just because i use shipnex doesn't mean i don't care about my animals. stop trashing those you don't agree with. and for the record i have had several doa's with fed ex because of their screw ups and have yet to have a problem with ups via shipnex. and as far as getting a bad guy thread on the boi that is the least of my worries, the boi is a glorified popularity contest.
This kind of reckless attitude- "I know it's wrong, but screw it, it works for me, right now, and it's cheap" is exactly the kind of approach that is going to get our hobby and industry shut down.
Legislators across the country are working today, right now, to bring down not just the industry, but the hobby itself, the simple keeping of reptiles. This is just the kind of open back door issue they would like to find to come barreling through.
UPS doesn't ALLOW shipping snakes. The ShipNex company admits that it isn't supposed to ship live animals (they aren't allowed to resell labels either, but they continue to duck and dodge around that each time they are caught).
FedEx provides an approved method to ship reptiles safely, securely, economically, and appropriately. They have put systems and standards in place, and they insist we operate within them, or lose the privilege altogether.
We have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to gain approval, and operate within that system.
We stress on our site again and again- What you do affects the entire industry. We work very hard to educate hobbyists and businesses on how to ship properly. We spend hours and hours on customer service, answering questions, helping folks achieve success.
I spend hours and hours on reptile forums answering shipping questions, helping folks find the path to live reptile shipping success. Some of those users use our service, some do not. ShipNex doesn't do any of that, they don't support the industry one bit.
I have contacted ShipNex a number of times, I have never been able to get an email response to simple questions. 0% customer service. That is the type of business folks want to use and defend?
An illegitimate bootleg service that you know is wrong, and jeopardizes, after 25 years in the business (as you said) your livelihood and career?
That is a poor choice, and really speaks to integrity issues.
The reptile business is a real and viable industry. We aren't smugglers, bootleggers or fringe kooks. The choices we make in our businesses shouldn't show us to be smugglers, bootleggers or fringe kooks.
You could jam your snake in a Priority Mail flat rate box and ship it even cheaper. Folks have done it. That doesn't make it right, even if it makes your shipping rate 10 bucks for your customer.
We have to have higher standards than that. You should be giving yourself the best chance for long term success. That would be through a legitimate and approved channel. Get certified yourself with FedEx, or use a FedEx approved service, ShipYourReptiles.