Who, if anyone, is responsible, or am I just screwed

[Alas]

I while back, I ordered a dozen chicks. They were sent on a Wednesday. Method of shipping: Priority Mail. The chicks showed up Saturday morning in awful shape. Only 3 still alive when I picked them up and two of those died within minutes of getting home. The breeder advised he'd send another shipment. Again, mailed on Wednesday, showed up Saturday. This time, ALL of them were dead. The lady at the USPS said that Priority Mail is not guaranteed 2-3 day mail, that it can take longer. She suggested having him send them Express. Considering the cost to mail chicks out twice, they could have been sent Express. I emailed the breeder to inform him that I once again received a box of dead chicks, but have had no response from him.

In a second instance, I ordered 6 eggs (from a different breeder). The eggs were sent out a week and a half later than the ship date she provided in a PM after the auction. I don't know if the eggs were held up or if she just had to wait until she had enough eggs. Her auction said that each egg would be individually wrapped for shipping, but I received them in a cardboard egg carton and the eggs were not wrapped individually. Granted, she had gone into the hospital to have a baby and her husband had done the shipping. At any rate, I received 7 eggs and every single egg had the air cell detached and the yolk broken inside. I'm not sure if this is USPS or the fact that the eggs had more "bouncing" room since they were not individually wrapped. I've never shipped so I have no idea what the science is behind packing jobs. She says she'll send me more eggs, but it'll probably be spring now since its already really cold where she lives.

I don't want to misplace blame, but I dont want to get screwed either. I have $115 into two rare breeds and all I have to show for it is one roo. What would you do in my situation? I'd like to hear from buyers and sellers so I get both sides.

 

[pbjmaker]

On the eggs - I have had really well packaged eggs have detached air cells when they arrive

More than once. Sometimes they still develop, but most often not.

Can't help you on the chicks. That is really sad.

 

[Orchid]

On the chicks, was it the seller's choice or yours to have the chicks sent Priority mail? If it was your choice, you're out the money. If it was the seller's choice, then I would expect the seller to send one more shipment via Express mail.

As far as the eggs go, if she is willing to ship you more eggs in the spring, then she is being reasonable.

 

[Alas]

Orchid, it was the seller's choice to send Priority Mail. There was no option to "up" the shipping method on the website. Any advice on how I should go about wording a request for another shipment? He seemed reluctant to get back to me after the first shipment failed and he didn't respond at all when I sent him an email saying that nothing survived the second shipment and that the post office claims shipping method was to blame.

pbjmaker, it wasn't just the air cells, even the yolks were busted. I didn't expect a huge hatch rate with shipped eggs, but one or two would have been nice

Mainly, it really annoys me that the eggs were sent out two weeks after they were supposed to have been and that they were not packaged they way they were supposed to have been either. They were to be for my daughter's 4-H project. The delay in shipping and the fact that none of the eggs were good made it to where it was too late to try to start something else and have it ready in time. I have no use for banties next spring unfortunately and will probably just end up selling whatever manages to hatch out to try to recoup my money.

 

[TinyChickenLady]

As far as the chicks are concerned, I would demand another shipment, shipped the right way. I understand shipping would stress a few chicks out but not 2 dozen.... That's ridiculous and after you complained the first time, I would have done something differently for the second shipment if I were the shipper.

 

[chickbea]

IMHO, the seller is doing something wrong.
Either the shipping method is too slow, or perhaps he isn't sending the chicks off soon enough. I don't often get my replacements by mail, but I know the chicks should be shipped ASAP after hatching so that they can live off of their residual yolk energy.
I'd be cranky, too. There isn't much sadder than a dead/dying baby chick.

 

[Alas]

Yeah, nothing like happily anticipating a box of fuzzy butts and getting a "box of death", as my daughter called it.

 

[La Mike]

On the shipped chicks IMHO no one should ever ship chicks or any live birds priority.
On the eggs I would see if they would reship being as they were poorly packed.

Note to all never accept priority shipping for live birds, its just not safe

 

[speckledhen]

How old were the chicks? There are USPS rules about shipping live birds. They have to be day olds so they can live on their yolk for 3 days or they have to be much, much older, I do believe. There is a link to the rules here on BYC. If they are older, they have to be shipped express, I do believe.

 

[Alas]

They were day-olds. Time in shipping was over 3 days though.