Absolutely OUTRAGEOUS shipping!!!!!!!

[crazyred]

Okay guys this has to be a mistake. I ordered about #40 worth of plants from Arizona Aquatic Gardens. They are being shipped overnight (I guess, they picked it) from Arizona to Texas, and they charged my credit card $46.22!!!!!!! IS this normal. How can it cost more tahn the plant order itself to ship the plants? It didn't cost me that much to overnight fish!!! Why do plants need to be overnighted anyway....they would do okay with 2nd day! I'm very upset and I can't call them until 11:00 am my time...another hour, and I'm afraid they're going to tell me "too bad". Has anyone else had this kind of problem? If so, how did you handle it? If they don't change that I am never ordering ANYTHING from them again, and I will warn everyone on every fish website I know about their outrageous shipping prices!!!!!

[roka64]

They didn't tell you how much shipping was? It also depends on who they use, Feded, UPS and such, plus overnight, you may want to check into their shipping methods....

[crazyred]

Yeah, now that you brought it to my attention ist IS in FINE print at the very bottom of their website. I just got my plants and they look good, but I don't know if they look $46 good. I think I would have settled for 2nd or 3rd day semi-good.

I can't believe I paid 6 dollars more to ship some plants than what the plants cost. Outrageous.

[roka64]

They look to be a little more expensive

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produc...1&N=2004&Nty=1

They charge $9.99

[Devilishturtles]

Wow, crazyred.

[Lepomis]

http://www.azgardens.com/neworderinguidelines2.php

Seems to be described rather well to me.

[crazyred]

Yes, I know, but I wish they would say "if you don't want your plants shipped overnight at a very expensive rate, please indicate so when ordering. I let them chose the shipping and they overnighted my plants (no fish) which I think is unnecessary for plants. I can understand overnighting fish, but not plants. I could have saved a ton. Live and learn.

[ChileRelleno]

Originally Posted by crazyred

Yes, I know, but I wish they would say "if you don't want your plants shipped overnight at a very expensive rate, please indicate so when ordering. I let them chose the shipping and they overnighted my plants (no fish) which I think is unnecessary for plants. I can understand overnighting fish, but not plants. I could have saved a ton. Live and learn.

Next time take the time to read, i did and found it all to be well explained and in detail.
No sympathy here, you screwed yourself.

I operate under the motto, "Caveat Emptor!" aka "Let the Buyer Beware!"

[crazyred]

Yeah, thanks for the helpful tip. Ever need to just vent? Well, there ya go. Didn't need sympathy, just a sounding board.

[JohnPaul]

For most aquarium plants, there is really no need to overnight them. Thus companies that automatically overnight them (and expect you to foot the bill for it) are kinda lame. Basically, they do it to cover their own *****. At least they are honest and explain it; essentially what their shipping policy says (if you read between the lines) is, "we'd rather have you pay an exhorbident amount of money for shipping everything overnight, than to ship all our plant order via USPS Priority mail for one-fifth the cost, but have to have the headaches of dealing with that 1 person in 100 who will complain about the condition of their plants."

Just the fact they're wedded to FedEx is part of the problem.

FedEx 2-day: starts at $20 (according to them)
USPS Priority Mail (easily 2-day from AZ to TX), starts at about $4.

So why are they using FedEx for plant orders?!? Last week I ordered some fish from a place in Florida (I'm in Rhode Island), they shipped the fish priority mail, shipping cost $6.10 total, and all the fish arrived perfectly fine. In fact, not only were there 4 adults in the bag (which is what I ordered), but also a handful of fry, some looking like they were probalby a week old, tops. All arrived perfectly fine.

So if fish can be shipping halfway across the country and arrive just fine, I have a real problem with a company that feels it's necessary to ship plants by overnight mail, especially when they are going to the state next door.

The company may have followed the letter of the law (as written in their policy), but I still have great sympathy for you.

[JustOneMore20]

I hear ya CrazyRed! I have never ordered from AZ gardens because their shipping is so high....but you would think that being so close to you, they would have chosen a cheaper method...since its plants and not far away. I don't know...I just stay away from them...lol. I've ordered plants from a place that took 3 days to get here and the plants were fine. As long as you don't order really sensitive plants, 2-3 days shouldn't hurt them.

By the way..what plants did you get? Just wondering...I haven't seen a picture of your tank lately...hint hint...

[Lonewolfblue]

I ordered my plants from the same place for my 75G and shipping was expensive, yes. Even more than what they charged you, by about 15.00. And they won't tell you what the shipping is either, as I think they turn it over to FedEx, and if I remember correctly, it was charged to my card by FedEx, and not AZ Gardens. So they aren't making any money off you for shipping, it's just the method of shipping that they use is expensive, and you get charged via FedEx.