shipping chams2-3day?
- Thread starter spook80
- Start date
Vegas Chad
Avid Member
Agreed. So many things happen that you cant control when you dont ship overnight... I have had many non animal things get sent 2-3 day that had an 'issue' and instead took 4-5 days to get to the place... The overnight sends up a flag to people that it must be really important. I had a buddy who worked at UPS and really they dont care what is inside the box... They just send them where they need to go. However he told me that one thing that really try to keep a hold of is the overnight box's. The chances of extreem temp's, box getting crushed ECT are cut by getting the box away from the shipper and into the hands of the person ASAP.
Eric Adrignola
Avid Member
I worked at UPS for a while, until I had to go back to school.
NEVER ship anything you care about through UPS unless it's next day air!
With that, they take care of it - it might come in late, accompanied by a classic BS excuse (they say it was left at the door at 9:00AM, when it didn't get there until 1:00PM), but it'll almost always get there intact.
UPS and FedEX make lots of profit on their next day items, and they are expensive to refund. They will make sure it gets there.
Now, as for shipping them 2-3 day. There is only one reason I wouldn't do this - TEMPERATURE. Water, food, not a big deal for 3-4 days, especially if the animal is packed with moist materials. The Temperature WILL fluctuate dramatically during shipment. A well insulated box will stay relatively stable over a 24 hour period. Any longer, and you'll have dead lizards.
If the temps are not bad, they could survive. In fact, they probably will. Healthy chameleons are pretty tough. But you cannot prepare a shipment for the temperatures it'll have to endure in a 2-3 day shipment.
If it's not next day air, it means some time in a big UPS shipping truck. These things, on a cool, sunny day, are ovens. On a hot sunny day, bet it'll be 10-15 degrees warmer than surrounding temps. I used to be there when one unloaded - if it was 90 degrees outside, these things would be over 100 inside, and stuffy, cram-packed to the roof.
Any chameleon inside would die.
Basically, in 24 hours, you can prevent too much from changing inside the box with proper insulation and packing. Any longer than that, you lose control of the conditions inside the box, and you never want that.
NEVER ship anything you care about through UPS unless it's next day air!
With that, they take care of it - it might come in late, accompanied by a classic BS excuse (they say it was left at the door at 9:00AM, when it didn't get there until 1:00PM), but it'll almost always get there intact.
UPS and FedEX make lots of profit on their next day items, and they are expensive to refund. They will make sure it gets there.
Now, as for shipping them 2-3 day. There is only one reason I wouldn't do this - TEMPERATURE. Water, food, not a big deal for 3-4 days, especially if the animal is packed with moist materials. The Temperature WILL fluctuate dramatically during shipment. A well insulated box will stay relatively stable over a 24 hour period. Any longer, and you'll have dead lizards.
If the temps are not bad, they could survive. In fact, they probably will. Healthy chameleons are pretty tough. But you cannot prepare a shipment for the temperatures it'll have to endure in a 2-3 day shipment.
If it's not next day air, it means some time in a big UPS shipping truck. These things, on a cool, sunny day, are ovens. On a hot sunny day, bet it'll be 10-15 degrees warmer than surrounding temps. I used to be there when one unloaded - if it was 90 degrees outside, these things would be over 100 inside, and stuffy, cram-packed to the roof.
Any chameleon inside would die.
Basically, in 24 hours, you can prevent too much from changing inside the box with proper insulation and packing. Any longer than that, you lose control of the conditions inside the box, and you never want that.
yes! thats what i was thinking. i am so upset right now i just checked in on my package and it is still in transit.supposed to be delivered tommorrow by 3pm. i bought this panther female on king snake classifieds and he said he was goig to ship next day well i paid and now i am lucky if i get my cham alive.ill most likely have a lot of work again trying to keep it alive,man this sucks i just can not get a break.my 1st cham i ordered retile depot a week in a half ago and it died,so i decided to go with a more hardy species.if this one dies on me i am just going to give up on trying to own a cham.this is just so uggh i am about to start nicotine agaqin.
koabich
New Member
I really am bl**dy shocked people still order chams in this way! Unbelievable
Are you refering to ordering chams through the mail?
In the UK it is 100% illegal to send animals via the normal mail service and rightly so.
Things go missing, damaged and so on. Shipping in this mannor shows the seller dont care one bit about the livestock and the buyer is pretty low on morals and welfare concerns. People like this are a disgrace to not just the hobby but the poor animals being traded like this!!!!
My question to you people who do this, would you ship a new born human baby this way or other mamals like dogs etc????
Things go missing, damaged and so on. Shipping in this mannor shows the seller dont care one bit about the livestock and the buyer is pretty low on morals and welfare concerns. People like this are a disgrace to not just the hobby but the poor animals being traded like this!!!!
My question to you people who do this, would you ship a new born human baby this way or other mamals like dogs etc????
Kent67
Retired Moderator
That's a good question. Personally, I'd go ahead and ship the dog or baby, but I think most of us here wouldn't 
It is legal to ship some animals through the US postal service and in doing so I have never had a problem shipping or receiving. But, that's not to say that problem's can't arise with any carrier, it's a risk you take. *Most* dealers here take more care in preparing their shipments than do the exporters in countries of origin and far, far, far, far fewer animals are lost in transit than are lost during the export process for foreign pet trades.
Now, a question for the UK keepers: Are you saying you won't support shipping animals by any method or just not through standard Royal Mail?
It is legal to ship some animals through the US postal service and in doing so I have never had a problem shipping or receiving. But, that's not to say that problem's can't arise with any carrier, it's a risk you take. *Most* dealers here take more care in preparing their shipments than do the exporters in countries of origin and far, far, far, far fewer animals are lost in transit than are lost during the export process for foreign pet trades. Now, a question for the UK keepers: Are you saying you won't support shipping animals by any method or just not through standard Royal Mail?
Have any of you been in a transport hub or mail sorting centre? do you relise how thrown about stuff can be or how cold the warehouses can be? if the arnswer is no you simply can not give a fully educated arnswer to this.
International shipping is handled much better as it in most cases works along the line of the breeder/supplyer takes animals to airport and checks in and at the other end the buyer is there to collect. Theres a lot fewer hands involved (of course this does not take wc trade into account witch has a avrage doa rate of 2%).
In the uk we do have a couple of more dedicated animal transporters know and if i had to have somthing sent would pay the extra for this service.
Another question for people using standard mail service could be would you send yourself through it?
In the uk only inverts can be legaly sent via mail but this could soon change.
International shipping is handled much better as it in most cases works along the line of the breeder/supplyer takes animals to airport and checks in and at the other end the buyer is there to collect. Theres a lot fewer hands involved (of course this does not take wc trade into account witch has a avrage doa rate of 2%).
In the uk we do have a couple of more dedicated animal transporters know and if i had to have somthing sent would pay the extra for this service.
Another question for people using standard mail service could be would you send yourself through it?
In the uk only inverts can be legaly sent via mail but this could soon change.
Kent67
Retired Moderator
Using an airline is far superior and far more costly. I never said it wasn't. But, they can make mistakes too. You can't expect either not to be rough with packages.
What is "standard mail?" Is that the RM or USPS or is that their 2-3 day service? Again, using overnight service through any of the carriers here has never been a problem. For the record, my advice on 2-3 day service is no, dont do it. But that was already covered I thought.
What is "standard mail?" Is that the RM or USPS or is that their 2-3 day service? Again, using overnight service through any of the carriers here has never been a problem. For the record, my advice on 2-3 day service is no, dont do it. But that was already covered I thought.
Standard mail is pretty much the hole rm service and now there also striking on a reg basis it will only be worse.
2-3 days can often take upto 5 or more, the end result being best case senario a badly stressed out and deyhdrated cham, worse case a dead cham, and more bad publicity for us as a hole.
The bad dealers and keepers will always tarnish the hole hobby.
2-3 days can often take upto 5 or more, the end result being best case senario a badly stressed out and deyhdrated cham, worse case a dead cham, and more bad publicity for us as a hole.
The bad dealers and keepers will always tarnish the hole hobby.
Kent67
Retired Moderator
....and they always have. The only news story about a reptile keeper I've seen in years locally was a guy just a couple weeks ago who was caught with a house full of venomous snakes, guns, and an alligator (all of which illegal.)
Back to the subject, I've seen that some dealers there use Royal Mail's Special Delivery service. I didn't know about the strikes but is that supposed to be an overnight service? If only talking about overnight services, what about other carriers like UPS, etc? Any details on the ones dedicated to shipping animals? Might be a good business venture here....
Chamgirl
Avid Member
I would only use the mail system if I was ordering a pair of shoes, not a living creature that can experience fear and stress. Would I order a chameleon from the states? No, I would not put an animal through a long flight for my pleasure so I don't even approve of air travel as a shipping method. I also do not agree with wild caught animals being flown over to the U.K, I do not buy wild caught myself. I think as I am not a breeder I should leave wild caught alone. I always collect the chameleon myself (if I'm buying one), even if that involves a long drive.
royden
New Member
I don't mean to stir the pot but...
If we all really truly wanted 'the best life' for these animals, wouldn't we refrain from keeping them captive at all? What everyone on this site has to admit at one point or another is that you're doing this for your own enjoyment. Not for the animals enjoyment, and not for it's 'best interest'.
I think's perfectly fine to keep these animals captive and enjoy creating a succesful husbandry with them. But if I was really out for the best interest of my cham, I'd fly him to the bush and set him free.
An overnight shipment, causes a full night of stress, which is hopefully followed by a long healthy life at the hands of a hobbyist.
If we all really truly wanted 'the best life' for these animals, wouldn't we refrain from keeping them captive at all? What everyone on this site has to admit at one point or another is that you're doing this for your own enjoyment. Not for the animals enjoyment, and not for it's 'best interest'.
I think's perfectly fine to keep these animals captive and enjoy creating a succesful husbandry with them. But if I was really out for the best interest of my cham, I'd fly him to the bush and set him free.
An overnight shipment, causes a full night of stress, which is hopefully followed by a long healthy life at the hands of a hobbyist.
let me clear this up a little i was buying the cham from the guy i did not know how he was shipping he just told me that it would be overnight!i paid then i get a reply saying it would arrive 2-days later. i did not purchase this animal tknowing it would be shipped 2-3 day shipping.i have wrote the guy explanning that i still have not recieved the cham. i have been calling inquiring about it all day i finally get some were at about 4 oclock and is supposed to be here tommorrow mourn. so i told the woman at the post office i would pick it up myself.i am relly expectin a doa, and most likely the guy who shiiped her does not care he has not returned any of my emails. this really sucks i am sorry if this disturbes any one else besides my self if i new he was going top pull this on me and go the chaep way i would have not sent the money! i guess ill just either give up on chams or ill just save 4 a couple of months and order from someone who knows how to ship chams.ill be back tommorrow with the results.if any one has any helpfull hints , just incase my cham is still alive,,as far as getting it hydrated and helping to reduce stress please let me know, this is my 1st cham,i would apprecieate it thanxSimilar threads
