In a perfect world, all online seafood deliveries would run smoothly and ensure the best quality product is delivered right to your door, but that isn’t always the case. If you are planning on having crawfish delivered, there can sometimes be delays beyond the customer’s or retailer’s control due to weather or transportation issues. These delays can cause crawfish to die during delivery, and result in an unsatisfying online seafood delivery experience.

What to Do If Crawfish Is Dead Upon Delivery

If the fresh live crawfish shipped to your door turns out to have died in transit, make sure to take a photo and note the time. Collecting this information will make it easier to get a refund, and also provide feedback for the company. In order to preserve reputation, and retain customers, online seafood retailers often urge customers to call in if their orders arrive with issue.

Ways to Mitigate Live Crawfish Delivery Issues

  • The key to a successful crawfish boil is planning to have fresh live crawfish shipped as close as possible to the event’s start-time. Try to prioritize delivery on the day of the boil, as this timing will almost guarantee quality crawfish.
  • Make sure the address is correct. Providing the right information, and double-checking it, can save trouble later in the process.
  • Choose the delivery option that works best for you. Customers can have fresh live crawfish shipped to their door in many instances, but that can put the crawfish at risk of death if the package is not taken care of soon after delivery. Some retailers will offer pickup at a nearby airport in order to make sure the crawfish are kept in prime conditions before being picked up at a convenient time for the customer.
  • Don’t skimp on delivery, if you can help it. Higher delivery prices often indicate the increased level of care taken by the company.
  • Get compensated for the mistake by looking for companies that offer a 100% money-back guarantee.

    • Assessing Crawfish’s Condition

    The fresh live crawfish shipped will likely be sluggish when delivered, but that is to be expected. Do not try to revive crawfish by putting them in water. The stress of delivery takes a toll on their bodies, and if the crawfish are still living, they can drown in the water.

    Try, at all costs, to avoid cooking and consuming dead crawfish. Because crawfish are on the smaller side for shellfish, it does not take long for their bodies to start breaking down. Some people swear by this trick to tell if the crawfish was dead or alive before boiling: if the tail of the boiled crawfish is straight, that means it was dead before boiling. However, the trick’s authenticity has been tested by the Louisiana State University Ag Center.

    There are other tell-tale signs that the crawfish was dead before boiling, and consequently unable to be consumed. The meat will be cooked, but rotten and off-colored. Its consistency will be mealy or mushy, and easily tears apart.

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