# shipping nightmare!



## Jessicap (Apr 26, 2011)

Had my baby Greek Ibra shipped out yesterday from Arizona (I have been waiting for this day since mid December). She was shipped overnight and I was going to pick her up at the UPS station in Oshkosh right away this am so that she did not have to spend all day in the box. Got up and checked status this morning and found that she is stuck in Phoenix, AR due to mechanical issues and will not be arriving here until tomorrow morning. I then found out that she was shipped with a 40h heat pack and that it is suppose to be 90 degrees in Phoenix today... I am so upset. I called UPS and let them know she needs to be kept in a cool spot and they will send a message to the center but I will not know if they get it. If ANYONE knows of anything else I can do besides sit here and wait, PLEASE let me know. I am just sick with worry.


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## ALDABRAMAN (Apr 26, 2011)

O' Gosh! I feel bad for you. I have no solutions, we do not ship. Maybe someone that does ship can provide you more direction. I wish the best for the little tortoise!


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## jeffbens0n (Apr 26, 2011)

Sorry to hear that Jessica, I wonder if you could track down the name and number of the phoenix location and get a hold of a manager there that might be able to help you out...Hope all turns out OK!!


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## coreyc (Apr 26, 2011)

I know how you are feeling I had my last tort lost in AZ was suppose to get her Tuesday by 10:30 did not receive her until 8:00 on Wensday she was fine and yours will be to just try to keep busy I was pacing the house all day


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## Mao Senpai (Apr 26, 2011)

I wouldn't... stress it. They are hardy creatures. My leopard that was shipped.... didn't arrive till around 6pm and it was a 10:30am delivery, and it was left on my porch outside.... in 10F weather. I panicked and opened it and found it staring at me and all my worries was gone hehe. I wonder why user a heat pack during the summer though?


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## african cake queen (Apr 26, 2011)

hi there, i feel for you ! hope all turns out ok, please keep us posted. good luck. lindy


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## Jessicap (Apr 26, 2011)

jeffbens0n said:


> Sorry to hear that Jessica, I wonder if you could track down the name and number of the phoenix location and get a hold of a manager there that might be able to help you out...Hope all turns out OK!!




All the numbers for the customer service centers are 1-800 numbers that give you an automated message tree. (so if anyone works for UPS in the Phoenix area with direct numbers I could call I would greatly appreciate it!) I called the 1-800 number I and did get to a customer service person but they only put a message out - I can't find out for sure if they get it. 

Thanks for just listening. I just needed to vent with others that would understand my worry. I cleared my day to be here for her so I am sitting home alone with worry that something will happen to her.( we are all down here to begin with. I live in a very small town and one of the kids in my daughters class - they are seniors and will be graduating in a few weeks- was killed in a motorcycle accident last night very close to our home, plus my dad is going to the doctor to have a spot of skin cancer removed. I had been holding it all together pretty well but this has just thrown me over the edge. Just not a good day)


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## dmarcus (Apr 26, 2011)

Im am so sorry to hear about the shipping dilema and then the other things going on. What a stressful time for you. Hope they get the word out and I am sure everything will be fine with the little tort..


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## Jacqui (Apr 26, 2011)

*hugs* I am sorry your having a horrible week.  Things will get better, they will.

Remember that your tortoise is packaged within a box that is insulated. Normally we look at it as insulated to keep out the cold, but it also keeps out too much heat and maintains the temp inside the box better and longer also. I really think your little guy will be okay.

I once had a little tortoise who got stopped along the way. I can't recall if it was with UPS or not. The folks there, even before I got a hold of them, had moved my special box into the office area. If the box is properly marked, they should be taking extra care of it all along it's journey.


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## HarleyK (Apr 26, 2011)

Sorry about this, but you may want to call the 800 number and have them transfer you to the terminal. The terminal is where the shipment is placed and I know with fedex you can ask them to speak to people moving the actual shipments.


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## Jessicap (Apr 26, 2011)

Thank you so much everyone for the encouragement. I had forgot about the insulated box (never had a tort shipped to me before) so that is somewhat comforting. A heat pack was placed inside because I live in Wisconsin and the temps are only suppose to be a high of mid to upper 40s, and we figured it would be shipped out of Arizona right away that evening when it was cooler there. He waited until the last minute to drop her off before the center closed 4pm and I was going to pick her up in Oshkosh as soon as she arrived there 8:30-10:30am. She would have been in the box less than 24 hours. We were more worried about the storms that were going to hit Kentucky - which she will now run right in the middle of and hopefully will not delay her even longer... another worry. If she would have been on track, she would have been in and out of kentucky and in Oshkosh before the rain even started. I will keep you posted. Thank you again for your thoughts and encouragement.


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## Laura (Apr 26, 2011)

Sounds like they should have waited to ship anyway.. 
hope it all goes well. .. soak well when she arrives. 
hope your dads removal goes well..


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## Angi (Apr 26, 2011)

I am so sorry to hear about your stuck baby and the other things you are going through. Please let us know as soon as she arrives. You might want to have a jar of baby food carrots on hand in case she needs an extra pick me up soak after her travels.


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## Jessicap (Apr 26, 2011)

Angi said:


> I am so sorry to hear about your stuck baby and the other things you are going through. Please let us know as soon as she arrives. You might want to have a jar of baby food carrots on hand in case she needs an extra pick me up soak after her travels.



Would squash work? I have a jar of baby food squash on hand otherwise I will make sure to pick up some carrots tonight. Thanks!


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## Angi (Apr 26, 2011)

Yes I am just thinking og Maggie's baby food soak. I am figure they are the same. It couldn't hurt to give her a little extra boost of nutririon. Good luck


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## EricIvins (Apr 26, 2011)

Heat Packs are a definate no no right now........From hot to cool, the interior of the box will stay comfortable while it's being delivered, even in cooler temperatures......Another 3 weeks or so, it'll be time to break out the cool packs......I've already had to use a few going from hot to hot destinations.......


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## Jessicap (Apr 26, 2011)

EricIvins said:


> Heat Packs are a definate no no right now........From hot to cool, the interior of the box will stay comfortable while it's being delivered, even in cooler temperatures......Another 3 weeks or so, it'll be time to break out the cool packs......I've already had to use a few going from hot to hot destinations.......



I have to give you a positive note on the breeder (and fellow TFO friend). He just wanted to make sure she did not get too cold since the low temps here were to be in the high 30s to low 40s. Maybe not needed but feel he wanted to make sure she did not get chilled since she is still quite young. I can not say anything bad about this breeder, he has been AWESOME. I know that he did what he thought was best.. I also know he is quite worried right now too. We have been planning for just the right time - not too cold here and not too hot there- we have been watching the weather in between to make sure there were no severe storms . We tried to think of everything that might go wrong, even canceled once because the weather inbetween was bad. We just never thought she wouldn't make it out of Arizona. He has been keeping her for me since December and has done a beautiful job - she is smooth and beautiful, so I know he was thinking the best for her by using the heat pack. 

I am not blaming anyone. I just had alot on my plate today and this was just the thing that put me over the edge, so needed to vent and had no one else to do it to(thank you all for listening). But please know that I in no way put blame on anyone other than myself for wanting her. I will keep you informed as to what comes of this. In the mean time, thank you for your thoughts and words of encouragement.


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## TortieLuver (Apr 26, 2011)

Hi Jessica, it's Christy P and I'm from Arizona. I know exactly how you are feeling, as I have shipped many tortoises across the country from here and have received tortoises as well. I have run into some delays on both ends. I ship using all mail carriers and have found that if you ship long enough, it is inevitable to have some stressful times with dealing with circumstances like these. I have never lost a tortoise (thank you Jesus) and intend to keep it that way. Honestly, I believe the way they are packaged makes a great deal. I know who you are talking about with the breeder and since he kept your tort through the winter to give him/her the best possible start of life, along with an ease in shipping for this time of year, you have comfort in knowing that your tort was packed well. Although sometimes things are out of our hands with shipping and things do happen, the majority of the time they are just fine. I send out hatchlings, which are more fragile to shipping and they did very well with the couple delays I have experienced. Yes, CoreyC is correct as I sent him a Leopard tortoise hatchling sent next day air and the package was lost. It ended up being in the box for a couple days and arrived alive and fine. To this day, I still don't know what exactly happened, as it showed it still being here in Tucson, Az when it was already supposed to have arrived at the destination. It was the belief of the mailing company that it had departed and really wasn't in Tucson, AZ but wasn't being scanned in at the next location. I know it's stressful, but just wanted to let you know that I have had this happen with hatchlings and they arrived fine. Also, the shipper can contact UPS and start a claim, which will begin to track the package and have people search for it. That way, you can be sure with the delay that it is in a main hub at room temp. Can the shipper go to the main hub and pick the package up? Also, with regards to shipping using heat packs, it really just depends on daytime temps and lows. I have talked with a couple reptile companies this past week along with myself, it really just depends. Some places now you don't need a heat or cold pack. Some destinations still have some cooler weather along with cold lows. So it really just depends on the location.


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## Cameron (Apr 26, 2011)

Like others have said, I wouldn't worry too much about it. They are A LOT hardier than we give them credit for. I have shipped many snakes before and have had a few get stuck due to mechanical issues also. All of them ended up being fine. The insulated boxes help out a lot and if it were packed right it can last several days in there. Granted it's not prime conditions, but very manageable.


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## TortieLuver (Apr 26, 2011)

Now is the best time of year though to have this happen so at least you have that on your side. Also, the majority of breeders/shippers go with UPS because problems like this are so minimal and when they do happen, UPS takes good care of them while in their care.


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## dmmj (Apr 26, 2011)

Have you contacted them and let it be known that there is a live animal in there? That way they could move it into a nice cool place since it has a warming packet I would mainly be concerned about overheating, they can survive the cold a lot better than they can the heat.


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## Jessicap (Apr 26, 2011)

dmmj said:


> Have you contacted them and let it be known that there is a live animal in there? That way they could move it into a nice cool place since it has a warming packet I would mainly be concerned about overheating, they can survive the cold a lot better than they can the heat.



Oh yes - I called right away this morning and let them know that I have a live tortoise being shipped, gave them the tracking number, and also let them know that she had a heat pack on her and should be placed in a cool place. They said they sent a message out to let them know. I am really happy to hear that UPS is known for taking good care of the animals, that is comforting. Thank you all. Still no update, I am assuming she should be shipping out tonight. Now I just hope the delay does not put her in the middle of the severe storms in Kentucky. This is the first time I had anything live shipped to me other than some quail eggs when I was young. I have to say, not so sure I will ever do this again.


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## bettinge (Apr 26, 2011)

TortieLuver said:


> Now is the best time of year though to have this happen so at least you have that on your side. Also, the majority of breeders/shippers go with UPS because problems like this are so minimal and when they do happen, UPS takes good care of them while in their care.



I've always had good luck with UPS, but "Ship Your Reptiles" has now partnered with FedEx. I hope for the same results there. I think they're an equal carrier.....in my area anyway.

Good luck by the way!


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## FLVenom (Apr 26, 2011)

I wouldn't worry. I'm sure all will be fine. I had two baby Golden Greeks sent Priority overnight via FedEx and were suppose to arrive at 10:30am today. The storms last night in Memphis delayed the delivery and they didn't arrive till 1:15 in the heat of the day, which here in S. FL it's already the upper 80's. They arrived fine and ate within minutes after being soaked.

On a side note, a year ago in December, I was exporting some venomous snakes to a friend in South Africa via Delta Airlines. After being cleared by US Customs and US Fish and Wildlife in Miami, they departed and left for Atlanta and then were suppose to be on their way to South Africa. Well, Delta LOST a box full of venomous snakes for two days! Atlanta kept saying they got on the correct flights and what not (which they didn't) and they were shipped. Well, some idiot in Atlanta didn't mantifest them to the correct flights and they got pushed aside. Suffice to say, they all made in perfect condition.


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## Isa (Apr 26, 2011)

I am sorry about all that Jessica, please let us know when your little one arrives...


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## Tim/Robin (Apr 27, 2011)

Heat packs are just fine this time of year. If it was packed well inside an insulated box, it will be fine. Just because the package was stuck in AZ does not mean it was in the heat of the sun. I am sure your little one will be fine. It is stressful though, we have had a similar situation occur with a happy ending.


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## Jessicap (Apr 27, 2011)

As I feared the delay in Arizona has put her in the middle of the severe storms in Kentucky, so she has been delayed another day. Another day of no sleep 

As for the other things going on - My daughter seems to be handling the death of her classmate well (or as well as can be expected). I am not looking forward to the funeral however, that is ALWAYS a hard day. 

My dad will be having the cancer removed mid May. They found a couple more questionable spots so sent biopsies in of them. 

Thank you all for your thoughts and words of encouragement. I am feeling more confident that she will arrive okay. I have fresh greens and a jar of baby squash all ready.


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## Jacqui (Apr 27, 2011)

When I saw your had posted this morning, I had hoped it was to tell us he arrived safely. Sorry your going to have yet another day of worry. Good thoughts your way and here's hoping the weather gets better, fingers crossed.


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## Jessicap (Apr 27, 2011)

Jacqui said:


> When I saw your had posted this morning, I had hoped it was to tell us he arrived safely. Sorry your going to have yet another day of worry. Good thoughts your way and here's hoping the weather gets better, fingers crossed.



Thank you! I checked the weather outlook and it looks like it should be clearing up by morning - hopefully in time for the flight out.


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## JohnathanO (Apr 27, 2011)

So sorry for what your going through. Hope things pick up for you soon.


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## Isa (Apr 27, 2011)

Jessica I am so sorry you have to wait another day . I keep my fingers crossed that you will receive your little one tomorrow morning.


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## TortieLuver (Apr 27, 2011)

So sorry to hear what's been going on in your personal life...I will be praying for your daughter and father, as well as the rest of your family. Yes, I have been advised as well that the thunderstorms in Kentucky are delaying all the packages. Accuweather looks like it will be clearing up though and temps aren't that cold today there.


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## TortieLuver (Apr 27, 2011)

Hey Jessica...they are now flying and moving packages out of Kentucky from the main hub over the past couple hours. It might arrive in your city tonight and you could go to that hub and pickup tonight. I would contact your local hub and see if your package has arrived. They will hold it for you under the circumstances so it won't have to stay in the box another night.


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## ChiKat (Apr 27, 2011)

TortieLuver said:


> Hey Jessica...they are now flying and moving packages out of Kentucky from the main hub over the past couple hours. It might arrive in your city tonight and you could go to that hub and pickup tonight. I would contact your local hub and see if your package has arrived. They will hold it for you under the circumstances so it won't have to stay in the box another night.



Great info!

I can't even imagine the anxiety you must be feeling right now!! It will be such a relief when the little one finally arrives. She'll be all rested and ready to explore her new digs when she gets HOME! 
...I hope you post pics tomorrow 

So sorry to hear about the other struggles in your life right now. *hugs*


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## Jessicap (Apr 28, 2011)

She is here!!!!!! She did not get into Wisconsin until 3:30 this morning. She was scanned into Oak Creek (about 2 1/2 hours from me) I got a call from Oshkosh that she was there at about 7:55am. I was just leaving to get there when they called, since they did not open until 8:30. I took my mom along to look in the package first, boy was that an emotional time. She barely moved at first, was pretty cold... could have used that heat pack then... lol. I put her in my coat and held my open hand over her to warm her up. Cranked the heat in the car to 80 and about 10 min into the ride she was squirming and trying to walk all over  She is soooooooo beautiful, even more beautiful in person than the pictures. Keith, you did an excellent job raising her and packaging her for the trip. Thank you so much, I know how worried you were also with all the delays. She is here and seems to be doing fine. Gave her a squash warm water soak for about 1/2 hr then put her in her new enclosure, where she took off and did a lap. Boy can she move! She then found her hide and burrowed in. Here are some pics (not the greatest but will try and get better ones later onces she is settled in):



















Thanks everyone for keeping me sane during the last couple days.


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## yagyujubei (Apr 28, 2011)

Great to see all is well. I hope you have demanded a partial refund from UPS. You paid for overnight, but didn't get it.


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## Jessicap (Apr 28, 2011)

yagyujubei said:


> Great to see all is well. I hope you have demanded a partial refund from UPS. You paid for overnight, but didn't get it.



Yes I will be doing that.


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## jeffbens0n (Apr 28, 2011)

She looks great, I'm glad everything worked out, good luck and congrats!


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## Rjhoop (Apr 28, 2011)

Wow great ta hear i read through all this yesterday!I had just the opposite happen to me though,my little guy arrived a day earlier than he was supposed to.It was 38 degrees outside no heat packs and i was not home for another 6 hours he sat on my porch outside but everything worked out for me!!


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## Isa (Apr 28, 2011)

Congrats Jessica  I am so happy she is safe and sound, she is beautiful and perfect! I love her enclosure, you made her a tortoise paradise!


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## DeanS (Apr 28, 2011)

I'm sooooooooooo happy everything turned out well for you Jessica...thought up a name yet?


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## Jacqui (Apr 28, 2011)

Jessicap said:


> yagyujubei said:
> 
> 
> > Great to see all is well. I hope you have demanded a partial refund from UPS. You paid for overnight, but didn't get it.
> ...



I assume that they will consider it, "an act of God" and beyond their control and not pay. They never pay for late deliveries here, even tho they guarantee folks they will be here by 10:30am knowing full well it will not be until atleast 4pm that they deliver.

Just so glad he arrived and is doing well. Looks like a wonderful animal and well worth all your months of waiting.


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## coreyc (Apr 28, 2011)

Congrats I am glad your nightmare is over she looks great I got a full refund on mine the next day a guarantee is a guarantee you should get what you paid for shipping


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## CtTortoiseMom (Apr 28, 2011)

So happy it all worked out! I have been keeping up with this thread and anxious for her to arrive, she really is beautiful!!!


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## TortieLuver (Apr 28, 2011)

I am so happy for you Jessica...Praise God she arrived safely! She looks so beautiful! Yes, can't wait to hear the name you picked for her. Yes, for mechanical issues that first night, I would demand a full refund as you are entitled to it. However, for any weather delays they do not give refunds as that is out of their control.


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## SnakeyeZ (Apr 28, 2011)

Good to see a happy ending! 

I was caught in a similiar situation only in mid January a couple years ago. Needless the say I did not have a happy ending and the snake passed on.


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## Edna (Apr 28, 2011)

Yay Jessica! She is beautiful! Now if you could just get those stress-hours back! I'll be drinking a toast to tortoise resiliance tonight


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## JohnathanO (Apr 28, 2011)

Congrats Jessica  

Good to have a happy ending


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## harris (Apr 28, 2011)

That is great news!! Your baby is beautiful!


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## Mao Senpai (Apr 28, 2011)

Aww, I'm glad she is ok! She's a beauty!


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## Scooter (Apr 28, 2011)

She is beautiful, so glad she made it there safe and sound!


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## Tom (Apr 28, 2011)

So happy everything worked out for you.

That is one of the most gorgeous tortoises I've ever seen. Absolutely beautiful. Can't wait for more pics.


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## terryo (Apr 28, 2011)

She's beautiful Jessica, and now you can rest easy, and just enjoy her. Great enclosure! I love that cave.


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## ChiKat (Apr 28, 2011)

Wow, she is beautiful!!!
I'm so glad she's doing well  What a relief!


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## dmarcus (Apr 28, 2011)

Thats awesome that everything turned out great..


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## Angi (Apr 28, 2011)

Yea! I hold my breath everytime I see an update. So glad she is and with you.


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## Angi (Apr 28, 2011)

Yea! I hold my breath everytime I see an update. So glad she is and with you.


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## Fernando (Apr 28, 2011)

Tom said:


> So happy everything worked out for you.
> 
> That is one of the most gorgeous tortoises I've ever seen. Absolutely beautiful. Can't wait for more pics.



+1 those photos make me want one! 

That's an Ibera Greek? (sorry I have no clue)


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## EricIvins (Apr 28, 2011)

yagyujubei said:


> Great to see all is well. I hope you have demanded a partial refund from UPS. You paid for overnight, but didn't get it.



You won't get any refund - It was a weather delay, and the weather involved was incredibly severe.........Grand Father in Tennessee got to see his whole neihborhood destroyed.......


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## Jessicap (Apr 28, 2011)

EricIvins said:


> yagyujubei said:
> 
> 
> > Great to see all is well. I hope you have demanded a partial refund from UPS. You paid for overnight, but didn't get it.
> ...



I am so sorry to hear about your grandfathers neighborhood. Those storms were really bad, and my thoughts and prayers go out to all those who were affected. 

Thanks everyone! She is beautiful isn't she... lol. I had named her Claire but becuase of all the trouble we had getting her here, we thought a name associated with her travels would be appropriate. It is just hard to think of one when I have been calling her Claire for the past 2 months


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## dmarcus (Apr 28, 2011)

Storm would be cool since it was all the storms that caused all this.


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## allenleaann (Apr 28, 2011)

Sorry to hear about your worries! Seems like sometimes we have more than we can deal with, but things have a way of working themselves out. Your little one will arrive just fine! So very fortunate he/she's headed to a loving home!


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## Jessicap (Apr 28, 2011)

dalano73 said:


> Storm would be cool since it was all the storms that caused all this.



I like Storm, but that is my horses name... lol 



That's an Ibera Greek? (sorry I have no clue)
[/quote]

Yes, she is an Ibera. Keith just had more babies hatch


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## allenleaann (Apr 28, 2011)

She is beautiful! Very Happy things turned out as well as they did!! Have fun with your new baby!


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## dmarcus (Apr 28, 2011)

Jessicap said:


> dalano73 said:
> 
> 
> > Storm would be cool since it was all the storms that caused all this.
> ...


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## zoogrl (Apr 28, 2011)

I almost teared up a bit when I got to the post that she arrived safely!!! I was so incredibly anxious when I was waiting for my baby tort to be shipped last year, and we didn't have any delays! I'm so happy that she is safe & you all will have many happy years together


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## Torty Mom (Apr 28, 2011)

Yay a happy ending, I am so glad she made it and is doing well! Awesome news!


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## Jacob (Apr 28, 2011)

Great All is Well, I love The Habitat


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## JeffG (Apr 28, 2011)

Beautiful tortoise! I'm really glad that everything worked out. 

I feel horrible that I didn't read this thread while it was going on. I work for UPS out of the Phoenix hub. In fact there is a good chance that I gave her a ride from the hub to the airport. I am not sure what type of "mechanical" problem would have delayed her. I wish I would have known this was going on though because I could have at least tried to get my hands on the package if it was really still in Phoenix all that time.


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## RianSeeking (Apr 28, 2011)

So glad she arrived safely!


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## TortieLuver (Apr 28, 2011)

Well now I know who to PM when one of my packages get stuck in the Phoenix hub lol.


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## Jessicap (Apr 29, 2011)

JeffG said:


> I feel horrible that I didn't read this thread while it was going on. I work for UPS out of the Phoenix hub. In fact there is a good chance that I gave her a ride from the hub to the airport. I am not sure what type of "mechanical" problem would have delayed her. I wish I would have known this was going on though because I could have at least tried to get my hands on the package if it was really still in Phoenix all that time.



lol... when I posted I was hoping someone worked or knew someone one who worked for UPS but at least now we know for next time.


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## Jacqui (Apr 29, 2011)

Could name it Wendi (if it turns out to be a female) or Windover (if a male for the *wind over* KY kept him from flying out).


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## JeffG (Apr 29, 2011)

I would go with Wednesday for a name since that's the day she finally arrived. Or Phoenix.


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## TortieLuver (Apr 29, 2011)

I actually really like that too Jeff


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## DeanS (Apr 29, 2011)

I was thinking Tornado...in memory of the 200+ killed by the flurry of tornadoes while she was in transit!


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## fhintz (Apr 29, 2011)

Jessicap said:


> I had named her Claire but becuase of all the trouble we had getting her here, we thought a name associated with her travels would be appropriate. It is just hard to think of one when I have been calling her Claire for the past 2 months



You could go with Odysseus if it's a male.


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