Shipping

Online orders ship from our distribution center located outside of Chicago, Illinois. We ship to all 50 states and internationally. If you have trouble receiving shipments to your location, contact livingteas@gmail.com.

We do our best to fulfill orders within 3 business days, at which time you will receive automated tracking updates.

The most reliable tracking tool for international shipments is 17track.net. If your UPS/USPS tracking has not shown new activity for some time, please enter your tracking number into 17track.net for more detail. 17track may also indicate that your package has been transferred to another carrier (such as GlobalPost or your local postal carrier), in which case there may be more information directly on those tracking platforms.

We do not have access to any more tracking information than is available on 17track.net or your shipping carrier's website. If your package is delayed, missing, or lacking tracking updates, begin by submitting an inquiry directly to the shipping carrier.

Shipping costs are automatically calculated at checkout based on the weight of your purchase. International rates vary, though pandemic-related supply chain issues have dramatically increased the cost of international shipping. While different shipping speeds may be available to you at checkout, our fulfillment staff may choose a different service at the time of processing at their discretion, since large and/or heavy packages often cost 2-3 times the shipping fee you see at checkout. A different shipping service may be chosen so as not to pass greater costs on to you.

While not always a default option at checkout, expedited shipping may be possible. Contact livingteas@gmail.com to inquire. Please note that our distribution center does not fulfill orders 7 days per week, and choosing an expedited shipping service does not mean that it is possible to fulfill your order immediately after it is placed. Even if we expedite a package, we have no control over what happens after it leaves our warehouse, and your expedited shipping carrier may still incur delays.

Currency, Tax, and Customs

All prices are in USD. Living Tea does not collect international import duties at checkout, and the buyer is responsible for any additional taxes or fees associated with delivery in their country. Please expect typical delays related to customs inspection and/or international shipment processing.

Some packages are returned to us even after arriving in the destination country due to unpaid fees, inability to contact the recipient, or incorrect addresses. In this situation, please contact us to have your order re-shipped, in which case we will invoice you for additional shipping costs. If you would not like the package resent to you, we will issue a refund minus shipping costs and a 10% restocking fee.

Returns and Refunds

All consumable items (tea, herbs, tinctures) are final sale. We are more than happy to answer further questions about tea you have ordered, but unless it is incorrect or damaged according to your invoice, we do not accept returns. While we take issues regarding subjective defects (smell/taste of tea and teaware) seriously and will investigate, refunds or replacements are provided at our discretion. We are extremely proud of the teas that we carry and the farmers who work so hard to produce such amazing teas. If you are uncertain about teas that you have never tried, such as Puerh or Aged Teas, we recommend contacting us at livingteas@gmail.com beforehand so that we can help guide your purchasing process.

Refunds will not be issued for used teaware. If you are dissatisfied for your unused teaware, please contact us immediately upon receipt with your concerns. If we are able to accept a return for unused teaware (at our discretion), the buyer is responsible for shipping costs back to our distribution center. Upon receipt of the item(s) in original condition, a refund will be issued to the original method of payment, minus shipping costs and a 10% restocking fee. Refunds will not be issued for shipping costs.

Products are packed with great care to prevent damage in shipping, yet breakage is still possible when shipping across great distances. If you open your package from Living Tea and your teaware is damaged, immediately take detailed photos of the product(s) and all of the shipment packaging and send to livingteas@gmail.com so we can file a claim with USPS, and make sure you receive a refund or a replacement item, inventory permitting. Please do not discard any of the packing material, as sometimes an inspection is required by the shipping provider.

Any order that has not yet shipped can be cancelled and refunded, minus a 3.5% fee to cover payment processing expenses.

Discount codes cannot be retroactively applied to purchases that have already been paid.