P.O. Box 69
Williams, Oregon 97544 (United States)
(541) 846-6704
(541) 846-6233

Notes

We are certified organic seed growers in Williams, Oregon, with over 700 species of medicinal herbs on our land. We grow things that are hard to find elsewhere--Turkey Rhubarb, Mandrake, White Sage, Virginia Snakeroot, Red Trillium, Eleuthero Ginseng, Echinacea tennesseensis, etc., etc., as well as the majority of "tried and true" medicinals (Valerian, Elecampane, Marshmallow, etc.)

We have a website at horizonherbs.com, our popular seed catalog is available by request, and we have written several in-depth books about growing and using medicinal herbs. We are gardeners, artists and scientists, focusing strongly on identity and quality of our seeds.

Our motto is "Sowing seeds worldwide for the benefit of people, plants and the planet."
Best regards,
Richo Cech

posted on October 19, 2002

Reviews:

positives
neutrals
negatives

Displaying the 50 most recent reviews

RatingContent
Positive
On May 1, 2018, scbentz (1 reviews) from Cold Spring, KY

Posted on March 2, 2013, updated May 1, 2018 I ordered jiaoulan seeds along with 1lb of clover seeds. WHAT I LIKED was the nice vacuum pack for the clover seeds. What I didn't like was the fact that my other seeds weren't padded or otherwise protected from the 1lb brick of clover seeds. My jiaogulan seeds were crushed. WHAT I LIKED was the response from Richo-- he sent a replacement post haste. What surprised me about this episode was that it could have been prevented; Mayche Cech said in an email that "you are the second person to get ground up jiao gu lan, apparently they are pretty breakable". Well, if you knew about the problem, why not do something about it before sending someone ground-up seeds? Also, about this order of seeds- the shipping amount for up to $15 of seeds is supposed to be $2.90, and $3.90 for over $15 worth of seeds. Well, I got a call from Horizon one night informing me that my shipping was going to be somewhat more than what they indicated on their website, due to the weight of teh package. Ok, fine, if that's what it takes, then so be it... BUT MAKE THAT TOTALLY CLEAR ON YOUR WEBSITE!! I CAN'T READ YOUR MIND! I'm looking at your "Ordering Information" page and although it does say that "Shipping charges go up from there...", that's not nearly clear enough to pass muster on this account. More recently (19 February, to be precise) I placed an order and have yet to receive it (mailman just came by, but with nothing from Horizon) as of today, 2 March. This is longer than I usually have to wait for shipments from seed suppliers (including Horizon). An email inquiry regarding the missing (?) shipment has gone unanswered. And yes: that email was just a day ago... should I have waited longer? Maybe. Should a business not leave its customers wondering where their stuff is? Definitely. Sorry, I really want to like Horizon Herbs, but things are just a little spotty my last couple of orders. I just don't know what I'm going to get or even IF I'll get what I ordered.


On May 1st, 2018, scbentz changed the rating from negative to positive and added the following: So much of my review can and should be disregarded as either unrealistic expectations or just stupid petulance. I cringe to read that review now, it's clear *someone* was having a bad day back then... I wish to recant my b!tchy comments from several years ago. As I look back at them, I think they were just plainly unfair. I stand by and herewith wish to reiterate the other parts of the review- those having to do with Richo's dedication to customer service. In the 6 years since I left the review, I have indeed ordered from Horizon again (at least once every year since then, in fact). Not once since then have I had any issue whatever with an order. Particularly worthy of note is something that happened this year. I ordered some seed that had a low germination rate-- could be my fault, could be the seeds just weren't viable, who knows...? But I reported this to Richo and he totally surprised me by sending me some rooted cuttings of the plant I was trying to grow from seed. Such a kind and gracious gesture!
Company representative comment on March 2, 2013:
On Mar 2, 2013 12:04 PM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

Yes, I'm sorry too. I do remember sending the replacement jiao gu lan seeds and also kissing the packet to give it good luck on its journey. Jiao gu lan is quite delicate!

As for shipping prices, we assess each shipment and if for some reason the amount of money that was given for shipping is insufficient we may contact the customer for more funds. We can't do business if shipping dollars don't stretch.

As for slowness in delivery, the time period from when the new catalog comes out (mid Feb) and on into spring is going to mean slower delivery than at other times of year. Please count on that and order early! We are working day and night to send out orders and we are a family not a machine. By the way, there's no reason to wonder about the delivery--everyone who gives us their e-mail address when ordering gets an e-mail when we ship that gives full tracking info.

Again, I'm sorry for the evident frustration and I do hope this person has a great gardening year.

Richo


Negative
On Oct 3, 2016, ceciliabrown (1 reviews) from Brooks, GA

I have 8 gardens on my property and I've been growing plants for 22 years. I bought 2 anchusa plants from Horizon Herbs (name change:Medicinal Plants?). That's right, TWO plants which cost over $30. including shipping. Both were planted next to each other. One limped along and decided to live. The other turned slimy and black and died. This company refuses to supply me with just one replacement.after spending a small fortune to get two plants. Let's get with it folks. The big plant dealers in Tipp City Ohio have been CUSTOMER FRIENDLY for decades. But this company has this Holier Than Thou smug attitude:"Sorry, you paid, you got two plants and we're all done with you" NEVER shop there!

Positive
On Apr 1, 2016, clb39 (1 reviews) from Greensboro, NC

This is my first time ordering with this company. I went by the recommendation of a friend and I could not be more pleased!! I ordered several different plants and several different seeds. I am super impressed with this company for several reasons. First, I included a note when I placed my delivery and it was immediately answered. In less than 24hrs I received a reply. The customer service I experienced was above par. There were several times I emailed a question about something and received an immediate reply. In addition, I received my order very promptly and in pristine condition. I think if people actually read the policies and made sure they were clear about them (as I did) prior to ordering, there wouldn't be any of the issues I'm seeing with some of these reviews. Finally, the quality of the items definitely met and exceeded my expectations. I was nervous about receiving live plants via shipping, but it turns out that was such a non-issue. The plants not only looked great upon receipt, but they are thriving very well. I am also impressed with their prices. I think they're very competitive. I recall seeing live plants and shrubs on the list that were lower in cost than my local farmer's market (and they have excellent prices). The bottom line is from the beginning to the end I felt like I was a valued customer, that my questions were taken seriously, and regardless if I spent $10 or $100 I would be treated the same. As long they have what I'm looking for I will continue to order from this company. I'm glad I took my friend's advice. Thank you for such a pleasant experience Horizon/Strictly Medicinal!

Positive
On Feb 29, 2016, Big_Isle_Farmer (2 reviews) from Kapaau, HI

I have been a patron of Horizon (now Strictly Medicinal) for almost as long as their existance, about ~15 years now. Often I turn friends to Horizon, and group larger orders together with them. Always appreciative of prompt phone and email correspondences. If nothing else, the catalog reads like a textbook, and I pass them on as such to newer gardener friends. Horizon, from my distant perspective, operates as a model family farm business, which I adore. There are very few seed suppliers with their level of integrity across-the-board. I do know this well, being an organic family gardener, commercial farmer, and rare-plant collector. I recieved my most recent order from them a few days ago. Nothing to bxtch about as usual. Timely, well-packed, and germination already, on-par with their own germ rates posted in the catalog. I have no interest in Horizon, I get no kickbacks from promoting them, and have never met them, but I snicker at the "Negatives" below because they seem so petty (my own opinion). In fact, claims to "have never killed a plant in my life" are kinda suspicious to me. I think I'm quite adept with my horticultural and agricultural skills, but I still kill plants sometimes. It happens. And I don't blame the germplasm supplier. It's part of my perspective or ethic, that I am always a student of nature, and never proclaiming to myself or others that I am a master..of anything. That being said, Richo and friends are just human, so I bet they as well can make mistakes (but I'm dubious), so I hope the Negs will give it another go and realize that they strive to be fair in their transactions, and correct the mistake. N.C., Hawaii

Positive
On Jan 18, 2016, bobsgarden456 (1 reviews) from La Verne, CA

This is my first year buying and seeds from horizon herbs. I asked customer service about some of their seeds being organic and inorganic and they were very very helpful. A few of the items I ordered we're not listed as organic but they found me organic seeds for these items. Extremely happy with communication with their customer service.

Negative
On Jan 12, 2016, vaehanna (1 reviews) from Kingsley, MI

This company will treat you fine (not great, just fine), until something goes wrong.... and then it's your fault and they are UNWILLING to work with you to correct the situation. I ordered 3 witch hazel trees in honor of a family member that passed away from Horizon Herbs. I got them and they were like little sticks, I followed the instructions and replanted them and waited for the Spring /Summer hoping the leaves would grow in and they would thrive, especially in the absence of our loved one. Come Spring, then Summer and the plants didn't change AT ALL, eventually I realized they had died... all three. I'm a green thumb, I am the person people bring their dying plants to, to bring back to life. I don't kill plants, never have. I contacted Horizon Herbs with my story and they were COLD. They said that it was my fault and that they shipped me a living plant that I killed and they would not replace it. Most places will replace your trees if they don't live for a year. This was crazy. I was so willing to work with them and told them that it was leaving SUCH a bad taste in my mouth. I will go out of my way to never support them again. I can't believe how cold and uncaring they are. I offered to pay shipping on new cuttings, but they said no. I'm not a story teller, I just wanted to honor a lost loved one. Fortunately, I live in an area where witch hazel grows wild and a friend had a plant that I took my own cuttings from and rooted them and they are fine and growing. This situation didn't have to go this way though. Learn to apologize and stop blaming your customers when things go wrong.


Company representative comment on January 16, 2016:
On Jan 16, 2016 12:47 PM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

We are sorry for the loss of your loved one. Our response is one of policy--we guarantee receipt of a live plant and trust that the gardener will care for it and keep it that way. Fall delivered woody perennials often need to be potted up for a year before setting to the landscape and the paperwork that we sent with the trees suggested that the stock be potted up for a year and not set directly to landscape.

Positive
On Nov 30, 2015, DoriaM (1 reviews) from Sammamish, WA

This is the second year I have ordered live roots from Horizon herbs and the roots showed up pretty quick. The roots were beautiful and packaged with care, I even received a lovely gift of live viola roots. I had ordered some seeds as well, I have used Horizon seed many years and have been quiet happy. The catalog is full of good growing tips. I have had many great successes and will continue to order from Horizon, I can feel the love when I open the box.

Positive
On Sep 22, 2015, Ewelina (1 reviews) from Downingtown, PA

I have recently purchased 9 plants and 2 seed packets from Horizon Herbs. I have read the negative comments and was not sure if I want to take a chance on my $100 but I did. I have to say that the plants arrived in excellent condition and started to grow right away, they were packed with most care that I have ever seen. The variety of the plants that this company offers is amazing. I highly recommend it. One thing to keep in mind is that they would not add another plant after I made the payment, they stick to their policy and the customer service is not the most kind either, but the plants are great and the selection is awesome. Thank you Horizon Herbs.


Company representative comment on September 22, 2015:
On Sep 22, 2015 7:45 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

Thank you for the comments, I will speak to customer service and make sure they have kindness in their voices. Richo

Positive
On Sep 20, 2015, MadCheshireGrin (10 reviews) from Guyton, GA

Posted on September 17, 2015, updated September 20, 2015 I ordered 6 comfrey roots on Sept. 12th, 2015 and received them today Sept. 17th, 2015. I received not 6 but 7 roots, 2 of which were very large and each had a visible piece of the crown as described and some even with a little growth. They were packaged very well in moist coir and all of the roots look very healthy. I planted them immediately and will give an update once I have the results on their growth.


On September 20th, 2015, MadCheshireGrin added the following: Only 4 short days after planting the comfrey roots (bocking 14 variety) 4 of the 7 already have green growth about an inch above the dirt. Very pleased with the quality of the roots received and will definitely purchase from Horizon Herbs again!
Company representative comment on September 22, 2015:
On Sep 22, 2015 7:46 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

Yes, you understand what a crown cutting is, and your good intentions brought about fast growth of the plants.

Positive
On Sep 17, 2015, MDeArman (1 reviews) from Niceville, FL

I had ordered my first ashitaba plant from another seller online and it died on me right off the bat. Then I decided to try again through a different online seller. After doing some research online, I have decided to go with Horizon Herbs. I liked what I read about them from their website and I thought to give them a try. I called their company before I made my order because I have few questions about how to grow an ashitaba plant. The person who anwered my call was so polite and very accommodating, and she gave me an email address to post my questions, and she told me to wait a day to hear from the gardener in charge. Richo (the gardener) answered my email the following day and attached an instruction (which can be found on their site) on how to grow the plant. I really didn't expect to hear from him so soon and I have communicated with him a few times too after I ordered my plants. I really appreciate that they took time to explain in their website what to expect (once we receive our orders) with different orders, be they seeds, plants, bulbs, trees etc. My plants came in neatly packed that it took me quite some time to pry the plants from the box that they came in. The soil were moist and the dirt stayed where they belong... in the pot. Thank you so much Horizon Herbs =)


Company representative comment on September 22, 2015:
On Sep 22, 2015 7:49 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

Buying seeds or plants on Ebay is the same as buying seeds and plants from reputable suppliers--that's where the Ebay seller got them--the only difference being that the materials are not as fresh or as abundant when purchased from Ebay.

Negative
On Aug 12, 2015, MB3 (1 reviews) from Columbus, OH

Like many bad and neutral reviewers for Horizon, I want to like them. But thus far I haven't had a great experience. I had ordered some varieties of herb seeds, some of the packets ended up short of the stated count of seeds. Considering the high cost of the seeds, and some already having a low stated count, coupled with the quite high shipping rates for tiny seeds, I was a little put off. I contacted them -- asking how we can rectify it -- almost two weeks with no response, other than an auto-generated response that they have received my customer service message: "Submitted: 7/31/2015 3:07:00 PM ..... We value your questions/comments and will be responding shortly. --Horizon Herbs, LLC //www.horizonherbs.com/" but I never heard anything further than this. At least I received my package quickly, unlike many of the bad reviews here state having had to wait weeks or more for it to even ship.


Company representative comment on August 12, 2015:
On Aug 12, 2015 1:47 PM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

I'm sorry you found it necessary to post negativity in this venue. My personal e-mail is herbseed@horizonherbs.com and if you'd like extra seeds please let me know, I'll be glad to oblige. I've checked the e-mail functionality off of our website and found it to work fine from this end, but it is indeed a common thread that people say they didn't get an answer back, so maybe there is some kind of a glitch that escapes my ability to detect and fix. You could simply call us at (541) 846-6704. 1) high cost of seeds. not. we sell packets of certified organic veggie seeds for $2.45 each which is low. 2) high cost of shipping. not. A few packets of seeds cost $2.95 to ship which is low.

Negative
On Aug 4, 2015, user3838 (2 reviews) from Francestown, NH

I bought 20 comfrey "live root cuttings". Their website showed beautiful lush comfrey roots but what I received was quite different. Typical bait and switch. The cuttings were pathetic pieces of roots and had been in the plastic shipping bag for some time and had sprouted - with the shoots winding all over the place. The "crown" was nowhere to be seen. It was difficult to decide which end was up. I Emailed them but received no response. They probably (correctly) figured that I'd never come back to them so why bother. The nice thing about comfrey is that it's so weedy that it'll come up no matter which way you plant it. But, I could have done just as well going on Ebay and buying the same junk for much less money. Go to yelp to see all the negative reviews.


Company representative comment on August 7, 2015:
On Aug 7, 2015 10:18 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

I didn't see your e-mail but I am the one who sent the crown cuttings, which were sprouted pieces of the crown of the plant, certified organic, and were quite large!. If they are growing in the bag that is a good sign!

Positive
On Jul 6, 2015, Earthdragon67 (1 reviews) from Banana Beach,
South Africa

I was very impressed with Horizon Herbs. They let me know the time-frame within which I can expect my seeds and I received them a month earlier and this was an international order.The seeds were exactly as advertised and I will definitely use their services again.

Positive
On Jul 4, 2015, Ted_B (7 reviews) from Birmingham, AL (Zone 8a)

For those who are willing to be patient in exchange for accurately identified, viable plants/seeds of excellent quality and cultivated/collected with care, this vendor is one of the best anywhere.

Positive
On May 10, 2015, Jenflower (1 reviews) from Madison, WI

Horizon Herbs carriers a number of unusual plants and seeds. For those of us in the herbal healing business they are a great resource. Often they have plants that are not listed on their website and if you ask them they sometimes have them. I first ordered dried herbs (which were wonderfully, carefully packed and very fresh), then some seeds which contained very good package information like where and when to plant them for best germination and finally I got plants. They were in the best soil I've ever received from any company (and I've bought thousands of plants, really!). To address the customer service issue that many people seem to have... all I can say is that their products are worth the wait if there is one! My orders have been received within a reasonable time for these types of products (live plants, etc.) and customer service has always been very helpful with quick response as needed.

Positive
On May 10, 2015, JoshuaRobinette (1 reviews) from Robinson Creek, KY

I orders 6 comfrey crown cuttings from Horizon Herbs a few weeks ago. They were shipped on the date that I requested and only took a few days to arrive. Not only did I get real generous cuttings they also included 3 smaller ones so I ended up with 9 total plants. Their customer service was quick to respond to my emails and really detailed with the answers to my questions. They also sent a free catalog with my order. They get 5 stars in my book and i will definitely be ordering from their web site again in the future.

Negative
On May 9, 2015, Nimini (1 reviews) from Middletown, DE

Posted on May 9, 2015, updated May 9, 2015 It's like watching Anne Rice arguing with negative reviewers on Amazon... The owner seems to spend a lot of time on here rebuking and giving condescending "fauxpologies" to customers who have the nerve to express dismay that their orders took three weeks to process. If that level of energy and concern were actually channelled into addressing the issue instead of defending it as company policy (and decrying all those who disagree as "poor misguided negative souls who just don't 'get' the ~*magic!*~ of gardening", or whatever) maybe those complaints wouldn't end up getting posted here at all. After I parted ways from this company, a friend who stocks his farm through Rolling River Nursery advised me to try them instead. We'll see if their order is still malingering in "pending" status ten days after they charge my card.


On May 9th, 2015, Nimini added the following: Several corrections: 1.) No, a refund has not been issued. Your charge is still on the card. 2.) It was the bad Yelp reviews AND here. 3.) The assumption that any customer who doesn't specify "pretty pleeeease fill this order ASAP" should just assume that their goods will mosey through the mail and Get There Whenever, is a jaw-droppingly awful attitude towards customer service. 4.) Once again: if the complulsive hovering on this site to rebut negative reviews were redirected towards **actually filling orders**, this whole thing would probably be a non-issue.
Company representative comment on May 9, 2015:
On May 9, 2015 7:46 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

Well, we work with real goods, not faux goods. However, this lady never got a chance to get her goods (2 hawthorn trees) because she read a negative review on "yelp" and asked for a refund. We gave her the refund, but would have rather given her the trees. If she needed them at a particular time, all she had to do was ask.


On May 9, 2015 11:07 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC added:

Refunds to cards often take three days to show on your account register, I don't know why that is. Here's the e-mail I sent this lady right off the bat and you can decide for yourself if this sounds like bad customer service:
Terri,
I would just love to send you your hawthorn trees. Plants orders normally take us a few weeks to send. That is normal turnaround on plant orders, and sometimes (like in the situation where somebody is ordering a tree in February for delivery in May) it takes a lot longer than 2 weeks to deliver. If you have a specific time frame in mind, please let us know when you order, so we can try to meet that timeframe. The 3-day shipping was simply the delivery service we thought was needed to get you live, moist potted trees. It was not an indication of immediate shipment. I checked your order and this is what it says: << 5/8/15: Customer read yelp review online, and after waiting over a week before her order was processed decided to cancel.>> Therefore it appears that you're going to get a refund instead of the trees. Again, I would have preferred to send you the trees. I find extensive waiting periods for delivery of live stock are very common in this industry--I personally wait for months to get my fruit trees, for instance…
Best regards,
Richo

Positive
On Mar 18, 2015, fallingleaves (1 reviews) from Larwill, IN

I placed my 1st order on March 5th for various seeds.And I must say that I hate waiting to get my order.It currently hasn't shipped out and it is now the 18th.I am sooo anxious that I have seriously considered contacting the company several times but I did not want to slow the process further!! I have faith that these seeds will be the best of the best and if it comes down to them not being what I have been expecting, I will be changing this review in the future.Seems like a good yet frustrating test of my patience :-/.


Company representative comment on March 18, 2015:
On Mar 18, 2015 5:28 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

please e-mail me with your name and order number and I'll check your order status and if it hasn't shipped, will ship the seeds to you myself, with pleasure. My e-mail is herbseed (at) horizonherbs.com. richo

Positive
On Mar 14, 2015, Joylucile (11 reviews) from Bristol, TN

Posted on March 12, 2015, updated March 14, 2015 This review is aimed solely at their customer service, not the quality of their products, which I believe are good. I mainly want to comment on their extremely slow service, especially during the busy season when they cannot seem to staff up to meet the demand. If you are in a hurry for an item, you must order well ahead of the busy season or else find a more responsive company. I ordered 2 packets of seeds on March 1. (Just as a contrast, I ordered 2 packets of seeds from another company on March 2 and received them by March 6.) When March 11 arrived and I still had nothing from Horizon, I called to find out the status of my order. I was informed that this was their busy season and there was a 16 day lag between receiving an order and filling it. They said it would be another week before they would get to my order. However, they told me if I would pay them another $10 (more than my seeds cost), they would mail them out promptly. I laughed and cancelled the order! I turned around and ordered the exact same item from another company who promptly informed me that all seed orders are filled with 1-2 days of order receipt and I would have the seeds the same week. Quite a contrast, as it is their busy season too. So if you are in no rush for an item and are willing to wait for an extended period, Horizon is probably fine, but if you need something soon, you will have to pay $10 over and above your order cost to get the same fast service you will get from other vendors for free. And when you call to find out why your order has not arrived, you will probably get the same unsympathetic response I got--"Sorry but we are busy. Just pay us $10 more and you can have your item mailed right out."


On March 14th, 2015, Joylucile changed the rating from negative to positive and added the following: I appreciate the quick feedback and definitely want to be fair. I realize they carry lots of unusual items and have a high demand for their products. Plus it sounds like there was a mistaken application of the rules. I have already received my refund and do not wish to renew the order.
Company representative comment on March 14, 2015:
On Mar 13, 2015 8:10 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

This review is clearly written and useful. I have contacted customer service to repeat once again our policy, which apparently was not followed. New orders with requests for immediate shipment garner a $10.00 rush charge. If a customer calls for order status and the item has not yet shipped, it is our policy to provide fast turnaround gratis. I have d-mailed joylucile to get in touch with me (richo) personally so I can be sure her items are shipped without further delay. I have requested that she change this negative rating and expect that she will. Isn't there enough negativity in life and in the world without us gardeners shooting negativity at eachother? On another note, I had the pleasure of actually talking to DAVE who started this garden watchdog website. Turns out he is no longer involves with this website, hasn't been for a decade, and is sorry he ever unleashed this watchdog in the garden. I'm sorry, too. Richo


On Mar 14, 2015 10:09 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC added:

Good communication from a reasonable person. I appreciate the change of heart and enjoin "Joylucile" to contact me at some future time to take advantage of our diverse offerings, the result of 30 years of collecting, growing, disseminating, and loving. Richo

Positive
On Jul 21, 2014, elmundodelcacti (1 reviews) from Tainan,
Taiwan

Posted on July 11, 2014, updated July 21, 2014 Posted on July 9, 2014, updated July 11, 2014 Posted on July 5, 2014, updated July 9, 2014 Posted on July 3, 2014, updated July 5, 2014 I believe it is useful for foreign purchasers if there are information available as to how the transaction proceeds when purchasing from Horizon Herbs, so here I record what happens between me and Horizon Herbs during the transaction. Before writing the history of communications with Horizon Herbs, it might be good idea to note it is July now, spring, the busy season, is already over. Before making orders, I wrote a mail asking about history of trade to Taiwan to know about any potential risks it might involve. I got a response from Horizon Herbs in 2-3 days. So I ordered some seeds on 6/30 to be shipped to Taiwan. And I got a message saying "Thank you for your order" when completed the order online. In the ordering info, it says "pending" in the status column. The next day the payment status become "completed" from "pending". But I did not received any message from Horizon Herbs, so I do not know what did it mean. The Carrier and Tracking ID columns are still in blank. In my understanding, Horizon Herbs is not aware of current status of transactions since each contracted gardener ships products and Horizon Herbs functions mere a "transaction center" to connect customers and gardeners, but this understanding might be wrong. Anyway, I am not sure if the seeds have already been shipped or not. Today, 2 days after the initial order, I sent a mail asking if the shipment is via Air Mail or via Sea Mail. I believe this kind of trading normally use Air Mail, but I could not find any explanation about it in Horizon Herbs web site, and also, I was informed in the first mail from Horizon Herbs that the shipment might be take up to 6 weeks to be received, so I became a little bit worried about how they were going to send me the seeds. I hope everything goes well. (keep updating later)


On July 5th, 2014, elmundodelcacti added the following: Hi Horizon Herbs, thank you for your explanation. Everything is clear now. Since the last mail asking for shipping method, in the very next day, I got a response from Horizon Herbs, saying "We only ship international orders via AIR mail. You will receive an email confirmation with tracking number when it leaves. ". The same day, or 5 business days from the initial order, I got a link to tracking information of USPostalService "stamps.com". I believe this 5 working days processing period is quite reasonable for an order to be processed, even this perception would be different per purchaser. Once we get a link to tracking info (Scan History), detailed tracking information for each scanning point of package shipping slip becomes available. Oh I forgot to mention that Horizon Herbs chose to ship my seeds via "First Class International (R)" of USPS. Per USPS.com, "First-Class Mail International® is our most affordable international service for letters, postcards, and large envelopes". Wow, Horizon Herbs chose the best air mail service available for my seeds! When I received this Scan History, initially it only said "Shipped via: USPS Reserved" and the "scan history" in blank. That means Horizon Herbs has given the USPS the shipping info, and seeds are yet to be received by USPS. 4 hours after the "Reserved" status notification, "ORIGIN ACCEPTANCE" status was added to the scan history. OK, now I know seeds have been handed over to the USPS. There is one important issue better to know. The Carrier and Tracking# columns in the Horizon Herbs' ordering info (purchase receipt) page remains in blank even after the seeds have handed over the USPS 2 days ago. So if you want to track the shipment of your seeds, then it is recommended to check the USPS link rather than Horizon Herbs' ordering info. (keep updating)
On July 9th, 2014, elmundodelcacti added the following: I received seeds from Horizon Herbs today, July 9, 2014. Scan history was as follows. So this time, looks like custom clearances went well. I cannot tell how happy I was when I received those seeds. Thank you Horizon Herbs! Scan History Date Time Location Status July 5, 2014 23:36:00 LOS ANGELES, CA 90009 DEPART USPS SORT FACILITY July 5, 2014 17:04:00 LOS ANGELES, CA 90009 PROCESSED THROUGH USPS SORT FACILITY July 3, 2014 21:56:00 MEDFORD, OR 97501 DEPART USPS SORT FACILITY July 3, 2014 21:12:00 MEDFORD, OR 97501 PROCESSED THROUGH USPS SORT FACILITY July 3, 2014 19:57:00 WILLIAMS, OR 97544 ORIGIN ACCEPTANCE July 3, 2014 16:02:00 97544 Electronic Notification Summary of transaction is below. Inquiry - response: 2-3 working days Initial order made - shipping: 3 working days (I wrote 5 days in the previous post but it was wrong) MEDFORD to Los Angeles: 2 working days Los Angeles to Taiwan: 4 days Now I had a big problem. Some seeds were MUCH less in number than they should be. I ordered 4 class of seeds with 8 seeds packs. I ordered: "50 seeds Lot #8073" X 2 packs. I received: a packet with 27 seeds (46% less seeds) and a packet with 49 seeds. I ordered: "50 seeds Lot #7449" X 2 packs. I received: a packet with 40 seeds (20% less seeds) and a packet with 45 seeds. I ordered: "30 seeds Lot #8074" X 3 packs. I received: a packet with 33 seeds and a packet with 33 seeds and a packet with 34 seeds. I ordered: "30 seeds Lot #7995" X 3 packs. I received: a packet with 30 seeds and a packet with 23 seeds (23% less seeds) and a packet with 34 seeds. Note: I counted then on a bright orange plate with diameter of 30 cm and took picture of them. I must write to Horizon Herbs for compensation, at least for the 46% less seeds, and hopefully those seeds with more than 20% less in number. I think plus/minus 15% is reasonable, but 46% less is never acceptable. I guess they count seeds by weight, but weight count method cannot explain this 46% of shortage in number of seeds. Now the least desired way of compensation is a issuance of Horizon Herbs' coupon. The best way is Horizon Herbs sends me the rest of seeds I already paid for, but I doubt Horizon Herbs re-sends me them. Ok, I will write to Horizon Herbs tomorrow and keep updating.
On July 11th, 2014, elmundodelcacti added the following: I got a response from Horizon Herbs responding to my inquiry about shortage of seeds in quantity in some seed packs, and it said " In any case we are re-sending your order. Richo" and today I got a "Shipment Details" (link to scan history) via E-mail for the re-sending of seeds. So Horizon Herbs re-sent me the rest of my seeds. I never expected this happened since it could cost a lot of additional costs to Horizon Herbs. Thank you very much Horizon Herbs, now I am totally happy with everything you offered me. Finally, I must mention that the seed protective materials Horizon Herbs used for the shipment were of more than enough, with double layered shock absorber and water proof sealing for each seed pack, meaning the seeds were well protected. And now I noticed the shipping cost is really reasonable with this kind of expensive protective materials used. But it is important to note seeds in a most protective envelop can be damaged if a person stepped on it and that can happen anytime during shipment. My seeds were in perfect conditions per see when arrived, there were no broken pieces, tips nor fragments in the seed packs. Also there were no trace of seed packs opened during the shipment. Everything was in perfect conditions. Ok, let me summarize my experience with Horizon Herbs: Horizon Herbs offers you: - Best price for seeds - Reliability on shipping (fast shipping method + well protected package) - Fast and quality customer attendance - Responsibility to claims - ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE overall experiences I will definitely make orders again.
On July 21st, 2014, elmundodelcacti added the following: Yesterday, July 22, I received the one time free replacement of seeds. This time seeds took a route via New York and so it took 5 more days than via Los Angeles. Notice that the tracking record never shows "departure" from Jamaica, NY, unlike the case via Los Angeles. Scan History Date Time Location Status July 13, 2014 08:25:00 JAMAICA, NY 11430 PROCESSED THROUGH USPS SORT FACILITY July 11, 2014 21:51:00 MEDFORD, OR 97501 DEPART USPS SORT FACILITY July 11, 2014 21:18:00 MEDFORD, OR 97501 PROCESSED THROUGH USPS SORT FACILITY July 11, 2014 20:03:00 WILLIAMS, OR 97544 ORIGIN ACCEPTANCE July 11, 2014 16:31:00 97544 Electronic Notification July 11, 2014 14:47:00 WILLIAMS, OR 97544 ACCEPT OR PICKUP The seeds are germinating with good rate and I am really happy now.
Company representative comment on July 10, 2014:
On Jul 3, 2014 7:41 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

Hi There,
The above letter is very interesting and the suppositions are well meaning. To set it straight:
1) We ship all international orders via AIR MAIL.
2) We are not a "transaction center." We have 2 sides to our business: Customer Service (answers phone, invoices, downloads orders, charges cards, etc.) Farm (grows and cleans seeds, plants plants, ships seeds, ships plants, etc.)
3) "Completed" means your order was successfully paid for and downloaded and we are working on getting you your stuff. As long as you gave us your e-mail when you ordered, you actually received an automatic e-mail from us that said your order was successfully paid for and downloaded and we are working on getting you your stuff. Additionally, you will receive an e-mail with tracking when your seeds actually ship.
4) International orders may take 6 weeks to receive because they have to be approved by CUSTOMS. We have no control over customs delays. Sometimes seeds are rejected at customs and the customer never gets their goods. Sometimes we receive the package back weeks later and start the process of communicating with the customer, sometimes the seeds are simply discarded at customs (Italy and Greece are the worst for this, also Taiwan, China, South Africa and Brazil are very chancy). Most seed companies in the US will not send seeds internationally because, considering losses incurred through customs issues, it is not a profitable venture. However, we keep trying, because we would like gardeners to get what they need regardless of where they are.
If you would like personal assistance with any issues you have, it would make sense to drop me an e-mail at: herbseed (at) horizonherbs.com
I would prefer this over your public posting of comments on this "Dave's" venue.
I do a lot of free consultation (limit 3 e-mails) with gardeners every day, and I help people understand the process of ordering and receiving live botanicals. Thank you for choosing "positive," it makes a difference!


On Jul 10, 2014 12:22 PM, Horizon Herbs, LLC added:

Hello, I took your letter seriously because it seemed so exacting in terms of seed counts. All the cacti seed are hand counted and should be exact. I pulled a sample of lot 8073 and counted the seeds. it contained exactly 50 seeds as per label designation. Perhaps you had seeds crushed into powder in the post. This can easily happen with cactus seeds. In any case we are re-sending your order. Richo

Positive
On Jun 7, 2014, hypocondro (5 reviews) from houston,
United States

Posted on September 20, 2013, updated June 7, 2014 Posted on September 7, 2013, updated September 20, 2013 Posted on September 7, 2013, updated September 7, 2013 Posted on August 29, 2013, updated September 7, 2013 Posted on August 15, 2013, updated August 29, 2013 Posted on June 19, 2013, updated August 15, 2013 Posted on May 9, 2013, updated June 19, 2013 The amaranth seeds i ordered came within 4 wks from when i ordered them. They are small, i hope they grow.


On June 19th, 2013, hypocondro changed the rating from positive to neutral and added the following: I ordered some amaranth seeds of the giant South American variety a month or two ago. I got them within 4 weeks. It's been five weeks since I planted a couple and followed the directions on the package. I dont know what they look like, heres what I have so far //i104.photobucket.com/albums/m185/bunny666_2006/image-2.jpg
On August 15th, 2013, hypocondro changed the rating from neutral to positive and added the following: Its been 3 months since i planted 6 giant amaranth seeds i ordered from horizon herbs, the slow growth rate I'm going to assume responsibility for. The seeds are very tiny. Heres what i have now: //i104.photobucket.com/albums/m185/bunny666_2006/Photoon2013-08-15at1354.jpg
On August 29th, 2013, hypocondro added the following: Giant amaranth seedling from seed packet after 4 1/2 months. (slow growth was from sitting in a window sill the first six weeks) //i104.photobucket.com/albums/m185/bunny666_2006/Photoon2013-08-29at19163.jpg
On September 7th, 2013, hypocondro added the following: i had a problem with mold that killed off the first five seedlings but,... this one is now big and beautiful!!!!!(5&1/2 months)
On September 7th, 2013, hypocondro added the following: i had a problem with mold that killed off the first five seedlings but,... this one is now big and beautiful!!!!!(5&1/2 months) //i104.photobucket.com/albums/m185/bunny666_2006/Photoon2013-09-07at1320.jpg
On September 20th, 2013, hypocondro added the following: Hey i have a question with the Giant Amaranth. The leaves are suddenly becoming folded and droopy with flecks of yellowaround the edges. Have you seen this problem before, if so what is the cause, how can it be corrected? //i104.photobucket.com/albums/m185/bunny666_2006/Photoon2013-09-20at1357.jpg //i104.photobucket.com/albums/m185/bunny666_2006/Photoon2013-09-20at13572.jpg
On June 7th, 2014, hypocondro added the following: I have no complaints with this company at all! They are always on time, precise and even send you a catalog with your purchases. The seeds i've ordered from them have all grown great and I plan to keep on ordering from them in the future. When I can't find what i want every where else, i order from them.
Company representative comment on June 19, 2013:
On Jun 19, 2013 7:16 PM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

The seedlings you've grown are amaranth but they're not getting much light. cannot determine why this would engender a neutral rating. you can see the seedlings at our website. here's the link [HYPERLINK@www.horizonherbs.com]

Positive
On May 14, 2014, mrgregcrawford (1 reviews) from Detroit, MI

My experience with Horizon Herbs was fantastic. I found their catalogue to be wonderfully diverse & quite large, including a great array of rare & unsual specimens. Their plant profile write-ups are well written & I get a strong sense that they are quite competent at (& love) what they do. Everything was received within a respectable timeframe; all seeds appear to have great germination rates. I will undoubtably be buying seed from them again.

Positive
On Apr 18, 2014, reddirty (1 reviews) from Saint George, UT

I ordered 3 elderberry plants from Horizon herbs and I would like to compliment the staff of Horizon herbs on a job well done. The plants are healthy, green, and vibrant. I planted them immediately in pots and they have really taken off. No wilting or shock. They love their new home. Thanks!

Positive
On Apr 18, 2014, RedFingers (1 reviews) from Oslo,
Norway

Posted on April 17, 2014, updated April 18, 2014 This year I ordered seven different seeds, but the incentive was their fresh Sanguinaria canadensis (Bloodroot) seeds. In fact, I only went to their site to order this year because of the Bloodroot seeds, and just added six other seeds as to 'fill the quota" of seeds to bring into my country without getting additional taxes; I wouldn't order the Bloodroot seeds alone, as Horizon Herbs holds a rather expensive shipping cost to Europe. (Much higher than other seed-companies do to ship non-registered letters to Europe.) (In fact, I ordered the same seeds last year, but an unforeseen thing happened, so I had to travel away for months. Back again, of course the seeds were not viable anymore. But to my joy I could see that the seeds once had been very viable, since they had germinated (and unfortunately died) in the packet.) Less than two days after I placed the order I received an email stating that I had received a refund from Horizon Herbs. The amount was that of the Bloodroot seeds. There was no additional information on the email though. But it got me anxious. So I logged into my account on Horizon Herbs, and checked the order status. It said nothing about the refund there. (Yet.) I then wrote Horizon Herbs an email through their site, where I asked the question whether it was the Bloodroot seeds that they had refunded me for. I expressed like I did above, that the Bloodroot seeds were what made me order in the first place, and I requested that they would explain whether the refund was for these seeds. I also checked the status of the Bloodroot seeds on their site, and it was still shown as available to buy. (Now, eleven days later it still is available to click and add into the shopping basket.) I received no answer to my email to them. (Now it is nine days ago since I wrote them the email.) A couple of days later, I wrote them again, but not only because of the Bloodroot seeds. Since the order didn't seem to have been executed yet, I wondered whether they could add another type of seed that needs to be fresh to germinate (Galium odoratum - Sweet Woodruff.) In this email - also written through my account on their site - I also mentioned that I had written them another email a couple of days before, and by this hinting that I expected an answer. I have received no answer to either of the emails - and it's been more than a week that I wrote the last one. I checked the order status a couple of more days later, and it still didn't reveal anything about the Bloodroot seeds. But today I checked the order status again, and now it clearly states on my order: "refund bloodroot: $-9.95" I have yet to receive the letter with the seeds to my mail box, but of course it means that the Bloodroot seeds are not shipped to me. To me this tells this about Horizon Herbs: Lack of valuing the customer: Horizon Herbs have neglected to understand the importance of delivering what they offer. And IF some item in an order for some unforseen reason is not available, they should give a clear notice to the customer about it before executing orders. Lack of communication: If they at all read my two emails, they have neglected the importance I put on specifically the Bloodroot seeds. Lack of flexibility or options to the order: If they happened to have read my emails, they should have given me the opportunity to cancel the order. All in all this is one of the worst experiences I have had when it comes to ordering seeds. I notice that a representative for Horizon Herb has read through the feedbacks here, and have offered comments to some of the neutral or negative feedbacks. I would then simply end this review by a message to the representative for Horizon Herb: 1. Don't just address customers through this site: Show common courtesy and instead respond directly matters regarding a change of order to their email addresses. 'Too busy to respond' isn't an excuse in business. Write your customers directly if there is some unforeseen discrepancy regarding an order. 2. If your shop is empty for a particular seed, then for goodness sake, don't let the seed stay available to add to the basket! Tag the seeds as 'sold out' as other seed companies do. (As already stated, it is eleven days ago since I ordered the seeds, and the very same seeds are seemingly available to buy. 3. Whenever Horizon Herb has the Sanguinaria canadensis seeds available again for shipping, then if Horizon Herbs ship to me a portion of these seeds (I will pay for the seeds, but not for the postage), I will change this feedback from negative to positive. Why am I willing to go all from negative to positive? That is because Horizon Herbs (on the positive side) appear to really keep the quality on their seeds high. Other years where I have ordered seeds from them, their packaging of seeds, and the quality has appeared to be high. Therefore, if Horizon Herbs will stretch themselves to ship the seeds (when available to them) to amend this bad experience of mine, the overall picture is thus different, and I am willing to change the review. But for now, too bad that this negative experience has turned my impression about this seed company around a 180°.


On April 18th, 2014, RedFingers changed the rating from negative to positive and added the following: So I started out writing a bad review for Horizon Herbs. The mentioned seed which without notice I received refund for was meant as a back order. An understandable and excusable human mistake. I am now promised that the seed will be shipped to me by harvest time around the time of May/June. And as I wrote at the end of the review, if Horizon Herb would make an endeavor to correct things, I would then change the rating to positive. I still have an impression that Horizon Herbs as a business should improve its response to customer inquiries, but overall I think that Horizon Herbs deserves a positive rating from me. According my experience with the company, Horizon Herb's strongest quality is following: Their seeds are of high quality (!) Whenever they advertise a certain viability of a seed, you can trust the ratio of germination to be just as they informed.

Positive
On Apr 1, 2014, devinevegan (12 reviews) from Igo, CA (Zone 9a)

Very slow to ship so order early! Love their selection and their catalog and website. They only sell open pollinated seeds, organic, no hybrids and no PVPs. Highly recommended!

Negative
On Apr 1, 2014, rissole (7 reviews) from Atlanta, GA

Posted on April 1, 2014, updated April 1, 2014 Posted on March 28, 2014, updated April 1, 2014 I placed an order for seeds on March 19. I got a confirmation of my order through e-mail, but nothing else since then. So, I just called them to find the status of my order. It *still* hasn't shipped. The woman said it should ship at the beginning of next week. She said that it's already at the "shipping house," and is just waiting to go out. That sounds a bit strange to me. So, if the seeds finally go out next week, that will be nearly *2 weeks* after I placed the order. As for the "we're just really busy in spring excuse," most *other* companies do not take this long to ship in spring! Maybe Horizon Herbs needs to hire more people. If I don't get my seeds by the middle of next week, I will be changing this rating to a negative. Either way, I don't think I will be ordering from Horizon Herbs again.


On March 31st, 2014, rissole added the following: Thanks for your comment. Actually, I've moved, so I probably need to update my info on here, though I'm not exactly sure how to do that. Anyway, my new location is Hartwell, GA. I've also noticed that some folks on here have waited weeks for arrival of their orders even during January, etc. And I checked my e-mail today, and still nothing about the package being shipped. So, it had better ship tomorrow--otherwise, the shipping date won't meet the "beginning of next week" time frame that the woman on the phone promised me.
On April 1st, 2014, rissole changed the rating from neutral to negative and added the following:
Company representative comment on March 29, 2014:
On Mar 29, 2014 9:42 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

I looked through 97 orders that came in on March 19th and was unable to find any from Atlanta, GA. If you'd like to make sure that your order goes out on Monday please e-mail me at herbseed (at) horizonherbs.com with your full name or order number. It will be my pleasure to make sure you get your seeds, and I do apologise for the wait. This is a reminder that anybody who wants next day service can pay the $10.00 rush fee. Otherwise order early. The response times are well enumerated on our website and we can get behind at this season--other times of year a 3-day turnaround is typical. Maybe other companies are shipping faster--my personal experience with this is mixed--but do other companies offer over 1,000 species of medicinals? no. I know it is hard to wait during the spring. I was just in the greenhouse weeding seedling flats and FINALLY saw the seedlings for the red celery coming up. I wanted to update the website in view of the EXTREMELY LONG germination period for these seeds, which took so much longer than everything else that got planted before last full moon. But when I did the math, it was 13 days, not nearly as long as I had thought. Its funny how patience is such a necessary part of being a good gardener and yet I get impatient in the spring. I wonder at myself, sometimes.

Negative
On Feb 16, 2014, katiebear (7 reviews) from mulege,
Mexico

Like other, I like the idea of the company. I have ordered numerous seeds and plants from them. The problem I had was with a large (and expensive) order for yacon plants. All the plants promptly died. I contacted them to ask for a least a partial refund/replacement. I got back a blunt "there is no guarantee on live plants" response. I noticed last time I was on their site that they no longer sell these plants.


Company representative comment on February 16, 2014:
On Feb 16, 2014 9:05 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

To clarify, we do indeed guarantee receipt of live plants. The remainder is up to the gardener, to nourish them and keep them healthy. We do sell yacon, it is currently listed, it is a great plant, and frankly it is very easy to ship in live state and keep alive.

Positive
On Feb 10, 2014, gardensoiree (5 reviews) from San Diego, CA

I placed two orders with Horizon Herbs for 2014. The first order was for (20) comfrey cuttings, (2) black cohosh roots, (2) goldenseal roots, and (20) camas bulbs. The second order included a number of seed packets. Order placing was simple and straight forward. A shipping notification arrived 3 days after ordering for the order placed in November and 10 days after the order placed in December. The shipment of the roots went on a joy ride to Denver (super strange since Denver doesn't seem on the way from Oregon to Southern California) and took forever to arrive but we got them right into the ground the next day. The orders arrived nicely packed with lots of good vibes. There were more than twenty comfrey cuttings shipped and so far twenty-two have emerged; the first leaves on some cuttings emerged within 3 days! It's still too soon for the other bulbs and roots but I expect similar results. I've started some of the seeds. Germination rates are terrific and all the seedlings are vigorous. Nettles, burdock, mullein germinated in less than 7 days. It's still too cool here for some of the others even here in sunny San Diego. I highly recommend Horizon Herbs. Be forewarned, if you are impatient and expect instant results, this might not be the seed house for you. But, if you want awesome seeds, roots, and bulbs Horizon Herbs is a great choice.

Positive
On Feb 1, 2014, rocketdog72 (2 reviews) from Priceville, AL

Posted on January 29, 2014, updated February 1, 2014 Posted on January 29, 2014, updated January 29, 2014 Posted on January 29, 2014, updated January 29, 2014 The website claims that my card will not be billed until order has shipped... I placed my order on Jan. 20th, and my card was billed immediately. On Jan. 28, I still hadn't received my order. I called the number listed on their site, and was told that my order had shipped and that I needed to check my email for verification email, and to also check my spam folder because sometimes their emails get caught there. So I had already checked those, and told the girl I had already checked. She said that my order had already shipped, but verification couldn't be done because the shippers had already left for the day. She told me she would call me this morning (Jan. 29th) to let me know about shipping verification. By 12:30 p.m. my time in Alabama, I'd still received no call. I called their number again, and explained previous situation, and was told that the order had not yet shipped, but was being shipped immediately (at the very time I was on the phone with Horizon Herbs.) When I came home at 4:15 p.m., I checked my email, and a verification email was in my INBOX (not SPAM box) that states the order was shipped after 2:00 p.m. (Yes, I do realize the time zone difference.) I called Horizon again to be extra sure the order had shipped, and to point out that their own website states that my card would not be billed until shipment was made, that my card was billed 9 days ago, I had received no notice that the shipment would be *late* and shipment had not occurred, and that it seemed there was no intent of shipping my order until I investigated it. *Customer Service(?)* glossed over the issue and I was told that it may take 5 days for my order to arrive. This puts me far behind in growing time. I read and believed & enjoyed your bio online. I entrusted you with my hope & order, and cash dollars. I ordered things that you should have readily available, according to your own word. However, this evening, I read reviews for Horizon Herbs online, and have now become anxious. Please let this situation improve and become favorable. Please don't give me the run around.


On January 29th, 2014, rocketdog72 added the following: I feel like Chuck and Lucy's holding the football... I get duped frequently when I extend trust to others. Horizon's sweet bio and website was so captivating, though. *sigh*
On January 29th, 2014, rocketdog72 added the following: This is what the confirmation email states (cut & pasted): Mailing Date: 1/29/2014 Est. Delivery: 1-3 days Service: Priority Mail (R) Signature: Not Required So she told me on the phone arrival could take 5 days... And, I just checked the time difference, and Oregon is 2 hours behind Alabama, so at 1:09 p.m. (the exact time that I called Horizon) it was 11:09 a.m. in Oregon. She told me my order was being shipped at that very moment... the confirmation email states that my order was shipped at 2:12 p.m.? Is this correct? 2:12 p.m. in Alabama means that it was 12:12 p.m. in Oregon, which is still not 11:09 a.m. If I don't receive my order *5 days* will you please give me my money back so that I may use it to go elsewhere to purchase seed? Thanks.
On February 1st, 2014, rocketdog72 changed the rating from neutral to positive and added the following: I received my order on 1/31/2014. Thank you.
Company representative comment on January 29, 2014:
On Jan 29, 2014 8:13 PM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

We use a payment portal called "Authorize.net." Orders are charged immediately when you order, and we never see your credit card information. Your order is one of several hundred that were shipped today. Customer service personnel cannot go over to the seed house and ship your order, they simply communicate to the shippers and the shippers ship your order in the order it was received. If you would like your money back please call customer service and tell them that Richo OK's a refund.

Negative
On Jan 19, 2014, Likalee30 (1 reviews) from Cheney, WA

Posted on January 15, 2014, updated January 19, 2014 I ordered on Jan 2, 2014 and received a confirmation of the order. The funds were also electronically transferred that day. On the morning of Jan 13th, I sent an inquiry since I had still not rec'd my order. No response. On the afternoon of the 14th, I sent another inquiry. I got the following response: "this order has shipped out to you and you should have it within this next week. Please let me know if you do not get it." Today I got a message that it just shipped. In other words, they sat on their hind end and weren't going to do anything until I pestered them. It looks like they didn't even try to send it until after I started bugging them. And just another note why this made me mad. On their site, they claim speedy shipping once your order is confirmed. From the site: "Please note: Once your order is confirmed, it is up for shipment--no additions, changes or cancellations are possible." I have ordered from these guys more than once, but this has left a very sour taste in my mouth.


On January 19th, 2014, Likalee30 added the following: Normal flow? It was approved for shipping on the 3rd. Do you normally wait that long to ship? AND I only got half of my order. No email or anything to tell me part of it was backordered. And no expected date to receive the other portion. You can talk all nice on here, but your customer service stinks-because there isn't any.
Company representative comment on January 20, 2014:
On Jan 16, 2014 9:54 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

All of the above seems to be in the normal flow of seed shipping. Orders are received and paid for, paperwork goes from office to shippers, shippers ship orders in the same order as received. When the order ships, the shipping confirmation is sent to the customer. My hope is that Likalee will plant the seeds with love and patience. Richo


On Jan 16, 2014 10:06 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC added:

All of the above seems to be in the normal flow of seed shipping. Orders are received and paid for, paperwork goes from office to shippers, shippers ship orders in the same order as received. When the order ships, the shipping confirmation is sent to the customer. Inquiries are respected with the best information we can give, but they do not speed the process. My hope is that Likalee will plant the seeds with love and patience. Richo


On Jan 20, 2014 8:04 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC added:

We can't help answer your questions because we don't know who you are. Please e-mail me at herbseed(at)budget.net and I'll be happy to look up your order and let you know what's going on.

Positive
On Dec 2, 2013, BigMark123 (1 reviews) from Waunakee, WI

I bought some Splinathes and Criolle Sella pepper seeds from Horizon Herbs to grow in a greenhouse over the winter. The Spilanthes had a very high germination rate and the plants are very vigorous and have many flowers per plant. The Criolle seeds also had a high germination rate. The plants are very vigorous and are flowering like crazy. I am very happy with the seeds I received from Horizon. The customer support is excellent as well. When I emailed a question about making a tincture with the dried Spilanthes plants I received an informative reply the same day. I will order from Horizon again soon.

Neutral
On Nov 30, 2013, rmoote (1 reviews) from WEST ROXBURY, MA

Posted on November 29, 2013, updated November 30, 2013 Posted on November 29, 2013, updated November 29, 2013 Posted on November 29, 2013, updated November 29, 2013 I ordered 12 bearberry plants last June. The plants I received were very small with minimal roots. I followed their instructions for planting and watered them every day. After 3 weeks 7 of the 12 plants had died, so I called and asked them to send replacements. They said they could not do that until the fall. In late October I realized nothing had happened, so I called and they had no record of my previous call. The person I talked to said she would ask if they had any plants to ship to me and call me back but she never did. I called again 2 weeks later; again there was no record of my previous call. This time they did call back the next day and said they had no plants so they would refund money to my credit card. I just received the credit card statement (which runs thru a day 2 weeks after I talked with them) and there is no credit on the card. Each time I talked with someone there they were pleasant and seemed willing to be helpful. However, the follow-thru just doesn't seem to happen at this company. I would not recommend buying from them.


On November 29th, 2013, rmoote added the following: I just got further down into my credit card bill - instead of refunding money on my credit card, they actually charged me again for the entire original order from last June! Now I will have to call them again and try to straighten this out. Not a good company.
On November 29th, 2013, rmoote added the following: I just got further down into my credit card bill - instead of refunding money on my credit card, they actually charged me again for the entire original order from last June! Now I will have to call them again and try to straighten this out. Not a good company.
On November 30th, 2013, rmoote changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following: Today before I ever got around to calling them I got a phone message from them saying they had refunded the erroneous charge and to call them back to get the refund for the June order. So apparently someone is monitoring these posts and taking action based on them, which is impressive.
Company representative comment on November 30, 2013:
On Nov 30, 2013 10:30 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

Hi this is Richo, owner of company. All I know at this point is customer was sent plants in fine condition and apparently was unable to keep them alive. When I heard about it, I suggested that we refund her for plants that did not make it. It takes at least three days for refunds to show on the statement. I do not think that we "charged her again" for the plants. However, for sure, we'll look into it and make certain that this was a refund. We don't want to cheat anybody. Dave's garden is not a good venue for working out customer complaints--you can just call us with your concerns (but not on thanksgiving). Our phones are answered 9-5 m-f pacific time at (541) 846-6704.


On Nov 30, 2013 12:04 PM, Horizon Herbs, LLC added:

OK, customer service got back to me. They've been trying to reach you for weeks--e-mails not returned, phone messages left unanswered. Please give them a call at (541) 846-6704. They need your credit card number in order to process the refund. Sorry about that, its just the reality these days since we don't keep your card number on file.

Positive
On Nov 28, 2013, austinhoop (1 reviews) from Sunset Valley, TX

I ordered $50 worth of seeds and two roots. Confirmation of shipment was quick (next day, maybe two) with tracking information. I checked the tracking on the day due and saw the package was marked 'undeliverable as addressed'. I sent an email to Horizon worried that the roots would dislike all the shipping. They promptly responded saying they'd check the roots and resend as soon as they received them. The package turned up the next day, guess the delivery service labeled it wrong for the trucks. Roots were in great shape and the seeds looked good. I'm happy and just placed another order.


Company representative comment on November 30, 2013:
On Nov 30, 2013 10:31 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

Thanks, great!

Positive
On Oct 18, 2013, CacaoLaurel (1 reviews) from Cascade-Fairwood, WA

I've been buying plants and seeds from Horizon Herbs for years; it's always a wonderful experience working with them. Horizon is a wonderful source for rare and sometimes endangered plants. Generally I order potted plants, and they always arrive on time and in good condition. And equally important, I’ve always received prompt as well as constructive advice for any questions I’ve had about their plants. In fact I was even referred back to them I checked with the staff at the University of Washington Department of Botany with a question about propagating Mandrake (Mandragora officinalis). It’s hard to think of a stronger affirmation for any company.


Company representative comment on November 30, 2013:
On Nov 30, 2013 10:34 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

Yes, Mandragora is one of the rarest plants on earth and we've passionately worked with its conservation over the years. It is heartening to know that our plants and seeds are handled with care by people who care. Thanks very much for taking the time to spread the positive word in this venue. It will make your plants grow strong!

Positive
On Oct 14, 2013, ravynn (1 reviews) from Maple Bluff, WI

I have been ordering seeds, plants, books and herbal supplies from Horizon Herbs for approx. 3 years now. The seeds are accurate and viable. Besides the pictures on the website there are also some videos on YouTube showing what the plants look like such as the Ashitaba, these are very helpful and give you examples of leaf structure and growing these items. The catalog is most helpful because it describes growth and historical uses for the herbs. The plants I have ordered have continued to flourish as well. Most recently I had some questions regarding the growth of 2 of the plants I ordered approx. 2 years ago, the cape aloe and cactus grandiflorous, I sent an email with my questions and I received a response in about 2 days from Richo. When I have ordered numerous different items (plants,seeds,book) I have also been pleasantly surprised that everything was packed with such love and care when it arrives it is still in the same position the packer put it in. This company that not only cares for the plants but that the customers are pleased as well.


Company representative comment on November 30, 2013:
On Nov 30, 2013 10:35 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

Hi, thanks so much for the positive words, they are very much appreciated. May your gardens grow strong. Wishing you the best this holiday season. Richo

Negative
On Aug 30, 2013, qw (1 reviews) from Carlsborg, WA

Ordered a packet of seeds from this company over two weeks ago and have not received anything. Got email "confirmation" day of order but all the links in the email for customer support, company contact or order tracking are broken and no good. Fear this company is not legitimate and while I would prefer my money refunded, I fear that I will neither see it or my seeds. Here is the email: Thank you for your order. We are proud to be at your service! We pride ourselves on delivering the best possible shopping experience on the Internet. That means that from the moment you enter //horizon.scarabmedia.com/ to the moment your order is delivered to you - we are dedicated to your satisfaction. In order to better serve you, you may access this order and view its status at any time here: //horizon.scarabmedia.com/receipt.asp?Deleted (link was broken) Please feel free to contact us at anytime if you have any questions regarding this or any other order by visiting customer support located at: //horizon.scarabmedia.com/support/ If you have selected a manual payment method, your order status will be set to "Awaiting Payment" until payment has been processed. Please remember the following: -We respect your privacy! We will not share any information about you with any other organization at any time. Ever. See our Privacy Policy and Refunds/Returns page here: //horizon.scarabmedia.com/privacy/ For your convenience, you may track your order, edit your account, or view any of your past orders through our Customer Gateway here: //horizon.scarabmedia.com/gateway/ Once again, thank you for placing your order with us. We value your business and will continue to offer the best experience we can. Sincerely, Horizon Herbs, LLC //horizon.scarabmedia.com/ All the links were broken or pointed to a non-related site. This was my first order with this company, based on my experience I would strongly caution anyone from doing business with them. I have not received my product, they took my money and I have not been successful contacting them or tracking my order.


Company representative comment on August 30, 2013:
On Aug 30, 2013 6:42 PM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

This fellow managed to get into our old website which is not functional. Many happy customers use our real website at horizonherbs.com. this person should simply e-mail me at herbseed@budget.net and I'll get them their goods right away.

Positive
On Jul 24, 2013, farmersue (1 reviews) from Amelia, OH

Horizon Herbs has been my favorite company to order medicinal seeds from for 7 years. The service has always been great. I've also ordered plants, books, a tincture press, etc. and have been satisfied. The thing I most appreciate is the way they educate by way of their catalogue, books and website. The catalogue is a wealth of info on the plants/seeds, presented with great intelligence, experience, spirit and heart. I can think of no other company that offers such important products and continues year after year to offer more. Richo is a top herbalist and story teller. Thanks to all at Horizon Herbs for their vision and hard work.


Company representative comment on July 25, 2013:
On Jul 25, 2013 8:09 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

Thanks farmer Sue, for this light out of the darkness like the rising sun. When we approach any circumstance in our lives, be it communication with a coworker or an offhand question from a postal worker, etc. we truly do have 2 options. The first is to delve into the pit of complaint and cover ourselves with the tar of sadness. The second is to rise into the light of positive outlook and breathe the fresh air there!

Positive
On Jul 15, 2013, ComfreyFan (1 reviews) from Olympia, WA

I ordered 20 Comfrey Bocking # 14 roots at a reasonable price. They arrived without delay and upon opening the packages I had 2 bonus roots. And about a 1/3 of the roots were crown cuttings- which other vendors charge a premium price for. Due to delays and a hectic schedule- AKA: Life! I did not get the root cuttings in the ground until 2 weeks after their arrival. I am happy to say that all 22 root cuttings are flourishing! I am very pleased with Horizon Herbs.


Company representative comment on July 15, 2013:
On Jul 15, 2013 8:06 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

Thank you for the positive review, it is appreciated more than you can possibly know. We grow the comfrey these days in our downtown gardens and what I've noticed is that the vigor comes through--make a cutting from a puny plant and you get a puny response--make a cutting from a vital plant and you get a vital response. So we have plenty of vital plants these days to make cuttings from, and that's a real blessing. I'm not sure about the "crown cutting" part--we think we only send crown cuttings but maybe there's a difference in concept of what a crown cutting is. Should be a root with a piece of the crown attached. I do sometimes include some root cuttings instead of crown cuttings, but only when they are so large that I just can't help it. Richo

Positive
On Jun 14, 2013, AenRiv (5 reviews) from Fallbrook, CA (Zone 10a)

Posted on June 3, 2013, updated June 14, 2013 Posted on May 9, 2013, updated June 3, 2013 First of all, Horizon Herbs' selection is jaw-dropping. And so many plants that I haven't seen ever since moving to the USA. It was somewhat nostalgic. Comfrey (I ordered roots) reminds me of that lush jungle of comfrey bushes in front of my grandmother's gate back in the village. I used to love pulling the flowers out of their holders and eat the sweet nectar. But that aside... I tried to approach this new resource (new to me) without any preconceptions of whens and hows. I've already read about their workflow, and yeah, I can imagine that kind of business getting, well, busy. But when they got to shipping my order out, it arrived within 2 days. All seeds neatly packed, quantity errs on the "extra" side for the most part. Instructions to germination and planting are right there on little packets, and more information is on the website. If still in doubt about any plant, use Google. Now I'm gonna face the issue of where to plant all these babies. I mean, I can deal with 20 seeds of some, but 100, 500... That'll keep me busy. I'm also very happy that I found a resource that puts name on all those plants that I've observed every day in the village but never knew what they were called. Definitely will shop more, and before recommending HH to anyone, I'll make sure to inform them about the way things are done so that people won't be expecting the sun, and the moon, and the whole stars ensemble "right here" and "right now". No one likes constant nagging, and communication is best when you ask the right questions.


On June 3rd, 2013, AenRiv added the following: UPDATE: I'm quite impressed with how Russian comfrey took off growing - literally on the next morning after potting it, there were leaves sticking out. A few days later I was afraid for its health and transplanted into ground - sure enough, it was ALMOST root bound by that time. What a lovely monster! Shungiku (chrysanthemums) have their first set of adult leaves. The seedlings are looking pretty healthy. Burdock "Gobo" seeds were probably the first of all seeds to have sprouted. They have slowed down for now. I gave ashitaba seeds a little cold stratification, now they are in the soil. We'll see what they do. BTW, I tried sushi with gobo - the taste is just... very very pleasant. It's gonna be a while till mine grow to be ready for consumption :D All in all, I'm excited even more now!
On June 14th, 2013, AenRiv added the following: Amazingly, even after shorter-than-30-days stratification, there's a first Ashitaba sprout in the pot. And the "cranky germinator" which is Arhat fruit/vine, is on it's way. I've seen the first sprout lifting it's head in its own little pot. Seeded 5/11, sprouted 6/14 in a shady but warm spot, kept moist at all times. Watching them sprout is really watching a miracle happening. Now I gotta keep the bugs away.
Company representative comment on May 9, 2013:
On May 9, 2013 9:02 PM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

Thank you for this level headed assessment, it is appreciated. I personally like to plant more seeds than I think I'll need, and thin out the weak seedlings thereby selecting for vigor. that's how our new age open pollinated strains of vegetables and herbs get stronger.

Positive
On May 27, 2013, cbsandiego (1 reviews) from Avignon,
France

I have been buying seeds from Horizon for the past 5 years. Each seed packet has provided a very high germination rate. I have grown more than 80 species of medicinal plants thanks to them. Their service has always been impecable. But to me, gardener and clinical herbalist, what matters is this : their seeds are fresh, look nicer and better than any other seeds I bought in the past. They give rise to beautiful, healthy plants. I have bought medicinal plant seeds from all the main suppliers in the US. I don't anymore. I just buy from Horizon. They have all my trust.


Company representative comment on May 28, 2013:
On May 28, 2013 7:34 PM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

Thank you for this, I am totally dedicated to providing the best possible seeds. Your positive attitude is a significant assistance in good results with plants. They feel it.

Positive
On May 24, 2013, yesyesnursery (1 reviews) from Santa Ynez, CA

I have been running a small-scale certified organic nursery for the last 8 years, growing plug trays for our farm and selling herb and vegetable plants at our local farmers markets. Every year, I order thousands of seeds from a dozen or more companies, as well as live plants, bare root stock, and so forth. I am currently raising about 150 different kinds of herbs and vegetables. Horizon Herbs has been a steadfast resource for me since the very beginning, offering an amazing variety of organic seed, cultural information, advice, and encouragement, all of the highest quality. There is no one else out there that does what they do and I am super grateful to know they are there tending plants and keeping our seeds safe.


Company representative comment on May 28, 2013:
On May 28, 2013 7:37 PM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

Thank you for this positive note, we appreciate it very much. In this crazy world its hard to stay grounded, but gardening has much to give us in this regard. Furthermore, we can breathe a little easier knowing that our children will have a greener world for our efforts. So important to plant a diversity of seeds, so important to keep a diversity of trees within our ecologies, so important to stay positive and support eachother in this good work.

Negative
On May 21, 2013, Dbai (1 reviews) from Washington D.C.,
United States

I wish I'd seen some of the other reviews here before ordering from Horizon! They do have a great catalog but my experience with them has been terrible! I ordered 5 or 6 seed packets (so, a very simple order - no live plants or anything). I didn't receive any communication after the initial order confirmation. Almost two weeks went by and the 'order status' link they send you is a joke. It's just a receipt for your order and tells you it's been processed/completed. Anyway, I waited and finally wrote them a friendly but concerned e-mail after almost two weeks just asking the status and stating that I was worried because I'd never received any further communications and my seeds hadn't arrived yet. I got back a one-line response (literally one line) saying : 'This order shipped today'. No salutation, no sign-off. No apology for the delay. No explanation. It was the rudest e-mail I've ever received from a company! Then, to add insult to injury, this unnamed horizon rep (that's right - they didn't even sign their name, no signature line either), lied about the shipping date. My order actually only shipped two business days later! You'd think, after they obviously misplaced or forgot about my order, that they could at least send it priority mail or something. Oh no. USPS first class. Took another week to get to me so total time from order to arrival? Almost a month! I've written to them with a description of the above and haven't heard back. No doubt the rude, lying person who responded to me the first time (sort of) opened my second e-mail and threw it away! It's a shame, but I'll only order from them in the future if I absolutely cannot find what I want elsewhere. HORRIBLE service. So disappointing. Not surprising though, considering many of the other comments on here. ps: I'm going to laugh so hard if the response to my experience is that Richo is going to 'pray for me'- ahahaha! Please. Save it.


Company representative comment on May 21, 2013:
On May 21, 2013 8:03 PM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

Hello there Dbai,
I'm sorry that you perceive our service as per the above. Spring is always a busy time for gardeners and seed shippers, so early ordering and a little patience in receiving your goods really helps. I will keep you in my prayers and hope that your seeds work out well for you.
Best regards,
Richo

Negative
On May 3, 2013, lemurianne (16 reviews) from Ida Grove, IA (Zone 5a)

Posted on May 2, 2013, updated May 3, 2013 I really want to like Horizon Herbs. I love the IDEA of the company. I have been happy with their selection and quality of most of their seeds. But the people behind the company sure seem like jerks. I will probably continue to order seeds from them, but I will never again order plants, and here is why.. I placed an order for six plants recently and received them today. One of the plants that I ordered was completely dislodged from it's pot during transit, which I understand does happen, but it is clearly not a plant that should have been sold, at least not for the price I paid, IMO. They obviously tucked a tiny plug into a deep pot just before shipment. Two more of the six are also unbelievably small for the price. They look like barely rooted seedlings! Horizon Herbs may be all about treating nature ethically, but they are not at all interested in treating their customers with the same respect. On their website they state that they do not want to be contacted or sent a photo if plants are damaged in transit. And in the note included with the plants (but not included in the catalog or on the website so far as I can tell) they freely admit that these plants will need to be further nursed in their pots to develop a good root system before being transplanted!!! What is the point?!! Don't most people order plants because they don't want to go to the trouble of nursing seedlings? Arrgh. So I haven't contacted them. I am simply leaving appropriate feedback here. Horizon Herbs is guilty of deceptive business practices. Don't order plants from them and expect to receive actual plants that can be transplanted to your garden this season! I will accept and nurse these "plants" along because I happen to have the time and facilities to do so. But I feel like a sucker. I wish I'd not been impatient and just started these from seed on my own or purchased them from another, albeit non-organic, plant retailer. What a disappointment.


On May 3rd, 2013, lemurianne added the following: In response, I will add the the aforementioned "plants" that arrived as tiny seedlings or plugs placed in deep pots just before shipment are quite easily started from seed: echinacea angustifolia, stachys officinalis and scutellaria barbata. I placed the order for plants simply out of impatience. I truly appreciate what Horizon Herbs does, but their opinion of what a "plant" is differs tremendously from virtually every other plant retailer I've dealt with. I do not need anyone to send me newly germinated seeds or plugs in deep pots. That does not qualify as a PLANT in my opinion.
Company representative comment on May 3, 2013:
On May 2, 2013 8:09 PM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

Many rare plants are hard to start from seed and/or grow slowly--those are a couple of the reasons they are rare. Ashitaba is hard to start from seed, as is Wasabi--we are charging what we think is a fair price for species that are hard to find elsewhere. Try growing 370 species organically and keeping them all in stock with strong demand coming in from every direction--not easy! A Gentiana lutea may look like a seedling and yet its 3 years old. Can't really give any more useful feedback without knowing what the customer ordered.


On May 3, 2013 10:07 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC added:

OK, this makes sense to me now. I'm sorry that the stock was smaller than you expected. We always ship our largest plants first and always ship plants that we think will work for the gardener. No mention was made of the size of other plants in your order. If you'd like some kind of reparation from us then feel free to e-mail me at herbseed@budget.net.

Positive
On Apr 7, 2013, gunnsgirl91303 (1 reviews) from Kent, WA

About a week ago I placed an order with Horizon Herbs and a few days later a gal named Nikki called from Horizon Herbs to ask if I'd intentionally ordered both Arnica Montana plant and seeds or if I'd ordered one of them by accident. I was so glad she called because indeed I had mistakenly ordered the plant, which I did not want. I was blown away by the fact that she called me to inquire. Most companies would have processed the order and been happy to take my money. But Nikki went above and beyond the call of duty to make sure my order was correct. No other company I have ever dealt with has been this diligent in customer service. I thank Nikki and Horizon Herbs for offering such fine quality products with such excellent, warm and courteous customer service on the side! They will always have my business! I have used Horizon Herbs for years and have never had a problem with their service or products. However, after Nikki's call, I appreciate this company all the more! Kelly M, gardener and herbalist in Kent, Washington

Negative
On Mar 18, 2013, randltrs (1 reviews) from Spring Hope, NC

Posted on March 13, 2013, updated March 18, 2013 Posted on March 6, 2013, updated March 13, 2013 Not happy about communication. I placed an order on the weekend of 2/23-24 for 2 packets of ephedra seeds. I received an email thanking me for the order, and that was it. I decided to wait a week at least to receive the shipment, but after a week had passed, I have nothing. I checked my order and it says status is "Complete". There is no tracking information or carrier information shown, so I have no idea how to expect it, or even if it has shipped. I contacted Horizon via their contact form to inquire about the order, but received no response. I followed up again by email earlier today, and still have received no response. Based on the statement by Richo in another negative review, it would appear that my order has not shipped yet. That's fine - but it would have been nice to have gotten a response when I asked what was up, instead of having to come here. I can understand a small operation getting really busy, but I feel that failing to respond to a customer's inquiries about their order is unacceptable under any circumstances. This is not a good experience for a new customer.


On March 13th, 2013, randltrs changed the rating from negative to positive and added the following: After posting here, I received a follow-up email shortly afterward along with an apology for the missed response. I had some additional questions answered, too. I got the notice on Monday that the seeds were being shipped and they were waiting for me when I got home today. Horizon fixed the problem. I appreciate that, and am now willing (and intending) on placing another order in the future. Thank you.
On March 18th, 2013, randltrs changed the rating from positive to negative and added the following: I'm afraid I have to change my position yet again. After opening my package, I found that I had only received one pack of seeds. I had ordered two. Once again, I sent an email, and again, received no response. A second email was sent the following day, and again, nothing. Yes, I realize you have a phone number. Have you considered that I might have good reasons for not using the phone? In the end, my problem is simple: If you are going to offer email based customer support, you really need to take care of your customers when they email you. If you are unable to do so, then perhaps you should remove the email support from the website. Nevermind about the missing pack of seeds - it's not worth the effort to me at this point. But you have lost a customer - I don't get the impression that my business is really that important.
Company representative comment on March 18, 2013:
On Mar 6, 2013 7:53 PM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

Hi there,
We're currently sold out of Ma-huang seed and all orders are on backorder and will be shipped as soon as we have the seed. If for some reason an e-mail doesn't work, a phone call is a great option and our number is (541) 846-6704. Ma-huang grows best after the spring equinox in very warm soils and there will still be plenty of time to plant the seeds and get good results. We also have Ma-huang plants available for anyone who wants to go that route. I would like to thank this person for pointing out our faults and will try my best to keep the good seeds flowing to good gardeners. I would also like to say that keeping a positive attitude really helps seeds come up and helps gardens and gardeners be beautiful.
Richo


On Mar 8, 2013 8:21 PM, Horizon Herbs, LLC added:

As of MArch 8, Ma-huang seed in stock. All backorders will be shipped within the next 3 days. Richo


On Mar 13, 2013 5:19 PM, Horizon Herbs, LLC added:

Thank you for this, it is a pleasure.


On Mar 18, 2013 1:34 PM, Horizon Herbs, LLC added:

the two packets are together in a single cellophane baggie

Positive
On Mar 14, 2013, Gratitudeheals (2 reviews) from Springville, UT

I've been gardening with Horizon Herbs for about 5 years. I've even made a trip to Oregon to see their place. I live about 1000 miles away. I like the family feel and the more personal aspect of the company.Maybe as the company grows they won't be able to keep that up. When I email a question I often get an answer from the owner. I got lyme disease about 6 months ago and asked his opinion about what herbal people/books to look to for answers. I have made many orders. Most have been perfect, but if not they have fixed them. I order from many companies/ebay/amazon and none are perfect. I love how much I learn from this seed/plant company. For me the plants from Horizon are very healing to grow. They help me deal with a stressful job. I have learned that some of the more tropical seeds they offer are harder to germinate without a greenhouse, but that is the adventure! Thanks Horizon Herbs(Richo and family and employees).

Positive
On Mar 11, 2013, Kabri (1 reviews) from Quilcene, WA

I am brand new to starting seeds indoors and I so appreciate the detailed instructions that come with each type of herb seed that I ordered from Horizon. My orders arrived within a reasonable amount of time and were well packaged. I have no problem with an online retailer making a few bucks on shipping costs - MOST do. For common items such as hardware or supplies, I will shop for the best price because many retailers charge a stupid amount for shipping. But for specialty items, such as the unusual variety of seeds offered by Horizon, I will pay to get a great product. They answered my questions when I had germination failure, and I had success on the next try. I am thrilled that I have germination of some of the more difficult seeds since I am on a steep learning curve here with Spring just around the corner! I am a happy customer!


Company representative comment on March 11, 2013:
On Mar 11, 2013 10:08 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

Thank you very much for this positive review, it is very much appreciated. Germination failure is a great way to learn more about the specific requirements of the species! Germination success after altering one or more variables helps fine tune the technique even more.

Positive
On Mar 10, 2013, herbgardenernc (1 reviews) from Greensboro, NC

LOVE Horizon Herbs. I have been ordering seeds and plants from these folks for about 15 years. Germination rates (for both herb and vegetable seeds) are awesome, even when my young kids are the ones doing the planting. I am always thrilled (altough no longer surprised) to see those little green sprouts pushing out of the ground in happy profusion. I have also had great success ordering plants - my rosemary bushes are chest high and flowering profusely. The quirky seed catalog gives loads of great gardening advice, and I really appreciate the personal touches, including hand-drawn cartoons and humorous comments. The company is dedicated to green practices, printing their catalog on recycled paper with soy-based ink, using biodegradable packaging in their shipments, and selling eco-friendly gardening products (e.g. coir, a sustainable replacement for peat moss made from coconut husks). Horizon Herbs sells open pollinated seed varieties, meaning that seeds from their plants can be collected and regrown true to species. This is nice for me as a gardener, but also important for perserving heirloom herb and vegetable varieties that are being pushed out by hybrid cultivars. In my experience, customer service has been prompt and polite, and I appreciate that it is easy to reach a real human being when I have questions. When I give Horizon Herbs my business, I really feel like I am supporting a company that really cares about making the planet a better place. Thanks for everything you do, guys, and keep it up!


Company representative comment on March 11, 2013:
On Mar 11, 2013 7:55 AM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

LOVE positive reviews. Completely INSPIRES us to keep working on moving vegetable, medicinal and permacultural seed diversity out to the people. My blessings on your garden and on the gardens of everyone who is passionate enough to post their comments on this public forum. Richo

Negative
On Mar 8, 2013, lovefromsun (1 reviews) from Bentleyville, OH

Posted on March 8, 2013, updated March 8, 2013 First, let me preface this response by acknowledging the fact that I signed up just now to Dave's Garden to inform and help other buyers and present my experience and hopefully help plant lovers and enthusiasts to make more informed decisions based upon the information I am presenting. I have read most of the responses from Richo of Horizon Herbs and noticed a fairly disturbing passive aggressive trend and the last thing someone wants to hear when helping other fellow gardeners is excuse after excuse and an inability to take ownership and responsibility of the shortcomings of their company. You can only grow if you are open to criticism. Shutting your customers off does not help improve business standards. Nevertheless, here is my experience: I have yet to plant these seeds so this review will not include the viability...yet. I placed a substantial order online (over $350) and called to ensure that the shipping cost of just seeds was correct as the algorithm they use to calculate shipping is not based on weight but on cost of items ordered. I was assured that the $26 for shipping was correct and that if when they went the ship the item and weighed it out, it came up under the weight, they would refund the amount. I called again a few days later to check on my order and they said that they did indeed weigh the package and the cost was $26. After waiting two weeks for the seeds to arrive (you would think $26 would have bought me overnight shipping with white glove assistance planting them) I inspected and weighed the package. It was sent USPS Flat rate box and cost them $5.25 to send to our zipcode. I immediately called and was told that someone would call me back in a few minutes. No one called so I called back and was told that a manager would have to evaluate the situation as there may have been a handling charge imposed. I asked where in their website does it say shipping AND handling. There is no such wording. Further, I received a COUPON for an out of stock item instead of a refund to my CC. I was not notified that the item was out of stock, simply forced to shop again and most likely pay an inflated shipping fee. I waited for the call back from a manager and here we are a week later, $20 disparity/overcharge and no response, thus the review. I realize that charging an extra $20 isn't that much when you are spending $350 on seeds but this is clearly deceptive and fraudulent. Even if its a dollar or two your company slips onto the total, at least be honest and upfront with the people that are supporting your company. 4 emails and 4 calls and no resolution or response? Ignoring paying customers and refusing to answer emails or call back says alot about the integrity of this company. I guess my next step is my credit card company. Richo, if you have as much love for the plant-world as your proclaim in your responses to others, don't you think that that same attitude should transfer to the human kingdom as well? After all, humans are paying you to do what you love. Further, after speaking to several of their employees I noticed a smug attitude that was not welcoming to a customer. It felt as if we should be grateful to them for supplying seeds, instead of a mutual gratefulness for the customer as well. If you are looking for reliability, honesty or gratitude in your seed company, my experience would suggest to look elsewhere.


On March 8th, 2013, lovefromsun added the following: I did call and ask if the charges were correct and was put off numerous times and told to call back when it was closer to shipment. I was explicitly told by your representatives that your shipping costs were over $25 and that the price quoted was correct. LIttle did you expect that I would check the cost of the flat rate envelope over at USPS to catch you inflating your shipping charges to put a little extra in your pocket. You paid $5.50 to ship these seeds but charged over $25 to the customer. How is this not a problem for you? Just refund the money that you initially said you would if the shipping did not cost what was charged.If you are comfortable stealing from people than please do take the $20 overage from me because that is on your conscious not mine. Please Richo, spare me your prayers, save them for yourself. A prayer that comes not from the heart is no prayer at all. I prefer to have honest men send over prayers. Pray for honesty and integrity as a business person and stop using that ploy to dupe people into believing you are a man of honor. Please accept that $20 as a gift to you from me.
Company representative comment on March 8, 2013:
On Mar 8, 2013 5:58 PM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

I do not understand why this person is so irritated. The shipping charge is clearly given before the online order is finalized, and if someone doesn't like the shipping charge then they are free to opt out at that time. Credit cards are automatically charged by Authorize.net for exactly the amount that is given on the order. We do not see the order before charges go through, and we never see the credit card number at all. Sometimes shipping charges do end up costing the customer more than the actual cost of sending the package, and sometimes they end up costing the customer less. We have set up the shipping cost module as fairly as possible under the constraints of the software (and talk to any online seller, this part is hard to do fairly, especially when a great diversity of things is being shipped domestically and internationally via several different shipping methods). We are focusing on seed quality, and we offer some of the best prices (base price $2.45 for an organically certified vegetable seed packet, $2.95 base price for perennials and trees, etc.) that you can find anywhere. I'd like to advise everyone to review the shipping charge before making the order and if it seems unacceptable, then they should not order online, but instead call us up with the order and negotiate at that time. This is Richo. About the "passive aggressive" claims and other angry language, let me just say that us gardeners really need to stick together better then that and I am holding this person in my prayers and hoping that they settle down and get on with good work. Jeesh!

Positive
On Mar 7, 2013, RAVENCLAW (2 reviews) from Mansfield Center, CT

By far my favorite seed company of all time. Horizon Herbs is THE go-to place for seeds of interesting, hard-to-find, bizarre, and spectacular plants from around the world! I wish all seed companies were this reliable. ~ Weston


Company representative comment on March 8, 2013:
On Mar 8, 2013 6:30 PM, Horizon Herbs, LLC responded with:

Thanks for this positive review, we really appreciate it. The good attitude really makes the seeds and plants happy, too. They feel it just like we do. Plant on! Richo

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