Shopping Around - Are you loyal to one company or a proud bargain hunter?

I’m loyal to several companies but always open to trying samples from new companies because otherwise I’d never know what might be out there.

I’m willing to spend a decent amount of money for tea I love but it’s a fine balance. Ultimately even a lot of the higher end stuff comes out as cheaper than most bottled drinks so I can justify the occasional indulgence but I can’t afford to drink it all the time with the sheer volume of tea I drink. Plus I like my fun flavored teas like 52teas or Della Terra to shake things up from my nice unadulterated teas. I’m an equal opportunity steeper. Heck I’ll even drink the occasional bagged tea, especially if it’s an english breakfast for nostalgia and comfort.

-I am loyal to my first teas and merchant because my first order happened to include Genmaicha and Hojicha from Harney, which luckily happened to become two of my absolute favorite teas. I have tried them from other vendors but Harney’s remains my favorite on both accounts. So I got pretty lucky.

-I wouldn’t say I’m necessarily a bargain hunter. If I fall in love with a tea I may try other brands to see if I like them better, but I’ll choose the one I like best, not the cheapest. I am a student though, so I don’t have much disposable income and I like it to go far. So I will not pay more than $6 for shipping. Tea is light and I rarely purchase large amounts. So $6 when you’re only buying $15 in samples is 40% of the order which is not a good deal. I realize it’s nice when you’re buying large tins of tea, but I really like when companies have more than one shipping option.
And also samples. After purchasing numerous teas that I don’t love, baring some incredible sale, I simply won’t buy ounces of tea just to try them anymore. If companies don’t offer samples I’ll shop elsewhere.

It’s also nice when companies are active in the community. If they comment on Steepster or interact with customers on social media I’m much more likely to purchase from them.

-I have a couple of teas on Amazon’s Subscribe & Save, but I greatly prefer to order from actual tea vendors when possible.

Your question poses a sort of false dichotomy, because anyone who drinks teas from various regions of the world is probably not going to find everything they want from one emporium. Teavivre, as wonderful as they are, will never be my source for Indian or Japanese teas!

That said, I think that trust (more than loyalty) is very important in developing longterm relationships—whether with persons or vendors! I’ll try just about any company once, and am usually lured in by some sort of promotion. What happens after that depends on the quality of the product and my perception of the reputability of the enterprise. One bad experience is enough to get a company permanently off my shopping list, while good experiences multiply the desire to return again and again…

I trust and return to companies such as Harney & Sons and Teavivre because I feel (and know!) that somebody’s home, so to speak. They respond with alacrity to questions and concerns. I love the fact that I can call up Harney & Sons customer service and chat about tea and ask as many questions as I like, and I know that an intelligent, knowledgeable person is always on the other end of the line, and if she does not know the answer to the question, she’ll find someone who does. (They may also have male reps, but I have spoken only with women.)

Similarly, I have had nothing but good interactions with Teavivre, albeit via email.

Another recent positive interaction was through a chat line at the Golden Tips site. I am very impressed with their company so far as well…

Bargains are good, of course. Especially if they happen to be available at places where I already love to shop!

Bargain hunter am I! Well kinda. I am for most things but for tea its kinda half & half. Most of the time I stay loyal to a tea I really like and keep that company but that’s usually just because that company only sells that tea. For instance Island Rose. Found them in TJ maxx and now I order stuff from them online.

I’ve recently fallen for Davids Tea. They were so nice when I went into the store and I loved their selection! I’ll admit I also do go into Teavana and sometimes find things but I always feel like its too expensive unless its on sale haha. And then there is Indigio Company. Which is a local shop near us. They make an awesome Matcha green tea latte.

The only company I have shown specific loyalty to is Capital Tea Ltd which has always given me excellent service and has the added bonus of being local and offering reasonable shipping.

Otherwise I tend to buy from a variety of sources. I do take advantage of sales to try out new companies and I am not afraid of buying through eBay and aliexpress, which have allowed me to purchase at times directly from producers and to try teas not readily available in Canada. For the most part these purchases have been positive experiences and at times very educational.

Cost is a factor for me, shipping and price are considerations, but if I have a good experience with a company I will probably be back.

Really interesting reading, specially as I’m starting out myself in the U.K in 2 months time!
In fact, am I even allowed to post here as a future vendor?

I’m in both camps. I have a half-dozen companies that I keep going back to but will try someone new if 1) I believe they have high quality (either from samples or Steepster reviews) and 2) There is a good discount.

I see what you guys were saying about Teavivre. They have an easy to navigate site, and they’re even having a sale the same day I get paid… They really do provide more information than you could possibly ask for.

I am loyal to 3/4 companies – keep coming back to them – wonderful teas – shipping very low/resonable –
buying from the US is a no-no due to shipping costs and customs issues…(I am in the Netherlands)