Reptile & Amphibian Forums

The price of shipping has gone up.

Oct 2, 2005 saw an increase of overnight delivery go up 40-50% because of increased gas prices. There is no way anyone is buying snakes when shipping is $50-$70 for a small box. This is going to effect a lot of us.

use secondday, surely if you pack well, one day does not make a difference.

I remember it taking a week, hahahahahahaha how sad for me. FR

showing our ages....
:Mark

Yep, it kind of sucks. You just gotta figure shipping is $50 a box for small box for next day AM arrival-(which is how they should have to be shipped). Oh well,I asked why the other day when i was at fed-ex and she said because of the rise in fuel for the planes they upped the prices. What can you do huh..?
Jeff Teel

I've noticed and it's more so for UPS than FedEx... FedEx is still btwn $30-$45 but UPS is Way up there... DHL isn't bad but i haven't had luck when sending packages with them... i have yet to have a problem when receiving packages (strange??)

Any way i think FR's suggestion is a good one. and i think it'll come to that eventually... 2nd day air isn't bad if the right stuff is used (insulation & heat/cold packs)

my $6
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Thanx
Royal Blue Reptilez
Bklyn's Finest Brooksi & Goini Fanatic
~ZF

have you been using fedex or dhl or? i have not noticed a $ignificant increase in price with dhl and i was fully expecting it.
there will probably be a lot of way$ that fuel bill$ will bite u$ in the a$$ a$ well a$ in the pocket, it might be a good thread $ome point $oon to recognize what are true fuel co$t$ to a breeder and what can be done about it.

Daveb

I used FEDEX on 28 Sep 05 and shipped 23 snakes for $31.95 That may be a few dollars more than 5 years ago, but not by much. Also about 2 years ago the price rose a little bit for a few months and then dropped again. Even cheaper than before the increase. I'm sure it will increase in the future but hasn't happened here in "Mayberry" yet.

Kerby...

I used DHL today and for boxes under 3lbs was between $20-$25. and today the boxes that were 2lbs and under are $46-$54. to the same locations. Thats more than a 50% increase with DHL.

>>The price of shipping has gone up.
>>
>>Oct 2, 2005 saw an increase of overnight delivery go up 40-50% because of increased gas prices. There is no way anyone is buying snakes when shipping is $50-$70 for a small box. This is going to effect a lot of us.

Are you guys labeling the boxes as to their contents? I recently had snakes heading my way returned to their sender because the shipper said "no, we don't ship snakes." It was suggested to me someone shipping and not marking the contents properly could be in violation of one of the CITES requirements. And if you don't mark them, you're at risk of a driver leaving the box for hours in the sun or cold--after all, he/she doesn't know there's something live in an unmarked box. Can snakes survive a second-day delivery schedule? Sure. Is that the best care we can give our snakes? Hardly. There is an alternative, of course: Delta DASH or other airlines that can get the package there the day they're sent. Can't beat same-day delivery, though the price brings pains: $73.81. Which raises the question, if we're going to keep/breed/ship snakes, do we pay that which is necessary to best protect them? Or cut costs at the animals' risk? An interesting dilemma.

terry

Certainly. UPS package today that was under 1 lb going to Michigan cost $50 to ship overnight. For me the cost has been increasing over the past year, not just recently. I usually charge about $40 for shipping and eat $5-15 each time. Otherwise shipping could be an impediment to making a sale. I certainly see a slow down in the less expensive species due to the cost of shipping. Who wants to pay $50 shipping for a $50 kingsnake.

>>The price of shipping has gone up.
>>
>>Oct 2, 2005 saw an increase of overnight delivery go up 40-50% because of increased gas prices. There is no way anyone is buying snakes when shipping is $50-$70 for a small box. This is going to effect a lot of us.
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Rick Staub
R&R Reptiles