ExoticPetsWS said:
Here's the thing, I'll do what I have continued to do for the sake of my customers. I'm not getting into who's waiver says what, it's neither here nor there.
I don't feel it's anyone's business what my contract, your contract or anyone's contract says or doesn't say. Frankly, I think mine was updated when I received the new discounted rates. See they reassess my rates for better discounts with the more volume I do. One reason I can offer $38.50 shipping to anyone on any size or weight box. I do this for retail sales only and my wholesale customers pay my discounted rate.
Since I have been shipping with FedEx and at one point with UPS (I shipping mainly with FedEx because of the discounted rate I receive) for something like 15 years and doing the same old thing, I'm not gonna stop. If you're angry because FedEx give me a refund and you receive one, call you rep. and ask him/her. I don't know why they do it, they just do.
It
IS "neither here nor there" whether you are shipping live reptiles without the proper reptile waiver from Fedex. Perhaps your local rep is fine with that.....great for you. But, assuming you mark your shipping boxes with the proper identification per the Lacey Act, what is going to happen when your shipment of live reptiles is halfway across the country from you,and someone at a Fedex location decides to check and see if you have the waiver on file? Don't tell me it doesn't happen.....because there are plenty of instances where it does. Usually sparked by some not-so-bright Fedex employee that doesn't know that reptile shipping is allowed at all, but when that happens, your only defense is your reptile waiver. If you don't have a reptile waiver.....what do you do then? Drive halfway across the country to pick up the package? Let Fedex "dispose" of the package? The animals will be the ones suffering because you don't make the little extra effort to get the waiver.
If you have a reptile waiver, which at this point I doubt, you know that it states Fedex will not refund the shipping costs for a late delivery. If your local rep does that for you, again, great for you....but most reps will follow the letter of the contract. Just because you happen to be lucky does not in any way mean that everyone else is....and it surely doesn't entitle you to anything.
If you do not have a reptile waiver, don't get down on the folks that are doing things the PROPER way. They are doing everything they can to make sure that the reptiles they ship out are going to arrive at their destination safely. If the package is late "getting to the truck", it is out of the seller's control, even though they do everything they can to make sure it is shipped properly. Usually, they are more concerned about the reptile's safety than getting a refund on a measly 50 bucks. Personally, I'm just happy when the animals arrive healthy and safe, knowing that the seller has done all that they can do to ensure that, even when Fedex screws up.
And when folks who ship without the proper reptile waivers start making a stink, it DOES affect those who have gone the extra distance to make sure they are shipping the PROPER way. We are lucky Fedex allows us to ship live reptiles at all.....if they take away that option, where does that leave most of us?