Update to last week’s post: (10/6/26)
Last week, I shared my frustration—echoed by quite a few others across the internet—that Oliverse seemed to be dodging the details that actually matter: realistic delivery timelines and confirmed farm visits. Unable to find tangible proof that any physical product had ever shipped to a customer, I went ahead and initiated a chargeback.
Yesterday, I received a direct response from one of Oliverse’s co-founders:
Hi Meg,
I’m Tom, and I’m the co-founder of Oliverse. I’m very sorry for the wait on your last message, and for how all of this has gone.
We’re a small team based in Slovenia (across the border from Italy),on a mission to connect olive farmers directly with customers who value origin, craftsmanship and traceability.
Demand grew much faster than we expected, and it caught us unprepared. Tuscany and Sardinia sold out quickly. While we onboarded our new partner estate in Puglia and talked to growers in other regions, we ran a temporary website that wasn’t up to the standard it should have been. This process took longer than anticipated and we regret not having paused our operations while that was done.
We also grew our support team quickly and didn’t train them well enough for situations like yours. Some of what you were told wasn’t right, including that your trees were at our Sardinia estate and that visits there would open within weeks. I’m sorry for that.
I’ve refunded your order in full today, shipping included. It should reach your card within 5 to 10 business days, and you don’t need to do anything.
You also asked to move your grove to Puglia. If you’d still like that, we’ll set it up at no cost to you. Your trees would be on our partner estate near Andria, where your oil comes from, and here’s the timeline:
Your first 8 bottles, with your (redacted) labels, ship by 18 October. I’ll email you the tracking number the day they leave. 2. The other 12 bottles follow in three shipments of 4, in November, February and May 2027.
You’re welcome to visit the estate whenever suits you, including your spring trip, with a stop at your own trees. The visit is on us. Send me your dates and I’ll confirm them with the estate within a few days, along with the address. Please wait for that before booking flights.
Just reply and let me know.
Speak soon,
Tom
So, where do things stand now?
First, credit where it’s due: I appreciate an actual human reaching out directly and owning up to major operational and communication breakdowns. It sounds like a classic case of a startup getting ahead of itself—marketing and web dev sprinting full speed ahead while supply chain and customer support scramble to catch up.
At this point, I have zero financial skin in the game (at least I’m waiting for the refund to show up on my credit card). Yet, Oliverse is still offering to deliver the product to prove they are legitimate. Given the reach of my original post, they clearly know eyes are on them.
According to Tom, the first shipment of custom-labeled bottles is slated to leave on October 18th. When (and if) that box lands on my porch, I’ll unpack it here so everyone following along can see the reality behind the promise. If the olive oil arrives as advertised and the quality delivers, I’ll happily resubscribe and hand over the $600 again —and start planning that visit to my grove in Puglia.
Until then, consider this an olive branch extended.
Stay tuned for the unboxing update!
Meg
