Help & FAQs

General   Organic living  (click required option)

General

1. What payment methods can I use to buy products?
We are delighted to accept debit and credit cards on internet bookings. The cards that we accept are shown at the bottom of the home page

Unfortunately at this time we do not accept bookings over the telephone and we cannot accept payment by cheque.

2. How secure is the system if I am paying by debit or credit card?
We do not store your payment details on our website. For payment transactions we use the services provided by ProtxTM, a third party industry recognised secure payment processor. ProtxTM has achieved the highest level of compliance under the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI), and they adhere to the most stringent levels of fraud screening, ensuring that our customer's details remain secure throughout the transaction process.

All transaction information passed between our site and ProtxTM is encrypted using 128-bit SSL (secure socket layer - a secure message transmission protocol over the internet) certificates. No cardholder information is ever passed unencrypted and any messages sent to us from ProtxTM are signed using MD5 hashing algorithms to prevent tampering. None of the data passed from our website to ProtxTM can be examined, used or modified by any third parties attempting to gain access to sensitive information.

3. What if I need a different delivery address to the invoice address?
This is fine, when entering your details you have the option to enter a different delivery address to that of the invoice. Please note that we cannot deliver to a PO Box.

4. What is the charge for delivery?
For standard delivery throughout the UK the charges are:

5. Do you deliver outside of the UK?
Currently we only deliver within the UK.

6. How quickly will the order arrive?
We aim to despatch all orders within 48 hours of credit card clearance. If all or part of the order is out of stock we will hold the full order for 5 working days. After that time if part of the order remains out of stock we will despatch part of the order at no extra cost to the customer. If we know that part of the order will not be in stock within 5 working days of credit card clearance we will ship the part of the order that is in stock straight away.

We do try to ensure that each order is despatched as quickly as possible.

7. How is the order sent?
Depending on the weight of the order we usually use Royal Mail first class post or Parcelforce for our deliveries. If the delivery address is close to our premises we may deliver the order personally.

8. What is the packaging that you use?
We either used 100% recycled postal boxes or 75% recycled larger boxes depending on size and weight of your order. Both types of boxes are recyclable and biodegradable (except staples). We believe that opening your order should be an enjoyable experience so we have sourced FSC certified wood twine for attractive padding and rose petals from the UK for pleasure. (Not sure if all verities are organic so cannot say this.)

9. What if the goods are damaged?
If your order arrives damaged or defective in any way please contact us in accordance with our DAMAGED GOODS POLICY (link).

10. Can I send the goods back?
We hope you are happy with your order but if you wish to return the goods then you can do so in accordance with our RETURNS POLICY (link)

11. What happens to my personal details?
By entering your details on the site you accept that they are accurate. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account and your password. You are responsible for all activities on your account. If you believe your password has become known to another person you must contact us immediately.

You can cancel your account at any time. We can terminate your account without notice if we decide it is the company’s best interests to do so.You will only receive promotional material from us if you have ticked the box to agree to this.

We will not pass your details to any third party except to fulfil an order.

12. Can I send as a gift?
We currently do not do a full gift wrapping service but our packaging is attractive and enjoyable to open (see question 8 for packaging details). If your purchase is a gift please add a message to the comment section in the checkout process. This will be hand written and placed inside the delivery.
If you would like the invoice sent to a different address to the gift we can do this.

13. Do you have a catalogue?
Currently we do not offer a catalogue, but it is something we are thinking about for the future.

14. Reward Points
As we want to give something back to our customers for their continued loyalty we operate a Rewards Scheme. As you spend your reward points build up, to be used whenever you choose.
You can see the reward points for a product when you click on it, and when you buy it the reward points are added to your total points. We may offer extra points as part of a promotion for particular products. Your total points to be redeemed can be seen in ‘Your Account’ whenever you log into your account.
You are free to redeem your points against your purchases at any time, but you must do this at the ‘Redeem your points’ section of the checkout before you ‘Accept Payment’.

Currently 1 reward point = £0.01 and you can earn 5 points for every full £1 spent per item. Please note that this is calculated on the costs of the items and does not include delivery charges.

Organic Living

14. Why choose organic, natural or eco-friendly products?
The simple answer is for peace of mind and quality.
There has been research that shows that our bloodstream may absorb up to 60% of what is applied to our skin. When you start to look at the ingredients in some skincare and cleaning ranges and what these ingredients are linked to, choosing natural and organic seems wise.
It has also been shown that chemicals used in the production of many goods such as clothing, bedding and furnishings are harmful to both the environment and those that live and work near them. So by choosing organic, natural, eco-friendly products you are looking after your own health, the health of others and the environment.
In the same way that we are concerned about what we eat, we should also look at the ingredients, farming methods and manufacturing methods of the products we buy and use.

15. What chemicals should we avoid and why?
Please see our YUCKY CHEMICALS section for more details on what we should avoid and why.

16. What is 'Certification'?
Only organic food products are regulated by European law and must be certified to be organic. There is no law on the use of the word ‘organic’ in non-food products. Some countries have developed standards by which to certify non-food products.

Listed below are some of the certification bodies involved with organic and natural certification:

Soil Association Certification
Non Food Federation
Eco Cert Certification
BDIH Certification
IMO Certification
SKAL Certification
Vegan Certification.
Nordic Swan
Okotex
Fair Trade
Vegetarian Society Approved
LOHAS

17. Are any of the products you sell tested on animals?
We only stock brands with a no animal testing policy. They do not test products or ingredients on animals or use a third party to test them.

18. Why are some products not 100% organic?
Some of the products we stock contain a small proportion of chemicals, natural or synthetic ingredients. For example an artificial preservative may be used as an alternative to parabens. The UK' s Soil Association approves controlled use of such ingredients as it recognises that it can be too difficult to make products for the skin with a shelf life otherwise.
The Soil Association sets very high standards that are difficult to attain. Some products although natural will not be able to achieve certified organic status. For that reason, while we do stock Soil Association certified products we do also stock products that are not.
At the Organic Collective our aim is to offer as natural and organic products as possible and we closely look at all the ingredients in the products we sell to achieve this aim. We will not stock anything that contains parabens, sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), artificial colour or fragrance, formaldehyde or lanolin.