Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hitting all the carriers websites, and starting a Ups account...registering with airborne express, my butt and neck are killing me..DOES ANYONE HAVE THE BOTTOM LINE ON SHIPPING MONITORS?!!??!!! What carrier gives the least hassel? I requested special permission from ups to ship "live harmless reptiles" but I havent heard from them. Can you guys pleas give your reccomendations?( who will really ship them and approx prices?) The USPS websearch I did says no reptiles butI've seen teh old posts where some people use them...whats the real deal? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a bunch.

Sierra

np

np

recommedations you can give? I started an account with Airborn earlier today...how much do they charge approx. for an average package, (just a ballpark..$35?). Thanks

Actually all you have to do is have them pick up the shipment at your house or place of business. The truck drivers are with it.

I have been shipping reptiles since the late sixties and U.P.S is about the best I have seen. We have had one late shipment, in many years. The U.S. mail, was late with overnight shipments over half the time. And whats worse, they only shipped overnight to half the address in the states. I will admit, neither the u.s. mail or u.p.s. has ever lost a shipment or had something die. I did lose a shipment(monitors died) with Delta. They did pay for the loss.

Remember to protect your investment, insulate well, use heat or cold packs and only use good sturdy containers. Also, use two or three methods of containment. For instance, use a bag in a box, both in the shipping box.

Also, there are many weather sites on the internet, most have a place where you in the recievers zip code, and they give you their weather. You can print that out and include it with the shipment. We do that, it eliminates lots of explaining. F

I was told by the customer service rep that you have to have special permission to ship reptiles...so I put in the request.( I already had an account)..then I ahd a package delivered today (non herp)ups and I asked the driver anad he said no reptiles...LOL.....thats what the story has been with every shipper...one hand doesnt seem to know what the other is doing...

The problem I had with UPS is that no one gave a consistent answer or procedure.

Two years ago when I sent my niles and mangrove to another state, I called UPS. The customer service rep. told me non-venomous reptiles were fine. So I packed up four large monitors and went to the shipping hub. I had one service person literally run screaming from the front desk area when she found out what was in the boxes. The other one proceded to tell me that she knows all about monitors and you cannot ship them or they will die (she really did say this). She then called her manager. This manager rudely told me that there was no way they would ship reptiles and that the customer service person I spoke to had misinformed me. I went out to my truck called customer service. The first person backed up the manager and said no way. I had to call again a minute later and yet another customer service rep. told me that reptiles were fine as long as I opened an account and printed out some sign that was on the UPS website. Back home (about an hour) I went with my packed up lizards and hit the website. I could not find this sign to print out. I called yet again and was told that UPS does not ship reptiles. This rep. was also rather rude as he was telling me things that ran contrary to the information I was reading right off the website while we spoke.

I had to give up for the day. The following day I went to Mailboxes Etc. an hour and a half away. They were able (after much coaxing on my part) to find someone in UPS who would make sure the boxes got delivered but told me to remove the "Live Harmless Reptile" notices I had been told the first time to plaster all over the box.

In all, it cost me $400 ship these animals.

So the question becomes how does one bypass this type of hassle with any of the carriers and get the animals en route. Not tell them what's in the box? Some buried policy statement?

You hit the nail right on the head!!!!! Its really frustrating....Thanks for your input....

"since the late sixties" WOW, you must be old!

I have seen all the posts below up to this point. I have some shipping experience and to date no losses. (thank God)

I am thinking back on all the herps I have received over the past few years & the few I have sent. No box either sent or received had anything about reptiles on it what so ever. There were a few tolken holes poked in the box that I doubt a carrier would think anything about but other that that there was no indication there was anyting living in the box what so ever.

I have shipped a package Fed Ex once. They have an excellent service history in my experience. I sent the package priority overnight for delivery by 10:00 am the following day. The place where I sent it didn't open until 12:00 that day. (I was not told that) so when Fed tried to make the delivery there was no one there. I called them and asked them to redeliver the package and they said "no problem, the individual carrier usually does that anyway when possible." Upon telling them there was an animal in the package they became upset and informed me that you are not supposed to ship animals using Fed Ex. Especially reptiles.

Long story short I think the carrier is just better not knowing what you are shipping regardless. But that is just my .02.

Hope you find a better/good way.

Later
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Gene