Teavana

I love tea and I’m just getting introduced to loose leaf, so I was pretty excited to check out everything in the store. But I’ll never shop at Teavana again.
The salesman was nice enough, but he was hiding the fact I had to pay for the generic tin (never did find out if I was allowed to bring my own, because he got snippy and told me if I didn’t use theirs, all of the tea would go bad in 3 days. Wow.)
Their prices are extremely elusive, and I had no idea they charged by the 2-​ounce increment because the guy kept pushing «pound» this, «pound» that, so I was convinced things were per pound. After my purchase, I ended up looking at my receipt and going back in the store to return it, because I thought I was paying $ 7, when I was reading the register and the receipt, trying to figure it out. I’m not going to pay over $ 40 for a handful of tea leaves. (Ended up actually being like $ 7 with a quantity of 4, with that weird system, plus a charge for the take-​home container.)
The salesman’s nice demeanor was instantly gone when I asked for the return, and what shocked me is that he took my canister of tea and, still standing at the register, turned and chucked it through the air and it clanged with a loud bang right into the garbage can. Right in front of me, during our transaction. I’ve never been so shocked to see something I paid so much money for – something he’d sold to me by describing it as a delicate flower – just slam-​dunked into the trash. Seeing something so simultaneously expensive and worthless is too much for me, and if this is the message the company is going to send across, I’m out. I don’t think companies with messages of wellness like Teavana should be pushing their salesmen with commissions that turn service into dishonest tactics.

I’m just not feeling it. I’ve been in the store, been attended to by the over enthusiastic sales people and tried samples. Nothing ever struck my fancy, and then… I was on the receiving end of a well-​intentioned teavana tea of the month club. Various sampler packs would come every month and I dutifully worked them into my tea routine to no avail.
Towards, the end I felt like an ungrateful Marie from everyone loves Raymond (when will it stop???). The tea wasn’t bad, but nothing was good either. I have always been left unenthused.

LOVE IT!!! Started with Stash tea from the grocery store and happened on Teavana at Park Place mall. What a pleasent experience and I go out of my way to pick up refills. Love the tea mugs and tin tins. I will be sending tea as gifts this Christmas to spread the joy!

In general… I like Teavana teas. They introduced me into the world of loose leaf teas that I never knew about and OMG isn’t it wonderful!!! Now at work, in the community fridge are all of my teas making it look like a drug pusher gone mad or a druggie overly consumed with their herbal products.
A little bit about me. I came down with a gluten sensitivity issue unexpectedly later on in life and so I was constantly popping gluten pills and kombucha… anything to help me with digestion. Their teas, hands down, are better than gluten pills. I love their oolongs and roobios and they have some of the best black teas out there for that caffeine energy fix you need. I swear they have some solid medicinal purposes.
I’ve only had like 2 teas I couldn’t stand the taste of. I think they even allow for you to return some teas if you don’t like them (their policy might have changed since they’ve been open for a while). So far I’ve bought more than a variety of 10 types of teas from them.
I’ve had friends tell me there are better tea sellers out there that are cheaper than Teavana. I’ve been to an Asian tea house here in Tucson and didn’t find their tea any better than Teavana… and as expensive. Recently I was introduced to Maya tea line, a local line, and I wasn’t as impressed with their teas either.
So if you want to rate the tea… I say 5 stars…
But just like everyone else… the workers are UGH…
In particular there is this middle age woman, who is short, and seems crazy that works there. She even got in an argument with me about the tins. I store my teas in small mason jars that are not only pretty, but way cheaper and equally or more reliable than the tins they sell. She told me not to use it, I said its as effective as your tins, I just have to make sure they stay out of direct light and heat/​cold. She claims that the mason jars bleed artifacts into the flavor of the teas… yeah maybe so if they’re made out of lead and mercury … but I don’t think that’s the case because people have been canning things in mason jars and storing them forever that way. But I didn’t tell her that… she just got into this major tandrum with me. But now she stops forcing the tins on me but lies to new customers of how I always buy the tins cause I know their influence in making the teas taste good (woman is Cray Cray!).
Then there’s this young boy who will never stop at 2oz. He will put like 9 oz in the bag to start out with and then slowly remove the extra. I told him 2oz isn’t that big. Then he’ll stop at 4oz and ask me if this is okay. I told him no… 2oz. So then he’ll stop at 3oz.. then at 2.5oz… and I just stare at him and say … once more… 2oz.
No, I’m not fond of their Jedi mind tricks… hence why I stopped going there for about a year. I already had enough variety of their teas. But I was there last week because I ran out of two of my favorite teas and the atmosphere has changed completely. First of all, CrayCray wasn’t there and the people weren’t pushy… but you do get a feel they spend more time in the back brewing themselves tea … which I don’t have a problem with because I do need someone who has tasted more than 50% of their teas to advise me what to and not to buy based on my particular tastes.
So I give them 3.5−4 stars if all of the Teavana stores have made such changes.
I look forward to visiting Tea and More and see if they can go head-​to-​head with the deliciousness of Teavana teas.

You are walking around the mall, quenched from desert heat, and here is a store filled with six samples of the most delicious hot and cold teas and herbal infusions you have ever had the pleasure of tasting. I was on a tea high, I was tea drunk, I lost my mind. I was not in nirvana, «A transcendent state in which there is neither suffering, desire, nor sense of self, and the subject is released from the effects of karma and samsara. It represents the final goal of Buddhism» as I was filled with desire to possess each and every tea this joint had to offer as well as their tea infusion picture and the tea tumblers. The sales people had me hook, line and sinker…
They are excellent at their sales, however, I do not like that they would not leave you be in the store… they were on you, on like donkey kong, ants to honey. I also find the price high-​but it didn’t stop me… oh no.
I quickly wrapped up 2 tins filled with Citrus lavender sage and opus rouge (it’s great blended together), each tin was about 6 – 7 dollars. It keeps the tea god for a year. They print off the steeping instructions for each one and the blend. The more you buy, the better your discount. If you purchase a pound, you get 10 percent off, purchase more you get 15, 20, 25 percent off. FYI, it takes about 1.5 teaspoons per 8 oz, and about half a cup of tea for a 64 oz. pitcher. AND the tea runs about 10 dollars per 2 oz.
However, when they open the gigantic tins, they fan and waft the aroma towards you, and you loose your sh*t…at least I did. Because then I added on the exotic iced tea blends kit complete with the German rock sugar, Pineapple Kona Pop, Raspberry Riot, Blueberry Bliss, Strawberry Lemonade, Peach Bloom, and Rooibos Tropica and 6 delightful colored tins… all in a stunning box. FYI– pineapple kona pop (insanely cool name-​just say it) mixed with blueberry bliss is a win!
Then to top it all off I got the plastic blue infusion pitcher… which since 10 pm last night I have already made two pitchers of bliss.
They have creative names that suck you in like youthberry which may promote healthy skin, and they have a weight to go pu-​erh tea, which may promote weightloss… now who doesn’t want a slim physique and glowing complexion… crafty, very crafty Teavana…
Well, I may go broke but I have 8 new Teavana tins that I need to keep filled.
Seriously, I did not even go to the mall with tea on my radar, yet somehow I left with close to 200 bucks in tea… I didn’t even know that was possible.
Oh and I had no clue you can purchase the tea prepared for you… that is a great way to try out new flavors and get refreshed. Buyer we ware!

I found Teavana in Vegas and enjoyed it sooo much. I spent too much money and had a wonderful relaxing experience. I smelled all the teas, the wafting tin lid. YEAH! Every visit to Vegas was a trip to Teavana. When I found out Teavana was coming to Tucson — I felt Joy. After a few visits in this store I was sooo depressed. The staff was soooo different here. They are pushy, always trying to upsell, always over measuring my tea and then asking me if it was ok. They so want to PUSH that extra .002 ounces out the door. I even asked a clerk nicely to stop but it never did. I told her I had tins at home but she still asked me again. Sell Sell Sell — That is the game here. You cannot window shop. Soon my visits to Teavana became a personal horror. They took my tea nirvana and turned it into an ugly sell-​a-​thon. A used car lot of pushy tea salespeople saying «Would you like a cast iron pot to go with that.» Then I found Seven Cups and my joy for tea came back. It was relaxing and fun again to drink and buy tea. They do not have the flavors but the tea itself is richer and more flavorful plus they help you and not shove things down your throat like Teavana. I still buy a few teas from Teavana, like my beloved Snow Geisha. I use them for iced tea and I always purchase online so I do not have to go into this store anymore.

yes their products are nice but the slaes people need to chill out!!! they are WAY TOO agressive to the point that it is uncomfortable!!! I just want to browse! I do not want too feel forced to buy your products

I have to agree with all of the previous reviews on the sales clerks. This place has great tea and cool tea pots, but it’s not worth putting up with an arrogant sales pitch. I came here with my mom so she could get a gift for someone. After sometime, she finally settled on a tea and the games began. The sales clerk gave the full speech about having to buy the over-​priced tins, how they sell it by the 2oz but it will go stale immediately, etc. This speech was made unbearable by the over-​controlling clerk with a stutter. It took us 20 minutes to finally get a receipt and walk out from the point that we initiated the sale. Online, definitely shop online…

I wish I could give this place 0 stars. If you know what is good for you, don’t ever set foot in this store. I feel completely taken advantage of. I wanted to look at tea pots, but ended up leaving with something I didn’t even want. The sales woman was worse than a used car salesman! Extremely pushy, albeit friendly, but so pushy! I asked many questions but didn’t get any answers. After a free sample that I said enjoyed (big mistake), suddenly, she was filling a massive tin to the brim with $ 10/​2oz tea. I told her multiple times that not only was I on a budget, but I only wanted enough for a few cups of tea. Then, while still shoveling it in, she told me they don’t bag their teas, I have to buy an air tight tin-​but it’s reusable! Uh… no thanks. I will NEVER be back. I finally told her «less, less, less…», and she got the hint. I spent almost $ 40 on enough tea for less than ten servings. What a rip off!

I need to write a separate review for this Teavana as the sales people here really put a awful taste in my mouth. La Encantada’s Teavana staff while pushy are at least helpful and customer oriented. Park Places staff were condescending, rude, and bad enough that I walked out the store and promptly went home and ordered online.
So earlier that week I purchased a holiday gift set at the La Encantada location that really introduced me to Teavana and really sparked my interest in their product.
I decided my to go thermos infusers werent enough and I wanted a teapot. Seeing as their after Xmas sale was going and I live down the road from Park Place I said why not and gave it a go. Not only was the staff unresponsive (while being pushy) when I asked to purchase a teapot they said they would «bag it up» for me. I inquired if they would be putting this porcelain teapot in a box along with its cups to which they replied they would not.
So while I can buy this very teapot on your website for the same price and get a box and proper packaging in the store you are going to throw a porcelain teapot in the bag?
It’s bad enough that as a company you shove your product down peoples throats and apply subtle but constant pressure throughout the sales process but to do that in addition to being condescending, unhelpful, and rude is a sin.
Sadly to my knowledge they are the only place that has the selection of unique loose leaf tea you can go in a store and get so I will continue to buy from them. Begrudgingly of course… Here is a hint you have a great product now invest in customer service and take yourself to the next level.

Everyone I have met at Tevana in the Park Place Mall has been wonderful. Matt, who helped me while I was choosing a teapot. Allie, who assisted me over the phone when I had questions about an exchange and immediately understood my problem. And Kathy, who continued to help me with the exchange — even emailing me from her home and giving me her home phone number!
Okay, so you can tell I’m very happy about the very helpful and friendly employees — and the tea is great, too! I think my favorite right now is the Samurai Chai Mati. I haven’t tried them all, so there may be a new favorite in the future. :)
P. S. My teapot is awesome!