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FedEx shippers...where do you drop your packages off at?

Pink Lady Exotics

Pink Lady Exotics

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For those of you that ship via FedEx and do your labels online, where do you drop your packages off at? Do all of you make the drive to the world ship centers near airports?

I ask because I have been dropping mine off at our west side FedEx-Kinkos for the past year without a single problem, the boxes are clearly labeled and ready to go. Now all of a sudden they're refusing to accept the packages, saying "they don't ship live animals". I then have to explain the certification process, have someone from the live animal help desk call them and basically yell at them and explain FedEx's policies. It irritates me to no end that we go through this circus of getting certified, but then FedEx's website and store policies STILL state no animal shipping, so then their employees don't have a clue as to what is going on and don't believe you when you tell them that YES, FedEx DOES IN FACT ship reptiles. In the end I usually get things shipped through enough complaining and phone calls, but sometimes I don't (especially when I'm having someone ship something to me on my account from somewhere else). It is becoming ridiculous.

Anyone else running into this?
 
I drop my packages off at an authorized shipping location. The difference is they are not directly affiliated with FedEx, they are a private business that accepts packages as a sideline.
For instance in Madison WI, there are these places:

Bobs Copy Shop Llc
616 University Ave

Campus Shipping Center
673 State St

Send It Now!
630 S Whitney Way

You'll find that these locations don't ask and don't care what's in the package. They are just a central location where the FedEx truck stops by every day.
The other alternative is to schedule a pick up and have the truck come to your house. This involves an additional fee and requires you be there during the day to wait on the truck which is a hassle.
 
I'll have to check those places out, thanks!

I don't do pickups because I don't like the idea of the snake riding around in a hot, bumpy truck for hours until they end up going back to the sort facility. I prefer dropping them off at staffed indoor locations so they're temp controlled until they head out later in the evening when it's cooler and less sunny. I lost one snake after doing an at-home pickup and won't risk it anymore. :(
 
One thing I would add, not knowing anything about the businesses I listed, from the names it appears the second two are specialized shipping services while the first one is a copy shop.
Based on that I'd go with the copy shop first.
 
Fortunately for me I live 10 minutes from the Indy airport and FedEx has a major hub there. So I can drop off next day packages right to the source. As late as 10 PM.
 
I'm lucky that my local hub is near my work and I can drop off overnight packages until 7PM. I'm curious about how everyone else feels about marking the outside of the box with anything about repiles/snakes etc. In a company as big as FedEx, there are always going to be employees who aren't familiar with the reptile shipper certification. Also, many of the shipping places are contractors and not really FedEx employees. I simply pack the animals very securely and ship the box without any labeling. I really don't want to have to go through the hassle of arguing with someone, explaining the process, making phone calls,etc. I personally am afraid that the box is more likely to be mistreated, thrown around, etc. if it's marked as containg reptiles. What's everyone elses thoughts on this?

Todd
 
i have a place called pack and ship and they pick up there daily. that way the geckos are not sitting in a hot container while they wait.
 
I dont mark my FedEx boxes. What I personally do is include a copy of my live animal shipping cert and a copy of the invoice with all species info in the pouch with the air bill.

Never had a problem since I started doing it that way.
 
I drop my boxes off at a Fedex authorized center. It’s just a little mailbox place~ they never even touch the box or care what’s in it. I prep the box at home and just drop it off in the Fedex Overnight pile for the guy to pick up at 4pm.

I USED to mark my boxes with Live Reptiles and exactly what was in them. But after two or three incidents in a row where a box was stopped somewhere in route with “We don’t ship reptiles” I stopped doing that. Now I mark the boxes as “Perishable” or “PLEASE protect from temp extremes” and I photo copy my shipping cert to put under the shipping label. Haven’t had a box stopped since I started that.

Funny story though. After the last incident when a box was stopped I pitched a fit (a polite but obviously outraged fit…..I didn’t want to lose my cert!) Well recently I needed to ship two medium sized monitors in a pretty big box. I packed them up…..but you could hear them moving against the newspaper padding and HISSING! I was afraid the ladies at the mailbox place would hear them so I took them to the hub near the airport. I explained what was in the box and NATURALLY I was told “we don’t ship reptiles”. I explained that they DID and showed my cert. There were several standing there trying to decide if I forged that document or what……when one exclaimed that he recognized my name! Sure enough~ on a bulletin board over their coffee maker with about a thousand little notes was a note from the manager (who was out) that said Cheryl Marchek IS certified to ship live reptiles and to stop harassing her! LOL! Guess my outraged fit made an impression!!
 
i get my boxes at superior enterprises they say PERISHABLE and have arrows pointing upward. that is all i write on them. i show the clerks my paperwork if they need to see it, but usually i just tell them it has to go overnight priority and i pay the dollar for the over 18 signature option.
 
I have the same boxes, but I write "Live Harmless Reptile" on the upper left corner of 2 sides so that they don't just toss it around or leave it in the sun. That's also mandatory for the certified reptile shipping.
 
You could write $5000 antique tiffany lamp in the corner and it would still be tossed around. Maybe the driver of the delivery truck might notice and care enough to be careful but even that's doubtful. At the hubs though, it won't help anything at all.
It may be required for certified shipping, but it's also required that packages only be sent to businesses and not to a residence, and that one is violated 95% of the time.
It's those stupid conditions and such that have caused many not to even bother to get certified.
It's easier to stay under the radar most of the time than it is to argue with every uninformed FedEx employee you come across.
 
True. It disgusts me that they make us jump through hoops to get certified but then provide no special treatment of the packages and waive ALL liability, then expect us to still pay the full shipping charge if something happens (death, lost package, misdelivery, etc). I wonder if there's any way to petition another company to open up live reptile shipping with actual coverage and favorable handling?

Lately I've been putting "Live Harmless Lizards" on the box instead of "LH Snakes"...I seem to recieve less problems and hassle if they think they're lizards vs. snakes. :rolleyes:

How much different is shipping via Delta Dash in terms of handling and guarantees, and can all airports recieve these shipments?
 
Lately I've been putting "Live Harmless Lizards" on the box instead of "LH Snakes"...I seem to recieve less problems and hassle if they think they're lizards vs. snakes.
Click to expand...
Just put Live Harmless Reptiles, like most other people...that way, you aren't misrepresenting the contents of the package.
Posting that statement does not negate the requirement of labeling the box with the contents (both scientific and common names, and the quantity of each), however.
 
i was never told by Fedex to write 'Live Harmless Reptiles' on anything, in fact someone told me i was more likely to have a reptile stolen if they know what it is.
 
It is Federal regulation that the contents must be identified with both scientific and common name (and the quantity of each species). That is one of the provisions of the Lacey Act. While FedEx does not specifically tell you how to label your box, the do state - right on the waiver (see item C) - that the Company (meaning me, you, and anybody that obtains the waiver)
FedEx Reptile Waiver said:
agrees to fully comply with all laws or regulatory requirements applicable to each Reptiles and Amphibians shipment, including, but not limited to, those pertaining to marking and labeling. Company further agrees to fully indemnify FedEx from any and all costs, expenses, judgements, damages, fines, and awards (including without limitation reasonable attorney fees) incurred by FedEx by virtue of Company's failure to comply with such regulations.
Click to expand...
 
Additionally, the Act establishes marking requirements, making it illegal to import, export or transport in interstate commerce a container or package containing fish or wildlife unless the container or package is plainly marked, labeled or tagged in accordance with regulations issued under the Act.
Click to expand...
The Act also establishes false labeling offenses. It is illegal to make or submit a false record, account, label or false identification of any fish, wildlife or plant that has been or will be (1) imported, exported, transported, sold, purchased or received from a foreign country, or (2) transported in interstate or foreign commerce.
Click to expand...
http://www.fws.gov/le/LawsTreaties/Lacey.pdf

(I was trying to locate the specific wording which pertained to the required labeling, but I didn't see it - though I have in the past, I just have to try to remember where - I'll look later, after I get some sleep)
 
I'm not positive, but I believe that the actual specification which calls for the identification by common and scientific name, and requires the quantity of each species to be listed, is actually part of the International Air Transport
Association's (IATA) Live Animal Regulations. It is also a requirement for importing/exporting under CITES. The phrasing "these regulations shall be in accordance with existing commercial practices" (see SS 3376 Administration, at the link in post # 17) would seem to indicate that those standards would be applied.
 
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