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WHAT SHOULD I DO! ASAP

eddieriv

eddieriv

Royale with cheese.
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I just received a dead Spider Male ball python, UPS never rang my doorbell to get the package. I called them and made them redeliver it the same day about 4 hours later. I am in New Jersey and the day time temps are 85-90 degrees today and the shipper put a heat pack in the box claiming the temps in Chicago were low 30's at night. I called the person I bought it from and he says the snake was alive when he shipped it and the best he could do was send me another snake but I would still have to buy it from him. What are your thoughts on this
 
Sorry

Sorry to hear that but if he won't help you, don't count on ups or shipyourreptiles they take no responesabilty.
 
Hard to say on this one... I would try to work something out with the seller!! Really hard to say because this was UPS's fault and not the seller's!! As far as a Heat Pack... the seller maybe could have gone with a 12 or 6 hour heat pack instead of a 40 knowing it was going someplace where the temps were a lot higher!! I don't know what to tell you except I'm really sorry to hear about the poor snake!! I'm sure you are devestated!! I haven't been in this situation so I don't really know what I would do as a seller except maybe a partial refund or big discount on another animal!!

Just my .02
 
Thank you everyone, I called the seller he doesn't want to give me any refund because he says I was not home for the first attempt. He said that a 40 hours heat pack was necessary because they usually only kick in halfway through the shipping process(BS) he offered to sell me a 200g spider for $100 shipped but its hard when you just last $350
 
This is a tough one. It falls on UPS so its not his fault. Ask him for a partal refund? Or to cover the shipping on the new spider? UPS/SYR won't do anything.
 
As for his excuse for the heat pack... I always open mine and make sure they heat up BEFORE I put them in the package so if he had used a 6-12 he could have opened it up and made sure it was heated enough to cover the low temps in his area!! Not sure what to tell you except I'm sorry this happened to you :(
 
At least he's offering a replacement. You missed the first delivery attempt, and most sellers will tell you that's about all they'll guarantee live delivery to. It's not his fault your snake spent an extra several hours in the hot delivery truck. You were expecting the shipment and should have been within earshot of that big rumbling truck pulling up.

And yes, they do tend to peak about halfway.

I'd take him up on it, and be grateful.
 
Listen I was home for first delivery, if im home I should hear a doorbell its very loud. I'm sorry I can't be posted at my window or doorstep waiting. I never said it was his fault but seriously 40 hour heat pack ? with the weather the way it is
 
i think if the snake was dead it was on the way out or already on the first delivery attempt.this is a tough one your out 350 maybe another 100 and who is to say the second one makes the trip.this is a tough call. i would say if ya have the 100 try it if this one dies in shipping there are bigger issues.good luck
 
eddieriv said:
Listen I was home for first delivery, if im home I should hear a doorbell its very loud. I'm sorry I can't be posted at my window or doorstep waiting. I never said it was his fault but seriously 40 hour heat pack ? with the weather the way it is
Click to expand...

A 40 hour heat pack is industry standard. Trying to blame this on the seller in any way you can find is just wrong. There is one person to blame for that missed delivery, and it's not him. That's alllll you. If the temps are in the 80s there, it was very likely warmer than that in the back of that truck. Insulation or not, that's going to affect the animal. A heat pack raises the temps in the box 5-10 degrees, and it certainly would have contributed. BUT. That box shouldn't have still been on the truck. If you had been watching and waiting, it would have been long unpacked before you reached midday temps..

Yeah, it sucks. But where will you be next time you're expecting a live animal that depends on you to sign for it? If you can't be bothered waiting, perhaps receiving live animals by carrier isn't a good idea for you.
 
To the seller: I had almost an exact same incident happen before. I refunded the buyers money and marked him; DO NOT SELL TO.

However, in all honesty, when a buyer is not there for the first delivery attempt there is NO EXCUSE and it is robbery to try and highjack some more animals for something that was not the seller's fault.

Sorry, I do not believe that the seller is in error in this transaction. Whether he had a 20, 40, or 60 hour pack in there..the incident would not have happened if the buyer had been able to accept the first delivery (they have delayed warm up times). If the OP had been available or had not missed the delivery or whatever the excuse is, and the animal was dead when he opened the box, then he would be covered by the TOS. As it is, he missed the delivery which VOIDS the TOS (unless the TOS has a different guarantee than "Live delivery on the FIRST attempt.

*The Seller: He seemed to err on the side of caution, but the death could have been avoided if the BUYER had been more valigant (I have been known to sit right in front of my door with the door OPEN and not move till the package comes).
 
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If it was floppy it died very recently, not posting this to make an enemy but I cant put the blame on the seller either, I am in Chicago and the temps are cold here I would have put in the same heat pack. If the package got delayed here you would have wanted it to have a heat pack that lasted, and even if the temps there were hot, there not going to be that warm at 9 in the morning when they are first delivered. You have to blame yourself or UPS if they really did not ring the bell. I would take anything the seller is offering and chalk it up as a lesson to watch for packages. It sucks but at least it was a few hundred and not thousand. Best of luck resolving the matter and sorry for the loss.

Bob
 
What should you do? Cough up the other money and WAIT for the package, find another breeder, or just swallow the loss and be more valigant next time.

It really is a BUMMER..but more of a bummer for the DEAD ANIMAL.
 
Fed ex and UPS don't usually ring the doorbell, they knock. In a lot of houses doorbells don't work..... Knock, Knock, always works. They won't stand around and wait for you..... Knock, Knock, on to the next house.

eddieriv said:
I'm sorry I can't be posted at my window or doorstep waiting.
Click to expand...

I'm glad that the animals live was important to you....:rolleyes:
 
I have had UPS come up onto my porch, slap a note on the door, and walk right back to their truck. I did not even have a chance to finish descending the stairs when I heard the truck take off. I called them and let them have it, and they came back around and delivered 4 hours later--for me, fortunately, everything was ok, but I believe the OP when he says they did not knock. I didn't even have a chance to get to the door.

This is UPS's fault, but this isn't the shipper's fault, and unfortunately, because UPS doesn't guarantee live animals, there isn't anything you can do about it.
If it were me, and I guaranteed live arrival, I personally would honor this one, but I also understand why the seller is reluctant to do so.

My suggestion is, when using UPS, do NOT require a signature for delivery (and make sure those you buy from aren't requiring one). If they put the box on the porch, then while they're driving off in their truck, you can be unpacking your animal. There's less security in that in SOME ways, but given UPS driver habits, my own experiences, and stories like this, I honestly believe it is safer. You can see on the UPS site very soon after the package is delivered, and do a follow up call to the buyer to make sure they have taken it in.
 
Funny you should mention that... I usually ask the buyer if they need signature required.. and I also get their phone number and keep track of the package and if I notice that it's been delivered I call the person to make sure that they are aware that it's there... I actually did that this afternoon :) The person wasn't at the house and didn't know but he had his father bring the package inside for him and the animals were safe and sound!!
 
I'm afraid I can't really say whose fault it is--buyer or UPS. I, too, have known UPS or FedEx guys to not even try to knock/ring doorbell/whatever. Then again, when I'm expecting an animal (or something else important) that I don't want to ride around on a truck all day, I prop open my front door so they know someone's home.

If I were the seller...I'd probably either send a new snake free of charge (maybe ask the buyer to cover shipping?) or refund the money, if for no other reason than we can't be certain just whose fault it is.
 
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