Given how many “Pepper Joe’d” stories filled the Facebook and Reddit communities, I thought it might be a good idea to address this right off the bat.

Pepper Joes is a seed vendor that has been around for many years, and ranks right at the top for some popular search terms.

Legend has it that at one point they were a reputable seed seller, but the original owner sold the business many years ago. The current owners apparently outsource their supply from a variety of third-party growers, and their quality control is non-existent. Many people ordering from them receive seeds, grow them, and eventually find out that the seeds are not at all what they ordered. Most frequently they wind up being a pretty standard habanero, but random superhots or unknown crosses are also fairly common.

Other pepper communities have seen so many posts from people complaining that the seeds they bought from Pepper Joe’s didn’t grow true that it has become a meme.

There are many reports of their customer service getting argumentative with customers, refusing to acknowledge any responsibility or to issue refunds, although this doesn’t seem universal.

Buy from them at your own risk.