Shipping, Refunds & Other Details
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Shipping
All shipments originate from Kunming, Yunnan, China and are processed within 1-3 days (an additional 2-7 days during peak periods or for back-ordered items). All shipping methods include tracking.
We can’t stress enough that all shipping times are merely estimates based on past experience. Deliveries may take longer than expected or have long gaps between tracking events. This is a normal part of international shipping and usually not a sign of a problem.
| Destination | Shipping cost | Typical delivery |
|---|---|---|
| USA | Free on orders over $99, $12.95 under $99. Shipped DDP (Delivered Duty Paid): you pay no additional tariffs or fees at delivery. | 7-21 days |
| EU* | Free DDP courier shipping on orders of $160+, with no duty, taxes or customs charges at the door. Under $160: China Post ePacket (free over $99, $12.95 under $99), or upgrade to DDP courier for $36-$49. |
DDP: 10-21 days ePacket: 1-3 weeks |
| Germany & Austria | DDP courier (DHL) only, with no duty or taxes at delivery. Free on orders of $160+, $24.50 for $99-$159, $29.50 under $99. | 10-21 days |
| UK | China Post ePacket (free over $99, $12.95 under $99), or upgrade to DDP courier for $32-$36 (free DDP on orders over $299). | DDP: 10-21 days ePacket: 1-3 weeks |
| All other countries | Free on orders over $99 (for most countries). Otherwise $12.95-$29.95 via China Post ePacket, Air or EMS. | 1-3 weeks |
*EU countries with free DDP on orders of $160+: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. EU orders over about €150 go through formal customs clearance, so we ship them DDP at no extra cost and you’ll have nothing to pay at your door. Cyprus, Malta and Bulgaria currently ship via China Post only.
Exact shipping rates for your country are shown at checkout. If no shipping option appears for your country, or you’d like an alternate carrier such as DHL, FedEx or UPS for a time-sensitive order, please contact us for an estimate.
EMS Airmail (Signature Required): Available for most countries as a premium option at checkout ($29-35). EMS requires a signature at delivery, making it a good choice if your address has an unsecured mailbox or packages may be left unattended.
Tracking: Your tracking number is in your “order complete” email and in my account. Enter it at 17track.net or look up the status using your order number and billing email here. Before a package reaches your country, there may be extra detail in the Chinese section on 17track.net (use the translate button at the bottom right of the page). For DDP courier orders, tracking updates appear once the package has been processed in Europe, usually 2-3 days after it lands.
Important: International shipping times can be unpredictable. Some packages may take 1-2 months to arrive, or even longer, so we do not make any guarantees as to the timeframe for delivery. Long gaps between tracking events are normal and usually just mean waiting a little longer. Please contact us if your order hasn’t arrived after 2 months. We require a minimum of 90 days from the date of shipping before a package is considered lost.
Orders are shipped to the address provided at checkout. Once and order is marked “delivered” in the tracking, it is not eligible for refund or replacement. If your mailbox is unsecured or packages may be left on a porch, use your tracking number to anticipate the delivery date, or select EMS for signature-required delivery. We are not responsible for orders sent to incorrectly entered addresses, or orders stolen or lost after delivery to an unsecured location.
Domestic orders (China) ship free via SF Express and should arrive within 1-3 days. Please provide your address in Chinese characters along with the recipient’s Chinese phone number to avoid delays.
See more details on shipping here.
Currency, Tax & Customs
All prices are in USD.
For orders shipped via DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) (all US, Germany and Austria orders, EU orders of $160+, and any order where the DDP upgrade is selected at checkout), all taxes and duties are prepaid. You will not incur any additional costs upon delivery.
For all other orders shipped via China Post ePacket or EMS, the buyer is solely responsible for any taxes, duties or fees charged after the package arrives in the destination country. We are not responsible for these charges, or for delays while a package is held by customs for inspection.
Customs declarations: We are required to declare the contents and value of every order to customs. We’re unable to mark orders as gifts, declare a lower value, or split orders to avoid duties or taxes.
Returned packages: If a package is returned to us (due to unpaid duties or taxes, refusal, non-collection, or the carrier returning it without a delivery attempt), we can reship it once the cost of shipping is covered. If you choose not to have it reshipped, a refund will be issued less shipping costs and a 30% restocking fee. Tea is non-refundable in all cases.
Returns & Refunds
- Final sale: All tea, used teaware, gift certificates, store credit and pre-sale purchases are non-refundable.
- Unused teaware may be returned within 14 days of receipt, provided there is a valid reason. The buyer covers return shipping, and refunds are issued on receipt less shipping and a 30% restocking fee.
- Shipping fees and costs are 100% non-refundable once tracking shows the package has arrived in the destination country.
- Cancellations: Orders not yet shipped (marked “complete” in your account) can be cancelled for a 7.5% fee, covering non-refundable payment processing, currency conversion and restocking. Orders are sometimes shipped before being marked “complete”, in which case cancelling is not possible.
- Missing, damaged or incorrect items: Contact us within 48 hours of receiving the package, with photos of the items and of the packaging (inside and out, including where it was sealed). We’ll resolve it ASAP with a replacement (depending on availability) or a refund, at no cost to you. Breakable teaware is packed with plenty of padding in extra durable 5-ply boxes, but breakage can still occur when shipping ceramics and glass across continents.
- Subjective defects (e.g. smell or taste) are taken seriously and investigated, but refunds or replacements are at our discretion. See about our teaware for our selection process and standards.
Wholesale & Sourcing
For wholesale purchases, we largely provide sourcing services for Spring and Fall teas based on the needs of businesses. Select teaware is also available wholesale, though many items in our catalogue are one of a kind or limited in stock, and we offer wholesale pricing on custom ordered Jianshui teaware. Please contact us here with details on the teas or items you’re interested in.