FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Frequently asked questions
THE BUSINESS
Do we have a shop?
Unfortunately, we don't have a shop at this time. We are a small business, run from home, and although we hope to start our first store in the near future, at this moment we only have our online one.
Where are we based?
We are based just outside of London, in a sleepy rural town. We travel into central London most days and often attend events both inside, and outside of the city centre. If you're looking to find a way to get donations to us and aren't sure which option is best, the easiest thing to do is get in touch and we can work out the best course of action on an individual basis
How does Loved Before work?
Loved Before believe that when it is time to pass a toy on, the lives, stories, characters and memories shared with those objects make them even more valuable. How it works is that when you donate to us, you fill in a Loved Before card to tell us a bit about your toy, whether it's the life you've shared with them, a bit about their character or personality, or even a memory you have had with them. If you're stuck on what to write, check out or 'Donate' page for tips and prompts.
Does Loved Before support charity?
Since Loved Before started, it has donated over 50% of all its profits to charity? At Loved Before, we are passionate about supporting our communities and making a difference and so this year we are supporting the wonderful Make-A-Wish UK. Make A Wish creates life-changing wishes for children living with critical illnesses. Granting their One True Wish provides hope for the future and the resilience to cope with treatment. They are given quality time away from the daily realities of living with their condition, to make magical memories that they can treasure forever - whatever their future may hold. So, let’s make the magic happen - give a toy a home and a child a wish!
DONATING
What can I donate?
Unless your toy is very dirty, or broken beyond repair in a way which makes it unsafe, we will take pretty much anything you would like to donate. It doesn't matter if it's loved to death, or barely hugged, whether it's big or small, old or new, from giraffe to hamster and all inbetween. If you're still not sure, feel free to get in touch. See our donate page for more details.
How do I donate?
We have several ways people usually donate to us. The three main ways are sending to the address provided by mail (address can be found on our donate page), dropping them off at an arranged time to this same address, or having us collect them from you. A donation is only eligable for collection within a certain radius of our office address. Please get in touch to find out more. If you are sending to us via mail, please be advised that we are unable to compensate for any associated costs.
Will you tell me when they have been chosen?
Normally, we won't let you know once your donation has been adopted however if this is something which matters to you, then drop us a message and we'll be sure to let you know!
What happens if no one wants to buy my donation?
In our experience, there really is a home for all of our Loved Befores, however sometimes it takes longer than others for them to find their new families. Until the point in which someone chooses to take your little one home, they will continue living a life of luxury at our HQ!
Will you pay me for my donation?
Unfortuately we do not exchange payment for donations, whatever the value of the donation. In extreme circumstances where the value of the donation exceeds our usual amount, we may be able to offer discounted use of our services. If you would like to disucss this further, please feel free to get in touch.
LIFE AFTER DONATION
Do you clean them?
When they arrive, all of our Loved Befores go through a cleaning process. Exactly what happens depends on the toy, its conditions, materials etc. This can range from a full wipe down to a spin in the washing machine, bath, and all inbetween.
Do you fix them?
We will always make clear if a Loved Before is broken or damaged. Although we can help point you in the direction of where to get them repaired, we are unable to do this work ourselves.
What happens if they are donated without a card or story?
Although or goal is that one day, no Loved Before will arrive without a card, unfortunately it does happen sometimes. When this is the case, the donator will usually give permission for us to create a card for them either based on something they tell us, or failing that, adventures they have had or what we have learnt about them during their time at HQ. If you want to know more about an individual story, or circumstance of donation then feel free to get in touch and we'll provide you with anything we know.
PAYMENT
What payment methods are accepted?
When purchasing on our online store, you are able to use Paypal or opt for Stripe which will allow payments using credit cards, debit cards and Apple Pay. The options are based only on preference, and do not effect the overall price.
What if my payment is declined?
If your payment shows as declined, you will not have been charged and we advise that you try again. If you are still having problems, and you are sure it is not due to lack of funds then it could be down to your device or a system problem on our end. If changing device and multiple attemps still fail, please get in touch so we can work it out and make sure your product is safely reserved in the meantime.
DELIVERY & RETURNS
Can I return my purchase if I am not happy?
We hope that all adopters will be happy with their new friends however should you be in any way unsatisfied with your adoptee, we are happy to offer a full refund once a friend is returned to us at HQ. Should you have any more questions, please feel free to reach out to the team.
How long will my purchase take?
At the time of checkout, you will be able to choose which shipping option is preferable to you. Shipping times will be dependant on the option chosen, the shipping location and should be clearly outlined at the time of purchase. We will email you once your order has left us, and then if a tracking option has been chosen, you will receive the details to follow this up as you wish.
What happens if I buy more than one product?
Under our sustainability policy, if you purchase more than one product in one order, we will use the least amount of boxes possible to reduce shipping and environmental costs. If you would prefer your products in separate boxes, that is no problem, so just get in touch to let us know.
What if my order never arrives?
Once a package leaves us, we unfortunately have no control over its arrival and although it is extremely rare, it is possible that sometimes packages can go missing with no explanation. If this was to happen, we would assess the individual situation and take action from there.
EVENTS
I have an event in mind for Loved Before, how can I get them there?
If you run, or know of an event, please follow the link on our events page and send us the details. If we are available, and the event suits our offering, we love to learn about and attend new events!
I’m going to be attending an event you’re at, how can I let you know?
If you see that we're going to be at an event, and you're planning to attend, we'd love to hear from you! To let us know, drop us a message via our site or through the emails on our contact page.
THE PRODUCT
How can I find out more about the product?
All products that are on the store should have a few basic details on their product page including their dimensions and any safety warnings, if they have one. If you need to know more about the product you are interested in, drop us a message and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.
How is the product packaged?
If you order a Loved Before from our store, they will arrive in a box containing cushioning and their card. The box is then wrapped in one of our sleeves, protected from shipping damage by some bubble wrap and wrapped finally with brown shipping paper. If you buy more than one Loved Before and they fit, it is part of our sustainability policy to ship them in one box unless you request otherwise.
Are the products safe for young children?
Whilst we can do our best to provide any of the safety information contained on a toy's label, we cannot make any guaruntees about the safety of any of our toys with children of any age. We advise that toys parts that could come off (for example eyes or facial features) should not be given to young children due to risk of suffocation. Further to this, we advise in general that children under the age of 7 months should not have soft toys in their sleeping environments and in any case, a child with a soft toy should be supervised at all times. For more tips on children and toys, check out this site.
Can you reserve products?
We work on a first come, first serve basis for product reservations. Unless stated otherwise, friends can be reserved during the pre-release 'preview periods'. This is the hour or so before release, where we preview some friends across our socials before they go live on the site. Reserves can be requested by dropping us a message via socials or our site, however please do not rely on comments as we do not always see them.
What if my purchase is a gift?
Many people purchase Loved Befores as a gift for others, whether it be as a birthday gift, another special ocassion or just a gesture of good will. Please add a note to your order to advise us that an order is a gift, and use this space to include any note you would like us to include 'e.g. Happy Birthday, love John'. Please be aware that the billing address should be the address linked to the card used for purchase, and it is only the shipping address which should not be that of your own in the instance of a gift.