SHIPPING AND RETURNS POLICY
Thank you for shopping at Senbird Tea. Please review the following shipping, return, and refund policies before placing your order. Because we work with food-grade products, our ability to accept returns is limited to protect quality and safety.
Domestic Shipping
Shipment processing time: All orders are processed within 1-3 business days. Orders are not shipped or delivered on weekends or holidays. Estimated shipping times do not include order processing times. Friday orders received after 12 pm EST will be processed on the next business day.
If we are experiencing a high volume of orders, shipments may be delayed by a few days. Please allow additional days in transit for delivery. If there is a significant delay in the shipment of your order, we will contact you via email or telephone.
Shipping rates & delivery estimates
Shipping charges for your order will be calculated and displayed at checkout. All orders over $99 are automatically eligible for free shipping. Delivery delays can occasionally occur. Please refer to your tracking information in the “Completed Order” email for the most up-to-date status.
Once an order has been transferred to the shipping carrier, any delays are the responsibility of the courier. If you experience an issue, we recommend reaching out to the carrier directly to file a claim as they will be best equipped to assist you further.
Shipment to P.O. boxes or APO/FPO addresses
Senbird Tea ships to addresses within the U.S., U.S. Territories, and APO/FPO/DPO addresses.
Shipment confirmation & Order tracking
You will receive a "Completed Order" confirmation email once your order has shipped, containing your tracking number(s). The tracking number will be active within 24-48 hours.
Customs, Duties, and Taxes
International orders may be subject to import duties, taxes (including VAT), brokerage fees, customs-clearance fees, and related carrier handling fees. Where applicable, these charges are the recipient’s responsibility and are not included in our product or shipping prices unless explicitly stated at checkout.
International Shipping
Typically, shipments arrive within 10-21 days, but please allow up to 30 days depending on the customs situation in your country. Because customs processing is outside our control, we cannot guarantee a specific delivery date. Any applicable import duties, taxes, brokerage fees, customs-clearance fees, and related carrier handling fees are the recipient’s responsibility, as described above.
Senbird Tea is not responsible for any undeliverable/unclaimed/lost/stolen packages. Please provide your phone number with your order for shipment tracking purposes.
Delivery attempts, holds, and unclaimed packages
For many countries, if the carrier attempts delivery and no one is home, your package may be held at your local post office or delivery depot. In these cases:
- The carrier or local postal service may leave a notice or update the tracking to indicate that the package is “awaiting pickup” or “delivery attempted”.
- It is the customer’s responsibility to contact the local post office or carrier with the tracking number and arrange pickup or redelivery before the package is returned.
If a package is returned to us as undeliverable or unclaimed, original shipping charges are non-refundable. If the items are returned to us in good condition and unopened, we can either:
- Reship the order with an additional shipping fee, or
- Treat it as a return in line with our Returns policy (including handling/restocking and any applicable shipping label fees).
Senbird Tea is not responsible for packages that are refused, unclaimed, undeliverable due to incorrect or incomplete addresses, or not picked up from the local post office or depot.
For more information about international shipments, please contact your country’s customs office or local postal carrier.
Returns
We have a 30-day return policy, which means you have 30 days after receiving your item to request a return.
Because we work with food products, we can only accept returns on unopened, unused items in their original packaging. To be eligible for a return, your item must be in the same condition that you received it—unworn or unused, with tags (where applicable), and in its original packaging. You’ll also need the receipt or proof of purchase, and you may be asked to send photos.
To start a return, sign in to your account on our website, open the order, select the item(s) you want to return, choose a reason, and submit your return request. We review every request and will email you once it has been approved or declined. If you are unable to access your account, please contact us at support@senbirdtea.com.
Items sent back to us without an approved return request will not be accepted.
If your return is approved, we’ll email you instructions on how and where to send your package. Return shipping depends on where your order was delivered:
- U.S. orders: We’ll send you a pre-paid return shipping label. The cost of this label is the customer’s responsibility and will be deducted from your refund, in addition to the restocking fee described below.
- International orders: Pre-paid return labels are not available outside the United States. Once your return is approved, you are responsible for arranging and paying for return shipping to the return address below, using a carrier of your choice. We strongly recommend a tracked service, as refunds are issued only after we receive and inspect your item. The restocking fee described below still applies.
Return address:
Senbird Tea
44-02 11th Street, Ste 406
Long Island City, NY 11101
Refunds
Once we receive your item, we will inspect it and notify you that we have received your return. All approved returns are subject to a $5 handling and restocking fee, which will be deducted from your total refund. This fee does not apply to returns of damaged, defective, or incorrect items. For U.S. returns, the cost of the pre-paid return shipping label will also be deducted.
If your return is approved, we will initiate a refund to your original method of payment. You will receive the credit within 10 business days, depending on your card issuer’s policies. Please remember it can take some time for your bank or credit card company to process and post the refund as well.
If more than 15 business days have passed since we’ve approved your return and you have not received your refund, please contact us at support@senbirdtea.com.
Damages and issues
Please inspect your order upon receipt and contact us immediately if the item is defective, damaged, or if you receive the wrong item, so that we can evaluate the issue and make it right.
For damaged, defective, or incorrect items, please email support@senbirdtea.com with your order number and clear photos of the issue and the packaging. Returns of damaged, defective, or incorrect items are not subject to the $5 handling and restocking fee.
Return and Refund Guidelines
Because tea is a food product and flavor is highly subjective, we follow strict guidelines to protect quality and safety.
To make returns and refunds as simple and transparent as possible, we’ve outlined the reasons we can and cannot accept returns below.Acceptable Return/Refund Reasons:
1 | Damaged or Defective Items
- Teaware or gift sets arrive broken or damaged.
- Tea tins are dented, or tea pouches are torn in a way that may affect product quality.
2 | Incorrect or Missing Items
- Wrong tea, quantity, teaware, or gift set received.
- Missing components in a gift set order.
Note: Photos of the issue are required for all return or refund requests.
Non-Eligible Return/Refund Reasons:
1 | Opened or Used Products- Tea packages that have been opened, unsealed, or partially used.
- Tea was transferred to another container.
- Teaware showing signs of use.
- Comments such as “not strong enough,” “too strong,” “not to my taste,” or “flavor is different from what I expected,” where there is no documented quality or safety issue.
- Dissatisfaction with flavor notes, aroma, or personal expectations of taste.
- Dissatisfaction with teaware based on subjective preferences such as color, shape, or style when these are clearly shown or described on the product page.
- “I don’t want it anymore” or ordering the wrong item after the product has been opened.
- For unopened items, change-of-mind returns may be accepted within 30 days under our standard Returns policy (customer pays return shipping and the handling/restocking fee).
- Damage caused by not following product care instructions (e.g., dishwashing hand-wash–only items).
- Quality issues caused by storing products in unsuitable conditions such as high moisture, extreme temperatures, or strong odors.
- Minor scratches, small marks, or normal wear from regular use.
- Tarnishing or aging of natural materials over time.
- Claims submitted after the return window has passed (more than 30 days from delivery). This policy applies to purchases made through any channel, including our website, marketplaces, or other partnered retailers.
Non-returnable items
Due to food safety regulations and the nature of our products, the following items cannot be returned:
- Any opened tea or food items
- Tea whose inner seal/bag has been opened, broken, or transferred to another container
- Items not in their original packaging
- Custom products (such as special orders or personalized items)
- Final sale items
- Gift cards
If you’re unsure whether your item is eligible for return, please contact us at support@senbirdtea.com before sending anything back.
Exchanges
We do not offer direct exchanges.
The fastest way to ensure you get what you want is to request a return for any eligible unopened item and, once the return is accepted, place a separate order for the new item.
Shipping for returns
For change-of-mind or non-defective returns, return shipping costs are the customer’s responsibility.
- U.S. orders: When your return is approved, we will provide a pre-paid return shipping label and deduct the cost of this return label from your refund, along with the $5 handling and restocking fee.
- International orders: When your return is approved, you arrange and pay for your own return shipping to our return address. We do not provide return labels for international orders. The $5 handling and restocking fee is deducted from your refund.
Original shipping charges paid on your order are non-refundable, except when your entire order is cancelled before it ships (see Cancellations below).
Cancellations
If your order has not shipped yet, you can request a cancellation. Sign in to your account on our website, open the order, select the item(s) you want to cancel, and submit your request.
A cancellation request does not cancel your order automatically. We review every request and will email you once it has been approved or declined. If your order is already being processed or has shipped, we may not be able to cancel it. In that case, you can request a return once your order is delivered, under the Returns section above.
If your cancellation is approved, we will refund the cancelled item(s) in full to your original method of payment, with no handling or restocking fee. If your entire order is cancelled before it ships, your refund will also include the original shipping charge.
Contact Us
If you have any questions on how to return your item to us, contact us at support@senbirdtea.com.