Which shipping option to select, and when to order.

-- Free UPS Ground : This option is available when the customer's home address is close enough that the transit time would be 3 days or less. Oysters are very much a perishable item and shipping times are crucial. So a customer in Seattle, for example, wouldn't want their package shipped from us on the East Coast via UPS Ground, which would take 4 or 5 days, while our insulted boxes are designed to keep the contents cool for just 3 to 4 days. To that end, we've programmed our shipping options at checkout based on the zip code of the customer, so that only appropriate shipping options will show up for you. So if you see UPS ground as an option, then you are close enough to us that it is a viable option.

-- Timing : The other main consideration is timing. You want to make sure that your oysters arrive ahead of your dinner or event. After selecting an option at checkout, you will see an estimated arrival time, and if it's too close for comfort to your event, we recommend choosing a faster shipping option. Also, we rarely ship same-day, as the process of heading out to our underwater farm, harvesting, cleaning, and packaging oysters isn't something we can do on a whim, so allow up to 2 days for processing in addition to shipping time.

Refrigeration: It's very important to get your oysters into refrigeration as quickly as possible after their arrival. Do not submerge them in water in the fridge, just put the mesh bag straight into the refrigerator (NOT the freezer), and they will keep for up to 2 weeks. Discard any oysters that have opened in transit, and if more than 1 or 2 have opened, please see our return policy.