Why I Ship Fish EXCLUSIVELY with UPS
What Can Brown Do For You?
Now I have tried a couple different parcel services, from FedEx, to USPS, and even attempted OnTrac, but, those parcel delivery companies aside, UPS is by far the most accommodating. No hassle, no annoying FedEx employees asking you what you are shipping -- and giving your personal billing information out to random customers that asked for it...(a story for another time) no dumbfounded USPS employees flabbergasted that you can "actually ship fish in bags, in boxes via the mail" to other parts of the USA... I mean, really? how else do big box stores get their fish, and animals to sell to the masses? yeah... the mail...
I like UPS because its hassle-free, and with the services I ship me Ranchu with, they are guaranteed services, meaning that they will arrive to you on the date listed, or your money back.
I feel like it is also the safest way to ship these delicate ornamental goldfish. Is there much a difference between FedEx and UPS, probably not, but my delivery guy is cool, and there is a store up the street from me, and I haven't had a problem yet.
But, what about USPS?
Lord Jesus take the wheel -- the things I could say about USPS... Anyway.
I understand that USPS is more affordable then ANY other shipping service out there, and their packages are supposed to arrive in 1-3 business days if shipped Priority. So, whats wrong with that? The reason I choose not to ship with USPS is because their delivery isn't guaranteed, and they only provide an estimate on when said parcel is scheduled to arrive. On top of that, USPS's Parcel delivered time is not the most accurate. And just when you thought it couldn't get any worse... it does... their transit routes are one of the most nonsensical things to have ever been invented. Seriously.
I placed an order for some aquatic plants from someone on Etsy once. This seller was located in Washington, and I thought, "This is pretty lucky because here I am in Arizona, they are in Washington, and the plants will arrive quickly, and there is minimal risk they will arrive dead. This is great!" Anyway, I place my order, and later that day got a shipped notification telling me my order has been shipped. So, I put the tracking number in this parcel tracking app that I use, and checked tracking a day later once the tracking information updates in the system. I checked the shipping status and I see "USPS in possession of parcel in Seattle Washington", and see that the parcel is now in Nevada. I am like "alright, it should be here tomorrow, Nevada is right there!" I check tracking again the next day, and my parcel is now in KENTUCKY... at this point I begin to question my life decisions. Anyway, I check the tracking status again the next day, and the tracking apps says "parcel has arrived at sorting Annex in Phoenix, Arizona" early that morning, and would be delivered to me by the end of the day and i am like.. "wut? On what planet (aside from Earth) would a route from Washington, to Nevada, to Kentucky, and THEN to its destination in Arizona be the most efficient route?"
USPS has done nothing but fail me when it comes to shipping live fish. I can't estimate the percentage, but, the ratio to DOAs vs LOAs is more then 0, and thats far too many for me. Because of this, I will not ship via USPS even if its Priority Express (which isn't even overnight, its a 1-2 day service for an astronomical amount of money) -- and again, delivery times provided are just estimates, and not guarantees. To even qualify to get your money back on shipping via USPS PME, the parcel has to arrive on day 3, and based off of testimonials I have gotten from other fish hobbyists that have shipped fish this method, USPS fights them tooth and nail on getting a refund for their late delivery. No. Not happening. I do not have the time or the energy for that.
That is why I will be no longer shipping my fish via USPS ever again.
