# Shipping with USPS



## porkchop48 (May 16, 2006)

Any body have any good or bad expereinces with it?
I recently shipped some frogs to texas and recieved some frogs from texas and it went very well. 
My post office was telling me that they recently started the "hold at facility"
I have noticed it is much cheaper. I am getting ready to ship out some more frogs and just would like some other comments about shipping USPS.


----------



## tkromer (Dec 20, 2007)

I did it once with fish, the hold at facility. Went well, but I've heard lots of bad stories, just because the transit time isn't guaranteed like other carriers.


----------



## gary1218 (Dec 31, 2005)

I've used it several times and so far no problems.

Hmmmm...............I hope I didn't just jinx myself


----------



## flyangler18 (Oct 26, 2007)

> I've used it several times and so far no problems.


Same here, but I work from home- so I can take home delivery on all shipments rather than hold at location. I've shipped and received amphibians without incident.


----------



## sports_doc (Nov 15, 2004)

Their web site can tell you if you package will go 1day or 2 day to the destination.

Pack frogs as though they will be 2day delivery regardless.

S


----------



## rmelancon (Apr 5, 2004)

I recently had frogs delivered that were supposed to be "held at facility". When I went to go pick them up they had no idea what I was talking about. They had never heard of "hold at facility", and "I've been working here 25 years and there is no such thing". They were put on a truck and they attempted to deliver, unsuccessfully because I was at the post office, so they sat on the truck for a few hours before being brought back to the post office. In the end the frogs were fine, well packed and good weather, but like Shawn said, pack for the worst and don't expect them to be held. With FedEx approaching $100 for priority overnight in some cases, it's getting hard to justify the extra cost compared to the $25 of USPS.


----------



## littlefrog (Sep 13, 2005)

One good and one bad experience for me. Good experience was last week, it was cheap and the frogs I sent evidently arrived in excellent condition. Bad experience is why I was shipping last week in the first place, to replace several frogs that had perished in shipping a month before. I would have put that down to poor packing on my part (it isn't like I send frogs every day, I'm still learning), but it was part of a trade and box I got that same day, also using USPS, had a dead frog in it.

So, not enough experience to know for sure. I think if they are packed perfectly and the weather is good, no fear. No so sure about cold/hot weather shipping yet.


----------



## Roadrunner (Mar 6, 2004)

> So, not enough experience to know for sure. I think if they are packed perfectly and the weather is good, no fear. No so sure about cold/hot weather shipping yet.


If they don`t use a pressurized cabin, the weather is always cold at 50k feet.


----------



## jehitch (Jun 8, 2007)

rmelancon said:


> I recently had frogs delivered that were supposed to be "held at facility". When I went to go pick them up they had no idea what I was talking about ...


I had the same problem only they said it was because, even though the shipper wrote in big letters "Hold at Post Office for Pickup," because I hadn't called to confirm at my end, they had to attempt delivery. At my post office, they said the best way to avoid the problem was to label the package: "John Smith, in care of US Postal Service" and address the package to the post office to which it's being delivered (and include a phone number for the addressee). That way, the post office is the destination, and they can't deliver it somewhere else. But, it's always a good idea for the recipient to call the PO and let them know what's coming.
Jim


----------



## jehitch (Jun 8, 2007)

frogfarm said:


> > So, not enough experience to know for sure. I think if they are packed perfectly and the weather is good, no fear. No so sure about cold/hot weather shipping yet.
> 
> 
> If they don`t use a pressurized cabin, the weather is always cold at 50k feet.


If they don't use a pressured cabin, won't the frogs arrive pretty much inside-out anyway? Seems like that kind of drop in pressure would pop them like popcorn.


----------



## pl259 (Feb 27, 2006)

I used USPS three times within the last two months. All shipments were 100% successful. In one case, I was receiving a package and was going to have the package held at the PO. I talked with my PO types and they gave me a phone number to call the morning of the delivery to have the package held. It turned out in this one case that I had the wrong tracking number and just waited for the delivery at home. Either way, talking with the PO ahead of time and calling the morning of, seems like a good approach. 
All three of these were shorter east coast shipments. No coast to coast stuff. They were all shipped Tues for Wed delivery.


----------



## Brian Ferriera (Nov 1, 2006)

rmelancon said:


> I recently had frogs delivered that were supposed to be "held at facility". When I went to go pick them up they had no idea what I was talking about. They had never heard of "hold at facility", and "I've been working here 25 years and there is no such thing". They were put on a truck and they attempted to deliver, unsuccessfully because I was at the post office, so they sat on the truck for a few hours before being brought back to the post office. In the end the frogs were fine, well packed and good weather, but like Shawn said, pack for the worst and don't expect them to be held. With FedEx approaching $100 for priority overnight in some cases, it's getting hard to justify the extra cost compared to the $25 of USPS.


Let me try to clear this up as I am a USPS employee. Thier are only certain office's that can hold the package for pick up not every office is allowed to hold them. This is probably why the person where you are rod "never heard of it" 
Brian


----------



## beachbabe18509 (Oct 29, 2007)

Well from what I hear(as a USPS employee also...) is that all offices are supposed to be starting to hold packages... But there is also going to be a rate change too, so the price is probably about to go up quite a bit... no more flat rates ect....


----------



## joshsfrogs (May 6, 2004)

USPS recently changed the "post office to post office service" to "hold for pickup". They will now call the person receiving the package when the package is ready. I believe this just started today (or maybe it went into affect last Monday, but I just noticed it today): http://www.usps.com/shipping/expressmail.htm

I have never had a problem getting frogs via USPS Express, but have had a few frog shipments I have sent delayed.

Packing for 2 day delivery is hard with those that charge dimensional weight, but with USPS Express, it isn't an issue.


----------



## Rain_Frog (Apr 27, 2004)

Yeah, I'll be shipping some frogs out again, but this time, I'm going to call the receiver's post office to make sure the office will be ready to receive the package.

For the most part, USPS has worked well for me. They accept live frogs, shipping is the cheapest, and so far, no delays for me. I pack my frogs with an extra gel pack to act as a "buffer."

What's the pressurized hold? Now you've got me worried, Jim and Aaron. :shock: :lol:


----------



## Dangerously (Dec 19, 2007)

jehitch said:


> frogfarm said:
> 
> 
> > > So, not enough experience to know for sure. I think if they are packed perfectly and the weather is good, no fear. No so sure about cold/hot weather shipping yet.
> ...


In a modern transport jet if it's inside the fuselage, it's pressurized. And if it's not, the joker that duct-taped your frog to a landing-gear strut owes you a big apology. I think the point here isn't pressurization, it's the air conditioning system - not all parts of the cabin/baggage hold are treated quite equally. If you leave a bottle of water in your suitcase you won't find it frozen even after a long flight (at least I've never seen that) , but it may not have enjoyed the cozy climate of the cabin, either.

There's some good info here:

http://www.geocities.com/americanmudias ... ation.html

*Myth: Cargo compartments are not heated.*
_Fact: _ Cargo compartments are heated through the pressurization process. The minimum temperature of this process maintains the cargo compartment temperature at 38-45 degrees Fahrenheit which will keep luggage and cargo from freezing. These cargo compartments are not used for flying animals and are marked for ground crews to be reminded. Most aircraft have one or more compartments with supplemental heating systems which hold live animals and are heated to a temperature similar to that in the passenger compartment of approximately 60-75 degrees Fahrenheit. These compartments are marked clearly as suitable for animals.


----------



## Tripod (Jun 5, 2006)

I've used USPS Express Mail about a dozen times as both a shipper and receiver. I have never had a problem - no delays, no damaged packages, no injured or dead frogs. The packages have come and gone between Texas and both coasts, the northwest, midwest, and northeast. 

A big part of insuring good results is pre-coordination. Check the website to verify delivery times between specific Post Offices (they DO differ from one to the next), make sure the box is labelled and addressed properly with "Hold for Customer Pickup" along with the receiver's telephone number, and call the receiving PO first thing the morning of delivery to let them know to expect the package.

Do your homework, be diligent, and you too can take advantage of the significant savings USPS offers on overnight shipping.

Steven


----------



## alivetheycried (Feb 22, 2012)

its not bad but it can be alot better


----------



## Fantastica (May 5, 2013)

Just tried it for the first time today receiving packages. I called in the morning to let them know it was coming, and the lady told me the shipper was being illegal and she was going to report him. Hopefully it was a complete misunderstanding. Going to grab my frogs later today to see how it all goes.


----------



## Reef_Haven (Jan 19, 2011)

Fantastica said:


> I called in the morning to let them know it was coming, and the lady told me the shipper was being illegal and she was going to report him.


Probably a misunderstanding.

Probably a good idea not to use the word POISON when refering to dart frogs. 

The box should be marked LIVE HARMLESS FROGS on the label side of the package and to comply with the Lacey act; the name and number of each species and contact information for both parties should be included just inside the package. 

From the USPS site.

*Requirements for Mailing Small, Harmless, Cold–Blooded Animals (Except Snakes, Turtles, and Turtle Eggs)



General Requirements:

All animals in this group:

Must be able to reach their destination in good condition in the normal transit time between the mailing and address points. 
Must not require any food, water, or attention during transport. 
Must not create sanitary problems. 
Must not create obnoxious odors. 

Specific Requirements by Animal:

Baby Alligators

Baby Caimans

Chameleons

Frogs

Lizards

Newts

Reptiles and Amphibians

Salamanders

Tadpoles and Toads

Animals must not exceed 20 inches in length. 
No additional requirements, except the applicable standards in DMM 601.9. 
Packaging must comply with DMM 601.9.3.11. *


----------



## Rain_Frog (Apr 27, 2004)

I have used mostly USPS, but I am a full convert to SYR.


----------



## aspidites73 (Oct 2, 2012)

I've used USPS for many years, shipping Leopard Geckos, and now frogs. I had 1 DOA, many years ago, where my packaging failed (bad heat pack), and my customer received geckocicles. My only pet peeve is that they do not have real time tracking, nor are they scanning packages as frequently as I would like. (i.e. if a distribution hub doesn't scan, you won't get an update until the next stop. Assuming they scan) If you're like me (OCD) it makes for some frustrating times, not knowing where the package is. And forget calling them. They all give you different answers, if you get an answer at all. Aside from that, and as long as you check for next day service between zip codes, it is a viable option. My last shipment, early this month, was Florida to Southern California. Package arrived in excellent condition, and with healthy frogs (5 adult thumbs). I'm not too sure I would send/receive expensive animals this way. To me, and all things being relative, $80 shipping doesn't sound bad when your paying $800+ for the contents.


----------



## Fantastica (May 5, 2013)

Reef_Haven said:


> Probably a misunderstanding.
> 
> Probably a good idea not to use the word POISON when refering to dart frogs.
> 
> ...


Oh I for sure didn't mention the poison part. "Really small frogs" is what I said. The breeder I bought from is experienced and I don't at all think it was anything he did.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2


----------

