Don't fall into these tea buying traps or you'll regret it.
Don't you hate the feeling when you make a mistake? A pit forms in your stomach and your confidence gets shaken. Perhaps you might even feel had. Avoid all that pain! Follow these three steps before you buy loose leaf tea and you'll get a sense of satisfaction you've done things right.
1. Don't buy on impulse. Impulse buying usually leads to regrets. Carefully consider if you really need what your about to buy or sign up to. Retailers will create nifty deals or try to pull consumers in on supposed deals (which are not close to being deals). Be the judge for yourself to avoid post-purchase regrets.
2. Check consumer opinion. What are other people saying about the product or similar products? If you're flying blind you might crash your wallet and end up in monetary triage! If you're not sure about some loose leaf tea your considering buying, check around. Are other people satisfied? Visit a site like Teaviews which offers comprehensive tea reviews with all consumer generated content! Get peace of mind by seeing what other's are saying.
3. Be aware of cross-border and currency exchange charges. It is expensive to ship products across the border between the US and Canada, and Canada and other countries for that matter. It is not altogether prohibitive and sometimes it even makes a lot of sense, but check up on the charges. The listed price may not include currency exchanges, shipping costs and brokerage fees! Today, taking into consideration the exchange rate between the US dollar and the Canadian dollar, a Canadian based purchase of US goods includes a whopping 20 percent increase in the base cost of the goods, plus a further 20 percent more for the shipping, plus you probably will have to pay a brokerage fee (a service to shuffle and stamp papers at the border between US and Canadian authorities). That is expensive. So consider the total charge before pressing the buy now button. You might be pressing a pay for pain button.
To avoid that sinking sick feeling like you've been had, paid way too much, or bought a product of poor quality, follow these three steps. Get yourself some peace of mind.
Timothy Oostendarp is co-owner of RedUmbrella Tea, Canada's loose leaf tea company. To get in touch with Tim, please contact him at timo@redumbrella.ca. RedUmbrella Tea can be found at www.RedUmbrella.ca.
This article was published on Wednesday 29 April, 2009.
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Don't fall into these tea buying traps or you'll regret it.
Don't you hate the feeling when you make a mistake? A pit forms in your stomach and your confidence gets shaken. Perhaps you might even feel had. Avoid all that pain! Follow these three steps before you buy loose leaf tea and you'll get a sense of satisfaction you've done things right.
1. Don't buy on impulse. Impulse buying usually leads to regrets. Carefully consider if you really need what your about to buy or sign up to. Retailers will create nifty deals or try to pull consumers in on supposed deals (which are not close to being deals). Be the judge for yourself to avoid post-purchase regrets.
2. Check consumer opinion. What are other people saying about the product or similar products? If you're flying blind you might crash your wallet and end up in monetary triage! If you're not sure about some loose leaf tea your considering buying, check around. Are other people satisfied? Visit a site like Teaviews which offers comprehensive tea reviews with all consumer generated content! Get peace of mind by seeing what other's are saying.
3. Be aware of cross-border and currency exchange charges. It is expensive to ship products across the border between the US and Canada, and Canada and other countries for that matter. It is not altogether prohibitive and sometimes it even makes a lot of sense, but check up on the charges. The listed price may not include currency exchanges, shipping costs and brokerage fees! Today, taking into consideration the exchange rate between the US dollar and the Canadian dollar, a Canadian based purchase of US goods includes a whopping 20 percent increase in the base cost of the goods, plus a further 20 percent more for the shipping, plus you probably will have to pay a brokerage fee (a service to shuffle and stamp papers at the border between US and Canadian authorities). That is expensive. So consider the total charge before pressing the buy now button. You might be pressing a pay for pain button.
To avoid that sinking sick feeling like you've been had, paid way too much, or bought a product of poor quality, follow these three steps. Get yourself some peace of mind.
Timothy Oostendarp is co-owner of RedUmbrella Tea, Canada's loose leaf tea company. To get in touch with Tim, please contact him at timo@redumbrella.ca. RedUmbrella Tea can be found at www.RedUmbrella.ca.