Yunnan Sourcing — Terms of Shipping, 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

1. Overview & Support Hours
2. Shipping Methods & Transit Times
3. A Word About Tracking Apps
4. Lost, Missing & Broken Items
5. Customs, Fees & Duties
6. Order Cancellations, Returns & Refunds
7. EU Right of Withdrawal
8. Documentation & Compliance
9. Before Finalizing Your Purchase
10. Allergen Statement
11. Reviews Policy
12. BOGO Items, Loyalty Points & Discounts
13. Miscellaneous

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1. Overview & Support Hours

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We ship all parcels from Kunming, Yunnan, China, to more than 60 countries worldwide. Create a user account with your address so the cart can auto-calculate shipping. If your country isn't listed, email us — we may be able to add it, though we can't ship everywhere.

• Customer support location: USA
• Support hours for urgent order matters: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM US Central Time
• Warehouse time difference: 13–14 hours ahead of US Central Time, so changes to an order need to reach us with enough lead time
• Once an order is marked "fulfilled" (picked, packed, ready for courier), no modifications can be made
• General tea recommendation questions can be sent anytime, but replies aren't instant — we're a small team

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2. Shipping Methods & Transit Times

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Fulfillment time is 1–4 business days, separate from and added on top of the transit times below. All times are estimates, not guarantees — international parcels pass through both Chinese and destination-country customs, which we don't control.

China Post Options

Notes:

• EMS and e-Packet are both routinely returned to Kunming due to "Export Cancellation" or "Security Return." This is unavoidable — the post office auto-resends, and we email you the new tracking number when it happens. This is why the stated windows are wide.
• e-Packet has a 2 kg limit (3 kg to Russia). Orders may ship as 2–3 separate parcels/tracking numbers. Because it requires no signature, a parcel marked "delivered" that you didn't receive is not eligible for a claim or refund — don't choose this method if your delivery location isn't secure.
• Pure silver 999/990 teapots, kettles, and cha hai cannot ship via e-Packet. If your order contains these and you selected e-Packet, we'll contact you about switching methods.
• e-Packet is normally offered to: Austria, Australia, Belgium, Poland, Denmark, Germany, Russia, France, Finland, Kazakhstan, Korea, Netherlands, Canada, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Norway, Portugal, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, Greece, Singapore, New Zealand, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Indonesia, United Kingdom, Hong Kong.

DHL

• Cannot deliver to PO Boxes, Poste Restante, or APO/FPO addresses.
• Provide a phone number and email so DHL can arrange delivery via "DHL On Demand."
• You may authorize no-signature delivery through DHL On Demand, but doing so releases DHL and Yunnan Sourcing from liability for loss or damage. DHL logs this authorization.
• In remote areas, DHL may hand off to USPS for final delivery or locker pickup — we have no visibility into or control over this.

YS Express (Our Own Service)

How YS Express works: Orders are consolidated (roughly every 2–4 days once ~50 kg accumulates) and shipped by DHL to our US or regional facility, then forwarded by local courier. You'll get a shipping notification when the consolidated shipment leaves China (no tracking number yet), then a real tracking number once it reaches the facility and ships onward to you.

YS Express-specific policies:

• Outside the USA, if a UPS pickup point delivery attempt fails twice, the parcel is destroyed by the courier — no refund in full and no replacement, only the refund outlined in Section 6.
• UPS charges a $25 fee for address changes after shipment; this will be invoiced to you.
• A YS Express parcel is only considered lost after 60 days from ship date.
• Cannot ship to Packstation addresses (EU/UK/AU/NZ).

General Shipping Notes

• US/Canada orders: if stock is available at our US warehouse, we reserve the right to ship from there instead.
• US Customs: current tariff conditions mean US Customs is more likely to reject and return parcels than before, requiring reshipment. This is outside our control.
• We cannot ship to hotel addresses, since international transit timing is unpredictable relative to checkout dates.
• Multiple orders to the same address in a short window may be combined into one shipment unless you tell us not to.
• Freight forwarders: if you use one because we can't ship to your country, you accept all risk and cost related to that service — we're not involved in those arrangements.
• APO/FPO addresses may take longer than standard; DHL cannot deliver to these, so YS Express is used instead.

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3. A Word About Tracking Apps

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Third-party tracking apps (we recommend 17track) are convenient but not always accurate — translations from Chinese can be garbled, and wording may not match the courier's own site. If something on an app looks confusing, check the courier's official website directly.

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4. Lost, Missing & Broken Items

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Preventing Problems

1. 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. We're not responsible for redirects arranged through your postal service.
2. Provide a phone number — it's added to the waybill to help couriers and customs. We don't share your information except as needed for delivery.
3. Tell us your preferred customs declaration wording before or at the time of ordering.
4. If a parcel is 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.
5. "Lost in transit" vs. "marked delivered but missing" are different situations — see below for the latter. Check alternate entrances, neighbors, front desks first. If your location isn't secure, ask about signature-required shipping.
6. Broken/damaged items: tell us immediately. We may require photo documentation before replacing or refunding.
7. Replacement policy for damaged/missing items: typically sent with your next order, not shipped alone. 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.
8. Report missing/broken items within 14 days of receipt. No replacements, refunds, or credit after that window. We offer no warranty on teaware.
9. 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.
10. If customs disallows entry: refund = amount paid minus round-trip shipping minus a 30% restocking fee minus any import fees, and only once the parcel is physically returned to us. If it can't be re-imported to China, no refund is possible.
11. Suspected tampering: parcels are sealed with Kunming Post tape. If you suspect tampering, do not open it — email support@yunnansourcing.com immediately.
12. What we can't do on your behalf: contact your local post office/customs office, file claims with your courier, or take responsibility for items sent via a forwarding service instead of your real address.

When to Report a Possibly Lost Parcel

• China Post Surface Parcel: 20 weeks
• China Post SAL: 12 weeks
• China Post AIR: 10 weeks
• China Post EMS: 6 weeks
• China Post e-Packet: 20 weeks

When a Parcel Is Officially "Lost" (Full Refund Eligible)

• China Post Surface Parcel: 24 weeks
• China Post SAL: 20 weeks
• China Post AIR: 16 weeks
• China Post EMS: 16 weeks
• China Post e-Packet: 24 weeks
• DHL: 30 days
• YS Express (USA): 40 days
• YS Express (outside USA): 60 days

Once that threshold passes, contact us for a full refund. Processing takes 14 days — if the parcel arrives during that window, the refund is cancelled. If a refund is issued and the parcel later arrives anyway, you agree to repay the order amount (minus shipping).

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5. Customs, Fees & Duties

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• All duties, taxes, and handling fees are the customer's responsibility.
• If a parcel is returned as undeliverable/wrong address/denied by customs, we can attempt reshipment, but you'll be charged both the original return postage and the new shipping cost. A full refund is never available for returned parcels — expect original shipping + return shipping + 30% restocking fee deducted. No refund at all if the order is more than 6 months old.
• We do not provide phytosanitary certificates or similar documents. It's your responsibility to check your destination country's requirements before ordering.
• If you reject a parcel to avoid customs duties, shipping is non-refundable and you still owe return shipping plus the 30% restocking fee.

EU VAT (effective July 1, 2021)

All shipments from outside the EU are subject to VAT regardless of value (the old €22 threshold no longer applies). We do not collect or remit VAT, taxes, duties, or processing fees — these are entirely the buyer's responsibility. If you have a VAT or EORI number, share it with us so it can be added to your customs paperwork.

Canada (DHL)

Duties apply above $20 CAD, paid to DHL by the recipient. Typical formula:

(Product Value + Shipping) × 18% (13% duties + 5% GST, occasionally up to 15%) + $11.50 CAD DHL processing fee

Please note: the percentages and fees above are estimates and are subject to change without notice. For an accurate, up-to-date figure, contact DHL Canada directly before ordering.

DHL may charge clearing/processing fees even under $150 CAD — confirm directly with DHL Canada if unsure. Refusing to pay means the parcel returns to us; you'd then either pay for reshipment or take a refund minus a 30% restocking fee (shipping is never refunded).

United Kingdom (DHL)

We cannot ship tea to a business/commercial address, even your own workplace. Using one risks the parcel being returned to China with shipping unrefunded. Use a personal/residential address only.

All DHL Customers

• Confirm duties/VAT/processing fees and any required documentation with your local DHL office and customs agency before ordering — we don't collect these fees.
• DHL requires a signature; provide phone/email for "DHL On Demand" scheduling. Opting out of the signature releases DHL and us from liability for loss/damage.
• Samples ship in unbranded silver mylar pouches (aside from the Yunnan Sourcing logo) with no production date stamp — we can't accommodate customs requirements for branded packaging on samples.
• If your delivery location isn't secure, choose a signature-required method (DHL, EMS, AIR, SAL, Surface) — e-Packet and YS Express do not require signatures.

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6. Order Cancellations, Returns & Refunds

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1. Non-tea item returns: only accepted unopened, within 14 days of receipt, with customer paying return shipping to China.
2. Valid reasons required for returns — "didn't like it" isn't one. Buy samples first for tea and pricier pu-erh before committing to a full cake/brick. We do not accept tea returns under any circumstances. Teaware finish variations (kiln/glaze differences), lid fit, and pour speed are also not valid grounds for return.
3. 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.
4. Refusing delivery is not a valid cancellation method. You'll forfeit original shipping and pay a 30% restocking fee.
5. Review your cart before purchasing. Post-purchase removals incur the 3–4.4% processor refund fee we're charged. Enter discount/loyalty/BOGO codes before checkout — we can't apply them retroactively, and refunding for a missed code triggers the same fee.
6. Photo color/hue variation is expected and not grounds for return, exchange, or refund — this includes gift boxes shown for reference only.
7. Inspect tea before consuming. Contact us before consuming if something seems wrong. Oil seepage through wrappers and bamboo-tong staining on wrappers are normal, not defects. Lost vacuum seals are also not covered.
8. Some leaf breakage in transit is normal despite our packing.
9. Changing payment method after ordering still incurs the 5% cancellation fee, and refunds to the original method aren't instant due to processor holds.
10. We don't guarantee you'll like any given tea — try samples first. Harvest-to-harvest variation is expected and not a refund basis.

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7. EU Right of Withdrawal (Directive 2023/2673)

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EU/EEA consumers have 14 days from delivery to withdraw without giving a reason, using our dedicated withdrawal form.

Not eligible for withdrawal: all loose-leaf teas, tea cakes, herbs, flowers, and other ingestible products (perishable/hygiene exemption under Article 16 of the EU Consumer Rights Directive).

Eligible for withdrawal: non-perishable teaware (gaiwans, teapots, cups, accessories) — must be unused, unwashed, and in original packaging.

• Return destination: our Kunming, Yunnan warehouse.
• Return shipping cost: borne entirely by the consumer; we don't provide prepaid labels or reimbursement.
• Condition/liability: you're responsible for transit risk and any diminished value from handling. Use a tracked, insured carrier — items arriving broken, damaged, or lost get no refund. Refunds are finalized only after safe receipt and inspection. You're also responsible for Chinese customs compliance and any import duties; if China customs rejects/damages/destroys the return, no refund is possible.

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8. Documentation & Compliance

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We do not provide individual batch-specific Certificates of Analysis (COA), phytosanitary certificates, custom letters of guarantee, or similar documents for any order. If you need this for regulatory/import compliance, arrange independent testing or source from a supplier that offers it. Our general product information and these terms constitute the full compliance documentation available.

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9. Before Finalizing Your Purchase

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• Double-check quantities and items — post-submission removals cost us a 3–4.4% processor fee.
• Enter any discount/loyalty/sale/BOGO code before checkout. We cannot add codes retroactively.
• 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.

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10. Allergen Statement

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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.

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11. Reviews Policy

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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.

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12. BOGO Items, Loyalty Points & Discounts

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• 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.
• Loyalty points have no cash value and aren't redeemable for cash, including on account closure.
• All discounts are subject to item availability.
• Silver teawares are not eligible for discounts.

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13. Miscellaneous

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• Orders over 1 kg of a single tea may be shipped as one large bag rather than split into the original packaging increments.

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Thank you for taking the time to read these terms.