Buying coffee online is not what it used to be.
Just like everything else these days, the coffee business has attracted the entrepreneur.
This is both good and bad, yet generally not in your best interest.
Your goal is to eliminate as many middlemen as possible, not only to get the Best Price, but also the Freshest Coffee.
Too many people between you and the roaster will sacrifice either time (freshness) or money (yours!).
In a drop-ship world, quality control is an important factor.
When buying coffee online, knowing what goes on behind the website is the key.
Is the website just a front to collect orders and send them on somewhere else ?Are the coffee beans roasted in-house or locally, or are they shipped from across the country to sit on a shelf waiting for orders? When you surf around the website, can you easily find information on: the history of the company, the ownership, and most importantly - contact information? If you can't find - at the very least - a phone number and a street address, it is time to shop elsewhere.
There also needs to be an explanation of where the coffee is roasted and a little info about the packaging and shipping process.
And finally, the website should clearly state the "returns" policy.
Just as you can never judge a book by it's cover, the price of the coffee is not the final answer.
What about the Shipping and Handling charges?Do you have several options on how it is shipped?FedEx, UPS, and even the U.
S.
Postal Service do not deliver to all locations.
For a while FedEx Ground was not delivering anywhere in New Orleans, not even to the areas unaffected by the storm.
Certain rural areas do not have local delivery by the USPS - these folks have to pick up their mail at the local post office when they "go to town".
While most websites offer reasonable shipping rates, others advertise low-priced products and then make up the difference with the shipping charges.
After going through most of the online shopping process, some folks just go ahead pay hefty shipping charges just because they want to get on with life.
Last but not least, is the website shopping cart a "secure" site?When you get into the final stages of purchasing the product, look for the "lock" or "key" symbol at the bottom of the webpage.
If you don't see a lock or key, you should think twice about entering your credit card information on a website where the security of your financial information is in question.
If the lock or key exists, double-click on it to verify that it is active and valid.
You should see the actual dates the "Security Certificate" is valid - make sure they are current.
While you have the Security Certificate window open, click on the Details tab and then click on the Subject field.
This will show you more information about the Certificate owner.
If you see that the Certificate is issued to a third party, then the website owner may be trying to save a few hundred dollars per year by "sharing" a certificate with another entity.
This could also mean that you have been "redirected" to another site, again another reason to exercise caution.
Buying Gourmet Coffee Online is fun, easy, and often the best way to get Fresh Roasted Coffee to your home or office.
You can be successful if you simply shop at a website that provides the following: ** Physical Address, Phone Number, and Email Address ** Details on the roasting process and location of the roaster ** Reasonable Shipping Rates ** A Secure Website ** The impression that Quality, Customer Satisfaction, and Great Coffee are a High Priority! Copyright © 2006 Carolina Coffee and Tea Company.
comAll Rights Reserved.
Just like everything else these days, the coffee business has attracted the entrepreneur.
This is both good and bad, yet generally not in your best interest.
Your goal is to eliminate as many middlemen as possible, not only to get the Best Price, but also the Freshest Coffee.
Too many people between you and the roaster will sacrifice either time (freshness) or money (yours!).
In a drop-ship world, quality control is an important factor.
When buying coffee online, knowing what goes on behind the website is the key.
Is the website just a front to collect orders and send them on somewhere else ?Are the coffee beans roasted in-house or locally, or are they shipped from across the country to sit on a shelf waiting for orders? When you surf around the website, can you easily find information on: the history of the company, the ownership, and most importantly - contact information? If you can't find - at the very least - a phone number and a street address, it is time to shop elsewhere.
There also needs to be an explanation of where the coffee is roasted and a little info about the packaging and shipping process.
And finally, the website should clearly state the "returns" policy.
Just as you can never judge a book by it's cover, the price of the coffee is not the final answer.
What about the Shipping and Handling charges?Do you have several options on how it is shipped?FedEx, UPS, and even the U.
S.
Postal Service do not deliver to all locations.
For a while FedEx Ground was not delivering anywhere in New Orleans, not even to the areas unaffected by the storm.
Certain rural areas do not have local delivery by the USPS - these folks have to pick up their mail at the local post office when they "go to town".
While most websites offer reasonable shipping rates, others advertise low-priced products and then make up the difference with the shipping charges.
After going through most of the online shopping process, some folks just go ahead pay hefty shipping charges just because they want to get on with life.
Last but not least, is the website shopping cart a "secure" site?When you get into the final stages of purchasing the product, look for the "lock" or "key" symbol at the bottom of the webpage.
If you don't see a lock or key, you should think twice about entering your credit card information on a website where the security of your financial information is in question.
If the lock or key exists, double-click on it to verify that it is active and valid.
You should see the actual dates the "Security Certificate" is valid - make sure they are current.
While you have the Security Certificate window open, click on the Details tab and then click on the Subject field.
This will show you more information about the Certificate owner.
If you see that the Certificate is issued to a third party, then the website owner may be trying to save a few hundred dollars per year by "sharing" a certificate with another entity.
This could also mean that you have been "redirected" to another site, again another reason to exercise caution.
Buying Gourmet Coffee Online is fun, easy, and often the best way to get Fresh Roasted Coffee to your home or office.
You can be successful if you simply shop at a website that provides the following: ** Physical Address, Phone Number, and Email Address ** Details on the roasting process and location of the roaster ** Reasonable Shipping Rates ** A Secure Website ** The impression that Quality, Customer Satisfaction, and Great Coffee are a High Priority! Copyright © 2006 Carolina Coffee and Tea Company.
comAll Rights Reserved.
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