Yunnan Sourcing USA Terms of Shipping, Payment, Refunds, Returns & Allergens
Please read these terms in full. Checking "I agree to the terms and conditions" at checkout means you are bound by everything below.
Table of Contents
- Overview & Support Hours
- Shipping Methods & Transit Times
- Free Shipping for Orders of $75+
- Lost, Missing & Broken Items
- Order Cancellations, Returns & Refunds
- Customs, Fees & Duties (Non-USA Customers)
- Before Finalizing Your Purchase
- Allergen Statement
- Reviews Policy
- BOGO Items
1. Overview & Support Hours
- We can't be online 24/7. General questions are answered during a good part of each day, but for urgent order matters, contact us between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM US Central Time.
- If something needs to change on your order, we need sufficient lead time to reach our warehouse.
- Once an order is marked "fulfilled" (picked, packed, ready for courier), no modifications can be made.
- Tea recommendation questions can be sent anytime, but replies aren't instant — we're a small, dedicated team.
2. Shipping Methods & Transit Times
We're a small business with only one part-time employee fulfilling orders, so please don't expect same-day shipping. Fulfillment takes 1–3 business days (Monday–Friday) after we receive your order. If you need your order by a certain date, let us know before ordering — we'll try to accommodate, but can't guarantee it.
Once shipped, delivery speed depends on UPS or USPS — we have no control over their speed, and delivery time also depends on your distance from our warehouse in Texas (78666).
The following are estimated timeframes, not guarantees:
UPS Ground
Transit Time: 1–5 business days
USPS Ground Advantage
Transit Time: 3–12 business days*
*USPS Ground Advantage to Hawaii, Alaska, and US territories (Guam, Puerto Rico, etc.) may take up to a month. We have no control over that.
Total transit time = Fulfillment time + Transit time for the shipping method used.
Because we offer free or flat-rate shipping, the shipping method used is at our discretion. You can request UPS or USPS by emailing Customer Support, but we can't guarantee we'll be able to honor it. You must contact us before your order has shipped — we cannot change the shipping method once you've received a shipping confirmation email.
Delivery times are not guaranteed. Internationally shipped parcels must pass through Customs, and we cannot control or be held responsible for delays there. If you're unsatisfied with your country's Customs Agency, contact them directly and file a complaint.
3. Free Shipping for Orders of $75+
Free shipping applies when your order total is $75 or more after any discount codes or loyalty points vouchers are applied. For example, if your cart is $75 and you apply a $1 discount code, your total drops to $74 — no longer eligible for free shipping. Make sure your cart still totals $75+ after any code is applied if you want to use one. Gift certificates do not count toward the free shipping total.
4. Lost, Missing & Broken Items
- Address accuracy is your responsibility. Shipping labels are generated directly from the address you provide — we don't manually retype anything. Watch out for autofill errors. If you have UPS or USPS redirect your parcel to another address, we're not responsible for a lost parcel.
- If your parcel hasn't arrived within 1 month (USA) or 2 months (international) of shipping, contact us and we'll start investigating. We cannot file a claim on your behalf with UPS or USPS.
- If a parcel is confirmed lost in transit, we reship at no charge, via the original shipping method. Upgrading to a faster method on the replacement costs the price difference.
- "Lost in transit" vs. "marked delivered but missing" are different situations. For parcels marked delivered that you can't find, we cannot issue a refund, send a replacement, or file a claim. Check alternate entrances, neighbors, or your building's front desk first, then contact the courier directly. If your delivery location isn't secure, ask us about signature-required shipping.
- Broken/damaged items: tell us immediately. We may require photo documentation before replacing or refunding.
- Replacement policy for damaged/missing items: typically sent with your next order. Cosmetic-only damage refunds are capped at 50% of the item's price. You can choose a partial refund instead of waiting for a replacement.
- Report missing/broken items within 14 days of receipt. No replacements, refunds, or credit after that window.
- Customs damage/confiscation (e.g., broken pu-erh cakes, opened tea bags) is not something we can address — that's a matter for your own customs agency.
- If customs disallows entry: refund = amount paid minus round-trip shipping, plus a 30% restocking fee if you decline re-shipment. Familiarize yourself with your home country's customs requirements in advance, and let us know before ordering if you need documentation, certificates, or invoices included.
- If a parcel is returned as undeliverable, wrong address, or denied by customs (or any other reason), we can attempt reshipment, but you'll be charged both the return postage and the new shipping cost. No refund is ever 100% for returned parcels — expect postage costs plus a 30% restocking fee deducted.
- We cannot contact your local post office or customs office on your behalf.
- If an item arrives damaged and you request a replacement, credit, or refund, we may ask for photos and/or that the item be returned to us. Some leaf breakage in transit is normal despite our packing — we can't control how couriers handle parcels.
- Orders shipped to APO/FPO boxes may take longer than standard shipping — this is beyond our control.
5. Order Cancellations, Returns & Refunds
- No returns or exchanges whatsoever — all sales are final. We offer sample portions for most of the pricier pu-erhs, so try a sample before committing to a full cake or brick. If a sample isn't available, you're welcome to request that we list one. Harvests vary year to year — buy the smallest amount first with any new harvest, since last year's favorite doesn't guarantee this year's batch will match it. We understand buyer's remorse happens, but as a small business we can't operate on an unlimited-returns model the way large retailers do.
- Items returned as undeliverable, or for unpaid duties (non-USA customers), or any other reason: a 30% restocking fee applies if you choose a refund. If you'd rather have the items reshipped, you'll pay the actual shipping cost we incurred originally, even if your order qualified for free or flat-rate shipping the first time.
- Cancelling before shipment: allowed, with a 5% cancellation fee (covers transaction fees). Editing an order (adding/removing items, changing shipping method) instead of cancelling avoids this fee — just email support@yunnansourcing.com.
- Photo color/hue and finish variation is expected and not grounds for return, exchange, or refund — natural kiln/glaze differences, lid fit, and pour speed included. All measurements and capacities are approximate and not refund-eligible complaints either.
- Inspect tea before consuming. Contact us before consuming if something seems wrong. Oil seepage through wrappers and bamboo-tong staining are normal, not defects. Lost vacuum seals are also not covered.
- Changing payment method after ordering still incurs the 5% cancellation fee, and refunds to the original method aren't instant due to processor holds.
6. Customs, Fees & Duties (Non-USA Customers)
All customs fees, VAT, and duties are the customer's responsibility. We do not collect or pay these on your behalf. Be familiar with your own country's regulations, taxes, duties, and VAT requirements before ordering.
If you reject a parcel to avoid customs duties and send it back to us, you're responsible for the original shipping fee, the return shipping fee, and a 30% restocking fee. Cancelling before shipment incurs a 5% cancellation fee (covering the 3–4.4% our card processor and PayPal charge us on refunds).
If you reject a parcel to avoid customs duties/processing fees and it's sent back to us, you'll need to pay for reshipment (even if you had free shipping originally) or take a refund minus a 30% restocking fee. Shipping is never refundable.
7. Before Finalizing Your Purchase
- Review your cart before finalizing your purchase. Removing an item post-purchase means we issue a refund and incur a 3–4.4% processor fee.
- Enter any discount/loyalty/sale/BOGO code before checkout — we cannot add codes retroactively, and refunding for a missed code triggers the same fee.
- If something looks off after submitting, contact us and wait for a reply before assuming it's fixed — orders can be fulfilled and shipped before we see your message, and we're not staffed 24/7.
8. Allergen Statement
We cannot guarantee our products are free of allergens. Many teas are processed outdoors, so nuts, gluten, feathers, or other foreign material may occasionally be present. If you have nut allergies, celiac disease, or other known allergic sensitivities, do not purchase from us. By agreeing to our terms at checkout, you waive any liability claim against Yunnan Sourcing LLC related to allergens or foreign objects in products purchased.
9. Reviews Policy
We use Yotpo (third-party Shopify app) for reviews and have limited control over its behavior.
- Reviews publish exactly as typed — we cannot edit them, so proofread before submitting.
- Yotpo's "sentiment filter" may hold back strongly negative reviews for manual approval; a delay doesn't mean deletion, just a backlog on our end.
- We reserve the right to remove reviews that promote competing tea vendors.
- The email used to submit a review must match your account email, or we may remove it.
10. BOGO Items
- Free gifts and BOGO items have no cash value.
- If a BOGO item arrives broken or missing, we may send a replacement with a future order — never shipped alone unless you cover shipping.
- BOGO offers are subject to availability with no substitutes once sold out.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact us here.
