Online ordering

jason.kennedy.98478 · Jan 7, 2022

So first off before the you should buy from your LFS flamers spout off (they're a close relation to the tang police), the nearest big box pet store is 180 miles away and almost 200 miles for the nearest independent LFS.

Second I am not slamming and online vendor, everything I've ever ordered online has come in healthy and as advertised unless delayed by the shipping company.

So where I live if you ship something overnight VIA FedEX it takes 2 days even if the weather is san diego like and 3 to 5 if there's snow or rain with in 100 miles of PDX.

For UPS and the same weather conditions the package is always next day and on-time

While I do know both shippers have regional issues and are better in some regions or the other and a push in some places, I have almost enough store credit with LA for a peppermint angle (hyperbole of course, but not by much) due to the incompetence of the PDX/Beaverton/Bend FedEX hubs. I am to the point of only buying stuff from places that ship UPS which means I'm kinda screwed.

So my question to you is which of the major US carriers has killed more of you're livestock, rather it be fire your home tank or as a legit licensed seller?

Comments welcome

jason.kennedy.98478 · Jan 8, 2022

Wow I am truly shocked that no one else has an opinion on this topic or am I the only one who's stuff gets assassinated

flashsmith · Jan 8, 2022

For corals aqua SD hands down. I live in FL. Over 3000 miles away and my shipments have never been late via UPS. Honestly not sure about fish. The only time I've ever ordered fish online they were same day but didn't get them until 10pm that night and had a terrible ick outbreak afterwords. If I were going to order fish online again TSM would be my source.

fish farmer · Jan 8, 2022

I ship live trout eggs at my day job via Fed Ex and UPS. I've used Fed Ex for 25 years and UPS for about 10 years. This is based on the receiving hatcheries preferred shipping company (who they have an account with).

I've never had an issue with UPS, VT to PA several locations, summer and fall shipping.

I've had maybe three incidences with Fed Ex within 10 years and it is always VT to VA, shipment getting delayed in Memphis, weather systems seems to be the issue. Shipments are usually late winter. A couple of times it was delayed one day which is fine for trout eggs if kept cool. The last issue many may remember last year when the storms crippled shipping through Memphis for several days. Eggs left Vermont on Tuesday and got delivered on Monday, driver didn't find anyone to give package to (signature was waived), back on the truck to deliver Tuesday. Half the eggs were DOA and I heard recently that the remaining fry didn't make it.

As for corals and rock I've had luck with both Fed Ex, UPS and DHL, getting everything overnight. Shipping times were spring or fall. I tried shipping the week of Christmas last year seafood from Rhode Island, that took two days via Fed Ex, but everything stayed cool.

The only time I had live stock loss for my reef was USPS from Florida, snails, 4 days in the box, weather was warm down south.

I have a delivery coming next week from Montana, trout eggs via Fed Ex, last year they came in fine, crossing fingers that the only weather issue is the cold.

jason.kennedy.98478 · Jan 10, 2022

Well the jaw fish that sat in the fedex hub for a week that started this rant survived amazingly enough. 1/3 this year is still failing though

polyppal · Jan 10, 2022

Fedex by far the worst in Denver, our UPS is actually pretty good. I tell livestock vendors I’m even willing to pay extra if UPS is few bucks more.

N.Sreefer · Jan 10, 2022

Fedex is hit or miss and ups is not reliable enough to ship coral in my area. Ive used fedex alot more so they've def killed more of my coral.

afrokobe · Jan 10, 2022

Fedex... they recently delayed one of my packages. Generally they are the worst offender even with non live stuff

MrTPlush · Jan 10, 2022

My FedEx has a dedicated guy for express that comes by like 9am.

UPS just chucks overnight on a normal truck and may arrive at 9pm.

davidcalgary29 · Jan 10, 2022

As much as I dislike FedEx at times, this round goes to Purolator. They've killed fish, have atrocious customer service, and delivered one of my livestock orders to a clothing boutique, which is apparently their new depot for Peace River, even though their website and customer service agent directed me to a different business.

jason.kennedy.98478 · Jan 11, 2022

MrTPlush said:
My FedEx has a dedicated guy for express that comes by like 9am.

UPS just chucks overnight on a normal truck and may arrive at 9pm.

Same here for fedex but it'd a 3 hour drive from the hub to my town and even if you send it next day guaranteed by 8 am it shows up at 6 pm a day or 2 late

damsels are not mean · Jan 11, 2022

Don't think I've ever lost something due to shipping, although the most time sensitive animal I ever ordered online was a coral banded shrimp. Otherwise just corals, chaeto, and snails.

Azedenkae · Jan 11, 2022

None. It is more so the actual store itself than the courier (i.e. LiveAquaria is terribad, CultivatedReef is great, Salty Underground is great as well, ReefCleaners is also good).

muffinmanXL · Jan 26, 2022

FedEx delivered my original POTO coral order 3 days late, the replacement for these corals 2 days late, and the third replacement one day late and counting… (so 0 for 3 thus far). Original order and subsequent replacements shipped in November, December, January via priority overnight ALL late without fail.

muffinmanXL · Jan 26, 2022

FedEx delivered my original POTO coral order 3 days late, the replacement for these corals 2 days late, and the third replacement one day late and counting… (so 0 for 3 thus far). Original order and subsequent replacements shipped in November, December, January via priority overnight ALL late without fail.

jason.kennedy.98478 · Jan 30, 2022

muffinmanXL said:
FedEx delivered my original POTO coral order 3 days late, the replacement for these corals 2 days late, and the third replacement one day late and counting… (so 0 for 3 thus far). Original order and subsequent replacements shipped in November, December, January via priority overnight ALL late without fail.

Yeah I'm waiting on replacements from POTO and ARC. Hoping the second shipments maken it

i_am_mclovin · Jan 30, 2022

I used to ship both hundreds of coral orders a year ups and fedex with my coral business. UPS was awful. Fedex was much more reliable. I also had wholesalers that used both and the story was the same there. UPS bad, fedex good. I don’t know if it’s a regional thing or what.

mdb_talon · Jan 30, 2022

Fedex for sure, but i think that may be largely related to them having a lot more of the live coral shipping market(though many seem to be switching to UPS recently).

Based on which has screwed up a higher percentages of my orders it is UPS for sure. Just in the past couple months i have had multiple issues. An order show as delivered even though it was not there and UPS being zero help after 45 minutes on phone(thankfully a neighbor from over a mile away found it on his porch and drove it to me that same day). UPS even suggested i check under the door mat after i had already told them it was a 50lb box of live coral and kind of hard for me to miss....

Couple weeks later i had a two box shipment. One showed up at 9:30. The driver said he knew nothing of a second box. At 8pm a guy in a budget rental truck shows up with just the styrofoam cooler that had been absolutely destroyed and about 3 rolls of packing tape the only thing holding it together at all . Lost half that order.