Shippers really don’t cover losses due to fed ex delays?

[Hijinks_78]

I come from the reptile world. When I ship a reptile I insure it and guarantee live arrival. Whatever happens (I’ve never had an animal die but theoretically), if my customer doesn’t get a live animal I will cover it. With aquatics it seems much more common for companies to not cover delays caused by fed ex, and also to not ship using a certified company like ship your aquatics, that can guarantee arrival by 10:30. If an expensive shipment gets delayed do most companies really not cover it? That to me seems the price of doing business.
Anyways, I’m just curious why this is the case in the aquatics world, when most other live shipments, guarantee live arrival regardless of circumstance, so long as it is not the customers error obviously. Do you guys only work with people with good live arrival guarantees or are you willing to gamble? I’ve never lost an animal shipping reptiles but I have had significant delays due to fed ex errors, and it just seems like a big risk (that I believe should be the sellers).
Thanks,
Matty

 

[Gareth elliott]

Most have arrive alive policies that i have dealt with. There are differences in these policies as far as when the buyer must report 1, 2 hours after delivery, wwc is days, LA for corals used to be 30 but this may have changed.
always read the vendors specific policy so know what to do before they arrive.
Personally i do not buy anything alive till after the holiday season or at least ships before then.

 

[Hijinks_78]

Most have arrive alive policies that i have dealt with. There are differences in these policies as far as when the buyer must report 1, 2 hours after delivery, wwc is days, LA for corals used to be 30 but this may have changed.
always read the vendors specific policy so know what to do before they arrive.
Personally i do not buy anything alive till after the holiday season or at least ships before then.

Yes. From what I’m seeing though, the majority of shippers do not cover losses due to fed ex delays. I’ve got a lot of experience shipping and receiving live animals, and it just surprises me that this is so common. I agree with not buying during the holidays, and also do not like to get Friday or Saturday deliveries. If there is a problem it can take much longer to get your package and sometimes will take until Monday.
Anyways, I’m just surprised that so many shippers do not cover fed ex delays...

 

[Hijinks_78]

I’m looking at some of the big players and they seem to have guarantees more along the lines of what I would expect. World wide corals has a very generous policy of up to ten days. I guess it is the smaller guys. I’ve noticed fish of hex mentioned he doesn’t cover shipping delays in a video, and many eBay sellers do not cover those delays. I wonder if these shippers are even using a company that allows for live coral shipments? I definitely have gotten shipments that clearly were not labeled as “live” and were obviously labeled in a way as to not attract attention to save money...

 

[TheOne]

I've learned to use paypal for everything. That way if it doesn't arrive alive it doesn't matter what the sellers policy is. PayPal will cover it. I just went thru this same ordeal with a larger online retailer.

I also understand that it is my responsibility to accept and take pictures the minute the package is delivered for proof and email immediately if there is doa to at least give the seller a chance to make good on their end first before escalating a paypal claim.

Also my nearest UPS hub is 25 miles away. If the shipper chooses not to guarantee before 1030 then that is on them.

I was told by one retailer that if I escalated a paypal claim that they would no longer accept paypal from me. Well the $700 I spent with them over the last 18 months will now be going some place else. As a buyer there are way too many merchants willing to offer customer service along with their sales.

 

[GlassMunky]

Most reputable vendors WONT EVEN SHIP this time of year because none of the shipping companies can gaurentee their delivery.
When you pay for overnight delivery, but then fedex doesn’t actually gaurentee that it’s overnight, you areknowingly taking a risk, so most just won’t even risk it. Right now NONE of the shipping companies will gaurentee a timed delivery, because they know they can’t.
I just went to tsm to order a group of fish and we’re told that their suppliers of fish won’t even ship stuff to them this time of year and we have to wait till after the new year.

 

[Hijinks_78]

Most reputable vendors WONT EVEN SHIP this time of year because none of the shipping companies can gaurentee their delivery.
When you pay for overnight delivery, but then fedex doesn’t actually gaurentee that it’s overnight, you areknowingly taking a risk, so most just won’t even risk it. Right now NONE of the shipping companies will gaurentee a timed delivery, because they know they can’t.
I just went to tsm to order a group of fish and we’re told that their suppliers of fish won’t even ship stuff to them this time of year and we have to wait till after the new year.

This question is not about any specific shipment or on how to get any specific item shipped. It’s a general topic for discussion. Many sellers seem to not cover losses due to fed ex delays and I think that is unacceptable. I’m curious if others feel the same way. Time of year etc is not really what I’m interested in, but I do think it is good information for people to keep in mind when ordering. It’s just not what I’m talking about...

 

[GlassMunky]

This question is not about any specific shipment or on how to get any specific item shipped. It’s a general topic for discussion. Many sellers seem to not cover losses due to fed ex delays and I think that is unacceptable. I’m curious if others feel the same way. Time of year etc is not really what I’m interested in, but I do think it is good information for people to keep in mind when ordering. It’s just not what I’m talking about...

My point is “why would the company shipping it to you cover the loss if they aren’t getting it covered by fedex”

that’s how almost all shipping issues get handled, the company files a claim with the fedex and fedex pays them back.
If fedex won’t gaurentee their delivery then they have no way to gaurentee it to you.
cant make it any simpler

 

[Hijinks_78]

I've learned to use paypal for everything. That way if it doesn't arrive alive it doesn't matter what the sellers policy is. PayPal will cover it. I just went thru this same ordeal with a larger online retailer.

I also understand that it is my responsibility to accept and take pictures the minute the package is delivered for proof and email immediately if there is doa to at least give the seller a chance to make good on their end first before escalating a paypal claim.

Also my nearest UPS hub is 25 miles away. If the shipper chooses not to guarantee before 1030 then that is on them.

I was told by one retailer that if I escalated a paypal claim that they would no longer accept paypal from me. Well the $700 I spent with them over the last 18 months will now be going some place else. As a buyer there are way too many merchants willing to offer customer service along with their sales.

PayPal seems to be very fickle in how they handle live animal disputes. I’ve seen them go both ways in seemingly identical situations. It is somewhat unclear if they cover live animals, and if they do wether they only cover if it does not arrive, or live arrival. There seems to be a lot of conflicting information and their actions do not seem consistent. These experiences are from the reptile world so perhaps people have good results dealing with PayPal and aquatics. It’s such a difficult thing, because I have also seen people defraud sellers, and in an area where they have no expertise I can imagine that it is difficult to make a fair decision. For instance, I doubt there is anyone at PayPal that knows the difference between a bleached coral and a dead one in a picture. I’m kind of off topic, but it is interesting to know the differences between how PayPal treats aquatics and reptiles. I’ve heard horror stories of people receiving healthy reptiles and then filing claims and PayPal giving them their money back for no apparent reason...

 

[homer1475]

Think of it this way.....

Your used to shipping reptiles that breathe air. So there is no way unless they get mishandled that they will die in shipping.

On the other hand you have live animals that breathe water, and if that water is foul(shipping delays) you'll lose the live animal. Where as your reptiles would more the likely just be cold and dormant. So I can see why ellers do not cover shipping costs, but will guarantee the animal.

I live in a very rural area and garunteed by 10:30 AM never gets to my by 10:30 AM, but rather if I'm lucky by 5pm. When I order online I tend to tell the seller this and they pack my animals accordingly. I have never lost an animal due to shipping.

 

[TheOne]

PayPal asks for supporting documents. If you provide that then it has never been an issue for me. I have not had to file many paypal disputes but the few times I have including doa I have been refunded everytime.

We can speculate and make up as many scenarios as we like but my real world experience is what it is. Also as a seller you have the right to have the doa shipped back to you before they will offer a refund.

I'm sure most that use credit cards can also call up their cc company and they will take care of it too. I wouldn't know though as I choose not to own one.

 

[albano]

I'm sure most that use credit cards can also call up their cc company and they will take care of it too. I wouldn't know though as I choose not to own one.

Unfortunately, many people do not own credit cards... the credit cards own THEM!

 

[Mical]

I’ve noticed fish of hex mentioned he doesn’t cover shipping delays in a video,

If you also notice in that video, Travis states he's learned NOT to put himself in that position. He checks weather forecasts of areas he's shipping to regularly and prefers NOT to ship around the holidays. He's more conscious then most vendors.

 

[homer1475]

If you also notice in that video, Travis states he's learned NOT to put himself in that position. He checks weather forecasts of areas he's shipping to regularly and prefers NOT to ship around the holidays. He's more conscious then most vendors.

I've had the same experience with @WWC , @Battlecorals , and bluezooaquatics. They called me and let me know that the weather was not indicative of shipping to my area. So they would either leave at the fed-ex location or we could ship at a different time.

 

[Gareth elliott]

To bring a little levity i am also a bee keeper. When you order bees they usually are delivered usps and only to the post office. Always a hit or miss the reactions of the post office staff when i pick up. I had one that would go no where near lady bugs i ordered, had me walk in the back. But last bee shipment were super excited and took pictures of the package.(about 20 bees squeezed their way out as i was driving home, made for an interesting drive home that day).

it is very expensive to ship “Wet pets” as opposed to cold blooded land animals.

Some smaller vendors or hobbyists may not be able to cover shipping losses due to travel issues. personally i only deal with in person pick up from these types of places, so have not had a shipping issue that wasnt resolved by the vendor personally.

 

[Hijinks_78]

I've had the same experience with @WWC , @Battlecorals , and bluezooaquatics. They called me and let me know that the weather was not indicative of shipping to my area. So they would either leave at the fed-ex location or we could ship at a different time.

My point is “why would the company shipping it to you cover the loss if they aren’t getting it covered by fedex”

that’s how almost all shipping issues get handled, the company files a claim with the fedex and fedex pays them back.
If fedex won’t gaurentee their delivery then they have no way to gaurentee it to you.
cant make it any simpler

Why would a company cover a shipping loss? Because it’s the cost of doing business in most businesses. ..why does wwc/cherry corals/other big names offer to guarantee live arrival even if shipping delays while others do not? I imagine it’s because they want the business and pay the money to insure it, while smaller guys are not willing to put up the expense. I’m not sure why any responsible keeper would ship at a time it was not safe to do so. But many have the option to get insurance and choose not to do so, and choose not to offer to cover deaths due to shipping delay, at times when they could choose to do so. Not sure what the holidays have to do with this hypothetical or why it keeps being brought up...

 

[Hijinks_78]

If you also notice in that video, Travis states he's learned NOT to put himself in that position. He checks weather forecasts of areas he's shipping to regularly and prefers NOT to ship around the holidays. He's more conscious then most vendors.

That’s why it makes sense to me to work with company’s that are willing to guarantee live arrival. The holidays have nothing to do with what I’m talking about. I think the vast majority of people choose not to ship when weather or shipping volume creates an unsafe situation. But if I understood correctly, Travis never (I’m using him as an example but many people choose to go this route) never covers shipping delay related deaths while other companies do, I’m not sure why I seem to have hit a nerve with some people on this thread. I’m not saying they are wrong, just that it is not how I personally prefer things to be done.

 

[Hijinks_78]

To bring a little levity i am also a bee keeper. When you order bees they usually are delivered usps and only to the post office. Always a hit or miss the reactions of the post office staff when i pick up. I had one that would go no where near lady bugs i ordered, had me walk in the back. But last bee shipment were super excited and took pictures of the package.(about 20 bees squeezed their way out as i was driving home, made for an interesting drive home that day).

it is very expensive to ship “Wet pets” as opposed to cold blooded land animals.

Some smaller vendors or hobbyists may not be able to cover shipping losses due to travel issues. personally i only deal with in person pick up from these types of places, so have not had a shipping issue that wasnt resolved by the vendor personally.

It costs about the same to ship cold blooded reptiles and “wet pets”. Within the us it usually costs me between 60-75 to ship a hatchling. It goes up dramatically with larger animals.

 

[Brian_68]

I've learned to use paypal for everything. That way if it doesn't arrive alive it doesn't matter what the sellers policy is. PayPal will cover it. I just went thru this same ordeal with a larger online retailer.

I also understand that it is my responsibility to accept and take pictures the minute the package is delivered for proof and email immediately if there is doa to at least give the seller a chance to make good on their end first before escalating a paypal claim.

Also my nearest UPS hub is 25 miles away. If the shipper chooses not to guarantee before 1030 then that is on them.

I was told by one retailer that if I escalated a paypal claim that they would no longer accept paypal from me. Well the $700 I spent with them over the last 18 months will now be going some place else. As a buyer there are way too many merchants willing to offer customer service along with their sales.

Paypal protection policy does not cover live animals.

 

[Hijinks_78]

Think of it this way.....

Your used to shipping reptiles that breathe air. So there is no way unless they get mishandled that they will die in shipping.

On the other hand you have live animals that breathe water, and if that water is foul(shipping delays) you'll lose the live animal. Where as your reptiles would more the likely just be cold and dormant. So I can see why ellers do not cover shipping costs, but will guarantee the animal.

I live in a very rural area and garunteed by 10:30 AM never gets to my by 10:30 AM, but rather if I'm lucky by 5pm. When I order online I tend to tell the seller this and they pack my animals accordingly. I have never lost an animal due to shipping.

I’m fine with them not covering shipping costs, but many also seem to not cover the coral that dies in the shipping. I don’t mind eating a little shipping but if I’m spending $500 in coral and fed ex messes it up and the shipper didn’t get insurance or for whatever reason will not cover the coral, I would not be happy...