FAQ, SHIPPING, REFUND
Last Revision: March 15,2021
GENERAL FAQ
We are based in Korea!
All of the products (unless stated otherwise) on Gochujar are made in Korea and shipped out from Korea!
Currently, parcels to the US is taking on average, ~3 weeks.
This is due to the impact of COVID on international shipping.
Before the pandemic, there were daily flights from Korea to major cities in the US. Parcels are packed onto these daily flights - and shipped out from Korea quickly. It took on average, 2 weeks.
However - due to COVID - there are currently, very limited flights to the US from Korea. Less planes means less space for cargo - which translates to longer delivery time.
Currently, the expected delivery time is averaging, ~3 weeks.
Currently, we are not offering any wholesale prices.
However, we plan to offer it in the future.
The two websites are identical and offer the same products - but they service different countries.
Gochujar serves customers in the US.
(All other international customers are serviced from Gochujar Global)
If you are based in US, shop from Gochujar!
SHIPPING & TRACKING
We use Korea Postal Service as our delivery partner.
They are partnered with the United States Postal Office (USPS).
Once the order leaves Korea, Korea Postal Service hands over the parcel to USPS for final delivery to your home.
You can track your order via USPS website (here).
We offer a flat rate shipping of $5 to the US.
But if you order more than 2 items, shipping is free - no delivery fee!
We won't surprise you at checkout with exorbitant shipping fees.
(Yep, it's a pet-peeve for us too!)
We will ship your parcel out within 3 business days of your order date.
There may be instances when a product is out-of-stock. We'll contact you with the delay time.
We have shipped out your order in multiple parcels.
Please check your email for the tracking numbers (if you don't see it, check the SPAM folder - sometimes it goes there!)
International shipping gets very expensive - try mailing a textbook abroad. (You'll be shocked by the price!)
We have a deal with the Korea Post Service to get cheaper rates if we keep each parcel under 2kg.
When the order is shipped out of Korea (typically within ~3 business days of when you placed the order), you'll receive an automated email with the tracking number.
PLEASE CHECK YOUR SPAM FOLDER - as often times, the automated email gets filtered there.
Alternatively, you can login into Global Gochujar and go to My Account Page >> then click on the My Orders tab.
Visit USPS Tracking Tool (click here)
Then paste your tracking number "LK3423432432" into the box that appears on the website.
Once your parcel leaves Korea, it is handed over to United States Postal Service. USPS is responsible for updating the tracker once it enters US (not Korea Postal Service).
Sometimes, the tracker is updated quickly, sometimes later - it depends on how busy the US Customs Office and the efficiency of your local postal office.
But rest assured, seeing no updates does NOT mean your parcel is lost.
It is processing through the United States Postal Service - all the way from the Customs Office down to your city's local post office. Along this long delivery chain, the update to your tracker may come in the later stages (as opposed to each step).
An expected delivery date is typically listed on the tracker, after 2-3 weeks.
If your order hasn’t shipped out...
Log into “My Account” and update your address. Then please notify us by email - so we can ensure that your parcel leaves Korea with the updated address.
If your order has already shipped out...
We can't reroute your package – please contact your local post office. Provide them with the tracking number you received from us and ask to reroute the parcel to your new address.
If your parcel returns back to Korea (i.e. due to an invalid/typo address, multiple delivery failures), we will not re-send the parcel to you for free.
You'll need to re-pay the full re-shipping cost. Please contact us.
REFUND & EXCHANGE POLICY
If your shipment is lost-in-transit, we'll offer a full refund.
Please contact us if it exceeds 4 weeks beyond the expected arrival date.
We'll investigate on your behalf and see what's going on.
However, a refund is NOT eligible in the following cases:
-Customer is repeatedly unavailable (and parcel is returned to Korea)
-Customer refuses delivery (and parcel is returned to Korea)
-Customer fails to pick-up parcel (and parcel is returned to Korea)
-Customer inputs wrong address (and parcel is returned to Korea)
-Customer refuses to pay VAT, customs fee or other fees (and parcel returns to Korea)
-Parcel is opened by Customs Office and customer claims as 'damaged'
If your product arrived "damaged" - we can offer you a refund.
More details on this in the next section.
We do a thorough inspection of all our products. And we would never intentionally send you a damaged product.
But we do recognize that items can get damaged during the shipping process.
If your item is damaged upon arrival, please contact us within 14 days of your package arrival date. Please include the following information:
- Photos and/or video of the damaged product
We will submit a claim to the Korea Post Office, along with an official damage report. Then, if we (Gochujar) can reasonably conclude that the product was damaged during the shipping process, we'll ask you to send the item back to Korea.
After receiving the damaged product, we will issue a full refund or send a replacement item (that's up to you).
However, we will not issue a refund or send a replacement if...
- 7 days has passed since successful delivery date (as noted on parcel tracker)
- There is no images or video proof of the damaged product
- After assessment, the product isn't deemed to be damaged or defective from the shipping process or from manufacturer
- Customs Office have opened the parcel or item for inspection
- The product has been used or opened
Note: There have also been a few instances where the contents of vacuum-sealed products (i.e. gochujang, doenjang, extracts) have slightly leaked-out the sealed lid.
This is caused by the difference in air pressure from the international flight. We do not consider this as a "damaged" item.
It does not qualify for exchange or refund.
We do not offer refunds for products that are seized, refused entry and/or returned to Korea by your country's custom office.
We deliver to 185 countries, which means 185 different set of Customs regulations! We can't keep up with the nuances of each country's customs rules.
Please double check if a particular product can be imported into your country - as well as any VAT or related fees!
No - we do not issue refunds for personal preferences.
We do not issue refunds for delays in shipping time.
The expected shipping times are provided by Korea's Post Office and the majority of shipments are delivered on time.
Note: The delivery time depends heavily on the processing speed of US Customs office and the efficiency of your local post office.
Neither Korea Post nor Gochujar can negotiate with the US Customs office or local post office for faster delivery.
We try our best to make sure that there are no additional fees - and typically there are none.
We pay close attention to the way we package your products AND how customs forms are marked.
However, we can not offer a guarantee.
If for some reason, there are additional taxes or any other associated fees regarding your order - that is on you. It is your responsibility to check whether or not duties and taxes may be levied.
We reserve the right to refuse customers who attempt to 'game' or take advantage of our policies.
Customers who make repeat claims of damaged products, delivery failures or attempt chargebacks/fraud are flagged in our CMS for future reference.
We reserve the right to refuse bad customers.
ORDER CANCELLATION / REVISION
Yes, you can cancel and receive a full refund if you order has not shipped out of Korea.
To cancel an order, first log into your account and visit "Order Status". If it hasn't shipped, contact us immediately and ask us to cancel the order.
However, if your order has already shipped out, you can not cancel.
Yes, we'll try our best to accommodate any changes to your order.
If you contact us within 24 hours of your order, we can most likely make the changes.
However, if the order has shipped, we can not accept any changes.
PAYMENT ISSUES
Yes we take both.
For either option, start by clicking the PayPal button.
You can pay with your credit card - even if you don't sign up for a PayPal account.
Yes it is.
All credit cards are processed via PayPal - which means we don’t receive or store any of your credit card information on our servers.
CONTACT US
Please contact us via email. We'll try to get back to you within 24 hours!
Autumn Shot of Bukhansan National Park :-)
