Tangled up in cichlids

[RD.]

I have asked for a 100% refund and I will update if I receive it or not.

It's still Saturday, why would you expect a 100% refund at this point? Where I live UPS drivers can run into the evening hours for deliveries. If you read the fine print on the UPS site, this isn't even considered a fail on their part, yet.

Overnight Delivery: UPS - United States

If you are looking for overnight delivery and express delivery services (next business day) you have come to the right place.

www.ups.com

Overnight Delivery (Next Business Day) typically by 10:30 a.m.
Guaranteed overnight delivery for your day-definite shipments. Ideal for packages that need to be delivered early in the business day.

Typically by 10:30 AM, which doesn't equate to 100% of the parcels are delivered by 10:30 AM. I used to work for Purolator, some days packages didn't even leave the depot by 10:30 AM, let alone get delivered in the AM. Sheet happens. Either way, at very best the vendor could wave the shipping fee if they are in a generous mood, but why would they be required to refund 100%, as you seem to feel is what should be required? In fact, all the vendor guarantees on overnight by 10:30 AM shipments, is live arrival.

Shipping Info – Tangled Up In Cichlids

I guarantee live arrival on FedEx shipments sent and delivered as priority overnight option 'by 10:30 AM' - and provided the package is not subject to claim via mishandling by carrier .

 

[Matthew1626]

And thus the beauty of tracking numbers. Crazy you didn't get one on a priority package.

It's a crappy way to spend a Saturday, but I would agree with RD. ...best to wait until 11:59pm before seeking a refund. I know how you feel though, it can be a frustrating process sometimes.

 

[RD.]

I know how you feel though, it can be a frustrating process sometimes.

For sure, for both parties. I hope that everyone can keep that in mind moving forward. This is not a pleasure trip for the vendor, they will possibly be out of shipping costs, and also possibly a bunch of LIVE fish on orders such as these. Even IF there was a tracking number, that doesn't help when the parcel with live animals is the next state over, in winter. I'm sure whatever the outcome is of this shipment the new owner of TUIC will make good on it. From someone who has worked on the inside, and ran a couple online businesses for a couple decades combined, and shipped thousands of parcels world-wide, I know how frustrating this can also be for a vendor.

Good luck to all.

 

[Wildcat157]

This wasn't overnight delivery next BUSINESS day.

It was overnight delivery for SATURDAY.

Where I live this is guaranteed by 12PM. I asked for my refund at after 1PM my time. I even called UPS live agent and she said if I have not received it by 12PM and I don't have a tracking number I wouldn't get it today (Saturday)
I have used overnight Saturday delivery with Jeff Rapps on multiple occasions.

NEVER had an issue.
ALWAYS got a tracking number.

If I ran a business, before I let almost $3,000 worth of live fish out the door I would make damn sure the packages were scanned in my presence. Or it's not going out the door.
These aren't widgets it's live tropical fish.

Everyone has there opinions and this is mine.

 

[fishhead0103666]

Are you wanting a refund on the fish, the shipping, or both?
If the fish arrive safe and sound are you still wanting a refund and if so a refund for which of the 3 options?

Not trying to fight with you I’m simply curious.

 

[Matthew1626]

Valid points for sure, I don't think anyone is blaming you or attacking you...just trying to talk out the situation and hoping for the best.

It sucks that there is no tracking number...that's certainly not your fault and I agree, someone (whether the carrier or the vendor) should refund you for that mistake if the package doesn't show.

Hopefully, they show up today and thrive for many years!

 

[ryansmith83]

I don’t get how this happens. If you print and affix the label yourself, then the tracking number is in your UPS account. If you pay for the label at the store, they print it and give you a receipt with the tracking number. There is no scenario where you don’t get a tracking number as the shipper. Someone had to pay for the shipping, either self-service or at the UPS store.

If a driver picked up boxes from a facility, or if a seller met the driver somewhere for pickup, it means the label was already printed and affixed by the seller, which means the seller should be able to log into his account and see the tracking number. Even if the driver failed to scan a box, it gets scanned at every other destination. I have had drivers pick up fish shipments from me and forget to scan the box, but they are scanned a couple hours later at the sorting facility...

 

[Kevin@TUIC]

Hello all,
I have just been informed of this post so I will break it down for everyone.

Yes, UPS lost 5 separate packages on me.
All 5 were UPS Next Day Air Saturday
All 5 were in fact were taken into UPS possession at approximately 4:45pm est.

The driver so far as always scanned the packages when he takes them. Apparently, this time he did not. For what reason?? I cant answer that. I'm not him.
As for Wildcat "not" getting a tracking #. That is false. At 8:37pm est. He emailed me asking if I had shipped the jaguar cichlids. He tracked them with the tracking # instantly provided by ups when I create the label and he said it showed only that a label was created.
At 9:06pm I read his email and informed him that yes, infact they did ship.
At 9:12pm he replied back and I quote said "the tracking number you gave me says that the item is not in there possession yet? I spoke with a live UPS agent on the phone and she said the tracking number 1Z5907AVPGXXXXXX shows that it has not been dropped off yet? And she said it would be too late for them to deliver tomorrow"
At 9:14pm I replied again to him with a photo of all the packages I had going out for Saturday delivery.
At this point I was already on multiple calls and emails to UPS.
At 9:33pm I replied saying that I would guess when they reach a hub that they would be scanned. As I've seen that many times.
At 9:34pm he replied back saying "ok, thank you. Smart of you to take pictures"
I replied back at 9:46pm saying it do that for exactly this reason.

Now at 9:10AM today, he emailed me saying that the tracking number still says nothing.
He was right. I spent all night until 1am on phone with every hub the 5 packages were going to to see if they had any information. Zippo...

At 9:57am I replied again apologizing for UPS losing the package and that i was still working on it.

At 10:35am I sent out an email to all 5 of the customers with a photo of the actual packages. (See attached photo)

At 2:30 today I knew it was a total loss and issued refunds to everyone. I did not ask, I just did it.
Even if they do show up later today. They did not receive them as promised and I took it upon myself to issue the refunds.
I spoke with one of the customers on telephone and he asked not to refund but send him more fish.

In the end I nor can anyone control what UPS, Fedex etc.. does with the items once they leave the source that provided them.
I did my part. I was extremely diligent. I automatically made good on the orders.

Unfortunately, these issues will happen. Part of the ecommerce and shipping business. I unfortunately lost the actual fish, the money paid for the fish, and the next day air saturday delivery charges. Literally thousands of dollars overnight. Gone..

I wish everyone a Happy New Year

Kevin
Tangled Up in Cichlids

 

[RD.]

I hope that for everyone's sake, fish included, that they arrive alive and well. My previous point was that scanned or not, packages can & will go missing, there is just no getting around that - when one is using any of the various shipping options/vendors, human error is unfortunately part of the shipping business. That's why online vendors have TOS, so that everything regarding shipping and refunds is clear up front. I'm guessing that over the years Jeff Rapps had his fair share of shipping SNAFU's as well. I know that I did, and after working for one of the largest freight couriers here in Canada, it was easy to see from the inside how easily shipping and handling SNAFU's can take place. Items gone MIA forever, never to be seen again (probably stolen by a driver/sorter), items delayed, sometimes for weeks/months, one for over a year, yes a year, items damaged beyond recognition, even with "bulletproof" packing, etc-etc-etc. It is what it is.

Good luck to all.

 

[ryansmith83]

Also, while I’m on the subject, everyone who routinely receives packages should register for free FedEx and UPS accounts. Both companies give you the option to register your physical address with them so that you’re notified when someone ships a package to that address. Even when Rapps used to forget to send me a tracking number, UPS’s automated system would email me and notify me that I had a package coming from him because I had notifications set up for any package being received at my home.