We've recently made some changes to our subscription plans. We are usually using the term "recurring bundle" for a subscription. This FAQ should have all the answers to your questions about how the recurring bundles work.
What is different?
Subscribers now have lots of new options and flexibility.
Were any of the old features lost?
Yes. Our new software is designed for products rather than donations. We've now built a modest contribution for our training program into the price of each bundle (similar to the way we handle retail sales). Unlike #Teamgranola this contribution won't be acknowledged with a tax receipt.
Can I still send a recurring gift?
Yes, this works the same as it did before. The gift just needs to be shipped to a different person. Gift subscriptions can all be managed through the same portal of your account.
Can a subscriber still choose to add an additional tax-deductible donation?
You can add a one time gift at checkout. We are working on a system where you can bundle a recurring donation to your recurring order, but this is not set up yet. We do offer separate recurring donations through our donate page.
I'm a current #Teamgranola subscriber. What happens to my current #Teamgranola subscription(s)?
This isn't a subscription question, but still, why has shipping gone up?
Rates from from USPS have gone up twice since we set our pricing structure for #Teamgranola. We've hated the thought of changing it, but it's just become necessary. This will eventually extend to #teamgranola.
Is there any reason why a current #Teamgranola subscriber might want to switch to the new recurring bundle subscription?
Yes. if you want to substitute or remove an item from your current #Teamgranola order. There is no need to switch if you wish to add items to a #teamgranola bundle. But if you wish to subtract or substitute an item, then just cancel the plan and create a new bundle that contains the items you want.
Were there other reasons you changed the subscription plan?
We designed #Teamgranola as a way to represent the critical partnership of subscribers in our social enterprise. Subscribers are so vital to our work. They create reliable, consistent demand both for the training we offer and the products created during that training. But explaining all this in a few words was challenging. Many customers were just happy to get the granola and know they were supporting a good cause. We're in a learning curve to keep it simple.
Just in case you're interested: our #Teamgranola subscriptions were priced essentially at cost with a required minimum donation (which we tracked separately and then acknowledged with an end-of-year tax receipt). We had structured it this way to demonstrate to our subscribers how they essential they are to our support team. We still do offer recurring donations through our donate page. They are just not bundled with granola sales.
Will you still send a storycard?
Yes. We designed our story cards as a special perk for #Teamgranola partners. We wanted you to meet the people making the granola. Customers have loved them. So instead of limiting them to subscribers we will start printing more and include them will all orders.
The answers below apply only to our monthly granola subscriptions. If you have questions about a recurring monthly donation please send us an email.Q: WHAT WILL MY PACKAGE LOOK LIKE?
A; Your #TeamGranola subscription will arrive in a sturdy attractive gift box along with a photo and brief update on one of our current trainees.
Q: WHEN DOES MY MEMBERSHIP START?
A: Your membership starts during the month that you sign up. If you sign up on May 31st, you will be a May subscriber. If you sign up June 1st, you will be a June subscriber.
Q: I JUST JOINED. WHEN SHOULD I EXPECT MY PACKAGE?
A: Packages will typically ship during the 3rd week of every month. The only exception is if you happen to sign up near the end of a month. In this situation, your package will be go out on the next shipping day. We typically ship on Tuesdays and Fridays. Two examples:
1) If you sign up on April 1st, your first package will arrive during the 3rd week of April. Subsequent packages will arrive during the 3rd week of each month.
2) If you sign up on April 31st, your package will ship as soon as we can get it in the mail: in this case May 2nd. Your second package will arrive during the 3rd week of May.
Q: IF PART OF A MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION IS TAX-DEDUCTIBLE, WHAT KIND OF RECEIPT CAN I EXPECT.
A: Each monthly charge will be split into the 3 components when we enter it in our accounting system: purchase, donation, shipping. Next January you will receive a year-end statement detailing your gifts to Beautiful Day by date. This is the same documentation you would receive if you simply sent us a check each month. We don't typically send receipts if the total gifts are under $25, but you can request one.
Payment Questions
Q: WHEN WILL I FIRST SEE A CHARGE GO THROUGH ON MY CARD?
A: All new subscriptions will be charged for the first month soon after you order--usually immediately after your order.
Q: WHEN WILL SUBSEQUENT CHARGES GO THROUGH?
A: The recur date is set for the 15th of every month. No matter which day you signed up for #TeamGranola, you should see your second charge on the 15th of the following month. Two examples:
1) If you signed up on May 1st, your first charge will be May 1st. Your second charge will be June 15th.
2) If you signed up on May 31st, your first charge will be May 31st. Your second charge will be June 15th.
Q: CAN I GET A REFUND?
A: Our credit card manager (STRIPE) usually puts a day's delay between a purchase and processing the charge. Often we can cancel or reverse a new charge, so just contact us at granola@beautifuldayri.org. If you've been charged, but your first shipment has not been set, then we can manually cancel the account and refund you. If the granola has already shipped, we'd prefer not to refund you since we don't re-sell returned granola. Once a subscription is charged, you can cancel it yourself at any time. A link to update/cancel your membership will be emailed to you after enrolment.
Shipping Questions
Q: CAN I PUT MY MEMBERSHIP ON A TEMPORARY HOLD?
A: Sorry! For the same reasons, we prefer to avoid making temporary changes to a membership. As much as we want to please our best customers, it's just too easy to make a mistake and end up displeasing you. Better to cancel and then restart when you're ready. It's easy to do.
Q: DO YOU SHIP INTERNATIONALLY?
A: Sorry, we currently ship only in the U.S., excluding the U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa).
Q: CAN I CUSTOMIZE A PACKAGE OPTION?
A: Sorry! As much as we'd love to offer customized combinations of granola, we can only offer it to larger orders, such as offices or groups of 10+. Most of our staff are in a training program and learning English, phone skills, and technology, so we need to limit the number of variables. It's just too easy to make mistakes with custom packages.
Gifting Granola
Q: HOW DO I SIGN UP A RELATIVE OR BUY A MEMBERSHIP AS A GIFT FOR SOMEONE?
A: It’s super easy. Buy a membership for anyone; just make sure to input their correct shipping information when you fill out the form!
Q: HOW WILL THEY KNOW THE GIFT IS FROM ME?
A: We will include a gift card with gift memberships saying who it is from. If you include a brief note on your order form, one of our employees will handwrite this note. Please do keep your notes brief since this is hard work for English language learners
Other
Q: WHAT IF WOULD LIKE TO ORGANIZE A GROUP THAT HOPES TO SPONSOR THE TRAINING OF ONE REFUGEE BY PURCHASING GRANOLA MEMBERSHIP?
A: What a great idea. We are working on a way for groups (like a church or an office) to sponsor the complete training stipend of a new trainee. Just contact Rebecca through the form on our Donate Page nd we'll tell you all about it.
Q: AS A CLUB MEMBER, HOW CONNECTED WILL I BE TO A SPECIFIC TRAINEE? WHAT KIND OF INFORMATION WILL I RECEIVE ABOUT THEM.
A: During our pilot we developed a simple format with a picture and brief story on a card to update you on the progress of one of our trainees. We hope this will convey just a little of the reality--that your purchase and contribution is providing real work and real training for a very real person, and it 's making a difference in their lives. Since trainees usually stay around 3 months, each months subscription package may feature a different trainee.
Q: I CAN'T FIND AN ANSWER HERE, WHAT DO I DO?
A: You can open a customer service ticket
Q: I WANT TO TALK ABOUT AND SHARE MY OPINION ABOUT THE CLUB. WHERE CAN I DO THIS?
A: We love hearing your opinions, and we listen to every single one in order to improve the #TeamGranola experience! Please let us know what you think by emailing us or opening a customer service ticket.
