Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i was supposed to be receiving 2 bp's today, a bumble bee and super pastel both mia!! tracking stopped at 5 pm yesterday after noon at a sorting facility and then nothing after than, and no snakes today, the seller seems just as frantic as me but what are the odds if it shows up tom. they will still be alive?? all i can do is hope they aren't expossed to any extreme temps and he put a hole in the box for air. i just have a bad feeling this is about to be an expenesive disaster!! i've tried calling soooo many numbers to atleast find the package so i could maybe drive and get it or seller drive and reclaim it but they just can't find it!!! he shipped it usps too!!! idk why but i'm pretty sure that's illegal so there goes a claim wtf kind of bad luck is this!!! has this every happened to anybody else?? if so what was the outcome? thanks....

why would you let him ship USPS?

well this seems to be the growing response i'm getting, again i wasn't told of the change of plans untill after they were shipped. if it was confiscated wouldn't that be in the system for when i call and they don't know where it's at though?? i just got off the phone again and still they can't find it. Now i'm paranoid about catching a felony charge over this!! omg what a head ache.

If the seller was stupid enough to send them through the U.S. Postal Service then he will have to rufund your money if you don't receive them. There really is no excuse for his actions. You should never of let him ship to you that way anyway. If you are to cheap to pay for shipping, then don't buy them in the first place.

The mail would not be a good place to get lost. I have had numerous packages that came from USPS (no reptiles) that tracking stopped on and they still showed up, sometimes a day later. If he used a 40 or 60 hr heat pack you can still have good results. If it does not show tomorrow then the odds it arrives on Monday in any reasonable condition is slim. If the USPS picked it out as an illegal package, you or the seller should be receiving some communication from them shortly. You and the seller can both be held accountable for shipping through the USPS unless you can prove you had no idea he was using that method. I just hope your snakes arrive tomorrow, healthy and you get in no trouble. Hopefully lesson learned.
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def. not to cheap to pay shipping i paid 1750 for the snakes and 50 for shipping. He said he ships all his reptiles through fedex and he ships all the time. i didn't know he shipped usps untill the tracking number didn't work for fedex or ups. then i was like i know it can't be usps but tried and it worked and i was like wtf cause i was pretty sure it was illegal! i was def. not trying to cut corners and save money on shipping when i spent sooo much for the snakes.

Did he explain at all WHY he suddenly chose to ship via USPS instead of Fedex? In my opinion, since his lapse could result in the death of the snakes and federal charges brought against you, especially since you wanted them shipped Fedex, it should be his/her responsibility to contact USPS and make them aware of the situation. This could lead to them finding the package sooner, thus hopefully insuring the snakes are alive, and absolving you of responsibility.
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Lincoln, NE
0.1 Pastel, 1.0 Pastel het Pied, 0.1 Pied, 0.1 Cinn, 1.0 Black Pewter, 1.1 Normals, 1.0 Thayeri, 0.1 Thayeri X Alterna, 0.1 crazy cat, 1.0 husband

Yes - illegal to ship snakes via the USPS - you could both be facing federal charges if they've figured out what was in the box and seized it.

Otherwise if properly packaged snakes can spend quite a while in a box without adverse affects. Your major issues are whether it was properly packaged or if shortcuts were taken and if it's got proper heating until arrival (if it hasn't been seized).

Good luck - please use better judgment next time.
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Tosha
JET Pythons
Toshas Blog

Herp Medicine does not equal a bottle of Baytril - Dr. Scott Stahl

First off you should never ship through the USPS. Second I hope you made the seller agree to a live arrival gurantee, with out shipping errors. If not you are out of chunk of change.

There was an incident once when I shipped out a snake in March to Texas from Rhode Island. She was shipped Thursday for Friday delivery. Plane engine trouble and Friday morning the snake did not make her next flight. Contacted Fedex(best and only reptile shipper in my eyes) explained the issue and that their was animal in package. At first they told me it would be delivered Monday, I told them that it would be too late and the snake would not make it. They called me the following morning Saturday 5am my time to let me know the snake was in Texas and the clerk on duty was going to drive it out to deliver it after they got it off the truck. Snake made it alive luckly by 10am and to boot I was refunded my entire shipping cost.

Don't lose hope yet. The 2nd snakes I ever had shipped to me years ago, same story didn't know seller was shipping usps till they were on the road, cold weather, no snakes next day. I went to my local p.o. And they were very cool, did tell me that it was against the law to ship reptiles with them, but understood that I was not the one who shipped and that I had $1200 on the line. They found that my box had made the main hub but missed the truck to the local, I was able to drive there get my snakes, no hassle. But from then on was very sure to make sure with the seller method of shipping! Just my story though, good luck..
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06
0.2 h albino
07
0.1 dh snow
0.2 leticia
1.1 triple het
0.1 albino h snow
08
2.1 hypo hog
0.1 sunset
1.0 ghost
0.1 arabesque dh stripe alb
1.1 h type 2 anery
0.1 pastel motley
0.1 leticia
1.0 hypo ph bloody sharp
0.2 ph bloody sharp
1.0 h blood
0.1 sunglow poss super
1.2 anery h snow
0.2 albino h snow
1.1 50% guyana h albino
0.1 triple het
0.1 ghost h albino
1.0 jungle h anery ph albino
0.1 pastel het albino
09
1.1 dh blizzard
0.1 h albino
0.1 jungle h albino
1.0 motley h albino ph snow
1.0 albino h snow
1.0 anery h snow
1.1 hypo dh stripe albino
and 25 balls

thanks. i hope they are delivered tom. i would have drove any distance to get them today and know they are safe that's why i spent soo much time on the phone. nobody knows where it is, or if it's confiscated nobody will tell me!! in the future i'll make sure i insit on my prefered method and state not to change any of the agrements of the purchase.

Most people breeding snakes know not to ship this way, what is the reason he chose the wrong way? Did he give you any live arrival or other terms to protect you? Are you able to get a refund if this goes south? I wish you the best of luck on this.
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all i say is i hope so. He didn't say why he changed his mind. Just simply no reason. I mean i don't even really see that u could save money vs using any other methond i mean he did get 1800 from me so why risk a felony?? good question and i will be sure to ask that as well. i'm just hoping to find the package being tracked again in the morning and arrive at my house in the morning.

I'm not sure who your seller was, but I would recommending creating/adding to a "Bad Guy" post on the Fauna Classifieds Board of Inquiry. This way others can avoid him/her.
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Lincoln, NE
0.1 Pastel, 1.0 Pastel het Pied, 0.1 Pied, 0.1 Cinn, 1.0 Black Pewter, 1.1 Normals, 1.0 Thayeri, 0.1 Thayeri X Alterna, 0.1 crazy cat, 1.0 husband

Obviously, in the future, I hope you will be more diligent about selecting a more reputable seller.

(It never hurts to ask for references.)

As a courtesy to other potential buyers, who might wish to avoid making the same mistake (in choosing a less than reputable seller, which have caused so many problems for you)...perhaps you could let us all know who sold these snakes to you?

This might save others from the headaches and heartaches that you are experiencing right now.
(Not to mention that it might lend a little more credibility to your plight.)

So tell us, who was the seller in the incident????

I wouldn't worry to much tonight, It will probably show up tomorrow. I get stuff from ebay all the time and it is not uncommon for tracking to not work through each step. Overnight isn't always overnight with them, they move to much stuff this time of year. Update us tomorrow on how this goes.
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Have you had contact with the seller? Are you sure the snakes were sentand this just a scam? Have you dealt with the seller before and is he/she reputable? I'm not trying to make you feel worse and maybe you answered these questions in previous posts (didn't have time to read all replies), but I have seen this type of thing before (not on kingsnake). Internet scams are one of the preferred crimes right now. Sorry again for giving you something else to worry about. I hope the snakes arrive soon and safely.

yes i've talked to the seller and he was as frantic as me to find the package. iknow he shipped me something and if it was a scam i just assume he wouldn't have sent anything. the package reappeared on the tracking grid and shows it's in richmond. and i've called around and found it's next stop and they are supposed to call me when it gets there and i'm gonna drive and pick it up. i just hope they are ok

I'm glad there's been some progress with the tracking. I sure hope they are safe and sound when you get them and that the seller will no longer use usps for shipping to anyone else. Fingers crossed for you and for the snakes! Keep us posted please.
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Have you been hugged by your snake today?

Ball Pythons
1.1 het Caramel Albino (Edward & Bella)
0.1 poss het Caramel Albino (Rosalie)
0.1 Caramel Albino (Bellatrix)
0.1 Pastel Orange Ghost (Nagini)
1.0 Butterscotch Ghost (Nick)
0.1 Spider poss het Butterscotch Ghost(Nymphadora)
1.1 Mojave (Lucius & Renesme)
0.1 Pastel Lesser (Narcissa)
0.1 Pinstripe (no name yet)
1.0 Pewter (Salazar)
0.1 Bumble Bee (Alice)
0.1 Lemonblast (Luna)
0.1 Blond Pastel (no name yet)
1.0 Bell Pastel (Jasper)
0.1 African Dinker (Esme)

Corns
1.1 het Amel, Anery, Charcoal, Bloodred (Romeo & Juliet)
1.0 Blizzard het Bloodred poss het Anery Lav (Tumnus)
0.1 Granite (Ravenclaw)
0.1 Fire het Anery (Ginny)
0.1 Anery Lav (Lucy)
0.1 Plasma (Victoria)
0.1 Opal (no name yet)

Hogs
1.0 Albino Western (Hogwarts)
0.1 het Albino Western (Hufflepuff)
0.1 Tri Color

Truly, I can't really understand that.

Here in Canada, we have no companies who would do the shipping of any reptiles on the road. You have to deliver it from airport to airport. The cost is higher, but you are mostly sure it get it done. Air Canada, have a good policy on reptiles. Well, from the one I received.

In the states, you have soo many important airport. Is it that hard for someone to drive 1-2 hours MAX to get to a big airport to get snakes instead of waiting at home ?

Sorry about that package. Hope they make it safely. I also hope the seller packaged them well, that they get heat and not "shaked" too much.

Good luck and good night if you can.
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love this world, don't hate it.

the same story is posted on other sites too. are you just looking for attention?

well actually if u read my first post i was simply asking to see if it had happened to anybody else and the reptiles could have survived thats all. no attention needed, i get enough of that from ppl NOT on the internet in my life. mmm but your post a second ago well now, who really is looking for attention? i'm not gonna say you are but yeah it's not me. I just wanted to know if they survived, that's why when u read my original post i didn't even say anything about who or where i got them from. it's not relevant i just wanted to know if my snakes would still be alive when the got her because i was extremely worried. and as far as being posted in different forums for added attention. maybe ever consider i read more than just one forum and just wanted as many answers as possible to compare them all and come to my own conclusion not solely based on 1 persons opinion. you act like i posted it 100 times on every forum in the world. just this one and one other forum i use. thanks though for the concern with me wanting attention and not an answer to the question i asked.

You have very likely been scammed.

THEY ARE ALIVE!!!!!!!! AND beautiful!!!!! jusst put them away to warm up, they were a smooth 65degrees with the infared gun!!!! The male bee straight shot out the bag. the superpastel i was worried about but she is very much alive, just needed the car right in the heat home to warm up (yes i ripped it open in the parkinglot to check!!!!! Heat blasting of coarse!! Shoulda seen the look on the guy parked next to me's face when he saw me pull a snake out of the box lol) i did get straight flipped out on by the postal worker before she gave me the box too. box said keep at room temp, perishable, fragile, this side up and there was holes in the box. all of which might have saved there life but first thing she was uh u know what's in here, (look around to see if i'm bout to get tackled lol) was like yeah, and before i say anything the snapping began, lady was like "there something alive in that box, you can't mail live animals in there " i didn't go to tell her it was 2 pythons lol but i got my box and ran right to the car oooomg i couldn't even go back to sleep once i saw it scanned in richmond! I been up since 4:30 i will post some pics in a little while once they warm up but wooow thanks for all the survival stories over the night to give me hope!! Not to mention the prayers and crossed fingers, something worked cause they are alive and look well, now to make sure they stay like that over the next couple of hours after there trip to god knows where when they disapeared for an extra day.

That is very good news. You have a story to tell your grandkids someday.

>>i did get straight flipped out on by the postal worker before she gave me the box too. box said keep at room temp, perishable, fragile, this side up and there was holes in the box. all of which might have saved there life

You are damn lucky they arrived alive. Whoever the seller was needs to be hit upside the head for piss poor packing efforts. Punching holes in the box is one of the worst things to do. One might think it's a good idea for "air", but in fact it makes any attempts to insulate the box to keep the snake at a healthy temperature totally and utterly worthless because those holes let all of the heat out. Did the seller even bother to line the box with insulating Styrofoam sheets?

Very small holes are useful...especially with heat packs. The heat packs require oxygen to 'feed' the chemical reaction to produce heat which can deplete the oxygen in the box after awhile. So depending on the size of the box, the type and number of heat packs and number of snakes, a totally sealed box can quickly run out of oxygen.

I think a few small holes along the lower sides, shouldn't cause massive heat escape, but will allow some air through...two holes per side (ie 2-4 sides across from eachother) is sufficient.
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PHLdyPayne

As far as holes are concerned - they really aren't necessary - if they go through the side foam they not only reduce the insulating properties but they also compromise the strength of the package.

Boxes aren't air tight by any means and as long as you aren't taping up all the seams you should get plenty of air exchange. If you absolutely have to have holes - it's best to just clip a small triangle off of one of the corners on your top piece of foam.
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Tosha
JET Pythons
Toshas Blog

Herp Medicine does not equal a bottle of Baytril - Dr. Scott Stahl

Whew. I'm so happy they are home. Hope they have no ill effects from getting chilly. Looking forward to seeing their pics once they settle in. Hope the seller never tries to ship that way again.
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Have you been hugged by your snake today?

Ball Pythons
1.1 het Caramel Albino (Edward & Bella)
0.1 poss het Caramel Albino (Rosalie)
0.1 Caramel Albino (Bellatrix)
0.1 Pastel Orange Ghost (Nagini)
1.0 Butterscotch Ghost (Nick)
0.1 Spider poss het Butterscotch Ghost(Nymphadora)
1.1 Mojave (Lucius & Renesme)
0.1 Pastel Lesser (Narcissa)
0.1 Pinstripe (no name yet)
1.0 Pewter (Salazar)
0.1 Bumble Bee (Alice)
0.1 Lemonblast (Luna)
0.1 Blond Pastel (no name yet)
1.0 Bell Pastel (Jasper)
0.1 African Dinker (Esme)

Corns
1.1 het Amel, Anery, Charcoal, Bloodred (Romeo & Juliet)
1.0 Blizzard het Bloodred poss het Anery Lav (Tumnus)
0.1 Granite (Ravenclaw)
0.1 Fire het Anery (Ginny)
0.1 Anery Lav (Lucy)
0.1 Plasma (Victoria)
0.1 Opal (no name yet)

Hogs
1.0 Albino Western (Hogwarts)
0.1 het Albino Western (Hufflepuff)
0.1 Tri Color

I am happy to hear that they arrived alive - but you definately need to address the improper packaging and shipping with the seller. As well just because they look fine now doesn't mean that they are - keep an eye on them over then next couple of weeks for signs of developing illness. Unfortunately one of the biggest mistakes people tend to do when they get a cold snake is they heat it up too hot too quick which stresses out the system and causes more problems than a slow warm up. But balls are pretty resilient snakes and I wish you the best of luck with them.
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Tosha
JET Pythons
Toshas Blog

Herp Medicine does not equal a bottle of Baytril - Dr. Scott Stahl

well heres some pics...

opps thought the last post had a couple of pics i'll just post one of the pastel now,