SHIPPING: What you need to know!

Originally Posted by snakechaarmer

Right, but if they know that said individual is certified to ship reptiles, and they ship to a home address anyway, can't they refuse shipment? I'm just confused because I know i've received things at home and vice versa, like i said, not business to business, without any issue and have never heard that before. weirrdddd

Business to Business is required for reptile shipments, not all shipments. FedEx doesn't check each and every one of your shipments for whether or not it's a reptile shipment to enforce it, but reserve the right to refuse your package and take your waiver away if you violate it.

The waiver says:
"J. Company acknowledges that all shipments tendered to FedEx under this Agreement are for Business to Business delivery only. No residential deliveries are allowed under this Agreement."

Some people claim that it includes home business, but if you are considered a residential delivery (zoned residential), you are not exempt.

Originally Posted by TripleMoonsExotic

Business to Business is required for reptile shipments, not all shipments. FedEx doesn't check each and every one of your shipments for whether or not it's a reptile shipment to enforce it, but reserve the right to refuse your package and take your waiver away if you violate it.

The waiver says:
"J. Company acknowledges that all shipments tendered to FedEx under this Agreement are for Business to Business delivery only. No residential deliveries are allowed under this Agreement."

Some people claim that it includes home business, but if you are considered a residential delivery (zoned residential), you are not exempt.

By "things" i meant reptiles. Sorry.
I just don't understand how if this is the rule, that it's only business to business, that people can say "Shipped FedEx to YOUR door via Overnight Delivery". It's just baffling. I guess everyone kind of breaks this "rule"?

I think some of the original FedEx Certs didn't have the business to business stipulation. Others either a) Didn't read their waiver, b) Read their waiver and didn't understand, or c) Don't care. I was under category b at one point as I didn't realize home business wasn't exempt and zoning was what mattered.

That's really crazy. I wonder why they would make such a stipulation. I wonder if anyone has just ignored it and done direct to home shipments if this is a new addition and gotten in trouble?

There is word that door to door my soon be allowed due to UPS providing the service. This is months old talk from an AE that has moved up but he seemed to know what he was talking about

Originally Posted by TripleMoonsExotic

Placement of the invoice is up to interpretation. I like using the clear plastic holders to put the detailed invoices in. FedEx even provides them free. You can also order opaque ones that specifically say "Invoice" or "Packing List" so that the contents remain private unless opened. When I was working for PETsMART while college all of our reptile/fish shipments came in with a "Packing List" attached to the outside of the container.

just throwing in $0.02 (or maybe it's just $0.01?)
those 'clear plastic holders' are called Packing List Envelopes.

Originally Posted by Khaman

There is word that door to door my soon be allowed due to UPS providing the service. This is months old talk from an AE that has moved up but he seemed to know what he was talking about

I've been pushing it. Throwing UPS in their face is how I got better rates. If they do it, I want a new signed waiver. I'm not just going to take their word for it, that's for sure.

Originally Posted by AbsoluteApril

those 'clear plastic holders' are called Packing List Envelopes.

Thanks for making a thread so useful as this one. I am going through the process as we speak and just setting up my box for testing packaging. This has help a whole lot. It's seems a little over board when they don't even cover loses but you do what you got to do.

After reading this thread and the others, maybe someone should make a thread on tactics for getting better shipping rates, lol!

Originally Posted by justindh1

After reading this thread and the others, maybe someone should make a thread on tactics for getting better shipping rates, lol!

When RE gets back up and running with UPS you can throw their rates at your FedEx rep. That's how I was able to negotiate better rates on my account.

Hey, I just wanted to let everyone know that you don't have to wait 24-48 hours to call the representative to get the account number to bill the shipment to. You don't even have to call him to get it. Just call fed-ex and get transferred to the live animal department. They will transfer you to the person at the test packaging department with the account number for billing. You may even be able to just get transfered straight to there, thats just the way I did it.

I set up my account yesterday and called about an hour later and they actually told me what I needed to do and gave me the account number for billing with-out asking. At that time they also gave me my representatives number. I called him and gave him a heads up about what I was doing and to get acquainted with him. He had never done something like this but said he would help me anytime if I had trouble. He had a gecko when he was a kid so that's gonna help me out. It will help that he knows me when I get through the packing test and have to work with him and the waiver.

I think that this could possibly cut out a couple days at least if not a week. You don't have to wait a day or 2 to call. Also people won't have to worry bout being able to get a hold of the representative or wait to be contacted back. They don't have to deal with the representative until you actually pass the packaging test and have to get the waiver.

Hope this helps out others in the future.