Reptile & Amphibian Forums

WKMG (Orlando, Florida) 10 November 04 FedEx Workers Find Boa Constrictor In Package - Company Refuses To Ship Snake After Discovery
Employees at a shipping service in Florida stumbled across an unusual package to deliver this week -- a 3-foot snake.
FedEx employees in Miami refused to deliver a boa constrictor after finding it in a package.
After the discovery, the workers contacted the sender and demanded that it be picked up.
The boa's owner arrived and took possession of the reptile.
He said sells snakes over the Internet and was unhappy about FedEx's decision not to ship it. He said he's been selling snakes online for five years and has never had a problem delivering them before.
No charges were filed against the snake's owner.
FedEx Workers Find Boa Constrictor In Package

This is why you put live reptiles on the box..... What a dult.....Fedex get my vote for being the biggestdult of the week....

I have it on good word that my local Delta office will be closeing soon. This means the closest Delta to my town will become Kansas City (assumeing it doesnt shut down). This could mean other hubs are closeing, and could put a big damper on many peoples ability to ship via Delta.
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Mickey Hinkle
The Lizard King Reptiles
http://thelizardkingreptiles.com
402-614-6641

"I am the Lizard King, I can do anything" - Jim Morrison

Here you have a big name airline,that prior to 9/11,had basically cornered the market on shipping herps,I have no hard figures,or,realistic estimates on the yearly revenue this fraction of their business generated,on average,but,as a former "known shipper" for 13 years,with them exclusively,(depending of course,on who was working behind the counter at the time,and,how they felt personally about what you were shipping!?)...9 of which I spent working for the RDU Airport Authority,I can comfortably say it represented hundreds of thousands of dollars each year,probably MORE...suddenly they're going to start insisting that they send an employee to everyones "facility" to "inspect"...inspect WHAT? what possible credentials does Doober,or,Doris McNuttsack have that qualifies them to have the slightest CLUE as to what they are looking at,or,for???what does this inspection procedure do to guarantee what a given individual will put in a box next week,next month,next year,or,tomorrow!especially when most of their employees flee rather than look inside the box you present for shippment at their facility!!(?) Do you think that they are paying to send employees to the "facilities" of non-herp related small business customers???(NOPE! but,what about "security"???)...they have treated a HUGE national,(and,international) customer base,like second class citezens & criminals,effectively "shooting themselves squarely in the foot",and,then crying about financial "blood loss",and,how they're having so much trouble "making it" in a tough market!!!...now watch UPS & FedEX do the same thing!...I know some CEO's that need a class in corporate & business management! I have very little sympathy for them,but,perhaps that's a reflection of the way I've been treated as a PAYING customer? I'm not asking them to like what I do...I'm PAYING them to send package "A" to point "B"...if they can't do that,then you don't get my money,much less my respect...thanks for reading my rant,I feel better now!*lol*

Anyone know who this guy is? If he sells boas he may frequent this forum but I believe its against the law to open someones mail. If this guy sold boas for 5 yrs then i believe that box was properly sealed so is he looking to press charges for opening his package?

Delta dash can be murder on your snakes, being that I live in Florida everything channels through Atlanta Georgia or is that Atlana Joeja?

They are way behind in the shipping department I not once or twice but three times had packages lost that were still in Atlanta, I refused to ever use Delta Dash again.

on the other side I believe these shippers are being too unprofessional in handling and delivering our packages, I mean do they REALLY think we would pack something that could escape, how would we make any money if that were the case?

I mean they treat us like a bunch of hill billy snake handlers like its something of the past, it is here now and will be for many years to come, Anyone here own their own plane? Maybe you should start a reptile delivery service, ha ha I'm sure you could make a fortune, well as long as nobody wanted to treade you snakes for your services..

JMO
Nick

I am pretty sure packages shipped via these carries does not fall under the privacy act in which is applied to the USPS.

And even if it does in this day & age anything can be considered "suspect" that is shipped. All a person needs is to think something is a miss with a package and they way they are tossed about a small snake can hiss very loud so imagin this employee moving the box and heres a HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS coming from it ... there ya go suspect package boxes do not hiss lol and being that it doesnt seem this fellow was approved by fed ex to ship reptiles ( they will approve you now) then he violated there TOS and there fore anything he ships with them will more then likely be opened by them. I think Mickey Hinkle had that happen with UPS they would open all his packages at one time i think he said.

I shipped out two acrylic reptile displays and was made to open them to show them just because it had the words "Acrylic Reptile Display" on the box they wanted to make sure there wasnt a reptile in a HUGE box lol either way this is why its getting harder to ship snakes and why this gives companies like fed ex , DHL , UPS ammo to refuse to ship them in the future. None the less it sucks he was caught lol
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Buisnesses come and go everyday, what keeps you here is how you treated the customer the day before....My Boa Can Kick Your Boas _ss!www.cheapcages.com
Visit the new website while the Jungle gets made over.

how your logic seems reasonable and would be valid in any other circumstance..

even though it would be considered illegal for them or others to tamper with our mail, once you ship something with them it becomes moreso their responsibility and they can say whatever they want to justify it, whether it makes sense or not.

The best part is, once the snake was/is discovered, your rights fly out the window and now they can turn around and sue you for not letting them know and causing potential risks and safety hazards to their employees and customers..

Unfortunately that's the way the cookie crumbles..

take care, Joe Rollo - BciJoe
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Thanks and take care - Joe Rollo
'Tis not the stongest of the species that will eventually survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change' Charles Darwin

Did the Fed-Ex employee have some reason to think something was not up to the norm and just open the package? I would think there are strict policies in place to not take matters into your own hands and guidelines and protoccol to follow if a package was "suspect".

I am however pleased that the shipper took the responsibility for the well fare of the shipment and retrived it upon notification. That in itself shows credible and responsible actions on the part of the herp community. I hope this part doesn't reflect negatively on the shipping on live harmless reptiles.

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"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance- that principle is contempt prior to investigation." Herbert Spencer

he did come to retrieve it even though there was a chance of legal repercussion..
it appeared to be a ghost bci in the pic, so i'm sure I would've retrieved it as well.. lol

but another thing was the fedex worker going through this means to the end.. they held it aside and called the owner instead of throwing it away, killing it, giving it to police, pocketing it, and/or just letting it go , as a result of ignorance or punishment to the owner!

They legally had the right to not have to return that item to the owner being that it was 'illegaly' shipped and all!

later - Joe
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Thanks and take care - Joe Rollo
'Tis not the stongest of the species that will eventually survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change' Charles Darwin

So from what im understanding your not suppose to be able to ship reptiles unless your a business, so now how are breeders going to do business? If another incident happens like this then they may really get strict to where it would really be hard to ship reptiles. Im getting a small collection and want to breed but im wondering would i be able to ship

Shipping will continue world-wide regardless..

At this point, even though anyone can ship through them legally if you go through the enrollment process, you are still waived any rights in terms of guaranteed delivery and/or return of your animals should anything happen.
If it gets lost or escapes or is destroyed, they are not held responsible for it.
In other words, they take away everything you pay for and still charge you, and they make you sign legal forms to justify it.

not much has changed... imo

later - Joe
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Thanks and take care - Joe Rollo
'Tis not the stongest of the species that will eventually survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change' Charles Darwin