bad news

Auddi01 · 07-17-03, 08:38 AM

i just found out today that 2 snakes i sent to a friend ended up being doa. i was so upset. i shipped them the same way i always do, and have never had any problems before, the ups person had taped the packaage up completely after i had left, causing teh poor snakes oxygen supply to be cut of.........
what can i do i am out a snake, and in the middle of a deal stuck not having anything to trade back. please help

The_Omen · 07-17-03, 09:25 AM

Well.. as for ow it looks like you are SOL.
It is against UPS regulations to ship snakes, so no recourse there either.
Your best course at this point is refund or ship the trade animal(s) back, but use a service other than UPS.

My guess is that you did not mark the box for live animals (UPS will sometimes deliver certain animals, but typically, no snakes) which means that you would have no recourse from any shipping service due to a mislabled package.
Can't really blame them for taping the holes either.. they don't want to blamed for any damages that occur and the holes probably looked like shipping damage to someone there.

Auddi01 · 07-17-03, 09:29 AM

i wrote on the package- keep room temperature, handle with care, and fragile. what animals will they ship?

The_Omen · 07-17-03, 10:01 AM

Quote:

i wrote on the package- keep room temperature, handle with care, and fragile. what animals will they ship?

Hmmmm...

UPS will ship turtles, sometimes. BUT, don't get in the habit of mis-labeling packages..
I think that quite a few use airport to airport overnight delivery for the safest, quickest route of travel, through Airborne etc (call around) and where the recipient picks up at the airport. Or next day, door service with am delivery. (still airport drop off)

Now about your packages, do you ship next day, 2 day or priority?
And how are the animals packaged inside the box?
(has a LOT to do with the safe arrival)

Auddi01 · 07-17-03, 10:04 AM

i shipped next day air, and i packaged them in pillow cases with shredded newspaper around them inside the box...

The_Omen · 07-17-03, 10:13 AM

OUCHY!
In warm OR cold weather, animals need more than that..
Line the boxes with foam inserts (styrofoam) to help them absorb the shocks and bumps of delivery, otherwise, the delivery itself can kill them from normal handling practices.
The styrofoam will also act to help retain heat or cool, depending on the temps and the time of the year, preventing a sudden heat up or a sudden chill that can shock the animals as well.
Check the temps in your area and the area they are shipping to, to determine if they may need heat packs or cool packs included.

Arriving is one thing, arriving in good condition and healthy is another.

I am sending you a link (in PM) about a similar shipping experience.

BWSmith · 07-17-03, 10:14 AM

did you label it "LIVE HARMLESS REPTILES"?

Auddi01 · 07-17-03, 10:20 AM

thx omen for your help, i guess it is my fault then that my snakes died, (sigh) oh well i guess it is a lesson learned....

Linds · 07-17-03, 11:14 AM

Austin,
I agree with everything The Omen has stated 100%. I know up in Canada, couriers are deathtraps for live animals. The only way we ship here is via air cargo. And regardless of what method you ship,. the contents needs to be clearly marked all sides... "live hamrless reptiles" "this side up" "keep at ___ temperature" etc. Even with all these labels they still get mishandelled, so you can imagine what happens with improper labelling. Styrofoam must be used inside the box regardless of weather. It keeps the inside of the box stable, no rapid temperature changes. Sorry to hear about your experience, its so sad they didn't make it, but its a lesson learned. Hope it goes smoothly next time for you.

BWSmith · 07-17-03, 11:16 AM

I do admire that you accept the responibility for the loss. Good ethics.

Oliverian · 07-17-03, 12:25 PM

DOA I am pretty sure means dead on arrival, but what does SOL mean? Sorry I have no great wisdom to offer. Hope the snakes you ship in the future do better.

Linds · 07-17-03, 05:31 PM

SOL = S#!t outta luck

Jeff_Favelle · 07-18-03, 02:41 AM

Weird that they died because of lack of oxygen. How small was the box and how hot was it? I know people that have shipped snakes in deli cups and forgot to punch holes in them and they arrived just fine. Snakes don't use up much air, so it would either have to be reeaaal hot, or a really small box for them to die from lack of oxygen.

Lisa · 07-18-03, 04:56 PM

More likely they got too hot, the cargo hold wasn't pressurised or they got bounced around too much. Packages that go through UPS, Fedex, etc often get thrown around as the handlers have around 20 minutes to unload a tractor trailer. If you want safe handling pay the extra $ for a proper carrier, such as Delta, Airborne, etc, where they are willing to handle animals.

Auddi01 · 07-18-03, 09:20 PM

thanks guys, i know not to use ups anymore, so there is nothing i can really do for a refund is there?