Shipping Charges and Your Options


Shipping 10 pounds of fish with 10 pounds of dry ice in a temperature controlled box while keeping the quality control so your fish arrives frozen every time is not cheap. We have been doing this since 2006 and have spent a lot of money with UPS and Fedex and learned the best ways to keep costs down and the fish fillets frozen. We get our freight quotes directly from UPS and the charge is based on your zip code and the weight of the package. I have more details below but really it comes down to two main options -- Overnight and Economy.

Overnight Shipping

This is the most convenient but also the most expensive option. We give overnight packages priority and ship Monday through Thursday so you will get the fish Tuesday through Friday. Overnight refers to how long it takes UPS or Fedex to deliver, but doesn't mean you will get the package overnight--it just isn't possible. They have to be open and we still have to process payment, pick, pack, and get it ready for the driver. Our cutoff time is 9 am Central Standard Time to get the order in for overnight delivery or it goes the next day if it is M - Th or it will ship the next Monday.

Economy Shipping

Economy is the most cost effective method, but to keep the costs low you will need to cut us a little slack on the day and method that it ships. We ship most economy packages via ground with extra dry ice and a few go via 2-3 day Air depending on location and weather. The packaging and dry ice is meant to keep the fish frozen until it gets to your doorstep, but the dry ice will likely have melted and it is possible that the edges of the fillets can thaw. The day that we ship depends on what day it is and where you live (remember to save the money you have to give us some slack). For the orders we receive after our cutoff time on Wednesday through Monday morning your Economy shipments will leave on a Monday since they are three day deliveries and will need extra time. For orders that are placed Mon - Wed with Economy shipping they will go as soon as we can as long as they will arrive via Ground by Friday or they get pushed to the next week. No matter which day it ships we are sending out a tracking number to the email you provided the evening it ships.

Confused? I don't blame you, just know that we will get it to you as soon as it is possible to get it to you frozen. That is why we ship early in the week in case of any unexpected delays and we don't even bother with Saturday delivery because we never want your package sitting in a warehouse over the weekend. Remember that we will send you a tracking email the evening it ships and the drivers are instructed to leave the package at the door. You can also ask us via live chat or phone call during the daytime hours. We are not trying to trick you and if these were books or shoes, it would be a lot easier.

What should I do?

If you have to have it on a certain day, order overnight. But if you prefer to save a little money and can work with us on the ship date, choose economy. UPS/Fedex also deliver to commercial locations first so you can have it shipped to a workplace you will get the package earlier. You can get a larger order. The more frozen fish in a box is like having a bigger block of ice - it takes longer to thaw. Use some common sense. If it is July and you live in Phoenix and you are getting the smallest order we have -- those are the problem children.


Order Cutoff Time--Our cutoff time to get an order out the same day is 9 am Central.

Holidays--if UPS is closed, we are closed. Likewise if overnight or 2 day will result in a weekend stay in a warehouse, the order will be held until the next week.

Christmas week--Please schedule delivery the week before if possible as UPS is very busy and does not guarantee any delivery times.

Nobody home--UPS/Fedex drivers are instructed to leave the package at the door if no one is home and the area is deemed "safe".

Packaging

WalleyeDirect has worked with many different packaging options to ensure that your fish arrives perfect every time. Our products are enclosed in plastic, the 10/11 pound packages are also in a box and everything is shipped with an appropriately sized block of dry ice. Everything will be placed in environmentally friendly temperature controlled containers and sealed. There is a packing list inside the package which lists the person who ordered, but no prices are included in the case of a gift. Your receipt with prices is sent to you automatically via email at time of purchase.

Returns

Because fish is a highly perishable food item, we do not accept returns. Also we are subject to FDA regulations and can not take back food that has been out of our control. Much like you wouldn't want a delivery that has been to a customer's place and back, we can't accept returns on perishable food either. This is a good thing that we won't accept your fish. It's like returning underwear to clothing stores - you just don't do it.