Nice Product, Poor Packaging, Poorer Customer Service
I think Encha is a decent mid-tier brand for matcha enthusiasts, especially those who are newer to the hobby. Their ceremonial grade matcha is very good for its price point. However, their cheap, confusing packaging and unhelpful customer service prevent me from recommending this brand. Encha does not sell the majority of their matchas in tin cans. Instead, they opt for plastic, resealable bags. I’ve consistently experienced the seal detaching from the bag’s inner wall, leaving the matcha exposed to the air (which quickly degrades its quality and makes for a messy preparation experience). I initially contacted Encha about the defective bag and they issued me a 50% refund after ensuring me that the seal failure was due to user error. Since I was under the impression that the fault was mine, I later placed another order and followed a video tutorial they had sent me that showed how to properly open their matcha bags. After following this tutorial, the seal on the bag still failed, and, in fact, I realized that the bag in the video also shows the seal failing! According to the video tutorial, I opened the bag “correctly” both times. The packaging is so poorly designed that even the Encha employees themselves experience the closure failing. I emailed Encha again, pointing out the flawed packaging and misleading tutorial and requesting a refund for the product which I had now damaged after putting my trust in their company-approved tutorial. This time, the representative became very short with me, told me not to do what the person in the tutorial did, and flat-out denied my refund request. The initial disregard for my experience with the faulty packaging design, then mixed messages about the proper way to open their matcha, and outright denial of any attempt to remedy the situation have completely turned me off from ordering from Encha again. They cannot value the product they are selling if they can’t be bothered to package it well. And they cannot value their customers if they are quicker to gaslight them than listen to their concerns.
By NO