I placed an order with nature's flavors on the web in august of 2008. I never received a confirmation from them that they received the order so a week later i placed the order again from memory (Slightly different as i couldn't remember exactly what i tried to order the first time) . That time i received a confirmation by email. $160 worth of merchandise. It arrived 3 weeks later. . . Slow, slow, and slowest. Opened the box and proceeded to smell the flavors, only half of which actually resembled the flavor they were supposed to represent. The others were off totally. That would have been the end of it, but 2 weeks later another box arrives on my doorstep. Of all bizarre things that was the first order arriving that i received no confirmation of. When i called to complain that i needed to return this box because of their computer's mistake, i was treated quite rudely and told i would need to send it back (Costing me more money) and that there was a 25% restocking fee. A restocking fee for their mistake i might add. I tried to reason with the company to no avail. I then proceeded to file a dispute with my credit card company, who promptly flung it back at me to resolve the dispute with the company, who was not willing to resolve it. In the end i had to ship the box back, costing me $18, then with the 25% restocking fee it cost me another $52, total cost of $70 for nothing. $160 for order i received and kept (Really bad flavors so i shouldn't have kept it, but didn't want to be out another $70 for nothing, although i really am as i can't stand drinking them) .
Total crap company. Misleading advertising on flavors that are obviously wrong. Creeping service with 3 - 5 weeks wait to even receive merchandise that isn't worth getting in the end. Customer service, sorry, what customer service? One woman answers the phone and there doesn't appear to be anyone else you can talk to. I suspect this is a family operation that needs to be closed permanently. Beware to others, it's an expensive lesson but i will never order from that horrible company again.
Don't order from nature's flavors!
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
I too ordered from Nature's Flavors. I was told my credit card was declined (which it should not have because the money was there in my account). REally wanting the product I gave them a different credit card. I hope that was not a mistake. I looked after two weeks of not even hearing that the order was confirmed. And it was not. I wrote them an email and it took a week for them to answer. At that point they said that they do not have the ingredients for one or more of my products that I ordered. I am thinking this is a small company that does not order the ingredients to make the product until they receive an order. Probably a money issue on their part from what I can see. I didn't order this to get it three or four weeks down the line. Nothing on the website said that when I ordered, however now that have a blurb about being patient with orders that they take time etc. My first order with them was fine. I got most of it within two weeks. One things is still backordered six weeks later. So I guess with this order since the still do not have the ingredients yet, per their email as of yesterday it will be at least another two weeks more. I am done with them. I will find another business out there that can complete my order expediently.
I ordered the trial sample for $4.99 they charged my account for the product, then charged me full price for the product and then charged me again.
i really wish i could have read this before i ordered my oils! i ordered from natures flavors over a month ago and my order still hasnt been shipped. all i ordered was two 2oz bottles of flavor oils. which by the way cost around 20 bucks and plus the fed ex handling costs 10 extra bucks. so now im paying like 30 bucks for 4oz of oils.
i sent order requests twice and both times it was "waiting on items". i sent emails to customer service and they still havent responded. so i finally called yesterday and the woman told me it will be shipped today or tommorow. well, hasnt been shipped yet. so i call again today and another woman picked up, she says her staff is on break so she couldnt check my orders status and she would call me back. and what do you know she never called me back. so i call the b*** back and i let her know i was a little irritated after she told me the same thing. the order should be shipped today or tommorow. and while she is responding to me, shes laughing! what kind of business is this? all this crap for 4 oz of oil?
slow shipping, terrible customer service and no regard for customer satisfaction or proffessionalism. i agree this business should be closed down completely. i dont want anyone else wasting their money or time on these people. DONT BUY FROM NATURESFLAVORS.COM!
How about their shipping cost? $31 to ship $25 worth of cotton candy base that weighs 5 pounds. There shipping took over a month and their customer service is atrociousness. I am going to right a letter to the California attorney general and I woudl encourage everyone else to also.
I ordered about forty dollars worth of stuff last week. It came promptly and was packed perfectly well. I have no idea why you have had such bad results but I like them.
I didn't have problems with slow shipping that I can remember, but I did place a large order of flavor oils from them. They have the longest list of flavors I could find, so I couldn't stop adding to my cart. The very first batch of lip balm I made with their product (happened to be lychee) burned my tongue when tested. I used the product at 1/3 the recommended concentration. When questioned, they insisted that the mistake was mine, and expected me to send the flavor oil and balm to them for testing. On my dime. Of course I had thrown them all away and couldn't comply if I wanted to, but is it just me that sees a problem here? I mean when spinach distributors are told about an e. coli outbreak, do they ask for the salad in question and keep on selling the contaminated greens? Uh, no.
I am disappointed reading these reviews. I was so excited to find so many nature flavor oils but I'm glad I read this before I placed my order. Does anyone have a suggestion for flavor oils that they've tested?
I tried to order from Nature's Flavor but for 3 weeks nobody could get an answer about the status of my order.After I got frustrated with this they just canceled my order and SAID THAT THEY HAVE RIGHTS TO DO SO. Nobody tried to save the sale. I don't know about the quality of the products since I never had it but service is horrible
I have been thinking about ordering from this company for a while. Today was going to be my day to try them out. I am soooo sooo soooo glad I read this and searched for reviews. One thing I know (and from my own bad experience) is when things are too good too be true they prob are. Look at the prices, 1 oz of organic flavor oil for $12, then 2 oz for $13. I am not saying it can't be true but it is kinda odd. And organic flavor fruit oils are extremely hard to find for such small orders. I did not hear anything about the quality of the products, but as a person that cares about their customers I would have to do some reason independent research on their goods before I package them and sell them to people. Good luck!
I don't know what happened with the first persons order, but I've talked with at least 3 different people, all of whom were very friendly and helpful. I've been using their Flavor oils to make lip balms. I do agree their quoted processing time of 14 business days seems a little much, but i usually get stuff in about half that time. I think they're just trying to cover their ###. anyway I'm the type of person to try something once and if they suck don't try em again, but overall I've been pretty happy with them.
PS ask them to do USPS sometimes its cheaper than what they quote for shipping!
LOL...it seems like they are following a pattern.
1) They give you a disclaimer that you won't get all the flavors you want only AFTER you make the payment.
2) Their overpriced shipping/handling fee is ridiculous because shipping is indeed super late. My orders from overseas arrive 3 weeks quicker.
3) When I opened the box anticipating good flavors, I got 3 flavors I didn't order. I ordered flavored stevia syrups (no sugar), and I got sugar loaded (14g sugar per serving) syrups that added more sweet (sugar) to my protein shakes than flavor.
I should have read this before making the order. I hope we can give them an F rating at BBB.
I have not had an issue with shipping, but my issue is with flavor. The flavors advertised are not the flavors I had received.
I wanted to get peach flavoring for my iced tea and so I decided to buy Organic Peach Concentrate. When it arrived I tasted it, and it tasted like sour gum. So, I complained, and they said that I was using too much of the concentrate. Fair. So, I reduced it greatly and it tasted like nothing. Either sour gum or nothing.
Perhaps I purchased the wrong product; I asked them for their recommendations and they suggested Peach Flavored Syrup. I bought it and when I finally got the chance to taste it it tasted like thick citrus.
These flavors are not the flavors I paid for. I don't recommend this product. I think I would be more successful in getting the peach flavoring I want by making my own flavored syrup.
Worst business experience ever! I gave them multiple chances and ordered from them multiple times in the last few years. I have NEVER...EVER...in the five orders I have placed been able to place an order and actually receive the entire order. Every single time I get an email, two or three weeks AFTER they have taken my money, telling me that an item (or multiple items) are not available and that it will be weeks longer before I can get my products. Requests for partial shipments on the company's dime are excused away as not possible.
I am a business owner and rely on business ethics to stay in business. I can't for the life of my figure out how Nature's Flavors stays in business. Unbelievable. Today is the last straw. I received an email for an order I placed on the 9th telling me that an item is not available and would not be for another week to 10 days. And it's the MAIN item I needed!
Done. Be warned. Do not waste your time. I have given them every chance in the world, and I always get the same BS story. It's textbook with each order. Every single order.
Boy I wish I saw this before I ordered the Spring Water Flavor Bottles. I just got my order (finally) and they taste disgusting. They come in a glass bottle with no dropper so it is very hard to gague how much flavoring you put into your water. Also, on the bottle (and I don't remember seeing this on the website) it says that the product should be refrigerated! Not very convenient.
All in all I wish I gave my $38.00 to charity. Live and learn.
I too soooo wish I had read these reviews before I placed my order. I was in a rush, cramped for time and thought they had what I needed to fulfill an order on my end. I even paid $25 for their same day processing/shipping and then another $39 or so for 2nd day air.
Here's how it went:
Monday I thought I found what I wanted on their site. Checked their shipping etc policies and it said it would take 14+ days for me to get the products but, if I paid the extra fee, they'd ship the way I needed. I tried calling 3 times to double check before ordering, during their posted business hours, and no one ever answered. Their voice mail box was full. I tried emailing and got no response.
Tuesday I called and got some super dippy chick on the phone who said she "thought" it all went to shipping already, didn't I get a confirmation email? No, I never got a confirmation email, not even in my spam box. Turns out she confused my order with something else but then said, yes it went to shipping.
Yesterday, Thursday, the stuff shows up on time, amazingly enough. The driver hands it to me and I'm wondering why on earth am I able to smell a natural fruit powder so clearly through the box even? I open it all up and oh my goodness, the scent of this stuff is so overpowering. I open both and start coughing. Not a single one of the natural fruit powders I use make me cough. The smell is horrific, very chemical-like. To see what the heck this freak show crap is, I taste it and it's so wrong. If it's natural, it shouldn't smell like this and why is it white? Real blueberries are blue. Even vanilla extract smells and tastes just like the actual vanilla pod. What is this crazy stuff they sent?! This "natural" fruit powder of theirs is the scariest product I have encountered in a long time, and believe me, I'm around scary products. It was the total opposite of what I thought I was ordering.
I call to express my dissatisfaction and the dopey kid who answers the phone says there are no returns. He says, well, use less. Even so, even if I did use it which I won't, the bottle says 1 tsp. The product container states one thing and when you call, they tell you another thing. Why the discrepancy?
He proceeded to tell me where their return policy is on their site -- way way way at the bottom in tiny tiny print. I explain to him that I am dissatisfied with the product as a whole, there's no way I can use it, and want to return it anyway. He gets all stoner confused, talks to a manager then eventually puts me through to her.
She explains to me that because I opened it I can't return it and they "made the order special for" me. Huh? I said it doesn't say anything like that on your return policy. Isn't it counter-intuitive to think that people won't open the product? Then she says it's some FDA thing about food products that can't be returned. I said, well, I can go to my local grocery store, buy some food, cook it, taste it, find I'm dissatisfied and they will take it back. Because they are concerned about customer satisfaction.
At this point with her, I say look, I don't even want a credit -- I just want to exchange it for what I thought it was going to be and she wouldn't do it. How hard is that?! I wasn't even asking to be credited the shipping charge or the same day fee. We went around and around for a good half hour before I hung up on her. I'm returning the stuff to them anyway, with a lovely letter to go along with it. I don't want this scary product in my house, which stinks to high heaven by the way, even with the bottles sealed in several plastic bags. (Again, what is this stuff?!)
Their products are frightening, their customer service is a total joke, their policies are idiotic and anti-customer. I will be sure to tell everyone to never order from them. DO NOT ORDER FROM NATURE'S FLAVORS!
I'm glad I saw this info on Nature's Flavors today; I was just going to place an order. Kat James recommends them in her book for some products, but perhaps she gets better customer service because she's endorsing them. Good to know I've saved my money and will find another company to order from.
Thanks for these reviews. Definitely not ordering from them -- was already hesitant because shipping is exorbitant!
I find it somehow comforting now that I am not the only person who is had less than favorable experiences with the company. My story goes something like this:
I was looking for garlic essential oil, and they had two of them listed. When I inquired about the price difference ( on the phone) the "customer service" girl put me on hold, and came back about three minutes later to tell me that the owner had said the price was too low for one of them, and instantly, the price jumped about seven dollars.
Thinking it a bit rude, but shrugged it off, I placed another order about two weeks later, this time ordering what was said to be cilantro. The description said that it was great in salsa, so, of course I thought it was truly cilantro. When I received the order, sure enough... coriander seed. When I spoke to the customer service person, they argued with me that at the bottom it's in coriander seed. Now I have coriander oil.
I would highly recommend that anyone stay away from this company. I don't like to say that, but in this case I must.
where is there a reputable company for powder food coloring can someone tell me
Nature's Flavors does not only offer bad customer service, but also unsatisfactory food products, high shipping costs (from which they charge $10-20 more than shipping should be quoted), and long wait times for products. I think the FDA needs to look into the company. They have products in their warehouse that are 3-4 years old and should not be sold, as the products have spoiled, but new labels are being placed on these old products. Also, employees are treated poorly by the owner of the company, as with most companies get the most out of an employee and pay them the lowest wage possible. No wonder the business is small with dissatisfied employees and customers. I think this company will tank within the next few years. I hope sooner. Do not waste your time trying their products, you'll only be disappointed, if not sick by old product. I've used many of their products, even the fresh products don't last that long. I bought pomegranate syrup that went moldy after 3 days. I've also purchased Flavor Oils which lost their sent and taste after 4-5 days. And the bottles all say that the products last 1-2 years. Hope this helps answer any concerns you might have about this company. Also, there are 3 companies owned by this same owner: Nature's Flavors, Seelect, Inc. and Newport Flavours & Fragrances. I would stay away from all of them.
I ordered some flavors from them and I can tell you right now, I will never do that again. It took forever to get here and the flavors don't taste good. The lemon lime was absolutely horrid! It tasted like they ground up the entire lemon and lime, peel and all and put it in the bottle. I nearly gagged.
The other flavors are weak and don't taste like they should. I have found Prairie Moon and their flavors are good.
I just ordered more.
I placed an order from the Seelect.com website. Did not hear from them in over a week. Called, they could not find my order. I gave them the order number, date, may name and the Paypal transaction number. After 30 minute on the phone she finally said, I found it. Her comment was, you only ordered a week ago, should be ready for shipment in another week. I said, I a assume your joking and she replied, no we are busy. If you want to pay for expedited shipping, we can ship it tomorrow. I said how much for expedited shipping, she said $10.00. I said cancel my order, she said she could not and I'd just have to wait. Now that is customer service. Please, never ever buy from Seelect.com Seelect.com Seelect.com Seelect.com Seelect.com Seelect.com Seelect.com !
I echo the opiions of other reviewers. I ordered flavored coffe and the brewed coffee tastes like Maxwell house. Definiely not worth $9+ per pound (I got free shipping . lucky me)
As an employee at Naturesflavors.com I disagree, in fact anyone else who would like to taste our coffee can have a free sample per Hannah. Call [protected]
I just added $140 of "organic" natural syrups.
Thought I'd check out any reviews before I entered my CCard info; reviews on how great the flavor is to the fruit.
Thanks everyone for taking the time to express your experiences with Natures Flavors!
I won't be buying a thing from this site…ever.
Thanks again for handing over my hard earned cash to a company that treats its customers so badly, as well as peddling expensive bad product.
Too bad, not a way to run a company with a good "knish" in the flavour market.
SLOW! Man o man! Slow Slow. I was told twice (through email) that my order should ship in 24-48 hours. 1 week later, the order still said "processing". Do not buy unless you have lots of time!
i was about to checkout, then googled the site for some discount coupons to try to reduce my $190 order down. after reading these reviews i dont think i will proceed with my order. Would be good if someone came up with an alernative.
3-day shipping via USPS is spotty because of how bad the USPS can be. Add to that problem the good folks at Nature's Flavors/Newport Fragrances & Flavorings/Seelect Tea will take their merry time (usually about 5 business days) to get around to filling your order, and that 3-day shipping will turn into over a week to get your order. I have placed several orders from them and they have NEVER, ever filled an order in under a week, and have taken up to two FULL weeks to fill a simple order of two 1/2-pound powdered flavors. Also, I asked about getting some of their product in bigger quantities and becoming a wholesale customer and they say the ONLY quantities they offer are what's listed on the site with the price discounts noted (tiny), however when I did some research, I find they DO have wholesale customers, so they obviously pick and choose who they will let behind the curtain. Probably they take on the personality of the owner, Bill Sabo, and his ego, thinking their products are so VERY special (they're decent, but not "WOW!"), so we're already searching for viable alternatives to get better customer service, equal or better flavors, and more flexibility in pricing as we buy in larger and larger quantities.
Try Carmi Flavors. They have great flavors and great customer service.
Check out Flavor Producers. Better customer service and samples for businesses.
On Nature's Flavors website:
100% Satisfaction Guarantee (Excluding Business's)
At Nature’s Flavours, creating healthy satisfied customers is our ultimate goal. Nothing makes us happier than a happy customer. The natural and organic integrity of our products give us confidence you will be delighted with your selection. Our inventory of products has evolved and improved for over 25 years.
I ordered flavored organic decaf coffee and I received my order promply and I think it tastes pretty good. I never tried the oils so I can't comment on them. The first time I tried to order on their Website it took FOREVER and the order was rejected so I had to print it mail it in with a cashiers check. Last time, everything went well and I even got free shipping (because the order was over $100.00, I guess.)
http://www.naturesflavors.com/cpg10/service-and-support/pg113/processing-info/
3-5 days processing time turns into 7-10 days processing time? Where are my flavors? It's been 15 business days! That's 3 weeks.
I placed an order and it took over 5 weeks to arrive. Thinking it was just bad timing, I tried again- this one took a month to arrive and so I decided to contact them and return the product being that I missed a customer deadline. They promised to issue me a refund for over 3 weeks and never did, even though I have confirmation from UPS that they received my return. Every time I call they give me the run around telling me that they either refunded or will refund my return but say they cannot provide me proof of the refund. Their products are awesome but by far the worst customer service around.
The website states 3-5 business days to process orders. I have ordered 4 separate times over a year. Each time it has taken up to 20 days to process the order. Up to 8 weeks to receive product.
I read these reviews a little skeptical about ordering from here but decided to try it out anyways because they have so many options. I ordered the cotton candy base in chai because its one of my favorite drinks and because it would sell in my business. Decent price too. I received an email confirmation right after placing the order which was nice... after waiting a few days i called to see where my order was...i was anticipating that it was still being processed but the lady told me it was going to shipping and i would receive it within 2 days. I don't know if i got special treatment or what because my experience was the complete opposite from most. I will be ordering from here again, definitely and in bulk.
I've ordered twice from Natures Flavors and found the product to be excellent. The first were small containers of cotton candy mix (flavor with sugar ready to spin) The day I received the product I spun a batch of each and took them to a party of friends asking them to blind taste. The identified each and found the flavors to be both spot on and unique. (How do they make cheese cake flavor?) Well I was happy with that.
So later I ordered powdered versions of the above plus other flavors. Figured I could add my own sugar. The flavors were again spot on.
Yes they are slow but their web site does say they make each batch to order. I'm pleased with Natures Flavors and will be ordering more and different product this week. I've not experienced any need to return anything I've ordered.
I have ordered from them a few times over the years. The first time, was several years ago. I am STILL, drop by drop, using those flavors, and very pleased with all of them. The flavors were "spot on" - all of them. Recently, I ordered again. The order came promptly, which was delightful, because before - it took weeks.
To say I am pleased is an understatement. It is a shame so many people seemed to have difficulties with them. As for me - I have been very satisfied.
Im actually shocked at all the bad reviews! Ive been ordering with them for almost 10 years and love their products!
While I will admit when I first started ordering, orders would take up to 3 weeks...and YES some flavors dont taste what we would expect and have been horrible. BUT, like in all areas of life, not everyone is going to like ""that' flavor.
Ive spent THOUSANDS and will continue ...They are a great company and have great products.
I ordered years ago from them and was delighted with the quality of the flavors, burnt sugar, butterscotch, and carmel. A year or two ago, however, I ordered extract of toasted sesame seed and it was unfit for human consumption - totally rancid tasting. I disputed it with Master Card Walmart credit card, and they gave me instant credit for the charge without even demanding I contact the company and resolve it with them, and no paperwork to fill out. I have won every dispute on Items charged on this card, and I suspect that my excellent credit and payment history probably had some influence with them. I only keep the card for convenience so I don't have to carry much cash in the event of a violent robbery, and I charge everything I can and pay off the entire balance immediately on receiving my monthly statement after checking it with my receipts - NEVER EVER let interest accrue. BTW, it pays to check these receipts against the statement; I was fraudently charged too much by a dishonest employee who was later fired), I also check my cc total; I was accidently overcharged $8 once, but they refunded it to me on my next statement. They know thy can depend on me to pay promptly and they know they are making a lot of money off me even tho I don't pay interest - they also charge the businesses a percentage for the use of their credit. The point here is that businesses respect good credit and dependable customers who pay promptly, but as for Nature's Flavors, I may give them another try with the flavors that were so good years ago and hope they are just as good this time.
Zero Flavor in their two extracts I purchased. Horrible ripoff. Please reconsider before you buy from them.