Menghai shengs from tuochatea.com

[honza]

SAL from Kunming have sometimes troubles. Often stop in Beijing customs office and for not reasons send back to Kunming. The return to Kunming is pretty slow(like two or more weeks!!!) Then people who send it need send the pack again. It is bad because there is not reason why this happend sometimes.
People whom the Tuochatea guys can ask and find is the pack in in China or out of China. If is outside, can only wait. The pack can be in any storage place, airports, etc...good luck, hope will find your tea soon !!

[AllanK]

In my first order from Tuocha tea I bought the 2007 Hou Pu ripe tea. I recently bought, from Dragon Tea House for more than twice the price their 2007 Thick Ripe Cake, seemingly the same tea by different names.

I compared them if in a unscientific way and brewed them in two separate sessions. The two wrappers seem identical in every way and the cakes look the same. There was only a slight difference in flavor, not much. Both were pleasant tasting shu puerh. Neither had any camphor flavor. If I had to rate them I would rate the one from Dragon Tea House a 5 and the one from Tuocha Tea a 4.5. Both are worth multiple steepings. The final aspect to this is I think that Tuocha Tea is selling the same tea but for half the price.

I think Tuocha Tea's products are the real deal despite their incredible price, at least they didn't fake this one.

[AllanK]

I have a thought about Tuocha Tea. So far they have been good concerning an overdue shipment. I have an SAL shipment that is about 15 days overdue having been shipped about 52 days ago. They offered to reship via EMS for free. So far I have delayed them doing this because I really don't want to end up with two tongs of Hong Zuang and 4 KG of mini tuochas. I would have to pay them for the original shipment if both showed up.

SAL can vary wildly depending on a long of factors - one being customs holding your items up. That's the risk you take when you ship it SAL. That risk is higher since you're getting a fair amount of tea.

The people at US Customs say they don't have it, but it could be stuck in the ISC, or International Service Center, sometimes referred to as postal customs. An SAL package would not be scanned there. It would still go through there, they would just tell me it is in China if I ask the USPS. In their mind it is like the beast from Hitchhikers Guide To the Galaxy, if you can't see it, it can't see you or, if the package is in the ISC but we can't be bothered to scan it, it must be in China still.

Could also just be on a boat somewhere

If this missing shipment doesn't show up by Friday Tuocha Tea is going to resend the shipment via EMS. There is a possibility I will end up with two tongs of the Hong Zhuang but that is the risk. It is nearly 60 days since the package was shipped now and no sign of it. I am not absolutely sure it is lost but my patience has run out. This tea should have arrived 25 days ago. An order placed with Tuocha Tea two weeks after this order arrived about ten days ago.

[pookguy]

I placed an order in mid-April. Shipped date was 4-22. Just got my order last night. So, it may arrive this week.
Track the package using this website.
http://track-chinapost.com/

[AllanK]

I placed an order in mid-April. Shipped date was 4-22. Just got my order last night. So, it may arrive this week.
Track the package using this website.
http://track-chinapost.com/

This tracking link gives slightly more detailed info than Intmail, but the result is the same, it says it went to the airport on April 25, six weeks ago. Tuocha tea will reship today in China via EMS. Their response to this problem had been very good so far. I don't know if I would be told if the shipment were seized by customs and destroyed in their never ending search for drugs.

[mr mopu]

I have a thought about Tuocha Tea. So far they have been good concerning an overdue shipment. I have an SAL shipment that is about 15 days overdue having been shipped about 52 days ago. They offered to reship via EMS for free. So far I have delayed them doing this because I really don't want to end up with two tongs of Hong Zuang and 4 KG of mini tuochas. I would have to pay them for the original shipment if both showed up.

SAL can vary wildly depending on a long of factors - one being customs holding your items up. That's the risk you take when you ship it SAL. That risk is higher since you're getting a fair amount of tea.

The people at US Customs say they don't have it, but it could be stuck in the ISC, or International Service Center, sometimes referred to as postal customs. An SAL package would not be scanned there. It would still go through there, they would just tell me it is in China if I ask the USPS. In their mind it is like the beast from Hitchhikers Guide To the Galaxy, if you can't see it, it can't see you or, if the package is in the ISC but we can't be bothered to scan it, it must be in China still.

Could also just be on a boat somewhere

If this missing shipment doesn't show up by Friday Tuocha Tea is going to resend the shipment via EMS. There is a possibility I will end up with two tongs of the Hong Zhuang but that is the risk. It is nearly 60 days since the package was shipped now and no sign of it. I am not absolutely sure it is lost but my patience has run out. This tea should have arrived 25 days ago. An order placed with Tuocha Tea two weeks after this order arrived about ten days ago.

If you get 2 tongs let me know as I may try to relieve you of a couple of them.

[AllanK]

I have a thought about Tuocha Tea. So far they have been good concerning an overdue shipment. I have an SAL shipment that is about 15 days overdue having been shipped about 52 days ago. They offered to reship via EMS for free. So far I have delayed them doing this because I really don't want to end up with two tongs of Hong Zuang and 4 KG of mini tuochas. I would have to pay them for the original shipment if both showed up.

SAL can vary wildly depending on a long of factors - one being customs holding your items up. That's the risk you take when you ship it SAL. That risk is higher since you're getting a fair amount of tea.

The people at US Customs say they don't have it, but it could be stuck in the ISC, or International Service Center, sometimes referred to as postal customs. An SAL package would not be scanned there. It would still go through there, they would just tell me it is in China if I ask the USPS. In their mind it is like the beast from Hitchhikers Guide To the Galaxy, if you can't see it, it can't see you or, if the package is in the ISC but we can't be bothered to scan it, it must be in China still.

Could also just be on a boat somewhere

If this missing shipment doesn't show up by Friday Tuocha Tea is going to resend the shipment via EMS. There is a possibility I will end up with two tongs of the Hong Zhuang but that is the risk. It is nearly 60 days since the package was shipped now and no sign of it. I am not absolutely sure it is lost but my patience has run out. This tea should have arrived 25 days ago. An order placed with Tuocha Tea two weeks after this order arrived about ten days ago.

If you get 2 tongs let me know as I may try to relieve you of a couple of them.

Mr Mopu, I will definitely let you know. They have reshipped today via EMS. I should have the package within a week or ten days. I half thought the original would show up today but no go. It is about 60 days since they shipped the original package now.

[MEversbergII]

I may also be interested in a cake or two, depending on how much you'd part with them for.

M.

[AllanK]

I may also be interested in a cake or two, depending on how much you'd part with them for.

M.

I would be expected to pay Tuocha Tea for the second shipment, so it would not be less than Tuocha Tea charges and my shipping cost would have to be calculated. On top of that if I was paid with Paypal they charge a fee. It is not like I am worried about the tea going bad. That being said, if I wasn't losing money and I receive two tongs I would be willing to sell cakes.

[MEversbergII]

I may also be interested in a cake or two, depending on how much you'd part with them for.

M.

I would be expected to pay Tuocha Tea for the second shipment, so it would not be less than Tuocha Tea charges and my shipping cost would have to be calculated. On top of that if I was paid with Paypal they charge a fee. It is not like I am worried about the tea going bad. That being said, if I wasn't losing money and I receive two tongs I would be willing to sell cakes.

Well, most naturally; keep us posted as to what happens at least.

M.

[AllanK]

I may also be interested in a cake or two, depending on how much you'd part with them for.

M.

I would be expected to pay Tuocha Tea for the second shipment, so it would not be less than Tuocha Tea charges and my shipping cost would have to be calculated. On top of that if I was paid with Paypal they charge a fee. It is not like I am worried about the tea going bad. That being said, if I wasn't losing money and I receive two tongs I would be willing to sell cakes.

Well, most naturally; keep us posted as to what happens at least.

M.

If that original shipment is just late it is the latest tea shipment ever, about 30 days overdue. It is possible it was sent Surface instead of SAL but I have no way to know as Tuocha Tea's tracking numbers are the same for both. It may have also been processed as surface mail by China Post, except it tracks through an airport in Shanghai. The replacement shipment cleared a sort facility in China about 84 hours ago and should show up in the US within 24 hours or so. So far Tuocha Tea has responded to this problem properly.

[AllanK]

It now looks like I will be getting two tongs of tea instead of one. The missing package has just shown up at a USPS location. Anyone still interested in a cake or two feel free to let me know either in this thread or in a pm.

[MEversbergII]

Sure, I'm interested. I don't know anything about these cakes, really - which shu were they?

M.

[AllanK]

Sure, I'm interested. I don't know anything about these cakes, really - which shu were they?

M.

The tea in question is the 2008 "Hong Zhuang" by Menghai Tea Factory. I have already sampled it and I liked it having first bought a single bing some months ago. The security marks on the seal and the inner ticket lit up under the black light. With this shipping debacle I would let a few go for basically cost. I have not yet figured out what that cost is. I am waiting to actually receive the original shipment. Until I do I don't know that customs didn't damage it.

[MEversbergII]

Alright, I'm definitely interested. A 2008 shu should be good.

M.