Shipping Birds - "express" now means THREE days!!

[kelar]

After having 3 shipments of birds arrive late over the past 2 weeks, I started to investigate why they were taking so long to get to their destination when I had been guaranteed overnight service. In each case, I took the birds directly to the post office adjacent to the airport & was assured by staff that they would be put right on a plane. Each time, there were no scans on the birds for more than 30 hours after I dropped them off. In my case, the birds arrived safely in 2 days, but I've been hearing from others about a large number of very late shipments as well as dead birds. Eventually, it came to light that in September '09, USPS revised its refund guarantee for express mail shipping of live animals "in an effort to maintain the economic viability of shipping animals as a service." The new rule states that postage refunds are not avialable if the shipment is delivered or delivery was attempted within THREE days of the date of mailing. NONE of the postal employees I spoke with were aware of the new rule, but ALL of the ramp workers (who actually load the birds) were well aware they had 3 days to get the birds to their destination. I now have a complaint/investigation request filed with the consumer affairs division & would really appreciate imput from others who have shipped birds in or out as to what their experiences have been. Call me a cynic, but it seems to me that fedex (who ships the birds for usps under contract) now has little incentive to get the birds to their destinations in a timely manner & I'm wondering how much worse the delivery situation has gotten since September. I would like to have as much info from all of you out there as possible on the following issues:
Are you aware of the new 3 day rule?
Have you been told that overnight delivery is still guaranteed?
Have you received refunds on late deliveries?
Are birds arriving late with more deaths as a result?

I think this is a terrible situation that needs to be addressed asap. Since USPS is really the only alternative for shipping birds, it is in everyone's best interest to make sure it operates as efficiently as possible. Thanks everyone for your input. Karen

 

[Chook-A-Holic]

My 50 5wk. olds were shipped Express(at 1 day old) on a Thursday afternoon and arrived at my local PO with the rest of the Express mail at 9:00 the next morning. The breeder that I got them from has also shipped them from the east coast to the west coast and they arrived the next day. I've never had trouble using Express mail and I wasn't aware of the new rule. Well worth the extra expense IMHO.

 

[theoldchick]

This is good to know. One of my major fears when I do order my chicks is how they are shipped.

 

[pips&peeps]

The three day rule only applies to refunds, not on service.

Birds get bumped because of dry ice on planes. The best day to ship is Monday, Tuesday shipments in my experience are always late.

 

[kelar]

That's interesting about shipping on Mondays Jean. I've always been told that Mondays are too busy so the best day to ship is Tuesday. I'd be happy to ship on Mondays if it would get them there on time. I've not had a single shipment arrive at the scheduled time & am very concerned that lack of consequences may also mean lack of diligence - after all, what incentive do they have to make sure the lives get out immediately? I'm aware of the dry ice problem & that's part of the reason cited for changing the rule, but here in Portland, we have a reservation system in place that is supposed to ensure that there is room on the planes on the reservation date & also to ensure special handling at both ends. It does not seem to be working and I'm interested in knowing why. I'm getting way too many reports of late and consequently dead birds. I'm not talking about day old chicks, but rather older birds that should handle the shipping fairly well. Thanks for your input - the more we know, the better decisions we can make for the well-being of our birds. Karen

 

[DAS]

I've had 4 sets of birds shipped express to me in the last 4 or 5 weeks. One pair of peafowl arrived on time, in good shape. One pair of Temmincks arrived a day late but were very healthy. Two Impeyans arrived on time (2 days) both were dead. Replacement birds were sent. They arrived in two days and one of them was dead. The breeder I received the Temmincks from said that he had read some articles stating that the PO did not give refunds unless they arrived more than three days after shipping. I never asked at the PO, so I don't know for sure what the policy is.

 

[chickenzoo]

Out of about 5 shipments of birds I received, only one came the next day... the rest took 2 days, even if it was from someplace close...... I was always told they'd be there next day.