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True Leaf Market Reviews: Ratings, Returns and Seed Germination

Cal HewittPublished Checked

  • buying
  • seeds
  • reviews
Two hands seen from above folding back the flaps of a plain cardboard box on a doorstep, showing several blank paper seed packets inside, with a door mat and a green door behind

True Leaf Market is a Salt Lake City seed company that sells microgreen and sprouting seed, and its public ratings run from 2.7 out of 5 on Trustpilot to 4.5 out of 5 on Walmart. Each platform counts a different number of reviews, so none of them tells the whole story alone.

The more useful number for a buyer is 30. The company guarantees all its seed for 30 days from the ship date and takes seed back for any reason inside that window.

Each rating below carries its own count and is as of November 9, 2026.

What True Leaf Market sells

Before you read the ratings, it helps to know what is on the shelf. True Leaf Market sells microgreen seed, sprouting seed, wheatgrass and grain seed, growing kits, sprouting kits, trays, grow media and other supplies. Its microgreens seed collection listed 309 products on November 9, 2026, including broccoli, basic salad mix, Rambo radish, black oil sunflower, arugula, kale, peas, cilantro and beet.

Wooden pantry shelf lined with clear glass jars of different sprouting seeds, from tiny red brown seeds to larger green peas, with a wooden scoop on the shelf edge

Pack sizes run wide. The company's broccoli microgreen page lists 1 ounce at about 9,000 seeds, 1 pound at about 144,000 seeds and 25 pounds at about 3,600,000 seeds.

The company's sprouting brand is Handy Pantry, which carries sprouting kits, bags, salad seed mixes and wholesale sprouting seed. Prices and shipping charges change, so check both on the product page at checkout rather than relying on a figure you read somewhere else, including here.

How the ratings compare, platform by platform

Four platforms (Trustpilot, Google, Walmart and the BBB) measure different customers in different ways, so read each one with its own count and date.

True Leaf Market ratings by platform, as of November 9, 2026

Hover or tap a row to highlight it.

PlatformTrustpilot
Rating2.7 out of 5
Reviews14 reviews
Notes50% one-star, 43% five-star, 7% two-star
PlatformGoogle (shown through Birdeye)
Rating4.2 out of 5
Reviews175 reviews
NotesGoogle reviews
PlatformWalmart seller profile
Rating4.5 out of 5
Reviews385 reviews and 2,027 ratings
NotesSeller profile

The Better Business Bureau lists True Leaf Market as accredited since April 16, 2014, with an A+ rating. The BBB profile is a letter grade rather than a star rating, so it does not line up with the star ratings above.

Trustpilot also shows a 2.5 TrustScore beside its 2.7 average. The table uses the 2.7 average from the Trustpilot page. Trustpilot notes the company has no history of asking customers for reviews.

Keep the sample sizes in mind. Fourteen reviews is a small number, and 175 or 385 is larger, but all three are snapshots. Do not average them into one score. Read the Google reviews on Birdeye and the Walmart seller profile for the buyer experience on those platforms.

What to do before you order

Three steps cover what you can control before ordering.

Person seen from behind sitting at a kitchen table with a closed laptop, a blank notebook, a pen and a small jar of microgreen seed
  1. Read the 30-day return steps below, and set your reminder from the ship date.
  2. Read each platform's rating with its own count: 2.7 from 14 reviews on Trustpilot, 4.2 from 175 on Google, 4.5 from 385 on Walmart.
  3. Read the one-star Trustpilot reviews first, since 50% of the reviews there are one-star, and decide whether those problems would matter for your order.

At checkout, confirm the exact cultivar, pack weight, organic status and shipping charge on the product page. Seed is not interchangeable, so compare like with like if you check another seller. Our supplier comparison covers other sources, our piece on bulk microgreen seeds helps if you are buying by the pound, and the buying guide explains what to look for on a label.

True Leaf Market is an affiliate partner of Microgreens Guru through Awin, so product links on this page are affiliate links. Microgreens Guru has not ordered from True Leaf Market or tested its seed. This review reads the company's published policy and its public ratings.

The 30-day return policy, step by step

The return policy is the part of this company you can act on, so it is worth reading closely. The Guarantee, Returns and Refunds Policy says: "Nevertheless, we guarantee all our seed for 30 days from the ship date and will accept returns on seeds for any reason for 30 days." It also says: "We do not accept returns on seeds after 30 days from the ship date for any reason."

Plain cardboard box on a hallway bench beside a roll of brown tape, scissors and a pen, with a coat rack blurred behind

Non-seed products follow the same window. The policy says the company guarantees them for 30 days from the ship date and accepts returns on them for 30 days from the ship date. Non-seed returns must include the original parts and packaging.

Count your days from the ship date, not from the day the box arrives. Put a calendar reminder on the day your tracking email shows the order shipped, and start any germination test inside that window.

How to start a return

The policy sets out a short sequence. Follow it in order, because a return sent without authorization is outside the process.

  1. Contact customer service within the 30 days.
  2. Get authorization in advance.
  3. Send the item back within two weeks of that authorization.
  4. For a germination problem, have the seed lot number ready when you report it.
  5. Wait for the refund, which the policy says can take up to two weeks after the return arrives.

The lot number is printed on the seed package. Write it down when you open the bag, so you still have it if you sow and the tray stalls.

Store credit or cash refund

You get a choice at refund time, and the two options are not equal. Store credit returns 100% of the product value, and True Leaf Market pays the return shipping. A cash refund carries a 10% restocking fee, and you pay the return shipping.

According to the policy, international customers are responsible for return shipping. Gift-card sales are final.

So, if you plan to order again anyway, store credit is the cheaper route on the company's stated terms. If you want your money back on a card, work out the 10% fee and your own postage first.

What the company says about seed testing

The company's page Does True Leaf Market Test Their Seeds makes several claims about its own practice. These are the company's statements, not an independent trial.

Shallow white dish lined with damp paper towel holding seeds with tiny white root tips, with a plain wooden ruler beside it on a kitchen counter
  • All seed is tested and must meet verified germination standards, using Utah's minimum germination requirements.
  • Seed is retested for viability every nine months, whatever the variety.
  • Sprouting seed is tested for Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria when it is received, and it is not released until the company confirms it is safe for sprouting.
  • When there are multiple complaints about one lot number, the company runs a test grow.
  • Seed below standard is removed from sale, though the company says some surplus may be sold as "below standard."

The company says certificates of analysis for pathogen results can be obtained through customer service. Before you rely on any claimed germination rate, ask the company for the lot-specific germination record or certificate of analysis.

The company's terms and conditions also state that it cannot guarantee seed is free of seed-borne pathogens and offers no warranty for seed-borne disease. Read that line next to the testing claims, and apply your own food-safety steps to any seed.

On certifications, the company's certification page says it undergoes annual inspection, holds organic certifications, lists OMRI certifications under True Leaf, LLC, and has taken the Safe Seed Pledge not to buy, sell or trade genetically engineered seeds or plants.

Complaint themes buyers report

Individual reviews can show you what kinds of problems people describe. They do not tell you how often each one happens across all orders, so treat each example as one buyer's account.

Shipping charges are one theme. A Trustpilot reviewer dated August 4, 2025 said a $90 order was charged shipping despite an expectation of free shipping, and said customer service told them they were not telling the truth. A Reddit poster described a Canadian order with more than $50 in shipping and an additional $75 cash-on-delivery charge, and another commenter quoted the company's Canada policy explaining that taxes, duties and fees may be collected on delivery. If you order from Canada, read the Canada shipping policy first.

Seed quality and odor are another theme. A Trustpilot review dated August 30, 2026 alleged that red clover, buckwheat and mustard seed failed to germinate. A review dated June 28, 2026 alleged that the seeds smelled rotten and developed a foul odor and slime, and that customer service did not offer a satisfactory solution.

Reddit adds mixed individual reports, from one commenter whose True Leaf seeds grew well to another who reported mold, mislabeled seed and poor support. These are personal accounts, not controlled tests.

Positive service stories exist too. Google reviews on Birdeye describe fast, free shipping, and a missing item that customer service replaced promptly. One Reddit commenter said the company checked a lot number and issued a full credit after complaints about that batch.

The company's own policy asks for the lot number when you report a germination problem, so keep it handy.

Who is behind the company

True Leaf Market is based at 175 West 2700 South, Salt Lake City, Utah 84115. The company says its roots go back to 1974, when Demetrios Agathangelides founded Mountain Valley Seed Company. True Leaf Market formed in 2014 after Mountain Valley Seed merged with businesses associated with Parker Garlitz, Kaitlin Jones and Handy Pantry. Its About Us page and 50 Years of Growing article tell the longer version.

The company names Patty Buskirk as CEO. Kitazawa Seed Company joined in 2022, and Seeds by Design merged with it in 2023.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get proof of a seed lot's safety before I sow it?

The company says certificates of analysis for pathogen results can be obtained through customer service. Ask for the one that matches the lot number on your package.

What changes if I order from outside the lower 48 or from Canada?

Canada is served under a separate shipping policy, and other international destinations use their own policy. Enter your destination and items at checkout, and confirm duties, taxes and import restrictions before you pay.

How long does a refund take?

The policy says refunds can take up to two weeks after the company receives your return. Return shipping is paid by the company for store credit, and by you for a cash refund.

Is the BBB rating the same as a customer rating?

No. The BBB lists an A+ rating and accreditation since April 16, 2014, which is a different measure from a star rating. For customer star ratings, use Trustpilot, Google and Walmart, each with its own count.

Sources

Prices, stock and specifications are as the linked pages showed them on 2026-11-09.

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