Delayed snake...

I'm so angry right now. Not only was she shipped UPS, but now she's been delayed and is scheduled to arrive on a day I don't have off. So I may not even be there when she arrives. I wish there was something more I could do, augh... I'm just hoping she'll be okay.

Did you notify the breeder?

I think you can call and get the package held at the office for pick up. I hate UPS too!

What? I didn't think UPS would even accept snakes. And what is the reason for the delay? I'd be crawling up the seller's backside over this one.

Quote:

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Warwick, RI, United States 07/15/2013 10:35 P.M. The package is delayed at the origin hub. / Forwarded to the facility in the destination city.
07/15/2013 3:27 P.M. The shipment has been dropped off and is now at a UPS Retail Location.
United States 07/14/2013 9:14 P.M. Order Processed: Ready for UPS

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I'm about ready to crawl up somebody's butt with a knife here in the next twenty minutes. The systems are all saying that it's supposed to be delivered by noon today, when, guess what, it's still in Rhode Island. Apparently when a package is 'delayed at the origin hub' that means it never got on the plane in the first place.

Here's my lovely chat with what has a to be a computer:

Quote:

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Cel R.: Hi, this is Cel R.. I'll be happy to assist you.
Parker: i need my package delivered by tomorrow morning
Parker: it's perishable and I won't be around tomorrow afternoon
Cel R.: Just a moment while I look into that for you.
Cel R.: I appreciate your patience. I will be right with you.
Parker: thanks
Cel R.: I have checked the status of your shipment in our tracking system. According to our records, your shipment is scheduled for delivery today by 12 noon.
Cel R.: However, at this time we have not received a location scan yet from the destination package center.
Parker: yeah no kidding because it was left behind in rhode island
Parker: Warwick, RI, United States 07/15/2013 10:35 P.M. The package is delayed at the origin hub. / Forwarded to the facility in the destination city.
Parker: so do you guys have any idea where it is?
Cel R.: The last scan that we have is in PROVIDENCE, RI on 07/15/13 at 22:35 .
Parker: i know that.
Cel R.: That's the last scan that we have in our tracking system.
Parker: so it's still in rhode island and isn't going to be delivered by noon today, then
Cel R.: Even though this scan is missing, it does not necessarily mean that the package will be delayed. To obtain the most recent delivery status, I suggest monitoring this tracking number on our web site using the following link:

http://www.ups.com/tracking/tracking.html

Parker: i've been doing that
Cel R.: That's the only thing that we can do at this point. Continue in tracking your package.

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If it's not actually here on time, UPS will have a very angry woman on the phone. As will the breeder, for using UPS in the first place. My snake being shipped from New Jersey through FedEx is doing perfectly.

Most likely you're talking to someone in India, not a computer - they're trained to give canned responses to your inputs. Why did you say it was perishable? You should have said there was a live snake in the package - that would have lit a fire under someone's rear end and it's not in their standard "if the customer says X then you say Y".

Also, have you tried calling the direct line for the hub in RI?

Because it's UPS and UPS doesn't accept live snakes for shipment. If it was FedEx, I would have.

My FedEx tracking screen:
http://i.imgur.com/nzWQgAO.png

Versus my UPS one (note that it only shows the 'on time' label about half the time.
http://i.imgur.com/Ed4pNk5.png
It also shows up like this:
http://i.imgur.com/dhCLBpz.png

I HATE when I have had snakes delivered by UPS. Although they are usually here at 10:30 vs the 12:00 or later FedEx arrives. They are just treated completely different.

I hope your snake arrives soon and on time. I certainly would be ripping the breeder a new one. I will never understand why. Shipping is an added in cost paid by the buyer. Why not just do it right?

Meanwhile, the snake shipped through FedEx is now out for delivery within 12.5 hours of being picked up by FedEx. And all UPS can tell me is 'well keep tracking your package...'

I got my girl through UPS a week ago. Everything went perfectly. Next day shipping and everything. Dunno what to tell ya there. She even got here at 9 am. guess I was lucky? She was from a very refutable breeder using UPS too.

My advice? Get back on with Customer Service and throw a fit. I know it sounds bad, but I worked in Customer Service and, when it comes to large companies, you get to actually WORK with a person when you start telling the CS guy from India things like "I want to talk to your manager right now. This packages was perishable and was shipped overnight. I paid for this service and I need to know, right now, where it is, even if you have to call the places it's been. If not, I will make sure that everyone I know hears about this incident and I will tell everybody that fedEx is where they need to be. I will go all over the Net and let people know what shoddy service you have." Yes, it makes you look like JERK, but it's how you get to talk to people with power. The foreign CS reps are instructed to move you up the ladder when you start threatening to review them. You can even demand the email addresses of their managers and the main UPS people--it puts a fire under their butts to get your call to someone who can really help.

Just my experience with major corp's customer service departments.

My Dad's supposed to be getting a package through UPS today as well. If she's not on that truck, I /will/ be throwing a screaming rage fit at UPS. The tracking keeps flipping back and forth between showing it's 'on time' and showing nothing.

Just a note - I believe some breeders were grandfathered in with ups, and so might still be able to ship this way.

Call the breeder and call UPS. I wouldn't even be taking the time to post here. I'd be up someones ass sideways. I've only accepted incoming snakes through FedEx, so no experience going through UPS.

I live in CT, only 45min away from warwick, RI. If there's anything I could do to help, please don't hesitate to ask.

UPS does ship snakes.

Before you go knifing someone's innards, you might want to find out just what happened. It might not be the seller's fault. Of course, if you're the average American, you won't bother, you will be happy making life miserable for everyone because you have a problem. Heck, who needs facts?

IF the seller printed the label at home, your snake may be on its way. Your snake might be on time anyway. Lying is never a good solution.

So, my advice, since you were kind enough to ask, would be to see if you can get a supervisor to get a Visual on your package. The downside to this, not all UPS employees know that UPS does ship snakes.

Did you specify fedex when you agreed to have the snake shipped or did you assume something? Because if you did assume something, then who, really, is at fault?

I wouldn't be overly concerned as the few packages that I've had delayed always arrived fine. Also, you should get the seller involved as they may have more luck getting some information and help since they are the person that paid UPS to ship this package. I once had a package coming here and spent way too long trying to get any information and the seller was able to get information and things moving within a very short amount of time.

Also, this is one reason that I love ShipYourReptiles. I've had a couple issues with delays because of weather or a plane issue and both times Andy got back to me with information within minutes.

Thanks, Mike. Managed to get through to a real person and... they've lost her. After ten minutes on hold, the guy (not Indian, surprisingy) told me I'm going to be getting a call from a person at the RI hub with an update. I didn't even have to lose my temper and start yelling. If I don't get a call in the next 54 minutes though, UPS will be getting a piece of my mind.

I hope your snake arrives ok. I had one snake arrive via UPS. I was a little concerned, as I didn't think they could ship snakes either. But everything went smooth and my snakie showed up fine.

Got word that she's still at the hub in RI and is at least inside in the temperature-controlled building. Should ship off tonight and fingers crossed she'll arrive before I have to go to work tomorrow afternoon.

I'm glad they found her. I bet she arrives just fine.

Glad to hear she's ok. I'd let the seller know that UPS messed up. Might convince him to take his business elsewhere.

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

Glad to hear she's ok. I'd let the seller know that UPS messed up. Might convince him to take his business elsewhere.

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Because of one missed shipment? Granted, I believe this would have been a shipping cost money back scenario under SYR's insurance policy.

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Originally Posted by Annarose15

Granted, I believe this would have been a shipping cost money back scenario under SYR's insurance policy.

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Yes. Also, we still don't know if that snake will arrive ok or DOA, so don't jump to conclusions. There's a heat wave in the area right now so idk what temps that snake could have been exposed to, even though it's in an ok area now. I just don't like to play around when it comes to the health of the snakes. Why take chances with UPS when other places have better track records?

So far as the supervisor I talked to (from the RI hub) said, she's been inside the hub the whole time, but we are also keeping the breeder up to speed.

By the time I realized the snake was being sent via UPS, it was too late to change it. I will be making sure I insist on FedEx in the future. Guess I was too naive to think people were still shipping UPS with its track record of losing packages (not only snakes but all packages). I just hope this girl doesn't suffer or die because of some dumb human's (be it mine or the breeder's) mistake.

I live 3 minutes from the Warwick RI hub and believe me.. They are a horrible hub. The few animals Ive ordered that went to that destination got "lost" and not picked up, thus never delivered. Ive had to go there myself to pick one up once after never showing up by 1030 even though the tracking info said it was on the truck. And one other time my bearded dragon got lost and went out on the wrong truck and they had thier manager deliver it to me at 11 pm at night in their own car because of their mistake which was nice but I was still very mad. And two other live shipments came way after the 1030 delivery time.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by coleworld

I live 3 minutes from the Warwick RI hub and believe me.. They are a horrible hub. The few animals Ive ordered that went to that destination got "lost" and not picked up, thus never delivered. Ive had to go there myself to pick one up once after never showing up by 1030 even though the tracking info said it was on the truck. And one other time my bearded dragon got lost and went out on the wrong truck and they had thier manager deliver it to me at 11 pm at night in their own car because of their mistake which was nice but I was still very mad. And two other live shipments came way after the 1030 delivery time.

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Wow I am 100000x more worried now thanks for that ._.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Inarikins

Wow I am 100000x more worried now thanks for that ._.

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Sorry, I just hate that hub so much I feel like they mess up everything. You should be fine though I know many people who had snakes come in a day late with zero issues.

She's now out of that hub... I know in my mind that she's most likely okay but I'm still a huge worrywart.

They're a lot hardier than people give them credit for. She should be fine. :)

She arrived safe and sound. Understandably upset, but unharmed.

Glad to hear it! Yeah, I'd be upset if I was her too!:)

good to hear.

Glad she made it safe and sound!