I hate ups!!!!

[Baoh]

Ever hear of a thing called Christmas?

Holiday conventions do not supersede realistic safety considerations for me. If you prioritize things differently, I can understand that difference and agree to disagree. I both buy and sell tortoises and I would not schedule to send or receive a shipment at this time of year. No later than mid-December. No earlier from that point than the first week or two of January. That is just from the congestion perspective. If taking temperatures into account and how I generally prefer to ship tortoises to customers within lab-grade shipping containers, I would further extend the suspension of shipment under some circumstances.

 

[Richsandwich]

If it shows up tomorrow like they said it would I think it will be ok. There customer service has been excellent so far except for the part trying to get a live operator. I now have a number and direct ext to the guy I've been in contact with. I just hope he makes good on the sat delivery. If this guy survives I know he's going to be one spoiled little tortoise. My other turtles will be jealous I I think ups, fed ex, ect... shouldn't offer overnight delivery between certain dates if they can't handle the load of volume because of the time of year. Don't take someone's money for a service you can't deliver.

 

[mainey34]

Ive just had 2 incounters with UPS and both were bad..this last one they didnt even go to the correct town. What are we paying these rediculious fees for?

 

[CourtneyAndCarl]

Hmm, I must say, I am quite glad Carl was Fed-Exed.

Good luck getting your baby in on time!!

 

[EricIvins]

I guess people don't realize that UPS or any other overnight carriers are NOT animal couriers in any way, shape, or form. They have the logistics in place to get a package from point A to point B in the most efficient way possible. If a Plane cannot take off due to any number of reasons, UPS is not going to provide for one Tortoise to get to point B and leave all the other packages behind. Anyone that ships knows this. Anyone that doesn't should consider not having an animal shipped at all. This is reality, and this is why the animals should be packed to reflect this possibility........

I may be wrong, but sounds like you work for UPS? Any way, I have a very long list of complaints with UPS. Most of the drivers don't have a clue and that's why you never get the same driver for very long, in my area that is. Same with FEDEX. I finally got things straight with my now permanent UPS driver. I let him know, I was not one to mess with. FEDEX, still working on them. BTW, if they aren't prepared to ship animals, then they shouldn't do it, plain and simple. If they are going to do it, then they are responsible for delivering a live animal.

---

Good luck. I really hope they are doing what they are saying and not just blowing smoke up your, well you know. I get the Xmas present thing. But shipping animals is never good at this time of year. That's why I choose to have my chameleon shipped after the first of the year. Hind sight 20/20. Sounds like things will turn out for you, fingers crossed it will. Let us know.

---

No, I work for myself. However, I use these overnight carriers Monday-Thursday 52 weeks out of the year so I know the realistic expectations of these companies...........

 

[TylerStewart]

+1 for EricIvins

You can't expect UPS or FedEx to reroute a plane for your tortoise shipment or for the manager to personally go pick up your tortoise box and drive it to the next city over to catch a different plane.... While they mean well, they are handling thousands of boxes at a time and in all reality, the value of the average overnight box is higher than the average overnight tortoise shipment, so they are as eager to get boxes from point A to point B as fast as they can be.

They are paid to do a service, and if they fail to meet their pre-determined deadlines, you're free to ask for the shipping cost to be refunded. If they dropped the ball (not due to a weather delay), they will generally refund it. I'm going to go after some refunds next week, but that doesn't mean I'm pissed that FedEx dropped the ball. UPS drops the ball also, and there's no other great third option. I assumed delays would happen to some degree, and they did, and I don't expect any tortoises to be hurt in the process. They're healthy and packed well with long term heat packs and an extra 24 hours in a box shouldn't matter. Like Eric said, we have also had boxes vanish for a week or more and the animals still get there ok, even in severe weather/temperature conditions. When a box is delayed, it's generally stuck in a semi-temperature controlled warehouse, not on a sidewalk getting snowed on.

It blows my mind to consider the logistics involved in offering the services that these companies offer (point A in a major city to point B in the hills across the country in 16-18 hours). I don't think I could make it work on paper, let alone in actual trucks on the ground in so many cities. Amazing, really.

 

[Neal]

If the flight was delayed due to weather, I'm not seeing any cause for hatred towards UPS?? I understand it's a frustrating situation, but this type of thing happens, and that's the risk you take when shipping reptiles.

---

You can't expect UPS or FedEx to reroute a plane for your tortoise shipment or for the manager to personally go pick up your tortoise box and drive it to the next city over to catch a different plane.... While they mean well, they are handling thousands of boxes at a time and in all reality, the value of the average overnight box is higher than the average overnight tortoise shipment, so they are as eager to get boxes from point A to point B as fast as they can be.

They are paid to do a service, and if they fail to meet their pre-determined deadlines, you're free to ask for the shipping cost to be refunded. If they dropped the ball (not due to a weather delay), they will generally refund it. I'm going to go after some refunds next week, but that doesn't mean I'm pissed that FedEx dropped the ball. UPS drops the ball also, and there's no other great third option. I assumed delays would happen to some degree, and they did, and I don't expect any tortoises to be hurt in the process. They're healthy and packed well with long term heat packs and an extra 24 hours in a box shouldn't matter. Like Eric said, we have also had boxes vanish for a week or more and the animals still get there ok, even in severe weather/temperature conditions. When a box is delayed, it's generally stuck in a semi-temperature controlled warehouse, not on a sidewalk getting snowed on.

It blows my mind to consider the logistics involved in offering the services that these companies offer (point A in a major city to point B in the hills across the country in 16-18 hours). I don't think I could make it work on paper, let alone in actual trucks on the ground in so many cities. Amazing, really.

That sums it up pretty good. What can we really expect UPS to do in this situation? I'm sure they're just as anxious to get the box to point B as the recipient. To have someone go find this package, store it, then spend the time to re route it to its destination is going to cost someone's time and effort. Who is going to pay for that?

Seeing as they did that though and went above and beyond, it sounds like UPS is a really great company.

 

[Laura]

If weather is the issue.. it should not have been shipped at all.. temps and delays are a problem.. let alone the time of year...

 

[TylerStewart]

If weather is the issue.. it should not have been shipped at all.. temps and delays are a problem.. let alone the time of year...

If the potential for a weather delay or a temperature being high or low is a reason not to ship, then someone might as well plan on driving their tortoises to the eventual destination 12 months of the year. It's silly when people will only guarantee live arrival if temperatures are between 60 and 85 degrees (give or take, depending who it is).... When is any departure city and destination ever both between those two temperatures? We swing that much in a 24 hour period here in the spring and fall. If someone isn't confident in their shipping methods and animals to make it through a winter shipment assuming a delay is going to happen, they shouldn't be shipping. We guarantee everything in any situation regardless of the cause if one were to die in transit. When packaged properly, we have no issues with it, regardless of season or destination or delay. A delay doesn't always (or essentially ever) mean a tortoise will be hurt.

 

[Tortus]

I'm not crazy about UPS either. The driver always throws packages on the porch and I hear them slam. One time I waited all day to sign for something and UPS never showed. I checked the status online that evening and it said no one was home to sign. There's no way I missed them.

I've never had a problem with FedEx. They always put packages by the door, knock, and leave a note. My tortoise was delivered overnight by FedEx and it arrived on time. The driver asked what kind of "turtle" it was (even though the box said "LIVE TORTOISE") and what I planned on doing with it. I should have told her making soup just for the reaction.

Good luck, Rich. Hopefully it will arrive in good condition.

 

[jtrux]

The secret is to draw a pair of gold wings on it and that way Tom Hanks will personally show up with it rain or shine.

 

[tickle]

I would love to live in this perfect world u all talk about.not shipping during christmass I guess Tyler doesn't need to pay his bills or make money this time of year.its live arrival so if it comes dead u get a new one.ups drivers and fed ex could care less what's in the package.u think they take care of it like its a baby then go visit a ware house for one of them.you take chances Quebec u ship live animals no matter who you ship from.if you don't want the christmass hastle order a diff time.the poster says he got good service from ups they will do what they can.Tyler packs his torts better then anyone I no he will be fine.for all who say cold and weather effect shipping and you shouldn't during a storm this is what say.a container plane is not heated so its below freezing on the plane even in summer.pppanes can fly over bad weather and delays are usually no longer then a day.this is why u have live arrival gaurontee.that fact u can get a live animal over night to you're house for 39 dollars is amazing g now you want miracles and nothing ever to go wrong. Now lets start the blame game.you're tort will be there and allive Tyler's packaging will do it.if not you get a new one.simple.you think shipping torts is nervracking try coral and fish.

 

[Richsandwich]

He made it a day late

I didn't order this from Tyler :/ but he's doing well and will live a long long life now. Ups came through and shipped on a sat free of charge. They dropped the ball but came through in the end

 

[bigred]

Glad he made it, Delta is same day air cargo shipping. probably costs more but they are only in the box for hours instead of days

 

[Baoh]

Glad he made it safely.

 

[Shannon and Jason]

That's great home @ last prolly exhausted. Glad everything worked out and the lil one adorable

 

[EricIvins]

Glad he made it, Delta is same day air cargo shipping. probably costs more but they are only in the box for hours instead of days

In a perfect world......I had/have more problems with Delta than any other carrier......Cost is 3x more, and service is dependent on where you are shipping to. Big Airports that have Delta Cargo flights usually have no issues. Small Airports that only have commuter Flights flying in/out are guaranteed to always be delayed untill the next connection Flight. That could be another 12 hours depending.......

 

[pam]

Glad he is ok

 

[Richsandwich]

I actually just got a follow up phone call from ups asking if he made it safe and sound. At this point I think I should change the title of this thread to "ups is ok"

 

[Moozillion]

Whew!!!! Congratulations all around!!! And what a beauty he is!