Quote Originally Posted by SapphireTigress1 View Post
how can you be held liable if you didnt have any idea how the shipper would label the package? Not trying to be an ass, but legitimately curious. Would you have to prove that you contacted the shipper and requested proper labeling?

What if the shipper lied or for some reason mislabeled or didnt label the package and you get it. Should you not open it? Report it? What should one do in that situation? I would feel obligated to open the package if authorities couldnt get there immediately or at least very very soon after recieving, as that cant be good for the critter inside!

I've only received a snake via mail once, and i cant remember how it was labeled.
Legally, you are obligated to refuse the package. No one is going to do that, because it may be a death sentence for the animal. This is why you shouldn't buy from people who mislabel. I personally blacklist people who mail me things illegally...there are plenty of other people out there with gorgeous animals who are willing to obey the law, and I don't want the liability of accepting mislabeled packages.

Perhaps if they lose enough business, they'll get the message, and stop breaking the labeling laws.

There are only two real reasons for a shipper to mislabel: 1) They're using a shipping service that doesn't accept snakes, or aren't certified to ship them.
2) They believe the animal will be safer if they don't label the box, since there are some reptile-phobic people out there.

The only DOAs I have ever had came from a shipper who did not label the box correctly. It's a horrible thing to see, and I definitely don't want a repeat. I have specifically asked shippers to label packages correctly, and when I received them, they weren't. Those people don't deserve anyone's business.

There is a slim chance that someone might abuse a live animal shipment, but there is a MUCH greater chance of a package that is not labeled being roughly handled, resulting in the death of the animal. For what...to save a couple of bucks using UPS instead of Fed Ex? NOT worth it.

We have to demand better behavior, as a community.

Correct labeling is easy: Mark the outside of the box with 'live harmless reptiles'. Put a note on the top that says additional information is under the shipping label. Inside the plastic shipping label sleeve, include a card or paper that lists the number of animals, the taxonomic name, and the common name.
Some people place this on top inside of the box, but why require inspectors to open the box, if they don't have to? The wording is a bit ambiguous, but seems to say that the information should be easily accessible to inspectors without their having to open the box, so under the shipping label, in the label sleeve, seems like a more suitable choice to me.