Unique and Custom Blended Teas For the True Tea Lover — Like Me!

Shaded Leaf

I am a true teetotaler. I don’t drink alcohol and I hate coffee. If you see me without either hot or iced tea in my hand, it is probably because I am asleep.

I love to try different teas from different places so, naturally when I was told about Shaded Leaf Online Store, I had to check it out.

What I found was a good selection of unique teas and very good customer service.

What the Site Sells

Tea! Many unique varieties of loose teas and custom blends as well. They sell one ounce bags and four ounce bins. They also sell a small assortment of tea accessories like kettles and gift sets.

Navigation

The site is serene and easy to navigate. The main links: Pure Teas, Intensify Teas, Createa, Sprout, and Function line the top of the home page. Function, by the way, is the category of accessories like kettles, filters, samplers, and gift sets.

Within the categories is a simple listing of the teas being sold with a good description of the tea. Click or a larger photo (but they really all look alike — a cup of tea). From there you can choose the size of the bag or bin you want and add it to your cart.

They do carry some samplers for those who unsure of what they want and they also offer free samples of teas for those who want to try before they buy. I love that feature!

You have to register to add anything to your cart. I am not a fan of having to do this but it is the usual info all sites ask for.

Registered members can add items to their wish list to be held for a later date.

When you are finished shopping, you will go to the checkout. There, you will choose your shipping method from three FedEx choices (Fast, faster, and fastest).

Use a Visa, MasterCard, or American Express and you’re done!

You will receive an immediate email and another when the order ships. Your order will arrive in under five days unless you choose a faster shipping speed (for an additional fee).

Packing is classy and done well and quality is amazing.

My Experience

The site has some informative articles about their teas, caffeine in tea, and other things which I read with interest.

I browsed around and found a couple of teas that sounded great. I thought about customizing a tea but decided to try the singles teas first.

I ordered Soft Jasmine and Moroccan Mint, both green teas which I favor.

I had no problem at all navigating the site and found that the descriptions were complete and gave me a very good idea of what the teas would taste like.

The teas were inexpensive but the shipping was a bit high, in my opinion. For a seven dollar order, shipping was $6.98, almost the same cost as my order.

I learned later through customer service, the more you buy, the less the shipping hurts. Handling apparently is bundled into the first item. I tested that theory and a $35 order is also $6.98 to ship so I goofed when I only bought a couple small items.

Anyway, after I registered, I received an email welcoming me to the site. After I ordered, I received an email with my order details and then I received my tracking number a day later.

My order arrived fast (Three days!) and packed very well. The teas are fabulous. I plan to make a larger order with several varieties of tea now that I know how good the quality is.

I could have asked for a few samples of other teas at checkout but didn’t realize this. Also, I could have called and asked for a few samples before I bought from the site. I have since asked for samples and they are on the way. You should utilize these options if you are picky about teas or unsure of what you want.

I definitely will visit Shaded Leaf Online Store again but I will make sure my order is larger so that the shipping charge isn’t so painful. Still, even with the shipping charge, my two teas were worth it. They taste pure and exactly as described.

As an aside, the Sprout line is for pregnant and nursing moms and the teas would make a great gift for expecting or new moms.

Shipping and Returns

The returns policy is amazing. If you don’t like a tea, you can return the unused portion for an exchange. If the exchanged tea is more expensive, you will only be charged the extra. If the new tea is less expensive, they will credit your account toward a future purchase. If you change your mind about a tea and want to return it before you open it, they will give you a full refund.

Orders over $100 ship free with the code FREESHIPPING. Under that amount, there is no shipping chart but you can see your charges at checkout. You can change amounts and so on and the shipping charge will change to reflect the additions or subtractions in your cart.

I found that the shipping was the same for a $7 order as it was for a $35 order so it is to your advantage to order all the teas you want at one time — or order with a friend or two to save on shipping!

Conclusion

If you love tea — or know someone who does — this site is a great find. They have unique and full-bodied teas for every taste. They give free samples, accept exchanges and returns, and will custom blend teas for you. They even have a service for weddings — people who want to serve tea or who want to give teas a favors.

Customer service is very accommodating and I recently ordered a few samples which were free to me. Each sample is enough for one to two cups and will tell me if I want to order the tea.

I like this site and will be back to stock up. This kind of tea is not anything you can find in a store! It’s for the serious tea lover and that describes me exactly.

I give the site 4 stars. I would go with 5 but I don’t like not having a shipping chart on the site. Otherwise, this is a gem of a site from navigation to quality to customer service and even speed of shipping.

–P. Therre