I dont know if this even matters but we still want to communicate our dissatisfaction.
The first experience (February 2nd) was wonderful in terms of how the fish was shipped. The box was labeled "fish". It came with two to three bags of dry ice still keeping the fish frozen. The insulation appeared to be professionally done to ensure no air would obviously get into or out of the box. The box was labeled properly and sealed securely.
We saved up for a second order (placed on August 14th) and ordered the salmon and the cod. We never dreamed we would encounter the following; the box was not labeled. It was sweaty. Once opened, the individual packets of cod were sitting on the bottom of the box where it was thawing and wet. The salmon was packed in their own boxes, but still wet/sweaty. There was no dry ice, just an empty bag. The insulation was not connected methodically/strategically as the first box was from the 1st time ordering. And, there were gaps where you could openly see the cardboard box from the area that the fish sat, thus allowing heat to access the inside contents.
We didnt want the fish because of the condition. So we tried to call, but nobody answered. So we sent an email and they responded. She apologized and explained. She did say "your order arrived a day late. It should have gone overnight.""
She said she would have the order reshipped. That was August 21st. We were glad to know they would replace the fish, but we did send a follow-up email with one more thing; we also asked about the conditions of the shipping on the replacement box? We didnt want to go through the same problems.
We asked; "My question would be, can we be assured it will be shipped overnight to keep the ice from melting so much like it did on this order? And will you let them know the inside was not wrapped well, and the heat was able to access the fish because of a 1/2 to 1" gap in the inside insulation? Enough opening to allow heat to influence the product."
We never heard back with any reassurance. A week later we contacted them to ask what happened? They never re-shipped the fish. It was at that time they told us it would be shipped next Tuesday. They forgot? I dont know?
We just received our reshipment today (Sept 3) It was deja-vu, execpt this time the cod was not tossed on the bottom of the box, it was inside of its own box. However, the same problem as before. Gaps in the cardboard allowing the cool air to escape. Why?
We are again concerned about the fish. So we typed the following into the Google AI Mode; "'how much of a gap in a cardboard box does it take to leak heat into the box during shipping?"
The answer? ""Even a tiny gap or unsealed seam in a cardboard box can significantly increase heat transfer. The insulating properties of cardboard come primarily from the still air trapped within its corrugated layers. When there is a gap, this trapped air is released, and heat can escape or enter via three primary methods."" The follow up?
""What happens when thawing occurs?
1. Temperature fluctuation.
2. Thawing and refreezing: A gap allows warmer outside air to enter, causing the surface of the fish to partially thaw. As the frozen core or remaining coolant re-chills it, the fish will refreeze. This process can damage the texture and flavor, and may create a less appealing product for the end user.
Spoilage: Thawing, even partially, activates bacteria that cause spoilage. While refreezing stops bacterial growth, it doesn't reverse the damage already done. If the frozen fish thaws completely during transit, it will spoil and become unsafe for consumption.""
So I hope one can understand why we are a a bit upset. I understand accidents happen, but when nobody called us back and we received the fish in almost the same condition, would you not be upset as well? Should we eat the fish? I cant just throw it out because it was not cheap.
