Shipping of Snakes - Fed Ex or UPS ???

I did a search on this topic as I am sure it has be discussed before, however I did not find anything.

So here is my question, I have been shipped snakes by both Fed Ex overnight and UPS overnight.

In my experience Fed Ex just left the box at the door, rang the doorbell once and left. UPS rang the doorbell, I signed for the package & was handed the package.

For me UPS seems to be the best shipping route... however I see a majority of breeders are shipping via FedEx. Is there a reason for this?

Those that ship snakes, which method do you use and why?

Thanks, I plan to breed and want to be able to ship in 08 so I am doing research in advance. :cheers:

Because Fedex is the only one where you can go through the hoops to legally ship reptiles. A lot depends on whose working, some employees are better then others and it takes a few packages to get to know which one is best. Also some shippers dont check it to be signed for, it usually has it marked down on the sheet taped on top of the package. I've seen both from both carriers.

FedEx is the only carrier that legally allows you to ship snakes. UPS allows it depending on who is working and who takes your package. Just hope that UPS doesn't decide to open your package up and take a peek inside.

FedEx might just knock and go because you have a waiver release on file. That allows them to not get a signature, even if the sender requests for one. You need to call FedEx and get that waiver taken off.

If I get a FedEx deliveries, they arrive at approximately the same time of day at my location (within an hour or so) and come up my driveway to the house (it's set 300 ft from the road). I usually know he's there before he can do more than his initial honk...still messing with paperwork when I get to his door, but if not, he's been known to wait over 5 minutes for me to answer the door - Nature sometimes calls at the wrong time ( my driver knows my car and if it's there, he knows I'm home).

UPS, however, has been known to deliver anywhere from 10:00AM to 10:00PM, the driver will not come up my driveway (he says the truck won't make it past the overhanging tree branches - which is bull), he never comes to the door, never even honks. He just leaves the package somewhere on the ground alongside my driveway. It's been on both sides, from the road on up about 150 feet. Once, he left it on the other side of my garbage cans. I didn't even see it until 2 days later when I put the garbage out at the road for pickup. Luckily, it was a smaller shipment of frozen mice and there was still some dry ice in the box. It was also so well packaged that the ants hadn't been able to get all the way in and the coons hadn't realized what was in the box either. (Gotta give RodentPro credit for their packages!)

So...do I have a preference as to which carrier I ship with and that I would prefer to see everybody use? Yeah...I think so!

I'll second (or 3rd) the FedEx recommendation. Not only are they the only company that will legitimately ship snakes, they are generally more reliable about delivery times. I had a bad experience last year with UPS (late delivery - loss of animals) and have since gone through the (admittedly cumbersome) FedEx certification process to ship live snakes. It's a bit of a pain, but worth it for you and your snakes' sake.

Aside from it being legal on paper to ship through Fedex, I've just had better service from Fedex than UPS regarding animal shipments, and other shipments as well.

Like Susan said, when I'm expecting a package its here around the same time of day, 10-11am and he generally has me sign for packages. If no one is home or comes to the door, he knows where the spare key is to place the package inside our heated/cooled garage on the step leading to the house. And in the event of bad weather and he can't make it up our road (those who've been to my house can attest to its treacherousness even in good weather) he will drop it off past my mother's workplace in town and she'll sign for it. You can't ask for better service, really.

UPS is ok for most packages, but I never know when they'll be here and I've had way more packages broken, busted, cut open than I care to count from them. Plus if the driver is running late, he usually stuffs the box in a plastic bag and leaves it down on the county road where my mailbox is, in the weather. They're also the ones to "knock & run", unless its the younger cute guy who usually makes me his last stop so he can sit in a lawn chair and chat about deer hunting and snakes.

Before Fedex had this entire being able to ship legally, I used UPS because it was cheaper. However one time they cut open my box and made me drive down at 8pm at night to pick up the package, get a lecture on why shipping animals is bad, and refuse to refund my money. I'd shipped 5-7 other orders and they made it there just fine. It just all depends on who's working on the truck since he accepted my Overnight Package and who's nosey enough at the depot to wonder what "Brownies" really are.

One you didn't mention was DHL. I've received a couple of shipments of animals from them and guh. Every experience I've had with them has been one thing or another. You definitely pay for what you get with that. Bottom line is, spend a little more and have it sent Fedex.

I use FedEx because it is legal and like stated before the time is usually pretty on the money here too.

lol @ Misty - I wonder what kind of brownies they thought it was to get suspicious.
I have had snakes shipped by all 3 but when I ship myself I am certified to use fed ex and that's the only legal way to do so.
Quick little anecdote:
I just had a shipment arrive yesterday, the seller sent the snake by fed ex but he used standard and not priority overnight and the package had no insulation or cool pack. I sent him an angry email saying the snake seemed to be ok but explaining how his packaging and shipping was not up to industry standards, his lame excuse was that the fed ex trucks are kept cool in hot weather and warm in the winter and how he felt the insulation wasn't necessary.
I'm kind of wondering if that's true about the trucks. I haven't shipped all that much but with all this extra care I put into packaging and I know most other people who ship reptiles do as well, I can't believe somebody would just trust the fed ex truck to be the right temp like that.

My first shipment of snakes was sent to me via DHL and the guy was scheduled to appear no later then 10 AM he showed up at 12PM and one of the snakes was DOA (after suffering in an un-airconditioned van for who knows how many hours.)

After that I've only had my critters shipped to me via FedEx and held at a location for pick-up. Luckily I don't have a real job (lol not that I want one!) and can get to the FedEx location by 9AM.

If I can jump through the hoops I'll be working on becoming a certified shipper through FedEx soon, but it really depends on how things go for us over the next couple of months.

Jenn

Taceas said:

One you didn't mention was DHL. I've received a couple of shipments of animals from them and guh. Every experience I've had with them has been one thing or another. You definitely pay for what you get with that.

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:-offtopic *sort of*
I had to laugh, because my only experience with DHL was watching a driver slam her van into a PARKED truck on the side of the road...only to have her van burn to the ground.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday 2004



No pics of the actual flames...but believe me, those suckers were shooting out about 3-4 feet! :grin01: I will never ship DHL. Too many bad memories!

Thank You all for your advise and information. Since I will beginning my breeding projects in Spring 08, I will start my Fed Ex Certification process around mid next year to get it done and be ready. :cheers:

SilentLore said:

In my experience Fed Ex just left the box at the door, rang the doorbell once and left. UPS rang the doorbell, I signed for the package & was handed the package.

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I've had to packages shipped to me before, one through ups and on Fedex. The ups rang the doorbell, left the package at the door and left, while I signed for the Fedex package. I think its odd how different companies do different things at different times.

Wow, at the toasted DHL van! Yeah, our DHL driver is a real dick. The last snake I got from DHL came from Kathy Love. She called me at 11am saying that they have it on the tracking info that the delivery was attempted but no answer at the door. I told her I'd been sitting in the living room since 8am waiting, and no one came up my drive or to my door. I called DHL and tried being polite as I told them to come back out and re-deliver it.

DHL: "We don't re-deliver packages on the same day. You'll have to wait till tomorrow for a re-attempt."
Me: "The tracking information said that you attempted delivery. But I took the morning off just so I could be home to accept the package, which I have been waiting in my living room since 8am. The package contains live animals which won't do good in this heat if they're left out too long. And your driver LIED because he was too lazy to drive out here and actually deliver the package. I paid for overnight service, I expect to get overnight service."
DHL: *long silence* "He'll be back out within the hour."
Me: "He better be. "

56min later he drives up, or roars up, obviously ticked off.

He knew how to get here, he's been here before so that wasn't the problem. He comes up to the door and with this slime-ball attitude says, "You know, uh, we don't generally do this." And I said, as I'm signing the list, "You don't generally lie about attempted deliveries?" He gave me THE most vacant look.

I pointed out across the driveway on a tree to our driveway alarm, it rings a unit in the house when the infrared beam is broken across the driveway. I told him a butterfly could set it off, so I'm sure a DHL van wouldn't be any problem. I don't like my time being wasted because he's too wasted to do his job properly. I got some mumbled comment as he walked off. Ain't used them since.

The only problem I had with Fedex was actually getting certified. I'd been shipping with Fedex for a couple years just fine, albeit illegally.

Every time I would go by the steps outlined on here and on Fauna, I'd get sent to the Animal Desk telling me I didn't need to be there. No kidding. I could never get a Customer Service Rep to help me get to a Sales Rep. At the slightest mention of reptiles, instant transfer to the dead-end Animal Desk.

So out of frustration I made up my test box, filled out the test form you should enclose with it and sent it with a letter detailing my 5-6 months of being juggled around and ignored by those in the Fedex Customer Service, and requesting to be contacted by a Sales Account Representative when/if my package was approved. It worked, they approved my package the day after they got it, and that same day I got a call from my rep apologizing for being neglected.

I have since signed my paper and gotten my signed copy back with her signature on it. I am currently awaiting the call for the go-ahead to ship while they're doing paperwork on their end.

So if you meet resistance at actually trying to find a rep to talk to and get the paperwork done, just send in your box with a note saying you'd like an account rep to call you and see if that works. The Package Testing Department were the friendliest people I've met at Fedex to date.

My rep has been top notch. I can put you in touch with him if you like. He has unfortunately gone to another territory but he helped Joe out immediately and a couple other snake people. He knows all about the shipping process and got my package tested and returned without it costing me a dime. He's first rate!

Just some things to think about . . .
1. The 'legality' speak is very misleading. The 'legality' speak is internally only. The United States Postal Service would be the only 'illegal' company to use for shipping. With FedEx and/or UPS and/or DHL, the 'legality' that's being spoken of is internal policies within the company. I think using the word legal is VERY misleading.

2. Shipping has just as much to do with the sender's end as the receiver's end. I know, I know . . . but, problems you have on the receiving end may be due in part to how, and what service, the package was sent with. I have received live animal packages from FedEx, UPS and DHL, at various locations including home and two different work addresses . . . I have NEVER had a late package nor a package that DIDN"T need to be signed for . . . EVER. (Knock on wood, click heels, throw salt, etc.) From my personal experience something else has to be influencing the string of bad luck an individual shipping address could have . . . It could also just be an individual moronic delivery person. :shrugs:

3. I use UPS. No reason to hide the fact, though the aforementioned 'legality' speak seems to show a bias towards anyone that doesn't use FedEx. :shrugs: I have no reason to switch currently unless there ever happens to be a problem. My local office knows what I am shipping (corn snakes). I don't mislabel my boxes . . . and I DO label them. They know I am shipping Live HARMLESS Reptiles that are called Pantherophus Guttatus from looking at my labeling on the outside of the box. I believe legally speaking, THAT is what may or may not break the law . . . labeling the contents of the box.

4. FedEx. The reason to be certified is that it's 'legal'. You DO NOT get any type of refund IF your package does not arrive on time. There is also NO compensation if you do not have a LIVE arrival. And that's because you have to sign a waiver stating you can't/won't receive those benefits! With all the problems people are having getting certified (due to people that don't know!), who's to say that some moron in a shipping room along the way opens your package and sees snakes and follows the company line that they don't ship snakes? Does being certified stop that from happening and delaying your package? If not, what is the actual benefit to 'legally' using FedEx versus using UPS or DHL??

Just some thoughts . . .
D80

Drizzt80 said:

If not, what is the actual benefit to 'legally' using FedEx versus using UPS or DHL??

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Was cruising through cleaning up some of my subscribed threads, etc. and came across this forgotten thread. Noone had a reaction to my previous comments?! :shrugs: More importantly, noone had an answer to my quoted question?!

Just revivin' the thread to see if anyone has anything to add/answer? :eek1:
D80

Because if for some reason they decided to see what your package was, they could legally confiscate it. I don't think I'd want to risk that. Besides....I guess I'm just a stickler for doing things legally. Call me a goody two-shoes if you will.

Technically there is no benefit from shipping certified through Fedex, versus "unknown" shipping through Fedex, UPS, or DHL, you are correct.

I personally don't agree with the "if we run over your box of live harmless hatchling snakes, you don't get a refund" clause, none of us do. But we are putting up with it at the moment because its all we have for the moment.

Hopefully some day as Fedex grows in the area of live harmless reptile shipping, they'll see that most of the animals going through their terminals daily are nickel and dime reptiles, and should be able to be insured properly if they screw it up.

If you're shipping a $10,000 Ball Python or something equally more valuable or rare, you're going to use an airline and take out insurance on it properly, I would imagine. I think Fedex is just afraid of how expensive some snakes can actually be, and they don't want to have to refund it if its killed. I personally see no difference between that and a Tiffany lamp, but that's me.

But then again, some snakes can die in transit from the mere stress of being packaged up and writhing around and altitude and pressure changes, whatever...I'd hate to make them responsible for something that really WASN'T their fault, when they did everything they're supposed to. There's just no way of telling if it was them or not.

I think if what you're shipping is $1000 or less, its no different than antique glassware. So long as they do their duties as they're supposed to, go by the labeling on the box, and not play "box soccer" with it....it should be good. Putting a cap on the refund would be nice, it covers their ass while allowing you some compensation.

Apparently unlike some people, I don't like shipping my reptiles in plain boxes, un-marked, un-labeled just so it'll sneak through. It makes me worry that during extreme weather or mechanical problems, delays may occur and I want my animals in a safe place away from those extreme temps if at all possible. I've tried to accurately label packages in the past, before I got certified, and all it did was make them ask questions and when I would fess up about what was in the box they would deny to accept it for shipping because its in the book that they're not allowed.

I also don't like not-labeling or not being certified because to me, I feel its breaking the rules and being illegal. Maybe its just me, but I have a terribly guilty conscience...the mere sight of my husband looking at me when I've splurged money is enough to make me beg forgiveness without even him opening his mouth. So I know its against the rules, but I don't like behaving that way. That's just me, personally.

So to sum up:

- I don't use UPS because they opened my un-marked package and refused to give me a refund. And were all around rude when asked why some people can ship through UPS and I can't, I got: "Thats between them and their manager".

- I refuse to use DHL because they're a bunch of incompetent nitwits. The savings isn't worth the hassle and potential harm to snakes.

-I use Fedex because of ALL of the shipments I've received or sent out, their's were the ones to make it with the least amount of hassles and were delivered generally on or before the scheduled delivery time.

- I use Fedex because the prices really aren't that much different from UPS in most cases.

Ultimately, if UPS sees they're losing a market and offer a certification process for everyone, not just some speshul people, I might consider using it. Plus if the prices are better and especially if they offer a refund, it would be interesting to see how Fedex would counter and "price match".

MegF. said:

Because if for some reason they decided to see what your package was, they could legally confiscate it. I don't think I'd want to risk that. Besides....I guess I'm just a stickler for doing things legally. Call me a goody two-shoes if you will.

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But that's my point. Some nitwit, moron in a FedEx hub that's following 'the book' opens your package and confiscates your snake because it's 'illegal' to ship. They will not find out that it was legal for YOU to ship for at least a day or two or three or more. Depending on temps, that could mean the health/life of the snake . . . How does shipping 'legally' protect against this?!

Taceas said:

Apparently unlike some people, I don't like shipping my reptiles in plain boxes, un-marked, un-labeled just so it'll sneak through. It makes me worry that during extreme weather or mechanical problems, delays may occur and I want my animals in a safe place away from those extreme temps if at all possible. I've tried to accurately label packages in the past, before I got certified, and all it did was make them ask questions and when I would fess up about what was in the box they would deny to accept it for shipping because its in the book that they're not allowed.

- I don't use UPS because they opened my un-marked package and refused to give me a refund. And were all around rude when asked why some people can ship through UPS and I can't, I got: "Thats between them and their manager".

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If I'm not mistaken, due to events of 9/11, it is federally (truly) illegal to ship unmarked packages. Unfortunately, having your packages opened was your fault. I'd argue that being unmarked, unnecessarily red flagged your packed TO be opened. If someone is shipping unmarked, unlabeled boxes, well that's just wrong.

Now, I know it's not completely 'honest', but it's also not lying in that I mark ALL my packages appropriately. UPS WILL ship Reptiles, but WILL NOT ship Snakes. I am shipping, and I quote, "Live HARMLESS Reptiles (second line) # X Pantherophus Guttatus". While it's not 100% honest, it's also not 100% lying trying to fly 'under the radar' with unlabeled boxes. :shrugs:

My whole concern is:
1. Being certified with FedEx offers no 'protection' from DOA's or delayed shipments.
2. Why is using UPS or DHL looked down upon as lying or illegal if the #1 goal is shipping animals that arrive healthy and alive? (FedEx cannot and will not offer that guarantee, you just have a fancy 'certification'.)

Mind you, if something should happen where UPS no longer accepted my packages etc. I'd probably have to unnecessarily jump through the hoops to be FedEx certified even though I am granted no further protections. Does that make sense? :shrugs:

D80

Now, I know it's not completely 'honest', but it's also not lying in that I mark ALL my packages appropriately. UPS WILL ship Reptiles, but WILL NOT ship Snakes. I am shipping, and I quote, "Live HARMLESS Reptiles (second line) # X Pantherophus Guttatus". While it's not 100% honest, it's also not 100% lying trying to fly 'under the radar' with unlabeled boxes.

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So, if UPS won't knowingly ship snakes, but will ship reptiles, then it's legal for you to ship snakes?

Come on, that's semantics, and writing Pantherophus Guttatus on the box doesn't make it 'okay'.

UPS will not knowingly ship snakes, so it's 'illegal' to do so because UPS prohibits snake shipments.