Anybody shipping with FedEx!!! or shipping animals period!!!

[Haroldo]

So as most people do, I decide to go "legitimate" and get FedEx certified to ship live animals. I'm at the end of the process and get sent the liability waiver (legally binding document). Get to item "F" of the agreement and find something utterly ridiculous: "Company agrees to waive any right to recieve adjustments, refunds, or credits under the Money Back Guarantee Policy as defined in the FedEx Service Guide in effect at the time of shipment." Now, I can understand them (FedEx) not wanting to be liable for the loss or damage of an animal in transit--if I wanted someone to be liable, I'd ship Delta Dash. But seriously, a shipping company not wanting to be even held liable for shipping charges when its their fault is just unacceptable! The next item (G.): "Company acknowledges hat shipments may be delayed in transit. Company agrees that the event of such a delay, FedEx may in its sole discretion determine that the shipment should be returned to Company. In the event shipments are returned to Company, Company agrees to pay the original applicable transportation charges without regard to the reason for the return of the shipment. Company further recognizes that FedEx has no obligation to monitor the transportation of any shipment or to return it to Company." Sorry, but this seems like quite the license to bend all us [reptile] shippers over! Pay us, if we return your package to you, pay us. If your animals die because of our decision, still pay us. If our packages are late, pay us. There are 11 items in this agreements and I find fault with at least 5 of them. Not to mention that item J: "Company acknowledges that all shipments tendered to FedEx under this Agreement are for Business to Business delivery only. No residential deliveries are allowed under this Agreement." So what the hell is the point of using their service then? Seriously, I see why people still operate under the radar. This is corporate exploitation at its best!

[Haroldo]

Even worse, for people that think that "Hey, I don't use FedEx, this doesn't matter to me" You'd be making a fundamental and categorical mistake. Corporations and big companies take ques from others. If such a policy is deemed "acceptable" by the target group (us), then all of them (UPS, DHL, etc.) will follow suit and absolve any responsibilites to us as customers. This is no different then governmental regulation being proposed, except its not bounded to state lines. We need to bind up as a community and explicitly propose such provisions. I for one, don't think this is something we should be passive about. They (FedEx) make millions of dollors off us annually, if we stand "deep" enough, we can put them in a position of change...

[Alan Zimmerman]

I think the issue is that large firms like Fedex don't want to be held financially liable for the loss/death of live animals when inevitibale delays occur - especially since they are in no position to prevent weather delays and many mechanical delays. They are in no position to care for all kinds of animals, regulate temperature, vibration, shock from routine handling etc. They have no way of know how succeptable thousands of types of animals are to delayed feeding, changes in temperature etc.

While I may not like the effect their decision has - as a corporation I understand why they restrict their liability for losses of high-risk cargo whose sensitivity to transport and delays they neither know or care to know.

Just my 2 cents.

[allanschon]

I have a feeling that the real trial will be the actual customer service you receive when something goes wrong.

Companies, especially large ones, face two opposing goals, serve their customers, and protect themselves. The legal agreements are designed to protect them, and as such, will be written very conservatively.

My hope, however, is that when something actually does go wrong, they'll be a little more helpful than the minimum set of responsibilities that they've laid out. Until a specialized live amphibian shipper comes on the market, we have to accept what we have, and search out the best options.

[pl259]

Hey the big print giveth,
and the small print taketh away!

They have money back guarantee! Yippee!
As long as it complies to the terms and conditions.
Their terms say I can get a refund or credit! Yippee!
In accordance with Limits of Liabiliity

...and their Liability statement pretty much says anything can happen and it's your tough luck. Even if a delay happened because your package fell behind the desk or something, they can always just say it was a weather or mechanical delay. No way to prove otherwise.

It is what it is!

EricG.NH

[kyle1745]

The point of that process is more for them than us... Its to make sure you understand they are not liable.

Just like the HR department, they are not there for the employees, they are there to make sure the company does not get sued.