Yuuki-Cha "Official" Japanese tea topic

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Re: Yuuki-Cha "Official" Japanese tea topic

by Chip » Apr 11th, '13, 16:22

Mod hat on ...

As I mentioned I would, I just got off the phone with Adagio ownership. As anticipated, the response was very pro forum and supportive ... "we still have a constitution which guarantees freedom of speech."

He also paraphrased one of his favorite quotes which he has shared with me on more than one occasion, "I may disagree with what you say, but I defend your right to say it to the death." Not that he is disagreeing with anything said by members, but this seems to be his outlook as he believes strongly in freedom of speech.

So, feel free to post opinions regarding teas, vendors based upon your personal experience. When presenting "facts," be pretty sure of their truthfulness and cite sources where applicable. And do not post maliciously or for the purpose of causing harm.

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Re: Yuuki-Cha "Official" Japanese tea topic

by teaisme » Apr 11th, '13, 17:56

agh what the... no vendor ever has a perfect run of teas unless they are all uber expensive.

Don't you think it's a little harsh to go to such extremes especially for a loyal customer like Alex? :(

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Re: Yuuki-Cha "Official" Japanese tea topic

by David R. » Apr 11th, '13, 18:41

Alex wrote:(They were my only tea vendor which I bought from constantly, and had years of great tea and quick service from)
You are now free to explore new worlds ! ;)

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Re: Yuuki-Cha "Official" Japanese tea topic

by Chip » Apr 11th, '13, 20:44

teaisme wrote:agh what the... no vendor ever has a perfect run of teas unless they are all uber expensive.

Don't you think it's a little harsh to go to such extremes especially for a loyal customer like Alex? :(
Frankly, I think it is beyond a little harsh no matter who the customer is ... unless it is perhaps a constant "problem child" who just needs to be turned away.

But it is so way over the top in the case of a loyal customer such as Alex who has all but one time been very complimentary of Yuuki-Cha and their teas. This is just about as bad an injustice from a vendor can go.

IMHO. :mrgreen:

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Re: Yuuki-Cha "Official" Japanese tea topic

by Chip » Apr 11th, '13, 21:12

GreenwoodStudio wrote:I wish to be added to the list of "flagged" (blacklisted) customers, thank you.
This used to be a very exclusive club, but it looks like it is open enrollment season. :idea: :!: :roll: :arrow:

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Re: Yuuki-Cha "Official" Japanese tea topic

by Chip » Apr 11th, '13, 21:21

Poohblah wrote:For the record I would like to note that the participants in this thread came to the conclusion that the video in question is highly suspect and probably fraudulent.

To summarize, a TC member posted a video to this thread because it concerned radiation in YC tea, then after some discussion the video was deemed not to be trustworthy, and now the member is being accused of libel.

I take no stake in the matter but I thought that other members of TC who might be viewing this thread would appreciate some background in order to understand what is going on. I had to read through the thread again and ask to see the video before I knew what had happened. I just want to save other readers the trouble of going through these steps.
Thank you kindly for clarifying/explaining!

Just for further clarity ... according to the emails from Dan, it appears Yuuki-Cha is extending their offer to blacklist as well as be at "risk of legal action" to anyone posting negatively about Yuuki-Cha and/or their products in any topic(s) on TeaChat.

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Re: Yuuki-Cha "Official" Japanese tea topic

by JRS22 » Apr 11th, '13, 21:57

edkrueger wrote:I'm not a lawyer, but those threats of "legal ramifications" that posters have been threatened with are absolute nonsense.

It is odd that they are trying to blacklist people just for responding to this topic, or being on this forum. Especially considering no one, to the best of my knowledge, said that they believe that this vendor's tea (or any Japanese tea) is contaminated.
Unfortunately the threat is real. There have been enough lawsuits of this type in the US that there is a standard name: "Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation" (SLAPP) and a number of states have passed anti-SLAPP legislation. If you live in a state that doesn't provide for legal protection you have to go to court to prove that your statements weren't libel. If your homeowner's insurance doesn't cover the legal costs then you could incur a sizable expense so for people with assets, like a home, this is a potentially serious issue.

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Re: Yuuki-Cha "Official" Japanese tea topic

by edkrueger » Apr 11th, '13, 22:15

Come on... that is not going to happen. A small business isn't going to bankrupt itself suing some internet poster over a non-existent libelous claim.

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Re: Yuuki-Cha "Official" Japanese tea topic

by amaranto » Apr 12th, '13, 01:26

I'm inclined to agree with edkrueger here, especially taking into consideration the issue of jurisdiction. Many forum members live in countries all over the world, and it would be difficult to file legal proceedings against just anyone saying something negative about a company's product, not to mention expensive. Maybe I'm missing out on something since I'm not a lawyer.
Just for further clarity ... according to the emails from Dan, it appears Yuuki-Cha is extending their offer to blacklist as well as be at "risk of legal action" to anyone posting negatively about Yuuki-Cha and/or their products in any topic(s) on TeaChat.
If this is true, well, who wants to buy anything from this kind of place? I've ordered several times from them in the past, though I definitely won't be anymore after hearing of how the owner has bullied a loyal customer.

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Re: Yuuki-Cha "Official" Japanese tea topic

by MIKE_B » Apr 12th, '13, 15:16

I am not a lawyer but I sat on a jury for a libel case. Libel is very difficult to prove. To be found guilty of libel the statement made has to be proven to be false, the accused has to be proven to have known the statement was false, the accused has to be proven to have made the statement intending to cause harm and the statement has to be proven to have caused actual harm.

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Re: Yuuki-Cha "Official" Japanese tea topic

by JRS22 » Apr 12th, '13, 17:00

MIKE_B wrote:I am not a lawyer but I sat on a jury for a libel case. Libel is very difficult to prove. To be found guilty of libel the statement made has to be proven to be false, the accused has to be proven to have known the statement was false, the accused has to be proven to have made the statement intending to cause harm and the statement has to be proven to have caused actual harm.
Of course libel would be difficult to prove if someone files a SLAPP lawsuit against you for comments made on a web forum. Except for local issues I think most of these are considered nuisance lawsuits but you still have to pay to defend yourself.

The problem is that a lot of people, including posters here, think these lawsuits are not just unlikely but impossible. Isn't it better to understand that they exist and express ourselves in a way that protects us from being targets? Chip made a lot of suggestions about language in one of his posts that are commonsense guideline.

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Re: Yuuki-Cha "Official" Japanese tea topic

by Chip » Apr 15th, '13, 02:18

... I heard it through the grapevine that some members have been "banned" and/or unfriended by Yuuki-Cha.

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Re: Yuuki-Cha "Official" Japanese tea topic

by daidokorocha » Jul 25th, '14, 12:37

I just ran across this company and was interested in the Japanese oolongs and black tea. However, after reading their "About Me" I became a bit shaky and decided to check this forum about the company. Their "About Me" is nothing but emotive, charged language that is everything I hate about product selling, politics, etc. in my country of America.

Here is a little snippet
We are a small reputable family-run business, not a corporation, not owned, financed, or incorporated into another company or business either. We run every aspect of our online store and manage our internet presence alone. We, unlike some Japanese tea companies, do not hire the services of internet affiliates, smear campaigners, o-cha shills and forum poster on tea forums, to pose as customers online in order to promote their teas, and at the same time publish fictitious tea reviews and dream up hoaxes about competitors
...allows us to bypass Japan’s notorious tea merchants and tea shop middlemen which in turn keeps our tea prices reasonable, and way below the extortionate prices you often see at other tea stores.
You shouldn't have to sell your product by slighting competition and creating boogeymen. It is all too funny when you realise that they are the ones partaking in the practices they go out of their way to charge competition with. I am not one to usually not buy from a business purely based on principle if I like their product enough, but I honestly do not think I will be giving this one a shot. I may change my mind in the future, but there is the possibility that this choice will be made for me. Honestly, very poor and he touts a Japanese staff, but I have to wonder if they are aware of this behavior.

Can anybody recommend me a different vendor where I could possibly try some Japanese oolong or blacks?

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Yuuki-Cha "Official" Japanese tea topic

by Pig Hog » Jul 25th, '14, 13:18

Meh, I've bought my tea from here for the last few years, before and after I read of the 'incident', as it were.

I've been a bit more wary when corresponding with Dan, since I heard the bad reports but I'm yet to experience any trouble...but that's just me.

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Re: Yuuki-Cha "Official" Japanese tea topic

by RobWarren » Aug 2nd, '18, 10:16

A while back I ordered a ceramic matcha bowl from Yuuki-Cha. I had ordered from them in the past and was always happy with the quality and price of my purchases. My experience with my last purchase has me pretty frustrated.

The pictures below show the bowl both as it was advertised and as it was delivered. I have traded six e-mails back and forth with the company. The customer service rep's English is excellent so I am sure there is not a language issue at play.

My feeling is that I got a different product than the one that I ordered. His position is that this is just normal piece-to-piece variation that is to be expected in "handcrafted" ceramics.

I sent him photographs showing the screen grabs from their website and the bowl I recieved. My issue is with the color difference between what was advertised and what was shipped.

His reply (in part) to my e-mail: "...Not much I can do to make every bowl the same. All of the matcha bowls have variations due to being handmade. Glazes have various cracking, pin holes, oil spots, drips etc. Shape varies a bit from bowl to bowl. Color varies on all of the bowls. The foot varies. So many differences from bowl to bowl..."

My reply (in part): "...You can clearly see that I am not talking about the normal variation from piece to piece that contribute to ceramic's charm and individuality. We are looking at two completely different glazes.

The bowl I received has a different glaze that is predominately blue (and almost black in places) with some green in it. The glaze on the received bowl also is much more opaque ..."

I explained to him that dark blue is not a shade of green. The color difference here certainly not a subtle variation in appearance, even to my eye.

Things went sideways from there which is a shame. The bowl I received is attractive, it is just not what I ordered. In his last e-mail he essentially said I lacked sophistication and should not buy any handmade products from Japan.
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