to order from them anything that you need quickly as their available time is limited -- but lengthy delays are not really excusable from a larger operation, especially when only "in stock" items have been ordered.
My most common sources for purchased seed right now are Sand Hill and Victory, because I like the operating philosophy of each, because I prefer supporting competent but small family operations when possible, and because, for items I want, both their inventories and their shipping policies complement one another. For example, if both have an item I want, the same price will usually buy more good seed from Sand Hill, but more prompt delivery of good seed from Victory -- depends upon which is most important for a particular order -- and each has desirable varieties the other doesn't carry.
But year around I save links to items I run across that I would like and when I make orders for spring garden, I look those over and often place an order with one or two companies that are offering some item(s) that aren't generally available -- sometimes small companies -- sometimes big ones from which I order only when they have something I can't get elsewhere.