Everyone wants cheap shipping like 2 day USPS priority, etc. I am reluctant to ship with a 2 day delivery AND guarantee live arrival (zoas and acans)....I know these guys are tough but.... Potential buyers are telling me they do this all the time but no one is saying if that was a guaranteed live on arrival ship. What say you all? Thanks!
Live guarantees on shipping?
- Thread starter lkjr409
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If they don't want to pay for priority overnight, then I wouldn't guarantee anything.
TopNotchCorals
Valuable Member
+1 I agree
This time of year it will probably make it fine but I too wouldn't guarantee anything. USPS offers express at lower rates than the competitors but don't tell them it is coral or contains water as they start researching their regulations and can't find anything concrete one way or the other.
If you have valued livestock, you should send overnight IMO. If the buyers are not willing to pay for it, just kindly tell them that's how you ship and you do it that way to eliminate die-off and uncomfortable situations if/when something arrives DOA. I, for one, would never ask a seller to send anything 2 day. If they (buyers) are trying to save a few bucks, then this hobby may not be for them...lol
I have had stuff shipped USPS next day, UPS Overnight, and Fedex Priority Overnight. I, personally, ship everything Fedex Priority and that is all I offer to a potential buyer. If they buyer is not interested in Fedex Priority, then they are not interested in the frags...I spend too much time growing and feeding my corals to take a chance on 2 day shipping. Not to say that it won't work...just my two cents.
I always guarantee an arrive alive and always want to make sure the buyer is happy with what's in the bag before I consider the deal closed.
Bottom line, you ship your corals how YOU see fit. You want to eliminate as many external variables as possible - and a 2nd day in the bag is definitely one of those variables.
I have had stuff shipped USPS next day, UPS Overnight, and Fedex Priority Overnight. I, personally, ship everything Fedex Priority and that is all I offer to a potential buyer. If they buyer is not interested in Fedex Priority, then they are not interested in the frags...I spend too much time growing and feeding my corals to take a chance on 2 day shipping. Not to say that it won't work...just my two cents.
I always guarantee an arrive alive and always want to make sure the buyer is happy with what's in the bag before I consider the deal closed.
Bottom line, you ship your corals how YOU see fit. You want to eliminate as many external variables as possible - and a 2nd day in the bag is definitely one of those variables.
TopNotchCorals
Valuable Member
...I spend too much time growing and feeding my corals.Soccerbag what are you feeding your corals I have a 50 cube and want to start adding some food besides fish poop my stock is all sps with a few chalice and a favia on the way.Sorry for the hijack.
thanks!
Thanks very much...that is how i kinda of feel too...but you get these smart alecs who say stuff like "i've gotten acans - 3 days shipping and they were fine"....or " i always get zoas on 2 day delivery and never had a problem..." I need to grow some thick skin and like you said the serious buyers value the sale and they will pay...I do...you guys are great! I feel better :bigsmile: Thanks again.
Thanks very much...that is how i kinda of feel too...but you get these smart alecs who say stuff like "i've gotten acans - 3 days shipping and they were fine"....or " i always get zoas on 2 day delivery and never had a problem..." I need to grow some thick skin and like you said the serious buyers value the sale and they will pay...I do...you guys are great! I feel better :bigsmile: Thanks again.
Nanofins
Well-Known Member
+1 to the sentiments above. I for one value my corals and consider them too precious to take an attitude of "It should be fine". I'm going to do everything in my power to ensure my corals arrive at their new home in top condition. Taking a chance on 2nd day shipping to save a few bucks on a valuable piece of living coral just doesn't make sense in my book.
agent462
I like my tanks wide
Just come up with whatever your standard policy is. I ship overnight for X amount and guarantee live arrival.
Then decide your policy on behalf of the livestock. Either don't ship anything but overnight because you don't want to risk the life of these living things or agree to any shipping without your arrival guarantee.
All depends on how you feel about someone making a decision to potentially kill a coral. There will almost always be another buyer.
Then decide your policy on behalf of the livestock. Either don't ship anything but overnight because you don't want to risk the life of these living things or agree to any shipping without your arrival guarantee.
All depends on how you feel about someone making a decision to potentially kill a coral. There will almost always be another buyer.
mr_X
Active Member
overnight is guaranteed. usps, ups, fedex...they are all the same. i've seen the inside of ups hubs during peak season and they hire the cheapest labor available.
2 day is on the customer.
2 day is on the customer.
Nanofins
Well-Known Member
Agreed, IMO. Been shipping corals for about 6 years and [freshwater] fish for over 10, and I've used all the couriers. I ship about 90% of my stuff through USPS Express, and the rest through Fedex these days. I have horrible hub for UPS here, so I don't use them period. Thing you have to realize about USPS is that Fedex handles their overnights. The only reasons USPS sometimes has issues is that either Fedex bumped a postal package to make room for a priority fedex one on a full flight, or, in the case of damages, I have found the Fedex carriers seem to be more careful with their packages; a little added care for the money. Still, out of the many packages I've sent even in the last year, only 1 had any problems that I recall, due to some sort of accidental crush/damage (and the corals still survived).
Don't know about the others, but I read somewhere UPS hires college students in Louisville. Don't get me started on UPS, that was a different thread...
I would never ship anything less than priority overnight. Anything else is not worth the risk. IMO
Heat packs/ice packs
Do you all think its generally safe to ship without heat packs right now to most places where the range in temps are 50s to 75s?
Doesn't it get really cold in the cargo hold of a plane? Will the insulated shipper be enough now?
When should the ice packs go in?
Thanks!!
Do you all think its generally safe to ship without heat packs right now to most places where the range in temps are 50s to 75s?
Doesn't it get really cold in the cargo hold of a plane? Will the insulated shipper be enough now?
When should the ice packs go in?
Thanks!!
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