Orders Paid For and Never Received

Adam Paquet

Google Reviews · posted approximately one month before collection

I hate to resort to leaving a public review like this, but after weeks of being ignored, I feel like this is the only way I'll actually be heard by this business.

I placed Order #12087 on January 20 for two 5-Frame Nucs and paid $543, including $85 for 2-Day Priority Mail. It is now late June, the spring season has passed, and I have received absolutely nothing.

The last update I received was in mid-May, explaining that shipments were delayed due to hot weather. I understood and accepted the delay, which is why I continued waiting. My review is not about the delay itself—it's about the complete lack of communication afterward. I repeatedly requested a status update or a refund by email, phone, and text over the past several weeks, but I have received no response.

I also noticed that the owner continues to respond to public reviews while my direct messages have gone unanswered. According to the company's website, they ship to Michigan, so that does not appear to be the issue. At this point, the lack of communication has become more frustrating than the delay itself.

Please cancel my order and issue a full refund immediately.

No public reply from the company had been posted at the time of collection.

Craig Doporcyk

Google Reviews · edited, posted approximately four weeks before collection

Unfortunately never received my bees. This was all due to lack of communication. I'm sure they are so busy and wonderful bees but I won't know.

No public reply from the company had been posted at the time of collection.

james .dunse

Google Reviews · edited, posted approximately three weeks before collection

Ordered a nuc in February 2026, nuc still has not arrived. Called and left messages, NO response, almost the end of June and still no nuc. Never again would I order bees from Kinnickinnic Bees. See attachments about shipping, you do ship nucs just not mine.

Response from the owner

Sorry we are trying to help the people that do not know how to read the product description that states- WE DO NOT SHIP NUCS. Your images are that of last years communications when we did still ship them. You are close enough we can use UPS, as USPS kills them almost every time. We have chatted with you and your post is not truthful. Your email- post purchase is a automated email we didn't change from previous years. Upon purchase you were told in the product description, at checkout, and I. Our terms- WE DO NOT SHIP NICD. Love how peoples in ability to read is our problem!

Jennifer Schneider

Google Reviews · posted approximately one month before collection

I would give zero stars if it were an option. I placed my order for a nuc in January and paid in full at that time, meaning the company had my money for more than five months before I learned the nuc had not even been created.

By June 13, I still had not received the nuc despite receiving communications that led me to believe shipment was imminent. What was most disappointing was not the delay itself, as beekeeping is inherently dependent on weather and colony development, but the response I received when I sought clarification.

I was told that when I placed the order "means nothing" and that delivery dates are not provided. Rather than addressing my concerns about the status of an order that had been paid for since January, the response shifted to statements about being proud of the business and warnings that the company would defend itself against any claims of libel.

I respect the challenges of raising healthy bees and understand that timelines can change. However, customers who pay months in advance deserve transparent communication about production status, expected timelines, and delays. Had I known in June that the nuc had not yet been created, I would have appreciated an honest update rather than communications that suggested shipment was closer than it actually was.

My concern is not the mission of the business, but the lack of clear communication, the fact that the company had my money since January while providing no meaningful timeline, and the dismissive handling of a reasonable customer inquiry.

Response from the owner

Bees are not a manufactured process and on top of that, you completely missed the fact WE DO NOT SHIP NUCS. Says it right there on the product description. We tried to work with you and you just wanted to be right. Better luck with someone else.

Jill McDonald

Google Reviews · posted approximately four weeks before collection. This reviewer also appears on the company's BBB profile.

Zero star review if I could, I ordered bees from this company, very early to make sure I got them, paid the full cost and never received any bees. no response to voice mails or emails. Finally they left a different number on VM so texted them and the company response was UPS lost them, go file a claim with them. Lost all my money, don't do business with them.

Response from the owner

Sorry Jill that you do not understand when the shipping company loses or damages your product that claim resides with the company that lost or damaged them. We instructed to you how you can do that, and all you wanted was for us to refund it. Which you and we agreed wouldnt happen if this was the case. It is laid out in the product description, the terms, and within the checkout process. You simply became nasty after we explained that and we are no longer interested in doing business with you. Better luck with someone else, and sorry UPS didnt fulfill their end.

On the carrier claim the company directs customers to file, see the note on the Bees Arriving Dead page, where another reviewer states his claim was denied because the insurance the company purchased does not cover live animals.

dillon walker

Google Reviews · posted approximately one month before collection

Please Cancel Order 12029:

I have ordered packages from Kinnickinnic bees for the past few years (2 in 2024 and 2 in 2025) and I had ordered one package for 2026. 2024 and 2025 were alright, I had between 25% and 50% dead loss when they arrived, which I attribute mostly to how long they were in the mail, Mike even helped me get my $100 insurance from USPS one year which helped offset my losses.

In the past it seems like they were fairly responsive when I would reach out/ask for updates or anything of that sort. But this year I received a generic update back in March, and nothing else…

I have reached out multiple times over the past few months to you guys regarding order 12029 via email, call, and text. I have yet to hear anything back whatsoever. I feel like my order got forgotten about or passed for some unknown to me reason. I was expecting my bees to arrive sometime in April as they usually seem too, sometime in May at the very latest perhaps. It is now June… Please cancel my order and refund me. I appreciate the past service and plan to purchase elsewhere in the future.

Response from the owner

We did cancel and refund your purchase. You live in OR, and we are in WI, our product description clearly shows we do not ship to OR. Yet you bought them, then got mad at us for not shipping them to their certain death if we did. Please read the product description a little more closely next time.

The company states that it cancelled and refunded this order. The reviewer states that he had purchased and received shipped packages from the company in each of the two preceding years, and that his complaint concerned four months without a reply rather than the decision not to ship.

Andy Chase

Google Reviews · posted approximately one year before collection

Be carefully. We ordered a bee hive, the website said it was in stock. We asked about our order, we were told it's out of stock and mike would not give us a refund. He told us he changed payment company's and he would try to get a refund or we could challenge the charge. We never got a refund.

Response from the owner

We refunded your payment, and we did change from Wix payments to Stipe around the time of your request. Your order was cancelled and refunded. We are reporting this review.

The customer states no refund was received; the company states one was issued. Both accounts appear here as posted.

Roger Rynearson

Google Reviews · posted approximately one year before collection

We purchased bees on good faith from your company back in March 2025. We received a confirmation number and our credit card was charged. I have been trying to contact you thru your email and phone number provided on your website. The phone picks up with no mention of the name of the business and our emails have been ignored. I would like a full refund on merchandise that was not received. I feel you area fraudulent company and dishonest. I will be reporting this to the Attorney General of Wisconsin, BBB and leaving reviews indicating what I did above. Below is confirmation of our order.

Your response from our order.
Kinnickinnic Bees
We've received your order.
We'll let you know when your items have been shipped.
Order No. 11753    Placed on Mar 23, 2025

Billing Information
Paid with Credit/Debit Cards
[billing name redacted]

Shipping Information
USPS 2-Day Priority Mail™

Response from the owner

We have sent out over 3 emails, posted updates on our website, social media, and provided a cell phone number to contact someone if you havent heard from anyone. We have not only handed out hundreds packages, but shipped almost all of them out, including yours. We make if very clear, almost all communication is done electronically. We are sorry you do not appear to understand that or you haven't checked your email or our SM accounts. We are not refunding your purchase as your product is either still in transit or it has been already delivered and you are committing fraud yourself. If there is a problem with your shipment, we have it covered with shipping insurance. We take fraudulent statement seriously and we will also take all actions necessary to protect ourselves our staff and not ever work again with someone that is so quick to assume. Have a good day, and let us know if you have any problems by texting or call the cell phone we provided for contact on. If you would like your tracking emailed again to you on [email address redacted].

Two redactions have been made to this entry under this archive's method: a billing name published by the reviewer, and the customer's personal email address, which the company published in its public reply. Neither redaction alters the substance of either statement. Note that the order confirmation quoted by the reviewer states "USPS 2-Day Priority Mail" — the same shipping description that appears on other undelivered orders; see Bees Arriving Dead.

Ronnie Hussey

Google Reviews · posted approximately two years before collection

Where are my bees? I sent you over $800.00 for bee packages. I pre ordered them. Preordered them meant that I have secured my bees. Now I am afraid that if you were to send them, they could all be dead. I have called you so many many times and no answer.

If need be, I will take legal action.

Response from the owner

We sent out emails with updates on a few remaining packages, which yours was included in. Until this review we thought you where well informed. It turned out your account was unsubscribed from those emails, which we apologize for. We called and left you a message indicating we put the bees in nucs and will have them ready to ship next Tuesday after the holiday as we do not want them in a hot truck over the extended holiday weekend. But calling us back and yelling at us is something we do not tolerate, so we are cancelling your order and refunding you. Please use someone else in the future.

Greg Jamison

Google Reviews · edited, posted approximately two years before collection

After trying to reach someone about my order I placed on February 8th, 2024, and knowing they should have shipped late April, according to notification emails about upcoming shipments, I have now been trying to reach someone for an update since Friday, May 10th, 2024, and have only received one response that all package bees have shipped. My order on your website still says "Awaiting Shipment", the local post office says they have not received bees for anyone this year either, so they have not received them. It is now 9pm on May 14th, 2024, and I have nothing. The customer service exhibited is atrocious!

**05/17/2024 - First of all, look at the name listed versus how you spelled it. Secondly, how can you not know who this is when I've called 11 times and messaged and emailed you multiple times about bees I didn't receive? In fact, it took 2 emails on 5/10 and 5/14, and 4 phone calls before I received an email response about: "Sorry for the delayed response, I have been out in the yards getting bees ready for shipping. Did you not get a shipping confirmation? We shipped all the packages already."

You've responded on FB saying you sent an email asking what you wanted me to do since you don't ship to Texas. An email I never received. And now it looks like you blocked me on FB because you can't handle someone showing everyone how you really operate.

Sadly, if you would have returned one of the 11 phone calls and 4 voicemails over 5 days, this could have been resolved. But you chose this route.

05/17/2024 - further update: "weather-dependent for beekeepers in IA, IL, OH, MI, MO, MN, SD, and WI." This makes it sound as though mid-April to May is weather dependent for those states. Nothing here in your description sounds or signifies that you will not ship to any other state. Again, this could have been cleared up had you communicated. I have yet to see proof of an email asking what to do with my order. You cancelled it today, 5/17/2024, to cover yourself. I have already disputed the charge with my credit card company anyways.

You have also been so petty as to block my business from your Facebook page. Again, returning a call would have avoided this whole situation but now you want to find ways to attack my business because your feelings are hurt over a bad review that points out and is tracking all details of the whole transaction. We are both small businesses and this does neither of us any good. Bottom line is your lack of communication has cost me more money by having to find other bees and a year of my agriculture tax exemption.

I also added a screenshot on 5/15/2024 of your website of my order showing my order still "Confirmed", "Awaiting Shipment", and my name below. So you can see that I used my name and my farm's name in the order so the fact you couldn't find the order is on you.

I have nothing to gain from any of this. It could have been a learning experience for you to correct things like the wording that is unclear about the states you serve. But you want to lie and play dumb so down the rabbit hole we go.

Response from the owner

We are trying to find your account and cannot locate it under Greg Jamison. What was the order number or name it was ordered under? Please email your info, and we will see what is going on @ [email protected].

**UPDATED- We checked under "Greg Jamison", you must have used a different name when ordering. We do not tolerate defamation and unreasonable people. When you bought you should have read on the description "Available mid-April to early May and weather-dependent for beekeepers in IA, IL, OH, MI, MO, MN, SD, and WI." We returned your money as the only place we found that you asked was in a 1-star facebook review that we blocked you on. We wish you luck in your beekeeping.

Rik Haendler

Google Reviews · posted approximately two years before collection

Ordered bees from this company I have not received. I have called and sent e-mails trying to rectify the issue. They have my order, my money but no return call.

Response from the owner

As per our conversation 5 days ago, you received the first half of your order and we had issues with our bee supply as they had been diseased and we needed to send you nucs, which are not ready yet. We understand your frustration. Would you prefer a refund on the last half of your order?

james wiersgalla — complaint later withdrawn

Google Reviews · edited, posted approximately three years before collection

This reviewer withdrew his complaint after determining the problem was with his own telephone. It is included because a complete archive includes the cases that resolved.

I have called 5 times and left messages They will not call me back. I am trying to give them some business!! I ap oligize for the review i left./ It was m,y fault, They indeed phoned me back severtal times, my phone was screwed up ,thus,I did not recei ve the re turned calls I am sorry. I will certainly do business with them .

Response from the owner

We are so sorry we have missed your calls. We work hard to stay on top of messages, and we typically have a quick reply. I did verify in our CRM, we called you about a week ago as well as today. I'm sorry we are having trouble connecting.