If there are a ton of seeds that would be one thing. But when it comes to quality, check the skunk-like smell, look for crystals and check to see how dry it is. Usually the drier it is the less time it'll last - btw, to preserve freshness, always use an apple slice (just make sure to replace it once in a while).

But if you have nothing but seeds, branches, and the smell is fowl, then you can guess that you got ripped off. As previous mentioned, one can never know unless you posted a pic.

The Duderino