UPS, FedEx, Airborne Express, USPS - bad guys.

Guess I could have been more clear and stated that I started the process by setting up a FedEx account. After the talk about Airborne, I should have been more clear.

David Jobes
Double "D" Reptiles
Stigler, OK

I have been charged over double what they said when I called in by Airborne and UPS before. Also, they opened one of my packages yesterday, saying they had reason to be suspicious. I guess they are allowed to do that? But I don't know what their reason for suspicion was. The didn't charge me with mail fraud, but did refuse to give me a refund.

How do I get a permit or whatever for shipping reptiles with UPS?

Also, I know a site that I am positive would support and advertise this. They would do it not only because everyone there are very dedicated to the herping community, but the site is trying to grow larger and even faced shutting down not long ago. Webslave, please email me at DlunaMticsX@hotmail.com and I will tell you who to contact if you want to. I just thought since you might consider them a competing site (I don't know if you do) that fauna might not want the address posted.

Thanks.

Hey Rich,

I am more than willing to help you promote this through fieldherpers.com

I just signed up for a fed-ex account. Perhaps we should formulate a form letter that every single one of us uses to contact shippers with. The letter could include why we want to ship and maybe even a centalized page on the web for more information. Say Fed-ex recieves 1000 letters that are identical, all signed by a different shipper? The advantage would be that since everyone is sending the same letter, nobody has to worry about someone slipping up or inadvertantly compromising our position as a group, by writing something that could be viewed in a bad light.

I shipped out some Nigerian Uros next day 10:30am it arrived there 3rd day after dark. And subsequently the fattest healthiest one of the bunch ended up dying. None of them were sickly by the way. Airborne seems to be a coin toss. Either it gets there on time or who knows what happens. If you check their business model you have a bunch of underpaid unscrupulous kids that still
have zits, and get lost in their own neighborhood. I have seen personally seen wandering around trying to find an address with the flashers on their small Airborne pickup with the camper shell type cover on the back. (while the packages are sitting in the 117 degrees outside temp. Here in Las Vegas. I have seen temp guns shot inside a delivery truck hitting over 160 degrees here in the summer) At least when I see UPS and Fedex the drivers never have a bewildered confused look or wander around like a lost dog. Just my personal observations.

Chris - this issue is much more important that anything to do with competition between websites. The more people who get the word the better. I have just mailed out a form letter to ALL registered users of FaunaClassifieds.com to get as many people as possible involved in this.

Spread the word and lets get people INVOLVED!

If anyone wants to take a stab at contacting JeffB on kingsnake, please do so. I know for a fact that he will not respond to my own emails.

I usually use airborne, and have been quite happy with them, however their rates seem to be a little silly at times. My customers have paid over $60 for shipping on a couple baby boas. I have never had them refuse a shipment. The worst that has ever happened is I have unknowingly shipped to areas they do not offer next day. Everything worked out, and that was my fault for not checking first. This year I will ship approx 35 or more packages ( 35x$50 ea shipment= $1750)that is alot of cash for a
guy like me that is just a hobbiest. I hate to think what the big boys spend on shipping in a year.Craig Kade

I usually ship anywhere from 1-5 packages per month. Shipping costs ranging from 30-50 per package usually.

In response to the recent group email received regarding shipping matters. We ship "legally" through both Delta & Fed Ex (with a written contract) however even with these measures we still get boxes searched by employees that are not familiar with us & have to go through the hassel of providing our documentation that we are allowed to ship harmless reptiles with them. We would definately support any joint effort to make shipping easier, safer, legal & less stressful for the entire herp community. We only ship about 5-10 live animals a week & are not considered "volume shippers" since we don't do any supplies, but I agree that numbers will speak in terms of profits for them and we should all make a stand together.

Keep up the hardwork Webslave & keep us all posted so that we can make this work for everyone!

Thanks-
BK Baker
The Creature Company

I had two lizards shipped through usps and they got lost for TWO weeks, It was lucky that the previous owner took great care of them because they were alive. Other reps delivered have been done through sneaky means. UPS boxes not labelled and what not.

Originally posted by WebSlave
Chris - this issue is much more important that anything to do with competition between websites. The more people who get the word the better. I have just mailed out a form letter to ALL registered users of FaunaClassifieds.com to get as many people as possible involved in this.

Spread the word and lets get people INVOLVED!

If anyone wants to take a stab at contacting JeffB on kingsnake, please do so. I know for a fact that he will not respond to my own emails.

I am not saying this is competition. I have never considered you as such (not out of arrogance or indifference, but out of the fact that we cater to different types of people).

I think that some sort of form letter would be VITAL to making this work. All we need is someone saying they want to shp venomous, or that they will "continue to ship against company policy,regardless of what they decide" and our credibilty will faulter.

As you know, emotions can run high, and cause people to type messages that could be inferred to be something entirely different when read by a third party. Therefore I believe it in our best interst to make sure the bases are covered.