Signature releases

The last few weeks I have been monitoring the email notices I get when my packages are delivered to my customers. One of them bothers me a bit, in that the implication of what it means is unsettling.

Sign for by: Signature Release on file

From what I understand, when you sign a signature release form, you are specifically granting permission to the carrier to leave the package without your signature regardless of whether the sender requests it. In my case, I signed such a form with FedEx because I don't really get live animal shipments sent to me, and the FedEx deliveries sometimes get here before I am willing to get out of bed. So I want the driver to just leave the package on my porch.

But what about my live animal shipments going TO someone with such a waiver? Are they also granting the driver the OK to just leave MY package on the porch, or wherever the driver finds convenient? Not only that, but come September, from what I have heard, I will have to pay extra for a "signature required" delivery. What happens when I pay this fee and the recipient has a signature release waiver? Which one has precedence?

Anyway, not sure many people have thought about this, but shipping out in the heat of August, it is giving me a bit of concern about this situation. If your customer has a signature release waiver, and the package sits outside in the sun for 4 hours before being brought inside, who is liable if those animals are now dead? How do you handle that phone call about the dead animals when you get it?

Yes Rich, you've got it. Someone with such a release basically gives the carrier the 'OK' to leave ANY parcels on the doorstep. Even if such a customer is HOME most carriers who are aware of such a release will simply leave the parcels on the doorstep without ringing the bell. If you pay the fee to have a signature release put on one of your overnight parcels to such a customer, you still pay the full fee regardless of the destinations prior commitments with the carrier. I've noticed TONS of these such releases pop up especially in the last year. It is quite unsettling. This is the reason we recently ammended our Terms of Service to specifically state 'Customers with signature releases are asked to inform us before ordering.'

We do NOT guarantee any packages sent to customers with such a release. We usually try to ship using another carrier in some cases, or sometimes the customers will call to remove the release. It is simply a form that every driver carries in most cases and can be filled out at anytime and given to the driver. I've found some customers do not even know they had such a release, it seems some lazy drivers who make frequent visits to a particular address for overnight parcels will sometimes fill one of these forms out 'forged' on the customers behalf thinking it is a favor.

It's not.

Anyone who readily puts such a release on file with a live carrier who expects such live parcels is simply irresponsible in my opinion. They may have other reasons for doing so perhaps but this is why we ask our customers to contact us if the have such a release on file with a carrier. Sometimes if they simply say they are too busy to sit around all morning waiting for a package we refund them.... If someone cannot make the time to be certain thier new pet or live purchase is safe and healthy they are not the type of customer I'd like to deal with. Eventually I'd like our designer to incorporate a screen that pops up prior to checkout with required check-boxes asking 'do you have a signature release on file with your carrier? yes/no'.... a few things to that effect.

I really hope these 'releases' are not being abused by the drivers..... It would not surprise me though.

Ok, another spin on the signature release issue, from a frequent live-package-recipient's point of view. I signed a signature release with Fedex after an experience I had where the delivery person rang my bell and somehow managed to get back in his truck and be driving away when I got to the door, even though I was right there and waiting for my package (live geckos). Pacing, even. He did NOT leave the package because "no one answered the door to sign for it". He drove away with my geckos, with me running down the street after him and yelling. It took me all the rest of that day doing little else but yell at people on the phone and drive to different places, before I finally caught up with my package back at the station after the drivers entire route was done. It was a nightmare. (The geckos did survive, but were not in great shape).

After this, I did sign a signature release with Fedex. I knew I would always be right there waiting on the day of delivery, usually meeting the driver at the door of his truck, not even waiting for him to ring the bell. No live package will ever sit on my doorstep unattended. However, I can see where, in general, this waiver would make the sender very nervous indeed.

I sign the box to leave without a sig. This is also from my own personal issues with lazy drivers. They often don't knock or knock lightly and run away before anyone gets to the door, if the person waiting goes to the bathroom they might miss the delivery. In mid August with temps here over 90 and in some places over 100 I'd rather have the animal sit on the steps for 20 mins then go back on the truck from 10:30am to 5pm in temps that are about 25-30 degrees hotter than the already hot outside temps. Then after it sits on the truck until 5pm or so it goes back to the warehouse to sit until morning. I'd much rather chance it on the steps then in the truck.

I always ship with heat or cool packs as needed to keep that animal happy until it gets delivered. I usually buy 60 hr heat packs, just in case it takes longer than usual to deliver.

I have signature releases on file with FedEx and UPS for the same reason. If I know that a package is coming I am home waiting for it. But sometimes drivers are in a rush and sometimes nature simply calls at the wrong moment. My dogs let me know when a truck pulls up in front of my house, as they did already this morning with both DHL and UPS. I was outside on my front steps before either driver got to the door and 95+% of the time that is what happens. On the other hand, I also have a child in school nearby and honestly, if there is an emergency, I'd rather they left the package and I had my retired neighbors across the street pick it up off my covered porch and bring it in their (climate controlled) house than to have it sit on a cold or hot truck all day. Fortunately for me and unfortunately for him, he (my neighbor) doesn't have much better to do with his time.

In all the time that I have been receiving reptiles by door to door carrier I have had only one left outside for more than a minute or two, and that was maybe 15-20 minutes (based on time listed as delievered int he online tracker) for such a school "emergency". The box was there when I got home with my "sick" daughter and the animal was (and is still) quite fine.

I don't have dogs so unless the driver actually attempts to knock on the door hard and wait or ring the bell I won't even know he's there.

I can see both sides, but for sellers its a potential nightmare. Buyers too.... What were to happen if a parcel was stolen from your doorstep? It happens more often than most think.... After seeing both sides I honestly have to say the bad consequences of this type of release outweigh the good ten fold. In my opinion anyone who has such a release and is willing to let a live parcel that we send them sit on a doorstep for any amount of time unprotected is waiving thier right to any delivery guarantee. Simple as that. Of course this may not be the case in some situations, and people have thier reasons. But we simply cannot prove whether or not it was persoanlly signed for or left on a doorstep. Unless I see that it has been signed for by a human being residing at the delivery residence or location, as a business you simply cannot guarantee it. For all you know someone could say they were there, and they were not. Its not fair to those with good intentions of course, but with such a release you simply have no way of knowing.

Originally Posted by TopShelfExotics

We do NOT guarantee any packages sent to customers with such a release.

I also have a release on file with Fed Ex for the same reasons others have already listed...but am ALWAYS at home when I know live animals are coming, constantly checking the tracking web site and looking out the window.

instead of possibly discouraging potential customers like myself by not guaranteeing the package (I currently have no intentions on having the release removed) couldn't you just require that the customer call or email you as soon as they have received the animal and have checked it out? If you don't get the call or email within a certain time frame then you could possibly void your guarantee? just a thought.

If you read my previous posts youll see we ask customers with such a release to contact us before ordering

We work with our customers to make sure there is a way to make sure they receive thier purchases and also leave us with a way we can verify they accepted the parcel in person. We either use a different carrier or work it out so the customer calls us within an hour of the parcels delivery

Chris,

Some shippers insist that the package be signed for or the live arrival guarantee is voided. In those cases I simply sign. It usually surprises the driver.