How much abuse can standard SYR kits take?

I have purchased most of my stock from private breeders in other states who shipped through SYR and Fedex. I have received most of them in a timely manner. One notable exception is a gecko that was held at the Fedex hub. After I tracked the box down I went to pick it up and I saw it by itself, lying upside down in a corner like it had been tossed there. I pointed out the arrows on the box and asked the clerk to please be careful when righting it because it was fragile. She picked the box up and then to my horror tossed it in the air and caught it right side up and shook it. She said "See, nothing is broken." as I yelled "NO!" at her. She just shrugged and said, "You should see what they do to them in the back."

The upside to this story is that the gecko in question was NOT broken and I did not do anything crazy to the clerk. This has lingered in my mind though and now that it is my turn to start shipping my little babies I'm wondering if this is a common experience? If so, does everyone just insure the animals and cross their fingers? How do I guarantee live arrival? Is there anything I can do to further protect the geckos from impacts and shaking?

Thanks!

Originally Posted by rocklizard

"You should see what they do to them in the back."

She is right. These packages are not handled any differently in the process than anything else, which is why they need to be packed accordingly. If packed accordingly, they can put up with a lot because they WILL be put through a lot. In the end, it is the seller's responsibility.

Originally Posted by rocklizard

I have purchased most of my stock from private breeders in other states who shipped through SYR and Fedex. I have received most of them in a timely manner. One notable exception is a gecko that was held at the Fedex hub. After I tracked the box down I went to pick it up and I saw it by itself, lying upside down in a corner like it had been tossed there. I pointed out the arrows on the box and asked the clerk to please be careful when righting it because it was fragile. She picked the box up and then to my horror tossed it in the air and caught it right side up and shook it. She said "See, nothing is broken." as I yelled "NO!" at her. She just shrugged and said, "You should see what they do to them in the back."

The upside to this story is that the gecko in question was NOT broken and I did not do anything crazy to the clerk. This has lingered in my mind though and now that it is my turn to start shipping my little babies I'm wondering if this is a common experience? If so, does everyone just insure the animals and cross their fingers? How do I guarantee live arrival? Is there anything I can do to further protect the geckos from impacts and shaking?

Thanks!

Lorna, you cannot insure the animals. It states in the FedEx waiver that the "customer agrees that neither it nor its customers shall file any claim against FedEx for any damage<snip>" and a few more paragraphs releasing them from any responsibility for the package. That being said, I have heard that SYR has a really good relationship with FedEx that may allow for some sort of compensation, and I believe that SYR has some sort of refund policy, but I don't think they will cover the value of whatever is being shipped.

As for guaranteeing live arrival, there is no way to guarantee it, the best you can do is take care in your packaging and minimize the amount of movement inside the box. I like to use the white, fiber stuffing that can be purchased at craft stores for cushion inside the box, and try to put as much paper towels as possible (without causing the lizard distress) inside the deli cup with the gecko.

http://www.shipyourreptiles.com/en/n...able_shipments

Note* This only covers you if the package is delivered late.

Pack your geckos the way you feel is best. Correct size containers, insulated boxes, heat/cold packs, and I like to use alot of packing peanuts and newspaper.

Good luck!

Thanks for the replies. Useful info.

ShipYourReptiles has an On-Time and Live Arrival Insurance program that is self funded. Nothing is paid by FedEx (to either the user or SYR), it is paid by SYR directly.

ShipYourReptiles Insurance covers the cost of your shipment if it's delivered late, and it covers the value of the animal if it's delivered late and dead.

You can read the particulars at this link:

http://www.shipyourreptiles.com/en/g.../#question-119

Pack the gecko's deli cup full of soft, crumpled paper towel--the animal will be able to push the towels around to move, but it will not rattle around inside the cup when the box is tossed around.