Crocuta said

A little gift return quandry...

Hello everyone!

So, my brother and his wife gave me an excellent graduation present of a cute tea cup and three tins of Harney & Sons teas. But the problem is, one of which I already have (in a different brand, though) and one of which is a lemon tea, which rarely quite do it for me at all.

It didn’t come with a gift receipt, and I really do not want to ask for one because it was a wonderful gift and I don’t want to be ungrateful. Is there any way I could trade my (unopened) tins back to Harney & Sons without a receipt? Or should I just suck it up and keep them?

5 Replies
kuanyin said

Having a second tin of a tea that I like is hard for me to perceive as a problem. The whole purpose of tea is to drink it, so how long could it be before it isn’t an issue of duplication? But to answer your question, if you know what store they purchased it at or even if you know what stores carry that brand, then take the sealed, obviously unopened tins there and explain that being a gift you don’t have a receipt. Most stores will exchange without a receipt and then you can choose your preferred selection.

Cofftea said

I agree with kuanyin on the first part. Since it’s a consumable product, wanting an exchange or refund because you already have a similar product is ungrateful and petty as well as not to bright since you’ll most likely buy it in the future… and a horrible reason to waste tea IMO since, for sanitary reasons, they will likely have to toss the tea. I would just keep the duplicate and the 3rd tin (which I’m assuming is up to your standards and preferences since you didn’t mention it). As for the lemon tea, here’s a novel idea- try it. It may be one of the ones that work for you. If it ends up not to be, just regift it. I’m sure someone you know personally, on the freecycle website for your area, or in a community like this would appreciate it. A less grateful option would be to sell it online. If you do that, the money you earn should go back to the gifter.

Crocuta said

@Cofftea: First off, thank you for insulting my intelligence because I’ve considered the notion of returning tea. Truly you are a bright little cookie yourself.

The thing about the one that I have a duplicate of is that it is also a tea that I don’t drink very much and I still have a ton of my first one to get through. It’s also not one that I ever plan on repurchasing.

Also, as I mentioned in my first post, these are in sealed tins that I have not opened. I highly doubt Harney & Sons throws away sealed tins that get returned any more than Jewel would throw away a sealed box of Celestial Seasonings.

@Kuanyin: Thanks for your advice. I’ll give that a try. If they won’t exchange them, it won’t be the end of the world, though. I’ll just keep them around and be sure to serve them whenever my brother and in-laws visit. :)

Cofftea said

Crocuta, it is my personal experience that companies do throw away untouched tea. Believe me, there is nothing more I would enjoy than be proven wrong that this is the practice of H & S especially after experiencing their generosity.

Login or sign up to post a message.

I would suggest offering the tea you don’t want for swap or giveaway on this board. Someone may be interested.

Login or sign up to post a message.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.