Shipping Exception! What to do?

Yesterday I shipped off 3 snakes off to Florida. I had been in contact with the buyer several times and I sent him all the tracking information and made sure he was fully updated on everything. I get up this morning and keep tracking the package to make sure it is delivered correctly and there is a shipping exception! It was because no one was home or they didn't answer the door. I require all packages to be signed for. Don't want them being left on door steps. I have tried calling the buyer and have emailed him to several different email addresses. I feel there is nothing more I can do but wait to hear back from him. He said that his wife is not working and would be there for delivery. I am just afraid that it is going to get super hot out there and cause problems for the snakes but there is nothing I can do. If there ends up being a problem what do I do? I don't feel like I should have to refund the money because they weren't there to accept the package. We are talking about $1200 in snakes here as well. On my website I have my TOS that say live guarantee is void if not accepted on first delivery. Has anyone had any similar issues? Just freaking out over here and I have no control.

Ouch! First, I would have avoided shipping to Florida this week because of the hurricane. That alone can cause delays and re-routes. As far as this delivery, I'd wait and keep trying to contact the buyer. If the snakes are all OK, then no problem. If they are DOA, then you need to decide if you stick to your TOS or refund the money or offer a partial refund. It is really up to you. If your TOS says that they must be there for first attempt and they are not, then you have satisfied your TOS. However, good customer service is not always sticking to the TOS. I would talk with the buyer and see what is up on their end before making any decisions.

Let us know what happens. Good luck.

So I finally got a hold of the buyer and I guess he had made arrangements for someone to be at his house to accept the package but then something happened and they couldn't be there. Now he is trying to go figure out how to get a hold of the package as soon as possible so we are all hoping that all the snakes are alright and in good health. If they are DOA I will work with the buyer the best I can and definitely am trying to give the best customer service possible. That is always my goal. I will keep this updated as soon as I know what has happened to the package. Praying for the best.

I had someone wanting to ship to Florida this week and I politely declined. Hurricane!

I really hope the animals arrive safely for you.

Regards,

B

Good customer service isn't breaking your bank to make sales, though. Consistency is good customer service, and sticking to your TOS is consistency.

I personally take off school and work when I receive an animal so that I'm there the ENTIRE day. That may not be possible for some people, so you make arrangements. I understand life happens, positive or negative, but when you're dealing in four figures worth of snakes you obviously can make better arrangements.


Browsing on Tapatalk from my iPhone :)

This was in Jacksonville which is not very near where the hurricane was. They tried to deliver on time by the 10:30 deadline without any issues but there just wasn't someone home. No fault to the hurricane.

It is the responsibility of the customer to be available to pick up the package as arranged with the seller.

It is not the seller's fault and he should not be liable for any loss

I believe good customer service is great communication. If you made the arrangements and kept the customer informed and he had tracking #s and he knew your TOS then it is his responsibility to make sure he is home or at least arrange for an alternative PRIOR to the items being shipped. If he failed to do that then I don't see how the seller HAS to do anything. I understand what you mean by maybe partial refund but the seller did 100% what he was supposed to do and the buyer failed, the seller can NOT be held liable at all. He can't give up the snakes AND the money, that would not be very good business. That just means he gives away money because someone else was not very responsible.

Now if the buyer was not fully aware before shipping or had questions that were not answered before shipping and was not able to make arrangements PRIOR to shipping, then I would agree that he would need a full refund.

We can't always hold people's hands, people need to stop ducking responsibility. You are an adult, if you messed up, admit it and learn from it, and move on, but the seller, in this case, should not feel like he has to give any money back when he did anything wrong.

Just my 2 cents. Keep us updated, I really hope the animals are well in the end.

You may consider requesting a "hold at facility" or not requiring a signature for future deliveries so a live animal doesn't get stuck in a hot truck all day.

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Originally Posted by All Balled Up

This was in Jacksonville which is not very near where the hurricane was. They tried to deliver on time by the 10:30 deadline without any issues but there just wasn't someone home. No fault to the hurricane.

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I know with at least one of my fedex people they don't try very hard to alert me when they're here. I've caught them walking away from my house with a package for me while I'm sitting inside, 10 feet from the door.. I KNOW they didn't knock, must have tried to contact me through telepathy - I'm not so good at picking up mind messages though!

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Originally Posted by John1982

You may consider requesting a "hold at facility" or not requiring a signature for future deliveries so a live animal doesn't get stuck in a hot truck all day.

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I know with at least one of my fedex people they don't try very hard to alert me when they're here. I've caught them walking away from my house with a package for me while I'm sitting inside, 10 feet from the door.. I KNOW they didn't knock - must have tried to contact me through telepathy, I'm not so good at mind picking up mind messages though!

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I agree with the hold at facility, but I disagree with leaving it on the porch. Better in a semi air conditioned/shaded truck than in the sun on the porch.

All of my incoming orders are hold at facility. Out going orders, I urge the buyer to do the same, but will ship as they ask. The reason I said talk to the buyer before making a decision on the TOS is that things sometimes do happen. What if there was a medical emergency with their child or other event out of their control? In that case, I would probably do something beyond my TOS (provided there was some type of proof and there were no games being played). However, if the answer is just "I couldn't wait around any longer," then I'd stick to my TOS.

Why bother with a TOS if you're not going to stick to it?

Whatever the problem was, it wasn't yours.

I MIGHT work with the buyer, but I might not. Probably not if it's just a matter of them dropping the ball and not having anyone there to sign.

Well I have fantastic news. After the buyers wife got home she got in contact with FedEx and they were able to get them redelivered and they were all in great shape. Makes things so much easier. I wish that they would have been accepted on first delivery but I'll take being delivered alive and healthy even if late. Always scary when having to ship snakes. Just so many issues and problems that can arise. This experience will definitely make me make sure that the buyer is fully aware of everything that is going on and that they will be there for delivery. I wouldn't be surprised if someday down the road there is a problem due to whatever can happen but I am super happy that it wasn't today. Now I don't have to be a "mean" guy and say too bad they were DOA due to their poor planning. The buyer on the upside is really happy with his animals so that is a big plus. :)

I ship direct signature requested or hold at hub. If the customer knowing isn't available to except the animals then that's on them.

Just an FYI for everyone, I called FedEx headquarters and got a specialist on the phone who assured me that FedEx does not knowingly or willingly accept the 'hold at hub' option for any live animal or even any perishable item for that matter.

I had to get a specialist to tell me this because the first several people I talked to didn't give me a satisfying answer. I told the specialist that I was fairly sure that this was common practice and he double checked and told me that he was 100% certain that it was against FedEx policy.

Then I said, 'what happens if someone sends a perishable package to a hub location' and he said the person at FedEx who TAKES the package from the shipper is failing at their job. They are not supposed to accept perishable packages if the destination is a hub. If it slips through the cracks they don't return to the sender, but it's not meant to make it that far.

Tequnically shipping them to a person and not a business is also against the terms of service..So yea.

Hehe... good to know lol

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Originally Posted by All Balled Up

Well I have fantastic news. After the buyers wife got home she got in contact with FedEx and they were able to get them redelivered and they were all in great shape. Makes things so much easier. I wish that they would have been accepted on first delivery but I'll take being delivered alive and healthy even if late. Always scary when having to ship snakes. Just so many issues and problems that can arise. This experience will definitely make me make sure that the buyer is fully aware of everything that is going on and that they will be there for delivery. I wouldn't be surprised if someday down the road there is a problem due to whatever can happen but I am super happy that it wasn't today. Now I don't have to be a "mean" guy and say too bad they were DOA due to their poor planning. The buyer on the upside is really happy with his animals so that is a big plus. :)

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Glad it worked out for you. It is always nice to hear happy endings.

Tell me about it! I ordered a snake and I was intensely waiting at the couch next to the door and only checked when I heard a truck outside. That should really be fixed by Fed Ex IMO

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Originally Posted by Freakie_frog

Tequnically shipping them to a person and not a business is also against the terms of service..So yea.

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It is allowed if through SYR, because they have a special arrangement with FedEx, and they have an extra slip to print out and stick on the box if you are doing this, so that if FedEx has an issue, they can discuss it with Andy at SYR and their FedEx rep.

As for being held at the hub, it can ONLY be sent to FedEx Staffed, FedEx World Service Centers, not any location that is a FedEx Kinko's/FedEx Office or Office Max. There are far fewer of these locations than kinkos/office, but they do exist, and I prefer them to ship to. Ask the buyer to go to the location and pick up when they open, rather than waiting for it to arrive at a house.