really bad experience buying green coffee from supplier overseas, need to vent and also want to know if this happen to others

dua minggu yang lalu

long story but want to share this because I hope someone can relate or give advice on how to handle.

I found a supplier online about 8 months ago. they have professional english website, nice photos of their farm, claimed direct from farmer, organic practice, good cupping score in their product page. I requested sample and paid sample fee. sample arrived in about 3 weeks and honestly the coffee was impressive. 86+ score, very clean with nice floral character. I was excited.

I placed order for 100kg at agreed price. paid 50% deposit by bank transfer. supplier confirmed receipt and said shipment ready in 2-3 weeks. then communication started to slow down. asking for update they always have excuse: customs delay, holiday, logistics problem. after 6 weeks coffee finally arrived.

opened the bag and it was clearly not the same coffee. color different, smell different, looked older. I cupped it and maybe 78-79 score, totally commercial grade. I sent photo and message to supplier. they responded once to say it was same coffee different roast level (which does not make sense because this was green bean not roasted). after that, nothing. I sent many message, they never reply again.

lost about $600 total including deposit and shipping. amount not huge but the experience was terrible. is this common? and what precaution should I take next time?

442 8 0

dua minggu yang lalu

this is unfortunately not rare. the pattern you describe is very classic: excellent sample, lower quality bulk shipment. the sample they send is often specifically curated or even from completely different lot. I have heard this story multiple times from other roasters in Korean specialty community. $600 is painful but many people learn this lesson with bigger amount.

dua minggu yang lalu

this kind of case is already happen many times in coffee trade. the supplier send very good sample but bulk shipment is different lot or lower grade. some supplier do this intentionally, some maybe just have poor quality control and bulk lot truly came from different harvest or different farm section. either way the result for buyer is same, disappointment.

for next time, i suggest ask the supplier to send sample from the same specific lot you will order, not from different lot. ask them to write the lot number or harvest batch on the sample package and in the proforma invoice. this not guarantee anything but it show if supplier is serious about traceability.

dua minggu yang lalu

lot number tracking is good idea, why I did not think about this before. the sample they sent had no lot reference at all actually, just a small handwritten label with origin name and process. that itself was already sign I should have paid more attention to.

dua minggu yang lalu

I am sorry this happened to you. this kind of experience is very stressful. one thing I learned after similar situation early in my career: for first order with new supplier always try to use payment method that give you some protection. bank wire transfer is the most risky for buyer because once sent it is very difficult to recover. some buyers use letter of credit for new supplier relationship, but this is complex and expensive for small order. at minimum ask if supplier accept payment after goods arrive and inspection, some legitimate supplier agree to this for small first order to build trust.

dua minggu yang lalu

also for future: video call with supplier before order. see their face, see their facility if possible. supplier who refuse video call is red flag. also check if their company registration is public record and verifiable. professional website is cheap to make, real business registration is harder to fake.

dua minggu yang lalu

some trade platform now offer escrow payment for green coffee transaction. buyer pay to escrow, supplier ship, buyer inspect after arrival, then escrow release payment. this protect both side. I know some serious supplier in Vietnam already accept this payment method for new buyer relationship. the fee is small compared to risk. I think more buyer should ask for this option.

dua minggu yang lalu

one more suggestion: for first order with new supplier, ask them to do cupping with impartial third party like export quality control lab or SCA certified cupper at origin, and send you the official result with lot reference. this add layer of documentation that make it harder for supplier to substitute lot later. some buyer also hire local agent at origin country to do physical inspection before shipment. yes there is additional cost but it reduce risk significantly for larger order.

dua minggu yang lalu

before placing any order with new supplier I now always ask for reference from at least two other buyer they work with. legitimate supplier who has been doing business for many years will have buyer who can vouch for them. if supplier cannot give any reference or only give contact that seem suspicious, this is warning sign. the specialty coffee community is not that large, people know each other, reputation matter.

really bad experience buying green coffee from supplier overseas, need to vent and also want to know if this happen to others

Write a Reply

Create New Post

Unsaved Writing

Member Info

Sign In to Clorofile Forum