# Fastways courier



## sphynxskin (Feb 6, 2008)

Can someone please tell me if fastways couriers are licensed to carry livestock?


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## CTO-Reptiles (Nov 7, 2006)

we rang them about 2 weeks ago and was told that they don't courier livestock, but we have had 3 or 4 reptiles delivered by them so not too sure how they have got around it


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## rachy (Nov 18, 2006)

They are not licensed and if you use them you are endangering your reptile , they lost a parcel for a week , luckily the gecko survived.


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## tarantulabarn (Apr 21, 2005)

Fastways are not couriers they are a poor excuse for a parcel delivery company and they are not licensed to carry any livestock, except foods like crickets etc whic they do not need to be licensed to carry


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## purejurrasic (Mar 18, 2006)

As above, they are NOT autorised what so ever.

However, some of the local depots will try to flout that when they can, and there was a time when the local depot were using a rep who was untruthful about this which resulted in some reptiles being sent via them.


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## sphynxskin (Feb 6, 2008)

I don't know what to do now!!! The guy who has sent me the animal using this company told me that it was a specialist animal courier and this guy has a well know business selling livestock. By the way I was expecting it to arrive yesterday!!! I got so upset by the time 5-30pm came. I keep thinking about this poor animal in that box since Thurs, he told me it could arrive betwen 9 am & 5-30 pm Fri. What do I do now?


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## dom_manchester (Jul 9, 2008)

Your not on your own here buddy, I am in the exact same situation, I have three golden african reed frogs somewhere in thats company which should have been delivered yesterday, I waited in allll day as I had delivery's from other couriers which all turned up fine, and their online tracking system is just a joke, it tells me it was collected on the 14th which it true but thats all it says I am really anoyed with this excuse for a delivery company and I urge anyone to stay well clear, I have tried to ring various branches of theirs including the branch that apparently collected the package but I get no answer and no return calls after leaving many messages


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## dom_manchester (Jul 9, 2008)

what area are you from, it isnt manchester by any chance is it


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## sphynxskin (Feb 6, 2008)

Yep! I was given the delivery guys mobile number by the the person from whom I bought the animal from. I phoned him and he put the phone down on me! I phoned him again and he asked me where had I got his number from and then said he only covered Stockport and not my area.


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## dom_manchester (Jul 9, 2008)

Thats freaky I didnt expect you to be in manchester as well, their mobile numbers are on fastways website but I cant find a number for my area, as I am in worsley and it dont seem to list that area as being covered by anyone, they are a franchisee company so I hope the manchester branch if you can call it that hasnt gone bust so to speak, I hate not knowing anything and not being able to speak to anyone, what area of manchester you from mate ?


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## sphynxskin (Feb 6, 2008)

Hyde, just outside of Manchester.


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## dom_manchester (Jul 9, 2008)

Ahh ok, I dont even know if they do delivery's on saturdays as most companys dont unless the item was sent as a saturday delivery, I am not sure on what we can do from here other than wait,anyone else have the same problem or anyone else actually recived an item yesterday from fastways ?


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## pollywog (Oct 6, 2005)

I've never used fastways so can't comment on their service but would it not be possible for you guys to go and pick your parcels up from the depot? Surely it's better for you to make the effort to pick up the animals than leave them and hope they arrive alive on Monday.


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## sphynxskin (Feb 6, 2008)

I am waiting for the guy who I bought the animal from to sort this one out! I am his customer and he must know that they are not licensed:devil:


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## sparkle (Mar 21, 2007)

I cant believe they are still doing this after their head office was contacted a few months back and a group of people made major complaints.

I think its time someone reported them to a depeartment with some juristiction to fine them...

when you do collect your animals KEEP the boxes take photographs and complain to their head office.. or bypass that altogether and just make a formal complaint to whoever can fine the idiots of close them down.


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## dom_manchester (Jul 9, 2008)

Hi Andrew the problem is I dont know where the depot is otherwise I would race up there I dont want to recive dead frog at the end of the day and their website is the worse website I have ever tried to use, it has very limited info on their website


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## sphynxskin (Feb 6, 2008)

I would if I knew where to pick up from! I have been given no tracking number only the delivery guys mobile and he's not saying anything.


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## sparkle (Mar 21, 2007)

what a total nightmare.



I seriously hope the animals are ok... Fastways are really needing investigated.


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## purejurrasic (Mar 18, 2006)

To be honest, a call to the welfare in transport team maybe called for.

Not against the seller, as he may well have been dupted , but fastways know the score and are blantantly flouting the law.


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## pollywog (Oct 6, 2005)

I just had a look at their website and it says the Manchester Depot is at

Brimar Factory, Greenside Way
Middleton
Manchester
M24 1SN

Tel. 0870 0500 665
Fax. 0845 389 0688

Link here: http://www.fastwaycouriers.co.uk/8Directory_RFdepots.html#MAN


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## sparkle (Mar 21, 2007)

purejurrasic said:


> To be honest, a call to the welfare in transport team maybe called for.
> 
> Not against the seller, as he may well have been dupted , but fastways know the score and are blantantly flouting the law.


Totally agree.

I sincerely hope the animals turn up totally fine however even if they do I feel its imperative to keep the parcel box and have the relevanyt body investigate.

They are telling people they can trasport reps when they blatantly cant!!


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## sphynxskin (Feb 6, 2008)

Thanks Andrew, I have just phoned and it is an answer machine, it is the same number as i called yesterday. This is so frustrating :bash: I just want to save the animal.


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## pollywog (Oct 6, 2005)

After a quick google this is the company that own the building Fastways use: Brimar - Contact Information perhaps someone there can help you get in touch with someone at the couriers?

Or going back to the Fastway contact page, see if you can find the details for James Headifen or Mark Rea in your local phone directory.


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## sphynxskin (Feb 6, 2008)

No luck...Answer machine for the people who own the building and there is one person in the phone book with the name Mark Rea, wasn't him though.


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## dom_manchester (Jul 9, 2008)

Hi Andrew, thank you for your google searches, I have just contacted this company but I just get an answer phone from them too, as soon as my tom tom has some charge I will be going to the depot


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## Faith (May 17, 2007)

Heres the thing with fast ways,
If the seller had to use a white ticket to send your animal its not going to arive via fastways at all it will arrive via dhl tnt or such like.
They do deliver on a saturday yes but i doubt very very much your going to get them now 
Call up the sellers and make sure they know its illigal to send via fast ways.


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## sphynxskin (Feb 6, 2008)

Thanks Faith, I have just contacted Marc at Dartfrog and he said that he has used them without any problems in the past and that he would just have to have people pick up from him from now on.


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## Faith (May 17, 2007)

sphynxskin said:


> Thanks Faith, I have just contacted Marc at Dartfrog and he said that he has used them without any problems in the past and that he would just have to have people pick up from him from now on.


Id still be inclined to call the welfare in transport there are a fair few members on here that had a lot of trouble with them last year they cant be allowed to carry on.
Please keep the box and take photos of the labels etc.


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## sphynxskin (Feb 6, 2008)

I will do that, don't worry! Thanks a lot to everyone.


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## sphynxskin (Feb 6, 2008)

Ive located the delivery man :2thumb: I spoke to him at 8-30 am this morning. He said his van broke down on Friday, say no more...He has my gecko and told me it has got a live sticker on the box!!! I am waiting for him to delivery it now...Watch this space!


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## sphynxskin (Feb 6, 2008)

I live ten mins away from the locations he covers...I have just spoken to him again to see if he is on his way and he told me 20 mins to half an hour and why was there a problem? :censor: live animal, priority!!! He said he's coming now...


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## sparkle (Mar 21, 2007)

please keep us upadated.. ive been thinking about this wee guy all weekend

if you have some critical care formula.. that would be good.. let us all know what happens xxxx


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## sphynxskin (Feb 6, 2008)

:2thumb::2thumb::2thumb:She's alive! She been drinking & drinking, poor thing! Has eaten and is warming up, looks active enough...Thank goodness for that. What a stressful weekend that was!!!


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## adamntitch (Jun 17, 2007)

this is the company that exotic pets use now and my parcel got lost over night with them as well


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## PSGeckos (Jul 15, 2007)

Thought Paul & Lin (aka Diablo & Faith) and Tony, aka Purejurrasic use to use these guys?
I remember a heated thread on the forum a fair while ago, is that when it all came out there weren'nt a reputable, licensed or insured reptile courier?


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## sphynxskin (Feb 6, 2008)

I contacted them first thing this morning...Told them the whole story. I was told there were no guarantees to get next day delivery and I said It's a live animal! That's cruelty to animals and he told me to take it up with the sender!


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## mjsgeckos (Apr 7, 2008)

i had a contract with fastways also and it was terminated due to them not having the correct licenses....they should not be carrying livestock!:whip:


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## sparkle (Mar 21, 2007)

adamntitch said:


> this is the company that exotic pets use now and my parcel got lost over night with them as well


 
exotic pets are using FASTWAYS

WHEN!!!!

FASTWAYS dont have liscence to CARRY ANIMALS

their head office confirmed it

thats ridiculous

I hope exotic pets dont get done for it... and I hope someone informs them very quickly

ETA

im glad geckos alive...

this company SERIOUSLY need investigated!!!!


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## Faith (May 17, 2007)

PSGeckos said:


> Thought Paul & Lin (aka Diablo & Faith) and Tony, aka Purejurrasic use to use these guys?
> I remember a heated thread on the forum a fair while ago, is that when it all came out there weren'nt a reputable, licensed or insured reptile courier?


I have to correct you on this PSgeckos,
Tony - Purejurassic NEVER used fast ways, yes there was a huge heated debate on it a while back selina posted i if i remember rightly.


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## sparkle (Mar 21, 2007)

RIGHT GUYS

I think reporting this company to the relevant bodies is the only thing people can now do..

keep ALL boxes that animals have been sent in by them..

every last thing.. the persons name u speak to.. date time and office called..

this is illegal and animals are at risk!!


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## sphynxskin (Feb 6, 2008)

I'm on to Defra...


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## Faith (May 17, 2007)

you want the sumit in transit
argh i cant remember what they are called


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## sphynxskin (Feb 6, 2008)

It's ok faith, I'm waiting for someone to get back to me...Animal welfare in transit.


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## Faith (May 17, 2007)

sphynxskin said:


> It's ok faith, I'm waiting for someone to get back to me...Animal welfare in transit.


Thats it couldnt remember who it was


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## sphynxskin (Feb 6, 2008)

Just spoke to them :bash: told me to get onto trading standards & rspca


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## Love_snakes (Aug 12, 2007)

I got a gecko through them, she arrived perfectly healthy and on time but i did notice the man throw the box a bit when he was getting out of the car (although he must have thought it was crickets or something). I wouldn't advise them as they dont have a clue what they are carrying, go for a licenced courier


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## sparkle (Mar 21, 2007)

I just called my local depot and the woman said its a personal choice down to each branch but yes they carry reptiles ... fastways in general and yes they can sit all weekend in depots!!!

If exotic pets direct dont KNOW this isnt legal someone needs to tell them pronto!

as for fastways they need investigated !!


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## Faith (May 17, 2007)

sphynxskin said:


> Just spoke to them :bash: told me to get onto trading standards & rspca


Then get on to the rspca hun 
if defra cant be bothered to do anything or try chris newman he might be able to get them to listen


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## sphynxskin (Feb 6, 2008)

Is he to do with RSPCA?


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## Faith (May 17, 2007)

sphynxskin said:


> Is he to do with RSPCA?


He is a member of the IHS i think it is but works closely with AWA and such


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## sparkle (Mar 21, 2007)

i wil get the details for the correct liscening department and let you know


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## sphynxskin (Feb 6, 2008)

have u a number for him?


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## sphynxskin (Feb 6, 2008)

ta, Bonnie, trading standards are very busy:lol2:


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## Faith (May 17, 2007)

sphynxskin said:


> have u a number for him?


He is a member on here hun ill try and find the profile one sec

Here you go 
http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/members/chris-newman.html


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## sphynxskin (Feb 6, 2008)

Just been reading the messages on Exotic-pets thread. Marc said he sent my package with an orange ticket? Don't know what that means?


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## sparkle (Mar 21, 2007)

sphynxskin said:


> ta, Bonnie, trading standards are very busy:lol2:


i really wish my name WAS bonnie

but boringly its lynn

lol


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## sphynxskin (Feb 6, 2008)

ta lynn :smile:


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## tarantulabarn (Apr 21, 2005)

Just to clarify why fastways are not now and can never be licensed

Fastways is a franchise operation, you buy a franchise and get the name only, then you set up a depot/office and find some van/car owners to deliver parcels, these can be any one that is willing to put the hours in and as long as they stick the livery on their van, 

There would be no way on earth that every inependant van/car owner working as a subcontractor to the local hub would have a svl or any other kind of license, the odd one might have which could be why the confusion is creeping in as to whether they are or not licensed.

TNT are the same on their Sameday side, they are all independant van owners and are unlicensed, TNT express are the licensed ones.


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## sphynxskin (Feb 6, 2008)

:blowup: Sorry everyone! I'm :censor: fuming! There isn't really anything that I can do now as I've just realised there's no proof of sender on the box & no invoice? This was a replacement gecko. No proof of which courier service has delivered it either:cussing:


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## Faith (May 17, 2007)

sphynxskin said:


> :blowup: Sorry everyone! I'm :censor: fuming! There isn't really anything that I can do now as I've just realised there's no proof of sender on the box & no invoice? This was a replacement gecko. No proof of which courier service has delivered it either:cussing:


The box should have a ticket on it, that ticket number can be traced via fastways to the sender hun.
Thats if the rspca or who ever will make them comply.


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## sphynxskin (Feb 6, 2008)

Found it! The number on it is the number Marc gave me. I have been trying all weekend to track and trace it with that number & it kept telling me no records found? Very bizarre


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## Faith (May 17, 2007)

Um they can be like that at times i give head office a ring again and tell them that its illigal for them to transport live animals but you have recieved one with X ticket number see what they say.


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## sphynxskin (Feb 6, 2008)

The number on the text message I got is 0A and on the ticket it says OA. Just tried it & it says parcel picked up on the 14/08/08.


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## Faith (May 17, 2007)

Um id ring head office hun they should be able to trace where it came from but they also need to be told people are still sending live stock through them


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## adamntitch (Jun 17, 2007)

problem being tho faith that wene i had stuff delivered by them and it was reptiles the box said in huge letters live reptiles so they must no


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## dom_manchester (Jul 9, 2008)

My little reed frogs also turned up today alive and well thankfully, altho I think this was down the the fantastic packaging of exotic pets, and as adam said before the boxes from exotics pets in my case has a sticker on it clearly saying live reptiles inside not just livestock, so in this case they must know reptiles are being sent,
I'm just happy they turned up alive and well.


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## sphynxskin (Feb 6, 2008)

:bash::bash::bash: I have just come off the phone to head office in Hereford and the woman there said that she didn't know that a gecko was classed as livestock:lol2::lol2::lol2: She knew that Dartfrog used them, as they send frogs out for him. After I read out to her the extract of their terms and conditions, she took my number and is passing it on to one of the managers.


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## mjsgeckos (Apr 7, 2008)

Because FastWay are a Franchise, they do not have franchises in some areas- for example; Cumbria. So if you sent a parcel from Manchester say, to Cumbria, it automatically gets sent to Leicester and then a 3rd party delivery service take over the delivery, ie; DHL.
FastWay had assured us that they had a licence to carry Reptiles.

This is where the confusion starts with us, we marked the parcel as live Reptiles, and DHL opened it!!!!!!:bash:
So then they refused to take it as they haven't got a licence (rightly so)...the next minute we have Fastway at the door, re-delivering our Gecko back to us. Thankfully the Gecko was fine.
The whole process took 2 days- and it was originally on a next day service.

When all this came to light, we terminated our contract with them.

FastWay told us that if we were to send another Reptile through them, then not to label the parcel, then DHL would have never have opened it, and everything would have been fine!!!!!!!! WTF!
We declined and got a full refund.....

Hope this helps.....:2thumb:


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## sphynxskin (Feb 6, 2008)

I guess it will help... If everybody who has had dealings with them and posts their experiences on here,Thanks. I have spoken to Chris Newman today and he's on the case.


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