Q: Does The Taste of Germany have any physical retail stores?
A: No. We only operate online, due to the large and ever changing assortment. If you live in the Greater Washington DC area, you have the option to pick up your order at our warehouse in Rockville, MD and save the shipping costs.
Q: Do you require a minimum spending amount for my order:
A: No. However, ordering online only makes economic sense, if the purchase value exceeds $45.00. As a small business, we cannot afford to offer free shipping the way very large retailers do.
Q: Do you offer and ship perishable products year round?
A: Yes. Perishable products include sausages, cold cuts, cheese, herring, pretzels and strudel cakes. During warm Spring and Summer months (May - October) we use thermal insulation and ice packs to keep the products cool as long as possible and label the shipping box accordingly. In most cases, based on many years of experience, the products will arrive just fine at the destination within Two Day or Next Day shipping time. Please read our Shipping Perishable Products page online.
Q: Do you mail out printed catalogs
A: No. We do not produce or print catalogs, because our product selection and availability varies week by week. Browse each category of our website to discover all of the 2,500+ products that we offer.
Q: Do you ship to Canada, Hawaii, Puerto Rico or US Pacific territories?
A: Yes. Please consult our Fulfillment Policy page. Please call to place an order. Due to the perishable and fragile nature of packaged food, we do not ship to any other places around the world. And many perishable products can not be shipped outside the continental 48 US states.
Q: What if my order gets damaged or lost during transport or expedited orders arriving too late ?
A: Please consult our Fulfillment Policy page. We pack all orders with the utmost care and you can choose the best and most cost effective shipping rate during checkout depending on the destination. However, we cannot control the handling of the package during transport. That's why we offer the transport insurance Route, which will replace your purchase or give you a refund in the rare case that packages are getting lost or destroyed during transport. We strongly recommend that you do not opt out of the insurance, as we do not provide refunds for lost or damaged orders without insurance.
Q: How do I access my account and check the status of my order?
A: To check the current status, create an account before the purchase, login and click the order number. If you never created an account, use the password recovery option to create and access your account. Your orders are associated with your email address, so use the email address your order confirmation was sent to.
Q: How can I update my shipping address?
A: The best way to change the address of your order is by contacting us with your order number, full name and address correction. We will then change the Ship-To address and send you an updated order confirmation.
Q: May I ship multiple packages to multiple addresses?
A: Yes, Upon checkout, you will be able to choose multiple destinations and go from there. You will be charged standard shipping and handling rates for each "ship-to" address.
Q: I received a gift from a friend that I do not really like. May I return it for something else?
A: No. We cannot accept returns of culinary gifts. All sales are final. However, we do occasionally accept returns of products if we can restock and resell them. In most cases, we may provide discounts for future purchases.
Q: Can you notify me when out-of-stock products are back in inventory or can I order products that are currently not in stock?
A: Yes. Click on your favorite product and add your email in the Notify Me bar at the bottom of the listing. Also, we frequently make certain products available for pre-order.
Q: Why is my shipment of seasonal products delayed?
A: The Taste of Germany prides itself in making hard-to-find, unique food products from Germany and Europe available to you. Your products travel well over ten thousand miles before they reach you. The journey can take around 1 month and we may experience further delays with US customs, port strikes, weather at sea and other factors. The lead times for procuring seasonal products can be 9 months or more, which is challenging to plan appropriate inventory levels for. We're ever improving our forecasting to ensure we have the products you ordered.
Q: Do you offer wholesale prices for case size orders?
A: Yes. You can order any item we offer in our store by the case and receive significant discounts. The higher the purchase volume, the higher the discount (up to 30% off the published price).
Q: I would like to buy some gifts for my staff. Does The Taste of Germany.com have a corporate gift program?
A: Yes. We welcome corporate orders. Please email us with your requirements.