Are Mail order seeds safe?

[Flowerpower47]

I receive a gardening magazine monthly and have noticed advertisements for buying seeds from different companies. I’m a bit leery of ordering seeds from a company I don’t know anything about. I worry that the seeds will be old and won’t give me the produce that I’m used to getting from seeds I buy locally. The thing is, the prices are more affordable than seeds I can get locally and that also made me wonder about the quality of the seeds. I’ve pretty much talked myself out of ordering from this company but I wondered if you have any insight on these mail order seed companies. I’ve been gardening for years and take a lot of pride in my garden; I would hate to get a product that is less than the quality I am used to getting. What are your thoughts about this subject and should people trust ordering seeds from a mail order company?