Shipping box size heat tests

[KJUN]

Could you just do the pick up at the FedEx office then?

In this hypothetical situation, "hold at FedEx staffed locations," Kinkos/FedEx stores, etc. are all business addresses. Those are the SAFEST way to ship, after all! Plus, live animals, according to FedEx, are NOT supposed to be shipped to residential addresses, anyway.

Those that live in the city are always close to at least ONE of those type of places. Those that live in the country are the ones that are the most dangerous to ship to directly, and they SHOULD be worried enough about the snake to drive to town to pick it up. We are 20 minutes from town, and I have not had a snake shipped her in ~3 years. They all go "hold for pick-up."

KJ

 

[kathylove]

I live out in the sticks, and would NEVER have an animal shipped to my home! It is a 1 1/2 hour trip for me to go to FedEx, so I don't go everyday. But I would never trust them to deliver out here.

I only guarantee live residential delivery IF it arrives before 11 a.m. and IF the customer manages to snag the delivery person to sign for it. If not, then the customer is assuming the risk. But I will guarantee live delivery to the FedEx office no matter what, even if it is not picked up until evening or if FedEx messes up and delays things an extra day for some weird reason. That is how much more I trust picking up at FedEx compared to home delivery. But delivery to a business address is fine too, as long as it arrives before 11 a.m., or anytime, if the weather forecast is for 80F or less.

I really try my best to steer customers towards what works best for the animals, while still working with customers who just can't manage it, but can take the next safest delivery, which almost always works out fine as well.

 

[El Jefe]

Customers: if you really want to increase your chance of safe and timely delivery, either go pick it up at the local FedEx office, or at least have it delivered to a business that already gets lots of morning FedEx deliveries and the driver is already familiar with that location.

I concur...

I wish our industry standard was live arrival to business addresses only.

I'm actually thinking about making this policy for shipping this year...... :shrugs:

 

[KJUN]

I have actually kinda did the "between" option. I guarantee live arrival to anywhere with 10:30 am (or earlier) delivery (according to FedEx's estimates). MANY residential addresses don't do that, so they don't get the guarantee. That covers business addresses (as long as someone signs for it) and all "hold for pick-ups" since they make it there (normally) by the scheduled time. That doesn't mean a person has to SIGN for it by 10:30 if marked "hold." If FedEx gets it there - or at least is SUPPOSED to get them there - by 10:30, then residential addresses get the guarantee by default.

Due to the added COST of shipping to a residential address, we also offer a shipping discount to business addresses (including "hold for pick-up"). We get hit with an extra residential delivery fee, and I got tired of eating that cost. I was losing money on shipments that I felt were more dangerous. Now, we charge $5 more for residential delivery than for business delivery. FedEx usually charges me between $5-7 extra for those, so I still barely cover the cost.

KJ

KJ

 

[Blue Apple Herps]

I'm actually thinking about making this policy for shipping this year...... :shrugs:

That is not a bad idea at all. I like the idea of just having the customer pick it up directly at the location. I feel it is way safer and less worry some to have it done that way. Maybe I should just have that be required...

 

[tom e]

Plus, live animals, according to FedEx, are NOT supposed to be shipped to residential addresses, anyway.


KJ

Woah, I never knew that. Here I am staying home from work for shipments, and I could just as easily (maybe even easier) have been shipping to the office every time..

 

[KJUN]

Woah, I never knew that. Here I am staying home from work for shipments, and I could just as easily (maybe even easier) have been shipping to the office every time..

All of the liability waivers I have seen that we have had to sign to become approved shippers have required us to ship only to business addresses. I've heard on one person getting that line removed, but I haven't seen proof of that. I've only ever heard of FedEx saying anything about it once or twice (never with me). There is nothing illegal about shipping to a residential address - I just think that is there to help cover their butts - and that is the only reason it is there.

Still, business addresses are cheaper and safe to ship to.
KJ

 

[kathylove]

Not only do you get hit with a residential delivery fee, (and I believe an extra fee for rural addresses), but in addition, you have to pay for Priority to a home or business. When it is held at FedEx, they all get there before opening (unless there is an unexpected delay), so you can ship it the cheaper "Standard" rate.

BTW, I meant that FedEx is a 1 1/2 hour ROUND trip for me - about 45 minutes each way.

 

[JoannaD]

Not only do you get hit with a residential delivery fee, (and I believe an extra fee for rural addresses), but in addition, you have to pay for Priority to a home or business. When it is held at FedEx, they all get there before opening (unless there is an unexpected delay), so you can ship it the cheaper "Standard" rate.

Do you ship to the nearest FedEx hub "standard" or will you ship to the nearest FedEx/Kinkos Standard too?

 

[desertanimal]

Good Grief! How can you stand it? Hubby is keeping the house at higher temps this year to keep the electric bill lower (and it's not making that much of a difference), but at 78-79F, I'm basically miserable, especially with the hot flashes. At 84F, I would be homicidal!

ROFLMAO!!! It's a DRY heat! LOL! No, seriously. It's really not that bad. I guess it's partly all in what you get used to. I've gone from here in the summer to Costa Rica where I felt SO uncomfortable at 80F. So the humidity really does play a big role. But it's also all in what you get used to. I clearly remember thinking after a month that 86F indoors in Costa Rica is perfectly comfortable and being amused at my wimpy self for thinking it was hot when I first arrived when it was 78F indoors. But I don't think there's any "getting used to" those hot flashes. None of the people I've ever known to have them have "gotten used to" those! That's a whole different ball game!

Incidentally, I did add a third ice pack to the box I was talking about, and my package ended up being refused after a couple of hours of being at the drop-off location, so I got the advantage of bringing the snakes home and unpacking them after they'd been packed for a couple of hours. They were cool but not too cold. And now I also know through my testing that had they been outside for those two hours, they wouldn't have overheated. So I'm kind of glad I had the package refused because now I've kind of done a real "test run" with snakes in the box. It was only a partial test run, but it still makes me feel better about shipping.

 

[desertanimal]

I've always had my shipments held at the nearest Fedex. It just scares me to death thinking that a box might somehow be exposed to the sun or be on the bottom of the stack in a hot part of the cargo hold. I've ridden lying on the floor of a bus before (was very motion sick on a windy mountain in a bus we had rented for our field school in Costa Rica, and lying down closed helped a lot, and the floor was the only place I could do that). It was HOT down there compared to the seats. Also, I just don't like the waiting. I like that I am in control of when I pick the package up at Fedex, and don't like that I have no idea when it will get to me if they bring it.

 

[kathylove]

Why was the package refused? So far, they have only tried that once on me, but I had a copy of my waiver with me, so they took it.

I have rarely ever shipped to a Kinko's - can't remember if I shipped standard or not there - probably depended on temps. I have never had a problem shipping to Kinko's the few times I did it. But my understanding is that they are not required to accept perishable packages if they don't want to. I have read posts about some reptile packages being refused and sent back. So I just don't like to take the chance unless that is the only option.