[NHCOLL-L:2310] RE: shipping methods for specimens

[Simmons, John E]

Jamie,
It is not legal to ship alcohol preserved specimens by USPS
internationally.  If you are caught, the consequences are grave--huge
fines await you.  Your only option for international shipments is the
more expensive one of using FedEx, UPS, or another private courier in
compliance with the regulations.  Our costs of skyrocketed, too, but
there is no other viable option at this time.  The only short-term
solution to the cost problem will probably be to have those requesting
specimens pay for shipping.

--John

-----Original Message-----
From: James B. Ladonski [mailto:jladonski at fieldmuseum.org] 
Sent: Wednesday, June 16, 2004 10:18 AM
To: NHCOLL-L at lists.yale.edu
Subject: [NHCOLL-L:2309] shipping methods for specimens

Hi all,

Building on Greg's question last week regarding alcohol shipments, who
is 
your preferred courier for 1) domestic and 2) international loan 
shipments?  We (Amphibians and Reptiles at the Field Museum) have used
UPS 
for domestic and USPS air mail for international for several years now,
but 
we've had problems with air mail in the last year or so (packages
literally 
taking months to reach even major cities like Paris).  Given this
problem, 
we'd like to be able to track our packages (not possible with regular
USPS 
air mail).  Our only viable options appear to be 1) use a private
courier 
like UPS, FedEx, or DHL; or 2) use USPS air mail and insure the shipment

for a nominal value.  Option 1 is very costly, so much so that we cannot

use it except in very special circumstances.  That leaves us with Option
2, 
but we are concerned that insuring the shipment will require the
recipient 
to pay a duty to collect the package from their post office.  What is
your 
experience with this, both personally and from what you know of policies
in 
other countries?

Thanks for any advice you can offer,

Jamie



Mr. James B. Ladonski
Collection Assistant
Division of Amphibians and Reptiles
The Field Museum
1400 S. Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL  60605-2496  USA
phone:  (312) 665-7722
fax:  (312) 665-7697
email:  jladonski at fieldmuseum.org
http://www.fieldmuseum.org/research_collections/zoology/divisions_amphib
ians.htm