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Welcome to Vegan.co.uk your online farmers market!
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Is everything on the store Vegan?
On vegan.co.uk we are proud to say everything on the website is vegan friendly. We want vegan.co.uk to be a place that any vegan or vegetarian can come to and not have to check the ingredients to make sure it is 100% Vegan. If anything is found to contain any animal products or any practices which harm products then it will be removed from the website at first notice. This is your one stop shop for everything vegan!
What's the difference between vegan and vegetarian?
We just wanted to clear this up here; although everything on vegan.co.uk is vegan by definition we just want to clean up what that means. Vegan products contain no animal products at all, meat is the obvious one but also no dairy or eggs and also no by products of animals such as honey or wool or any derivatives. New and confusing products pop up all the time such as food colourings and vitamins, refined sugar and more. We keep up to date and always listen to our customers to make sure that we are trying our very best to keep everything on the website 100% vegan friendly. Vegan products are also never tested on animals and ideally are not sold by companies with any practices that harm animals in other areas of their business.
Vegetarian products can basically contain any products which do not include meat or harm to animals, wool and honey, cheese and eggs are all ok for a vegetarian. Here at vegan.co.uk we do not discriminate and understand that some of these products to constitute a symbiotic relationship between the person and the animal, however without personally knowing every one of our vendors we are not able to check how well they would treat a chicken for example, this is why we trust the ingredients list to be comprehensive and truthful.
How do you make sure everything is Vegan?
Many of the vendors on the website we have personally contacted and requested them to come to us and sell their wonderful products, they are products we use or are aware of, we have met them at markets at fayres and have good relationships with them. But to make sure everything is vegan we have a two step process. 1. We try our best to inspect new products that come onto the website, to check the ingredients list and make sure nothing is wrong, we also have a banned word list so that any ingredients listed which are not vegan get flagged to the vendor while they are uploading products. 2. We listen to our customers and anything that they flag to us we inspect and review independently, vegan.co.uk is a community as well as a store and it is by working together that we can build a more friendly and sustainable future.
How to contact Vegan.co.uk
Is Buying On-Line Safe?
Yes. You can shop safely online if you pay attention to where you shop and take specific security precautions. And our store uses popular and tested payment methods to keep your payment secure. We don't store any payment information on the website. Our sellers are user tested any any sellers with a net negative view are assessed and regulated by vegan.co.uk, leaving only legitimate and high quality merchants for you to purchase from.
How do I purchase an item on Vegan.co.uk
Buying an item on Vegan.co.uk is simple, you can either search for an item you are looking for using our search bar or browse one of our many categories or featured item selections. Once you have found what you are looking for simply choose from one of the variations and add it to your basket. Then you can head to the checkout screen and purchase when you are ready to finalize your order.
Tips for buying safely on Vegan.co.uk
At vegan.co.uk we rely on our community and our selection process to make sure the website only has the best and most trusted vendors.
-Always be sure to check the reviews for and vendor you are buying from, this can be found in their account section
-Always be sure to check product reviews so you know the product you are buying suits your needs.
-Never give your full credit card number, tax identification or password in an email, message or over the phone.
If you have any issues you can always contact us at veganukhelp@gmail.com
How do I contact a Merchant
All of our merchants will have their contact details available at the top of their store page. We don’t want you to have to go through artificial systems which get in the way of dealing with real people. Vegan.co.uk has always been proud to be as close to a farmers market as we can be. Simply phone or send an email to the seller and they will get back to you at their convenience. Always remember to be polite and understanding as all of our merchants are trying their best to fulfill their orders in a timely manner.
Can I buy a gift on Vegan.co.uk?
We currently do not offer gift cards, the best way to purchase a gift would be to purchase an item the regular way and have it shipped to yourself and wrap it or change the shipping address if it is for somebody in a different city. If you leave a note in the description, the merchant may be able to add something to the box to emphasize that it is a present for the recipient.
How do I leave a review on Vegan.co.uk
Simply go to the product that you would like to review and click the review section. Then you will be able to leave a review; please be polite, even in your criticisms and remember that all of our merchants are real people trying their best to make a living doing something that they love. They appreciate feedback and any explicitly rude or mean reviews are subject to removal or modification of language.
What Payment Methods Are Accepted?
We currently only accept paypal payment for customers and merchants. You can create a paypal account linked directly to your bank easily and quickly at paypal.com. This is the easiest method for small merchants and businesses to take payment quickly and efficiently. As we grow going forward we will begin to implement other traditional methods of payment.
How do I checkout once I am done shopping?
Click the little reusable bag icon at the top of the screen to get an overview of your basket and then continue to the checkout, you will be prompted to link your paypal account before proceeding.
Help! It says my payment was declined, what now?
I’m having trouble checking out.
How do I remove an item from my basket before checkout?
Before you checkout and even while you are shopping you can hover over the tote bag icon and click the small cross next to any item to remove it from your cart. Otherwise before you checkout there will be a cart overview where you are able to remove items prior to final payment by clicking the cross on the overview page.
What Shipping Methods Are Available?
Each merchant sets their own shipping methods, they will mostly be using Royal Mail, DPS, Hermes or one of the other major UK delivery services. These vary in cost and we recommend that merchants do not charge more than is necessary for the shipping portion of their business. We want to try our best to have honest sellers who do not hide costs.
Do You Ship Internationally?
Not currently, we want to make sure our UK merchants are able to ship easily and cheaply to UK customers. We want to keep all mileage and travel footprints as low as possible so shipping internationally is not currently our plan as our merchants are based within the UK. We are sorry to all our international vegan and vegetarian allies and send you our best wishes.
How Long Will It Take To Get My Package?
As soon as we receive your order, The vendor will begin processing it. The items are sent by the sellers so different items may take varying amounts of time; some items may be put together by hand as we try to go for a farmers market feel as much as possible. You are able to contact the seller to confirm how long an item may take to get to you but please be patient as they are all trying their best. All our merchants sell out of the UK so it should not take more than a week or two for your items to be processed and delivered, please check the merchants page for more information.
How Can I Cancel Or Change My Order?
Since orders are completed as rapidly as possible, they may not be able to be amended after they have been placed. Please contact the merchant soon as possible if you need to change or cancel an order.
In your account section there is a button to cancel the order but there is no guarantee that this will issue an immediate refund. The merchant will need to be contacted so that they can confirm the order has been cancelled and a refund can be issued.
How Do I Track My Order?
To track an item, go to Track Your Order on the home page and enter your Order ID and the email address you used to place the order. You will then be able to see your whether your order has been processed or shipped and any further information. If you have paid for any additional tracking then you will need to take your tracking ID number and use it on the appropriate couriers website to track your item.
How Can I Return a Product?
As each of our merchants are independent, the returns policy depends on them. It is best to e-mail them via their store page and ask for a return address and label in the case of products which are able to be returned. Food items and cosmetics are usually not returnable but each vendor is different and they may be able to offer a refund or some kind of store credit. Please remember to be polite when interacting with them or any representative from vegan.co.uk at veganukhelp@gmail.com and we will all try our best to help you.
How do I change a wrong address on my order?
Prior to payment you can go into your account and change your address easily under the ‘addresses’ tab, as well as entering multiple addresses if you wish to purchase a product as a gift for somebody else. After ordering it is best to contact the merchant you bought the product off of and cancel the order or request an address change, as they may have already sent your package. You can find their contact details on their store page.
I need this now! How can I get faster delivery?
Some merchants may offer faster delivery as one of their delivery options. You will have to choose this when placing the item into your cart as each item may be delivered by different merchants. UK delivery is reliable and pretty fast so items should reach you in 2-5 business days depending on your location.
How to add tracking
Do I need an account to place an order?
Yes. To place an order it is necessary to create an account. To do this simply click ‘register.’ at the top right of the page, or you can continue shopping and you will be directed to create an account during the checkout process. Here you are then able to input all of the information you need to get started.
How do I create an account?
At the top right of the website you will see a little figure and the login button, by clicking this your will be prompted to login or to create a new account by clicking ‘sign up now.’ under the login screen. It is as easy as that.
Why can’t I sign into my account?
How to sign in and out (and the importance of signing out.)
How to change your password
When you are logging in there is a button which says forgot? Next to the password input section. This will prompt you for your email address where a password change email will be sent. Here you can change your password to something new and login right away. Be sure to check our account security section for information on how to set a secure password.
How to debate an account suspension
How to create a new account.
To create an account simply click register at the top right hand side of the web page. Here you can enter your name, email address and a secure password. As well as choosing if you wish to sign up as a customer or a vendor (merchant.) If you wish to sign up as a merchant later then that is possible using your customer account by following the steps to become a seller at the top of the page once you are signed in.
How to change the email address assigned to your account
How to change your email preferences
Be sure that you have saved all emails that come from vegan.co.uk as important so that you do not miss any correspondence with vegan.co.uk, especially if you are a vendor; we wouldn’t want you to miss any emails from your customers or our team.
How to change your seller bio and profile pictures.
You have two separate images, to change your account bio you can go into your account in the top right of the store and then click your profile picture to upload an image from your device. If you are a seller then you can go to your store dashboard and go to the settings area; here you can change your store location, logo, description, content description and more.
How your user profile represents you as a seller
It is important to pick an image that represents you and your store appropriately; if you have a logo, if you represent your company yourself or if you have a most popular item then we recommend using one of those images to represent your store. Customers will associate this image with you and your store so it is important to pick something that you think your customers will respond to.
How to keep your account secure
The first step to keeping your account secure is to create a secure and unique password and to not share it with anybody. A secure password should be longer than 8 characters, be a unique string of lower and uppercase letters, numbers and punctuation. Words and phrases are much easier to guess than random strings of letters and numbers.
Secondly do not leave your account signed in and walk away from your computer, laptop or phone, anybody could easily modify your account settings if you do this. So remember to always log out once you are finished shopping or working in your online store.
What to do if you suspect suspicious activity on your account
How to update or change your password
Changing your password is as easy as clicking your account name at the top right of the web page and then going to the ‘change password.’ section of the account screen. Here you can enter a new password; please follow our account security guidelines to set a secure and appropriate password to safeguard your account.
Why can’t I sign into my seller account?
How to sign in and out (and the importance of signing out.)
Simply click the login button at the top right of the screen and input your email and password to sign into the website. We recommend not saving your account details, especially if you are a vendor so that nobody using your device can access your account.
It is equally important to log out if you are walking away from your device, whether it is just to grab a drink, go to the bathroom or go on a break as anybody could walk up to your device and sign in.
How to create a seller account
When clicking the register button at the top of vegan.co.uk you have an option to open a customer or a vendor account. If you wish to sell on vegan.co.uk then you must open a vendor account. If you already have a customer account with a linked email you wish to use for your vendor account then you can convert a customer account easily at the top of the screen. When creating your shop you will need to create a shop name, a URL for our website and link an active phone number.
How to open a store
Once you have created an account it is time to link a paypal account, do this by going to your store dashboard, click on ‘settings.’ and then going to bank information. Here you can link your paypal account with your paypal ID. Be sure to link your paypal account to your bank by following the paypal guidelines. Once you have done this you can go to the products area of the dashboard and click create to begin uploading items to your store.
What am I able to sell?
Here at vegan.co.uk we try our best to allow you to sell anything that is 100% vegan. Whether it is food or natural cleaning supplies there is a place for it in our store; we want vegans to be able to come and shop here without having to worry about whether a product is vegan or not. If your item or product does not fit into one of the many categories we have set then you are welcome to e-mail us and ask us to create a new area for your product and we will look into it.
What is the % that Vegan.co.uk takes?
Vegan.co.uk is looking to grow a community, as the sellers are doing all of the work we are only taking a 1% cut of the sales that they make for site maintenance and upkeep. Other than that the rest of the sale goes direct to the seller. We want the seller to have the power and ability to find more people than they can at their local farmers market and be able to grow their business and community through us, without excessive costs. We also want to be an easy an accessible place for vegan vendors to showcase their products. We know we aren't the biggest store and currently are a very small team; however we want to be here to facilitate vendors and encourage veganism, we are not here to be predatory or money hungry in anyway. We believe the internet to be a facilitator for encouraging community, not a business model.
How to add an item to my store
Firstly choose the category your item best fits into from our list of categories on the right hand side.
Below in the content box you can add as much information as you need about the products materials, size, shape, safety instructions or anything else the customer may need to know; it is great to update this with any information customers have asked for in correspondence as this will avoid further similar questions.
The pricing is also done from this page, be aware to INCLUDE postage with this pricing, if a larger product costs more for you to send then please add the shipping cost to the pricing and include it here along with the rough weight and size of the item.
Now you can link any related items or cross sold items (items sold with the one you are listing.) to improve your pages look and search results, we recommend listing other items from your store or similar items that match what you are selling, these can always be edited at a later date.
How to manage a good store front.
Your storefront is a representation of your business; it is best if it is clean and has either your most popular products or products which represent your store as the primary focus. Be sure to type in a good description which includes the types of products you sell and maybe a little bit about how your business got started and what your objectives are.
Why can’t I open a store in X country?
Unfortunately we currently only allow merchants from the UK. We want to focus our business on the UK where our market is. This helps our merchants to ship quickly and easily and allows us to control the growth of our small business before we launch any type of international trading.
How to set up your shops rules and policies.
If you have any additional rules or policies such as customisation options, shipping options or returns agreements then it is best to go into your vendor dashboard through your account and into the shop settings; you can then add these policies into the content section of your store for all to see.
I sold my first item! What now?
Congratulations! We are so happy you have managed to start your journey towards becoming a successful merchant with us. We allow you to accept withdrawals of your funds whenever you need to. Simply go to your vendor dashboard and go to the withdrawals section. Here you can withdraw your account earnings by clicking create and entering an amount up to your earnings displayed on the left. These will be deposited into your paypal account once it is processed by paypal.
How to deliver your items
Where’s the link for my shop?
When you opened your store you would have also created a vegan.co.uk URL, this is your shop link with us. If you have forgotten your URL or if it has been a while since you opened your merchant store with us you can find (and change.) this URL in your vendor dashboard settings under Shop URL. We advise not changing this too frequently as loyal customers may find it harder to find your store in the future.
How do I alter my store's banner?
At the moment the only shop customisation we offer is your shop name, profile picture and your description and contents sections. In the future we want to implement a bunch of interesting ways to customize your store page. We want to put in a dedicated store page for all of your information and would like to allow you to customize your banner at the top of the screen for a start.
How to Edit your store description
To edit your store description head to the settings section in your vendor dashboard; here you can edit your stores description and content. We recommend using the description area for a brief overview of what your store offers, how it started, a bit about your team and your goals. In your content section we recommend adding any store policies for returns, delivery and anything else your customers might need to know before buying.
How to add your stores location
You can edit your store's location if you need to in the vendor dashboard under the settings section. Here simply change your country, city, region (state.) and address and click save settings at the bottom of the page to make the changes.
How to change your store name
You can change or alter your store name in the settings area of the vendor dashboard, however we do not recommend doing this frequently as it may lead to confusion with your customers. A store name helps identify you on our website and as such will help you to build a place in our community and build loyalty with your customers. Also any reviews you receive will still be there if you change your store name; you should only do this in extreme circumstances and we recommend contacting our support team before making any drastic changes.
How to report intellectual property infringement to Vegan.co.uk
How to use your dashboard
Dashboard:
This area contains all of your statistics including recent orders; revenue taken and paid out, most popular items, outstanding orders and number of products you currently have in your store. This is a quick area to see an overview of how your store is doing and what needs to be done.
This is where you can upload new items to your store, check out our ‘how to add an item.’ FAQ for a detailed overview of the product upload page and how to use it.
All of the orders for your store will appear here, including completed orders for future reference as well as their current status. This is the main page you will use for dispatching your orders. If you click edit order you will be brought to a page where you can see the complete status changes for each order as well as being able to download the invoice for printing, add notes and access the customers email for communication purposes.
Coupons:
If you wish to run special offers you can use this page to create a coupon and a coupon code for your store. You can choose from a discount amount, %, or free shipping. The system can generate a random coupon code for you. We recommend doing a small trial of coupons before running a full campaign.
The withdrawals screen is where you will go to take money from your store's earnings and place them into your paypal account. You will need to create a new request with the desired amount and select an account for it to be deposited; this will then be sent to our team where we will process and approve each withdrawal individually. This may take a few business days.
From here you are able to view all of your stores reviews
This area is where all of your stores information can be changed, the URL, name, photos, descriptions as well as your banking information. All of these processes are described elsewhere in our FAQ.
Will take you out of your dashboard and back to the customer area of the vegan.co.uk
How to temporarily disable your shop (Holiday mode.) OR enter test mode.
How to close your shop
How to cancel a sale
On your vendor dashboard you can go to your ‘orders’ page and see all of your orders. Here if you click edit you are able to cancel the order at the bottom of the screen.
How to receive payment
Simply go to your dashboard and go to settings, go to bank information and input your paypal ID and set a bank name. Then you can go to withdrawals on the dashboard and request payment whenever you like. It is part of our first year statement to never stand in the way of withdrawals, it may take me up to 24 hours to approve the request. Once we have the ability we will remove this step entirely, allowing the customer to pay you directly without us intervening.
How to set up sales and discounts for your products.
If you wish to put a discount/sale on your product you must find the product in the vendor dashboard and click edit; beside where you input the price you are able to input a discount or ‘sale’ price. You can optionally click ‘choose discount period.’ to set a date range for the items discount.
How to use the coupon creator
In the vendor dashboard you are able to create coupons for your store, go to the coupon creator and click create at the top. You can set any code you want, or have the website generate a random code for you, then input a name to identify your promotion. You can either set an unlimited offer or you can set a date range for the coupons to be active within. Then choose between a fixed amount, discount % or a free shipping offer and click save. We always advise setting a date range to test the effectiveness of the coupon and then coming back and adjusting the code and dates after the initial offer has expired.
How to run an ad campaign
An ad campaign can be a very effective way to improve your business or help people to find your store at vegan.co.uk, there are traditional methods such as paper ads, word of mouth and business cards. You can also use our coupon creator to run a promotion and give out these promotional codes to others who will help promote your business. Alternatively you can use google adwords to run a small ad campaign and drive traffic to your page.
How to set delivery rates
Delivery rates are currently set by us. As many of our vendors will use different methods of shipping we have decided to set standard rates for the different types of shipping and for different packages and weights, tracked and signed. The customer will then choose the shipping option they desire from each store they are ordering from during checkout. This will allow the vendor to then choose the most suitable provider and send the package with them by their desired method.
How to estimate postage costs
Delivery can vary a lot which is why we offer a range of prices during checkout. It is best to send small to large parcels second class, it takes a few days but is a lot cheaper. The Royal mail always have their prices posted online https://www.royalmail.com/current-postage-prices . For other couriers please go to their website and download the latest pricing .pdf for the most accurate costs.
How and when to do free delivery
It is up to you to offer free delivery or not, in the coupon section of your vendor dashboard you can set an unlimited coupon, change the coupon type to free shipping and then set a minimum shipping fee, if the customer chooses a shipping option which is less than this figure then they will receive free shipping. This is a great idea if your store mostly consists of higher priced, lightweight products.
