stolen by the post office?

[mtnkids]

Hi all, I wondered if any of you have had a similar experience.

I ordered 25 chicks from Estes Hatchery, they are super, super nice people by the way. Went to pick them up this morning and only 3 chicks were alive, but there were only 12 total in the box!

When I called ( I expected a hassle!) they told me they would resend the whole order next week and insure it. They felt that if all 25 had been in the box they would have shipped fine, but that people from the post office frequently steal chicks out of the box??? She guaranteed that all 25 had shipped. I had figured it was more likely a mistake not putting the correct number in before shipping.

Have any of you had chicks stolen before arrival?

 

[Lesa]

Well, I suppose anything is possible, but that seems highly unlikely to me. Chicks really aren't that expensive, and losing a government job for stealing postal mail (which is a federal offense) seems awfully stupid. Glad they are going to resend. Enjoy your babies!!

 

[Mahonri]

Maybe they thought it would hurt less if you saw less dead chicks?

Could you see that the box had been opened?

When I got my box of chicks from McMurray almost two years ago, it took effort to open the box!

 

[HEChicken]

That seems unlikely to me. Both orders I received in the mail were sealed and the seal had not been tampered with. A USPS employee's career would be on the line if they stole merchandise and while that may happen, it would be a rare, isolated event - not a widespread practice. And stealing live chicks? It would just be too likely that they would be caught - that other employees would see them, or hear the chicks peeping in their locker. What would be the motivation? Its not like they're such a rare commodity that they would be worth losing a job in order to acquire them. I haven't heard of this happening to other hatchery's orders so if it is only happening to Estes Hatchery orders, it seems more likely that the correct number of chicks is not making it into the box in the first place - possibly they have a crooked employee who is siphoning off chicks from some orders in order to sell them him/herself.

 

[Opa]

Sorry that happened to you but you couldn't ask for nicer people to deal with than those at Estes Hatchery.

 

[jerseygirl1]

My post office opened the box and did a head count before giving it to me, so who knows? And i know they did, because she told me! I guess in case I wanted to put a claim in? IDK

 

[PeepsInc]

I had a mail person steal ruff opals from a package. The old lady kept squeezing the package, & said "We'll I cant guarantee this is gonna make it". It was double packed & well wrapped. I just looked @ her funny. I've shipped hundreds of rocks & minerals & never had a problem. The packages made it to the buyer, but when they were opened the opals were missing from the inner package(which was a coin holder) The outer package was encased in tape. I told the post master from the next town what had happened. She told me I'm not the first to complain about the old lady. I haven't seen the old lady working there since. So yea I can believe that someone stole chicks.

 

[jerseygirl1]

not good, not at all

 

[Kelsykin]

Not all people the handle the mail are federal employees. The USPS contracts out the majority of the hauling of mail. That includes packages. How do I know? My husband use to have a mail run? He has never been employeed by the USPS. If the USPS actually employeed their own truck drivers you would not have as much mail theft and they would probably at least break even every year.

 

[mtnkids]

Well I thought it seemed rather unlikely, but I thought if it was a really common occurance that SOMEONE on here must have had it happen to them as well.

I really didn't notice the box looking too tampered with it, but it was extremely easy to open, unlike the only other time I ordered chicks a few years ago from Murray McMurray.

I guess in the end they are replacing all the chicks which is nice of them, no questions asked. On the bright side, of the 12 I received, 3 were alive, and I have managed to literally from the grave bring back another 6. My husband wanted to know why I was dipping dead chick's beaks into sugar water but that and warming up seemed to help. Their bodies were actually stiff and cold.

I have tried hatching these salmons myself 4 times to no avail so I wanted them pretty badly. There were only 2 of them that survived, the rest are cornish.

That is really interesting about not everyone handling the mail being a post office employee. Didn't know that.