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LoCarbDiner Policies

Rules of the House
(Policy Statements)


Chocolates, Breads and other Perishable Items

Chocolates do melt. Fresh breads do mold.
We want to do everything we can to assure that your chocolates,
breads and other perishables are not damaged en route to you!

During warm weather, please choose Expedited Shipping!
During the hottest summer months, we may need to discontinue shipping perishables for a time.

No matter what season or time of year, LoCarbDiner.com will not be responsible for
perishable items sent by any shipper or the USPS.
We only guarantee Next Day Shipping.

What you can do to help:

  • Please choose a faster method for shipping when your order includes chocolates, breads or other perishable items. We recommend Next Day Shipping for our perishables. (Ground shipping may still be fine for many destinations in Maryland, Virginia, District of Columbia, West Virginia, New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania.) However, non-expedited shipping is not guaranteed by UPS under any circumstances. LoCarbDiner cannot guarantee Perishables that are shipped by any method except UPS NEXT DAY SHIPPING. Please refer to the map (below) for shipping times to your zip code.
  • If you are placing a large order, consider splitting your order into two orders – one with your perishables, using the faster shipping method, and the other items with the non-perishables using ground shipping.
  • Choose a shipping address where the package will not sit in the heat while waiting for you to retrieve it. Many of our customers have their packages shipped to their workplace to keep them fresher and for added security.l
  • Place your order for perishables early in the week to reduce the chance of your package sitting in a shipping warehouse over the weekend. All orders are shipped to arrive within the week that you placed your order, except in the case of orders that are 5 days or more from our shipping location in Maryland. (If we receive your order too late in the week for it to arrive by Friday, will customarily hold your order until the following week, except for shipping times that are 5 Days or greater– see below.) We will make an exception at your request and are not responsible for spoilage in any case.
  • Check your email and voice mail regularly after you place the order in case we are trying to reach you.
  • When you receive the email notice that your package has been shipped, monitor your package's tracking number via the Internet to determine what day your package will arrive. (Check your spam folder! The email notice is sent from "UPS Quantum View." ) Add UPS QuantumView to your "whitelist" to make sure that you will get your tracking number.
  • Please include your full phone number (including area code). We cannot process a shipping label without your full phone or cell number and cannot reach you if it is necessary to give you a call.
  • ADD US to your email WHITELIST--as well as UPS, FedEx or any other delivery services that will be sending you tracking numbers when you order online from any company. Here is a link to a site that gives you instructions on how to WHITELIST email addresses and WEB SITES in Outlook: http://email.about.com/od/outlooktips/qt/et110505.htm. You can go to Google, Ask.com, or your favorite search engine for information about adding sites and email addresses to your WHITELIST for the email tool that you use. To add us to your whitelist, our email address is INFORMATION@LOCARBDINER.COM; for your UPS tracking numbers, whitelist the email address from Quantum View. Contact UPS, FedEx or your favorite carrier for their email tracking address. We will be updating this information as often as we can.

What we can do:

  • From April 15th through October 15th, we enclose a frozen gel pack with all orders of perishable items being shipped to warm climates. The pack is not designed to keep your order frozen. It just helps your package to remain cool. The pack WILL NOT be frozen or cold when you receive your order. It is not dry ice and is not intended to keep your shipment frozen.
  • Our gel pack will last approximately 24 hours, depending on the ambient temperature.
  • If we receive your order from Tuesday-Sunday (depending on your zip code), your order will not be shipped until the following week so that your perishables will not sit in a warm UPS warehouse over the weekend. We ship according to the generic schedule below. Please check your shipping times by using the tools provided to determine if your shipping times differ from those below. We cannot be responsible if your shipping destination differs from the information below. It is up to you to advise us if your shipment requires earlier shipping via ground shipping.
  • We can upgrade your shipping option and can also ship your items in Special Summer Packaging for an additional fee of $15.00.

What we cannot do:

  • We cannot cover the cost of a faster shipping method for you.
  • We cannot cover the cost of bank or wire fees if you are submitting a payment to our account.
  • We cannot offer refunds or replacements for melted or spoiled products.
  • We cannot accept returns on perishables of any kind. Reselling them is not permitted by law.
  • We cannot offer refunds for products that you do not like. Please make your selections carefully.
  • We cannot file claims to UPS for melted or spoiled items. We can file a claim if your order is delayed or damaged.
  • We cannot contact you if you order perishables and choose ground shipping.
  • We cannot contact you if you chose expensive expedited shipping and live just one shipping day from 20901. Please consult the chart below for shipping days from 20901.
  • We cannot set up an account for you or store your personal credit card information. We no longer have access to any credit card information for any of our customers. That is why we must request your cc information each time that you purchase from our site. See ORDERING OPTIONS for information for setting up a Google Checkout Account.

ORDERING OPTIONS
We prefer that our customers order through our web site, www.LoCarbDiner.com. Our credit card processing system uses state-of-the-art "Secure Socket Layer" (SSL) technology, plus a 3-way encryption scheme to ensure the security of your credit transactions. Unfortunately, our web site hosting company will not allow us to set up personal customer accounts for you; we cannot store your credit card information for you. THE GREAT NEWS IS THAT: You can do all of your internet shopping in one step by using Google Checkout. Go to: https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?service=sierra&continue=https://checkout.google.com/main%3Fupgrade%3Dtrue&hl=en_US&nui=1&ltmpl=default to set up your secure account today. You can also change your preferences in your browser to have your information filled in "automatically" by selecting autofill in your browser preferences. Please consult your individual ISP for more information.

PHONE ORDERS
Due to short-staffing, we are no longer able to take telephone orders unless you are disabled or do not have a computer. Calling and requesting that we take an order for you may delay your order for more than 72 hours. Thank you for your understanding in this matter.

FINAL CHECKOUT
WE STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT YOU DOUBLE CHECK THE ITEMS IN YOUR SHOPPING CART CAREFULLY BEFORE FINAL CONFIRMATION TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ITEMS THAT YOU HAVE CHOSEN ARE WHAT YOU REALLY WANTED TO PURCHASE. WE CANNOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR INCORRECT CHOICES MADE AT CHECKOUT. Please email us immediately to modify your order. We will do our best to accommodate your changes but cannot guarantee them.

CAN I CHANGE MY ORDER ONCE IT IS SUBMITTED?
Please email us immediately to modify your order. We will do our best to accommodate your changes but cannot guarantee them. PLEASE check your order carefully before final checkout. If we must revise or cancel and resubmit your order, an additional processing fee will apply.

CAN I CANCEL MY ORDER ONCE IT IS SUBMITTED?
Please call as well as email us immediately to cancel your order. We will do our best to accommodate your cancellation but cannot guarantee it. If we are closed, please wait until it is close to our reopening to contact us. PLEASE check our HOMEPAGE for important announcements, including vacation or emergency closures before checking out. If we must revise or cancel your order due to customer error, additional feea may apply. Please follow up to make certain that we have received your communications as we cannot accept any order changes or cancellations via email or voicemail alone.

CAN I CANCEL OR CHANGE MY SHIPPING ADDRESS ONCE MY ORDER IS SHIPPED?
Contact us immediately, and we can process a UPS INTERCEPTION for a fee. Changing a shipping address is obviously more time sensitive. If you are one shipping day away from us, please contact us the evening that you receive your tracking number. As always, the sooner the better is best. You must agree to the additional charges as well as send us an email confirmation before any changes can be made to a shipment that is already in transit. We will send you a confirmation of the changes made to your shipping address by email. Please check your email frequently for any information regarding your order.

APO/FPO BOXES/CANADA
We no longer ship to APO/FPO Boxes or to Canada or to International destinations.

SHIPPING OPTIONS and RATES
Your shipping rate is automatically calculated and is added to your order at checkout. You will have the opportunity to choose the shipping method that is correct for you. Please bear in mind that expedited shipping is highly recommended for perishables, but please check your shipping days from our zip code (20901). If you are just one shipping day away from us, expedited shipping is not needed.

We ship by UPS. Orders received on Saturday, Sunday, or a holiday will be shipped Monday through Thursday only. PLEASE NOTE: The day of shipping does not count in your Estimated Shipping Time.

We reserve the right to ship via the carrier service of our choice. If a specific carrier is requested please let us know. There may be an additional fee if special arrangements need to be made that are not within our regular shipping methods.

PLEASE NOTE
: UPS does not deliver to PO Boxes. If you choose UPS shipping, you must include a valid street address with your order. We will gladly ship to your place of business. Sorry, we no longer ship to APO/FPO Boxes. For added security, we recommend that you have your package shipped to your workplace.

UPS normally does not deliver on Saturday, Sunday, or holidays. However, Saturday delivery is available for an additional charge.

LoCarbDiner is bound to the rules and regulations of our carriers. Once the carrier receives your package, we have no control over the actual delivery time it my take to be delivered due to conditions that are beyond the control of UPS, such as strikes, accidents or bad weather. At the time that your package has been handed to the shipping carrier, our liability no longer exists. Furthermore, we are not liable for lost or stolen merchandise. If you have "waived the signature" for your package, we cannot refund or reship any package that has been marked as "Delivered" by the carrier (even if recipient claims non-receipt). It is possible that the package was left with neighbors, behind a bush, in the garage, between the doors etc. We suggest that the recipient contact the delivering carrier to verify where parcel was placed. In the event that UPS has misdelivered your package, we will file a claim and will reship your package.

LoCarbDiner has no control over a carrier’s decision if your location is considered “safe” to leave a package. If this happens the carrier will leave a notice that a delivery attempt was made. Please follow the carrier’s directions on the notice for delivery of your package. If any package is returned to us for any reason, no refund will be issued.

Please go to the following UPS site for information about delivery times and options: http://www.ups.com/using/svc-index.html.

HEAVY or OVERSIZED SHIPMENTS
If your package will not fit in a standard box or requires more than one shipping box we will charge the overage to your credit card. You will receive an email advising you of the additional charge to your card.

SHIPPING OF SALE ITEMS
If the cost to ship your Sale Items exceeds the amount that you have paid, we will contact you about the extra shipping charges. We are sorry that we are unable to absorb the additional shipping charges for Sale Items.

CANCELLATION FEES
A cancellation fee will apply if you place your order and cancel it simply because you do not want to pay for shipping charges. Shipping charges are based on total amount of your order, are clearly available to you before checkout, and are NON-NEGOTIABLE! Shipping fees are based on weight, type of service and zip code and are standard for e-commerce sites.

Pressing the SUBMIT button constitutes acceptance of all charges and fees and constitutes a good faith contract between you and the LoCarbDiner.com. Cancellations of this type are considered fraudulent and will be treated as such. Notes at the bottom of orders asking for cancellation after submission will be ignored. You must contact LoCarbDiner.com within 24 hours of order confirmation. It is the customer's responsibility to review all charges before placing an order. Should we choose to cancel your order, a fee of $5.00 will be charged on all cancellations of this type. All cancellation requests must be submitted in writing to information@locarbdiner.com. There will be no exceptions to this policy.

RETURN POLICY
Before returning a product the customer must first obtain a Return Merchandise Authorization number (R.M.A.#) issued by calling 240-595-6504 between the hours of 9:00am to 5:00pm EST Monday through Friday, holidays excluded.

All returns must clearly display the R.M.A.# on the outside of the returned package. All returns must include the actual product in resalable condition. All packages must be sent back Return Receipt through the U.S. postal system or signature required through a recognized carrier (i.e. FedEx, UPS, DHL, etc.) within TEN (10) DAYS of the issuance of an RMA#. LoCarbDiner.com is not responsible, and will not issue a credit for any returned package lost in shipping and/or not received with 10 calendar days of the issued RMA#. The customer is responsible for all shipping costs in returning the product. It is your responsibility to package the product well to avoid damage during shipping!

Any item returned without an R.M.A.# will be refused and will be disposed of.

The refund on an authorized return will be issued within 5 business days of receipt of the authorized returned product, less transaction and 25% restocking fee. No refund will be issued, regardless of receipt, for any unauthorized return.

INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING
Sorry, we no longer accept International, FPO/APO or Canadian orders.

**SHIPPING TO PUERTO RICO, HAWAII, and ALASKA
UPS shipping rates outside of the contiguous United States are exorbitant or are unavailable as in the case of shipping to Puerto Rico. Therefore, we will only ship orders to Puerto Rico, Hawaii and Alaska via USPS Priority Mail. We estimate your shipping charges and will send you an email advising you of the charges. Shipping of Perishables is not available outside of the contiguous US because of shipping times.

Due to the amount of involvement that the Post Office requires from our customers who need to file claims for lost or damaged packages, we no longer file claims with the USPS. We will insure your packages and will provide you with the information that you will need to file your claim. The Post Office will ask you to wait thirty (30) days before filing your claim with them.

Preparing your shipment will take more time than our regular shipping methods, so please plan accordingly.

ESTIMATED SHIPPING TIMES from SILVER SPRING, MD (20901):

Please go to: http://wwwapps.ups.com/calTimeCost?loc=en_US to check estimated shipping times from Silver Spring, MD. Be sure to use our zip code as the origin zip code. The map below can be used for estimated ground transit times from Silver Spring, MD.

This map is a general representation of UPS Ground transit times. For service availability and to calculate the delivery time for a package shipped between a specific origin and destination worldwide, Calculate Time & Cost.

PERISHABLES SHIPPING SCHEDULE
All shipments containing perishables are shipped according to a schedule for delivery to customers by the end of the week, excluding some West Coast locations such as California, Oregon and Washington State (see listing of states in the 5-Day Shipping Schedule. The table below is a rough guide to help you to determine when your package will be received. Please check this schedule before contacting us about your order. Perishables are generally not shipped on Fridays. Please note that orders received after close of business on Monday may be held over until the following week. This schedule may vary based on actual shipping times to your zip code. Five-day destinations (west coast) ship Monday-Friday depending on when the order is placed. If you must contact us concerning your order, please email us with your order confirmation attached. This will help us to quickly determine when your package will be shipped. Not all locations fall under these shipping schedules. Please check your specific zip code for shipping times that may vary from the schedule below and advise us of any changes to the schedule that must be made to ship your package to you.

MONDAY-FRIDAY
5-6 Days
(incl. Next Day Air, 2nd Day Air, 3-Day Select)

MONDAY
4 Days
(incl. Next Day Air, 2nd Day Air, 3-Day Select)

TUESDAY
3 Days
(incl. Next Day Air, 2nd Day Air, 3-Day Select)

WEDNESDAY
2 Days
(incl. Next Day Air, 2nd Day Air)

THURSDAY
1 Day
(incl. Next Day Air)

Western North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, New Mexico, Utah, Texas - (please check your
individual zip codes!), Nevada, Northwest Arizona, Northern California, Oregon, Washington State.

Western Minnesota, Eastern North Dakota, Nebraska, Central and Western Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas - (please check your individual zip codes!), Arizona, Southern California, Western Colorado, Wyoming.

Northern Maine, Southern Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, NE Texas, Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Eastern Kansas, Eastern Colorado, SE Wyoming.

Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, New York State, Connecticut, Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee.

District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia - (please check your
individual zip codes!), Delaware, Eastern West Virginia, Eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York City.


SHIP ALL POLICY
If your order is being held because we are waiting for items, such as breads, to come in, we will hold your order and ship your order when the items become available. We are experiencing longer waiting periods for products at this time, especially with breads products. Your order will ship on or before your zip code's shipping day (excepting for 5-Day Shipping) for delivery on or before Friday.

SPECIAL ORDERS
We are happy to order an item for you that we no longer carry, but is still available from our distributor(s). All Special Orders must be PREPAID and may involve additional shipping charges.

OUT-OF-STOCK ITEMS
As hard as we try to keep all brands and flavors in stock, we will occasionally run out of an item just before you order it. We will try to reach you by email or telephone to discuss options with you. If we expect to receive the item back in stock within a few days, we will hold your order pending its arrival. If the item is no longer available, we will contact you to suggest substitutions. You may choose to have a credit or a refund. If we cannot reach you within an appropriate amount of time we will ship your order and will refund your account for the out of stocks.

SHIPPING DAMAGE
Please inspect your package when you receive it. If there is damage to your package, please call us at 888-451-4719 to report the damage. You must contact us within 5 business days. Make sure that you keep all packaging (boxes, shipping labels, peanuts), as the shipper will come to inspect the package. You may also call the shipper directly. UPS can be reached at 1-800-742-5877. FedEx can be reached at 1-800-463-3339. Please also review UPS’ Terms & Conditions and FedEx Terms & Conditions.

REFUSED or UNDELIVERABLE ORDERS
Any order that cannot be delivered to you and/or is returned to us in resalable condition will be subject to a 25% restocking fee along with applicable return shipping fees that are charged to us by our shipper. We will either charge your credit card for this amount and will email your receipt to you.

CHOCOLATES and PERISHABLES [Summer Months]
If you live more than one shipping day away from 20901, we require that you choose Overnight Shipping to ensure that your chocolates do not melt. Please go to: http://wwwapps.ups.com/calTimeCost?loc=en_US and enter our zip code (20901) in the zip code box and your zip code in the next zip code box. This will indicate when your package will arrive at your address. During summer months, we include ice packs to keep your order fresh. Please refer to Perishables Shipping Suggestions at the top of this page.

If you choose ground shipping and live more than one shipping day from 20901, we cannot be responsible for melting or spoilage. If your chocolates "bloom" or melt, please put them in the refrigerator.

BREADS
Please note that breads ship from Monday through Thursday. If your order is received after 8 am EST on Monday, your order may not be shipped until the following week, depending on delivery zip code and available inventory. We place our bread orders by 8 am EST on Mondays and we may or may not be able to fill orders received after that time. Our shipping schedule ensures that your breads arrive fresh by the end of the week. Please refrigerate or freeze immediately as the breads contain no preservatives. Rewrapping in a suitable freezer wrap is strongly recommended. For best results, please do not microwave baked items.

LARGE BREAD ORDERSBecause we are having a difficult time procuring breads from our distributor, large bread orders over the limits on our site are no longer available. We are sorry for this inconvenience.

EXCEEDING POSTED BREAD LIMITSBread orders that exceed the posted limits are subject to cancellation. We may request that you place your order again, adjusting it to meet our limits that are based on bread availability. We also reserve the right to issue you a credit for the over limit breads. Please do not reorder the items that are on credit. At checkout you must advise us of the credit owed to you; your items will be shipped out to you with your next order. If your order is not cancelled and a refund for orders above limits is issued, a processing fee will be charged to your credit card account to cover fees assessed to our account. We can no longer absorb credit card processing fees due to customer error.

If you live more than one shipping day away from 20901, we suggest that you choose Expedited Shipping to ensure that your breads stay fresh while out on delivery. Please go to: http://wwwapps.ups.com/calTimeCost?loc=en_US and enter our zip code (20901) in the 1st zip code box and your zip code in the next zip code box. This will indicate when your package will arrive at your address. During summer months, we include gel packs to keep your order fresh. These packs help to keep your order cool. It will not keep it frozen. We do not ship with dry ice. Please refer to Perishables Shipping Suggestions at the top of this page.

SHIPPING RESTRICTIONS: Breads, muffins, chocolates and perishables are only shipped within the contiguous United States. We cannot ship to FPO/APO Boxes, Alaska, Hawaii or Puerto Rico.

We strongly recommend that you use expedited shipping during the summer months for all perishables: (Protein bars and chocolates or products containing chocolate (including products containing meltable ingredients), breads, bagels, onion pockets, hamburger buns. During the summer months we cannot be responsible for spoilage if your perishables are shipped via ground shipping. We also are unable to guarantee any ground shipments no matter the time of the year as temperatures vary across the country.

"We believe that our breads are the best tasting breads available.
Therefore there are no refunds if you simply did not like the product.
As with any items that you have not tried before, please order
a small quantity of the item so that you do not have a large return or have
perishable items that cannot be returned because you do not want or do not like them."

PLACING AND REVIEWING YOUR ORDERPlease take your time and concentrate carefully when placing your order. If you have trouble placing your order, please make sure that your credit card is valid and is not expired, that your billing address is accurate and that you have not chosen a PO Box as your delivery address. If you cannot get your order to go through, please give us a call on our toll-free number and we will assist you in placing your order. Please check these orders carefully. Eventhough we have placed an order for you are responsible for reviewing it thoroughly and contacting us if there are any omissions or errors in any part of your order.

REVIEW YOUR ORDER BEFORE SUBMITTINGPlease review your order before confirming it to make sure that you have ordered everything that you would like to purchase and that you have chosen the correct Shipping Address and Shipping Method. These are costly errors and your account will be charged accordingly to correct your order.

ADDING TO YOUR ORDERWe can no longer add items to orders that have already been processed and charged to customer credit cards. There are additional processing fees for adding items to orders and we can no longer not absorb the credit card processing fees associated with order "add-ons," and cannot delay our shipping day to add small items to already-processed orders. This causes confusion and can result in costly errors.

LEFT BEHINDS (Items Left Out of Your Order)
If we inadvertantly leave an item out of your order, we will either refund the item or we will ship it to you with your next order. Due to rising shipping costs we are unable to ship items that are left out of orders.

RETURNS/REFUNDS/EXCHANGES
We do not offer Returns/Refunds/Exchanges for the following problems caused by the UPS. We use confirmation numbers to track and confirm the receipt of all packages. If we are able to confirm that a package has been delivered using these tracking numbers, we will not be held responsible for missing packages, especially if you have requested that the signature be waived for your shipment.

Perishables (breads, muffins, brownies and other baked goods) are not returnable as they cannot be resold after they leave our facility.

If you need to return an item, please email us within 7 days of the receipt of your order to discuss the problem first. If an item was damaged in shipping due to our packaging or the shipper's handling, we want to know about it! If you are simply disappointed or dissatisfied with a product, we may accept the return, but you will be responsible for the return postage. We cannot refund your purchase price for opened products, perishables (nutrition bars, breads or chocolates), or for products damaged by heat when the shipping/delivery time exceeded one day. Once the returned product has been received and verified back at our store, we will refund your original cost (minus your original shipping fee). Purchases older than 14 days are not returnable.

Returns must be in re-saleable condition, must have an expiration date at least 90 days in the future,
and are subject to a 25% restocking fee.

Please contact us first if you believe that you are due a refund or credit. Any fees associated with charge backs will be charged back to you if we are either unaware or are not given the opportunity to satisfy you.

QUESTIONS?
Please e-mail us at information@locarbdiner.com. We will get back to you shortly, usually the same day. Please do not leave any messages. We cannot accept any phone calls or respond to any voicemails.