Before you get too focused on ILGM vs Homegrown Cannabis - one over the other, I have a little story to tell, greatly reduced in detail for your benefit.
I placed an order with ILGM a few weeks back, and after 2 weeks they had not yet received my payment - both of agreed it's on the USPS, and neither of us, they said I sent it properly, and thanks to their super customer service, they decided to ship my order anyway, on the hopes my cash may yet show. I even advised them that if it hasn't been seen in 2 weeks, it's a longshot it will ever be seen again. Despite that advice, they decided to send me my seeds anyhow.
In the period I was waiting, I got antsy with my grow stuff all ready to grow and no seeds, So I placed an order with Homegrown in the event I was to be jerked around by ILGM for the foreseeable future. (nothing could be further from what happened). I ordered different (and autoflowering) varieties so that if I received both orders, I wouldn't have a ton of the same seeds.
My ILGM order arrived as they said it would, and I sprouted a few seeds to get in the game. I put the rest back in the ILGM shipper (details about which not discussed here for everyone's sake) and put it away for future crops. Today my order came from Homegrown, and it was Deja-vu all over again. I thought ILGM had double shipped or something. Not so, it was indeed my Homegrown order. The shipper is IDENTICAL in every way except the order number on the shipping label. Even the return address is identical. Size, shape, font and layout IDENTICAL!! Upon opening my order, I found the similarities continued, as each seed packet was IDENTICAL to the ILGM ones, with the same format and binning numbering system. I have no doubt both orders were filled by the same warehouse.
Nowhere have I found any public association between the companies, but the evidence is indisputable, both of my orders were shipped by the same facility. I don't consider that to be a problem. They put up 2 totally different storefronts, possibly to attract a wider variety of customers, but it seems at the heart of both is the same machine pumping out some great seeds at fair prices. IMO.
Anyone that knows the rest of the story about the ILGM/Homegrown Cannabis connection, I'd like to hear about it.
In closing I have to say, ILGM is truly a class act, quite serious about putting the customer 1st.
They never once tried to dodge or delay dealing with my issue, were prompt and polite in their responses to my ticket, even before we really thought we had a problem, they responded to my concerns without any judgement about a nube sending a bunch of cash out and being overconcerned about it never to being seen again. They then sent my order with little (apparent) concern that they would probably never see my payment.
Likewise, Homegrown was a well oiled (but deliberate and a tad slow, which I can live with as long as they are consistent) and I would buy from either of them again in a heartbeat. Unfortunately it's going to take me a while to grow thru all these seeds legally 6 at a time, so it'll probably be a while before I order more).
Final report (for now):
I had 1 seed not germinate from ILGM (still in water for over a week now - I used the ILGM recommended method). It's brethern are about 1 1/2" tall now, half in soil, half in RW cubes, and one didn't make it out of the ground (as yet), and I killed another in the rock wool with the humidity dome (stupid beginner mistake, sorry little girl...). The 2 auto flavors I bought from Homegrown plus the 2 free autos are in water today, and I hope not to lose any. I'm not sure as I'm going to bother with submitting a non-germination claim to ILGM. I'm pretty happy so far, and if I stop killing off the foliage, this is going to work.
Aren't you glad I kept it short?? LOL....
