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FAQ
HOME · FAQ
General
What does organic, spray-free, local, etc mean?
In New Zealand, terms such as organic and spray-free are unregulated and often confusing. To help you understand what they mean, we have defined them to explain how we label and classify food on our site.
Is all produce from small growers?
Not all of it. Some fruit and veg aren’t economical to grow on a small scale. For example, carrots, potatoes, apples, broccoli, onions are some examples where a grower needs to grow a lot to justify expensive equipment. Growing these by hand is cost prohibitive to feed more than one household.
When we order from organic wholesalers, either we order fruit or staples that hold very well or it’s typically ordered directly from the farm for Ooooby to meet our delivery schedule so it’s as fresh as wholesale organic can be.
When we order from organic wholesalers, either we order fruit or staples that hold very well or it’s typically ordered directly from the farm for Ooooby to meet our delivery schedule so it’s as fresh as wholesale organic can be.
Is organic and local food good for the money?
Absolutely!
You can't compare high quality and harvested yesterday* organic local food with food (even organic) that is transported to and from big warehouses before it's in the shops. Local food is grown with love and care. It is nutrient dense and not comparable to conventional or big-farm produce.
Our farmers deserve their fair share of the rewards so we pay them at least 50% of the retail value of all our box deliveries. We receive most of our produce directly from our growers and hand-pack it ourselves.
Retail produce prices fluctuate 1:1 with market prices - ie. what farmers charge us. This depends on how much into the season something is, if supplies are limited, weather etc.
Because we only have a packing hub, an online store and our team mostly works from home on non-pack days, our costs are very low and we pass these savings onto you and pay farmers fairly. Supermarkets and retail stores with heaps of staff and high rent cannot achieve this in a million years. They HAVE to pay farmers less, MUCH less.
* Often harvested yesterday, or up to 3 days before you get it. Some fruit or staples can be harvested earlier if they are able to maintainable freshness.
You can't compare high quality and harvested yesterday* organic local food with food (even organic) that is transported to and from big warehouses before it's in the shops. Local food is grown with love and care. It is nutrient dense and not comparable to conventional or big-farm produce.
Our farmers deserve their fair share of the rewards so we pay them at least 50% of the retail value of all our box deliveries. We receive most of our produce directly from our growers and hand-pack it ourselves.
Retail produce prices fluctuate 1:1 with market prices - ie. what farmers charge us. This depends on how much into the season something is, if supplies are limited, weather etc.
Because we only have a packing hub, an online store and our team mostly works from home on non-pack days, our costs are very low and we pass these savings onto you and pay farmers fairly. Supermarkets and retail stores with heaps of staff and high rent cannot achieve this in a million years. They HAVE to pay farmers less, MUCH less.
* Often harvested yesterday, or up to 3 days before you get it. Some fruit or staples can be harvested earlier if they are able to maintainable freshness.
Produce Quality & Freshness
Why is Ooooby produce so fresh?
Many reasons…
- It is harvested specifically for you.
- It doesn’t sit in a shop for days waiting to be sold
- It doesn’t sit in wholesaler warehouses
- It’s not shipped around the country (or world).
- Out Of Our Own Back Yards.. doesn't get fresher!
- We pack boxes with love and care
- Healthy soils make nutrient-dense resilient food (and people).
Is Ooooby better than regular organic?
We believe so. Small growers are able to care for their small plots with more love per square meter. That means better quality produce for you and a positive impact on the environment. It’s local so it travels less and doesn’t require warehousing. And we pay fair prices so these beautiful people can make a living doing what they love.
When is produce harvested?
Our farmers harvest exactly to order, typically Tues-Wed. No waste. Max profit for the farmer. Ultra-fresh for you.
Is fruit harvested to order too?
That depends on the time of the year and the kind of fruit. Some fruit like plums, mandarins, peaches don’t store well so chances are high they’re going right from the tree into your box. Farmers usually grow several varieties that ripen at different times of the year to make sure you can get your fruit as fresh as possible (and they have steady income). This means an apple harvest season can last from December until May! Apples in winter and spring are stored by growers at 0.5C to keep them crispy for months.
Some fruit like avocados require time to ripen off the tree, or others, like pears, need to be harvested early to make sure they aren’t overripe once you receive them. To say it with Ralph Waldo Emerson’s words: "There are only ten minutes in the life of a pear when it is perfect to eat."
Some fruit like avocados require time to ripen off the tree, or others, like pears, need to be harvested early to make sure they aren’t overripe once you receive them. To say it with Ralph Waldo Emerson’s words: "There are only ten minutes in the life of a pear when it is perfect to eat."
My produce doesn’t keep very long - is it really fresh?
Yes, it is! In fact, much fresher than items you will generally find in your average supermarket.
At Ooooby, we try to avoid unnecessary packaging but we encourage you to transfer your produce to suitable airtight containers as soon as your box has arrived. There are fancy produce storage containers you can buy, but for most leafy greens and vegetables used ice-cream boxes and re-used zip-lock bags keep your greens fresh for up to 2 weeks or longer!
At Ooooby, we try to avoid unnecessary packaging but we encourage you to transfer your produce to suitable airtight containers as soon as your box has arrived. There are fancy produce storage containers you can buy, but for most leafy greens and vegetables used ice-cream boxes and re-used zip-lock bags keep your greens fresh for up to 2 weeks or longer!
If I am not happy with the quality of items I receive, can I get a refund?
The short answer is - it depends!
Organically grown produce is often not as pretty looking as supermarket produce because beauty is in the inside (as well as taste and nutrition). We love our “ugly” veggies - hugging carrots, heart-shaped potatoes and little yam people make our day. Some spots or bruises are to be expected.
Our packing team has a strong quality control in place but from time to time, we might miss some “bad apples”, or the odd item might be damaged in transit. Please let us know about those issues and we are happy to look at crediting your account or we may pop a little something extra in with your next order.
Please note that we can’t give credits for incorrectly stored items.
Organically grown produce is often not as pretty looking as supermarket produce because beauty is in the inside (as well as taste and nutrition). We love our “ugly” veggies - hugging carrots, heart-shaped potatoes and little yam people make our day. Some spots or bruises are to be expected.
Our packing team has a strong quality control in place but from time to time, we might miss some “bad apples”, or the odd item might be damaged in transit. Please let us know about those issues and we are happy to look at crediting your account or we may pop a little something extra in with your next order.
Please note that we can’t give credits for incorrectly stored items.
Orders, Payments & Cancellations
When can I place an order?
AUCKLAND:
Anytime, but we update prices and availability of fresh produce on our site Friday evening for the following week’s boxes. You have until 11:30pm Sunday to finalise or customise your order.
CHRISTCHURCH:
Anytime, but we update prices and availability of fresh produce on our site Thursday evening for the following week’s boxes. You have until 11:00am Monday to finalise or customise your order.
What about produce I don’t want?
You have 2 options:
- Order a subscription box. Take a few minutes each week to swap out things you don't want for food you love! You can do this by simply clicking on the green “Customise” button from your Ooooby shopping cart. Dial down on items you don’t want to receive, and dial up on your favourite items! Any produce not available to dial up can still be added to your order (at an additional cost). We update our site every Friday with new produce for the week ahead, so you can customise your box from Friday afternoon until order cut-off on Sunday night.
- Do a complete custom order every week at no additional charge. This gets really quick and easy when you use recurring orders, like eggs every other week. Bread every week. Olive oil once a month. etc. (Individual fresh produce cannot be ordered as a recurring item because our produce list gets updated weekly depending on availability.)
How do I cancel my subscription (recurring orders)?
Go to “MY ACCOUNT” and select “RECURRING ITEMS” to remove each product you have subscribed to as a recurring order.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. There are no contracts or minimum terms.
Can I pause my subscription?
Yes. There are a couple of easy ways to manage this from within your Ooooby account.
Once logged into your account. Navigate to the "My Account" menu on the top right of the screen. Select the “DELIVERY HOLD” option and you can enter start and end dates for your vacation or the period you would like to put a hold on your deliveries. You will then not receive any deliveries between these dates.
Another option is to view your "Upcoming Deliveries". You will see your orders up to 3 weeks ahead. You can simply press the "skip delivery" link on the right hand side next to the order that you do not wish to receive.
Of course if you don't have any recurring items on your account then the system will not auto-generate an order for you in any week.
Once logged into your account. Navigate to the "My Account" menu on the top right of the screen. Select the “DELIVERY HOLD” option and you can enter start and end dates for your vacation or the period you would like to put a hold on your deliveries. You will then not receive any deliveries between these dates.
Another option is to view your "Upcoming Deliveries". You will see your orders up to 3 weeks ahead. You can simply press the "skip delivery" link on the right hand side next to the order that you do not wish to receive.
Of course if you don't have any recurring items on your account then the system will not auto-generate an order for you in any week.
Can I change or cancel my order after cut-off?
Unfortunately, it is not possible to change your order of fresh produce after cut-off.
You can of course set certain products to be recurring on your account, meaning that they will automatically be added to your order each week / fortnight based on how you set it up.
You can of course set certain products to be recurring on your account, meaning that they will automatically be added to your order each week / fortnight based on how you set it up.
Why can’t I cancel my box on short-notice?
Last minute box cancellations are always tricky.
We order all our produce very early in the week and we will receive all of this on the day before or on packing day (and will usually be harvested the day before the boxes go out).
Your credit card is charged on Monday after the order cut-off for that week. If you ask to cancel after that, we have already asked our farmers to harvest fresh for you. So a late cancellation would mean that food potentially goes waste and we would lose money.
From time to time, exceptions may be made under extenuating circumstances, because we want to do the best we can for everyone and find a solution where we can, but we need to run a financially sustainable business too... So we ask for your understanding. Thank you!
We order all our produce very early in the week and we will receive all of this on the day before or on packing day (and will usually be harvested the day before the boxes go out).
Your credit card is charged on Monday after the order cut-off for that week. If you ask to cancel after that, we have already asked our farmers to harvest fresh for you. So a late cancellation would mean that food potentially goes waste and we would lose money.
From time to time, exceptions may be made under extenuating circumstances, because we want to do the best we can for everyone and find a solution where we can, but we need to run a financially sustainable business too... So we ask for your understanding. Thank you!
What is your cancellation policy if I really need to cancel my box after the cut-off?
If the order is cancelled (via email or phone) on Monday, but prior to orders being placed with suppliers, we can possibly cancel that order at no charge. If we are able to do so, the credit will remain on the customer account for future use. We do not issue refunds.
If the order is cancelled (via email or phone) on Monday after the orders have been placed with suppliers, we can arrange to deliver to a nearby family member, neighbour, or friend in the same general area or donate the box to a local charity on your behalf.
Orders cancelled later than this for exceptional circumstances will be dealt with on a case by case basis, but please be aware that it becomes logistically very difficult to make changes once we have begun processing your order and have asked growers to harvest your food. In most instances we will not be able to make changes.
If the order is cancelled (via email or phone) on Monday after the orders have been placed with suppliers, we can arrange to deliver to a nearby family member, neighbour, or friend in the same general area or donate the box to a local charity on your behalf.
Orders cancelled later than this for exceptional circumstances will be dealt with on a case by case basis, but please be aware that it becomes logistically very difficult to make changes once we have begun processing your order and have asked growers to harvest your food. In most instances we will not be able to make changes.
Can I pay by bank transfer or EFTPOS?
No, sorry! We only accept credit or debit cards at this time. You’ll be asked to upload a Visa or Mastercard when you create your Ooooby account.
Deliveries
When will my order be delivered (and how)?
AUCKLAND & WAIKATO:
Depending on your address, Ooooby deliveries are made every Wednesday to Friday from 8:30am - 6pm in vans by chilled courier.
CHRISTCHURCH:
All deliveries are made Wednesdays between from 10.30am - 6.30pm in unchilled vans that use ice boxes for chilled goods. In the CBD deliveries are by bike courier!
Depending on your address, Ooooby deliveries are made every Wednesday to Friday from 8:30am - 6pm in vans by chilled courier.
CHRISTCHURCH:
All deliveries are made Wednesdays between from 10.30am - 6.30pm in unchilled vans that use ice boxes for chilled goods. In the CBD deliveries are by bike courier!
I am outside of your delivery zone - do you allow pick ups?
AUCKLAND & WAIKATO:
No free pickups, but if you live in rural Waiheke Island ask us about pickups at KB Distributers in Ostend.
CHRISTCHURCH:
If you work in town, we encourage you to get your box delivered to your work address - most workplaces are happy to receive our deliveries (how about they add a fruit box for the whole office too? ;) ).
There are also many businesses or public places that are happy to function as a drop point - this includes dairies, service stations, libraries, post shops…
Feel free to ask us about any drop points that we might already use in your area.
We also offer a free pick up option from our hub in Sydenham, Wednesdays between 10.30am and 1pm.
No free pickups, but if you live in rural Waiheke Island ask us about pickups at KB Distributers in Ostend.
CHRISTCHURCH:
If you work in town, we encourage you to get your box delivered to your work address - most workplaces are happy to receive our deliveries (how about they add a fruit box for the whole office too? ;) ).
There are also many businesses or public places that are happy to function as a drop point - this includes dairies, service stations, libraries, post shops…
Feel free to ask us about any drop points that we might already use in your area.
We also offer a free pick up option from our hub in Sydenham, Wednesdays between 10.30am and 1pm.
Can I track my delivery?
Unfortunately, you are not able to track your delivery in real time. However, we may be able to give you an approximate time-frame for delivery on the day. Please note that this time frame might vary from week to week.
How much is delivery?
Please see our delivery fees per region here.
Can I save on delivery?
Yes. We offer discounted and free delivery for larger orders and free pickups from our Hub (Christchurch only).
You may want to order fortnightly or order together with someone. This also saves space in delivery vans! :)
If you work in town, we encourage you to get your box delivered to your work address to save on delivery fees. There are also many businesses or public places that are happy to function as a drop point - this includes dairies, service stations, libraries, post shops…
You may want to order fortnightly or order together with someone. This also saves space in delivery vans! :)
If you work in town, we encourage you to get your box delivered to your work address to save on delivery fees. There are also many businesses or public places that are happy to function as a drop point - this includes dairies, service stations, libraries, post shops…
Can I return my cardboard boxes for reuse?
It depends - if you live in Auckland please contact us to check your address, as sadly only one of our courier partners is able to collect used packaging. If you live in Christchurch, yes! Our drivers are happy to pick up your old Ooooby boxes for us to re-use in the next week. Please just leave them outside your door (or the place where your box usually is left), flattened (the best way is to cut the tape with a cutter or knife). This will help us to reduce the number of new boxes we need to use each week and is an easy way for you to recycle them. We also take back egg cartons too.
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