Postal service killed my mantids

[5Via]

Hello everyone, 

This is my first time posting and I know I should have posted in the introduction forum first, I promise to do that later I'm just too upset right now.

Heres what happened: I ordered some new mantids on monday, I got told they shipped out on wednesday, they were supposed to arrive friday (today). So far so good. Friday came, my mantids didn't, and at 4 pm I got really nervos and concerned and called the customer service of the post office.

They told me they had no other information other than they got the package from the seller and they don't know where it is right know or when it'll get to me.

If it doesn't arrive tomorrow by some miracle (and even then I'm not sure if they'll all be alive) the poor little things will be sitting in that box over the weekend and will surely be dead by the time they get here.

I just don't know what to do. I dread the moment I'll have to unbox their dead little bodies. 

Again, I'm sorry this is my first post, I just had to let it all out. Has this ever happened to any of you?

 

[Synapze]

Unfortunately, yes.  Did you receive a tracking number from the seller? What is the shipping distance? Priority shipping? 

 

[5Via]

I did have a tracking number and used the tracking service on their website, but it hasn't been updated since the initial "package recieved, preparing to deliver to your area" (loosely translated), and thats all the information the customer service guy had too.

I live in Germany and ordered from a seller within the country, package deliveries here never take more than 2 days at most. I also ordered from the same seller last year without a problem.

I felt pretty save since I ordered on monday, I never even had something like that happen with any other packages, and now it had to happen with living animals of all things.

 

[Synapze]

Oh, I know absolutely nothing about the German mail service. I've had mantids spend over a week in transit with no fatalities. A lot depends on how well the dealer packaged your order... and the weather. USPS is notorious for poor service here. In my location, packages often sit in hot trucks over the weekend, that's why many dealers will only ship early in the week. 

Good luck!

 

[Mantis Lady]

I live in the nettherlands and with me, my mantids will be at my home in  3 days. It should with you faster if it is in the same country. I hope your mantids will arrive tomorrow

 

[5Via]

Thanks for the kind words you guys!

I'm mostly worried because some of the mantids are still really small, I can't help but think they'll starve, or dehydrate, or mismolt. The weather was pretty mild when I ordered them, but since yesterday it's gotten pretty hot (around 28 c).

Btw the mantids I ordered were

1x Chloroharpax modesta (L1-2), 2x Hymenopus coronatus (L2), 1x Popa Spurca (L4), 1x Tarachodula pantherina (L4) 

Does anyone know how well these guys ship? I'm especially worried about the Orchids. They're also all species I've never kept before.

 

[MantisGirl13]

There's a good chance that your mantids will survive. Orchids are actually pretty hardy creatures. I don't know much about the C. modesta, but the popas and the Panthers are very likely to survive as well. 

- MantisGirl13

 

[5Via]

Thank you @MantisGirl13, you've given me hope.

 

[MantisGirl13]

Thank you @MantisGirl13, you've given me hope.

I'm glad! I just hope they make it to you soon!

- MantisGirl13

 

[5Via]

No good news, unfortunately.

I called customer service again this afternoon and they told me it would be around three business days starting monday for them to investigate and find out why my package didn't ship, and even after I asked and pleaded repeatedly (of course I told them it, was urgent, that there were live animals inside) they still wouldn't tell me if or when I'll get the package.

My husband (he works in shipping, but for an electronics company) is convinced that someone over there damaged it accidentally and made it "disappear" to avoid getting in trouble for it. I think thats a bit extreme, but apparently it's been known to happen sometimes.

I contacted the seller about the situation and he offered to send replacement for the mantids on monday. I asked him to use priority shipping with a different company than last time, to make sure this doesn't happen again. 

Should any of the original mantids arrive alive after all, I'll keep them of course. 

Honestly I feel really guilty about the whole situation, even though I know there's nothing I could really have done about it. I slept really bad last night thinking of the poor guys.

Thank you guys so much for all of your kind words, I'll let you know if there's anything new.

 

[MantisGirl13]

I'm glad that the seller agreed to replace your mantids, but I'm sorry that shipping is delayed so much! Keep us updated.

- MantisGirl13

 

[5Via]

My "replacement" mantids got shipped out today, and will (hopefully) arrive tomorrow. I'll try to post some pictures for you guys! 

 

[Sticky]

No good news, unfortunately.

I called customer service again this afternoon and they told me it would be around three business days starting monday for them to investigate and find out why my package didn't ship, and even after I asked and pleaded repeatedly (of course I told them it, was urgent, that there were live animals inside) they still wouldn't tell me if or when I'll get the package.

My husband (he works in shipping, but for an electronics company) is convinced that someone over there damaged it accidentally and made it "disappear" to avoid getting in trouble for it. I think thats a bit extreme, but apparently it's been known to happen sometimes.

I contacted the seller about the situation and he offered to send replacement for the mantids on monday. I asked him to use priority shipping with a different company than last time, to make sure this doesn't happen again. 

Should any of the original mantids arrive alive after all, I'll keep them of course. 

Honestly I feel really guilty about the whole situation, even though I know there's nothing I could really have done about it. I slept really bad last night thinking of the poor guys.

Thank you guys so much for all of your kind words, I'll let you know if there's anything new.

Who did you buy from?

 

[5Via]

Who did you buy from?

A german online shop for inverts called "Kerf Terraristik"

https://kerf.de/Mantiden

 

[5Via]

Guys, you're not gonna believe this.

I just got the "lost" package in the mail, and the little guys are all alive and well. 

Now I feel a bit silly for being so dramatic, I'm just super happy and relieved they're all ok. Guess I'll have 10 new Mantids at the end of the day, instead of 5, but I know thats not nearly as much as some of you have  

I gave them all a light misting so they could drink, and some fruit flies. They all started catching and eating as soon as I put them in, they must have been really hungry. I've left them in their shipping containers for now so they can eat and drink in peace, I don't want to stress them too much.

any suggestions what else I can do for them to help them recover from the long shipping?

(Here's pictures of one of the orchids and the panther, I couldn't get decent pics of the others, unfortunately)

 

[MantisGirl13]

Awesome!!! Give the orchid a bigger cage please! That tiny cage will definitely stress it out.

- MantisGirl13

 

[5Via]

I just realised that picture is a bit misleading, the container is actually pretty big (compared to the tiny mantis).

I'm also about to move them to their real enclosures, they're still in the shipping container, I was waiting for them to finish their flies in peace.

(here's a better picture showing the size, the orchid is in the upper left corner)



Update: they're now in their actual enclosures and doing well, thank you @MantisGirl13 for your concern, you're very nice  

 

[Mantis Lady]

@5ViaGood to read they made it alive after a long trip have fun with your new additions.

 

[5Via]

@5ViaGood to read they made it alive after a long trip have fun with your new additions.

Thank you, I will.

They are super tiny and cute, with big appetites, can't wait too se them grow!