Shop by Category
Get great deals first SIGN UP NOW
How to shop/ FAQs
As part of our Customer Service Guarantee, this is what we offer our customers..........
Free Postage and Packing for all orders over £50 - see point 4. below for full details.
We offer speedy dispatch of your orders - usually the next working day after it has been placed.
Competitive prices - we constantly monitor prices available on the web and react accordingly.
A 30-Day, "No Quibble" Money-Back Guarantee on all purchases - see point 7. below.
Our products are guaranteed for a minimum of 12 months (except food and body care).
Customer Services always available Monday - Friday, 9.00am - 8.00pm. Simply call 01704 569 111 and we will answer any questions you may have.
We comply with the UK Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000.
1. How do I place an order with you?
Either online via our website, or by email, telephone or post. If an item appears on our website you can confidently assume that it is in stock. If, for any reason this is not the case, we will notify you immediately by email. You will be promptly issued with a full refund if you have ordered and paid for an out-of-stock item.
All prices shown include VAT, but will be subject to postage and packaging charges.
Online - THE FAIR TRADE STORE`s website is up and running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so you can place your order at a time that suits you best.
Simply visit www.thefairtradestore.co.uk, browse through the different categories of Fair Trade gifts and follow the simple on-screen instructions. The site has state-of-the-art security features so you can confidently shop with us with total peace of mind. We take most major debit and credit cards payments or you can use PayPal.
By email, telephone or post - Once you have selected the Fair Trade gift(s) you would like to buy, please contact us by email, telephone, or post. Simply provide us with the product code, description and the quantities you would like. We will then confirm the value of the order including postage and packing charges and take your name and delivery address details. You then send us a cheque or postal order made payable to THE FAIR TRADE STORE. Once this has been cleared by our bank, we will post the goods out to you. Or you can use PayPal, which will speed up the process.
Please note, we are not able to process debit or credit card payments over the telephone.
Create a business account – Please contact us directly for further details.
2. How do I pay for the products I order online?
You can use most credit or debit cards, or PayPal.
By credit or debit cards :-
We use a reputable online payment merchant called Sage Pay, to collect payment for your order. Sage Pay enables you to pay with your debit or credit card quickly, securely and safely. Your card details are securely encrypted and are not disclosed to us at any time. There are no extra or hidden additional costs for using your credit card with us.
Sage Pay provide a secure encryption gateway between the vendor (THE FAIR TRADE STORE) and the bank. It enables people to purchase products online with the knowledge that their card details will be secure.
All of the Sage Pay solutions use high levels of encryption. Sage Pay has been audited and approved by all the major UK acquiring banks which require adherance to all APACS standards. Sage Pay have also been audited and accepted under the VISA ACCOUNT INFORMATION SECURITY (AIS). Sage pay can process MAESTRO, MASTERCARD, DEBIT MASTERCARD, VISA, VISA ELECTRON, JCB and AMERICAN EXPRESS.
By PayPal :-
We can also take payment from you via PayPal, which is also one of the most secure and highly respected payment services available today. Your card information never comes to our site or onto our computers. It resides on a PayPal server that is heavily guarded both physically and electronically. Your card information is automatically encrypted in transit from your computer to their's using the Secure Sockets Layer Protocol (SSL) with an encryption key length of 128-bits (the highest level commercially available). PayPal servers sit behind an electronic firewall and are not directly connected to the Internet, so your private information is completely hidden from unauthorised sources.
When you place an order and go to the checkout, you will be given a choice of which payment method to use. Once you have entered all your delivery details you will be forwarded to the Payment Provider's secure website which will handle the financial transaction.
3. How long will it take for my order to arrive?
Your online order will usually be with you within 3-5 days.
On receipt of your order we will aim to dispatch the product(s) as soon as possible, usually the next working day. However, please allow up to 7 working days before you contact us. If there are any changes to the above, then we will always make contact to notify you.
Deliveries are made by Royal Mail from Monday to Saturday between 7am and 3pm. Orders are usually sent using their First Class Mail service, which they aim to deliver to you within the next working day of posting.
For example, an order placed on Monday is posted on Tuesday/ Wednesday and will be delivered to you on Wednesday/ Thursday.
4. How much will Postage and Packing cost me?
Delivery within the UK..... for orders up to £10 the cost will be £2.65. For orders over £10 and up to £30 the cost will be £2.95. For orders over £30 and up to £50 the cost will be £4.95. For orders over £50 postage and packing is FREE. These costs apply to each order, regardless of the weight, or number of items included.
Unfortunately, we do have to charge you for postage and packing, in order keep our operation commercially viable.
Remember, there is no such thing as "free delivery". Online retailers must be able to recover their handling, packaging and actual delivery charges somehow and this sort of "free" offer can take the form of inflated selling prices. THE FAIR TRADE STORE does not do this - our sell prices remain as competitive as possible, but we do ask you to contribute towards our postage and packaging costs, which are clearly explained below. With us, what you see is what you pay – transparency is what our customers have asked for and that is what we aim to deliver.
We work out your postage and packing cost based on the price of the goods ordered (regardless of the number of items) and do not penalise you for the weight involved. Your order will fall into specific price bands and the exact postage and packing cost will be clearly shown in your shopping basket before payment is requested. It will then be added to the price of the goods purchased and a total cost will then be clearly shown.
Postage and Packing charges – are based on the total value of your order, regardless of the number of items involved, or the weight and relate to deliveries within the UK :-
For orders up to £10.00 we charge £2.65 (including VAT) for postage and packing.
For orders between £10.01 and £30.00 we charge £2.95 ( including VAT) for postage and packing.
For orders between £30.01 and £50.00 we charge £4.95 (including VAT) for postage and packing.
For all orders over £50.00 postage and packing is FREE.
Please note: Postage and Packing charges are subject to VAT at it`s current rate. These prices are subject to change following any revisions to pricing made by Royal Mail, and/or changes made by The Government to the rate of VAT.
5. Who will deliver my order?
We send our deliveries via Royal Mail. Occasionally, one of our distributors/couriers may be used.
You will not need to sign for receipt of your delivery but if you are out and the item is too large to post through your letterbox and/or a neighbour is not available to take delivery, Royal Mail will leave instructions with you in these circumstances, making it clear what action you need to take, via a “While You Where Out” card.
This card will explain that you can either arrange a re-delivery, or you can collect your packet or parcel from your nearest collection depot / sorting office.
Want to have your ordered delivered to a different address?
Perhaps you work, or would like your gifts sending direct to a friend or family member? No problem! Simply use the box provided at the checkout to confirm the details.
It may be worthwhile providing a workplace address for delivery if this is more convenient for you and you are away from your home address during weekdays. But please note: you may need to check with your workplace regarding their ability/policy on accepting such packages.
Our checkout process also allows you to write a message to us to communicate any special requirements you may have, such as "leave with neighbour" or "leave in porch" etc.
THE FAIR TRADE STORE can not be held responsible for goods that are lost or delayed in transit.
6. Do you deliver outside of the UK?
Yes, we most certainly do.
Our online shop allows orders to be processed for customers with delivery addresses within the UK – England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and including The Isle of Man, The Isle of Wight and The Channel Islands.
However, we have customers from within the European Union and North America and are keen to develop our business further afield. So, wherever you are, please use the Contact Us page to get in touch with your requirements and we can discuss putting together a personalised quote for you. Payment in any currency can easily be processed using Pay Pal.
We welcome all new business opportunities and will go out of our way to meet your requirements wherever you are in the world. Please just ask us.....
7. Can I return an unwanted item for a full refund?
Yes, of course you can. We understand this may occasionally happen and you certainly have the right to change your mind if you decide you no longer want a product you have ordered. This is where our 30-Day, "No Quibble" Money-Back Guarantee comes in....
We will provide a refund for the goods, including the initial postage and packing charges. The product(s) must be unused and resaleable. Please include any packaging, which should be intact, and a copy of the receipt. You must notify us of your intentions within 30 days of your initial receipt of the goods. We will then agree with you what action to take, including the opportunity to exchange your unwanted product for another item. (Please use the Contact Us page to get in touch with us.)
The refund will be promptly actioned once the unwanted items are received back with us and certainly within a maximum of 7 days. The refund will be actioned via your original payment method.
Sorry, but we are unable (nor legally obliged) to refund any postage charges relating to the return of the package to us.
The item is your responsibility until it reaches us. For your own protection, you are strongly advised to request the Proof of Postage service (available free of charge at Post Office counters) when returning the item, or you may wish to select a delivery method that insures you for the value of goods that you are returning.
We cannot be held responsible for returns that are lost in transit.
Because we value your custom, the above policy goes beyond your statutory rights under the UK Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000.
Please note: Due to health and hygiene reasons, we will not refund or exchange earrings or food and drink products, unless they are faulty. This is to protect the wellbeing of all our customers.
8. What happens if I receive a faulty or damaged product?
We apologise if, in rare circumstances, this should ever happen. All products are hand checked before despatch and carefully wrapped for protection.
However, if you feel you have a problem you can rest assure we will resolve things for you to your complete satisfaction. This is all part of our Customer Service Guarantee.
Please notify us within 30 days of your initial receipt of the goods. (Please use the Contact Us page to get in touch with us.) We will then ask you to return the product(s) with the original packaging, along with a copy of the receipt and any postal receipts you incur in returning the package to us.
Once we have had a chance to assess things, we will discuss with you whether you would like a replacement and this will be re-sent out without any further delivery cost to you.
If this is not what you would like, then our policy is to refund you the cost of the item, including the full delivery / postal charges you have incurred. The refund will be actioned via your original payment method.
Rest assure, we will do everything we can to make sure you are happy with both your purchase and the back-up service you receive from us. After all, we want you to shop with us again in the future.
The item is your responsibility until it reaches us. For your own protection, you are strongly advised to request the Proof of Postage service (available free of charge at Post Office counters) when returning the item, or you may wish to select a delivery method that insures you for the value of goods that you are returning.
We cannot be held responsible for returns that are lost in transit.
The above policy goes beyond your statutory rights under the UK Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000.
Please note: As most of the products we sell are hand crafted, often using recycled and/or natural materials, there may be slight variations from the actual images shown and the dimensions quoted. This does not mean that the product is faulty or damaged. In fact, we feel that this makes each item unique and even more special. Fair Trade products are individually made by local artisans in the developing world. They are not the mass produced items most of us are used to, so please bear this in mind when assessing the quality and appearance of each product.
9. Will my personal details be disclosed to third party companies?
Absolutely not. This information will never be passed on unless we ask your permission to do so.
And remember, your bank details will not be disclosed to THE FAIR TRADE STORE at anytime – all payment details will be collected securely and administrated by Sage Pay or PayPal.
10. How will my goods be packaged?
We care about the environment. As such, we use recycled or sustainably produced materials as much as possible.
We also re-use packaging sent to us by our suppliers whenever we can. Therefore, don’t be alarmed if it looks like your package has been used before – it probably has and you can feel good that between us we are doing our bit for the environment.
However, what’s inside your package will be attractively wrapped and presented – we are confident you will be impressed!
Any packaging we handle that can’t be re-used is sent for recycling.
Shopping online and using a home delivery service can result in lower carbon emissions as one van makes several deliveries in one journey, unlike a trip to the shops, where it’s often one car per shopper and you have to think about petrol costs and parking charges.
We use Royal Mail, who are still one of the greenest options for deliveries. They continue to put environmental issues at the top of their business agenda, have a clear environmental policy and targets for reducing CO2 emissions.
Please bear the above points in mind when assessing the postage and packing charges that we have to apply.
If you have any questions that have not been answered here, please contact us. We will get straight back to you.
