Happy Herbalist’s earns a 3.4-star rating from 5 reviews, showing that the majority of health-conscious consumers are somewhat satisfied with wellness products.
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Kefir Live Grains Never Materialized from Happy Herbalist!
I ordered organic Kefir Grains from Happy Herbalist (as per advice from DR Berg) to make my own Kefir Grains and paid a hefty price for an extremely small package (about a tsp) which looked like runny milk when I got it and did not look like kefir grains. I followed the instructions and waited for a while before I used it to put into jar of milk to make more. However no change in the milk occurred and no grains developed.
I send a video to Ed (the owner) asking for a refund or new package with grains because the original package never became grains. He refused to do either and instead blamed it on the quality of the milk I used and kept telling me to try again even though I have no kefir grains to speak of.
Extremely bad customer service, especially when I paid over $36 that literally has gone down the drain. I would NEVER recommend this vendor
Desired outcome: Refund or new package of Kefir Grains
Kefir milk product
It took 6 weeks to fill the order; by that time, it was over 115f in Arizona.
my product was measured at 108f
it's a milk product, no matter what nonsense he spewed, it's a milk product at 108f for 6 days. Sent the cheapest way you can ship anything.
his answer was to try it and if I die or get sick he would refund it, but then the only way I could get my refund was to return the UNOPENED product at my expense, oh and I have many emails where it says refund "no questions asked" or how about "will refund and you can keep the product"
in the end, I had to return the UNOPENED package at my expense before he refunded anything, of course, the shipping was my problem, not his!
complete scammer selling a food product across state lines with zero precautions as required by federal and state laws.
reporting to the Arizona Attorney General as well as the USDA and the FDA.
tried to work with him and each email contradicted the last. Zero customer support just wants to sell as much as he can and cares zero about the customer
Please do not buy from this family business, Happy Herbalist is not very reliable. Takes your money and sends you defective product. Will not return calls are emails just keeps your money, I think that might be call ILLEGAL.
TErrible product! Refuse to communicate
I've placed a large order for two kombucha kits, a set of 4 one gallon glass jars, and a heating pad. The PACKING and special SHIPPING charges were $40 ( !), for "special protection". Expensive, but, if it is to protect the glass and kombucha, it made sense.
I have received NO communication as to shipment of my order, and 10 days later my husband called to find out as to status of the order, as well as sent several emails. We have received NO communication. We continued to call all numbers listed over the next several days with zero communication back, although the voicemail seemed to belong to the right person.
About 5 days after the initial call, I finally received my shipment ( still no communication). I was shocked by the packaging - ALL that there was of the "special" packaging is a box inside of the box to "protect" the glass jars. Needless to say that - one - the protection was zero to none, and one of the jars was sure to have a crack, and - two - it was NOT worth $40 ! Neither was the shipment charge - it was shipped the cheapest /slowest way possible.
All that I received from "kits", were two VERY flimsy and UNhealthy looking mushrooms. I have been brewing kombucha for the last 5 years, and ordered from happyherbalist.com before. I KNOW what their starters are supposed to be like, and these two were NOTHING of the sort. Happy herbalist.com has a picture of what the mushrooms are "not supposed to look like", and THAT is what I received. ALSO, there was NO kit - all I got, was a sample size of the tea and a mushroom as opposed to the kit: sugar, tea, already brewed kombucha liquid, and HEALTHY mushroom itself, a book . As I said - I've ordered before, and ALSO that is what they advertise as a kit on their site. i also received only ONE book as opposed to TWO ( as I had TWO kits). I feel completely taken advantage of.
As if all above mentioned is not enough, when it came to kombucha brewing, the mushrooms, indeed, ended up being unhealthy - one created mold on the 5th day of brewing, and the other - overgrowth of yeast, severe enough to not be used. Add to that a broken jar and expensive shipping, and at least $90 have been stolen from me. We have tried and tried contacting the happy herbalist, but absolutely worthless - he NEVER returned a single call or email. I am going forward with reporting him everywhere i can. This should NOT happen to anyone.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
I recently ordered a kombucha starter kit and a 10 liter jar with spigot. Do NOT order this jar. As soon as I attached the spigot, the jar proceeded to crack in multiple stops. I spent $50 on this jar thinking that it was going to be perfect. Now I am out of my $50 because the Happy Herbalist will not issue a refund OR replace the jar. They were willing to offer me half off of the purchase of another jar. Yeah right. Thanks for the great service! It was $20 to ship the stupid thing (making the total $70!) and I would not want to pay that again and possibly get another faulty jar.
Don't waste your money supporting a business that steals your money and makes it sound as if they are doing nothing wrong. Do yourself a favor and order off of Amazon. At least they have return policies.
Is Happy Herbalist Legit?
Happy Herbalist earns a trustworthiness rating of 100%
Highly recommended, but caution will not hurt.
We found clear and detailed contact information for Happy Herbalist. The company provides a physical address, 2 phone numbers, and email, as well as 2 social media accounts. This demonstrates a commitment to customer service and transparency, which is a positive sign for building trust with customers.
Happy Herbalist has claimed the domain name for happyherbalist.com for a long time, which suggests that the website is established and has a history of being in operation. This is a positive sign, as it indicates that the website has been around for a while and may have a reputation to maintain.
Happyherbalist.com has a valid SSL certificate, which indicates that the website is secure and trustworthy. Look for the padlock icon in the browser and the "https" prefix in the URL to confirm that the website is using SSL.
Happyherbalist.com has been deemed safe to visit, as it is protected by a cloud-based cybersecurity solution that uses the Domain Name System (DNS) to help protect networks from online threats.
Happy Herbalist as a website that uses an external review system. While this can provide valuable feedback and insights, it's important to carefully evaluate the source of the reviews and take them with a grain of salt.
This website offers payment methods that provide the option for customers to get their money back, which could be a positive indicator of the company's commitment to customer satisfaction.
Happyherbalist.com appears to have online shopping features, it's important to know that the platform supports an extensive range of payment methods, making it convenient and easy to complete your transaction. The payment procedure on the website is also relatively simple and straightforward, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free experience for buyers.
Happyherbalist.com regularly updates its policies to reflect changes in laws, regulations. These policies are easy to find and understand, and they are written in plain language that is accessible to all customers. This helps customers understand what they are agreeing to and what to expect from Happy Herbalist.
However ComplaintsBoard has detected that:
- A user on Complaintsboards.com notes that they were interested in purchasing a product from Happy Herbalist, but after conducting a search on multiple review sites, they were unable to find any reviews or feedback. The user advises others to be wary of the company's lack of online presence and to consider alternative options.
- The website belonging to Happy Herbalist has a low number of visitors, which could be a red flag for users. However, it's important to conduct additional research to fully evaluate the website's legitimacy and trustworthiness.
- Happy Herbalist has been identified as a website that sells popular products that scammers often use to take advantage of unsuspecting customers. We recommend exercising caution and thoroughly researching the legitimacy of the website before making a purchase.
- We found that Happy Herbalist website supports payment methods that allow for anonymous transactions. This could potentially be used for illegal activities, such as money laundering, and could indicate that the website is engaging in unethical practices.
...where the customer comes last
Rarely have I ever encountered such poor customer service and rudeness. What makes it so surprising is that it is coming directly from the owner of a business who is supposedly here to help people (alternative health care and products).
I placed a fairly large order near the end of 2007 in order to begin brewing kombucha. One of those items was a 2.5 gallon glass beverage dispenser. Within a short amount of time, I noticed some hairline cracks developing near the spigot. They developed slowly, so it was hard to notice their progress. But in early April, I had to empty and clean out the glass and then noticed the extent of the cracking. So I contacted the owner, Ed.
Ed had answered some questions for me over the preceding months, always in an unemotional, detached way, and I just chalked it up to that being his personality. He responded in the same way this time, in addition to taking no responsibility for the product quality and, in fact, pushed everything back on me to remedy the situation. He suggested I use bigger washers around the spigot to cover the cracks, to buy special glue to repair it, and made it sound as if I had done something wrong to make these cracks.
At this point, I had no confidence that this glass would hold the kombucha, as the cracks continued growing. And it was obvious Ed had no intention of standing behind his product and replacing it for me. So I asked if he would at least SELL me a replacement glass at a discount. He agreed to this. However, it took three more weeks before I got the replacement because he forgot to send it. When I e-mailed to inquire as to where it was, I got no reply, but the package showed up a few days later. This kind of communication sends a message to customers loud and clear that you just don't care whether they're customers or not.
Anyway, when the replacement glass showed up and I took it out of the box, it had a crack in it. I immediately e-mailed Ed with pictures and then he started to show his true colors. This was his e-mail reply:
"Those are bubbles in the glass and not "cracks". We have used units "worse" that that for years with no problems.
This was a replacement sent to you for your original purchase made in Dec 07. We can not do better that that.
If you want to return it we will refund your money."
That was on May 16. I e-mailed him back the same day saying that I know what a bubble vs. a crack looks like and this is a crack. I just wanted what I paid for and didn't feel I should have to pay to ship it back. As it was, I was already out the full amount for the original glass (which I felt should have been replaced for free), plus the replacement glass. Now I had to pay for shipping back?
Well, I didn't hear back from him. So by May 22, I e-mailed again. Still no reply. I e-mailed again on the 27th. In the mean time, I took the glass to a local brewing supply store to get their opinion and they said it's definitely a crack and that the original problem I was having with my first glass was probably due to drilling too quickly to make a spigot hole.
So at this point, with two defective glass containers, an unresponsive seller, and someone who is blaming me and putting all the responsibility back on me, I decided I no longer even wanted another replacement from this guy, but I still didn't think it was my responsibility to send it back on my dime. This isn't eBay, it's a real retailer.
Finally on May 28, he wrote back:
"if you believe that the crack may have been caused in shipment then go ahead and notify UPS for their determination (its insured) If you like we will contact them. If you believe it is a manufacture defect, then return it to us and upon their determination a refund will be given. If you are simply not satisfied with the product and wish to return it you may do so and refund will be issued to you once we get the product back. it is your responsibility to return the item to us. "
So you see, he is again putting everything back on me. Why should I have to contact UPS? How would i know if the crack happened in shipping or is a manufacturer's defect? And even if it was a defect, why should I have to pay for shipping back? Either way the crack happened, it wasn't my fault, but he consistently tried to put everything back on me.
Given his unresponsiveness, I decided to just go ahead and contact UPS myself. But I soon found out it would take me a significant amount of time to make a claim, plus they recommended that the shipper do all that. So I wrote back to Ed telling him that I wasn't able to do it on my end and that he should.
Two weeks later, the package was still just sitting by my door, waiting for UPS because he had never followed up and contacted them. So I ended up doing that myself after all. I don't know how they go about refunding my money, but I'm not leaving it up to Ed and am contacting my credit card company.
It's pretty much been a terrible experience working with this guy. The only reason I did was because he had the only 2.5 gallon glass kombucha bottle with a spigot out there. But recently, I've found one at target.com and it's way better made than the junk Ed sells. Plus, I can guarantee Target's customer service will be better. For that matter, just about anyone's would.
There are other kombucha suppliers online. Go with them and stay way clear of HappyHerbalist (which, based on his demeanor and service, is the biggest joke of a name out there)
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
I would avoid this company at all costs. I received what I believe is a "bad SCOBY" for kombucha. I have emailed and called the company, no reply after 2 weeks. Within the same order, I had also ordered kefir. They sent reading materials - each pamphlet/booklet contradicted the other. Disorganized, unresponsive and potentially poor quality items. Should have bought local but I learned my lesson! No more happy herbalist for me.
Out of the four orders I placed with Ed, only one was complete. Two orders had items left out, a third never arrived. Communication ceased once I requested a refund for missing items. I got my money back only because I filed complaints through paypal. Paypal was great to make sure this was rectified, highly recommend purchases made through them whenever possible.
It really just sounds like you are trying to give Ed a hard time. Sounds like he was just trying to help. He's nothing but kind and you really just sound lazy for not wanting to do anything yourself.
I also ordered a 2.5 gallon glass beverage dispenser and it arrived a few days later. I love his booklet that comes with every (I think) purchase because it explains a lot and has really helped me. I am a person who asks a ton of questions and Ed was patient enough to spend almost 2 hours on the phone answering my husband and I's questions. The glass dispenser came perfectly, no cracks. It worked perfectly. You need to think about how Ed was telling you things to do with the dispenser because it was "your fault" but helping you to fix it IF you thought it could leak or something.
Ed is a great guy! I have ordered kombucha and many things from him over the years and have even recommend him to my friends. He may have been that way in the past but not anymore. He is kind and is very helpful. I think you should look at it from his perspective. His products are great and my friends think so, too. I have been ordering from him for quite a while now.
anytime a customer is not satisfied with a product it should be rectified immediately.
hello everyone, i did not plan to buy from ed at this point but i was interested in doing the fat-burning diet. has anyone any input for me on that? any suggestions
Hi; I Have ordered from Ed, mushrooms, water distiller (over 10 years ago, and just now reordering a new one from him . I've been on a group with Ed for making Kombucha years ago . My scoby's have been great and I just have a new one that made a great tea . Ed offered to give your money back, but you just wanted to give him a hard time . rosebud01922
The tone and manner of one's attitude can come across through written words and since it is usually not a viable solution for individuals to make international calls to the buyer, they rely on the written word and therefore it must be made with effort and sincerity regardless if the product is FDA approved or not, the whole point of this complaint is mostly the lack of customer service from Happy Herbalist.
I have brought a scopy from both Happy Herbalist and others - they have always come in plastic packaged with tea and double baged. His arrived no different than that from others.
Worst customer service ever!
Based on my experience with Ed Kasper's form of customer service, I can no longer spend my money at HappyHerbalist. Also, I can no longer recommend HappyHerbalist to any one else.
Here is the reason why:
I received an order from HappyHerbalist. The order was large so it was shipped in two boxes. The larger box made it to me without incident. However, the second box did not. The San Jose, CA USPS (post office) stamped the box "Received in Damaged Condition". The post office had to repackage the box in order to send it to me. Apparently, the cap on one the plastic bottles broke. The package contained Kombucha tea and the bottles were not separately wrapped in plastic. There was kombucha tea all over the other products and I had to wipe them down. The stench was unbearable. Fortunately, none of the other products in the box were affected.
My issue with Ed Kasper of HappyHerbalist is how he handled my complaint regarding the second box.
I went to the HappyHerbalist web-site and informed them of the broken bottle and the mess. I asked if they were going to replace the broken bottle.
Further below is the e-mail trail. I sensed some animosity with the first reply I received from Ed Kasper so I expressed my frustration back to him. The final e-mail I received from Ed Kasper demonstrated a gross lack of professionalism which is not to be expected from a customer service perspective.
Ed Kasper never acknowledged my question concerning possible replacement of the broken bottle.
"It is the highest form of self-respect to admit our errors and mistakes and make amends for them. To make a mistake is only an error in judgment, but to adhere to it when it is discovered shows infirmity of character."
Dale E. Turner
RE: Order Inquiry Email For Order: "From: Happy Herbalist (eddy AT happyherbalist.com)
Sent: Thu 5/15/08 7:19 PM
Reply-to: eddy AT happyherbalist.com
To:"
THEN COMPLAIN TO THE POST OFFICE WHO YOU SAID REPACKAGED THE ORDER.
YOU SHOULD HAVE REFUSED the package as it was damaged!
DO NOT ACCEPT A PACKAGE THAT HAS BEEN DAMAGED — DUH.
WE SHIPPED WITH INSURANCE to insure that your packaged is delivered in a good condition or the insurance compensates us and we re-ship.
And NO, I do not expect you to have to clean up any mess, but jeeze do not accept a damaged package and then blame me - that is not how we shipped it!
Peace
Ed Kasper LAc. & family
www.HappyHerbalist.com
417 Laurent St
Santa Cruz, CA [protected]
toll free [protected]
local [protected]
e-mail: eddy AT HappyHerbalist.com — Original Message — From: "Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2008 2:16 AM
To: eddy AT happyherbalist.com
Subject: RE: Order Inquiry Email For Order:"
NO YOU DID NOT!
NONE of the plastic bottles were separately wrapped to protect against leakage.
I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU PAID FOR POSTAGE! I CLEANED UP THE MESS! — From: eddy AT happyherbalist.com
To: "CC: eddy AT HappyHerbalist.com
Subject: RE: Order Inquiry Email For Order:"
Date: Wed, 14 May 2008 10:57:01 -0700
WE are sorry for your experience.
I do not believe we shipped in the shoe box but a larger box. actual weight was 14 pounds. WE paid $29.85 for the postage you were charged only $12.55
It appears the post office damaged the package and attempted to pass it on to you. WE also paid for private insurance at our cost and if the post office had reported it as damaged then the insurance would have replaced it.
WE do wrap the bottles in a separate plastic bag to catch any such discharge from damaging other products.
We have contacted the private insurer and will let you know what their answer ASAP.
Item: "Print Date & Time: 05/06/2008 1:58 PM
Ship Date: 05/06/2008
Account:"
Device ID: "Type: Stamp
Postage Amount: $ 29.85
Address:"
Phone: "E-Mail:"
Piece Count: "Postage Class: Priority Mail
Weight: 14 lbs
Declared Value: $ 218.00
Optional Services: Endicia Insured
Delivery Confirm:"
Description: HappyHerbalist Tea and Glass Jars
Customs Decl. No.: "Peace
Ed Kasper LAc. & family
www.HappyHerbalist.com
417 Laurent St
Santa Cruz, CA [protected]
toll free [protected]
local [protected]
e-mail: eddy AT HappyHerbalist.com — Original Message — From:"
Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2008 7:10 AM
To: eddy AT happyherbalist.com
Subject: Order Inquiry Email For Order: "" is inquiring about their order. Their text is below.
The lid on one of the kombucha bottles broke. Are you going to send a replacement? The San Jose, CA USPS processing plant had to re-pack my order because the original shipping box was soaking wet. The box the San Jose office repacked my order in was stamped 02 May 08 as received in damaged condition. I am currently wiping down the other products and the smell is atrocious. The shoe-box sized box my order was originally packed in was way too small. Also, none of the kombucha bottles were individually bubble wrapped to protect them. I hope next time my order is packed better. I don't want to go through this mess again.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
We were excited to receive a Kombucha Kit and it arrived broken 😞. Obviously this can happen. We are frustrated about the total lack of response to ship a replacement. It’s has been weeks and multiple attempts to contact
I also purchased the small package of grains, tried to use them and even called customer service for advice and was told to continue to try them out as I had a 30 day guarantee. I hated the taste, the mess and even sent a photo. I also purchased because of a video by Dr. Berg. I called and sent a message to the company that because the product was so wet, I couldn’t return it. They stopped communicating, so I stopped payment with an explanation and they reversed the charge. Their products are expensive and as I read other complaints, I agree they have terrible customer service and they obviously are just out to make a buck with no care for their customers!
May I add I probably have never given a business a bad review but do this gladly!
Charlotte
Website explicitly states ANY milk can be used, and then hidden at the bottom, they have conflicting information stating avoid such and such. Which is it? Can I use ANY milk or not? Looking at their website filled with misinformation, you'd never know! Total scam. Shame on Dr Berg.
I also had a similar customer service experience with eddy@happyherbalist.com. I won't shop there any more.
Happy Herbalist Reviews 0
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Overview of Happy Herbalist complaint handling
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Happy Herbalist Contacts
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Happy Herbalist phone numbers+1 (888) 425-8827+1 (888) 425-8827Click up if you have successfully reached Happy Herbalist by calling +1 (888) 425-8827 phone number 0 0 users reported that they have successfully reached Happy Herbalist by calling +1 (888) 425-8827 phone number Click down if you have unsuccessfully reached Happy Herbalist by calling +1 (888) 425-8827 phone number 0 0 users reported that they have UNsuccessfully reached Happy Herbalist by calling +1 (888) 425-8827 phone number+1 (919) 518-3336+1 (919) 518-3336Click up if you have successfully reached Happy Herbalist by calling +1 (919) 518-3336 phone number 0 0 users reported that they have successfully reached Happy Herbalist by calling +1 (919) 518-3336 phone number Click down if you have unsuccessfully reached Happy Herbalist by calling +1 (919) 518-3336 phone number 0 0 users reported that they have UNsuccessfully reached Happy Herbalist by calling +1 (919) 518-3336 phone number
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Happy Herbalist emailshappyherbalist@me.com100%Confidence score: 100%Supporteddy@happyherbalist.com99%Confidence score: 99%
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Happy Herbalist address516 Alliance Circle, Cary, North Carolina, 27519, United States
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Happy Herbalist social media
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Checked and verified by Olivia This contact information is personally checked and verified by the ComplaintsBoard representative. Learn moreMay 24, 2024
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