Send balloons by post for Valentines

MSE_Martin · 6 February 2007 at 2:22PM

Update 5 February 2008:

It's that time of year again. If you're looking for an unusual Valentines' gift as an alternative to flowers for your loved one then balloons make a great choice. As mentioned in the past the bonus is that these balloons from www.balloonsbypost.com also help raise money for charity. Do remember though, if you're going to be letting children play with them afterwards not to leave them unattended. Read below for more details.

Back to last year's post...

Some of you may remember this from previous years; send a Valentines helium balloon to your loved one. Better still it makes a huge difference to the Teddy Charity which supports a children's hospital.

MoneySavers' past balloon buying has generated enough cash to buy two pulse oximeter machines worth £1,200 which will be used to measure the oxygen levels in the blood and lungs of infants and young children overnight without disturbing them, as well as nebulisers, scales and tipping beds.

From what I gather as a very small fundraising operation, the traffic from this every year is verysubstantial to it... so I've no qualms in pushing it

Where do I get the balloons from?

www.balloonsbypost.com has very Romantic packages that are ideal for your loved one (click the Valentines option in the left hand menu). The site has balloons for various occasions.

More info from Balloonsbypost:

"This year we've over 100 different designs to pick and mix and the ability from February 8th to put up to 8 balloons in one box; Jumbo sizes and large shapes for the first time; great value bunches and a couple with music. All balloons will be going out as a special Valentine's package which will include petals, rose, heart choc, heart confettios etc. etc.

The larger the order, the more free items we include. And all of this now earns Honey Points (well what else could we call it when we help The Teddy!), our brand new loyalty scheme that allows regular customers to gain discounts on future orders."

Why is it worth buying from them?

As well as being an unusual, thoughtful gift, it's totally in aid of The Teddy Charity which buys medical equipment for sick children being nursed at home so it's a hugely worthwhile cause.

Martin

(Happy Valentines)

freelancemermaid · 8 February 2007 at 9:57AM

while i fully appreciate the need to give to good causes, there is a downside to balloons.

whether released, or whether disposed of more responsibly, balloons frequently end up in the sea - where they get eaten by turtles, fish and other sea creatures who mistake them for prey items.

the animals' digestive systems get blocked and they die slowly and in a horrible way.

the marine conservation society run a campaign about it http://www.mcsuk.org/mcsaction/pollution/balloons

i'm also sending this to the organistion with the offer.

vixarooni · 8 February 2007 at 10:05AM

i blimming LOVE balloons. Id be happy to recieve a balloon from anyone.

I do see you point freelancemermaid, but i should imagine more animals die in the sea due to those can rings and other rubbish left on the beach in the summer than balloons.

freelancemermaid · 8 February 2007 at 11:23AM

ta for your reply.

yes, general litter is also a problem (and the marine conservation society and many other organisations campaign about that too).

my feeling is once one knows balloons are a problem to wildlife, why add problems to existing problems?

balloons are fun, but surely there are ways to celebrate, have fun and donate to good causes without harming wildlife?

syd_3 · 8 February 2007 at 2:03PM

Does anyone know if you can set a date for the ballon to be delivered. The website isnt clear and I dont want to order it today for it to be posted out straight away. ie can I order now but not have it delivered till Valentines day.

As regards the pollution, I will suggest to my wife that she keep the balloon or recycle it.

marzipan23 · 10 February 2007 at 2:28AM

freelancemermaid wrote:

ta for your reply.

yes, general litter is also a problem (and the marine conservation society and many other organisations campaign about that too).

my feeling is once one knows balloons are a problem to wildlife, why add problems to existing problems?

balloons are fun, but surely there are ways to celebrate, have fun and donate to good causes without harming wildlife?

Sorry, but as balloons are my livelihood I take issue with a blanket statement about the downside of them. It's all very well bashing balloons as wildlife killers, despite only two documented cases of balloons POSSIBLY being the cause of death - one case in 1985 and the other in 1987 - but please consider this information also publicised by the Marine Conservation Society from their Beachwatch report:

"Plastic items account for over 50% of the litter found, including 5,831 plastic bags, the equivalent of 43 plastic bags for every kilometre of coastline surveyed."

Now, how do you get your shopping home.....??

Yes, you may well recycle your plastic bags/dispose of them responsibly, but my point is how often do you berate someone for considering using a plastic bag/carrier bag? Yet a balloon is mentioned and out trots the don't-if-you-care-about-wildlife crusade. Incidentally, the equivalent figure for balloon litter is less than 3 balloons per km of coastline.

We all have our own views and I don't concur with yours just as much as you won't with mine, but just like the argument about whether vegetarians should wear leather shoes, the balloon issue should be considered alongside other similar (everyday use) sources of litter and not just as a standalone issue.

marzipan23 · 10 February 2007 at 2:29AM

duplicate post - removed - sorry, bit of a glitch

marzipan23 · 10 February 2007 at 2:39AM

syd wrote:

Does anyone know if you can set a date for the ballon to be delivered. The website isnt clear and I dont want to order it today for it to be posted out straight away. ie can I order now but not have it delivered till Valentines day.

Yes, you can select the date for delivery - it's an option you get once you start going through checkout. They're missing a trick in not making that clear on their website, I'm sure they'd appreciate the feedback if there's a section to include something about it.

Balloons_by_Post · 11 February 2007 at 12:39PM

We take our environmental responsibility very seriously. All our balloons are tied to weights and each package contains a note which includes the text:

"for evironmental reasons please don't let go of your balloon(s) outside or near power lines and dispose of it/them properly. Thanks"

Unfortunately with the addition of all the details about the Valentines package, the notice about being able to order 180 days in advance has slipped down the page and is no longer visible when a visitor arrives on the home page. We have added a note to say: 'Please note you can choose your delivery date during our checkout process' to the top of the homepage.

Any feedback about how to improve the site or any aspect of the customer experience is always welcomed

freelancemermaid · 5 June 2007 at 5:44PM

only just seen your response, here are my thoughts.

i personally take my shopping home in reusable bags, i always refuse carrier bags and other disposable items. i try to raise awareness of this issue among my friends, family and colleagues, i swap items, buy secondhand, etc - all of these actions reduce landfill and litter at the sea.

i am CONSTANTLY contacting retailers and manufacturers of all types to raise awareness of the downsides to plastics - as these involve not only threats to wildlife, but potential damage to human health too. (for instance, the debate about pthalates.)

i believe we all have a responsibility for our contribution towards plastic litter, and act accordingly, whether we are consumers, retailers, manufacturers, etc. do you?

if the marine conservation society believe that balloons were not a significant threat, surely they wouldn't squander precious resources on a campaign.

thanks.

sam_bam_2 · 6 February 2008 at 1:18PM

I totally agree with you freelancemermaid and feel you deserve support.

By making people aware of the damage we all cause to the environment, it enables one to make a decision responsibly with all of the available information. There is nothing wrong with that.

For the retailer, it's a great idea to add these warnings/suggestions to the products as mentioned by Balloons by Post. I don't know about any one else but I just didn't think about pollution before clicking on this post.

Send balloons by post for Valentines

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