Exposing Unscrupulous Seed Vendors: eBay/Etsy & "Pepper X" Experiment Results

[@ChilliChump]

I hope you enjoyed this series. Have you had any chilli pepper surprises from your growing this year? With regards to Chilli Kings. I contemplated not saying anything. And if they were more ambiguous in their listing of the Pepper X seeds, I may have left it alone. But they are clearly saying the seeds they are selling are "Genuine Pepper X Seeds", even referencing the World Record, leaving no doubt that they are clearly misrepresenting what they are selling. Whether you agree with Ed Curries decision not to release seeds, the fact is they have not been released. And even if somehow Chilli Kings got hold of "Genuine Pepper X Seeds" a couple years back like they mention, these chillies are clearly nothing like the Pepper X pods we have all seen, and surely they would know this too. I think would have had more respect for them if they sold Big Mustard Mamas as the Pepper X.

[@draknyte1]

@@ChilliChump I got a few plugs from ChilliKings this season (not for Pepper X, knowing they’d be fake). I didn’t get them to fruit as I started my horticultural journey in June, but they’re healthy enough.. they’re certainly looking similar to my reapers. (Komodo Dragon, Dragons Breath and An Armageddon) My seeds from Tamrah also sprouted well, but much too soon to tell. I’m happy with both sellers, as far as I can tell. 👍

[@HauntedVenturesFX]

Does Ed know about your "experiment" about the fake Pepper X seeds? If so, what did he say (if anything)?

[@gregragincajun7968]

Why i love jimmy pickles i know what i get with him best guy i deal with

[@capnraymusic]

You mentioned using a smaller pot to accelerate growth. What size pot is it?

[@ChilliChump]

@capnraymusic 3 litre

[@GardenerScott]

It's great to see the results of your series. Fantastic plants! You're doing a great service warning gardeners to be careful about their sources, particularly for Pepper X. Caveat emptor!

[@traviswork7143]

Tbh I was half expecting one of your pepper x plants to turn out to be a jalapeño. Loved the series btw.. I love garden experiments.

[@simplifygardening]

Love that candy cane choc cherry the varigation in the leaves is stunning Shuan. So many unscroupulous dealers out there. that's why you should always go with someone who you trust and built a relationship with.

[@shanewest7731]

Will try the Candy Cane next year, they even look tasty. I noticed a commercial vendor on ebay, in Germany, who is selling Pepper X seeds from Italy. I reported this deception to ebay months ago and the vendor is still deceiving customers today. Ebay does nothing because they earn along with this con-artist. The only thing we can do is warn as many people as possible about these rotten apples. Keep up the good work, great video as usual.

[@marcelliott6064]

If any other business committed fraud like this, they would be held to account. Someone needs to stop them ripping people off

[@frogstock2597]

Yea but these things are only worth a couple of quid a pop so minimal risk

[@Inpreesme]

@@marcelliott6064 the only people that are held accountable are those who can afford 💰💰💰Not a to not be held accountable

[@marcelliott6064]

@@frogstock2597 it's the principle & should be against ebays rules really

[@murdog04]

Exactly why I only buy my seeds from you Shaun!!!! I have been absolutely satisfied with every one of the packets I have purchased. The plants are always exactly as advertised and I get an incredible germination rate and I am not a very seasoned grower. Thanks so much for another great tour of your plants and all the valuable information. You rock! Stay Spicy my friend.

[@him050]

Just been on Chilli King's website. I think the first red flag is the excessive exclamation marks after every line in their product names and the apostrophe on seeds 😂.

[@christophergardens]

Packaging seeds by mistake happens even to the big boy seed sellers. At least in North America there was a huge mix up in 2023 that people were calling peppergate. Also wanted to shout out Small Island Seed Co. as a Canadian source of chilli seeds!

[@PacificGardening]

Sad to see scumbags out there looking to scam new growers. As far as where to buy I’ve always had great luck with your seeds specifically, Johnny’s, Texas Hot Peppers, and SemiStrani. I don’t grow much outside of those four.

[@nitramdmij]

I think we all knew where this would end. I would have at least thought they would have tried to pawn off a mustard pepper to pass as the "Pepper X". Thank you for your experiment, some of those peppers look amazing! I definitely want to try that Chocolate Cherry Candycane pepper. That looks beautiful.

[@DonPandemoniac]

Good show! This whole experiment was a great service to the community.

[@joeycerelli]

Here in the US, there was a major seed mixup with the big seed suppliers. All of the jalapeño and Serrano plants that I bought from my local greenhouse ended up being yellow banana peppers.

[@dougjones9750]

Good day Sean. I once chased down seeds for Dragon peppers and Pepper X to be not surprised to get a Thai chili or something similar to peach ghost peppers. I’ve had great luck with seeds that I’ve gotten from you through the years. Thank you and keep them spicy. 🌶️

[@moondog7862]

Hi Sean, great video as always. I purchased quite a few seeds from you way back in November last year, didn't get around to planting them. How long are seeds viable for growing? I've just kept them in the cupboard in their packing.

[@ChilliChump]

They should still be good, as long as they haven't experienced massive temperature fluctuations and were kept in the little bags I send them out in. Ideally they should be kept sealed in the fridge for longevity. But I'm sure you will get decent germination still. Let me know how it goes.

[@DanaBot]

I buy from an Austrian guy here on KZbin called Tomatenflüsterer who sells his own tomato and pepper seeds. Very good service and they all grew true, so no complaints.

[@seanwelch007]

I’ve ordered seeds from you 2x now and am pleased to say that I’ve had damn near 100% germination rates from your seeds.

[@Jacqui-Pen]

I bought some "Peter pepper chilly willy" from Ebay. I ended up growing a green bell pepper, a habanero and the 3rd plant is something completely different/unknown. All 3 I grew were from the same packet of seeds I purchased from Ebay. My first year ever growing a chilli plant.

[@danielm.3511]

@@Jacqui-Pen Buy from known shops. This is as much your mistake. The seller is a mofo of course.

[@Jacqui-Pen]

As a first time grower I'd no idea people could/would be so deceiving but obviously i know now. ​@danielm.3511

[@timmain8177]

I've been really impressed with Red Dragon seeds this year, particularly the candy canes. The free packet of assorted varietys they send is great perk too. Also Real Seeds never fails to send great stuff.

[@papabearspepperchannel8604]

Simply put, I will never chase PepperX. I have my own crosses that are nothing short of scorching hot! Also bringing in more of Matthew Arthur's stable to go to the next level, if it exists! Lol Glas you called out an inferior vendor too! It helps our community from wasting time with frauds!👍🏻

[@MrBcotte]

Love your review! I hear all sorts of horror stories about "pepper-gate" in my various Facebook groups. Luckily I haven't come across any, as I buy from reputable sources (you and only one other in the US). I will say, I was delighted on how quickly my order arrived to me in the US from you. Almost exactly 10 days on the nose

[@sennen222]

This is very reassuring as a few days ago I bought half of next year's seeds from Red Dragon! Gives me peace of mind as I haven't purchased from them before. I must say I've always had fantastic germination and fruiting rates from the Chillichump store, and by saving seeds from selected pods the plants get stronger every year - my CC Jalapeños were mahoosive this year despite the crappy weather, and the Antep Aci Dolmas were fabulous from CC seeds. However Red Dragon had some varieties I wanted to try in the coming season. Others I would recommend are Seaspring Seeds, the breeders of the Dorset Naga which to my mind is still the best tasting super hot, Joy Michaud of Seaspring should be more recognised for her efforts, and also Simpson's Seeds in the UK, great results from Matt there, chillies and other vegetables. Mixed results from Spices on the Web in the UK in my experience, some grew well, but a noticeably lower germination rate compared to whom I've mentioned.

[@avstryker]

The candy canes look amazing in canning jars. I like to gift to my friends and these are always a favorite .. nice flavor and appearance.

[@jimthommes9740]

There are genuinely honest seed vendors on ebay and etsy. I sell on eBay myself. I fully agree with your position though, sellers who lie about what they offer should be banned from these platforms. I encourage people to try newer, small vendors, but make sure to read the seller's feedback. There are people out there looking for a quick buck, and they're willing to risk their reputation to make that buck.

[@ChilliChump]

The thing is, Chilli Kings is not an eBay vendor. They are an online shop. You would think that would mean they would care about their reputation.

[@jimthommes9740]

@ChilliChump agreed 100%! Same goes for Pepper Joe here in the states. So many of their varieties get sold and grow out as jalapeños. It's to the point that people say "You got Pepper Joe'd!"

[@NoneYaBiz5]

Faddas Pepper has some beautiful creations and seeds. Would be interesting to do a vid after reaching out to sellers in the PLC, no matter what platform, FB, MeWe, Reddit, etc...

[@PlantObsessed]

My candy cane chocolate cherry was in ground and was also small. My pods were very sweet. Thanks for the review.👍🏼🌶️🥰

[@wildsurf1982]

Great vid as always. Highly recommend South Devon Chilli Farm for buying seeds, always had great results from those guys

[@zachsamons5005]

I had a great growing season in Central Ontario Canada, but I did waste a 4x8 garden bed expecting a type of stuffing pepper only to receive a bizarre hybrid of some sort. I also switched seed suppliers this year, they sent me the previously mentioned seeds plus what I believe to have been some seeds that were dead on arrival. I rarely have germination issues but 40% of the seeds I received had poor germination rates. The other 60% were what they were said to be and has massive yields.

[@truffleshuffle230491]

Gonna throw in a shoutout to World of Chillies for the UK , never had a bad plant from there in 10 years , always reasonably priced aswell . They sell seeds too if you like to grow from scratch like most of us do a few years into the hobby !

[@craigdawson7632]

It would be mint to see all your chilli started under lights for a head start then into 75L + grow bags. It would be epic. Mrs ChilliChump we need more green houses 👍

[@wranther]

Here the season is very short this time around Shaun, but did include some very tasty ChilliChump Japaleno pods. Matter of fact enjoying some right now with afternoon dinner. On a brighter note, only 3 more months until seed starting season is underway!! That is a good start to Staying Spicky! -Bob...

[@Mtpumpkinsman]

Love the test and the thoughts behind it. But only buy from reputable sources and always be aware when the sells seeds from a variety like the pepper x that are not actually available for sale. Never know what they are gonna send

[@cherylb.9766]

I love that it's not a hot pepper it is gorgeous!

[@mrd3863]

I bought Carolina reaper seeds from Puckerbutt. Not one damn seed germinated.

[@SaintBigAl]

Same here .bought reaper seeds from PuckerButt too for this years growing season only one grow and poorly at that. Never had problems with them before

[@0anant0]

On a similar note, I bought 5-6 diff varieties of tomatoes from Etsy, including Beefsteak, and they all turned out to be yellow cherry tomatoes -- a variety I had not ordered! 😞

[@ChilliChump]

So it isn't just happening with chilli pepper seeds!

[@MsFresh619]

I brought seeds from Red Dragon but from their website. The ones I grew were exactly what they advertised. The candy cane is beautiful I'll be adding that for next year.

[@nitelite78]

I bought tomato seeds from ebay this year. Were meant to be Aunt Ruby's German Green which ripens to green but came out bright yellow and worst of all they taste horrible. Really bad thing is I messaged the seller to ask what happened and whether they could tell me the probable vatiety they sent and they never replied.

[@ChilliChump]

At the very least, these sellers could give decent customer service!

[@kjc3693]

One time I was being unscrupulous, and “obtained” seeds from a well-known grower, and haphazardly grew out the seeds into unstable generations, and got it tested by “reputable” testing lab and ended up getting a record high SHU, and then I made up some stupid story about how I bred it like that on purpose and started a business based on my self-purported expertise on this subject… Jk, that wasn’t me. That was someone else.

[@sennen222]

😂😂 I can guess the "someone else" 😂😂

[@stevemindham520]

Smpsons seeds totally recommended, great germination from all seeds. Specialising in chillies and tomatoes.

[@mattspeppers]

Thank you for the shout out 🤠

[@ChilliChump]

No problem! I haven't personally ordered from you yet, but hear good things from my viewers! Got any interesting new varieties this year?

[@mattspeppers]

@@ChilliChump Well that's good to hear! I just put together my spreadsheet of varieties to add to the site last night and we're approaching 300 different ones new to the site this year. I'm excited to offer the Petalosa (a double petaled variety) and Aji Lilly Teolinda. Similar appearance to the Sugar Rush Stripey, but about a third of the size. I'll also have more of my own crosses and about a dozen crosses from Midwest Gardener to share.

[@ControllerPassAway]

I get Sugar rush peach which has seeds that look like Pubescens. Dark brown with black stigma sticking out of the seed coat.

[@TheDistur]

I've only grown fairly generic peppers from larger companies. But I should find something interesting for next year.

[@KDAblockerJojo]

Idea for next year, grow plants from seeds harvested from grocery store peppers

[@sennen222]

I did that a couple years ago with standard bell peppers from Tesco, and got surprising results.. 100% germination and plants with 10 to 12 good-sized peppers on them. Maybe I got lucky, I expected them to be an F1 variety or to not fruit.

[@tomneal72]

If u can’t use hybrid pepper seeds as they won’t be true is the only way produce more plants from the mother is to only root cuttings ? I bought a mammoth jalapeño hybrid from red dragon seeds and will start them indoors in February

[@gapey]

candy cane choc cherry is one of my favs. I've never bought seeds from Amazon, Etsy or Ebay but I've sold seeds myself on Etsy before. Even some of the larger reputable seed companies have had seed mix ups. 99% of my tomato & pepper seeds come from seed swaps with other pepper growers.

[@ChilliChump]

I have no problem if there is a genuine mixup, or possibly just bad breeding. As long as the intentions were genuine. Not great business practice. But outright, knowingly lying about what you are selling, like the folks I called out, its completely unethical and likely even illegal.

[@Quatschtotal]

I once bought Habanero Seeds on E-Bay and one of the seeds grew into a different pepper, that turned out to be my most productive and tasty pepper that year. Never found out it's name...

[@krisbrown9064]

I've bought chilli seeds only from you sir. and Every one of them have been spot on what you said they were. And healthy to boot too.. Thank you :)

[@ChilliChump]

Brilliant! And thank you for your support Kris.

[@nidge2822]

Hi shaun i bought the same form same place when i questioned them about this so called pepper x they blocked me after they were rude ,but my pods are the same as yours mate only i haven't tasted one yet 😅 i hope you will be trying one to see what they taste like ?😊

[@MarkC-h7l]

sorry this is an advert for an aussie company, but i am not affiliated, but bought seeds from the aus business, the hippy seed company. great range and been happy i got what i paid for. ps am a new subscriber but really enjoying ur pod/channel. - regards markc

[@ChilliChump]

Hey Mark, and welcome aboard! I gave a shout-out to the hippy seed company at the end of the video too 👍🏼

[@MarkC-h7l]

apologies saw ur reference later in the vid - keep up the great work

[@MarkC-h7l]

@@ChilliChump hi shaun, sent the message before the end of the vid and apologies for me being so hasty. great channel. cant wait for the summer to come and try out ur great recipes - regards markc

[@ChilliChump]

No problem at all!

[@olafjensen4508]

Many seeds on eBay are rubbish. I've never had a good one yet.

[@nikkster01]

I do wish there was some kind of germination time guide I thought 4 varieties were duds but they appeared after 4 weeks not only chilli btw had tomato failures too ps is it illegal to sell Khang Starr seed? I diddnt learn about his share it all philosophy till later

[@ThatBritishHomestead]

Yes yes yes! It's irritating!

[@leokitzinger]

Thank you for making that video. Have two good ones!

[@gregragincajun7968]

nice review good chanse that pepper was sweet if not i was like oooo boyyy he might be hit the WARNING ! bottton . hahahaha great video buddy

[@cherylb.9766]

Could you please link red dragon? My search brought up plants not vendor. I looked on your store and did not find seeds only tshirts and a mug

[@ChilliChump]

My shop is chillichumpseeds.com (not sure where you see the mugs and t-shirts? My other shop is chillichump.com/shop) Red dragon is www.reddragonseeds.co.uk/

[@jimmyfaulkner5746]

I would assume any seed from a random on eBay us going to be crsp .

[@Vassle]

Sean your seeds are amazing, got really good germination rates and the biggest Peri Peri i have ever grown!

[@ChilliChump]

That's really great to hear! Thank you for supporting my shop ❤️

[@tomneal72]

What is the best method to isolate pepper plants

[@ChilliChump]

Here's a video I did on the topic kzbin.info/www/bejne/hmXHc4ybgKinpdk

[@SilverSaabArc]

I'm not sure if he can ship to the UK, but try Matt's Peppers if you can. He is an amazing source for beautiful ornamental varieties. He also carry crosses by Agus and Midwestern Mightnight series from his associate chili breeders that are better known in the U.S.

[@ChilliChump]

I mentioned him at the end of the video

[@dean-Conjured-Vaporz]

I assumed from the beginning those Chilikings pods would end up habs.... pretty decent call. :)

[@MrSBGames]

You cannot buy seeds for something that does not exist. Aka Pepper X. it is a marketing gimmick, not a chilli

[@ChilliChump]

My issue is more about their blatant lies in selling this. They sell many other products too, and if they are willing to blatantly lie in their listings for this, it should make you wonder about the rest of their business. It isn't about "Pepper X" specifically.

[@kliksmith4061]

Will you be selling the candycane cherry

[@ChilliChump]

@@kliksmith4061 yes I will, as long as my germination testing meets my standards for the seeds

[@frostbite4954]

Whatever it is, it’s only available processed. As long as the big cheese ain’t making it publicly available, it’s guessing what it exactly is. If I call something the dreadnought juggernaut dominator pepper or something, and it’s just a random cross and act all mysterious. People gonna buy it.

[@Hamburger14075]

I planted Habanero seeds from Lowe's and got Serrano.

[@bettermetalsnake95]

Bohica Pepper Hut is a great source that I use!

[@mzundastud07]

It’s had me questioning Iceland with there “Pepper X” meals currently out!! HOW - when there probably isn’t enough “pepper x” out there for them to have made HOW MANY meals to sell countrywide?! Like SURELY that’s 💯 fake!! 🤷🏻‍♀️ what are your thoughts?

[@wijn1008]

I once ordered ginseng seeds from Ebay, They delivered mustard seeds. Yeah I'm never being seeds from China again haha.

[@gianpaologilardi4553]

Townsend chilli and spice ❤

[@timothymiranda6406]

Try pepper Joe's next year

[@milrtp101]

Fake seeds of a pepper that doesn't exist. You already knew this.

[@ChilliChump]

My issue is more about the vendors unscrupulous approach to selling. They sell more than just "Pepper X" and people new to the hobby fall for it. It's just not right to do business that way.

[@clintonbond155]

Yeah I got a bad batch on eBay it’s hit and miss

[@matthewbrooks1589]

If there are vendors selling blue strawberry seeds and rainbow roses im not suprise there is people that sell pepper X when it is not available. However Ive been pretty happy with South Devon Chilli Farm and also Sea Spring Seeds.

[@ChilliChump]

The problem is this vendor is a supposedly legitimate company. I didn't buy these off eBay, I bought them direct from their website. I expect the usual bs on eBay and Etsy, hence this series. But these guys are taking it to another level....especially when they are charging £8 for 6 seeds

[@matthewbrooks1589]

@@ChilliChump I 100% understand the problem and I think It is terrible to mislead a potential customer. Yes you would think that if someone has an actual website that maybe they would have a bit more professionalism than anybody selling on eBay or similar. However anyone could set up a website and keep it running until they get found out and the orders start drying up, open a different website with a new name doing the same thing.

[@CMDRSloma]

Patented seeds? What a nonsense! Intellectual property over nature's work / DNA combination. This is an example of how stupid the patent system is. Using this logic, we should patent animals too or humans, because I see no difference. Capitalism and while I have nothing against it, but this is an example of how nonsensical IP can be. Other than that great video.

[@robmcwill8916]

Wouldn't buy seeda from reddraggonseeds again, their jalapeño variety pack 3 out of the six i grew were wrong seeds and the white jalapeño that they claim is the best tasting jalapeño is thin flesh a tasteless pretty sure its not a jalapeño, and their serrano isnt a serrano