Oxfam Ireland Unwrapped FAQs

About Unwrapped

• What is Oxfam Ireland Unwrapped?

Oxfam Unwrapped offers a range of solutions to your entire gift buying dilemmas throughout the year.  Whether you decide to buy a ‘cow’ or give a ‘gift of peace’, all of the gifts available will help Oxfam to overcome poverty, suffering and injustice throughout the world.  There are 25 great gift ideas with prices starting at £6/€9  You can buy online, by post or phone or you can buy selected items through your local Oxfam Ireland shop.

• How does the scheme work?

You buy the gift from Oxfam Ireland Unwrapped.  You receive a card and fridge magnet that represents the gift you have chosen and you give the card to your friend or family member.  Someone in the developing world actually receives this life-changing gift.

• Will my money really fund the same gift I choose?

Each gift you buy represents an item that is essential to the programme work that Oxfam Ireland contributes to. The money from your gift will go into one of four funds – Livelihoods, Humanitarian, HIV and AIDS or Campaigns and Advocacy – which then goes to fund various programmes where the gifts are used. In some cases we may sell more gifts than required so your money will go to a similar gift within the same programme area – e.g. if bulls were to oversell, your gift money will go to items such as goats, cows or other livelihood gifts.

• What do I / my recipient get?

You or your recipient will receive a card with a fridge magnet that represents your gift.  You can choose for the gift to be sent back to you to pass on yourself or we can send the card and magnet directly to your friend or family member. Either way, you can add a personal message to the gift card if you wish.

• How do I add a message?

For postal orders and in-store, you will receive a card for each gift you have purchased; you can then write a message on the card before giving it to your friend or relative.  Online and phone order gift cards can be left blank or we can print your message onto the card and send it to you or directly to your recipient on your behalf.

• How does the e-card option work? 

If you want to send an instant gift, then you can choose to send an e-card when you buy your gift online.  You will be able to add a personal message in the same way as you can on the real card.  The card and magnet will be sent to you or your recipient as soon as possible

• Where can I get a catalogue?

You just need to complete your contact details in the ‘request a catalogue’ section on the website and this will be sent out to you in the post.

• How much is spent on producing each Unwrapped catalogue?

Each catalogue costs 17 pence/25 cent to print.  This cost appears on the back page of the catalogue.

About the gifts

• Can I find out more information about the places and people my gifts are going to?

It’s only natural that your friends or relatives might want to find out how their gifts are being put to good use.  That’s why all our gifts come with exclusive access to Oxfam Ireland’s ‘My Gift’ web pages, complete with updates about how your gifts are making an impact on people’s lives all over the world!  You can also view our interactive map on www.oxfamirelandunwrapped.com to see where your gifts have been used and what impact they have had on many people’s lives around the world.

• Why are you selling condoms?

The condoms are a fantastic gift! They are supplied along with the right advice to make sure that they are used effectively against the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Oxfam recognises that condoms are an essential part of the fight against AIDS and this gift, like all those in the catalogue, has been requested by our overseas programme department.

As the spread of this devastating disease is having such a huge effect on so many people's lives, we are also offering a range of other gifts including vegetable gardens, herb gardens and school fees for three orphans, each of which will benefit those affected by HIV and AIDS.

Oxfam Ireland does not support any family planning or pregnancy termination programmes overseas. As part of an overall effort to combat the HIV and AIDS pandemic, we support public education campaigns for abstinence, behavior change, condom use, testing, treatment and care for HIV and AIDS.

• What are ‘little extras’ and why is there limited availability on some items?

Little Extras give you the opportunity to add something special for your gift recipient to unwrap on the big day. These gifts are only available online.

We have ordered a stock of the “little extra” items and will not be able to reorder some before the end of the year. If the “little extra” you choose is sold out this will be highlighted on the website and we will enclose an alternative.  We hope to have the chance to confirm this alternative selection with you, but if it’s close to Christmas we will send the nearest alternative to avoid disappointment.

• What’s the profit on the ‘little extras’ gifts and why haven’t you included more gifts like this?

The profit is different for each gift and of course depends on how many we sell, but needless to say we are making a small profit on these items.  We have included them as we had feedback that people wanted “real” gifts to go alongside their Oxfam Unwrapped gifts.

• Are the ‘little extras’ fair trade gifts?

All items – tea towels, cow spinning tops and twig pencils - are fair trade.  The pencils are made from wood sourced from well-managed forests.
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• What ‘little extras’ seeds will I get?

You will receive a set of four packets of seeds made up of the following:
Cornflower 'Blue Diadem'
Sunflower 'Russian Giant'
Nigella 'Persian Jewels Mixed'
Sweet Pea 'Fragrant Mixed'

About the Ordering Process

• How do I place an order?

In any of the following ways:

• Online at www.oxfamirelandunwrapped.com
  
  
• By phone: (NI) 0800 0 30 40 55 or (ROI) 1850 30 40 55
  
  
• At any of the 44 Oxfam Ireland shops on high streets all over Ireland (selected items only)
  
  
• Request a catalogue (from the menu on the left hand side), this contains an order form which you can post to us with your cheque or card details

• How quickly will I get my order?

If you buy online, by phone or post, we endeavor to fulfill orders and send your cards the same day as we receive the order, however at particularly busy times this may not be possible. 

Don’t forget, if you've missed someone's special day you can always send an e-card or visit your local Oxfam Ireland shop.

• How do I know if my online order has gone through?

A printable email will be sent to you once your order has gone through, confirming your order and thanking you for making a difference to the lives of poor people in the developing world.

• Can I get more than one card and magnet per gift I buy?

Unfortunately not.  If we allowed people to do this it would have an impact on cost and could also start to devalue the gifts in the catalogue.  If however, you are a group or school and have done some fundraising, we can send you out a certificate too, which can be displayed in a prominent place as a reminder of what you have helped to achieve.

For companies who wish to avail of our dedicated corporate service please call us on
01-6350406 (ROI) / 028 90895949 (NI) or email friends@oxfamireland.org

• I don’t want to receive mailings from you, what do I need to do?

We’d really like to keep you informed about Oxfam Ireland’s projects and activities.  However if you would rather not receive such information, please let us know by phone, post or email. You will also be given this option when ordering on-line.

• About to get married?

If you are the kind of couple who have already got everything you need, why not go for the ultimate in giving?  An Oxfam Ireland Unwrapped wedding/civil partnership is easy to set up, just call us on 0800 0 30 40 55 (NI) or 1850 30 40 55 (ROI) to find out more. 

• Why do we take customers names and addresses?

In ROI it means we may be able to claim up to 72% extra tax back from the Irish government but ONLY if we have name and address details. If a customer donates more than €250 in the tax year, we can claim up to €431! 

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