QUESTION

ANSWER

What do you sell?

We sell fresh and frozen soursop (Annona muricata) in our online shop. We also sell soursop leaves, tea, powder, juice and seeds.

Additionally, we sell a few other fruits, although if you are looking for a wider range of exotic fruit we would recommend checking out www.myexoticfruit.com

Is the fruit organic?

We source organically as much as possible. For the majority of the year, we source from St Lucia where
the fruits are organically grown. However, in order to ensure a reliable and consistent supply of fruits,
we sometimes have to work with different suppliers for a month or two each year when the fruit is out
of season in St Lucia. Some of the other suppliers we use, do not supply organic soursop.

For up to date information about the organic status of the fruit, please contact us prior to placing
your order.

Is everything we sell suitable for vegans
and vegetarians?

Everything we sell is suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Correct as of 1 March 2019. We strongly believe

in a plant-based diet being better for our health and for our planet. If you need to check the ingredients of any of our products please let us know.

The fruit is sold per kilogram, how many
fruits will I get per kilo?

Every fruit is different and size can vary throughout the seasons. For each kilogram of fruit you can expect to receive 1-3 pieces of fruit. If it's important for you to receive small or large fruits, the best thing
to do is call us and we'll update you on current fruit sizes.

How do I buy the soursop?

You can buy the soursop in our online shop. You may also place orders by email and telephone. Orders for collection must be placed by email or telephone please.

How much does the soursop cost?

All prices can be found in our online shop. Please note that they are market prices and subject to change throughout the seasons. We offer reduced rates for larger quantities.

How can I pay?

You may pay for your order by either debit/credit card or manual bank transfer. If you opt to pay by
bank transfer, please send the payment to our account as soon as possible after placing your order.

Our bank details can be found on your order confirmation which you will receive by email. Your order
will not be dispatched until we have received payment. 

If you wish to collect your order from us, you may also pay by cash.

What happens if I place an order on your
website and don't pay?

Orders aren't dispatched until payment has been received. We will keep your order live for 21 days after which point, if payment still hasn't been received, it will be cancelled and removed from our system.

ORDERS

How long will my order take to arrive?

Our aim is to dispatch orders that don't contain fresh soursop within 3 working days of payment
being received.

Fresh soursop orders will usually dispatch on the first Tuesday after you order, as long as the order is placed before 8pm on Monday.

All orders of fresh and frozen soursop are sent on a next day service with Parcelforce meaning they will arrive with you the day after they leave our warehouse. Dried goods are sent with the Royal Mail on a first class service which means they should arrive 1-2 days after dispatch.

Can I cancel my order?

Unfortunately it is not possible to cancel your order once it has been placed. This is because we source the fresh soursop after you order and if you cancel, if we dont have another buyer for your fruits, then it can lead to us making losses. We can accept cancellations for orders that contain dry goods/drinks/frozen goods only.

We can sometimes offer the option to postpone a delivery to a later date.

Can I make a pre-order?

You can order at any time and ask us to deliver in the future. We have many customers who purchase from us and then travel abroad with their goods. If you would like to do this, please order in advance so we have enough notice to ensure that your order arrives at the right time to fit in with your travel plans.

We should make it clear though that we can't give a 100% guarantee regarding the availability of fresh fruits in the future. There are multiple factors that affect the supply of fresh produce, many of which are out of our control. If you place a pre-order and then an item becomes unavailable at the time of dispatch, we will of course refund you for the missing portion of your order or offer a substitute.

How will my order be packed?

Your order will be packed in a cardboard or polystyrene box. Soft fruits will be packed individually in foam pouches or bubble wrap for protection. We fill voids in the boxes with soft packaging material to reduce the chance of damage during transit.

I have been sent the wrong fruit/product,
what can I do?

Please let us know within 24 hours of receiving your parcel and send us photographic evidence. We will either send the correct fruit/product to you or issue a refund.

DELIVERY

How will my order be delivered and where
do you deliver to?

We use Parcelforce. If your order contains fresh or frozen goods, it's sent on a next-day service, to be delivered before 17:00. It will be collected from our warehouse in Essex at around 15:30 and arrive with you the following day.

Once it has been dispatched, you will receive an email with the consignment number so you can track the order on the Parcelforce website.

https://www.parcelforce.com/track-trace  

The delivery charge is calculated by taking into account both the volumetric and static weight. This is because Parcelforce charges are dependent on the weight and size of the parcel. For example, an order of 1200 soursop tea bags would have a relatively low weight (1-2kg) but would require a large box to package the order, resulting in a higher charge to us from Parcelforce.

The delivery charges are as follows:

£3.85 – Less than 300g (Dry goods only)

£6.55 – 300g and over

£8.75 – 5kgs and over

£12.05 – 20 kgs and over

£22.05 - 40 kgs and over

£27.50 – Northern Ireland air mail

Taxi delivery – £POA 

A surcharge of £11 is applicable for the postcodes below:

AB37-38, 41-45, 51-56, FK19-21, IV1-28, 30-37, 40, 52-54, 63, KW1-3, 5-14, PA21-39, PH16-26, 30-41

A surcharge of £16.20 is applicable for the postcodes below:

HS1-9, IV41-49, 51, 55-56, KA27-28, KW15 – KW17, PA20, 40-49, 60-78, PH42-44, ZE1-3

Orders containing dried goods are usually sent with the Royal Mail on a first-class service.

What will happen if I am not at home
when the courier arrives?

Parcelforce is instructed to leave the parcel on your premises or with one your neighbours if there is no answer. If you track your parcel and it is recorded as delivered but you don’t have it, please ensure to look around your place of residence. Remember to look behind plant pots, inside wheelie bins, under bushes etc.

If the parcel is delivered to a neighbour and you're not sure which one, please call the Parcelforce depot as soon as possible on the day of delivery. You can obtain the contact details by tracking your parcel on the Parcelforce website.

If you agree, during order checkout, that your parcel can be left with a neighbour or in a safe place at your address, we cannot then be held responsible for the whereabouts of that parcel, if either have been carried out. If the parcel is left at your address or with your neighbour, and subsequently stolen, we are not obliged to provide a replacement or refund as we have delivered the goods to your confirmed place/places of delivery. It's for this reason that we strongly advise you select a delivery address at which you can ensure you, or a neighbour, are able to take the delivery. If no answer, your parcel will be returned to the depot or taken to your local post office.

If there is somewhere in particular that the parcel should be left if you are not at home when the driver arrives, please ensure you notify us.

As a last resort, if Parcelforce is unable to leave your parcel with a neighbour or on your premises,

it will be returned to the depot or taken to your local post office. It is your responsibility to either arrange re-delivery for the following day or to collect from the local depot or post office. This must be arranged on the day of delivery so Parcelforce can ensure the re-delivery is booked ready for the following morning when the driver leaves the depot. We cannot accept any claims if you don't organise re-delivery and the fruit subsequently spoils.

If you need any further assistance with delivery issues after contacting Parcelforce, please ensure you call or email us by 4:30pm latest on the day of delivery so we have sufficent time to resolve.

FRUIT

Will the soursop be fresh and arrive
in good condition?

When the soursop fruits leave our warehouse they are in perfect condition. We receive our shipment on Tuesday morning and dispatch the fruits on Tuesday and Wednesday meaning the fruits arrive with you as fresh as possible.

Occasionally, whilst in transit, an order may be dropped or knocked, causing the fruits to bruise or become damaged. If your fruit is inedible/damaged, please see below for what you should do.

How to report a problem with an item
in my order

Please email a picture of the item in question within 24 hours of receipt, to info@soursopuk.com. 

Please refer to our refunds policy below.

If a claim, with photographic evidence, for a damaged item is made by email (to info@soursopuk.com) within 24 hours of receipt we will refund or replace goods on the following basis:

If you find an item is damaged on receipt but still remains edible we will either refund you 50% of the value paid for the item or offer the affected item free of charge in your next order as a replacement.

If you find an item is significantly damaged on receipt and is no longer edible we will refund you 100% of the value paid for the item or offer the affected item free of charge in your next order as a replacement.

If damaged items are reported to us more than 24 hours after the parcel arrived with you, this means we will be unable to recoup any of our losses from our suppliers or the courier company, and as a result we cannot guarantee that we will be able to resolve the matter in your favour so please do report any problems swiftly.

Will the soursop look perfect?

In recent years, UK supermarkets have pressured farmers to send nothing but cosmetically perfect fruits and vegetables. This has lead many of us to expect our fresh produce to be blemish free.

Our organically grown soursop won't always look 'perfect'. Our suppliers are understandably against unnecessary wastage so will send us fruits which may have some cosmetic faults. For example, sometimes the fruit can be misshapen, or develop an unusual colour on the skin due to lack of/over exposure to the sun.

We would like to reassure you that these cosmetic faults will not affect the taste and nutritional qualities of the flesh inside.

How long will the fruit last?

Some fruits will require further ripening at home and may not be ready to eat for a few days. Equally some fruits will be ripe and ready to eat upon arrival. Once the soursop fruit is soft to very-soft all over, this indicates that it's ripe and ready to eat. At that stage you are able to refrigerate it for use for up to 7 days. To increase the life of the fruit, remove the skin and refrigerate just the flesh and seeds in a sealed plastic container.

Our frozen pulps usually defrost in transit (unless it's a particularly cold day). You must either refrigerate, or refreeze immediately, upon arrival. We recommend that, if refrigerated, you use the frozen soursop pulp within around 5-7 days. As the pulp is pure soursop fruit, there is little to no risk in refreezing the pulp. See the link below for information about freezing food:

www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/frozen_food.html

Can I ask a question about soursop?

We are more than happy to answer your questions.

Simply email your question to info@soursopuk.com or call us on the following number 01277 809811.