So there’s a pretty good chance you are looking for a place to purchase lobster from Maine online. You’ve come to the right place! If you’re visiting Maine, we’ve compiled some great seafood places to check out in Portland.

Ordering Maine lobster online is a seemingly straightforward process, but there are a few things you should be aware of before placing your order. This post is a guide to help you steer clear of the common pitfalls that many customers encounter.

Freshness Matters

The lobster supply chain contains many intermediaries, and it all begins with the lobsterman (or lobsterwoman). During a peak season, a seasoned lobsterman can catch nearly 2,000 pounds of lobster per day. After spending a day out on the water, the last thing they want to do is package up a few Maine lobsters, and send them to you.

You see, it’s not because they don’t care about you, but rather, they don’t have time. That’s why they sell them to the local co-op, who then sells them to a processing plant, or online to you.

In short, if you want the freshest Maine lobster you can buy, you need to purchase them directly from a lobsterman’s dock. There are very few of these individuals, but they exist. It won’t be cheap either, so be prepared to pay. Also make sure you know the difference between Maine lobster and rock lobster.

Lobster Shipping Costs & Conditions

In my research leading up to the creation of this article, I’ve seen shipping costs range from $30 – $50 for overnight shipping. If conditions are cool, lobsters can stay alive for days on end.

Below are a few tactics that online stores will use regarding shipping:

1. Shipping included (They will build the cost of shipping into the cost per lobster)
2. At the end of the order (This will be calculated by your zip code)

Generally, if you have live lobsters shipped to you, they will arrive overnight via FedEx. Typically they will arrive in a box, with a frozen gel pack to keep them cool.

“Return” Policy

Typically a rare situation, a lobster may not live through the trip. This is why it’s extremely important to know and understand the “return” policy from the company you purchase the lobster from.

Does the return policy cover the entire order as well as shipping? Or just the order? These are things you need to know.

Security

When making purchases online, it’s important that your information stays secure. If you ever make an order, make sure the URL address is “https” instead of just “HTTP.” This means the site is using an SSL certificate, which makes sure your information stays safe.

Check Reviews

Like any online store, reviews are one of the best ways to make a decision about who to purchase Maine lobster through. I suggest searching for company reviews on Yelp or Google Reviews. Also, many larger lobster distributors have Facebook pages, so take a look at the comments from happy (or unhappy) customers.