kensopher

I use this service quite frequently, and I couldn't have been happier until today. To be clear, this is an error made by one specific UPS shipping hub...not shipyourreptiles.com or UPS as a whole. In fact, it may have been just one person's mistake.

I scheduled a shipment of turtles from St. Louis, MO to my place in SC. I arranged everything and emailed the label to the shipper. She contacted the local UPS store to verify that turtles could be shipped with UPS. They checked with "their people" and said yes. She dropped the package off, it was checked in, and she left. That was yesterday.

She called this morning to tell me that the St. Louis airport UPS terminal denied the package, saying that turtles and tortoises cannot be shipped with UPS air. They stated that live reptiles must go ground. She had to go pick the package up. I will now have to take another day off of work next week and pay twice as much to use Fedex. And, the fragile hatchling turtles will have to spend another night in a box.

Now, I know that this is not the actual UPS policy. And, I know that shipyourreptiles.com is not at fault. I just wanted to let the people whose packages go to the airport in St. Louis know that their shipments may be denied until this is worked out. Apparently, the UPS terminal at the St. Louis airport does not know their own policies.

The lady at shipyourreptiles.com customer service was very nice and apologetic. She issued an immediate refund, and she told me that they would contact UPS regarding the problem. I tried contacting UPS also, and they would tell me NOTHING due to the fact that I used a third party shipper.

Just FYI. I will continue to use this service. But, people in Missouri may want to be cautious.

Here's to you, UPS office at the St. Louis airport, for not bothering to check your own company's policies before rejecting a shipment. I salute you, for ticking off two people and further risking the well-being of a batch of tiny turtlelets. Well done. What is that on my shirt, you ask?...oh, that's dripping sarcasm.