Chicks are lost in the mail. :( USPS has no idea where they are.

[aknewlin]

We just completing our first year of being a chicken family. It's been very rewarding! We wanted to add more chickens to our flock, and wanted some specialty chickens that we found online at mypetchicken.com.

The order shipped Tuesday (18 FEB 2014), and tracking shows the box did depart Cleveland, Ohio's Sort Facility. It was "guaranteed" to arrive Thursday by 3 PM because it was shipped priority mail express 2-day. After reading other threads about USPS, I know that the guarantee means nothing, but I was hoping.

Well, the USPS confirmed that they lost the order. They can't track it and they have no idea where it went. I called several times and went to talk to my local post office folks in person, and as of 4 PM Friday, no one knows where the shipment is. This is day three, and we all know that means that the chances of survival are getting slimmer by the minute.

It makes me very sad to think about chicks starving to death because the USPS can't track a box properly. The USPS says that the tracking number is for "product and tracking information." Even our local post office told me that if the box had arrived at another sort facility (like Indianapolis), it would have shown on the tracking.

I called My Pet Chicken, and they were appalled. They immediately put in a new order for us. It wasn't their fault, but they provided good customer service to make it right. They also warned us that the box may still arrive, and to not be surprised if they are all (or most) are dead.



Has anyone else has had trouble with boxes not arriving this week? Or was it just a fluke with us? I don't want to go through this again. It's breaking my heart.

 

[red horse ranch]

That's awful! I've had a box full of mostly dead chicks arrive before and it is heartbreaking.

 

[aknewlin]

I've been preparing my daughters (and myself) for what is to come. They are 12 and 13, but like me, sometimes get emotional over stuff. Hubby is made of tougher stuff.

We're an odd mix. We hunt and know where our food comes from, and we're even getting meat chickens, but "pet" chickens are totally different.

 

[boskelli1571]

Hi there,
Sorry about your missing chicks

I just had to comment on your avatar - I think that's one relaxed cat!!

 

[ten chicks]

I've been preparing my daughters (and myself) for what is to come. They are 12 and 13, but like me, sometimes get emotional over stuff. Hubby is made of tougher stuff.

We're an odd mix. We hunt and know where our food comes from, and we're even getting meat chickens, but "pet" chickens are totally different.

Yes, this a very emotional situation,this should never have happened and there is no excuse. My suggestion is to not let your daughters see box,open it away from them. My daughters are very emotional(so am i)over issues regarding animals,especially innocent babies.

I just cannot believe that they have no way of tracking box,what is the purpose of tracking system if not to track lost parcels?

What facility were they sent to after departing Cleveland,i would start calling that facility and the truck that was the last known mode of transportation,you make the calls this way you will know if they made it to the next drop off.

 

[ten chicks]

Someone would have seen that box,did they contact Cleveland to actually get someone to check and make sure box is not sitting on some shelf,just b/c their system says it departed Cleveland,does not mean they did. Box may have been entered into system,then set aside b/c it contained live chicks,then was forgotten. Call them,tell them to start looking for box at Cleveland facility.

 

[aknewlin]

I honestly don't know how far my post office actually checked or who they called. I wasn't in the office with the lady checking. They couldn't tell me which hub the shipment would have gone (Indy? Louisville? Bloomington?) or mode of transportation. They said it was probably Fed Ex (they use their planes) who had it. They were polite, but couldn't tell me anything.

I got the impression that they were simply not capable of investigating further. Stonewalling or incompetence? I can only go on what they were willing to tell me. Even calling the 800 number resulted in being on hold with no one answering.

I'm texting with the phone, so sorry if there are typos.

 

[aknewlin]

The box arrived at Indianapolis last night after 10 PM and left before midnight. That means we will get the box today here in southern Indiana.

*sigh*

Wish me luck. Hoping beyond hope that there are some live chicks in the box and that they can be nursed back to health.

 

[boskelli1571]

Fingers crossed for ya

 

[aknewlin]

Sad news. The local post office just called (7 AM Saturday), the box arrived there, and they said it was obvious that they were all dead.

She was almost crying telling me, said the other postal ladies were all moping and broken-hearted, and I believe her.

She said that in all the years that she worked in the post office, this is the first time that she's seen this happen.

It's going to be a surreal day here. We're really bummed.