Use Cool Packs in Summer *Graphic Pictures*

[goReptiles]

I just want to remind everyone how important it is to use cool packs during the summer months.

The situation has been handled and taken care of, so no information will be given other than PLEASE use a cool pack in warmer months no matter where you're shipping.

 

[sushikam]

Oh no :main_no: ! Sorry this happened to you. I can't imagine how horrible it was opening up that package. Poor thing.

 

[Tanner505Geckos]

im sorry poor little guy

 

[Kristi23]

That is so sad. I'm so very sorry.

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

Ohhh myyyy... what a horrible tragedy.

 

[goReptiles]

Thanks guys...
I was actually at work, and my mother opened the package. She felt the heat emit from the box and removed the top layer of te newspaper and found him like that. :-(
I had no clue the breeder wasn't going to use a cool pack, or I would have delayed the shipment another week when the weather is expected to be in the mid to high 80s versus low to mid 90s and above in the latter part of the day.

What made it worse was that he wasn't delivered until 4pm ish, which is the peak of the afternoon heat. It was a late shipment from the start with a scheduled time of 12-2, and was 2 hours late on top of that. I sort of want to say the little guy would have been fine if the scheduled time of arrival was before 10:30am like usual. I'm not sure why it was 12-2.

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

Is there a reason the gecko wasn't shipped to arrive by 10:30 AM? The back of a delivery truck, in August, in Georgia, HAS to be at least 20 degrees higher than the outside temperature...

 

[goReptiles]

I don't know. I was emailed the night before that it wouldn't arrive until 12-2pm. Overnight air to my house has always been 10:30 or earlier. Isn't 12-2 rural areas? I don't know... Usually the only reason I get overnight packages later than 10:30 is UPS delay, which doesn't happen often.

 

[pastelball]

Sorry, to hear about the poor gecko. Sounds like they may have used the next day air saver shipping. I thinks a bit cheaper and deliverd in the afternoon.

 

[shadowx362]

yup sounds like UPS next day saver.I am so sorry for the little one that died
I have a question about the cold packs, How are they soposto work for the next day? I mean aren't they already unfrozen by the time its morning? I usually just used them because the UPS truck picks them up at 4pm and its still hot, but I dont think they last onto the next day do they?? I always wondered so please let me know

 

[Mel&Keith]

Wow, that really sucks.

I know at least with FedEx you can pick an overnight delivery with either a First - in some areas (by 8:30), Priority (10:30), or Standard (3:00). I checked your address and they gave me a Priority and Standard option. It's possible that the shipper picked a standard delivery time. Surprisingly it the price difference with FedEx between a 10:30 and 3:00 delivery was only $5.

We ship everything with a cold pack this time of year. It's hot pretty much everywhere!

Edgar, to answer your question: The cold packs usually don't last until the delivery time but it does keep the gecko cool for most of it's time in transit. If I were to ship to Whitney, I would drop the gecko of at the FedEx hub right before 8pm and it would be in flight by 9pm. It would be delivered to her by 9:30 (my time because she's on EST) so the gecko would have been in transit for apx. 14 hours. Most of those hours would have been in the night which would help slow the melting time. Basically being cool for most of the trip is better than being warm and then really hot for the entire trip.

Thanks for sharing, Whitney, hopefully this will be a good reminder for those shipping right now.

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

Sounds like they may have used the next day air saver shipping.

It might have saved $5.00, but it certainly didn't save the gecko's life... Were you charged for Next Day Air 10:30 delivery?

Shipping during hot weather can be a challenge, especially when there are great differences in the origin and destination temperatures. For example, here we are at around 84 degrees. If I shipped a gecko to let's say Arizona where it has been in 112 degrees, a cool-pack would make the geckos too cold from my end and during the flight, but thaw w-a-y before they were delivered. Not to mention the back of a UPS truck in those temperatures could exceed 130 degrees.

In situations like this, I will ship the geckos to be held at the UPS Customer Center for pick up at the nearest location the customer's zip code. The package will arrive at the sorting hub very early in the morning, and just stay there inside the building until it gets picked up.

It's always safer to err on the side of too cool than too hot!

 

[OceanLyons]

So sad.

I have all my packages held at the local FedEx/UPS and pick up from there. Try to minimize the time spent on the truck. If you live near the airport, you can find out the first stopping point from the airport and have it held there.

 

[Mel&Keith]

I just wanted to add that I had a cool pack make it to New Jersey still cool this morning!

 

[goReptiles]

It might have saved $5.00, but it certainly didn't save the gecko's life... Were you charged for Next Day Air 10:30 delivery?

The shipping was included in the price of the gecko. I guess I assumed it would be by 10:30 like usual, but didn't even think about the UPS next day air saver option for 3ish.

 

[fallen_angel]

Wow, I am so very sorry to hear about this

Shipping during hot weather can be a challenge, especially when there are great differences in the origin and destination temperatures. For example, here we are at around 84 degrees. If I shipped a gecko to let's say Arizona where it has been in 112 degrees, a cool-pack would make the geckos too cold from my end and during the flight, but thaw w-a-y before they were delivered. Not to mention the back of a UPS truck in those temperatures could exceed 130 degrees.

So very true, being in Arizona, this is a very big problem.. Although I wouldn't recommend anyone to ship anything here to Arizona right now, and we certainly aren't shipping any of ours for another month or two.

 

[bubblez825]

I'm srry for your loss . If i were to have a gecko shipped, I would do it in springtime, or early summer if it isnt too hot, or fall-ish or wintertime with heat packs. Being a little on the cooler side is better than dying from heat; just my opinion.

 

[Halley]

I’ve wondered this before. On very hot days when you decided to ship (100+ degrees) why not stick the entire box in the freezer for the night, and allow the whole thing to get cold as well. Then also put the cold packs in there. Wouldn’t this mean that the box would be able to stay cooler longer?

 

[fallen_angel]

100 degrees is way too hot for shipping because a carrier truck can get up to 30 degrees hotter on the inside. A frozen box would seem like a good idea, but I would think after about 15 minutes or so, the box would be heated back up to regular temp again. If you lived here, that box wouldn't be cold after 5 minutes of being out of the freezer

 

[Morph]

yeah out here the box would defrost in no time