FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

General
  1. Can I order meals for my child via this site?
Account set-up and login
  1. I don't have an email address
  2. I just created a Local Food Links account, but I can't log in.
  3. I have tried to reset my password, but the email has never arrived.
  4. My e-mail address has changed. How can I change my account?
Authorisation Codes
  1. I don't have an authorisation code.
  2. The authorisation code I have does not register on the system.
  3. My authorisation code has already been used.
Notices and Emails
  1. I have received an email saying that a meal was cancelled automatically.
  2. I don't want to receive any messages.
Ordering and Payments
  1. Only old dates are showing on the ordering calendar.
  2. Why can't I order or make changes for this week?
  3. I'd like to order for myself, but I'm not listed with my children. How can I buy meals to eat with my children?
  4. Can I pay by cash or cheque?
  5. I don't have a PayPal account. How do I pay?
  6. When I try to make a payment, I get a message that the system is waiting for confirmation from PayPal for a previous payment. I didn't make the payment. What should I do?
  7. The payment history page says "Waiting for PayPal". What should I do?
  8. I have two children. Can I use a credit on one account for a meal on another?
  9. How do I cancel a meal I have ordered and paid for?
  10. I have a credit balance. Can I have the cash refunded?
General Back to the top ^
  1. Can I order meals for my child via this site?

    Yes you can, just sign up if you're new to Local Food Links, or login to your account here.

Account set-up and login Back to the top ^
  1. I don't have an email address

    It's easy to set up an email account, and many of the larger internet companies offer free email services that you can access on any computer (including public computers in libraries and schools). Some of the more popular include: Googlemail, Yahoo, MSN Hotmail & AOL (We don't specifically endorse any of these services.)

  2. I just created a Local Food Links account, but I can't log in.

    If you created your account successfully, then please check the spelling of your email address and password when you typed it in. Try resetting the password (using the link beside the 'Login' button.)

    If you get the message, 'Sorry, we couldn't find any record for that user in our database', then the email address was not recorded correctly. Just create a new account, ensuring your email address is typed correctly.

    If you get the message, "A new password has been emailed to the address in our database", then use your new password to log in.

  3. I have tried to reset my password, but the email has never arrived.

    Please check the spam or junk folder of your email account. If you still can't find the password email, please contact Local Food Links.

  4. My e-mail address has changed. How can I change my account?

    Contact us, noting your old e-mail address and your new address. You can still log in using your old e-mail address until you receive notification that the change has been processed.

Authorisation Codes Back to the top ^
  1. I don't have an authorisation code.

    Authorisation codes can only be issued by your school, so please contact your school office.

  2. The authorisation code I have does not register on the system.

    Please ask your school to reissue the code to you.

  3. My authorisation code has already been used.

    Authorisation codes can be used more than once – for example, both a child's parents could have separate accounts for themselves with their children in both accounts. Either parent could then order, pay, and alter meal choices.

Notices and Emails Back to the top ^
  1. I have received an email saying that a meal was cancelled automatically.

    The ordering system includes a school event calendar that is managed by your school. Sometimes school events are planned that impact on the availability of our meal service. In most cases, these events will be known in advance so there's no risk of you ordering a meal on that day.

    But sometimes these events are scheduled after the menus have been published and orders received. When this happens, we will cancel the meals that have been ordered and credit the child's account.

    We do not track these events, so unfortunately we can't explain if or why a meal has been cancelled. If you need more information, please contact your school office.

  2. I don't want to receive any messages.

    If you want to unsubscribe from our emails, then just click on the link at the bottom of the email and complete the form to be removed from the list.

    However, we do send other messages to parents automatically, such as password change confirmation emails, payment notices, and meal cancellation messages. You can't opt out of these, because they're essential to the meals service.

Ordering and Payments Back to the top ^
  1. Only old dates are showing on the ordering calendar.

    Your computer is displaying an old page that has been 'cached' on your local computer.

    To delete the cached files on your computer in Internet Explorer: select Tools -> Internet Options from the browser menu. A new window will appear. In the centre of this window is a button reading 'Delete Files'. Click on this, and then confirm by clicking 'OK'. Close the options box and reload the menu page.

    To do this in Firefox: select Tools -> Clear Private Data from the browser menu. In the window that pops up, ensure that 'Cache' is selected (you can untick the others), and click 'OK'. If you then reload the menu it should appear with correct dates.

  2. Why can't I order or make changes for this week?

    Local Food Links policy is that all orders (and cancellations) must be received one week in advance. This is because we only order the exact quantities we need for each day's freshly cooked meals, minimising waste and making the meals more affordable.

  3. I'd like to order for myself, but I'm not listed with my children. How can I buy meals to eat with my children?

    You have to ask to be added to the school meal ordering list at your school. They can issue you an authorisation code which you will be able to use the following day to add yourself to your account list.

    Not all schools offer meals to parents though, so please check.

  4. Can I pay by cash or cheque?

    If you need to pay by cash or cheque, please contact your school office for a paper-based ordering form, and place your order through the school.

  5. I don't have a PayPal account. How do I pay?

    You can still pay by debit or credit card. Click on the PayPal button from the payments page, and complete the form on the left hand side of the PayPal payment page.

  6. When I try to make a payment, I get a message that the system is waiting for confirmation from PayPal for a previous payment. I didn't make the payment. What should I do?

    Wait 10 minutes and try to make the payment again. There can sometimes be a short delay before we receive notification of a payment from PayPal.

  7. The payment history page says "Waiting for PayPal". What should I do?

    We receive a notification every time you press the PayPal button. If you did not process a payment at the time, you can ignore this message.

    But if you believe that you have made a payment that has not been received, please check your bank or credit card account immediately, and if you have been charged contact us. We will need to check our PayPal account to see if the payment has been received.

    If no charge has been made to your account, try to process the payment again, and ensure that you receive a payment confirmation message from PayPal.

  8. I have two children. Can I use a credit on one account for a meal on another?

    Not at the moment, sorry. If the child with the credit has left the school, please contact Local Food Links, and we can manually move the credit to another child's account.

  9. How do I cancel a meal I have ordered and paid for?

    As long as the meal is still more than a week away, simply select 'Edit Order' from the menu, and click 'Cancel this Order'. When a message appears asking for confirmation, click 'OK'. If the meal is within one week, you cannot cancel or alter it.

  10. I have a credit balance. Can I have the cash refunded?

    Only if the child holding the credit leaves the school, otherwise you can use it to order meals.