Frequently Asked Questions - 'Orders delivery and payment'

Where can you deliver to?

We guarantee 24 hour delivery to anywhere on the UK mainland, Northern Ireland and of course the Isle of Man.

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When can I expect my delivery?

You can specify a date on which you would like to receive your order and it will arrive on that morning. If you do not specify a date we will despatch your order as soon as possible, usually within 24 hours of receipt of the order.

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Do you despatch at weekends?

No, at present we only despatch Monday to Thursday, which means you can receive deliveries from Tuesday to Friday. We do not despatch on Friday, Saturday or Sunday because we cannot guarantee 24 hour delivery at the weekends.

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Do I need to be at home to collect my delivery?

We use an overnight courier, your delivery will arrive the day after despatch. If you are not going to be at home to receive your order, your parcel can be left in a safe place, provided you give us instructions. Alternatively we can deliver to your workplace or a neighbour if you prefer.

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Can you deliver to a different address as a gift?

Yes, of course you can. All you need to do is supply us with your details for payment purposes and then details of the address which you would like the order to be delivered to. If you are sending the parcel as a gift we can include a gift card and any message you request. We do advise you to ensure that someone will be available to collect the parcel at the delivery address.

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How much are your delivery charges?

We request a minimum order value of £30.00 in order to justify costs. For orders between £30 and £60 delivery is £6.00 and for orders with a value of £60 or more delivery £3.00. It can be expensive shipping from the Isle of Man, however we don’t want this to affect you. Where postage and packing costs more than £6.00 Island Seafare pick up the cost, so there will be no hidden charges.

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What happens if my order gets damaged in the post?

If you are unhappy with the packaging or the quality of the packaging when it arrives, call us immediately and let us know. From there we can either send a full or partial replacement or offer you a refund. We have had a few problems with our packaging in the past, but experience has taught us and our packaging is now stronger and more reliable, problems with our packaging are becoming increasingly rare.

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How do you keep my fish fresh during delivery?

We use insulated polystyrene boxes filled with frozen gel packs. The fish is not therefore frozen but is maintained at a refrigerated temperature for at least 24 hours after leaving us. We have tested this packaging method over 48 hours, the fish was kept at refrigerator temperature and the quality showed no signs of deterioration. If you are not satisfied with the quality or freshness of the product when it arrives on your doorstep, please, please call us straight away. Fish and shellfish vary from one catch to another and therefore total quality control can be difficult. We endeavour to send you the highest quality freshest fish available, on rare occasions a poor batch may slip by unnoticed . We can trace all our products back to their source, so if you can identify a problem which we have missed and you inform us of that problem, we can do something about it. We don’t want you to have to accept poor quality fish from anywhere, let alone ourselves, so naturally we will send you a full or partial replacement or your money back.

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How do I know how much to order?

Our packs contain a standard size and number of fillets or pieces, portions will be of equal sizes so there will be no need to fight for the largest, they are generally portioned to feed two people. There is no need to calculate the portion size as we do it for you and all our portions are guaranteed to be generous. We can still cater for any special requests you may have, so if there is anything you specifically need please do not hesitate to ask, it is only the packaging that has changed, the products and service still remain the same. In keeping with food standards regulations packs will be labelled to display the weight and price per pack.

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Why have you started selling your products by the pack rather than by weight?

To make life easier for you we are changing our packaging, products will now be available by the pack rather than by weight. Many of our customers were experiencing difficulty in judging exactly what weight of fish to order, it was also difficult to calculate exactly how many fillets or pieces you would receive for a given weight. To combat these issues our packs now contain a standard size and number of fillets or pieces, portions will be of equal sizes so there will be no need to fight for the largest. There is no need to calculate the portion size as we do it for you and all our portions are guaranteed to be generous. We can still cater for any special requests you may have, so if there is anything you specifically need please do not hesitate to ask, it is only the packaging that has changed, the products and service still remain the same. Packs will be modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), similar to those found on supermarket shelves. Our packs will maintain our high quality produce and ensure an even higher standard freshness. Packs will continue to be made up to order on the day of despatch.

In keeping with food standards regulations packs will be labelled to display the weight and price per pack. In light of this you can club together with your neighbours or co-workers and send us a bulk order, which we can deliver to one address, saving you from paying extra P&P costs. You will be able to distribute the correct order to your colleagues and claim the correct money back from them, with no confusion.

The standard pack price also means that the price quoted upon ordering will be the exact price you will pay, there will be no extra costs added if we cut slightly more than your order weight.

Finally, to combat the rare incidences of the outer packaging being damaged in the post, the actual product packaging should remain in tact, ensuring freshness and our guarantee of the highest quality, freshest fish arriving on your doorstep. And of course, if you feel our produce doesn’t meet that high standard or the package has suffered damage in the post, we will provide you with a full replacement at no extra cost to yourself.

We are confident that this method of ordering and packaging maintains our guarantee of providing you with the highest quality freshest fish available and makes our service even more accessible and user friendly for our existing and potential customers. Please contact us via the feedback/enquiry form if you have any comments.

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How do I know what is in stock?

The fishing industry is affected by seasonal influences and also local weather conditions. Our products come from local boats, but when the weather is bad we have to source our products from UK markets. Generally the majority of products featured in the mail order catalogue are in stock most of the time. Product availability will be updated weekly on the website, alternatively you can call us with your enquiry. If you do place an order and an item is not available we will call you at the earliest opportunity to inform you and recommend an alternative. If you would like something that is not listed in our brochure do not hesitate to call or email us and we will see if it is possible for us to help you.

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How do I place an order?

Orders can be placed online via the ‘Shopping’ area on this website, alternatively you can phone us, fax us or send us a letter.

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How can I pay for my order?

You can pay online using a credit or switch card, this site is secure, alternatively you can mail us a cheque. We regret that we cannot accept cheques for orders taken online.

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I want to contact you with an enquiry/feedback/problem, how can I do this?

You can contact us using the feedback/enquiry form located on the ‘Contact Us’ page of this website. Alternatively you can call, fax, mail or email us. We are always interested in your comments and looking for ways to improve our service, so please do get in touch, we look forward to hearing from you.

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I want to receive details of your special offers, where can I find these details?

To receive information regarding special offers you can check our website, details of offers will be updated and can be found on the Shopping pages. Alternatively, to ensure you do not miss out on any of our offers you can join our mailing list, free of charge. If you would like to receive details through the post then email, call or mail us your address details and 'join mailing list'. If you would like to receive details of our offers via email then you need to email us with your name email address and 'join mailing list'. As soon as your request is received you will start receiving details from us. To be removed from these mailing lists email, call or mail us with your details and 'please remove me from your mailing list'.

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How can I tell that the fish I receive is of good quality and freshness?

Whole fish should have clear, bright eyes and bright red gills. There should be no scales missing and the skin should be moist and shiny. The fish should have fresh, sea smell. Fish fillets should be neatly cut and the flesh should be nice and firm. White fish should have a translucent white colour. Smoked fish should have a pleasant smoky smell, the flesh should again be firm, with a glossy appearance, it should not be sticky. When buying shellfish in the shell there should be no signs of cracking or damage to the shell. Oysters and mussels in the shell should be tightly shut. Lobsters, crabs and prawns should have a good colour and should be heavy for their size. Whole lobsters and crabs should have all their limbs in tact.

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How long will my fish keep for?

Fish has a shelf life of 10 to 12 days. At Island Seafare we recommend that upon receipt of our products they are kept for a maximum of 2-3 days in the refrigerator (between 0 and 5 degrees C). Our white fish and smoked fish can be frozen for up to six months, our cooked fish and oil rich fish can be frozen for up to three months and shellfish is only to be kept in the freezer for up to one month.

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