Shipping Delays on tea

[TeaTotaling]

Yeah, me too, waiting for February, March and April EoT club + January order from Farmer Leaf. And I still managed to make a recent order with a bunch of tea and some teaware at EoT. Their praise on the newly added aged sheng played a trick on me (fomo)

How are you enjoying the EoT Club? I have been curious.

I am a subscriber for about a year now and It was quite a journey. Overall I am really satisfied with the club. Some months felt a bit rushed (not a fan of young purple sheng nor yancha with unsettled roast) but past months were really something. I was particularly happy with golden needle shou, dan cong (quite untypical selection for them) and 1990 (i think) Liu bao. What I like about the club is that it is not a sampler club. It is more of a curating club with tea of the month mentality. Most of the teas are never offered in their online store and a lot of tea they pick up on their tea trips ends up in the tea club.

What I learned in this year of being a subscriber is that all their teas have something in common. All their teas are very clean. I also learned that I enjoy young sheng less and less and that - thanks to the club - I started to dig Liu bao more and more - maybe it is just the winter. So yeah, I learned something about myself down the line.

Speaking of winter I can not talk about recent club selections though. From today on I am expecting four tea clubs to arrive. Quite a corona bummer. I don't even wanna know how three months on the road and changing weather would impact the tea.

Something to put into consideration is also that it cost 350$ per year. That is quite a heavy tea budget that you can spend elsewhere if you know what you want. With EoT club you'll get the value for the money but in the end, it is up to you and your preferences. Last year there were 2-3 entries I didn't enjoy that much so I could invest that money better but then again in a year or two I might realize that I have some great tea in my cabinet - maybe because I will change or tea will ... They are quite generous with the tea.

Occasionally I pick up thetea.pl club as well. It is more sample oriented. I find it more adventurous, always some interesting oolongs, old shengs, etc. Great value for the price and I would buy it more frequently but I don't want to invest all my tea budget in clubs.

Very insightful, thank you so much!

[bentz98125]

To Seattle, 2 packages in pandemic limbo: 1 from India at least a month and another about a month stuck in Tokyo via EMS. Good news/bad news on a third: ordered Thursday from Japan, arrived Monday via DHL! Bad news- $43 shipping for $110 worth of Shincha. Pay to play I guess. First world complaints are just heart warming, but I got my Shincha!

[Janice]

I’m waiting on the March and April EOT tea club packages and I still get the ‘origin post is preparing shipment’ message from the post office. I tried the 17track site that S_B mentioned and received so e progress information. Still no tea though.

Still no packages in hand and 17track showed the March package as being returned to Kunming city from Beijing. That’ package has spent 2 months on the road with no progress. Frustrating but #FirstWorldProblem.

[pantry]

I’m waiting on the March and April EOT tea club packages and I still get the ‘origin post is preparing shipment’ message from the post office. I tried the 17track site that S_B mentioned and received so e progress information. Still no tea though.

Still no packages in hand and 17track showed the March package as being returned to Kunming city from Beijing. That’ package has spent 2 months on the road with no progress. Frustrating but #FirstWorldProblem.

Same. 5 packages from China in limbo. Earliest one was shipped first week of March.

[aet]

there are ways how to deliver faster from China, but it's more expensive.

[Balthazar]

Same. 5 packages from China in limbo. Earliest one was shipped first week of March.

I received a package from China today, shipped from Kunming in early April (EMS).

My packages from Malaysia still seem to be safely tucked away at some post office, though.

[lUKAV28]

After 3 months in transit, one Tea parcel from China arrived today.

[aet]

[faj]

Thanks a lot for posting that, @aet, very informative video. I find it surprising how long it took for airlines to adapt, but change is hard, and I guess adaptation is taking place. Hopefully they catch up with demand soon.

[klepto]

Same. 5 packages from China in limbo. Earliest one was shipped first week of March.

I received a package from China today, shipped from Kunming in early April (EMS).

My packages from Malaysia still seem to be safely tucked away at some post office, though.

I have a yixing teapot I bought from CP, and they are shipping it from Malaysia as soon as things open up there.

[pantry]

Thanks, @aet for sharing the clip. Regarding faster shipping option, do you mean DHL? I heard from one vendor that DHL doesn't accept tea shipments, only accessories (such as teapots). Is that true?

[TeaTotaling]

Same. 5 packages from China in limbo. Earliest one was shipped first week of March.

I received a package from China today, shipped from Kunming in early April (EMS).

My packages from Malaysia still seem to be safely tucked away at some post office, though.

I have a yixing teapot I bought from CP, and they are shipping it from Malaysia as soon as things open up there.

Shipping was supposed to resume in Malaysia on 4/28...guess that didn't happen. Still no word from CP... I did receive an order from Taiwan, rather speedily. I guess it just depends. As long as everything arrives safe and sound, I am in no immediate rush.

[klepto]

I received a package from China today, shipped from Kunming in early April (EMS).

My packages from Malaysia still seem to be safely tucked away at some post office, though.

I have a yixing teapot I bought from CP, and they are shipping it from Malaysia as soon as things open up there.

Shipping was supposed to resume in Malaysia on 4/28...guess that didn't happen. Still no word from CP... I did receive an order from Taiwan, rather speedily. I guess it just depends. As long as everything arrives safe and sound, I am in no immediate rush.

I read somewhere online that it won't resume until middle of this month but I'm not 100%. Lol, yah we both have some teapots coming from them.

[aet]

Thanks a lot for posting that, aet, very informative video. I find it surprising how long it took for airlines to adapt, but change is hard, and I guess adaptation is taking place. Hopefully they catch up with demand soon.

I haven't heard of that restriction, however in my knowledge DHL in Kunming takes cargo only from 20kg up, not small parcels. From places like SZ or GZ can take smaller parcels.
Should you plan to buy some tea , I would recommend ask your vendor what other options can offer besides standard methods of shipping.

[hopeofdawn]

My teapot from @mudandleaves was ordered on 3/23, and arrived on 4/30. So a month+ here on my end for shipping ...