# Dropping the ball



## siples (Aug 14, 2004)

Members,
At this moment I am quite steamed and thought I could get a few opinions. Two weeks ago I shipped a bunch of frogs to a person in Missouri. I printed on the instructions extremely perishable 70-75 degrees, the same instuctions were printed on the shipper, so I had these instructions on the shipper on the computer and on the shipping label. This is just trying to cover every aspect and protect youself. The driver of Fed-ex had the numbers wrong and tried to deliver to the wrong house. The person recieving these frogs noticed their was a slip on the neighbors door and retrieved it thinking this may have happened. I was at work my wife was contacted and she and the reciever contacted Fed-ex to retrieve the package. It was finally delivered 5hours later and the frogs were dead. On contacting Fed-ex we had to naturally submit a claim. They contacted me today and said they were not negligent in any way! Now you tell me delivering 5hrs late and leaving them on the truck making their rounds is not breech of contract? And one other point if a reputable company cannot comply with instructions that were quite clear, then they should refuse the package. If the frogs would have arrived within the correct time frame I would not have a gripe, we checked with the reciever to make sure that we had the correct address, that was good. When we initialy contacted them the day this happened a rep told me that they had dropped the ball. So to make a long story longer I am out $1280, I have tried to contact them to take this to a higher level, which means first talking to the person that handled our claim and he will not call us back. I am far from through with this, I am so dahm mad I could kill!!!
Kieth


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## Scott (Feb 17, 2004)

I sympathize - but shipping when the weather can present a problem is not a good idea.

I refuse to ship this time of year for just the reasons you mention.

You have to assume that the driver(s) will have the box in the truck for the entire shift.

You have to assume the driver (and no one else for that matter) will read the directions on the box (cause most of them don't).

This leaves a shipping window of late March-May and September-November as far as I'm concerned.

Again, sorry for the loss,

s


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## Guest (Aug 6, 2005)

Hmm, I agree that shipping frogs during summer may not be the best idea, even if shipped with a cooling pack. A number of things can always go wrong. However, they should have been delivered to the correct person within the time frame they said it would be delivered. I don't blame you for being upset and calling them about this. I wouldn't let it go either. Good luck with your dealings with fedex. I've had my share of crummy customer service for various other things lately. (my $2200 laptop that hasn't been working correctly since I got it a year ago...)


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## Guest (Aug 6, 2005)

When I bought my computer, i wanted it delivered to the store where I bought it ( it was custom built, so it had to be ordered).
Fed Ex couldnt make the delivery for about a week cuase the drivers couldnt figure out where my apartment was in the store. :evil: 
I cant figure out how the driver could think that an entire apartment building was on a block that was entirely taken up by a shopping mall.


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## Guest (Aug 6, 2005)

I got mine from cyberpowersystem, custom laptop as well. gaming laptop. customer service is horrible, dispite their testimonials... i had a friend who got a desktop from them and liked it. I didn't even think the laptops might not be as well.. *sigh*


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## dmatychuk (Apr 20, 2005)

I use FedEx and only do it as a pickup at the FedEx station rather than ever letting frogs be on a truck and having the additional rough handling. I than can pick up the package early in the morning usually just after 6:00am. I dont believe that FedEx covers anything other than possibly giving you back your shipping costs.......and you should be able to atleast get that back.

Otherwise use Delta Dash with their insurance that I believe covers live animals

the whole thing sucks and I feel for you.


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## snmreptiles (Feb 26, 2004)

Unfortunately I think you are S.O.L. FedEx does ship reptiles/amphibs now, but you have to go through all of the steps to ship them! You must be careful as well...Was the box clearly marked with contents?? I believe it's the Lacey Act that states you must write what's in the box. Granted we always "accidently" place the shipping sticker over it, and have VERY rarely received a package that was marked properly, but that's probably another thing they will say. Honestly we don't like using anything but Delta for shipments that are pricey anymore. I wish you the best of luck, but I would unfortunately expect the worst!! I was just told something today that makes perfect sense as well...FedEx is the way to go because their trucks are white and don't absorb as much heat as UPS' brown ones!! Forget even talking about DHL!

MIKE


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## josh_r (Feb 4, 2005)

i worked for airborne express and i was amazed at the way they handled peoples packages!!!! people thousands of dollar computers were being drop kicked across the factory. i saw them throwing and kicking packages that said in HUGE bold letters, "fragile, perrishable, glass, LIVE ANIMALS!!!! i dont know how many times i went out with drivers on runs and they screwed up on deliveries constantly. some guys would walk half way up to a house and huck the package to the door step. i couldnt deal with it. i quit. dont ever assume your packages are safe. assume the worst.


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## markpulawski (Nov 19, 2004)

*dropping the ball*

Nightmare scenario..... I can empathize. I shipped a friend a female red Lehmanni and a Bullseye Histo years ago Delta Dash, it was in the winter but I had good boxes an had never had a problem. I called the guy to make sure the frogs were OK only to find out the flight was still on the ground in Cincinnati with mechanical problems, needless to say when the frogs arrived they were frozen stiff. Priceless frogs, didn't even get my dash fee back.
Mark


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## Guest (Aug 6, 2005)

omg.. you didn't get your money back for that? Agh...


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## kyle1745 (Feb 15, 2004)

Sending from station to station is your best but. Even that can be a issue though as I had one shipment go to another station even though the address I listed it to go to was on their website as a holding station.

This time of year is more of a risk than others, better to wait for a bit cooler temps.


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## melissa68 (Feb 16, 2004)

*Did you ask specifically...???*

Did you ask FedEx if they guarenteed live arrival? If you just assumed, they would cover the contents if the package was outside your parameters, without checking first, you will probably be eating the cost. Most shippers do not....

It doesn't matter how many warnings you put on the package, if they do not guarentee live arrival, you are out of luck.

In addition, how did you pack your frogs?


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

It is a federal violation of the Lacey Act to ship any package containing live animals that does not list the species inside the package. Many shipping companies are not liable for damages that result that include a violation of a law.....

Did you notify the shipper that the box contained live animals? If this was not on the box and you did not notify them then you may have also violated the TOS. 


While I sympathize, I suspect that there is little you can do, 

Ed


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## insularexotics (May 3, 2005)

FedEX's rules are that they only accept live animals after you jump through a series of hoops that include sending a mock package through their sort process. Even then there are 2 things you should know:

1)When you ship live animals with them, they will not guarantee live arrival. To my knowledge, NO ONE DOES.

2)When you ship live animals, you are supposed to sign a paper stating that you waive your right to a refund should the package fail to make the delivery deadline. In other words, you will be SOL. I have gotten them to refund the shipping in the past, but it took a lot of yelling, threatening, etc.

The ONLY shipper that accepts live animals and guarantees ontime delivery is USPS ExpressMail. But they have even gotten hard to pin down because you have to check with your local PO to see if they can guarantee ontime delivery for the address you are shipping to. They have some chart that is updated periodically that tells them what will and won't make it next day and what time drop off and delivery can occur. My local PO didn't ever say anything about it to my wife when she dropped the packages. I only found out after about the 5th late delivery when I started to ask for supervisors to find out what needed to happen to get better success and someone in our regional express office clued me in. :evil: 

Bottom line is that shipping is very risky, no matter who you use. :twisted: 
And like others have said, spring and fall are the only good times to ship.

Sorry for the loss!


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

And with USPS, the local post master can decide on a case by case if that post office will handle any live animals. 

Ed


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## joshsfrogs (May 6, 2004)

> And with USPS, the local post master can decide on a case by case if that post office will handle any live animals.


Hmm...did not know this. Is this the shipping office or can it also be the recieving office?


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Usually its the shipping office that does the refusing but the recieving office can refuse to deliver if in the opinion of the post master or the carrier that it would put the animal's health in danger. (I had a cricket order held up once this way for two days (until I could get out of work early enough to go and pick it up). 

Ed


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## SLEDDER23 (Mar 17, 2005)

I don't have exp w/Delta, but that sounds like the way to go. Btwn Fed Ex and UPS, Fed Ex, hands down. I agree with the color of the truck issue somewhat though I'm sure it's still hot as hell. Fed Ex is supposed to be a really good company to work for. I always trust a company that treats it's employees well. I worked at UPS for 3 years, and I can assure you that's not the case there. We never shipped live animals that I knew of, and if anyone were to kick such a box, I would kick them, but I can tell you that I can balance, spin, and chuck onto a conveyer belt a 72lb monitor. Quite a feat! Basically, however you ship, you're at the mercy of someone that is, or at least feels, over worked and underpaid. take that in to consideration when picking a carrier and a time of season to ship. I hope this turns out ok for you. Sorry for the loss of life.


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## rmelancon (Apr 5, 2004)

Just to add some info, Delta Dash has it's problems too. As an example a shipment of frogs was sent Delta Dash this past winter, not on an extremely cold day, but the frogs came in in the early AM and they sat on the loading dock by the Delta Dash counter (instead of in the office) until the office "opened". Most of the frogs were almost frozen despite heat packs and double boxing. I had the same thing happen last summer where they were sitting in the loading dock right outside the door to the office when I arrived. Luckily the frogs in that case survived but I personally try to stay away from using Delta Dash.


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## markpulawski (Nov 19, 2004)

*dropping the ball*

My frogs would get very cold shipping with Delta Dash even in the middle of the summer, when it is -50 at 30,000 feet those compartments they say stay the same temp as the cabin.....no way. I had even considered heat packs in the summer for long Delta flights. Now I ship UPS and USPS and have not had any major problems, a couple lost frogs but no fatalities except for a male Azureus shipped to me that the person had put in a regular cardboard box filled with peanuts (no styro cooler).
Mark


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## siples (Aug 14, 2004)

*Dropping the Ball*

First of all I would like to thank everybody for your concerns and comments, I was so angry at Fed-ex at that moment I was venting, I guess it is more substantial to vent at a multitude, then just my wife, bless her soul she has definitely had an earful. I felt rather callous because I was initially crushed thinking about those animals suffering and dieing in the heat. Other then the pair of Fans I had raised all others from tads and all were about 1.5 years old and were huge and ready to breed for someone. I personaly did not want to ship, in fact I was just going to drive them out to Missouri over the fourh, but our compressor went out in our van, two years old go figure, and Lynn hates taking the sunfire on long trips which from our house is about nine hours, so I did ship with some very mixed feelings. I guess what made me so mad was the reps statement about dropping the ball, gee we're sorry. Which made me feel that they couldn't be any sorrier then the animals that suffered and died because you guys got two house numbers mixed up. Again I would like to thank all members for their support.
Kieth


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