Complaint Review: Global Tea Direct

Global Tea Direct, also known as Metro Tea Direct and Seattle Coffee Company have an online offer, "try two teas and a free gift for $2.00". They acknowedge that you are signing up for a membership program with two weeks to cancel, and that after the two week trial, you will be billed approximately $38 every other week for shipment,"twice a month, you will receive a pound each of the two teas you selected... You may log-in to our website and change your choices at any time so you always get something new... Please allow three business days for your account to be processed."

I signed up on September 11, 2009. On September 15, 2009, after learning about company job cuts, I called to cancel and was informed that a second shipment was about to go out and would be cancelled and refunded within two billing cycles. I asked how that was possible when a.) I hadn't received the first package, b.) they just finished processing my account and, c.) shipments were supposed to occur twice a month after the initial two week period.

I was told that I hadn't requested twice monthly delivery and that I was set up to receive twice weekly shipments. I asked for a supervisor and read the terms and conditions I had to her. She said, "But it says shipments may occur more or less frequently." No, it doesn't. "Yes, it does." No, and I'm supposed to have a two week period to try your stuff before the membership kicks in. "No, you're not." Yes, I am-I'm reading this directly from the terms and conditions on the offer I completed. "No, you're not..." Sigh.

The refund is pending with my bank- in the long run, I'll get my money back. But BEWARE: This company will send you as much as they can, hoping you won't notice before you cancel, prior to the end of your "trial period"- which they don't acknowledge. This is a dishonest way to make money- it is PREDATORY sales tactics- and says a lot about the company and their products. Obviously, they can't rely on product quality to generate business, they have a total lack of integrity, bad customer "service", and dishonest, PREDATORY sales tactics and business practices.