Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/09/2025

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My order was lost in the mail, and this awful company could care less. Manager ***** **** doesn't answer emails, the company has no working phone support, and basically has blown me off off with lies over email. Someone named *****, hiding behind email, is not very bright, can't even count from 1 to 10--the max number of days a package should take to arrive. This crooked company will take your money and run without a care in the world. Shameful.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/10/2025

  All you have to do is read this complaint to know this customer is rude and obnoxious.  The only person lieing is her and I will not respond any more and waste my time on this person.  She is awful and our staff do not have to put up with people like this.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/10/2025

   
  
  Complaint: 23445875
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Outsidepride shows yet again in their angry, unhelpful, pathetic but sooooo typical rant-response that they have no pride in themselves, their business, or in their complete lack of customer service. They can't help themselves but act out like the disgusting bullies they truly are, attacking the customer for, God forbid, wanting the product paid for! 

  I still have not received the items I paid Outsidepride for, and they could care less. They have made no attempt whatsoever to explore what happened to my lost package, to replace my order with an apology for the delay, or to issue a refund. All OutsideNOTpride can do is yell, attack, and act like the fraudulent no-good raging rip-off artists they really are. They take people's money and then berate the customer for actually wanting the order fulfilled. This level of fraud demands an investigation. 
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  Wendy Annibell

  Business Response

  Date: 06/17/2025

  As you can see from the tracking, the package was delivered two days after her complaint was filed which is exactly what she was told.  Instead she told our staff we were liars and that we didn't know how to count.  She has proceed with asking for a refund even though she has her package.  

   

  Tracking Number:
  9400150206240007137306
  Copy Add to Informed Delivery
  Latest Update
  Your item was delivered in or at the mailbox at 10:40 am on June 11, 2025 in LAUREL, NY 11948.
  
  The package was delivered to the customer's mailbox. No action further action will be taken.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/01/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased a product from ************ via ******. The product is advertised to work with 1 to 2 weeks. The product "Monaco bermuda grass seed" did not germinate. I purchased a 5lb bag, which is a lot of seeds. Likely tens of thousands if not more. I followed instructions and after 3 weeks the seeds did not germinate. I contacted the seller ************ and they explained the time of year was too early because of colder temperatures. They recommend planting at a 65 degrees Fahrenheit or above. I live in ******* it was late April/early May the soil temperatures were in the 70s. So, I tried seeding some more, following instructions exactly again. 2 weeks later still no germination and soil temps in the 80s. I contacted them again asking for a refund as I have followed instructions exactly and while they claim a guarantee of at least 85% germination rate they refuse to acknowledge that 85% is not true nor accurate. And refuse to provide a refund. I paid over $100 for a 5lb bag of seeds that are not germinating.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/02/2025

  I am sorry for the customers problem, but that is not a seed problem.  First, Monaco is not our seed and is owned by Barenbrug.  That is certified seed by the state which we have nothing to do with.  Certified seed has all kinds of regulations and independent labs which test it and it is not sold, in fact it can't be sold unless it has a germination rate of 85%.  I have no idea why it didn't germinate.  Planted to deep, not watered enough, too much fertilizer used, pre-emergent used.  Generally, it is a *************.  When seed starts to sprout it gets a root shaft first which you don't even see.  When it is hot in ******* and you get that root shaft and then you let it dry out, that root shaft will die.  It looks like nothing germination, but it actually all died.  That is just my guess, but it certainly is not a seed problem.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/31/2025

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I bought seeds from this outside pride company , different ones and nothing germinated, talking about ****** creeping thyme seeds, and two packets of violets . In these amounts a customer should expect to end up with a few plants at least but this is the worst seed I ever bought, absolutely nothing germinated. Also had seeds from other companies and they grow like expected. There should be some serious investigation of this company . Seems a complete rip off

  Business Response

  Date: 05/31/2025

  Absolutely absurd!!  It is mind boggling what customers can believe.  First of all, this business started in a garage and now does over ********* orders a year!  Yes, that is right over a million orders a year.  Did that happen by selling junk seed?  Of course not!  It is so stupid and so insulting.  I would also like to know how we average 4.7 reviews on trustpilot with thousands of reviews and over a 94% average on ****** with tens of thousands of reviews when we sell junk seed?  How do we have ******* to ******* repeat customers a year when we sell bad seed?  Why do people post over and over how great our seed is and they come back and buy 2 - 3 times a year?  Whey do we now have thousands and thousands of customers who actually set up accounts to autoship our seeds on ****** when our seed is so bad?  How do we continue to grow every year by selling bad seed?  Why do resellers come to us to buy seed and repackage if our seed is so bad?  Why do we have hundreds of landscapers and golf courses that only buy there seed from us?  i have no idea how or what he did not to get his seed to germinate, but you almost have to work at it since our seed is NOT even sold unless it has an 85% germination rate PROVEN by ***************** or government agencies.  I will not say anything else as this is so absurd.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/05/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I ordered clover seeds on 4/22/25, was charged right away, and the package was sent with delivery on 4/25. Apparently, there was an issue with the delivery address correct street address & state but wrong city - which I didnt find out about until was discovered in ******************* and a representative of OP contacted me over the email. Not sure how the issue with the city occurred, but things like that happen the real problem is how the seller acted afterwards. **** follow up whatsoever status update, remediation, etc. 2.A few days after, I started contacting the seller for the update using initial email from the **** then calling, then through the website and then using the general customer service email. ********* received a one-liner generic response with no information or help. 4.I started contacting ****** a painful process of multiple exchanges during the week both chats and phone calls. 5.Meanwhile, the Seller didnt bother to do anything they later claimed that they had a tracker with ***** about the updates, but they never followed up with me aside from barely answering my emails. At that point, I had several trackers set up with ****** each showing different status and estimated delivery, research request and two complaint cases. 6.Question as a Customer who already paid for the purchase, how is that I was put through that painful process instead of the Seller who already collected my money (no issue with a wrong city on the address, somehow!) and stood to be fully reimbursed for a lost shipment?? I asked OP that question and received no response. I also asked for a refund stating that Id return the package in case it magically arrives to which I received no response.Its the evening of 5/5, I still havent received the package, and the Seller is not responding. Im not expecting to get the package as its been in limbo for the past 8 ******* like to get a full refund forget the apology! and never deal with this company again.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/06/2025

  We do not place orders and we certainly don't change addresses.  The customer gave us ***********, ** with a zip code of ************************************************** this complaint. Evidently this was not the correctly address which caused this entire problem.  Once the customer made us aware of the problem, we immediately contacted ***** to put a trace on the package to have it forwarded to the correct address.  Traces do not happen overnight, but usually within a few days.  Customer was unwilling to wait and blamed us for the problem when we had nothing to do with it.  Customer gives us an address, we ship to the address.  We are in ****** and this is in ** and as stated traces can take some time.  She wants refunded when the seed has not come back to us and still shows it is going to be delivered.  It also looks like a second package was shipped out 2nd day air at our expense on 25 lbs which the customer was emailed since the tracking is automatic.  Customer will most like get 50 lbs of seed which is $250 of free seed so I am very confused on the refund.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/06/2025

   
  Complaint: 23289713
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  It's impossible to accept a response that 1) doesn't address the issue, and 2) is chockful of false statements.

  False #1: I never accused the business of putting the wrong address in. Perhaps the responder was too quick reacting and didn't notice that the accusation in the chain of emails I provided actually came FROM the ** personnel. That email has a full record of exchange since the company doesn't have a phone number for customer care (beautiful design for someone who wants to have minimum customer interactions), only email.

  False #2: I didn't alert the business about a wrong address - it was the other way around as I didn't realize it was wrong. I received an email from ********************** telling me to confirm the address as they heard from ***** about delivery issues. I responded right away and then waited for the business to come back to me with an update. I gave the business a few days (from 4/25 when I got the email to 4/29) and then reached back to that email to follow up but never received a response.

  False #3: it doesn't take several days for the trace to be initiated - I had two with ***** for the same package each showing different ETA. The package was stuck in ************ facility for over a week, which was strange even to the ***** customer support people I've spoken to. Wasn't strange to ** - they couldn't care less.

  My issue with ** is not the false address, but inaction, lack of customer support and a complete absence of follow up or care. None of which is addressed in the **'s response. Every single follow up since the discovery of the wrong address was initiated by me. Every single response was lacking any information to go on. They left me to deal with their carrier claiming having put trace on the package - again, never communicated that fact or any of the updates until prompted.

  There have been several tracking updates from the carrier on package ETA based on my trackers and inquiry cases, wrong every time - which leads me to believe the package is lost. However, as evident from my last email to ** when I asked for a refund - I offered to ship the package back to them if it miraculously arrives as long as ** provides a shipping label so they can be in full control tracking the package journey back. A shipment label is a VERY small price to pay for all the hassle they left me to deal with no assistance from them whatsoever. I don't know in what state the seeds would arrive after traveling for what now is nearly 2 weeks and I certainly don't want to deal with ** on any damage claims or anything else for that matter, so I'd be more than happy to send it back.

  Being in business that deals with live customers means you understand that customer journey doesn't end with you shipping the product - your job is not done until customer receives a satisfactory product from you. This is when you ask for feedback and hope for continuous business. Unfortunately, ** fails miserably where the second part comes into play - HOW you deal with your customers MATTERS to the health of your business. It'll eventually catch up to you, it always does.

  Sincerely,
  
  **** Vast

  Business Response

  Date: 05/09/2025

  Actually, the facts are we went our of our way to get this package to the customer.  There is actually a $20 fee just for changing an address with ***** once it was shipped.  Did we ask them to do anything, of course not.  They put in the wrong address, had us ship to the wrong address, and then think it is going to get fixed overnight.  It is simply ridiculous.  LIke we don't have ***** other customers every single day!  Just as we told them, the package was delivered, but wait!  After all this the customer refuses the package and now they want a full refund for the shipping charges when this entire problem was their mistake!  Not going to happen.  In fact, we are entitled to a 15% restock fee which is clearly stated on our web site, but because we are so nice we won't take it.  I am just so glad *****% of our customers are not like this.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/12/2025

   
  Complaint: 23289713
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Thank you for confirming what this feedback was all about - awful customer service. How could be anything else - I was one of so many! OP couldn't possibly have spared me a thought.

  Certainly, it's a matter of perspective - to OP, having a week-long response to the carrier with an address for one customer is "we went our of our way to get this package to the customer." To the customer, however, it means going through the investigation and tracking process directly with the carrier (without any control over any of it since it resides with the seller), spending hours on end in just getting to the right person(s) at the carrier and receiving rude responses (forget an assistance) from the seller. Finally, upon getting a very battered package 2 weeks after it was shipped, a rejection is the only viable option compared to facing another battle with a toxic customer service to prove the package came in damaged so it would qualify for a return (since OP doesn't make it easy by design).

  OP's business model that limits customer interaction to a min (can't reach them other than via email) combined with a belief that their part of the deal stops at the point of putting a stamp on a package serve well when deliveries are within local communities, not for nationwide operations. They're simply not equipped for dealing with different circumstances that could arise from the moment an order is placed to the customer receipt. As a result, they lash out on customers, yelling at them in capital words in the email, blaming for making mistakes, etc. In any customer-oriented business, this customer service *** would be fired on a spot for highly inappropriate conduct. OP considers that not only acceptable but going out of their way. Having read feedback from other customers about this business (how do I wish I've done that prior to ordering!), the *****% claim is simply a wishful thinking.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** Vast

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/15/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Business sent the wrong type of cover crops seeds and refused to respond when asked to resolve the issue- very unprofessional and caused a disruption in my planting schedule. I'd recommend avoiding this business, no way to tell if you're getting the product you're paying for.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/15/2025

  Please explain the problem.  You did not even buy cover crop seed from us.  You bought flower seeds: purple coneflower, milkweed, phlox, and southeast wildflowers; therefore, please tell us what you received.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/15/2025

   
  Complaint: 23069700
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

   

  I ordered balsam clover and received mini clover, as I stated in the multiple unanswered emails on the subject I sent to your company, but thank you for calling me a liar. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *********

  Business Response

  Date: 03/21/2025

  There is no other action we can take.  This person evidently has the wrong company as he does not even know what he ordered and refuses to provide order number.

   

  Please explain the problem.  You did not even buy cover crop seed from us.  You bought flower seeds: purple coneflower, milkweed, phlox, and southeast wildflowers; therefore, please tell us what you received.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/21/2025

   
  Complaint: 23069700
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  My, my, what an unpleasant and unprofessional response. I've included a screenshot of the order confirmation email- maybe you could respond to my multiple unanswered emails and maybe send the correct product? I ordered balansa clover and received mini clover. I don't know why you keep trying to lie and gaslight me.

   

  Order # OUT-5236833

   

  You could have just made this right in the first place but you wanted to be *****. What a waste. I've updated my friends and family that enjoy gardening on your unfortunate turn to unreliability after many previous orders.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *********

  Business Response

  Date: 06/23/2025

  As we have stated, we are very confused by this customer.  He states he ordered balansa clover and received Miniclover.  Below is a copy of his order which doesn't have either of them on it:

  Order ID: ******* Name: ***** *********
  Trans. ID: ******** Date: January 3, 2025, 09:40:27 AM
  Order Status: PROCESSED Company:
  Order Result: SUCCESS Phone:
  Email: ****************************************
  
  Shipping Details Payment Details
  Method: ***** Ground Method: Braintree
  Ship *** Name:
  Company:
  Addr 1:
  Addr 2:
  City:
  State:
  Zipcode: Bill *** Name:
  Company:
  Addr 1:
  Addr 2:
  City:
  State:
  Zipcode:
  
  
  Order is a gift:
  Purchased Items
  Shipments
  
  
  
  SKU: WILD-CONPUR-1
  Item Name: Echinacea Seeds - Purple Coneflower - 1 LB Quantity: 
  Price: 
  Discount: 
  Item Total:  1
  $24.99 ea.
  $0.00 ea.
  $24.99
  SKU: FLOW-BUTW-500
  Item Name: Milkweed Seeds - Butterfly - 500 Seeds Quantity: 
  Price: 
  Discount: 
  Item Total:  1
  $4.99 ea.
  $0.00 ea.
  $4.99
  SKU: FLOW-SWAMP-1000
  Item Name: Milkweed Seeds - Swamp - 1000 Seeds Quantity: 
  Price: 
  Discount: 
  Item Total:  1
  $8.99 ea.
  $0.00 ea.
  $8.99
  SKU: FLOW-PHLDBM-2000
  Item Name: Phlox Seeds - Mix - 2000 Seeds Quantity: 
  Price: 
  Discount: 
  Item Total:  1
  $8.99 ea.
  $0.00 ea.
  $8.99
  SKU: WILD-SE-1
  Item Name: Southeast Wildflower Seed Mix - 1 LB Quantity: 
  Price: 
  Discount: 
  Item Total:  2
  $24.99 ea.
  $0.00 ea.
  $49.98
  Subtotal: 
  Discount: 
  Shipping:  $97.94
  $0.00
  $10.95
  Item 1 Tax: 
  Item 2 Tax: 
  Item 3 Tax: 
  Item 4 Tax: 
  Item 5 Tax: 
  Shipping Tax: 
  Total Tax:  $1.50
  $0.30
  $0.54
  $0.54
  $3.00
  $0.66
  $6.54
  Grand Total:  $115.43

   

  This is the only order we have for the customer for this year.  Maybe he is referring to something last year?  Sorry, but we are just confused so can't really help.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/25/2025

   
  Complaint: 23069700
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  the rude business owner is confused because she is too incompetent to look at the correct order number and is trying to get this complaint to go away by gaslighting instead of admitting she was too incompetent to send the correct product 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *********

  Business Response

  Date: 07/02/2025

  I have finally figured this out and issued a refund for $30 which is $10 more than the cost of his seed.  Customer gave us an order number from this year which did not  include cover crop seed; therefore, as stated in my previous email where I copied his order there was no cover crop seed.  This complaint goes actually goes back to an order from last September at that is why we couldn't find it.  Customer was shipped a $70 item instead of a $20 item, but it wasn't what he needed which was our mistake.  I could not refund the order that is nearly a year old so I refunded $30 on his previous order which again is $10 more than his purchase.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/25/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  So several months ago i ordered hen and chick poppyseeds from this company and seeds showed up and i grew them and tended to them all spring and summer only to be dissapointed that they were ******* poppys. Also i am a professional poppy grower with an online following of ***** people and a ******** gardening page. There is no way i was mistaken. They were obviously ******* poppys aka papaver roheas. I wanted hen and chick, papaver somnifferum. It seems like a very small thing but all the work i put into them just to be disappointed really sucked..

  Business Response

  Date: 02/25/2025

  We are very sorry this problem occurred and we will of course replace the seed; however, please give us a few days and we need to investigate what happened.  My may have received a wrong lot of seed which means we may have packaged up thousands of packets incorrectly.  We would not want to make the same mistake twice.

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/23/2024

  Type:Delivery Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Order was shorted. The only way to contact company is through a message system on their website. Multiple messages have gone ignored. Responses to reviews on trust pilot are snarky and unprofessional offering no resolution or accountability.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/23/2024

  Customer ordered 16 different items of which 5 of them were different 1/4 lb mixtures.  Just like this complaint, I have no idea what she wants.  Refunded for what item as I have no idea what she was shorted or even if it is true.  Customer claims there is no way to contacts us except through a message system?  Again, not true.  Email is given right at the top of the contact us form page!  Contact us forms sometimes don't work depending on *******, age of the browsers, age of operating systems, etc. et. so we do give an email address right there as well.  Customer has never contacted us!  I have no idea if the Contact Us Form did not work or not, but if customers state they were shorted we reship it, period.  

  Customer also lies about Truspilot reviews where we average 4.6 stars claiming there is lots of negative customer services reviews which is absurd.  We state facts and do not and will not pander to customers like this.  Worst case scenario she receives 15 out of 16 items within 1 week after ordering and now claims we are a horrible company.  People like this are just annoying when we have over a million customers a year that love our products and our service.  That is why we keep growing every year.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/23/2024

   
  Complaint: 22464421
  
  I am rejecting this response because: after my first message was ignored, and previous complaints on TrustPilot noted the same experiences, I sent a second message and screenshot the message sent notification seen at the bottom, time and date are also shown. Based on this individual's online behavior, it was clear retaining proof was necessary. Accusing customers of lying and not accepting any responsibility is an immature and horrid business practice that has been rampant with this company. For the THIRD time, the Dwarf Sungold 1/4LB E1-12 were NOT RECEIVED. 

  Sincerely,
  
  *** *****

  Business Response

  Date: 10/31/2024

  The screenshot clearly shows an email address to email to which is exactly what I said!  Her own evidence proves what I said.  I invite Trust Pilot to click on our  reviews and you will see positive review after postive review.  In fact, ever since we signed up we have been running well over 95%.  The only reason it doesn't show that high is before we signed up we had 70 negative reviews over the past 10 years from around 10 million orders that we didn't even know existed. Not one time did this customer ever clarify what she was even missing besides 1/4 lb.  1/4 lb of what?  How are we even supposed to know what to refund when she doesn't tell us what to refund?  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/01/2024

   
  Complaint: 22464421
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I clearly stated, INCLUDING THE **** NUMBER, what was missing from the order. The obstinate and prolonged arguing of this individual and refusal to resolve the problem are beyond the pale. There are clearly problems within the company and website they refuse to address, in addition to prolonging this issue. As a licensed professional and business owner of more than two decades myself, this behavior is unacceptable from any company and the publicly displayed language an embarrassment. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *** *****

  Business Response

  Date: 11/14/2024

  Customer was refunded the $8.98 for the item she claims she was missing.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/03/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We paid for Kentucky Blue Grass (Midnight). We received Bent grass seed labeled as Midnight.We attempted, my husband and I, to reach out to OutsidePride to correct the problem. No response after 4 attempts.We previously purchased a 5lb bag as a test and was thrilled with the result, so we purchased the 50lb. bag and received the wrong grass.We want our money back/store credit for ****** AND the proper CHECKED grass seed (MIDNIGHT Kentucky Blue Grass 50lbs) complimentary sent to us immediately including any express shipping for the trouble and expense we've endured. We planted the grass shortly after receiving it and watered as directed. We are EXTREMELY turned off and disappointed with the complete absence of care, communication and competence with this company.Frankly, it's shamful as accidence do happen at businessess, however the responsible one's who care about their customers and the MONEY they spend should be at minimum addressed.Thank you, BBB, in advance for taking a step in resolving this uneccesary problem.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/03/2024

  I am sorry, but none of that is going to happen and the allegation is absurd.  We do not even package creeping bent grass!  We only have one creeping bent grass that is even sold in sacs and that is PC2.0 creeping bent grass and it is its own branded bag that comes direct from the manufacturer!  All other bent grass are sold in buckets.  The pictures you are showing CLEARLY is NOT even creeping bent grass.  All you are doing is showing pictures of an unmaintained yard.  Your order was clear last April and now you are claiming we shipped creeping bent grass when the pictures you are showing is clearly not creeping bent grass.   If in fact it was bent grass, you would have known with in 3 weeks it wasn't Midnight yet four months later you are trying to claim it was not MIdnight which it certainly was.  All your pictures show is you did not water you lawn over the hot summer!  Finally, if you had already ordered bluegrass then you knew exactly what the seed looked like!  How can you then say you ordered Midnight again and planted it when the seed of bent grass is night and day different!  It would have been so obvious it was not the same you never would have planted it.  Why did you plant it?  Because the seed was exactly the same as what you bought before.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/11/2024

   
  Complaint: 22233200
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Excuse me? You are calling me absurd after I have reached out to your insidIOUs natured organization that has ignored mine and several others familiar with your tactics?
  

  Fortunately I dont work with seed on a dairy basis and I have only a laymans idea of how to differentiate between one grass seed or another. Id imagine most Judges in your registered State will agree.

  We have evidence of property watering and planting contrary to your unstudied statement of argument.
  

  We have an expert witness that the seed you shipped was NOT Midnight Kentucky Blue Grass seed.

  Had you offered to make this order right we would have certainly remained a loyal PAYING customer, however, because of your unwarranted (absurd?), disrespectful and caustic reply you have now become an interest.

  Congratulations.

  *************, MD

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/04/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We ordered a two-pound bag of Outsidepride ***** Dutch clover seed, sku#B00164TB9K, from Amazon in 4/2024.We immediately planted the seed following their instructions and follow up exactly as described. After more than a month we have had zero germination of the clover seed. Upon arrival the plastic bag packaging of the seed looked old and distressed. We thought perhaps it was old seed or was stored in hot conditions. I emailed Outsidepride over the course of three weeks and never got a response. The only phone number on their site is for orders only. I called it anyway and they could not help me with any other contact information. I did see another phone number on the BBB website and called. It went to voicemail which I left a message to call me. This has also been ignored. I would like and explanation and a replacement of fresh seed.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/05/2024

  The bag of seed has an expiration date right on it and it clearly was not old or distressed.  When seed is shipped across the country of course the bag does not look pristine any more, but that does not affect the age of the seed.  We sell nearly a million pounds of white dutch clover a year.  It has nearly ****** reviews on Amazon averaging nearly 4.5 stars!  That kind of a rating for a seed is unheard of because the germination is so high and it is so easy to plant.  I personally have literally planted it hundreds of times and honestly I don't know how you don't get it to germinate.  The only way possible is if you do NOT follow the directions.  For example, the seed is planted too deep, you do not water enough, you over fertilizer, you put down a weed and feed, etc.  We hear all kinds of things from customers who claim they planted correctly and they you asked the specifically how they planted and they certainly did not.

  With all that said, the warranty on the web site is clear, but people refuse to follow it.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/08/2024

   
  Complaint: 21801220
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I DID FOLLOW the instructions exactly. I have not had pesticides on my lawn in two years. I did not fertilize as instructions advise against this. I dead raked my lawn, seeded and did no soil covering. I watered and kept watered for a MONTH!  Based on the business's reply it is clear to see they are extremely defensive with a lot of attitude.  They bring up Amazon reviews yet there are countless reviews stating EXACTLY what I stated: zero germination. Amazon lists hundreds of fake reviews and poor reviews are listed last. This company is clearly not standing behind their product and that is fine. I emailed the company three times before filing my BBB complaint and was ignored by them each time. I stated I did not want a refund, only if the seed could have been stored hot by them or if it was old. I also called them using the number for them on the BBB site and again was ignored.  For being so righteous they sure do their best to hide from their customers.  Like your response from the company, I was dismayed the seed did not germinate as well, the only explanation being bad seed. It happens.  

  Sincerely,

  ***************

  Business Response

  Date: 06/14/2024

  We do NOT sell bad seed.  Frankly, it is ridiculous.  The seed is test more than once by independent labs and is not sold unless it has over an 85% germination rate, period.  How does the exact same same work for 9 out of 10 people?  Seed from the same field, the same test, the same lot!  One out of 10, actually not even close to that, says they get zero germination when 95% from the exact same lot of seed say they had great success!  However, the 5 out of 100 refuse to admit they did anything wrong or sometimes mother nature just doesn't cooperate.  That doesn't mean it was bad seed since that is impossible!  Sometimes dead thatch can keep seed from germinating depending on what type of grass was there before.  There are variables beyond our control that can inhibit germination that have nothing to do with bad seed.  The warranty is quite clear, but these people also refuse to accept what they agree to!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/15/2024

   
  Complaint: 21801220
  
  I am rejecting this response because: The company's response speaks volumes and makes my point profoundly.  Their very poor attitude, which is revealed abundantly in their response, is apparent

  that they simply find their customers must be inept idiots if their seed does not germinate.  I am one of many Amazon negative reviews whose seed did not germinate. Many other reviewers stated that their

  seed was tainted with other product including weeds.  This was not my case as nothing grew.  I stand behind my complaint and this company's horrific attitude with lack of any culpability simply proves 

  my point as stated. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************

  Business Response

  Date: 06/27/2024

  There is no much left to say.  Outsidepride does NOT test the seed, either the state or independend seed labs test the seed.  They are the one's who provide the label to put on the seed.  If they say it is an 85% germination, then that is what it is.  Are the independent labs liars?  Is the government liars?  It truly is unbelievable how customer do not understand mother nature and human error.  The customer points to a few reviews out of the tens of thousands of positive reviews we have.  ************ was started in a garage and now does over ********* orders a year!  We did not accomplish this by selling bad seed.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/11/2024

  In a final statement I would like to state that I followed the seller's planting instructions exactly as stated, including a thorough dethatching and bed preparation. I seeded during a period of perfect weather in a sunny area.  The area was kept continually moist for a period of one month. No weedkillers, fertilizers or any type of chemical had been applied to the area for more than 18 months. Zero germination occurred.  

  The owner's continued response is that the only way their seed would not germinate is if the user was simply a fool, stupid or inept.  I tried emailing the company three times with no response. I left them a phone message twice with no response. My goal was to find out if maybe I received seed that had been compromised. Against what the owner stated to the BBB, there is no production date on the bag anywhere. There is a UPC barcode with a product label placed over it, but no origin date on the package.

  Other than a user's ineptitude, seeds may not germinate due to age, as seeds lose moisture and deteriorate with age, and storage, as seeds can lose viability if they are not stored properly, especially if exposed to too much heat or cold. This is fact.

  A friend of mine teaches Soil Science at ***************************. She is the one who advised me to plant White Dutch clover to enhance my lawns health. She advised the method, which concurred with Outsidepride's instructions.  The fact that zero germination occurred was probably due to the reasons I stated above.

  Lastly, I had a small amount of seed left.  I placed a dozen seeds in a small **** pot with fresh topsoil, not planting soil, and kept damp under a grow light in my 70 degree home.  No germination occurred after three weeks.

  I stand by my complaint. I am not inept. I followed procedure exactly as stated. I had no germination of Outsidepride White Dutch Clover Seed.  None.

   

  Thank you,

   

  ***

  Business Response

  Date: 07/22/2024

  I really don't understand the clarification.  All seed is sampled and tested or it is not sold.  It is sampled by independent labs or the government.  We are not involved in that process at all.  It is literally impossible to get zero germination on a seed.  It just doesn't happen unless the customer did something wrong.  We have had customers put down a pre-emergent herbicide before planting before planting seed thinking they are going to keep the weeds from coming up.  This of course keeps the seed from germination.  We have customer plant seed an inch deep when it says do not cover . We have customers water one time and think the seed is watered.  We have people put down twice as much fertilizer thinking the seed will come up faster.  We have seen it all.  The  fact is if the label says it has an 85% germination rate, that is what it is.  This is just a fact.  The is especially true when you have thousands of orders of a product such as white dutch clover.  If something did go wrong, even though this is impossible, we would have thousands of complaints.  About 1 out of 100 people complain about seed germination from the exact same lots of seed.  What does that tell you.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/16/2024

  I am not spending any more time on this.  We have a million customers a year customer service works with.  Out of a million customers we get a handful of complaints like this a year.  I have already addressed the issue.  There is no such thing as zero germination, distressed old looking seed.  If customer service gets emails like that where customers are rude and just complaining about things we factually know are totall false and they have 200 other emails in their inbox, what do you think they are going to do?

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/08/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Outside Pride does not back the viability of its seeds. I am an expert gardener and start hundreds of seeds yearly. All 4 varieties of seeds I bought from them were duds-none germinated. I have given them the option of refunding or replacing my order. After speaking w/ the salesperson I fear they will not comply to my request. I would prefer a refund. Seeds were ordered 1/12/24. 4 packages. Hen and chick poppy, Danish flag poppy, Pepperbox poppy and wild larkspur -rocket. Pd on Discover $23.46. Order # Out4434124 transaction 7s9sg35q Planted per their recommendation. No germination as of May 8, 2024.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/09/2024

  RE: Outsidepride Seed Source, LLC Support Request
  Inbox
  Search for all messages with label Inbox
  Remove label Inbox from this conversation
  
  
  
  ********************** 1:26?AM (11 hours ago)
  
  
  
  to me
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  We're very sorry for the difficulty with the seed. All of our seed meets or exceeds 70% germination as tested by independent labs. The most common reason for poor germination is the seed  drying out between irrigations. Its best to irrigate lightly, multiple times throughout the day to ensure that the seeds stay moist. If the seed stays moist, is kept at the recommended temperature and isnt buried too deeply, it will have good germination (as listed on the label) and establishment. Any questions regarding temperature or depth requirements for each seed can be found on our website.
  
  This is what our warranty states:
  We cannot guarantee establishment of seed due to various factors over which we have no control. Many seeds are very tiny and a hard rainfall, planting too deep, soil pH, not keeping the seed moist, cold temperatures, and other environmental factors may hinder success. This is why we do not guarantee the germination of seed.
  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/20/2024

  It is actually pretty amazing how nearly all complaints come from customers who are "experts" at planting seed.  I actually don't know if we have ever had anybody that has bought four different types of seeds and claim none of them germinated. All seeds have an 80% germination rate or they are not sold.  Once in a while something gets missed and you may get something to happend to one lot of seed out of our ***** lots.  If we get multiple complaints on a seed, we have it retested.  We just recently had one that came back with a 23% germ rate which is terrible.  It was immediately tossed.  Notice even that had a 23% germination rate and it is impossible to get a 0% germination rate with 4 different seeds unless it is user error, period.

  We started this business in a garage and now do a million orders a year!  We didn't have that kind of growth by selling bad seed.  This person also claimed we were obvsiously a fraudulent company because we were an LLC which I still can not figure out what that is even supposed to mean since every real company in the world has some type of *** or LLC behind their name.

  Finally, customer claims every seed company has germination guarantees which is not even close to true!  A few do that just sell packets of seed because their losses are minimal.  We have 50 lb sacs and have very large orders of sometimes $5,000 plus dollars.  Nobody that sells what we sell has germination guarantees.  This person literally is wrong on every issue.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/21/2024

   
  Complaint: 21684458
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I ran a greenhouse/nursey for 20 years-I am an expert in starting seeds.  Every year I grew thousands of plants for sale for bedding plants.  I ran a seed saving non profit for *********************************************************** a 3 hour radius of ***********, ** classes on seed saving and starting.  I resent the condescending attitude that suggested I could have made such glaring errors in planting these seeds.  No, I am not incorrect in saying most reputable seed companies have a warranty on their seeds.  Just because this place sells a lot of seeds does not mean all their seeds are good quality. Sadly I read several reviews that said this business did not stand behind the quality of their seeds.  I wish I had done that research before placing my order.  I would not have ordered from them if I knew about their questionable reputation!

  It is unfortunate that bad businesses such as this can act this way saying they are not responsible.
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************