I hate to join in here, because a topic like this can make a seed seller cringe...lol.
Karen, as a seller, I would always like to know. It is the only way I can make things right, and I think in almost every situation, folks want things to turn out right.
I have planted about 300 seeds so far, and most are coming up nicely....some are just now coming up at 35 days, and some won't ever come up. I think most sellers try to be generous enough with their bonuses and extras to make the "not coming up" less painful. Certainly, if an entire cross arrives soft or moldy, you should notify the seller immediately. If the seller is worth his/her salt, then they will want to rectify the situation. A side note, I have planted soft seeds before...of a cross that I just had to try....and sometimes, they have germinated.
Things can always go wrong. I do think that most long time sellers are prepared for some sort of issue. I just sent 30 packets of seeds to Canada, by FEDEX, only to find that the buyer had left for vacation, and his computer had broken down. When I tried to change the delivery, I was told that I could not, until after one attempt at delivery was made.....not to worry, they said. Well, the attempt was made, and completed, and was signed for by a person unknown to the buyer, and are now gone. Thirty packs of precious seeds....gone! As a seller of seeds for more than 13 years, I know that I did nothing wrong, but I also know that I will have to replace those packets with new ones. Things always can go wrong, and anybody who sells should be prepared to have a way to problem solve any situation.
So, please contact the seller and let them know the situation. I would suggest, only because a reputation can be destroyed in a instant, that you do so privately.
Just my two cents,
Steve
