Insuring Reptiles via UPS

has anyone ever been reimbursed for a damaged, perished, or lost reptile shipped with UPS?

my familiarity with shipping live/perishables with UPS is so far limited to a huge box (approx 36" x 24" x 24") of not fauna, but exotic flora (ie, variegated ae ae banana, variegated rhapis, etc) worth about $500, which i insured for $250, that i shipped to my dear mother and UPS 'lost' the package altogether. i was surprised how the process to submit a claim was so slow and tedious (required on waiting 4wks after the 'tracer' to finally receive an email with a claim form to be printed out, filled out, SNAIL mailed back with proof of value). suffice it to say, after printing out the receipts of the plants i bought on ebay via paypal and divided/propagated each in half in order to get one root division for my mom and the other myself (we're both avid gardeners) my claim was denied after waiting months for a response because there was insufficient proof of value. after challenging their decision all they did was refund the shipping (Shouldnt they have done that automatically, months ago?; since the services purchased - delivery - was never provided heck they 'lost' the big box altogether; the tracking info just showing it was dropped off at Cerritos UPS hub and that was it).

anyways i was busy at the time and just didnt have time to pursue the claim decision even further, and besides that little history i am limited to is related to flora not fauna so i'm wondering what's UPS stance on its accountability for shipping harmless reptiles? obviously purchasing insurance online with the shipping label is an option but what about actually insuring perishable live animals - does UPS ever honor that, or always refuse it?

ps: if theres already a thread discussing UPS insurance on live harmless reptiles then by all means i digress and humbly request to be linked to any such topic of discussion.

I've never heard of anybody being reimbursed for reptiles that died during shipment via UPS - even if that loss was directly attributed to misrouting, damage, or substantial delay. At best, you might be reimbursed the shipping costs.
Also, with UPS, it bears remembering that the type of reptiles they will (knowingly/willingly) ship is extremely limited.

yea i can fathom that unless the package was LOST in their system, UPS probably wouldn't even readily refund shipping (senders, beware!)


i found it especially annoying in my instance of their losing the big box of plants sent to my mom, that it took months to even get the shipping refunded even though it was clear thru tracking that they never delivered.

anyways i dont mean to get tediously technical but do wonder.. where vendors who guarantee live arrival but who say 'plus shipping', it seems to imply that the buyer pays shipping in which case if something goes wrong (ie, the animal arrives dead or never arrives at all): would a reasonable vendor reimburse the full purchase price plus shipping paid, or claim shipping fees are not refundable/not part of the live arrival guarantee?

i'm taking any reasonable vendor -even one who indicates shipping fees not refundable - in the instance of a loss or excessive delay causing animal death - would reimburse the total amount paid by the buyer including the 'plus shipping fees' part and since the shipping fees are likely on vendor's account with the carrier (UPS, FedEx, airline) take it up with the carrier directly to recover any losses; not put that burden on the already dissappointed buyer to recover their losses because of the vendor's policy often boldy declaring shipping fees not refundable.

just wondering hypothetically; this isn't in reference to my or anyone's experiences.. at least any that i know of yet.

as for shipping insurance, i do wonder if any reptile vendors do bother to insure at all considering once a claim is for a perishable animal life, it is likely denied by UPS per their fine print regarding shipping animals.

ps - come to think of it, i do recall someone claiming they insured their reptile with UPS(?) on FC in their defense. i suppose insuring reptiles with UPS might be.. blind assurance, no?

In years past, many sellers would withhold the shipping fee because it had been used for shipping. I guess the logic was that the service had been purchased, regardless of whether the animal had arrived alive. Better business practices have since become the norm; with it being understood that it is the seller's responsibility to delivery what they promise (a live _____).
For UPS, there is no point in purchasing the insurance since they don't guarantee the survival of perishable items. (For nonperishables, it is a different story).
FedEx is the same...however, if you are using SYR, they DO offer insurance. I don't know all the details; but I suspect they're still shown on the site.

Originally Posted by hhmoore

... if you are using SYR, they DO offer insurance. I don't know all the details; but I suspect they're still shown on the site.

now that's neat! suppose where there's a will, there's a way! in that a third party (SYR or its agent) fills the void by offering claimable insurance.

Yes, ShipYourReptiles does offer On-Time and Live Arrival Insurance, which is unique, no other carrier or provider offers it.

It is self funded, and claims are paid through monies collected. We don't receive any refunds or credits for FedEx for any packages, as the contract that everyone signs for FedEx live reptile certification specifically prohibits receiving or requesting any refunds or adjustments on shipments for any reason.

We have paid out tens of thousands of dollars in insurance claims, mostly for late arrivals, but also for DOA shipments. They are still by far the exception, and not the rule, but it is nice to have a policy of coverage available.

You can book up to $10,000 in coverage on the site, and more directly with me.

You can read more about the SYR On-Time and Live Arrival Insurance at our site.