Cancel Barnardo's the easy way

Mission and services

Barnardo's is a UK charity supporting children and young people through direct services, fundraising, retail shops and community projects. It also operates fundraising products such as a weekly lottery, seasonal raffles and donation channels including text donations and family history research services for a fee.

How Barnardo's charges and products work

Barnardo's offers donation options (one-off and monthly), a Weekly Lottery at £5 per line, summer raffle tickets at £1 per entry, and paid family history services priced from £80 to £95. Lottery and raffle activity is regulated by the Gambling Commission under account number 4642.

Company facts

See Barnardo's official terms and customer pages for details: Terms and conditions.

Web / Account cancellation

1. Go to play.barnardos.org.uk and sign in to your account if you have one.
2. Select the product to cancel such as Weekly Lottery or raffle entries, and choose the stop or cancel option.
3. Keep the on-screen confirmation or email for your records.
4. If you cannot access an account, continue with Email or Phone steps below.

Phone cancellation

1. Call Online Customer Service for shop purchases on 0800 328 7795 or Supporter Care on 0300 003 2025.
2. Provide supporter number, order number or details of the donation/lottery line.
3. Ask for a written acknowledgement by email and a reference number.
4. Record the date and time of the call and the name of the agent.

Email cancellation

1. Email the relevant team: [email protected] for shop purchases or [email protected] for supporter queries.
2. Include your full name, supporter or order number, product to cancel and the request: "Please cancel and confirm in writing."
3. Keep the acknowledgement email as proof. If no reply within 48 hours, follow up by phone.

SMS cancellations

1. For monthly text donations, reply STOP to the short code used (e.g. 70477 or 70488) to cancel recurring SMS donations.
2. To skip a monthly payment, reply SKIP within 24 hours of reminder where that option is provided.
3. Keep the SMS confirmation message as proof of cancellation.

Postal cancellations

1. Write a signed letter with your name, supporter number and the product to cancel and post to: Barnardo's, Tanners Lane, IG6 1QG Ilford, United Kingdom.
2. Send by tracked or signed-for post and keep proof of postage.
3. Allow 5-10 working days for processing after delivery.

Moving address

Rule - If you will not be able to receive goods or the service due to moving, notify Barnardo's and request cancellation. Required proof - proof of new address such as utility bill or tenancy agreement. Applicable law - Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 (right to cancel for distance/off-premises contracts).

Price increase

Rule - If a paid product subject to contract increases the price during an active commitment, you have the right to cancel if the increase is not permitted under your contract. Required proof - copy of the communication from Barnardo's showing the increase and your existing contract terms. Applicable law - Consumer Rights Act 2015 and Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013.

Death of subscriber

Rule - Estate executor or next of kin must contact Barnardo's Supporter Care with a copy of the death certificate and proof of identity to request cancellation and refund where applicable. Required proof - death certificate and proof of authority to act. Applicable law - Consumer Rights Act 2015 (contractual execution and termination issues).

Legitimate ground

Rule - Legitimate grounds include inability to pay, prolonged hospitalisation or other serious life events that make continued payments impossible. Barnardo's does not publish a formal list of acceptable grounds; provide supporting documents. Required proof - medical letter, insolvency notice or other official documents. Applicable law - Consumer Rights Act 2015 (unfair contract terms) and CMA guidance on fairness.

End of commitment

Rule - If your product has a fixed commitment period it ends on the date specified in your purchase or supporter agreement. Required proof - your original confirmation email or contract showing the end date. Applicable law - Contract terms must comply with Consumer Rights Act 2015.

Cooling-off (14 day right)

Rule - For distance or off-premises contracts you have 14 calendar days from receipt of goods or from the day after contract conclusion for services to cancel without reason under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. Required proof - clear declaration of cancellation by email, post or other durable medium and, for goods, return of items. Applicable law - Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013.

Before you cancel: negotiate

Barnardo's does not publish formal retention offers. You can request alternatives by contacting Supporter Care on 0300 003 2025 or by email at [email protected]. Suggested negotiation points to request in writing: pause payments for a defined period, reduce monthly donation level, convert ongoing lottery lines to a single one-off entry, or request a payment holiday. If you are in financial hardship provide supporting documents such as a benefits letter or medical evidence.

What cancelling saves you - concrete maths

Example 1 - Weekly Lottery: £5 per week entry is charged as £5 per weekly draw. Annual cost calculation if you buy one line continuously - £5 x 12 = £60 per year (note: lottery is weekly but Barnardo's lists monthly equivalent £5 and annual £60 in public pricing).

Example 2 - Monthly SMS donation: £5 monthly donation equals £5 x 12 = £60 per year.

Example 3 - Family History Full History Package: one-off fee £95. Savings if you cancel a planned purchase = £95 saved.

Cheapest competitor: The Children's Society - £10 monthly = £10 x 12 = £120 per year. Switching from a Barnardo's £5 monthly plan to The Children's Society at £10 monthly would increase cost, not save money. Use these calculations to compare products before switching.

Key UK laws

The main protections are the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 and the Consumer Rights Act 2015. For cooling-off and distance selling see Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) oversees unfair practices such as hard-to-cancel subscriptions.

Cooling-off and refunds

The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 give you 14 calendar days to cancel distance or off-premises contracts. Barnardo's online shop offers a 60-day return policy for online purchases. Refunds or exchanges are usually processed within 5 working days of Barnardo's receiving returned items. Under the regulations the trader must reimburse payments including standard delivery costs.

Damaged or diminished value

If you handled goods beyond what is necessary to inspect them you may be liable for diminished value. Traders may charge for diminished value but charges must be a genuine estimate of direct loss and not unfair under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

Escalation route

First complain to Barnardo's Supporter Care. If unresolved, get independent advice from Citizens Advice, and if applicable use chargeback via your card issuer or Section 75 where criteria are met. For unfair commercial practices contact the CMA or local Trading Standards.

Check confirmations and refunds

Keep the written acknowledgement, email or SMS confirmation as proof of cancellation. Refunds for returned goods are processed within 5 working days of receipt according to Barnardo's online shop policy.

Data and account access

Request confirmation of data deletion or retention policy from Supporter Care. If you want to keep an account with zero active products, verify that recurring payments have been stopped.

Re-activation and re-donation

You can re-activate donations or lottery lines through your account or by contacting Supporter Care. Any new commitment will be subject to the terms current at the time of re-joining.

Use this checklist to finalise your cancellation and secure proof.

• Identify the product to cancel: donation, lottery line, raffle ticket, online shop order or family history service.
• Choose the cancellation method (phone recommended for fastest confirmation).
• If by post, send a signed registered letter to Barnardo's, Tanners Lane, IG6 1QG Ilford, United Kingdom, and keep proof of postage.
• Keep all confirmations: emails, SMS replies, on-screen confirmation or call reference numbers.
• If you return goods, use tracked postage and keep tracking until Barnardo's confirms receipt; refunds processed within 5 working days of receipt.
• If you do not receive a reply within 48 hours of email, follow up by phone and quote your original request.
• If cancellation is denied or disputed, contact Citizens Advice or use card issuer chargeback/Section 75 if applicable.