FAQ

• How do I place an order?"  When you find a product you would like to purchase indicate the desired quantity and click the “add to cart” button to place the item in your shopping cart. You can modify quantities of each item in the cart (make sure to click “update” to apply changes) or click the “x” in the rightmost column to delete an item from the cart. When you have finished shopping click the “checkout” button to complete your purchase.
• "I live in/around Wilmington, do you have to ship my order to me?"  If you would like to pay for your order online and pick it up at one of our retail locations (Currently Hot Pink Cake Stand and Blue Moon Gift Shops) just enter the name of the location in the "Name" field of the shipping information. We'll pack your order and send an email letting you know it has been delivered to the shop (generally in 2-3 business days.) There is no charge for this service.
• "Is online shopping secure?"  All online orders are placed through our secure server using 128 bit Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology. Using your credit card to place an order is generally safer than using your credit card in a store or over the phone since your credit card number is never seen by a human.
• "I don't like ordering online. Can I order by phone or pay by check/money order?"  Ordering online is safe and secure thanks to our 128 bit SSL encryption. Your credit card number is never seen by anyone. However, if you feel more comfortable ordering via telephone or FAX, we are happy to oblige. If you would like to mail a check or money order for your purchase we will generally ship your order seven business days after receipt of your payment.
• "What are your payment options?"  We accept all major credit and debit cards, (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express) as well as PayPal and checks drawn on U.S. banks.
• "Do I have to pay sales tax?"  Items delivered to a North Carolina address are subject to sales tax.
• "What are your shipping rates?"  We offer a Flat Rate of $4.95 to US via Fedex Ground or Home Delivery per shipment.  All domestic orders over $75.00 (before shipping) receive FREE shipping.  Expedited shipments are charged standard FedEx Rates. Shipments to PO Box, APO/FPO, AK/HI may encounter a $3.00 surcharge and will be shipped via USPS Priority Mail.
• "Do you ship to international addresses?"  Not at this time.
• "How do I send a gift to another address?"  Simply enter an alternate shipping address when asked during the checkout process, that’s all!
• "Can I ship to Alaska/Hawaii?" You sure can, we use USPS Priority Mail. However, there will be a $3.00 surcharge.
• "Can I ship to an APO/FPO?" Yes! All shipments to APO/FPO will be sent via USPS Priority. Due to rate structures these shipments incur a $3.00 surcharge.
• "How do I use a gift card?" It’s as simple as entering the code from the gift card in the appropriate field at checkout.

• "How did you pick the teas you offer?" Very carefully!  There are thousands of types of tea, so we had to narrow it down! We strive to offer a selection that is wide in variety and deep in variation. We have done a lot of the work for you, through extensive searching, tasting and testing, and it is our hope that you discover many Old Wilmington Tea Co. offerings that appeal to you. We are always evaluating new teas in an ongoing search to find new selections worthy of the Old Wilmington Tea label.
• "Why Old Wilmington Tea?  The world of specialty tea is rapidly expanding. There are many providers to choose from with varying levels of knowledge, certification and passion.  Our industry certifications through such organizations as the Specialty Tea Institute as well as the U.K. Tea Council as well as continuing education on such topics as organic compliance and the evolution of FDA regulations pertaining to tea combined with our natural love of all things tea provides a level of support to our customers that distinguishes us from our competitors. We also support organic, Fair Trade and Ethical Partnership products whenever possible and endeavor to operate our facility in a manner that reduces our carbon footprint. 
•  "What is the best kind of tea?"  The short answer – the kind you are most likely to drink! The long answer could go on for pages, but we will attempt to answer briefly. If, by “the best” your focus is on polyphenols and antioxidants then white (completely unprocessed) and green (only heated to kill enzymes) have been shown to be at the top of the list. While black teas may be on the other end of the spectrum, always remember that they are also high in the same beneficial components, just to a lesser degree than their white counterparts.  We discourage the selection of teas based on grading alone, as there are no strict standards in the industry and grade is more generally used as a tool to describe physical attributes or harvest of the leaf as opposed to quality and depth of flavor.

• "Do you sell, give away or trade my personal information to anyone?" Never – it’s that simple. Your privacy and security are totally protected at all times. In addition to protecting our customer list with a strict privacy policy we use state-of-the-art 128 bit SSL encryption for your sensitive information during the shopping process. We have seen it all in nearly 20 years on the internet and dislike unsolicited offers as much as anyone.
• Why do you ask for my phone number when paying via PayPal?” The carriers we use to ship you order require a phone number in order to contact you in the event of difficulty delivering your package. If we don’t have your phone number then they won’t accept your package.
• "If I give you my phone number are you going to call and annoy me until I buy more tea from you?" ABSOLUTELY NOT! The only thing we dislike more than spammers are telemarketers.  The only time we will contact you via telephone without your explicit prior approval will be to resolve a problem with a recent order.  Even then you would have to be either unavailable or unresponsive to our email communications.
• "Can I close or delete my account at any time if I am unsatisfied in any way?" Yes, but we hope that will never happen!  We will do our utmost to provide excellent service in conjunction with the highest quality teas you will find anywhere!

• "Who is Old Wilmington Tea?"  We are a family owned and operated company based in Wilmington, N.C.  We provide premium teas and tisanes primarily from China, Japan, Sri Lanka, India, Kenya, Taiwan, and Indonesia, but we never know where the next great tea will come from.  We also create blends using only the highest quality spices, fruits, flowers, and natural botanicals we can find.  All products are hand packaged to order, insuring the highest levels of quality and freshness.  We believe that business should be fun and tea should be delicious and relaxing. We have an ongoing passion for all things tea and enjoy discovering new blends as well as new teas from around the globe.  We provide regular opportunities to learn about tea and to sample our products through public and private tea tastings, tea parties, in-store samples, tea classes, and seminars for interested clubs and civic organizations.
•  "Why are most of your teas only available in loose-leaf form?" Loose leaf teas offer the best variety, tend be of higher quality and, due to the lack of additional manufacturing steps, tend to be more fresh than their bagged counterparts. However, the convenience of a tea sachet (pyramid tea bag) is ideal for many situations and provides the same tea in a pre-measured, easy to use form. Where we offer teas in sachets they are the same as the loose-leaf variety so you can be assured of the same high quality and delicious flavor. We offer several convenient options for enjoying loose leaf tea in our selection of Obsessions and encourage you to explore and find the method that best suits you. 
•  "What is chai?"  Good question.  Chai, an Indian word for tea (from the Chinese word 'cha'), is understood in America as an Indian way of preparing tea.  Black tea blended with spices and prepared with sugar and milk.   In India, the word "masala" refers to a traditional blend of fragrant spices, an essential ingredient in cooking and in tea. Traditionally, Masala Chai is a bracing, strongly spiced beverage brewed with so-called "warm" spices. Masala Chai generally incorporates one or more of the following: cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, star anise, peppercorn, and cloves.  Other possible ingredients include nutmeg, chocolate, cocoa, vanilla , licorice and saffron. Many recipes are treasured family creations and vary from family to family and region to region.  Chai is as popular in India as coffee is here in America. 
• "How much tea is in a sample bag?"  This depends upon the particular type of tea.  In general, our sample bags contain anywhere from 1/2oz to 1oz.  The bags are reclosable and clearly labeled, including steeping instructions specific to each tea.
•  "Why aren’t all teas offered in the same quantity?” We have three sizes of tins. By volume they are 1 oz, 2 oz and 4 oz. The different density of various teas accounts for the variation in most cases. For example, a 4 oz tin will only hold 1 oz of Silver Needle comfortably, but it will easily accommodate 3 oz of our Port City blend or 4 oz of our Family blend.  Particularly rare and expensive teas, such as our Plum Blossom oolong, are offered in our 1 oz tin.  All our teas are sold by weight, not volume. 
•  "What is the difference between real tea and herbal tea?" From a technical standpoint, "real tea" refers to white, green, oolong, black or pu'erh tea made from the leaf of the plant, camellia sinensis, grown principally in China, India, Sri Lanka, Japan, Africa and other subtropical mountainous areas around the world.  Herbal teas, properly called "herbal tisanes", are brewed from the roots, stems, bark, leaves and flowers of other plants.  By all accounts herbal teas have been consumed as long as "regular" tea, and possess their own cultural significance.
• "What are all these letters I see on some of the tea pages?"  All the variations on "OP" - "FOP" - TGFOP" and the like are used to describe the physical attributes of the tea.  You can find more on this topic under our "Tea Culture" section. 

Return Policy  

• "Can I return something I do not like?" Yes and no. We are confident that even if you do not like a certain tea after trying a pot or two, there are many of our other teas that will satisfy you. It is our mission to find you your perfect cup of tea; consistently - and as your tastes change and grow.  However, we are unable to accept returns of consumable items that have been opened.  For this reason we recommend trying samples before purchasing larger quantities!  If you find yourself with a tea that just doesn't suit your tastes please contact us so we may have the opportunity to resolve the issue.
•  "How do I return something I do not want?"  To return an item within 30 days of purchase, please notify our Customer Service Department at service@oldwilmingtontea.com to obtain a Return Merchandise Authorization number.  Simply indicate the reason for your return on your invoice, include it with your return and RMA, and wrap the package securely. For your protection, we recommend that you use FedEx or Insured USPS Parcel Post.  If you no longer have the invoice, please indicate your name, address, order number, RMA, and reason for return on a sheet of paper.

  Send the return to:

  Old Wilmington Tea
  Attn: Returns
  3420 Wrightsville Ave.
  Wilmington, NC 28403

• "How long do I have before I have to return something?"  We want you to be delighted with your Old Wilmington Tea purchase. We offer a 30 day refund or exchange on all products that are not consumable. If the problem was our mistake we will even refund shipping charges. 
•  "Do you refund shipping?"  If we make a mistake, yes - we will refund shipping costs.