Palythoa's VS. USPS

[dustin Combs]

Well,

I have heard it time and time again. Don't use USPS! Hade a carrier p/u Paly packs yesterday@1430 for express delivery by 1200 the next day. I sent three packages out 1 made it and the others didn't. What a Crapper! USPS run-a-round as always. What is sad about the deal is the corals are probably dead. Such a loss of beautiful animals. I am out a ton due to the fact I WILL replace at my expense. Just another lesson learned. $$$$ lesson. Just wanted to pass along to those who think 45 for shipping is too expensive. You have boxes,bags, and time spent

dustin

[wild-tiger]

Dustin,

If you shipped via the postal service with express mail and they guaranteed you a time for delivery, if it did not arrive in that time, you are due a refund on the shipping amount through the postal service.

wt~

[twon8]

i doubt they are dead, zoas can make it a long time without negative effects.

[dustin Combs]

I sure hope so. I put 60 hr heat packs in the boxes. Still not going to use them. The heart ache and the stomach pain could of been avoided. Just miffed by being p/u at 1430 and not processed until 2245

[MarvinsReef]

darn.. I'm very sorry to hear that Dustin... I've had good success using USPS last year.. they only loss 2 or 3 of my packages out of about 20-25 packages... I hesitate to use them during holidays and winter time... I used UPS a lot this winter... UPS have only lost 1 package before the Christmas rush so I guess that's good...

man, good luck with the zoas... with the 60hrs heat pack in there, I'm confident, they'll make it as long as they get there in 48 hours... I'm also hoping you shipped to a warm destination just in case they don't make it in 48 hours..

Marvin

[dustin Combs]

One of the packages went to MI and the other to NY hense the 60 hr heat packs. Tks Marv. The money can be replaced. I can send out new packs but the loss of the coral kills me.

[wild-tiger]

Even if the corals aren't lost, you can still get a refund on the shipping amount since they were guaranteed by a certain time.

[gflat65]

I've had pretty good luck with USPS so far. I had one mishap abotu a year or more ago on a shipment coming to me. We receive tens-hundreds of thousands of articles of mail a day and I forgot to make sure the signature confirmation wasn't waived. I found the box about a week and a half later and the freebies were still alive, but the ones I paid for had died (the shipper resent them, even though it wasn't his fault:). I've had some die that were only in the mail for four or five days (that was the shipper not the carrier-she screwed a bunch of us and then left the boards). Moral-don't give up yet.

[dustin Combs]

Thanks gflat65. I havn't given up. just to make better choices for shipping. I will probably still use them but not on 400.00+ orders.

[MarvinsReef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9359327#post9359327 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dustin Combs
Thanks gflat65. I havn't given up. just to make better choices for shipping. I will probably still use them but not on 400.00+ orders.

yeah.. great idea.. :)

anything over $150 frag pack receives a UPS overnight for me... most of the time, the buyer pays for shipping but sometimes I split the cost with the buyer...

good luck bro..

Marvin

[dustin Combs]

Thanks Marv, By the way good to have you back. It has ben lonely

[jafoca]

Well I have just found this thread.... The palys that Dustin shipped are coming to me. I hope they are not all dead =X I'm the one in Michigan too, (waves to his neighbor Marvin), and there is some good news... The weather here has let up a bit so it isn't too cold.


We shall see, I will keep everybody informed.

[dustin Combs]

I hope they will be fine too!! Time will tell. If not It will be taken care of.

[twon8]

i never have pick up when i am shipping corals, i always drop off myself.

[dustin Combs]

twan,

I found that out the hard way!!

[alexinfla]

Never let the PO pickup from you, alway get the boxes to a counter by 2pm for the best odds. Sorry to hear of the losses.

[twon8]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9366892#post9366892 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by alexinfla
Never let the PO pickup from you, alway get the boxes to a counter by 2pm for the best odds. Sorry to hear of the losses.

when i ship acros i bag them up after 4 pm and drop off at fedex at 630. zoas i drop off at post office between 4-5, and bag them right before i take them.

[thecichlidpleco]

Had a box of zoas sent UPS next day guarenteed, three days later, cold and dead, no refund by UPS.

[alexinfla]

Oh yeah Twon, when using UPS/FEDEX you can enjoy that luxury, but with the USPS, you kind of have to figure out the best timing for the best results. All of their Overnight Express boxes fly on FedEx planes....so basically the PO has to get those boxes to the FedEx place on time or its over...but the combo between the two companies ahs really helped the USPS success rate vs. cost.




<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9367804#post9367804 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by twon8
when i ship acros i bag them up after 4 pm and drop off at fedex at 630. zoas i drop off at post office between 4-5, and bag them right before i take them.

[dustin Combs]

I spent @ 1hr today at the local po trying to fix the problem. They even admit that carrier p/u sometimes don't get the the distribution center on time. They admit their shortcomings but don't stand by the committment. Turds!!

[jafoca]

Heres an update:

Got the zoas and got them in my tank. One is opening, a bright orange one and probably 3/6 polyps are open.

One looks pretty nasty, like it is melting.

The rest are closed, and some of them look more translucent than they should (like I can see through them).

Anyone know if they will pull through?

[gflat65]

I've not had much luck once they go translucent, but there are degrees of translucence, so... I usually give them a dip before entering the tank (hoping that the Lugol's will help heal, too). Sometimes they pull through, sometimes they don't... Just give em som TLC (i.e., leave them alone;)) and see what they do. I usually start my stressed zoas out in lower light and flow until they start to look better.

[chadfarmer]

are you sure that the packages can be delivered over night to the destinations

some places are over night and some are 2 days

[jafoca]

ok, I did dip my zoas in lugols, and now they are on the bottom shelf and semi shaded in my frag tank. ugh... I am worried about these! I had some prime pieces coming too! Ugh

[dustin Combs]

Before I shipped 600.00 of paly's/zoas I made darn sure that it was guaranteed next day by noon. Just make sure you check with carrier and have the prove it.

[jafoca]

Heres some pics... I can't tell if they have gone clear, gone dead, or are just covered in heavy slime! Let me know what you think.
http://www.jafoca.com/upload/fishtank/IMG_3287.JPG
http://www.jafoca.com/upload/fishtank/IMG_3288.JPG
http://www.jafoca.com/upload/fishtank/IMG_3289.JPG
http://www.jafoca.com/upload/fishtank/IMG_3290.JPG
http://www.jafoca.com/upload/fishtank/IMG_3291.JPG

[thecichlidpleco]

those are what mine looked like and they all died

[twon8]

i think some of those will make it, though i doubt all will pull through as some look a bit too stressed

[drjuice28]

well, jafoca, you and I are in the same boat. I was the 2nd shipment on that fateful day that never arrived. You got off lucky with that bright one opening! I haven't had a single polyp open on any of my 8 frags. I had a super thick buildup of that transleucent coating on all of them that eventually lead to them just melting. Baaaaaaad news.

[hexedagain]

I was the one package that did make it on that day. But, my polyps have done the same thing, jellied up and died.
I know they were packaged great. I am wondering if the carrier has something to do with the outcome of these frags. Maybe they were exposed to extreme conditions while they had them, I don't know.
I am not knocking Dustin here at all, he replied right away when I PM'ed him about these. I also know he packaged these better than a pro. The polyps pictured above look better than mine did when they arrived. I have pictures of what they ended up looking like, but that is a nasty picture.
Maybe we all need to research what our packages actually go through during transit with the different carriers.

[jafoca]

yeah... well still my results are the same One frag is fully open and the rest seem to be melting down.

Dustin is going to make good, and I am going to pay for some of the replacement costs too.

[Snowreefer]

Always carry them in and have them check the computer. Only way to be sure.

[eaglewonj]

Carry the package to the post office? Do they give you the step by step of where it was? Probably find out the package jumped between 10 degree and 95 degree airports to get to you.

[250G]

Does anyone insure their packages? If so any luck claiming? UPS or USPS.

[dustin Combs]

I tried to clam with no good outcome!

[ct_vol]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9424427#post9424427 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 250G
Does anyone insure their packages? If so any luck claiming? UPS or USPS.

You can insure them through USPS... But collecting will depend upon your Postmaster... When shipping they always ask the standard phrase "Is this fragile, perishable, or explosive???" You can say fragile and perishable... Also you can state that it is a perishable food (posted in another thread a while back)... But as long as the box looks like it has been well taken care of, and the item gets there on time, you can't fault the carrier too much... However I have received some packages that have been all banged up and arrived in the late afternoon instead of by 10 am like Overnight Express is supposed to... Those will be reimbursed... I take photos of the damaged package before I open them for records... And you can call your local Postmaster if you receive the package late... Seriously the $3.50 to insure your $250.00 worth of corals is worth it...

[Thhitman]

USPS is horrible. I have several horror stories, I do not recommend sending anything over a small amount of $$ through them.

The best one, they lost $5000 of MO sent to a relative, one of the postal employees actually stole them and gave them to someone to cash.

They had a ID in hand when the guy tried to cash one of them (signed over to him he claimed) but did NOT keep the info of the person that tried to cash it, so nobody got caught. The PO finally made good on the insurance about 8 months later.

USPS said they probably got stolen because of the insurance on them and actually said it was a problem with high $ insured items.