Man I am sad.

[MONTANTK]

That is impressive that the vendor would work with you. Every vendor I've ever seen has a clause that if you don't get the delivery the first attempt then they won't cover any DOA. My problem is that drivers will just set the package outside and never even bother to ring the door bell. Luckily my video doorbell usually picks it up and tells me there is a package (or at least a person) at the door.

Ironically if it makes it past Memphis my packages always arrive on time, so my local FedEx seems to do a good job. I do have to cross my fingers when I see a package arrive in Memphis though.

Funny you say that. I had an AlgaeBarn order that went through Memphis and it got delayed there and sat there the whole weekend. Luckily I didn’t lose anything

 

[nbooks]

so...not only do i risk shipping corals, but at work i manage a revolving inventory of about $1M in chemotherapy medication.

our wholesaler is in alabama and all of our extremely expensive and sensitive meds go through the memphis hub and then over to me on the east coast in NY (im 15 minutes from an airport hub)

we have had every possible issue/excuse from fedex over the last few years...down to a plane door being "frozen shut" on landing and no mechanic at the airport to fix it...so they had to fly 100 miles south to a mechanic.

our boxes are routinely valued north of $250k and labeled "please rush you could save a life"...and they still fail miserably.

 

[Gtinnel]

our boxes are routinely valued north of $250k and labeled "please rush you could save a life"...and they still fail miserably.

Unfortunately what is listed on the box I doubt makes any difference since their employees are likely overworked and apathetic.

 

[nbooks]

Unfortunately what is listed on the box I doubt makes any difference since their employees are likely overworked and apathetic.

oh i know, its more a commentary on the fact that its hit the point where they cant even manage to prioritize necessary medical supplies/deliveries.

 

[gbroadbridge]

Just had to vent to y'all.

I sell a good amount of SPS (acropora) here on the thread as a hobbyist and try to do the best for everyone here and do good prices. I dropped 8 packages off last night 9/29, they did not move anywhere till noon today (9/30) for no good reason. I called Fedex probably 30 times and I got the same response "We promise the packages will be delivered today" when I knew dang well that was impossible as the packages were pretty much all going to the west coast and I am in PA.

They finally transferred me to someone higher up who got me in contact with someone at the local hub close to me about getting the corals brought back today, THE DAY AFTER I shipped to hopefully save some of the corals. They did not bring the corals back till 7pm for me to pickup (again the day after I dropped them off) and a good amount of the SPS are not looking good and multiple dead. These were supposed to be delivered to the other hobbyist by noon today. This was over $3,000 worth of corals, just really upset as obviously there is nothing I could have done and I worked extra hard to get the packages back to hopefully save some of the corals. Sorry not looking for anything, but just had to vent.

Shipping REALLY REALLY sucks sometimes, especially when it is for no reason. No storms, no nothing.

Life sucks. Learn to cope

 

[Camaro Show Corals]

Unfortunately what is listed on the box I doubt makes any difference since their employees are likely overworked and apathetic.

This is very true, many of you all know I’m a big seller and ship a lot and my boxes are always labeled please rush live coral and I still get reports of smashed boxes and boxes getting tossed. Only thing you can do is pack the best you can, which extra thick uline boxes, zen reef cups or heat seal bags double or triple bagged and frags in cups with a rubber band or glue and tons of packing material with a cold pack or 40 or 72 hour shipping heat pack is how I ship. Spending some extra on better coolers and boxes can go a long way when shipping high dollar coral and can make the difference in a healthy frag or a doa. This is a horrible loss and I hate to see it and hope for the best but sometimes you just can’t win and Its part of the game

 

[Anihiel1]

I would never willingly use FedEx. They delivered a package for my daughter to the wrong address. Swore that they delivered to mine. I have video surveillance, there were no deliveries.
The angry FedEx driver then showed up at my door to interrogate us for 20 minutes about the package.
Another time they demanded that I go knock on every neighbors door while they listened in on the phone, to find out if someone had my missing package.
This last time, they marked a package as delivered and then just kept updating the location to back at the hub every night. It was 5 days for a next day air that they charged $50 for.
I DESPISE FedEx.
Meanwhile UPS sends me realtime tracking of exactly where the truck is.

 

[Gtinnel]

oh i know, its more a commentary on the fact that its hit the point where they cant even manage to prioritize necessary medical supplies/deliveries.

Sadly if people realized that all you had to do to get preferential treatment was put a note on the box saying the contents were urgent medical supplies then many people would write that on their boxes regardless of content.

 

[Mr Cypher]

Just had to vent to y'all.

I sell a good amount of SPS (acropora) here on the thread as a hobbyist and try to do the best for everyone here and do good prices. I dropped 8 packages off last night 9/29, they did not move anywhere till noon today (9/30) for no good reason. I called Fedex probably 30 times and I got the same response "We promise the packages will be delivered today" when I knew dang well that was impossible as the packages were pretty much all going to the west coast and I am in PA.

They finally transferred me to someone higher up who got me in contact with someone at the local hub close to me about getting the corals brought back today, THE DAY AFTER I shipped to hopefully save some of the corals. They did not bring the corals back till 7pm for me to pickup (again the day after I dropped them off) and a good amount of the SPS are not looking good and multiple dead. These were supposed to be delivered to the other hobbyist by noon today. This was over $3,000 worth of corals, just really upset as obviously there is nothing I could have done and I worked extra hard to get the packages back to hopefully save some of the corals. Sorry not looking for anything, but just had to vent.

Shipping REALLY REALLY sucks sometimes, especially when it is for no reason. No storms, no nothing.

I feel your pain yesterday they finally delivered my package that was shipped out Monday night for Tuesday delivery theu are such scum bags I lost an acro, 3 head octospawn, 2 heads 24k hammer and they even killed the GSP freebie I got the only good news is that my biohazard bounce made it

 

[Roli's Reef Ranch]

I am so sorry to hear about your loss! I think the crappiest shipper for most people has to be Fedex based on most of the threads posted here and to think they were the global leader at one point. They pretty much wrote the book on how to ship. To see how far they have fallen is shocking! What I really don't understand is how they can be so nonchalant about living creatures. It's appalling!

It's all because of the volume that Amazon has them shipping. They're volume has increased many multiple from the days when they were a reliable shipper.

 

[Gtinnel]

Life sucks. Learn to cope

What an awful attitude to have towards someone who just wants to vent about a bad experience.

 

[nbooks]

Sadly if people realized that all you had to do to get preferential treatment was put a note on the box saying the contents were urgent medical supplies then many people would write that on their boxes regardless of content.

you're not wrong, but ive had eyes on how much of these rush/overnight planes are medical supplies/medication/lab samples etc...and it makes it that much worse.

i can't even begin to imagine how much they are bleeding in insurance costs knowing how many cases just my company has had.

 

[James_O]

I’m very sorry to hear that.

I never trust FedEx these days, after hearing all these horror stories. I always expect the coral to come in dead and then be pleasantly surprised when they are OK.

I almost had a delay kill my order from POTO, which included an anemone.

 

[James_O]

Life sucks. Learn to cope

Why you gotta be like that? The OP is just venting about something bad that happened to him. That was very rude.

 

[Epic Aquaculture]

FEDEX sucks right now. UPS is much better. That being said, during times like this you need to package your corals assuming that it will be a 2 day trip. I have doubled the amount of water in each bag, and I have had several shipments arrive after a 2 day trip with 90% of the corals surviving. I just had a package that went out last Tuesday and didn't arrive until 10pm on Thursday, and 3 of the 4 frags made it fine. I also had a Rainbow Splice take a 2 day trip and make it fine. It's more expensive to ship, but worth it to not have to replace or refund. FEDEX cost me over $10K in May alone with packages sitting in Memphis. In the end this is what is referred to as shrinkage. It is a part of the risky side of selling corals online... Sorry for your losses.

 

[X-37B]

I work for a freight company, not FedEx, and yes good workers that care are hard to find.
That said, I bought my first online coral from battle corals for a contest.
It showed up a day late, the box was smashed and wet. The coral was dead.
Adam refunded me right away but I really wanted to be in the growout contest.
I want to buy more because I cant get whats out their locally.
I would spend $500-$1000 on corals today but will probably just wait for a show thats 3hrs away and end up paying way more for less.
Next show is not unftil January.

 

[Karen00]

It's all because of the volume that Amazon has them shipping. They're volume has increased many multiple from the days when they were a reliable shipper.

I'm sure today's world has put an abundance of extra shipping pressure on these companies let alone a virus that has hit the entire planet but that doesn't change the fact that if they can't scale and commit to delivery times people have paid for then don't offer them. I'm shocked they will take people's money for overnight delivery and not give it a second thought about not delivering and in some cases not even coming close to meeting that target. It's even worse that it's with livestock. :-( They shrug their shoulders and go "oh well". If that doesn't scream greed then nothing does. This also doesn't factor in the horror stories people have posted about how their livestock packages are treated by the delivery people. :-(

 

[Rusty Dalton]

Shipping issues are happening with FedEx, UPS and USPS! I ship a lot of stuff next day air, and I’m seeing worse and worse delivery times. But this is why everything is getting expensive, so many people not working. I have a friend that drives OTR and he said that all of the trucking companies are really hurting for drivers.

 

[Scorpius]

All types of fedex shipping has turned for the worst in the past 6 months. 2 day shipping is now 5 day shipping. Overnight. Yeah right.

I only buy from places using ups shipping currently. I live rural and they get coral to my door by 10am.

 

[stephj03]

Only thing you can do is pack the best you can, which extra thick uline boxes, zen reef cups or heat seal bags double or triple bagged and frags in cups with a rubber band or glue and tons of packing material with a cold pack or 40 or 72 hour shipping heat pack is how I ship. Spending some extra on better coolers and boxes can go a long way when shipping high dollar coral and can make the difference in a healthy frag or a doa.

FEDEX sucks right now. UPS is much better. That being said, during times like this you need to package your corals assuming that it will be a 2 day trip. I have doubled the amount of water in each bag, and I have had several shipments arrive after a 2 day trip with 90% of the corals surviving.

This 100%.

@OP, sorry your turn to get screwed by FedEx came up on a big ship Dy. I've def had this happen this yr as well and had FedEx support act like it was no big deal.

I also use finiship and feel stuck with FedEx as a result. The only thing I feel I can do is double the sized of the box and the amount of water in the bags.