# Wrist slapped by royal mail.....



## babyjo84 (Feb 27, 2012)

I bought all my Ts online so naturally they have been shipped royal mail.

Each time the posty has delivered, despite all boxes being marked with 'fragile' & 'this way up', ive watched them bring my parcels to the door by chucking them about like a rugby ball. So, with my last package I said 'can u please be careful theres a tarantula in there'.

Next day I get a note from royal mail with my usual post saying to ring them. So I do and my branches area manager gives me a right telling off saying the only animals they are allowed to handle is feeders, which must be marked with 'live animal' and anything bigger has to be arranged by a courier, otherwise the rspca will get involved.

I'm totally baffled by this as almost every invert dealer in the country uses rmsd service with seemingly no issues.

Any thoughts?

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## Christoffer90 (Jan 3, 2010)

just tell them that they are slings, and you feed them to your ''insert species here'' :lol2: the whole deal sounds kinda stupid to me, though!
good luck with 'em


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## chalky76 (Aug 23, 2007)

This is all I could find










Perhaps give them a call but don't let on that they have contacted you

Oh and also


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## Spider jake (Nov 6, 2011)

My girlfriends dad is a postman and he is always interested in my spiders etc. and he has never ever said anything about it being wrong for them to be posted as i have regularly mentioned to him just how many spiders,insects, scorpions etc. there are in circulation in the royal mail. So i have always thought that it was ok. plus when your spider's and other inverts arrive you are feeling a mixture of emotions and sometimes it can feel like they are being violent or harmful but im sure that its actuarial fine, when i remember having my first spider sent to me i was well worried that the post man wasn't being careful enough with the package and felt like i should complain but now i look back at it he was just doing his job normally and wasn't really hurting my T at all i just guess i was worried that my first T might have been DOA because of a post man but really i was just being over dramatic.


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## dazzer2 (Mar 31, 2010)

guarantee if you put live creatures on the box your inviting some inbred halfwitt at posting office to reinact the winning 1966 world cup goal with your parcel ...........
dazzer:2thumb:


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

You're not allowed to send tarantulas. I said what I was sending to the guy at my post office, and he checked with his manager. You are allowed to send feeders, but not Ts. 

He is kool though, he said I can carry on sending as long as I don't tell him what's in it. :lol2:

So that's basically your way forward, just don't tell them what's in it...


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## gambitgareth (Sep 18, 2011)

animal welfare act 2007 only covers rights for animals with a backbone... i cant find any legislation on inverts would be interested tho if anyone knows - the AWA does say we should care for non farming animals which implies inverts too - so perhaps conflicting - i would have asked what regulations the manager is pointing to - because if its a policy then it must be branch specific as my PO will deliver ts knowing the contents...

EDIT: some funny chaps on fb was saying to write - entomological specimens on there or faecal matter or somesuch..


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## Lucky Eddie (Oct 7, 2009)

I doesn't matter what is in the parcel.

Why should the Royal Mail feel it is within their rights to treat MY PROPERTY like a football.

I would feel the same same whether it is a spider, a book or a knitted sweater.


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## wilkinss77 (Sep 23, 2008)

vivalabam said:


> You're not allowed to send tarantulas. I said what I was sending to the guy at my post office, and he checked with his manager. You are allowed to send feeders, but not Ts.
> 
> He is kool though, he said I can carry on sending as long as I don't tell him what's in it. :lol2:
> 
> So that's basically your way forward, just don't tell them what's in it...


so how come tss, bugz uk, & martin goss all send t's by RMSD?


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## garlicpickle (Jan 16, 2009)

wilkinss77 said:


> so how come tss, bugz uk, & martin goss all send t's by RMSD?


I guess they are taking advantage of the loophole. I seem to recall that bugzuk has had difficulties recently with Royal Mail not accepting his parcels and has had to switch to using Citylink.


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## AilsaM (May 18, 2011)

wilkinss77 said:


> so how come tss, bugz uk, & martin goss all send t's by RMSD?


Was wondering that as well, my 3 T's came from TSS and all delivered by RMSD and all come when they were meant to and not one prob when I said to the postie hope you've not been shaking that as there's a tarantula inside, in fact my postie was like can I see it, what's it like etc etc.


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## Lucky Eddie (Oct 7, 2009)

AilsaM said:


> in fact my postie was like can I see it, what's it like etc etc.


Mine too.

Just goes to show, at least two of them are human after all!


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## AilsaM (May 18, 2011)

Lucky Eddie said:


> Mine too.
> 
> Just goes to show, at least two of them are human after all!


Yeah, one of the posties I know so I said you can see them once they're all settled and he was like OMG really..............he likes spiders aparently :lol2:


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## RescueCat (Aug 13, 2011)

I lost a box of crickets because the postman couldn't be bothered to knock on the door! He left the box in a bush outside my house in december.


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## josh9961 (Feb 10, 2011)

Could we please get back on topic ladies and gentlemen? Any flaming or bashing will just result in another closed thread, and then nobody gets to say anything.

If you must say something negative to somebody else, do it by private message, as these public arguments will do nothing but halt the expansion of our community as new members see them and feel inclined to do their research elsewhere :devil:

Peace guys : victory:


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## wilkinss77 (Sep 23, 2008)

josh9961 said:


> Could we please get back on topic ladies and gentlemen? Any flaming or bashing will just result in another closed thread, and then nobody gets to say anything.
> 
> If you must say something negative to somebody else, do it by private message, as these public arguments will do nothing but halt the expansion of our community as new members see them and feel inclined to do their research elsewhere :devil:
> 
> Peace guys : victory:


hear, hear!:notworthy:


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## snowgoose (May 5, 2009)

TBH, just don't tell them. They never ask me, and if they do, " it's plants" ( this warrants any heat pack, light weight boxes, air holes etc etc  )

But, I've never had a problem with my parcels turning up looking like crap. Sometimes they get left at the Post Office for me to collect if they won't fit in the posties little pram thing and they are to lazy to bring the van round, but it's only 5 mins up the road


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## babyjo84 (Feb 27, 2012)

snowgoose said:


> TBH, just don't tell them. They never ask me, and if they do, " it's plants" ( this warrants any heat pack, light weight boxes, air holes etc etc  )
> 
> But, I've never had a problem with my parcels turning up looking like crap. Sometimes they get left at the Post Office for me to collect if they won't fit in the posties little pram thing and they are to lazy to bring the van round, but it's only 5 mins up the road


Yeah, I just was, admittedly rather naive in assuming it was perfectly fine to post inverts of all kinds otherwise people wouldnt do it, know what I mean?

The posty in question actually told his boss I had ordered a 10 inch T!! Lol how would he know this, and while yes, it was a salmon pink, it was a 1-2cm sling! Lol

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## gaz2374 (Aug 29, 2005)

Don't give up with online buying , you won't get any invert cheaper at our locals point in case a juvi emp in reptile room £50 and a m. Balfori juvi £125 and world of water . Thee businesses such as TSS and bugzuk etc usually have a Doa practice in place so you don't loose out anyway .


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## boxofsorrows (Nov 7, 2011)

RMSD guarantee's the next day delivery and the value - since the majority will be over the £46 covered by normal post.
How Royal Fail choose to interpret the rules on what's in a parcel always baffles me, you'll not find 2 people with the same opinion. Thankfully at least for me my post guy (for parcels) is excellent even though he knows what's in the boxes.

Don't forget the royal mail prices are going up, presumably that includes RMSD?


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## babyjo84 (Feb 27, 2012)

gaz2374 said:


> Don't give up with online buying , you won't get any invert cheaper at our locals point in case a juvi emp in reptile room £50 and a m. Balfori juvi £125 and world of water . Thee businesses such as TSS and bugzuk etc usually have a Doa practice in place so you don't loose out anyway .


Thanks man. Yeah I know, reptile room wanted 60 quid for a Chile rose!!

I'll leave it a while and next time, ill tell them its crickets if they ask :thumbup:

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## Spider jake (Nov 6, 2011)

babyjo84 said:


> Thanks man. Yeah I know, reptile room wanted 60 quid for a Chile rose!!
> 
> I'll leave it a while and next time, ill tell them its crickets if they ask :thumbup:
> 
> Sent from my ST18i using Tapatalk


what T was it you ordered btw :mf_dribble:


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## Harbinger (Dec 20, 2008)

Tell them the tarantulas are feeders.


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## snowgoose (May 5, 2009)

babyjo84 said:


> Yeah, I just was, admittedly rather naive in assuming it was perfectly fine to post inverts of all kinds otherwise people wouldnt do it, know what I mean?
> 
> The posty in question actually told his boss I had ordered a 10 inch T!! Lol how would he know this, and while yes, it was a salmon pink, it was a 1-2cm sling! Lol
> 
> ...


I understand your thinking.

I don't write anything on the boxes for this very reason. Maybe a little "fragile" sticker, but that's about it.

I've had Large boxes full of inverts from Germany and such, and must admit, I've not had a problem with any 

I just hope RM don't have any snoops on here lol I'm awaiting a shipment from Poland. First of the year, so I hope it's all as smooth as my German orders


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## EquineArcher (Feb 13, 2010)

Thread cleaned, keep it civil please or this will be locked.


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## chalky76 (Aug 23, 2007)

babyjo84 said:


> Thanks man. Yeah I know, reptile room wanted 60 quid for a Chile rose!!
> 
> I'll leave it a while and next time, ill tell them its crickets if they ask :thumbup:
> 
> Sent from my ST18i using Tapatalk


Yep if he asks or passes comment simply tell him it's crickets for the 10" T he so kindly delivered previously. 

My postie is sound but I have to say RM is going down the pan bigtime. Cost of post increasing all the time, post office service is (at best) shocking etc. I think they generally need to have a rethink and realise they provide a service to customers, namely us.


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## ashbosh (Jun 23, 2007)

i'm at work and bored. So i called them. Royal mail said they follow RSPCA guidelines on living creatures in transit, bar the accepted list on the first page of this thread, the guidelines state....... 

RSPCA guidelines - no living creature must be bigger than general insects, and travel must be no more than 8 hours

so it's a resounding NO. Unless you can ensure it's in transit for less than 8 hours, which is near impossible


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## kris74 (May 10, 2011)

I'm lucky as my mate works in the local delivery office so the guys all have an interest in my contraband. Spiders are no issue at all and I have had them deliver swords on numerous occasions as well which they apparently don't like doing. As far as my mates aware there are no restrictions on tarantulas so it may just be a crap policy they're trying to enforce?


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## DogMan84 (Dec 16, 2011)

Its best not to write "fragile" or "Do not bend" etc on a parcel.
Having worked in a RM sorting office I can assure you anything with that written on it is prone to being kicked about or shaken to try and hear what is in it.


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## spidersnake (Dec 1, 2009)

babyjo84 said:


> I bought all my Ts online so naturally they have been shipped royal mail.
> 
> Each time the posty has delivered, despite all boxes being marked with 'fragile' & 'this way up', ive watched them bring my parcels to the door by chucking them about like a rugby ball. So, with my last package I said 'can u please be careful theres a tarantula in there'.
> 
> ...


I would have demanded the branch area managers name & employee number (or other RM staff recognised ID) & the name, rank/position & number of his superiors before telling him to expect an official complaint about his conduct & tell him to get the RSPCA involved. If its not a mammal or bird the RSPCA haven't got a clue. Also, the RSPCA may call themselves the Animal Police but they havent got ANY POWERS ABOVE ANY MEMBER OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC. In short, unless they have a warrant from the courts signed by a judge &/or a police officer with them, they have NO POWER to do anything! In fact, even with a warrant & police officer the RSPCA is still powerless, all they can do is tell the copper what they think, then its down to the copper to decide IF a crime has been committed & what action should be taken!!!


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## Tarantulaguy01 (Mar 31, 2012)

Tarantula's are not covered or protected under any uk law rspca or the police .


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## Dr3d (Jul 31, 2010)

That's really strange as my post men love it when a parcel arrives for me and they cant wait for a cuppa and to see whats in it lol they even keep them in the cab with them so they stay warm..... even the post office where I send them out from loves it when I go in with parcels... they keep them seperatly from all the rest and in the office till time for pick up.... strange world we live in


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## babyjo84 (Feb 27, 2012)

spidersnake said:


> I would have demanded the branch area managers name & employee number (or other RM staff recognised ID) & the name, rank/position & number of his superiors before telling him to expect an official complaint about his conduct & tell him to get the RSPCA involved. If its not a mammal or bird the RSPCA haven't got a clue. Also, the RSPCA may call themselves the Animal Police but they havent got ANY POWERS ABOVE ANY MEMBER OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC. In short, unless they have a warrant from the courts signed by a judge &/or a police officer with them, they have NO POWER to do anything! In fact, even with a warrant & police officer the RSPCA is still powerless, all they can do is tell the copper what they think, then its down to the copper to decide IF a crime has been committed & what action should be taken!!!


I was totally unaware that posting inverts is a no no, if I did, I wouldn't have told him what was in the package. I also didn't want to take it further than a phone call from a manager as it would backfire and cause problems from the sellers whose businesses depend on RM.

Ash, yip. Thats exactly what the manager said. It makes no sense.

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## spinnin_tom (Apr 20, 2011)

if you mark then or get them marked as scientific research oir livefood, instead of tarantulas, it's better


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## wilkinss77 (Sep 23, 2008)

the thing i find odd, is the contradictory info from within the royal mail- some post offices say it's ok to post t's, other's say it's prohibited. either it's allowed by all, or none. my p.o. has no problems with t's, neither have ay posties who've delivered them- but why the discrepancy about the rules from one p.o. to another?


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## spidersnake (Dec 1, 2009)

wilkinss77 said:


> the thing i find odd, is the contradictory info from within the royal mail- some post offices say it's ok to post t's, other's say it's prohibited. either it's allowed by all, or none. my p.o. has no problems with t's, neither have ay posties who've delivered them- but why the discrepancy about the rules from one p.o. to another?


That I believe is down to the managers. Some are old posties who have worked their way up & know the score, others are snotty nosed college boys straight out of uni with a view to make a name for themselves or you get the other sort like my brother-in-law, the 'brown noser'. Befriends the managers outside the workplace by drinking at the same pub, playing golf at the same club, etc. Then get promoted so the managers feel easier being seen with a manager in public instead of being seen with a lowly worker in public. If the lowly worker doesnt get promoted, he gets accused of grassing on his workmates.


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

wilkinss77 said:


> so how come tss, bugz uk, & martin goss all send t's by RMSD?


I'm pretty sure they don't go to the post office and say 'hello, I'm the spider shop, another tarantula to send please". And if they do, they have a postie like mine, who says send them, just don't tell me. :lol2:

It's not illegal, but no doubt it's Royal Mail policy, not to send tarantulas. Too be honest I can't blame them... It does provoke fear in a lot of people, just because we like them, the rest of the world is mostly horrified, with a few curious people. 

They don't know we pack them in a box, in a box in another box with loads of tape and padding. And unless the tarantula gained opposable thumbs, a highly developed brain and a pair of scissors they aren't getting out. 

Most people aren't very clued up on the whole thing. His postie obviously got freaked out and told his manager because he doesn't want to be delivering any more. Which I can't blame him really... best thing to do is just not mention it, or if you are, say its a box of live food, or my personal favourite, a teddy bear. :no1:


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## iLuke (Jul 14, 2011)

Stupid royal mail are. I've got my T's from the Spidershop and always been posted by RMSD and the people have came to the door smiling saying whats in the parcel and I tell them, and they either smile and go nice and laugh, or smile and say "Ewww" then say have a nice day. And they're gone.. it could be different areas of the country? I don't know.


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## wilkinss77 (Sep 23, 2008)

iLuke said:


> Stupid royal mail are. I've got my T's from the Spidershop and always been posted by RMSD and the people have came to the door smiling saying whats in the parcel and I tell them, and they either smile and go nice and laugh, or smile and say "Ewww" then say have a nice day. And they're gone.. it could be different areas of the country? I don't know.


my posties respond that way, too. never been told you can't post them.


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## wilkinss77 (Sep 23, 2008)

vivalabam said:


> I'm pretty sure they don't go to the post office and say 'hello, I'm the spider shop, another tarantula to send please". And if they do, they have a postie like mine, who says send them, just don't tell me. :lol2:
> 
> It's not illegal, but no doubt it's Royal Mail policy, not to send tarantulas. Too be honest I can't blame them... It does provoke fear in a lot of people, just because we like them, the rest of the world is mostly horrified, with a few curious people.
> 
> ...


but some p'o's allow it & others don't- surely if it's allowed, no p.o manager should be able to prevent it. & if it isn't, how come some p.o's risk allowing it?


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## swampeh (Dec 4, 2011)

I just take the parcel and laugh to myself :Na_Na_Na_Na: if only they realised what was in the box


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## vivalabam (Aug 8, 2010)

wilkinss77 said:


> but some p'o's allow it & others don't- surely if it's allowed, no p.o manager should be able to prevent it. & if it isn't, how come some p.o's risk allowing it?


I think it's more of the actual people who is taking the parcel, some won't mind, some will get freaked out. The ones that get freaked out are more likely to tell the manager to stop it. 

Some of the managers won't mind either, like mine, they just say don't tell me what's in it.


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## gaz2374 (Aug 29, 2005)

iLuke said:


> Stupid royal mail are. I've got my T's from the Spidershop and always been posted by RMSD and the people have came to the door smiling saying whats in the parcel and I tell them, and they either smile and go nice and laugh, or smile and say "Ewww" then say have a nice day. And they're gone.. it could be different areas of the country? I don't know.


Don't no Iv never had a problem with the two or three posties that do my area and I'm in the same town as the op maybe they just got a squeamish postie .i even had a sling go to the main office in town was there 2 days ,when I went to get it I said hope it's still alive as its a baby t and the guy behind the counter was like I hope so mate .


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## babyjo84 (Feb 27, 2012)

I reckon he reported me because I didnt appreciate him rough handling my parcel clearly marked fragile, so he took the hump and snitched to his boss.

I think its disgusting that fragile parcels are shook and mistreated on purpose.

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## Spider jake (Nov 6, 2011)

babyjo84 said:


> I reckon he reported me because I didnt appreciate him rough handling my parcel clearly marked fragile, so he took the hump and snitched to his boss.
> 
> I think its disgusting that fragile parcels are shook and mistreated on purpose.
> 
> Sent from my ST18i using Tapatalk


I agree! :gasp: I thought that if it was marked as fragile they would treat it like the baby Jesus was inside, the weird thing is you would think they would be careful otherwise we wont use royal mail and they wont make as much money :/


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## splottlands (Jul 3, 2009)

My postman is brilliant , he always knows when Im getting some entomological specimens and hes more often than not around when I unpack them. A great bloke who does a great service to the PO.

To the numpty playing footy with your boxes.. either video him and send the evidence in or better still set your vicious rabid dog on him


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## babyjo84 (Feb 27, 2012)

splottlands said:


> My postman is brilliant , he always knows when Im getting some entomological specimens and hes more often than not around when I unpack them. A great bloke who does a great service to the PO.
> 
> To the numpty playing footy with your boxes.. either video him and send the evidence in or better still set your vicious rabid dog on him


^^^ if only! Lol

Am I the only one who has 2 or 3 different posties? Lol

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## chalky76 (Aug 23, 2007)

I have 1 main postie (really great bloke) and two that sometimes deliver.


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## ashbosh (Jun 23, 2007)

We have one main one who's been doing our round for years. He's a nice chap, but haven't had any T's sent through the post yet so can't comment hahaha


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## Oderus (Nov 24, 2009)

We have a few different posties doing the rounds here also these days, not just one. But it sounds like the OP had this postman.
Inside Victor Lewis-Smith Episode 1 - YouTube

The bit you want starts at 16:38 if you don't like VLS.


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