Hi fellow Hueligans,
First of all, I am not fluent in English, so I am uploading this after translating it from my native language using Google Gemini. I would appreciate your understanding if some expressions seem a bit awkward.
I’m a Hueligan from South Korea. Looking back, I realized it’s only been about six months since I started my Huel journey, though it feels much longer because of how much I rely on it now.
I’ve always been a fan of meal replacements and used to enjoy Soylent. However, since discovering Huel, I’ve almost entirely switched over. The oaty scent and the texture that actually gives you something to chew on make me feel like I’m having a “real meal.”
My current routine is quite consistent: on weekdays, I consume 500g of Huel Essential mixed with 200g of Greek yogurt and 5 soft-boiled eggs. On weekends, I eat regular meals. Since I haven’t found a better alternative yet, I plan to be a long-term Huel user.
The Issue: Frequent Damage and Quality Concerns
Because I live in Korea, I use a third-party freight forwarder in California. I pay about $60 in shipping fees for every six bags to get them delivered to Korea.
Initially, I used Air Freight (taking about a week) and was extremely satisfied. The Vanilla flavor was delicious and the quality was perfect. After stocking up for two months, I switched to Ocean Freight (taking about two months) to manage costs. Everything was fine until late October, but starting mid-November, I’ve been facing issues.
Many bags arrive burst or punctured. Even with bags that look intact, I’ve been experiencing mild diarrhea after consumption, which makes me worry about the product’s integrity.
Huel’s Excellent Support vs. My Guilt
I want to clarify that I have no complaints about Huel’s customer service. They have been incredibly kind and professional, providing fast refunds while explaining the risks of ocean shipping—such as high humidity and temperature fluctuations.
Their outstanding CS and the fact that there’s no substitute for Huel keep me coming back. However, I’ve had to request refunds so frequently lately that I’m starting to feel like a “black consumer” (a problematic customer). It’s not a great feeling when you’re just trying to report the reality of what you received.
I’m curious to hear from the community:
Is this damage purely due to my choice of ocean shipping? Or have others noticed a decline in the durability of the Essential bags recently?
As a test, I’ve decided to switch back to Air Freight for my upcoming orders. If the quality improves, it’s clearly an issue with the transit conditions of ocean shipping. But if not, it might be a packaging issue.
I’d love to hear if anyone else has had similar experiences.
Best regards,
