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I have recently purchased a small hongni Shui Ping from Chawangshop. It was described as having a pour time of 6 sec. not bad right? Perfectly suitable for my yancha brewing needs.
However, I just received it and it’s pour is actually closer to 12 seconds.
Very disappointing! Especially because it is a good pot and I will not return it but still I can’t use it in the way I wanted.
I have emailed them with all this information (even made a video to show the pour time) but has yet received any response.
What do you think? Is it a sufficient reason to complain? What would you do/say/ask?

Sorry to hear about your disappointment. I think you have 2 possibilities, either you keep it and use it with other teas or you return it for a refund. Sometimes the spout can be filed to allow for a faster flow, but its obviously a risky operation and if you start with one that is very slow you will probably not be able to get it pour super fast.

.m. wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 26, 2018 9:08 am

Sorry to hear about your disappointment. I think you have 2 possibilities, either you keep it and use it with other teas or you return it for a refund. Sometimes the spout can be filed to allow for a faster flow, but its obviously a risky operation and if you start with one that is very slow you will probably not be able to get it pour super fast.

Thanks. I actually had some success in the past with improving the pour speed of some pot and I think I'll give it a shot with this one since it is really a well-made pot. I'm just not sure whether to start with the holes (they seem to be pretty clear) or with the spout itself...

ShuShu wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 26, 2018 5:22 am

I have recently purchased a small hongni Shui Ping from Chawangshop. It was described as having a pour time of 6 sec. not bad right? Perfectly suitable for my yancha brewing needs.
However, I just received it and it’s pour is actually closer to 12 seconds.
Very disappointing! Especially because it is a good pot and I will not return it but still I can’t use it in the way I wanted.
I have emailed them with all this information (even made a video to show the pour time) but has yet received any response.
What do you think? Is it a sufficient reason to complain? What would you do/say/ask?

Totally fair reason to complain. It's a big difference, not just +- 1 second.
Did you calculate pour time when it's empty or with tea inside? With tea inside it can be slower, usually vendors measure pour time with an empty pot.

steanze wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 26, 2018 10:02 am

Totally fair reason to complain. It's a big difference, not just +- 1 second.
Did you calculate pour time when it's empty or with tea inside? With tea inside it can be slower, usually vendors measure pour time with an empty pot.

I measured it empty. They still haven’t replied. It’s very frustrating because they are one of very few vendors who actually give you a number rather than something vague like “medium fast”

Could a delayed response be due to the holiday? I've generally had good experience with them, but perhaps slower compared with other vendors.

Stephen wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 26, 2018 11:16 am

Could a delayed response be due to the holiday? I've generally had good experience with them, but perhaps slower compared with other vendors.

They just reply that they only test a few pots in every batch so sometimes that happens and that the pour should get better with use.....

Ok,
so, the response was relatively fast.
However, it's not true that pour gets better with use. I have never seen that happen, and I've used plenty of pots.
If the pot was advertised as 6 second pour, a +- 1 or 2 seconds is acceptable. If the pour is twice as slow than it was advertised, then in my view you have every right to return the pot.

Did you check to see if the lid hole is obstructed or too narrow? I think you said you did. What about obstructions of the filter holes or single hole to the spout? Perhaps see if there is an easy remedy like that. I had a teapot that poured slowly because the lid hole was too narrow and would get blocked by water. A little gentle filing fixed it.

You should be able to return something that's not as advertised, but returning a teapot to an overseas vendor is also a bit of hassle. Hopefully you end up being satisfied one way or another!

Stephen wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 26, 2018 4:23 pm

Did you check to see if the lid hole is obstructed or too narrow? I think you said you did. What about obstructions of the filter holes or single hole to the spout? Perhaps see if there is an easy remedy like that. I had a teapot that poured slowly because the lid hole was too narrow and would get blocked by water. A little gentle filing fixed it.

Trying to fix it on your own carries some risk, and if it breaks you cannot return it. Imo the safest course of action is return.

steanze wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 26, 2018 10:57 pm

...
Trying to fix it on your own carries some risk, and if it breaks you cannot return it. Imo the safest course of action is return.

i'd feel kind of weird about returning it after modding it even if i didn't break it

pedant wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 26, 2018 11:02 pm

i'd feel kind of weird about returning it after modding it even if i didn't break it

Yes, I'm assuming that if the mod is successful then it would eliminate the need for returning it. But that's right, if the mod does not break the pot but does not speed up the pour enough either, you can't return it any more.

Good point!! I meant to modify if there was an obvious issue and if not returning it.

The current update is that I spent a few hours filing through the lid, spout and spout holes and was able to lower the pour speed to about 8 seconds. That was a lot of work, however. I decided to do this despite the risk since I have gained some experience with this stuff and after some filing, I realize that it can work.
Nevertheless, I'm still disappointed by the way CW shop handled it. They specifically state that they examine every item that they sell/ship and if pouring speed is important enough to mention it in the pot's description it's important enough to test it before shipping, still less when it takes just a few seconds...

ShuShu wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 27, 2018 10:35 am

The current update is that I spent a few hours filing through the lid, spout and spout holes and was able to lower the pour speed to about 8 seconds.

before/after pics?