New tea website

!!! L-O-L , for your prices i'd rather buy some 'average' tea from my local store.

snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote:

Thank you for your gracious introduction, appropriate vendor notices are appreciated. The site seems nice enough, but a little low on information, and the prices are waaay out of my range.

While your pictures show tea that "appears" to be of very high quality, your prices are also astronomical by most standards.

You display teas seem awfully over priced. I am quite familiar with that genre and your prices borderline on exorbitant. Are these any better than the display teas we typicaly get from Kunming?

Your Yunnan Gold "looks" good but at $285 per kg it is 5-10 times higher than what we pay for it on eBay coming directly from mainland China.

The other teas I see are similarly high. You are unknown to us, we do not know you or your teas. They may very well be excellent. May I suggest that you might consider putting together, and selling, a sample assortment? Lets say 15g each of your teas in order to let us consumers judge if your tea really is worth the extreme premium you are charging. You are expecting us to have too much faith in a vendor who has no reputation. There is no way I am going to pay $200+ per kg, for tea that I have not tried, from a Vendor I do not know. _____ Mike

To add as example:

From kasora

) Makaibari Silver Tips (FTGFOP1S) 2006 1st Flush 1 oz = $38

---------------------------------- From Silvertips

Organic Makaibari Estate 1st Flush 2006 FTGFOP1S - Fair Trade Certified 2 oz =$4.50

Organic Makaibari Estate Silver Tips 2005 - Fair Trade Certified 2 oz = $15.75

Yeah, 1t's 2005 and not 2006 .. but still the price for Silver Tips is 5x !!

Dear Mr. Prasad.

I don't normally respond to these posts replies myself, but I had the unexpected luxury of a little free time this afternoon, so I figured I'd take a stab. The Makaibari Silver tips first flush we are offering is the last of that tea that has not already been purchased or sold elsewhere. Take a stroll around the internet and try to find it and you will see what we're talking about. Can you buy Makaibari FTGFOP1S silver tips somewhere else? In addition, if you manage to find it, how has it been stored? In a bag or some sort of "airtight" container? And is it the tea they are actually claiming it to be? Many places offering Darjeeling tea are reluctant to list the year of harvest, and it is quite telling to say the least. Kasora will always list flush years because they are important. And Kasora will always dispose of tea that is past its freshness window, no matter the financial loss. It is what our customers expect, and it is what they get.

Darjeeling teas are extremely delicate teas. They require storage in airtight, inert gas environments, and after as little as six months they have already lost much of their precious spirit. You quote prices for a first flush 2005 tea that are low. As they should be for such an old tea, most likely stored under inferior conditions.

We stand by the high quality of our teas, and we do understand that they are out of the price range of many people. It is our experience that there are serious tea lovers who are willing to pay for the highest quality, and that is what they get with Kasora.

Thanks for your feedback, S. Huds> To add as example:

I agree with you that the value of any product cannot be determined without tasting it and comparing apples to apples. So your point is well-taken.

Ultimately, the value of any product is whatever the market will bear.

I have no interest in Silver Tips Tea Room, other than as a satisfied customer. However, if you believe what they write in

then it appears that the site is owned by the sister-in-law of the owner of Makaibari estates. I'm assuming that this increases the probability that they are selling genuine Makaibari products, as described on their product description pages.Unfortunately, I am not in the financial position to be able to sample and compare your products with theirs.

Good luck with your stores. Anything that promotes tea consumption, especially in US, is a good thing.

Hello,

I am not speaking for everyone here nor am I trying to be difficult, but I have never heard of Kasora before. Nor has anyone here so far, I think you may be underestimating the people on this newsgroup as far as quality, affordability, and knowledge. Many of us get our tea directly from the source weeks after it is made available, and are happy to spend more than the average person for our favorites. Some here even take it a step farther and actually go to the site and participate... so please understand our reservations. If the tea is so fresh, then storage is not really a concern since it will be packaged properly and sold in short order.

As Mike has asked, we would be interested in a sample system to try and evaluate your product. If it is as high-end as you claim, I think you would have no problem gaining a few customers. How long have you been in business? In what area?

Thanks,

- Dominic

Yes it is available elsewhere, a quick search yielded several sources who make the exact same claims that you do, including vintage, and every single one of these is much less expensive.

(yes this one is sold out, but look at their price compared to yours) (very similar)

Why should we trust you more than we would trust these others? EVERBODY "says" that they store their teas well, and they all say that their teas are authentic. There is an old saying that "the tea doesn't lie", which means that really the only way that we can know that your tea is better than anyone else's is to try it. However, since the price of admission is so high with your teas I strongly recommend offering a sampler assortment. As Dominic stated, many of us are true aficionados who WILL spend top dollar on tea, but you are unknown to us, and EVERYBODY out there claims their tea is the best!

The thing you must understand is that most of us have been ripped off too many times by vendors who claimed to offer great tea but only delivered mediocre leaf at best. So, we are naturally skeptical when a new kid comes on the block making fantastic claims. Since we can't see, touch, smell, or taste your tea before we make our purchase we have every right to be skeptical until we get to know you! You may have the best tea in the world but this group is getting very street-wise about our mail order purchases, and while many of us are willing to pay top dollar for top leaf we also expect you to prove yourself before we shell out the big bucks. The easiest way to prove yourself is to offer/sell some samples or sample assortments.

The tea doesn't lie! ____ Mike

Please note that it is a bit of an insult to our group for you to advertise here then say that you don't normally respond to our replies. After all it was you who asked us to tell you "what we think". If you dont intend to respond to our feedback then please dont advertise here.

____ Mike

I had forgot to address this in my reply, but you did a good job and more succinctly than I would have probably.

For anyone who wants a strange insight to the OP, search google for Hudson Bedell or snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com. This guy is a self-proclaimed Taoist Priest, Ukelele Playing, Aspiring Bartender, English Teacher, Meditation teacher, and apparently "super-duper-ultra-high-end tea purveyor" from Albuquerque, NM as well as Japan. Now _that_ is quite the mix... No wonder he doesn't have time to respond to posts he makes about his new business ventures to try to gain customers.

And it is to you Hudson Bedell - Bartender, Teacher, Ukelele Player, Tea Purveyor, Taoist Priest - that I raise my cup of Pu-Erh!

...or more likely you bought an assload of tea while you were in Japan and are selling it for a 5000% markup now that you are home to help pay for your trip...

- Dominic

Organic Makaibari Estate Silver Tips Imperial 2006 - Fair Trade Certified - hand rolled

2 oz - $15.75 (SilverTipsTea)

I am not affiliated with SilverTipsTea in any way, not even as a customer.

Aww, it seems like Mr. Bedell was found out and decided to pull his posts for some reason... just a slight hint to Mr. Bedell and to other wannabe spammer/scammers. I take great offense to this type of behavior, I am also a security and investigative expert... I will not personally stand for it. I can and will pursue those who are engaged in any sort of illegal attempt at scamming others here.

Regular one-post spammers/scammers are one thing, but when you willfully provide false information and cross the line into illegal practices I'll call you out every time.

Have a great day,

- Dominic

The Darjeelings are also at least double the retail prices elsewhere for identical estate/year/flush marques.

--Blair

Not to nitpick, but what "false" information did this guy provide? All I saw was him trying to tell you about his new website where he sells tea that is way too pricey (I mean, seriously!), and then you bunch of babies begging for samples. I did take your advice and did a search on the guy. I found a bunch of stuff from ukulele websites (that's hilarious) and this:

Editor,

I have been following the letters in the Daily Lobo recently and felt compelled to speak.

Not to agree or to disagree with any of the writers, but merely to offer an idea that may have escaped the attention of so many emotionally-charged minds.

It seems apparent that this country is headed off to war. I wonder if any of you understand what that means? I wonder, can you set aside your emotions for a minute and look at it with a clear and still mind?

War is death. And not the death of just soldiers or terrorists. It is the death of innocents. It is the death of normal people with no policies to defend, borders to police, or political ambitions to fuel. It's not just soldiers who die in war; it's everyone. To ignore that truth is to live in blindness.

You look into your televisions and you see only people being packaged to be your enemy. You don't see the man in love, the child at play, the joke being told, the meal being cooked, or the garden being tended.

You see six seconds of children jumping for joy that so many Americans have died, and endless footage of turbaned leaders calling for "holy" war. As if there could be such a thing.

Do not misunderstand me. I have no concern for politics. To me it is just as deviant to destroy buildings full of people as it is to kill thousands with economic sanctions. One of your writers closed his letter with, "All civilized peoples must stand against and ruthlessly destroy this evil."

I wonder, what would happen if all civilized people stood and refused to destroy at all?

He continues with. "It does not deserve careful consideration of whatever 'reasons' might have resulted in this specific attack.

It is wrong, it has changed our nation and it should pay."

Perhaps this is true. But one thing is certain. When it comes time to extract "payment" for these wrongs, it will not be just those who have committed these actions and those who harbor and support them who pick up the tab.

It will be people. Regular everyday people, just like you and me. A whole new batch of suffering, and this eternal movement of conflict within the human consciousness will go on and on. Make no mistake, killing the innocent during the seeking of revenge is still killing the innocent, even when you innocuously label them "collateral damage."

I am told that a group of students once approached Mother Theresa about participating in an anti-war march they were organizing. When she declined, they were aghast. How could this woman, considered so saintly, decline to march against war?

"I will not march against war," she told them. "But, if you ever have a march in support of peace, I will walk beside you proudly."

I wonder. Can we do this? Not Americans or Afghanis or whatever foolish labels we apply to ourselves, but "us" the regular people. Can we cease this endless need to oppose and destroy what we dislike and instead promote what we do?

Hudson Bedell Ordained Taoist Priest

After I read that, all I could say was "wow". I won't buy any tea from this guy, but wow.

Vicky.

Dom> > And it is to you Hudson Bedell - Bartender, Teacher, Ukelele Player,

Well, let me tell you... I have information that I can't share here from some searches I did initially on this "company" that are quite telling. On top of that the response that this person made made some claims that are false, which is illegal.

There are no laws stating someone can't sell an overpriced product, there are laws against proper business registration and conduct. There are also laws against mirepresenting your product.

The ukelele stuff and the fact that he claims to be a toaist preist (under a number of different concentrations which change in everyone of his posts) were just for fun and to let this guy know that I knew who he was. This is a scam, and I have enough respect for the others on this NG to try to prevent them from being taken (not that any I know would have been, but maybe newcomers).

You are also wrong on another point. No one here is asking for *FREE* samples, we are asking for a sample selection TO PURCHASE so that _we_ may decide for ourselves if they are legit and if the product is really worth the prices stated. Please watch when you jump to conclusions without all the facts. If they are a legit dealer, they will be happy to work out an arrangement, when they are not this is an instant giveaway. Between the folks on this NG we spend more on tea than most household's make each year. I know that this year alone I have about $400-500 personally in my tea, and this has been a slow year for me and it is only half over. Multiply that by the lot of us and the few who eclipse even my expenditures and you will see it is about the wisest business decision to offer a sample selection at a fair price if you stand by your product and want our business.

Sorry for the confusion, and I hope that clears it up.

- Dominic

Not only are the prices ridiculous, even for the loveliest of teas. It is, in my opion as a N.D. (naturapathic doctor), unethical to stick substances such a Gaba (which can be mood altering) into a tea ("Rain") without a complete explanation (full disclosure). The teas sound fine, but not much unlike any other in the market. And, like everyone heard from, unbelievably expensive. We do live, though, dishonorable as it can be sometimes, in a "what the market will bear" economy. Shen

That is a little harsh isn't it Vicky? All we asked for was a sample assortment that we could *purchase* in order to evaluate if his teas were indeed as premium as he claimed. To the best of my recollection, nobody asked for a hand-out! I can name many honest vendors who accommodate sampling, at a fair price, because they want our repeat business.

This group, which is frequented by many aficionados and connoisseurs, is a very powerful buying force in the market. We have every right to

*demand* that vendors, who want our business, prove themselves. Blind faith alone will seldom attract my dollars anymore. Like Dominic, and dozens of others in this group, I have spent larger sums of money on tea than I am willing to admit to publicly. I am not afraid to pay for quality, but I *demand* proof of that quality before I shell out the big bucks. The tea doesn't lie, but many vendors do!

The days of falling for unsubstantiated claims, believing mystical stories of virgins and/or monkeys picking tea, or chests of ancient puerh being "accidentally discovered" in someone's attic are over for me. There is *no* better marketing technique than to let the tea speak for itself. If the tea is truly premium, the tea will tell us, and there are many amongst us who *will* buy.

I mentioned this in another group recently: I now have a set of standards when buying aged, or premium, teas. I will only buy teas that meet one of the following criteria.

1) They come form a vendor I know and trust. 2) I have personally sampled the tea. 3) Someone I know and trust has sampled the tea. I have been disappointed, the vast majority of the time, when I have not followed the above standards.

It is up to us consumers to DEMAND fair and honest transactions from the vendors who want our business. ____ Mike

redmonkey8... uh, I mean Vicky, how about some tea samples.