Priority vs express shipping

[jcal]

I have been mostly using express shipping on orders, but I am starting to reconsider. I know about the warrenty and things like that but I am just seeing what the majority uses and their stories

Are there any horror stories about priority shipping?

Please let us know with your vote!!!

 

[gripen]

ive had priority mail take more than a week. i almost always use express for mantids.

 

[yen_saw]

It is very much depending on the location and season

a) if you are in one day delivery zone or two even with express mail

b ) are you in southern (subtropical) or northern (cold!) region.

c) shipping in hot summer or winter period

In southern Texas, I will use express for hot summer months, but priority for the rest of the season.

Also, i will risk priority mail for ootheca or later stage mantis, but express for smaller mantis.

 

[ismart]

I personally prefer to use Express shipping. The least amout of time spent in transite the better!

 

[frogparty]

I've recieved mantis from both shipment types with no problems, not even a single death. I attribute it to good packaging, and favorable temps in southern California. I've only shipped mantis priority and have never had an issue, but I've only shipped west coast. I would use express if shipping to the east coast or midwest

 

[Mvalenz]

What about FedEx vs USPS? I received a package via FedEx the other day and it arrived in one day from Michigan to Illinois. And it was only $11.00 and some change.

 

[massaman]

all my packages with my species I get come delivered by my mail person and dont really use the usps of fedex

 

[agent A]

i usually use priority because it's cheaper, unless it's a very expensive order with delicate mantises or the peep i'm buying from is on the other side of the country or the weather is bad

keep in mind a priority package takes 3, maybe 4 days to arrive, and proper heat pack/insulation should suffice

this is just my experience

i've had mantises sent priority and take 4 days to arrive and the heat pack (a 60 hour one) was still kinda warm and the mantises (though a bit sluggish) were fine and now r healthy, active adults

i usually like to pay more for the mantis than shipping (i dont see any sense in buying a $10 mantis and spending $25 on shipping) and many peeps i buy from (mantisplace, ismart, precarious) live between 3 and 12 hours from me so they r not terribly far

that's just my experience, but different peeps may have different ones so i'm not saying always using priority is the way to go B)

 

[Bryce08]

like yen said it all depends on where its coming from most of the time, but i do prefer express it can just be quite pricey if your not shipping many mantids.

 

[frogparty]

I've ne'er had priority take more than 3 days

 

[gripen]

I've ne'er had priority take more than 3 days

come to my house. it takes on average 5 days. grrrrrrr.

 

[Chivalry]

The real advantage of express is the guarantee and the much better tracking. I haven't shipped a lot of mantids yet, but I do ship jewelry and there has been a time or two when Priority packages went astray and just seem to have gotten swallowed at a USPS facility in between... then showed up a MONTH later in one case.

I think it depends on what you're buying, too.

 

[jcal]

Information about priority mail:

If a Priority Mail® package is going to a major city, or is traveling less than 600 miles, it should arrive in two (2) days. Otherwise, it should arrive in three (3) days. (Specific delivery standards can be found when postage is calculated) This is not a guaranteed service.

Date of delivery is not guaranteed. Delivery by a specific date at a specific time is not available.

Estimated delivery time begins on the date postmarked.

Priority Mail® service can NOT be tracked and the delivery status can NOT be verified unless one of the Extra Services (i.e. Insurance, Delivery Confirmation™, etc.) was purchased at time of mailing.

I keep trying to find insurance rates for priority but I can't find them posted. :\

 

[hibiscusmile]

 

[jcal]

I thought the pol would sway one way or another but it's 50/50

I think I will give priority a shot and just order more nymphs....just in case.

 

[Krissim Klaw]

Express, there is something way too sad about opening a box full of dead mantis nymphs.

 

[Chivalry]

Express, there is something way too sad about opening a box full of dead mantis nymphs.

Has this happened to you? I imagine if I lost even one in transit I'd prob ship express forever after.

 

[Krissim Klaw]

Has this happened to you? I imagine if I lost even one in transit I'd prob ship express forever after.

Yes, my first attempt at ordering live mantises was a bust. Prior I always used too order Chinese Ooths but I wanted a couple nymphs for when I was up at college. We weren't allowed anything but fish, so I didn't want it shipped to the dorm so I waited to time my order during the Winter break. Sadly it did not go well at all. I believe the shippment was priority whatever the method was it was how the person always shipped theirs. All I know is it took over a week to get here and everyone was dead. Despite a live garentee, I was never able to get more nymphs or my money back from the person. This wasn't someone from the forum mind you.After that I was pretty sketchy on making another attempt at live shipping. The heat in Florida is so brutal and it will kill. My next experience with ordering mantises came about because one of my relatives who is into exotics found this forum and decided to order a couple mantises for my highschool graduation/ A.A Degree party (was dual enrolled). Anyways, apparently the little ones arrived alive but were barely hanging in there and they died within 12 hours. Whoever it was, I can't remember, did send more. In fact not only did they send more but they felt bad since they knew it was suppose to be a present and let me pick any two out of their instock species. I ended up picking a Gongy as one, and we all know those were like the it mantis a while back. Unfortunatly, the gongy died in transit and the other died literaly hours after arrival. There was way too much humidity in the containers and that with the heat was too much for the little ones even though the shipping was prompt. At that point I just said enough since it was too depressing for me.

I didn't order again untill I dared to try something from Rebecca's at Mantisplace. I don't know if she can remember way back to my first shipment and how I made into a point to ask her to please not include any feeders in the containers with the nymphs or mist too much. Lol. Her shipment was the first sucess for me. I've always had great results from her despite the heat. I think with all my orders I've only lost one maybe two babies and since she always seems to tuck extras in there I always end up over the amount I was suppose to get anyways. :wub:

 

[rs4guy]

I mostly use express, but will use priority for ooths, etc..