Frequently Asked Questions

• Tell me how to earn $5.00 by linking to Ocean of Tea!
• How do I place an order?
• Is it safe shopping online?
• What are your payment options?
• Is there any sales tax?
• Is your tea loose-leaf or in tea bags?
• What if I don't like the tea I ordered?
• Do I need to buy any accessories to enjoy the tea?
• How do I brew a perfect cup of tea?
• OK, How much loose tea should I use to make a cup of tea?
• How much do I need to buy?
• How quickly will I get my Tea?
• What teas have caffeine?
• What are your shipping rates?
• Do you ship to (insert international destination here)?
• I need to ship these to two different addresses. Can I combine them into one order to save on shipping?
• Can I ship to Alaska/Hawaii?
• Can I ship to an APO/FPO?
• Do you have a catalog?
• Why do you want my email address?
• Can I fax in my order?
• How does free shipping work?
• How do I use a gift certificate?
• I don't like ordering online. Can I order by phone or pay by check/money order?
• Where's your phone number?

Tell me how to earn $5.00 by linking to Ocean of Tea!

You can earn up to $5 by linking from your website to http://www.oceanoftea.com, subject to the following rules: You must be the owner or maintainer of the website linked from. The website must pass editorial review. We reserve the right to deny participation in the program to any website we deem inapproriate. Limit one reward per website. For a list of potential links and how they should be formed, visit our spread the word page. Rewards are paid via a credit to your account. After the link is active on your website, email terry@oceanoftea.com with the url of your web page and your login. After verification, your account will be rewarded $5.00 credit in your account. If you don't have an account currently on oceanoftea.com, you can signup or we will create one for you.

How do I place an order?

Thanks for asking, To place an order, simply add all desired items to your shopping cart. To place any of the items in a shopping cart, simply click on its price on its individual product page under "add to cart." You may change quantities by entering a desired number and hitting the 'recalculate' button. To remove an item, simply set its quantity to zero. Once complete, please hit the 'checkout' button. Our online ordering is secure. Order with confidence.

Is it safe shopping online?

We will definitely keep all your information private and secure. All orders are placed through our secure server. Please feel free to check our privacy statement. We would not like our information released to a third party, so we will not release yours.

What are your payment options?

We make no secret of the fact that we would like to make it easy for you to pay us. So you can pay via Paypal, Visa, Master Card, Discover, American Express, or you can mail us a check if you feel so inclined.

Is there any sales tax?

This is one of way you can save some money. There is no sales tax on tea. Teaware items are subject to sales tax for the residents of Missouri.

Is your tea loose-leaf or in tea bags?

We are proud to say, all of our teas are the highest quality loose-leaf teas we can find.

What if I don't like the tea I ordered?

We want you to be completely satisfied with each and every order you make here at Ocean Of Tea. We will happily refund or credit you for the price of any item returned (shipping is not refundable). Return the item to us along with the original receipt. If you do not have the receipt, write your name, address, phone number and reason for return on a piece of paper and include it with your return. You do not need to contact us before returning your items. Send returns to: Ocean of Tea, LLC 151 O'Fallon Plaza O'Fallon, MO 63366 USA

Do I need to buy any accessories to enjoy the tea?

Because our teas are provided loose-leaf, you will need a way to infuse the tea. This can be as simple as letting the teas settle to the bottom of your cup, but the majority of people use a ball or mesh infuser (made of metal with holes to let the water in), a mug with a builtin infuser (such as our Jenaer Glass mugs), or our loose-leaf tea bags (an open-ended bag you fill yourself). So short answer, Yes.

How do I brew a perfect cup of tea?

Good quality water and proper brewing time are essential for a delicious cup of tea. 1. Start with a preheated pot or cup (simply fill your teapot or cup with very hot water and let it stand for a moment). 2. Use fresh cold water. In areas with poor tap water, use bottled or filtered water. Never use water from the hot water tap. Let the tap water run for a few seconds until it is quite cold; this ensures that the water is aerated (full of oxygen) to release the full flavor of the tea leaves. 3. Bring water to a rolling boil. Don't let it boil too long, as it will boil away the flavor releasing oxygen and result in a flat tasting cup of tea. 4. Pour boiling water on tea leaves or tea bag. 5. Brew 3 to 5 minutes (for green teas, water should be a bit cooler and only steep for one to three minutes).

OK, How much loose tea should I use to make a cup of tea?

To make an 8 ounce (250 ml) cup of tea, use the following chart as a guideline. Adjust to taste. White tea 2 tsp. Steep for 1-2 minutes @ 150°-170° Green tea 1 tsp. Steep for 1-3 minutes @ 170°-190° Oolong tea 2 tsp. Steep for 1-3 minutes @ 160°-180° Black tea 1 tsp. Steep for 3-5 minutes @ 190°-209° Herbal tea Start with 1 tsp. and increase to desired taste. Steep for 3-5 minutes @ 190°-209°

How much do I need to buy?

Ahhh. Lets gauge how much enjoyment we can get. The number of cups of tea that can be made from a given quantity of leaves varies with the tea, but in general, 2 oz will make about 35 cups, 4 oz will make 70 cups of tea. 16 oz. or 1 lb makes 280 cups. With green, white and some herbal teas, you can make multiple cups from a single serving of leaves. Double or triple the amount of cups if you use multiple infusions.

How quickly will I get my Tea?

All orders received on a business day by 12pm EST are shipped the same business day. Orders placed after this or over the weekend will go out the next business day.

What teas have caffeine?

All of our black, green, oolong, and white teas have caffeine. Our herbal and Rooibos teas do not have caffeine.

What are your shipping rates?

Our US shipping prices are very reasonable: We ship via FEDEX and all of our rates are non-handling charges. We don't charge for shipping, only FEDEX fees. To learn more, please visit our shipping page.

Do you ship to (insert international destination here)?

At this time, we only ship to the United States, but we will be changing.

I need to ship these to two different addresses. Can I combine them into one order to save on shipping?

Unfortunately, shipping is charged per package, so all orders going to a separate address must be placed separately and shipping must be charged for each one.

Can I ship to Alaska/Hawaii?

Not currently. Contact us directly for more information, we might be able to work something out.

Can I ship to an APO/FPO?

Not currently through the website, contact us directly for more information, again, we might be able to work something out.

Do you have a catalog?

Our inventory is always growing, consequently we do not have a hard copy catalog. Our website is our catalog - and we think it is very pretty.

Why do you want my email address?

Great question, and we understand as we hate to give out our email address too. We use email as our primary form of contact. All order confirmations and shipping confirmations are sent via email. We also send a monthly newsletter, as well as sales and specials we may have going on. These occur about once a month. We promise to not disclose or sell your email to any third parties, ever. You can opt out of the monthly newsletter and specials if you prefer.

Can I fax in my order?

Yes, you can fax your order to us. Just write down the name, quantity and price of each item on a piece of paper along with your payment information (credit card number, expiration date, name on card) and shipping address. Give us your preferred due date on the order, otherwise we will ship grou.d. Fax the information to our fax number: 1-919-827-8761.

How do I use a gift certificate?

The entry point for your gift-certificate is found on the very first check-out page, where you are given an option of using a gift-certificate or credit card. Please select 'gift-certificate' and our system will automatically subtract its amount from your purchase. And allow you to place any amount remaining on a credit card of your choice. We unfortunately may not do this retroactively, so please follow these instructions thoroughly and email us if there are still problems before completing your order!

I don't like ordering online. Can I order by phone or pay by check/money order?

Absolutely

Where's your phone number?

Right there on our about us page. Feel free to call us. We will say, we are faster at returning emails however. If there are any questions or problems placing an internet order, please email us.