Question 1

What are the same-day cut-off times in each city?

Accepted Answer

Moscow and Saint Petersburg: order by 18:00 local for same-day delivery, with the last courier dispatch leaving the warehouse at 19:30. Kazan, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk: cut-off is 15:00 local because the local courier network closes earlier. Nizhny Novgorod and Rostov-on-Don: 14:00 local. Orders placed after cut-off roll to the next business day automatically — we don't ask you to reconfirm. Sundays operate on a reduced schedule with a 13:00 cut-off in Moscow and Saint Petersburg only; other cities resume Monday.

Question 2

Who actually delivers the package?

Accepted Answer

We partner with three regional courier networks rather than running our own fleet. Inside Moscow and Saint Petersburg the express tier is handled by a local same-day partner with two-hour delivery bands. In other RU launch cities we use a different regional carrier that quotes a four-hour band. The courier's name and phone number appear on your tracking page once dispatch is confirmed. We don't anonymise the handover — if the courier is running late, you can call them directly, and the tracking link stays live until the package is signed for.

Question 3

What if no one is home when the courier arrives?

Accepted Answer

The courier will call the phone number on the order before knocking. If no answer, they wait three minutes, take a timestamped photo of the door, and leave. We then offer two free reattempts within the next 48 hours — you pick the new window through the tracking page or by replying to the dispatch SMS. After the third missed attempt the package returns to the city warehouse and you have seven days to either reschedule (paid second dispatch, around 290₽) or refund. Refunds at this stage retain the original delivery fee.

Question 4

Can I leave the package with a neighbour or concierge?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but you have to mark it explicitly at checkout or via the tracking page before the courier dispatches. Without that note, the courier is instructed to hand the package only to the named recipient or to someone over eighteen at the registered address. Concierge handovers in residential complexes are common in Moscow and Saint Petersburg and add no extra fee. For gift orders we recommend against neighbour handover — the surprise effect tends to evaporate when Sergei from flat 47 signs for your *Wǔyí Ròu Guì* (武夷肉桂).

Question 5

Is there a delivery fee, and when is it waived?

Accepted Answer

Standard same-day fee inside the city ring is 290₽ in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, 240₽ in other launch cities. Orders over 3,500₽ ship free inside the ring. Outside the ring but inside the metropolitan boundary, the fee is 450₽ flat and not waivable — that segment runs through a different courier tier with a higher per-stop cost. Gift packaging adds 180₽ on top of the delivery fee regardless of order size, because the wrap is hand-tied at the warehouse and adds about ten minutes to dispatch prep.

Question 6

How does the two-hour delivery window work?

Accepted Answer

Once the courier picks up the package from the warehouse, you receive a two-hour window by SMS — for example 14:30–16:30. The courier app updates that band in real time if traffic shifts; you'll see a narrower estimate (often forty-five minutes) appear on the tracking page about thirty minutes before arrival. We don't offer fifteen-minute windows because the courier partners we use don't quote that granularity, and we'd rather give you an honest two hours than a fifteen-minute promise we can't keep.

Question 7

What teas are actually available for same-day delivery?

Accepted Answer

The same-day catalogue runs to about fifty hand-picked 100g packs, refreshed seasonally. Zhou Xiang curates the green and hong cha selection from Hunan and neighbouring provinces — current picks include a *Jūn Shān Yín Zhēn* (君山银针) yellow from Yueyang and a *Ān Huà Hēi Chá* (安化黑茶) dark tea. Chen Hui Yi handles the white and yinzhen rotation from Fuding, Fujian. Fang Ting's oolong picks from Wuyi and Anxi round out the list. The full catalogue with sourcing notes lives on /catalog; deeper provenance for any single tea is mirrored on thetea.app.

Question 8

Can I order more than 100g of the same tea?

Accepted Answer

Yes — you can stack multiple 100g packs of the same tea in one order, up to ten units per SKU per order. Beyond that we ask you to contact us directly, because anything over a kilogram of a single tea is usually a wholesale or event-supply question, and we'd want to route it through tea.events or talk to you about a different price tier. Stacking doesn't change the delivery fee — it's per order, not per pack. The packs ship in a single courier bag for orders under 800g total weight.

Question 9

How are EU cross-border orders handled?

Accepted Answer

EU orders ship from a separate fulfilment point and route through a tracked post channel rather than same-day courier. Expected transit is five to nine business days door-to-door. Each parcel is declared with the correct HS code (0902 for tea) and the actual EUR value. Orders under 150€ enter under simplified customs and typically clear within forty-eight hours of arrival in the destination country. VAT and any handling fee charged by the carrier are paid by the recipient on delivery — we cannot prepay these. Sunday and public holiday delays in the destination country are out of our control.

Question 10

What's the 150€ threshold I keep seeing mentioned?

Accepted Answer

Under EU customs rules, parcels valued at 150€ or less (excluding shipping) clear under a simplified IOSS declaration and avoid formal customs entry. Above 150€ the parcel enters formal clearance, which usually adds two to four working days and may trigger a brokerage fee from the carrier (typically 8–15€). For a 100g pack the threshold is not normally an issue — even our most expensive single-origin oolongs sit well under it. The threshold matters mainly when you stack five or more packs of premium-grade tea in one parcel.

Question 11

Can I track the package once it leaves the warehouse?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The tracking page at /track/[order] goes live the moment the courier scans the bag at pickup. For RU same-day orders you'll see the courier's first name, the live map position, the current two-hour band, and a contact button that opens a call to their direct number. For EU orders the tracking page mirrors the carrier's status — dispatched, in transit, customs hold, out for delivery — and updates roughly every six hours. The tracking link stays valid for thirty days after delivery in case you need to review the timestamps later.

Question 12

What happens if the package arrives damaged or the seal is broken?

Accepted Answer

Refuse delivery at the door if you can — the courier returns the package to us at no cost to you, and we ship a replacement within twenty-four hours. If you only notice damage after the courier has left, photograph the outer bag and the inner pack within twenty-four hours and send the photos to the support address on your order confirmation. We replace damaged-on-arrival packs free of charge for fourteen days from delivery, no questions about whether you've already brewed a session. Vacuum-sealed white teas like *Bái Mǔ Dān* (白牡丹) are the most common claim and the easiest to verify.

Question 13

Can I send a 100g pack as a gift?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the /gift flow lets you add a hand-tied wrap (180₽) and a short typed note (up to 240 characters, no emoji rendered on the card). The recipient's name and phone go on the courier handover; your name appears only on the gift note unless you tick the box to stay anonymous. We strongly recommend confirming the recipient is home or has agreed to a concierge handover — a missed gift is more awkward to reschedule than a missed self-purchase. For gift sessions rather than gift tea, tea.events lists tasting vouchers.

Question 14

Can I change the delivery address after I've ordered?

Accepted Answer

Until the courier scans the package at warehouse pickup, yes — log in and edit the address, or reply to the order confirmation SMS with the new one. Once the courier has scanned the bag, the address is locked in their app and we'd have to cancel and re-dispatch, which costs you another delivery fee. The cut-off for free address changes is roughly thirty minutes before your stated cut-off time. Address changes that cross city boundaries (e.g. Moscow to Mytishchi) always require cancellation and re-order; we cannot transfer mid-route.

Question 15

What's the refund policy if I change my mind?

Accepted Answer

You can cancel for a full refund up to the moment the courier scans the package at warehouse pickup — usually around two hours before the delivery window starts. After that, the order is in transit and we can only offer a refund minus the delivery fee (290₽ inside the ring). Once delivered and accepted, tea is non-returnable under Russian consumer protection rules for foodstuffs, unless the pack is sealed and you contact us within fourteen days with a photograph showing the seal intact. Damaged-on-arrival claims follow a separate process — see above.

Question 16

Do you deliver to office addresses?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and it's actually the most reliable handover. Mark "office" at checkout and include the floor and any reception instructions in the notes field. The courier will hand the package to reception or to you directly, depending on the building's rules. We deliver to office addresses on weekdays only — Saturday and Sunday office attempts almost always fail and burn one of your two reattempts. If you work weekends, use a residential address.

Question 17

What about delivery to addresses outside the launch cities?

Accepted Answer

Same-day isn't available outside the seven launch cities. For anywhere else in Russia we ship via a tracked post channel with two to six business days transit depending on region — Vladivostok and Kamchatka sit at the longer end. The catalogue, prices, and pack sizes are identical; only the delivery fee and window change. Cross-border CIS destinations (Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia) route through their respective national post and quote five to ten business days. None of the post-channel orders are eligible for the 290₽ same-day fee.

كيفية عمل التوصيل في نفس اليوم

ما تمر به عبوة 100 غرام فعليًا بين رفنا ومطبخك

الأسئلة الشائعة

ما هي أوقات القطع للتوصيل في نفس اليوم في كل مدينة؟

من يقوم بتوصيل الطرد فعليًا؟

ماذا لو لم يكن أحد في المنزل عند وصول الساعي؟

هل يمكنني ترك الطرد مع جار أو حارس المبنى؟

هل هناك رسوم توصيل، ومتى يتم التنازل عنها؟

كيف تعمل نافذة التوصيل التي مدتها ساعتان؟

ما أنواع الشاي المتاحة فعلًا للتوصيل في نفس اليوم؟

هل يمكنني طلب أكثر من 100 غرام من نفس الشاي؟

كيف تتم معالجة طلبات الاتحاد الأوروبي العابرة للحدود؟

ما هو حد الـ 150 يورو الذي أستمر في رؤيته مذكورًا؟

هل يمكنني تتبع الطرد بمجرد مغادرته المستودع؟

ماذا يحدث إذا وصل الطرد تالفًا أو إذا كان الختم مكسورًا؟

هل يمكنني إرسال عبوة 100 غرام كهدية؟

هل يمكنني تغيير عنوان التوصيل بعد تقديم الطلب؟

ما هي سياسة الاسترداد إذا غيّرت رأيي؟

هل تقومون بالتوصيل إلى عناوين المكاتب؟

ماذا عن التوصيل إلى عناوين خارج مدن الإطلاق؟

لا تزال لديك أسئلة؟