HI ALL!
FIRST I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR THEIR POSTING AND EMAILS, YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT A HELP IT HAS BEEN.
YESTERDAY I MET WITH 2 REPS FROM UPS. THEY DROVE ABOUT 1-1/2 HOURS TO MY HOUSE TO MEET WITH ME. I DEMONSTATED PACKAGING, DIFFERENT BOXES, INSULATION,
AND HEAT PACKS TO THEM. AFTER THAT WE WENT UPSTAIRS
TO THE ANIMALS AND MUCH TO MY SUPRISE THEY WERE VERY EXCITED ABOUT GETTING TO HOLD SOME. I WENT OVER
THE FACT THAT THE MAJORITY OF SNAKES THAT WOULD BE SHIPPED (BABIES - 2 YEARS OLD) ARE JUST THE SAME AS THE
LIZARDS AND FROGS THEY ALREADY ALLOW TO BE SHIPPED.
IN FACT AS FAR AS THE "WIGGLE FACTOR" GOES THEY ARE LESS A RISK. THEY HELD A COUPLE OF BALL PYTHONS, THEN HELD SOME GECKOS. THEY COULD EASILY SEE HOW THE BALLS SHOULD BE LESS A WORRY THAN THE GECKOS (AS FAR AS ONE GETTING OUT AND SCURRYING UP A DRIVERS SHIRT, HEHEHEHE). WE THEN TALKED ABOUT POSSIBLE VERIFICATION SYSTEMS THEY COULD USE, AND I RECOMMENDED SOME GUIDELINES TO THEM AS FAR AS PACKING GOES. I WENT OVER THE POTENTIAL REVENUE IT WOULD CREATE, ESPECIALLY IN THE PEAK HATCHING SEASON.
THIS IS WHAT REALLY HAS THERE ATTENTION.
THEY TOLD ME THAT MOST LIKELY IT WOULD COME TO A "TRIAL PERIOD" WHERE EITHER A HANDLE-FULL OF PEOPLE, OR ONE STATE WOULD BE ALLOWED TO SHIP OUT TO ANYWHERE FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME. AFTER THE "TRIAL PERIOD" IF THERE WERE NO "MAJOR" MIS-HAPS THEN IT WOULD BE OPENED UP NATION WIDE FOR EVERYONE!!
THE MAIN THINGS THEY ARE LOOKING AT ARE:
POTENTIAL REVENUE
UPS WORKER SAFETY
AND ANIMAL SAFETY (IN THAT ORDER)
PRETTY MUCH ALL OF THESE THINGS HAVE BEEN PROVEN TO THEM BUT I STILL HAVE SOME MORE INFO I NEED TO GET TO THEM TODAY. THE TWO REPS THAT CAME OUT SAID THEY ARE TOTALLY ON OUR SIDE AND BOTH THINK THAT UPS SHOULD SHIP SNAKES JUST LIKE THEY DO OTHER REPTILES. THEY SAID IN THEIR OPINION THAT TURNING DOWN REVENUE DUE TO SOME PEOPLES COMMON PHOBIA AND PREJEDUCE (SP?) IS OBSURD TO THEM. THEY NOW HAVE TO CONVINCE THEIR BOSS OF IT (THEN THE BALL STARTS ROLLING!!)HOPEFULLY I WILL HAVE WORD IN THE NEXT WEEK OF EXACTLY WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN. SOON AS I HEAR I WILL LET EVERYONE KNOW.
THE MEETING WENT EXTREMELY WELL AND I DO EXPECT GOOD THINGS TO COME FROM THIS!
BTW, ONE OF THE REPS LEFT WITH 2 FREE HAMSTERS FOR HER KIDS (EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS YA KNOW! HEHEHE)
THANKS AGAIN TO ALL FOR YOUR HELP AND SUPPORT.
KEEP THE FAITH!
GOD BLESS
BEN SPARKS@C.R.C.
CUSTOM REPTILE CARPENTRY
TAHLEQUAH, OK <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='
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