Here is a copy of the e-mail I just sent to Adagio.com. I hope that none of you all out there are going through this BS as well as me. If you want a copy of the picture in reference, give me your e-mail addy and I'll send you the picture of the box. If anyone out there is going through this mess as well, please e-mail me.
Thanks,
# Misty
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Adagio.com,
Ok, this is getting rediculous. You say you only charge $2 extra for shipping to a rural addres. Yet, if I order a product from anywhere else on the internet, I am not charged an extra $2 to ship to the same exact location. Even if the shipment arrives by USPS, UPS, or Fedex; there is no $2 surcharge for my zipcode. I am charged the same as everyone else. Sounds kind of fishy to me. Read on.
If you would give people the choice of carrier they want their shipment to arrive by and the time frame, it would be a lot cheaper for you and us customers alike. While I prefer USPS, other people might like UPS or Fedex. I don't give a rat's behind when I get my shipment as long as I get it. Why bother with Priority Mail anyway, unless it's chosen by the customer? It never gets to my house by the 2-3 day time frame that they say. I would prefer regular USPS mail. What I don't get is why you continually misrepresent your pricing on shipping. If you go to the shipping area of your website, it gives the different time selections and prices. But you only quote what appears to be Fedex prices, yet when someone checks out, you put it in fine print that their shipment will be shipped by USPS Priority Mail which carries an incorrect price of $7.75. I think your website needs to be revamped and attention paid to detail in your shipping section, because it is clearly wrong. How about a format of something like this?:
Shipping Choices We Offer:
USPS Priority Mail (under 1lb) - $3.85
Fedex -
Ground - $3.75
2nd Day - $7.75
Next Day - Price depends on total weight of shipment
UPS -
Ground - $4.95
2nd Day - $6.95
Next Day - Price depends on total weight of shipment
The last thing I just ordered was an 8oz. refill of your raspberry tea. When I check out, I am charged an outrageous $7.75 for USPS Priority Mail! And when I get my tea today, the price on it says $3.85 (see attached picture). That is a price difference of $3.90. Where does that go? Hmm? By the way, I called the USPS, they don't charge $7.75 for Priority Mail if the package is under a pound. So we're talking a price hike of $3.90 for you all. Thats basically $3.90 you misrepresented and 'stole' from me. It's like you're charging me for Second Day shipping, when I don't get that at all. I get charged almost $8 in shipping for a paper bag filled with 8oz. of tea. I can see $8 in shipping for Second day or Next day for an 8 oz bag of tea..but for Priority mail when it clearly doesn't cost that much? Come on.
I will not let this rest, and I am not speaking for just me. I know that there has to be other people out there that are finding this more of a hassle and unfair than it needs to be. It's simple: Charge no more than it takes to ship stuff to a particular zip code, depending on that person's shipping choice(s). You will once again have quiet e-mail from me and a lot more business from me, my family and my friends who have also chosen to not buy from you in the meantime.
I have purchased oodles of tea and accessories from your company. I love your excellent teas, tea ware, and service..up until now. And now I am caught between a rock and a hard place because I can't find that good quality anywhere else, yet I don't want to purchase from a company that falsely
Misty Hyneman
Misty,
In the aim of clarity, we have reduced the myriad of US shipping options to just three: $3.75 for Ground Delivery (this covers about 95% of continental United States), $5.75 for Rural Ground (for the 5% of folks who live a bit out-of-the-way), and $7.75 for USPS Priority Mail. The latter applies to shipments made to Alaska and Hawaii, as well as to PO and RR Boxes.
These figures are absolute, and the shipping charge is the same whether you order one pound or ten. So while the actual cost may be less in the case of the former, it will be about $20 greater in the case of the latter. But you need not worry - your shipping charge will remain the same.
Hope you will review your order history to see that this is the case. And just as we did not charge you extra to ship the heavy boxes, it seems unfair to be demanding a refund in the rare instance where your order is lighter than usual. Hope you agree.
Michael
In the aim of clarity, we have reduced the myriad of US shipping options to just three: $3.75 for Ground Delivery (this covers about 95% of continental United States), $5.75 for Rural Ground (for the 5% of folks who live a bit out-of-the-way), and $7.75 for USPS Priority Mail. The latter applies to shipments made to Alaska and Hawaii, as well as to PO and RR Boxes.
These figures are absolute, and the shipping charge is the same whether you order one pound or ten. So while the actual cost may be less in the case of the former, it will be about $20 greater in the case of the latter. But you need not worry - your shipping charge will remain the same.
Hope you will review your order history to see that this is the case. And just as we did not charge you extra to ship the heavy boxes, it seems unfair to be demanding a refund in the rare instance where your order is lighter than usual. Hope you agree.
Michael
Yes, I may live at a Rural Route address, but so do half of the people in Indiana. I also live 5 miles from town, but you don't see that factoring in anywhere. The Rural Route address system makes life easier for the post offices around here, because you have one large city, and lots of people living in suburbs around it. It's easier to lot out sections to a few drivers rather than having a ton of drivers in a few blocks.
The fact that it's the USPS should mean that I am charged the $3.85, because they come past my house each and every day to deliver my mail. I don't pay $.50/stamp because I live in BFE, while you folks closer to the "modern world" pay your $.37/stamp.
I can understand the higher pricing for UPS/Fedex. But the USPS DOES NOT charge $7.75 to ship something to my house. And when I get charged for that amount, only to have less than half of that used, and the other half pocketed, I feel I am out money.
If I order 10 lbs of tea, I expect to pay a higher shipping cost, it's a no-brainer. But when I am over-charged on shipping for pointless reasons is what makes me mad.
Misty
The fact that it's the USPS should mean that I am charged the $3.85, because they come past my house each and every day to deliver my mail. I don't pay $.50/stamp because I live in BFE, while you folks closer to the "modern world" pay your $.37/stamp.
I can understand the higher pricing for UPS/Fedex. But the USPS DOES NOT charge $7.75 to ship something to my house. And when I get charged for that amount, only to have less than half of that used, and the other half pocketed, I feel I am out money.
If I order 10 lbs of tea, I expect to pay a higher shipping cost, it's a no-brainer. But when I am over-charged on shipping for pointless reasons is what makes me mad.
Misty
Misty,
Think of this as a ride on a bus or subway. It most towns, no matter the length of the journey, the cost of the ride is the same. So you may feel overcharged on a short journey, and having stolen from the bus company on a long one, but in the end, all rides even out.
The same with our shipping fees. When placing a sizeable order (as you have done on a number of occasions in the past), your shipping charges were a fraction of our actual costs. But we did not charge you anything extra. So it would appear slightly unfair for you to demand a refund now, having placed a small order, with the shipping balance reversed.
Hope you agree that to be fair, your grievance needs to cut both ways. Please try to be aghast when your orders arrive with stamps showing costs well in excess of the fees we charge you. And demand that we charge you more, both vocally are repeatedly. Your request for remedy in the case you outline above would then carry more weight. Hope you agree.
Michael
Think of this as a ride on a bus or subway. It most towns, no matter the length of the journey, the cost of the ride is the same. So you may feel overcharged on a short journey, and having stolen from the bus company on a long one, but in the end, all rides even out.
The same with our shipping fees. When placing a sizeable order (as you have done on a number of occasions in the past), your shipping charges were a fraction of our actual costs. But we did not charge you anything extra. So it would appear slightly unfair for you to demand a refund now, having placed a small order, with the shipping balance reversed.
Hope you agree that to be fair, your grievance needs to cut both ways. Please try to be aghast when your orders arrive with stamps showing costs well in excess of the fees we charge you. And demand that we charge you more, both vocally are repeatedly. Your request for remedy in the case you outline above would then carry more weight. Hope you agree.
Michael
While it's not the best conduct for a business to be so snappy when there's a customer complaint, I have to admit that last paragraph on Michael's second response was hilarious and a point well-made.
On the subject of shipping though - it is the main reason why I love Adagio. Sure, it's excellent tea, not overpriced, and well-packaged - but when I order from Adagio before 3pm, my shipment comes the very next afternoon! That's with the cheapest shipping option, btw. I must just be lucky and live close enough to Adagio's HQ. Because of this 'almost-instant gratification,' I sometimes find myself ordering Adagio tea twice a week. I spend more money on tea than groceries now.
Darien
On the subject of shipping though - it is the main reason why I love Adagio. Sure, it's excellent tea, not overpriced, and well-packaged - but when I order from Adagio before 3pm, my shipment comes the very next afternoon! That's with the cheapest shipping option, btw. I must just be lucky and live close enough to Adagio's HQ. Because of this 'almost-instant gratification,' I sometimes find myself ordering Adagio tea twice a week. I spend more money on tea than groceries now.
Darien
I think the "subway" ride analogy is perfect. If you order an expensive heavy teapot and 10 pounds of tea, you've already paid yourself back for the times you ordered just 3 samplers. Not only that, but given that the tea prices themselves are more than fair, the added shipping makes me not cringe. If Misty really only lives 5 miles from town, have the tea shipped to work or a friend's work or something which isn't a RR address, and just drive the 5 minutes to go pick it up! Problem solved!
Lori M
Lori M
Unfair shipping charges??
Earth to anyone who has a complaint about adadio's shipping charges: there are SO many companies who over-charge for shipping as a general rule. Adagio is one of the few who are trying to cut us a break. So you have to pay a couple extra bucks because of where you live--- I vote you either deal with it, or just don't order tea.
Shipping
The only complaint I have about Adagio's shipping is that my WHOLE TOWN is considered rural. I get charged the $2 fee every time, even though I live right smack in the middle of town. That seems unfair. My town isn't huge, having 7000 people, but it hardly seems fair to call the whole place rural. I don't know if this is Adagio's policy or what. When I have things UPSed or FEDEXed from other places, I don't get charged a rural fee. It seems odd, but I suppose there is an explaination.
Humans are a dangerous breed...just look at what they do to each other.
I used to have an account with FedEx, and I remember there being a "rural surcharge" or something like that for certain shipments to out-of-the-way places...
Okay, I just checked their web site. They are now calling it a "delivery area surcharge." It ranges from $1.30 to $2.10 for addresses in the continental US. There is an additional fee on top of that for rural zip codes in Alaska & Hawaii (from $1 to $30 for shipments under 70 lbs).
The thing is, there was a specific reason I went with FedEx: they offer protection for perishable items! Since tea is a perishable item, I can certainly understand why Adagio would use them as the preferred shipper.
For example, let's say you are shipping something organic through UPS. And let's say that it gets lost. For almost three months. And, wherever it is, it gets really wet and really hot. And they find it and deliver it one day before the "you automatically get your money back" deadline. And it is so rotten and nasty that they had to wrap it in a plastic bag and put it in another box. And they leave it on your doorstep, without any warning, for you. And you open it to find something rotten and moldy and covered in maggots. They won't give you your money back (despite the fact that it would have been destroyed by the water even if it was paper or something) because it is perishable.
USPS has a similar policy (although, admittedly, I've never tested it to see what would happen).
Then, take FedEx. Shipped some frozen steak in a cooler. It arrived on Monday instead of Friday, and they not only gave us our money back for shipping, but also paid for the steak. Pretty nifty.
Honestly, I feel that Adagio's shipping rates are pretty fair. Even priority mail is over $4 now. So $3.75 with tracking and perishable protection (because it is through FedEx) seems pretty fair. And $5.75 still seems reasonable. I know that there are cheaper shipping options out there, but they don't offer any protection if the shipment is delayed (which, for tea, can result in damage).
I generally expect shipping for the stuff I buy online to range from $5 to $10. But I've seen plenty that charge $15-20, and I've even had a couple of companies charge me as much as $50 for shipping (or try to, since I generally cancel my order at that point).
There is a bulk candy place that seems to make their money on shipping charges (I don't order with them, I go with a different bulk candy company, but they almost got me because their items are cheaper before shipping). And there are a lot of companies like that.
Always beware of any company that isn't upfront about their shipping charges. If it isn't in the FAQ or on the customer service page, a warning bell should go off. And, if they require you to submit your credit card before they will give you the shipping charge... I would say find another company.
~Yresim~
P.S. The tea companies I have been looking at getting samples from charge between $3.80 and $6.89 for the cheapest shipping option (with several charging more based on how much you order).
Okay, I just checked their web site. They are now calling it a "delivery area surcharge." It ranges from $1.30 to $2.10 for addresses in the continental US. There is an additional fee on top of that for rural zip codes in Alaska & Hawaii (from $1 to $30 for shipments under 70 lbs).
The thing is, there was a specific reason I went with FedEx: they offer protection for perishable items! Since tea is a perishable item, I can certainly understand why Adagio would use them as the preferred shipper.
For example, let's say you are shipping something organic through UPS. And let's say that it gets lost. For almost three months. And, wherever it is, it gets really wet and really hot. And they find it and deliver it one day before the "you automatically get your money back" deadline. And it is so rotten and nasty that they had to wrap it in a plastic bag and put it in another box. And they leave it on your doorstep, without any warning, for you. And you open it to find something rotten and moldy and covered in maggots. They won't give you your money back (despite the fact that it would have been destroyed by the water even if it was paper or something) because it is perishable.
USPS has a similar policy (although, admittedly, I've never tested it to see what would happen).
Then, take FedEx. Shipped some frozen steak in a cooler. It arrived on Monday instead of Friday, and they not only gave us our money back for shipping, but also paid for the steak. Pretty nifty.
Honestly, I feel that Adagio's shipping rates are pretty fair. Even priority mail is over $4 now. So $3.75 with tracking and perishable protection (because it is through FedEx) seems pretty fair. And $5.75 still seems reasonable. I know that there are cheaper shipping options out there, but they don't offer any protection if the shipment is delayed (which, for tea, can result in damage).
I generally expect shipping for the stuff I buy online to range from $5 to $10. But I've seen plenty that charge $15-20, and I've even had a couple of companies charge me as much as $50 for shipping (or try to, since I generally cancel my order at that point).
There is a bulk candy place that seems to make their money on shipping charges (I don't order with them, I go with a different bulk candy company, but they almost got me because their items are cheaper before shipping). And there are a lot of companies like that.
Always beware of any company that isn't upfront about their shipping charges. If it isn't in the FAQ or on the customer service page, a warning bell should go off. And, if they require you to submit your credit card before they will give you the shipping charge... I would say find another company.
~Yresim~
P.S. The tea companies I have been looking at getting samples from charge between $3.80 and $6.89 for the cheapest shipping option (with several charging more based on how much you order).
Last edited by yresim on Mar 11th, '06, 09:41, edited 2 times in total.
"I know! We could go to the Bronze, sneak in our own tea bags, and ask for hot water."
- Willow, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Reptile Boy, Season 2)
Favorite teas: earl grey, assam, white
- Willow, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Reptile Boy, Season 2)
Favorite teas: earl grey, assam, white
I live out in the boonies and actually thought their shipping charges were pretty reasonable ( although I generally do get bigger orders because I have several other ladies addicted now to). The boxes are always big and so far I have only paid the $2 because they have been over the $75, but to never be above $5.75? That's great as far as I'm concerned.