Analyze coffee subscription terms for roast date guarantees, modification deadlines, pause limits, and cancellation traps that affect freshness and flexibility.
Built by Sergei Tokmakov, California-licensed attorney.
Coffee subscriptions promise fresh beans, but the terms often contain surprising restrictions on modifications, pauses, and what "fresh" actually means.
Many subscriptions don't guarantee when coffee was roasted. "Fresh" may mean sitting in a warehouse for weeks. Look for specific roast-to-ship timeframes.
Want to change your grind, roast level, or quantity? Some services require 5-7 days notice. Miss the window and you're stuck with what you ordered last time.
Going on vacation? Some services limit pauses to once every 90 days, cap skip duration, or automatically resume after a set period without notice.
"Single-origin" definitions vary wildly. Some mean one farm, others mean one country. Blends may be substituted if a source becomes unavailable.
Gift subscriptions often convert to paid subscriptions with the recipient's payment info. The gifter may be charged if the recipient doesn't cancel in time.
Bought a new grinder? Some services won't let you switch from ground to whole bean mid-cycle. You may need to cancel and resubscribe to change grind settings.
Compare your subscription cost to buying retail. Is convenience worth the premium?
Beyond coffee-specific terms, I also check these standard provisions that affect your rights.
Caps damages for spoiled or late shipments.
Your responsibility if coffee causes issues.
Forced arbitration for subscription disputes.
Can't join class actions over quality issues.
How billing continues and cancellation works.
Taste preferences and purchase patterns shared.
Data shared with roasters and partners.
When they can cancel your subscription.
Paste any coffee subscription's Terms of Service below to identify concerning provisions.
Want a detailed analysis of these terms?
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