FAQ's
Tea of the Month Vanilla Rooibos
1. Is it easy to buy online from Monkey Char?
Making a purchase online couldn’t be easier. Simply browse our store and add any items that you wish to buy into the shopping basket. When you have finished selecting your purchases, click on the Basket icon (top right corner of the site). You will be sent to PayPal's secure express checkout service to complete your order.
2. How should I store my tea and how long will it keep?
Ideally tea should be stored in a dry airtight container, away from direct sunlight, heat and strong smells like coffee, garlic and spices as these can be absorbed into the flavour of the teas and ruin the taste. If stored like this your teas should last well up to a year in a nice, cool, dark cupboard, but we hope by then you would have drunk it all before it passes its best.
3. Can I buy direct from you? Where can I find your stall?
Yes. All of our teas and online products are available to purchase at our local Richmond market every 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month from 10.30am -4.30pm. Please pop by and say "hello" or email [email protected] to see if we’ll be there the week you plan to visit. Market address is: Richmond Duck Pond Market, Heron Square, Richmond, TW9 1EP
4. Which payment cards do you accept?
We accept all major credit and debit cards as long as they have a Visa or MasterCard symbol on them. All purchases from this website go through PayPal's online payment system so if you have an email or account registered with them already it is very easy to purchase from us, and just as easy if you don't as there will be an option with PayPal to pay by card without having a PayPal account using most major credit/debit cards. Please enter the card details carefully here as incorrect details could delay the despatch of the order. If you have any queries about card payments please e-mail us at: [email protected]
5. Do you offer any discounts?
Yes, if you buy three teas or more the third one is usually discounted. For this discount please enter the code: "3TEAOFFER" at our checkout page and it will automatically calculate your new discounted total (for 6 teas type "6TEAOFFER" and you'll get £5 off your order total). We also provide special offers and seasonal discount codes now and again to customers on our mailing list to promote new products and events throughout the year. To be a part of this list and receive updates about news and offers please sign up to our newsletter by emailing us with "please add me to your newsletter" in the subject heading or follow us on twitter @monkeychartea
6. Do your prices include VAT?
For orders made from the UK or the European Union, VAT is included where applicable.
7. How are your teas packed?
Our tea is hand blended & packed into airtight silver tin caddies, or available as refill kraft bags with food safe polypropylene lining. Polypropylene does not damage the environment during its disposal. It’s suitable for recycling and satisfies the 4 requirements of the EEC Environmental Commission. Our tin caddies are fully recyclable and are made to compliment the refill kraft bags which ideally should be decanted into one of these tins or a similar airtight container once opened. If you bring your tin caddy back to the stall for a refill bag we will offer a small discount on the refill bag to reward you for your fine environmental efforts.
8. Are your teas organic?
Yes a lot of them are as our ETP supplier is certified organic. Did you know that organic farming does not always mean a fair deal for the workers and farmers that produce them? This is because it is very costly for the small time farmer to maintain strict organic standards, as de-pesting crops by hand often means low paid, long, exhausting hours in the hot sun for pickers and their families. It’s good to remember that ‘organic’ farming, in third world countries, does not always mean better tasting or ethically produced.
9. Are your teas Fair Trade?
Yes absolutely. Our supplier is a member of the Ethical Tea Partnership which thrives to ensure that our tea supply is socially just and environmentally sustainable. The Ethical Tea Partnership now covers areas to help protect the environment as well as social and labour provisions. It aligns with the standards of the main global certificate programmes, in order to increase its impact and to reduce costly audit burdens for small producers. The ETP has also entered into collaborative agreements with Rainforest Alliance, Utz Certified (2009), and Fairtrade (2010). Under these agreements the ETP helps small independent producers to become certified and works collaboratively on tea sustainability initiatives. We are proud to offer you the best teas we can find with these high ethical standards.
10. Can I have my order gift-wrapped?
Yes. We will gladly gift-wrap your order out of the goodness of our hearts i.e. at no additional charge. Just email us [email protected] if you would like this option.
11. How do I send a gift to another address?
To send to a different address, simply enter the gift recipient’s address in the “postal address” section of the PayPal's checkout options process, under the "Review your information Section" in PayPal.
12. How are the products delivered and what is the cost?
PLEASE NOTE: We can only offer UK Standard delivery via this website, but do remember that all UK deliveries over £35 will be posted FREE of charge. Please make sure someone is in to receive the order once posted, or provide a work address where possible for shipping. Please get in touch with us if you would like a tracked service, for your own peace of mind in order to avoid lost or delayed parcels. For UK Royal Mail Recorded Delivery prices starts from £4.95 instead of the standard £2.80, and Express Next Day Courier starts from £8.55 a parcel. These orders will be processed via email. For more information on postage costs, including international and overseas orders please see our Delivery Costs page.
13. When will the products be delivered?
We aim to pack your order within 2-5 working days of you placing it and then dispatch it by your chosen delivery method. Please bear in mind that all teas are hand blended and packed so delays may occur at busier times of the year. Please allow a longer time for us to be able to complete your order at these times. If an item is out of stock and we are unable to dispatch within ten business days of you placing your order, we will advise you by email as soon as possible and offer you a full refund or partial delivery if you opt for this.
14. What do I do if I ordered the wrong product or am not satisfied with the product?
We try to operate a policy of total customer satisfaction. BUT PLEASE NOTE that Orders for certain Products may not be returned or cancelled - these include: (a) Products that have been clearly personalised; and (b) Products that are perishable and have been opened, including all teas, infusions and food products. We are very sorry about this but we need to adhere to strict health & safety policies when it comes to ordering food products online, so please double check carefully when ordering your tea to make sure it is the one you want, and refrain from opening it if a mistake has been made or you change your mind & would like an exchange. For any faulty or damaged product we will of course replace as soon as possible. Please contact us for more information or refer to our Refund Policy in Terms & Conditions page.
15. Are Monkey Char ordering and payment systems secure?
Yes very. We use PayPal Express Checkout who take you to their Secure Online Payments System to process your orders. No sensitive personal data is collected by us except your name, address and order details to be able to post your order to you. It is important for you to protect against any unauthorised access to your PayPal password and to your computer in general. Be sure to log off when you finish using a shared computer, and never disclose your password to anyone else.
16. Will you pass my details to any third party?
We are committed to protecting the privacy of our users and customers. We know that your information is important and value the trust that you place in us by using this website. We do not share your personal information with any other companies. Please view our Privacy Policy at the end of our Terms and Conditions page for further information.