What would you do if you receive a snake through the USPS? "The Poll"

That is what I would probably do. I know a lot of people are leery of that, as excepting a package can get you in hot water. For the sake of the animal, and to try and give the shipper their just desserts, I would do it. As soon as I found out, I would go to the PO and ask to talk to the postmaster. If they let me know before it arrived, say they sent an e-mail or called saying, "here is the tracking number, it's already sent" I would tell the postmaster that I ordered a snake, it's suppose to arrive tomorrow, and SPECIFICALLY requested it not be sent via USPS. I would bring copies of e-mails with me to "prove" my side of the story, and also to show that I informed the sender that the reason I was specifying no USPS, was that it is illegal. If the mailcarrier showed up at my door with a package, hopefully it would "click" that wait a minute this is probably the snakes I ordered, and I would quickly explain right on the spot the situation, and let them know that not accepting it may be a death sentence, and go from there. Hopefully, I would not catch any heat in that kind of situation.

Yep, what John Kellar said...

I don't know that you would have to report it locally. You can probably report it right to the Post Master General and not involve your local guys at all initially.

I don't know that I'd report it to the Post Office for only one reason. There are some guys out there that just don't know and IF I thought that was the case, honestly not knowing, and the chances of that are just about 1 in 100, THEN and only then, would I let it go. IF it happened again though, then I would report it and the reason why I did not do so previously.

I'd also, most likely, publicize it. The spotlight is a powerful tool to many and being in it for stupidity is not what most folks strive for.

Originally Posted by Wilomn

I'd also, most likely, publicize it. The spotlight is a powerful tool to many and being in it for stupidity is not what most folks strive for.

I agree that the spotlight is a powerful tool, but I wouldn't publicize it because I think snakes get enough bad press already and it just brings more disaproving looks to the reptile buisness.

Originally Posted by tandy4000

I agree that the spotlight is a powerful tool, but I wouldn't publicize it because I think snakes get enough bad press already and it just brings more disaproving looks to the reptile buisness.

Excellent point. I meant, but did a terrible job of conveying, to publicize it in the reptile community. Let the BOI know, TRR and a few othe sites. I never even considered calling a reporter or anything like that.

Hmmmm, my view is narrower than I thought. Interesting....

i don't see how you COULDN'T handle it within the community because that's gonna hurt business without hurting your own rights or the snakes themselves.....reporting it to ANY agency is definitely gonna bring scrutiny upon yourself and your local laws, which is ALWAYS bad since common sense simply does not apply in that world.....

but letting EVERYONE in the community know that the person/company ships illegally will hurt business for them without hurting yourself........right now, it's not a large enough network for people to go to the authorities with it, but when the guys keeping large boids start getting real heat from lawmakers (give it 2 years and a few more deaths) they'll be able to add the numbers needed to give lawmakers a good fight and maybe sensible laws will come of it.......even lucrative permit systems for states and/or counties........but IMO, letting them know what's going on NOW is gonna hurt your own interests more than those of the shipper

BERLIN (July 26) - A German woman sparked panic at her local post office when a 5-foot albino python escaped from a packet she had mailed, police said Tuesday.



Dr. Darlyne A. Murawski, National Geographic / Getty Images
A 5-foot albino python, like the one above, escaped from a package in a post office in Germany. The snake's owner had labeled the package as ''glass.''

Talk About It: Post Thoughts


The 28-year-old woman, who had sold the snake over the Internet, stuffed it in a package labeled "attention -- glass" to be sent to its new owner.

"Staff accepted the package and put it in the back of the office -- they had no idea what it was," said police spokesman Andreas Blum. "All of a sudden, they noticed that it started moving around and then saw a big snake wriggling out of it."

One of the postal workers in the western city of Mechernich, who was familiar with snakes, wrestled with it and locked it into another container, while her colleagues ran away.

While it is not a crime to send snakes by post, the woman is being investigated for the improper treatment of animals.


07/26/06 08:09 ET

That's a whole other issue, the IATA rules for shipping live animals.

Regards

Like most people, I would be very upset! I always request a tracking number right away just as I should. If it came USPS, then the seller would have obviously lied about the tracking number. I would probably not report it to the USPS, but there would certianly be a nice thread in Fauna reguarding my experiance!

Personally I would accept the package, never do business with that person again AND report the shipment to the postal service.
Refusing the animal would be putting its life in jeopardy as much as the person sending it has and that is plain wrong, all laws aside. Unless you live in one of the major hub cities you cannot get a package over night through USPS and where I live it takes three days at best.
Given that my business partner works for the postal service I doubt I would have much hassle about receiving it nor any worries that they would take it away after I reported it.