Buying T's online? - shipping woes

[omni]

Have you ever been excited to find just the spider you are looking for on a forum listing or a dealer website? I have, oh yes! You pick out a couple or few(or Many!) and you spend a few bucks or a lot of money, and go to bed tickled and eager to get your new pets by next day or 2. You're thinking about them coming and maybe even can't sleep youre too excited
99% of the time i think they'll come before lunch and fill all your expectations of getting some new T's. The pkg comes, you can hardly stand it waiting to open the box and rehouse your pets into their new homes. The T's might have cost you a pretty penny, so you migh've chosen a dealer or forum member that has cheap shipping rates on the T's you want. Not so fast! after opening the box, removing some packing material, you grab one of the delicups or vials, you're all prepared to open them up, and.. WHAT?? it's not moving? Is it dead? NOOOoo!! &^%$* A million emotions and thoughts run through your mind at the same time. Your mad, heartbroken, or sick to your stomach.. You want to blame someone, anyone... Small consolation the seller you bought from offers replacement guarantees, you're gonna go to bed sick that night and feel pissy for a couple days. At best, you can get replacement T's of the same kind lost, but you'll usually have to mail the corpses back, taking a few more days, in the meantime maybe even change the way you view the hobby.
This happens to people in the hobby- collectors, dealers, and breeders. I know I'm now cynical of shipping in general, but more people need to be tarantula owners imo. The net has brought some very special things to the hobby that weren't around 15 yrs ago. You can have almost any rare sp. you can think of. But with this new growth in the hobby, we need to tighten up the general rules of how the hobby is getting larger. Priceless is that excitement of picking them out, getting them, and taking care of 'em that 1st week of getting a new T. Awful and Horrifying to have that feeling squished with the sight of even one dead T.
With all that long speech, I make my plea to all in this amazing hobby:
Please can we be legal and safe/secure with our shipping T's? When even 1 DOA can change a person's life FOREVER, do we want ANY negativity at all coloring things? Prospective Buyers: Spend the extra $. Save yourself tears and sadness. People shipping T's: Offer only the legal options that are safe for the lil guys, do your absolute best to get your pkg to where it's going. Let's make things super easy and hassle-free for everyone involved with tarantulas on every level of selling/breeding/buying/shipping. Doesn't this hobby deserve it?

 

[omni]

Botar uses DHL, are they about the best carrier? I had one order from him, he packs very well I remember that... Not sure if they left it at my door or did knock, been a couple mos.

 

[Botar]

I've used them all on different occasions and they all do well/poorly in different instances. DHL is cheaper than Fed Ex and since my recent problems with Fed Ex I've gone back to DHL. My biggest problem with DHL isn't on the shipping end, it is on the customer service calling stations and billing. If you have to call them, it is a long and less-than-pleasurable experience. On the package delivery end, they're doing a lot better this time around than they did a couple of years ago.

Botar

 

[reptist]

A sucessfull shipment rests i the hands of the sender as far as I am concerned, the proper packing technique can get most any T to its destination, reguardless of the carrier, I have shipped via all the major shippers and as of yet found no distinct advantages of one over another although I agree w/ Botar on the fact that pretty much all of their customer service deptments. could use a major attatude adjustment, if you want your T's to arrive safe and sound, investigate the sellers history via reviews or word of mouth, advise them of any special weather conditions that may aply, {as not all check the weather of the destination point}, and be there for delivery of your pkge. shipping T's via any carrier can be as safe as driving them home from your local pet store {although alot more work on the sellers end} as long as the shipper does their part in secure packing!! buy from trusted, experienced sellers and enjoy your new T's everyone, PEACE, B.

 

[becca81]

DOA's happen to everyone who does a lot mailing back and forth. Sucks when it happens, especially on a rare species or something that would be hard to replace, but I would never consider it something as dramatic as what omni describes.

Taking precautions can reduce the chance of having a DOA -

• Ship early in the week in case the shipping company is late with the package - you don't want it sitting over the weekend.
• Check dealer/seller credentials and see what others have said about their business practices (dealing with DOA's, packaging, etc.).
• Be patient - make sure that your excitement over getting that new species doesn't get in the way of making good decisions about time to ship, etc.
• Keep an eye on the weather forecast for your area. This goes along with the patience factor - if it's too hot or too cold, don't risk it.
• If dealing with a seller who is new to shipping, offer advice on how to package or offer to send appropriate packing materials.

DOA's will likely happen to all of us and it can really be a downer sometimes, but those losses don't leave you gutted nearly as much as the ones where the spider dies in your care (or as a result of something you did or didn't do).

Good luck.

Becca

 

[TheDarkFinder]

as a lot of dealers can tell you, I have order thousands of dollars from many different people around here. I have yet to come across a less then prefect packaging job. I could not count how many live tarantula where sent through the mail, probably hundreds, maybe a thousand? How many have died you ask, well the number is 7. Yes only seven. The package was resent the next day, arrived not only as promised but with some very special, my first gbb.

The point is that for the most part people just need to understand that doa happen, they do not happen lot and there is nothing we can do about it.

 

[widowkeeper]

The point is that for the most part people just need to understand that doa happen, they do not happen lot and there is nothing we can do about it.

i agree i think most ppl will package to the best for their ability to not only protect the Ts but the money they just got for them.for me when i get an order that was not packaged well i never go back to that seller. imho the care taken in packing is just as impotant as the Ts them selfs i have gotten one shipment that appeared to be just tossed in the box with a lil news paper
and packed very loose ,the spiders were ok but i would hate to see what would have happened if the box would have been treated like some of the other packages ive gotten have been .without the great packing of some of the sellers on here i am pretty sure i would have recived spider soup more then once.also most people charge enough shipping to pack well if they dont then maybe they should add a couple dollars for packing.i dont think many ppl would mind an extra couple bucks to insure safty of their order

perhaps if its not already done some one should start a post on how to safely wrap a T befor putting it in a vile or delicup some ppl could use the info on how to properly package and bottle Ts

my 2 cents :clap:

 

[WyvernsLair]

A sucessfull shipment rests i the hands of the sender as far as I am concerned, the proper packing technique can get most any T to its destination, reguardless of the carrier,

There is no control over how the carrier handles the box nor sudden changes in weather. I had some very well packed spiders arrive dead due to unexpected weather changes. This was in late February..freakish weather system. Temps on my destination end were projected to be in the mid to lower 60's and since travel was coming from an area still in the 30/40's.. heat packs were justifyably used... by the time the box arrived early in the AM, temps outside had exceeded 80 F .. spiders had cooked inside. A couple days later it was snowing/raining ice.

 

[Nerri1029]

There are far too many variables when shipping with any carrier
many have been mentioned already.
So blaming the packer/sender is a bit unfair unless there is neglect, like including the hide and no cushion (ala spider marraca) .. etc

I'm more interested in the part of the OP's request to keep it legal.


Are you suggesting we avoid USPS all together?

Or is there a legal way to ship T's through USPS.. if I read something else correctly..

 

[Flagg]

Please can we be legal and safe/secure with our shipping T's? When even 1 DOA can change a person's life FOREVER, do we want ANY negativity at all coloring things?

"change a person's life FOREVER"?!?

Isn't this a bit overly dramatic?

If the person is that fragile, perhaps they should not have any living pets.

 

[Tim St.]

"change a person's life FOREVER"?!?

Isn't this a bit overly dramatic?

If the person is that fragile, perhaps they should not have any living pets.

I Agree with you, but i think the person was just trying to make a point, but like in all matters in life ( your new puppy get ran over by a transport) you have to deal with it and move on....

 

[JMoran1097]

taking a risk with any shipping corporation is unfortunately one of the big deterrents for a lot of people looking to shop online. it's a chance game you play.

 

[G. pulchra]

The ONLY time I have ever had a problem with a shipper has been with the USPS.

 

[Arachnomaniak]

DOA's happen to everyone who does a lot mailing back and forth. Sucks when it happens, especially on a rare species or something that would be hard to replace, but I would never consider it something as dramatic as what omni describes.

Taking precautions can reduce the chance of having a DOA -

• Ship early in the week in case the shipping company is late with the package - you don't want it sitting over the weekend.
• Check dealer/seller credentials and see what others have said about their business practices (dealing with DOA's, packaging, etc.).
• Be patient - make sure that your excitement over getting that new species doesn't get in the way of making good decisions about time to ship, etc.
• Keep an eye on the weather forecast for your area. This goes along with the patience factor - if it's too hot or too cold, don't risk it.
• If dealing with a seller who is new to shipping, offer advice on how to package or offer to send appropriate packing materials.

DOA's will likely happen to all of us and it can really be a downer sometimes, but those losses don't leave you gutted nearly as much as the ones where the spider dies in your care (or as a result of something you did or didn't do).

Good luck.

Becca

I love Becca's suggestions regarding shipping. It's pretty much the "speal" I go through with my customers. I have a variety of questions I like to ask to make sure shipping is safe and effective. Granted, there will always be situations where accidents happen and most of us have experienced this. I strongly recommend using airlines for shipping when I ship within Canada. I can ship pretty much anywhere in Canada for $70 and this is the same way you would ship a dog or cat, and the package arrives in a matter of hours. I do realize that $70 is a lot of money to spend, expecially if you're only ordering a $50 spider. In an attempt to further promote this method of shipping, I offer to pay half of the shipping on any orders over $200 which means the person only spends around the same amount as they would for an overnight courier.
In many cases though, packaging is the deciding factor. If you take the time and effor to pack things properly, then your T's should arrive safe and sound (again, barring any special circumstances!). If you're nervous about having animals shipped to, ask LOTS of questions! Reputable breeders/dealers will gladly offer information on how they package the animals and how they ship. You should be able to get references as well if needed. If you're nevous about shipping something out, check out the "How to pack/unpack your bugs" posts as you'll get some great info, as well as step by step pictures to make sure your babies make it to and from their destinations safe and sound!