Comments regarding Sheffield's Seed Company

I bought seeds from them before, so I wanted to place another order, this time from overseas, but was shocked by their shipping charges:

Priority Mail $49+
First Class International $13+

I used to send light envelopes with documents to overseas from USA and it would cost me $2.50 to $4 maximum. I could pay them $1-$2 extra for handling etc. but not $10 extra. That's as they noted untracked uninsured First Class (cheapest way).

This is not a complaint, but a note, unfortunately I can't justify paying extra $10 for nothing to receive a very light (a few grans) envelope with a handful of very light tiny microscopic seeds. Unfortunately I can't give them anymore business unless its something I can't get elsewhere and everyone seems to have these seeds anyway, so I will just order elsewhere.

As the last note, the seeds I bought from them before, none have germinated, but this could have been my fault as I may not have done the germination procedure 100% correctly.

I ordered some white oak seeds and when I opened the package I noticed some type of larvae that looked like maggots. The seeds were already starting to germinate so I went ahead and planted them in containers. I destoyed all the larvae I found. They do need to watch better for things like this, but the seeds are growing just fine.

ON January 9, 2002 I ordered seeds from this company. 1 lb. of Ulmus pumila, 1/2 lb. of Ulmus Parvifolia and 2 grams of populus tremuloides, quaking aspen.

Within 2 months, I knew the populus seeds would not grow at all, I emailed them and they refunded me for those seeds.

About 4 months later, after going thru the process of stratification, I figured that the other seeds, would not grow either. I had sold many of them to my customers, and I planted several flats of these seeds. None of them ever germinated. I complainted to sheffield several times, they said they were investigating, and the problem was never resolved.

I am out over $65 and I don't expect to see them again.