Shipping Hell :(

This has been one crazy day!

I was supposed to ship to leopard geckos out from Illinois To Arizona today, and have been misled from one place to another.

I had called around a week and a half ago inquiring to the local post office as to whether they would be able to ship out a live reptile. I had also used the post office before to ship (I live 10 min from the airport) and had no issues, live arrival etc.

However I arrive to the post office today only to be told that whoever let me know they would ship them out was wrong, and that because the temperature is below 45 degrees here that they refuse to ship them. They then directed me to a private shipper.

I called Fed ex, which I had also called about 2 weeks ago, and was told the same thing I was told today, they do not ship small live animals. Crazy enough I know people here have shipped reptiles using FedEx as well.

So I skip FedEx, and Attempt at UPS.
Now, I am positive that UPS has been used to ship live reptiles...but I call their 1-800 number just in case. I am told that I am allowed to ship geckos and am given an address for the closest UPS shipping facility. After countless numbers of incorrect directions I finally arrive at UPS an hour later (when It could have been only 15 min) to be told that they can't ship them out. I explain I was told I could, and they call the 1-800 number and get the same response I did, that they were able to ship. However 4 out of the 5 employees working there refused to accept the geckos. They then call their managers office to be told that it is too high of a responsibility to ship them and they are only allowed to ship crickets. I speak to the manager and I get told the same thing.
As of then I am able to do no more, as I had been at this attempt at shipping for over 3 hours already, and I needed to get to work which I ended up being late for.

Can anyone tell me WHAT IS GOING ON????

I was under the impression that I was able to ship live animals out...And i know others have done it without hassle. I researched, and had shipped out before via postal service without problems

I am aware that this is not the best time to be shipping animals out, since it is around 30 degrees out there, but I was well prepared with heat packs etc and I figured Overnight would not hurt as they were going to a slightly warmer destination, heading southwest either way.

I am at a loss of what to do...

Dont goto the "UPS store" You need to find a 3rd party shipper. Also IMO I think its great that usps wont ship in the cold weather.

Ups

UPS will ship live harmless lizards, it is legal and they do it all the time. They will not ship snakes yet.
http://www.ups.com/content/us/en/resources/prepare/guidelines/animals.html
What I did was get a UPS account online, it's really easy and simple. Once you have your account you can enter in all the shipping info, all you need is a ruler and a scale (or be able to guestimate weights)

You can print out the shipping lable and just tape it to your box. Now, either have UPS pick it up or drop it off at a shipping location. I ship from the local UPS store, they know me there and I have no problems. I printed out that link I gave you and taped it to the first box I shipped just incase they needed to see it.
The key is dont ask to do it, just tell them you will do it. Be assertive!

They will not insure a live critter, all shipping is at your own risk.

You also have to write the common and scientific name of the animals on the box, and the number of animals, but it doesnt have to be really obvious. Honestly, I write fragile on the box, and list the names of the animals in small letters and just drop them off.

Fed Ex will ship snakes if you get the right manager, I have yet to be able to find one.

USPS will ship lizards but I would never ship them that way, it is VERY illegal to ship snakes thru USPS.

I ship bearded dragons and leopard geckos UPS all summer long!

Hope that helps!

Mariana,

The way that I ship my leopard geckos (crested geckos, bearded dragons, and uroplatus in the past) was to go to the local hub. The actual building that sorts the boxes and sends them on their way. Whenever I lived in the city I was lucky enough to have one about 5 minutes away, but now I drive about 30 minutes to get to the same one.

The response that I get from the workers there goes something like this.

"Insert Animal Name?! What is that? A lizard? Oh really? They won't get cold/hot? Neat, my son always wanted a lizard!"

It's easy as pie. Just find the hub.

additional hell...

"Fedex Certification" can be heaven...or hell...

It took some doing to get it done , but recently i was able to contact my "local rep." and coughlastFridaycoughcough had faxed my "waiver of liability" in, which includes the test results that Fedex does on your "test box". Earlier in the week I shipped a box out (unmarked as far as I didnt put anything on the box to say what it was) of 3 corn snakes to Flint MI Priority Overnite that never left the hub. My account at that point was flagged something to the effect of "Pending Certification to ship reptiles" as told to me by the clerk in Fedex's York PA hub. And it got held there. Be it snakes or anything else I may have been shipping was to be held. Kinda made sense lol...I checked them out there, as both clerks were interested to see them and how they were packed.

Mariana,
It takes a little time to get Fed Ex certified but it's worth it, I've been shipping snakes with Fed Ex and have had no problems so far. Just make sure who ever you ship with that the contents are clearly marked on the box. I've also shipped with UPS and have had no problems. With UPS I do use the UPS store. It's strange how Fed Ex wouldn't touch my box until I became certified and now it's no problem. The first time with the UPS store I went in a couple days before shipping and talked with the manager and he made a few phone calls and no problem. I found that once they get to know you it gets much easier. And all my boxes are clearly marked so everyone knows what is in the package - no secrets.
Mike Derks