diff --git a/aiourlshortener/exceptions.py b/aiourlshortener/exceptions.py
index 86c0b88..e5b933b 100644
--- a/aiourlshortener/exceptions.py
+++ b/aiourlshortener/exceptions.py
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@ class UnknownAioUrlShortenerError(Exception):
     pass
 
 
+class FetchError(Exception):
+    """A error occurred while fetching a remote resource"""
+
+
 class ShorteningError(Exception):
     pass
 
diff --git a/aiourlshortener/shorteners/base.py b/aiourlshortener/shorteners/base.py
index 99736b3..5e35a5a 100644
--- a/aiourlshortener/shorteners/base.py
+++ b/aiourlshortener/shorteners/base.py
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
+import asyncio
 from abc import abstractmethod
 import aiohttp
 from asyncio import coroutine
 
+from ..exceptions import FetchError
+
 
 class BaseShortener(object):
     """
@@ -16,14 +19,23 @@ def __init__(self, **kwargs):
 
     @coroutine
     def _get(self, url: str, params=None, headers=None):
-        with aiohttp.Timeout(self.kwargs['timeout']):
-            response = yield from self._session.get(url, params=params, headers=headers)
-            return response
+        response = yield from self._fetch('GET', url, params=params, headers=headers)
+        return response
 
     @coroutine
     def _post(self, url: str, data=None, params=None, headers=None):
-        with aiohttp.Timeout(self.kwargs['timeout']):
-            response = yield from self._session.post(url, data=data, params=params, headers=headers)
+        response = yield from self._fetch('POST', url, data=data, params=params, headers=headers)
+        return response
+
+    @coroutine
+    def _fetch(self, method: str, url: str, data=None, params=None, headers=None):
+        try:
+            with aiohttp.Timeout(self.kwargs['timeout']):
+                response = yield from self._session.request(method, url, data=data, params=params, headers=headers)
+                response.raise_for_status()
+        except (aiohttp.ClientError, asyncio.TimeoutError):
+            raise FetchError()
+        else:
             return response
 
     @abstractmethod
diff --git a/aiourlshortener/shorteners/bitly.py b/aiourlshortener/shorteners/bitly.py
index 6181c3a..ec33303 100644
--- a/aiourlshortener/shorteners/bitly.py
+++ b/aiourlshortener/shorteners/bitly.py
@@ -4,8 +4,10 @@
 """
 from asyncio import coroutine
 
+import aiohttp
+
 from .base import BaseShortener
-from ..exceptions import ShorteningError, ExpandingError
+from ..exceptions import ShorteningError, ExpandingError, FetchError
 
 
 class Bitly(BaseShortener):
@@ -23,17 +25,29 @@ def __init__(self, **kwargs):
     @coroutine
     def short(self, url: str) -> str:
         params = {'access_token': self.access_token, 'longUrl': url, 'format': 'json'}
-        response = yield from self._get(self._short_url, params=params)
-        response = yield from response.json()
+        response = {}
+        try:
+            response = yield from self._get(self._short_url, params=params)
+            response = yield from response.json()
+        except (aiohttp.ClientError, FetchError) as err:
+            raise ShorteningError('There was an error shortening the url "{}": {}'.format(url, repr(err)))
+
         if 'data' in response and isinstance(response['data'], dict) and 'url' in response['data']:
             return response['data']['url']
-        raise ShorteningError('There was an error shortening this url: {}'.format(response))
+
+        raise ShorteningError('Detected an api change for Bitly')
 
     @coroutine
     def expand(self, url: str) -> str:
         params = {'access_token': self.access_token, 'link': url, 'format': 'json'}
-        response = yield from self._get(self._expand_url, params=params)
-        response = yield from response.json()
+        response = {}
+        try:
+            response = yield from self._get(self._expand_url, params=params)
+            response = yield from response.json()
+        except (aiohttp.ClientError, FetchError) as err:
+            raise ExpandingError('There was an error expanding the url "{}": {}'.format(url, repr(err)))
+
         if 'data' in response and isinstance(response['data'], dict) and 'original_url' in response['data']:
             return response['data']['original_url']
-        raise ExpandingError('There was an error expanding this url: {}'.format(response))
+
+        raise ExpandingError('Detected an api change for Bitly')
diff --git a/aiourlshortener/shorteners/google.py b/aiourlshortener/shorteners/google.py
index 3a4131b..abfbda2 100644
--- a/aiourlshortener/shorteners/google.py
+++ b/aiourlshortener/shorteners/google.py
@@ -5,8 +5,10 @@
 import json
 from asyncio import coroutine
 
+import aiohttp
+
 from .base import BaseShortener
-from ..exceptions import ShorteningError, ExpandingError
+from ..exceptions import ShorteningError, ExpandingError, FetchError
 
 
 class Google(BaseShortener):
@@ -24,17 +26,29 @@ def __init__(self, **kwargs):
     def short(self, url: str) -> str:
         data = {'longUrl': url}
         params = {'key': self.api_key}
-        response = yield from self._post(self.api_url, data=json.dumps(data), params=params, headers=self._headers)
-        response = yield from response.json()
+        response = {}
+        try:
+            response = yield from self._post(self.api_url, data=json.dumps(data), params=params, headers=self._headers)
+            response = yield from response.json()
+        except (aiohttp.ClientError, FetchError) as err:
+            raise ShorteningError('There was an error shortening the url "{}": {}'.format(url,repr(err)))
+
         if 'id' in response:
             return response['id']
-        raise ShorteningError('There was an error shortening this url: {}'.format(response))
+
+        raise ShorteningError('Detected an api change for Google')
 
     @coroutine
     def expand(self, url: str) -> str:
         params = {'key': self.api_key, 'shortUrl': url}
-        response = yield from self._get(self.api_url, params=params, headers=self._headers)
-        response = yield from response.json()
+        response = {}
+        try:
+            response = yield from self._get(self.api_url, params=params, headers=self._headers)
+            response = yield from response.json()
+        except (aiohttp.ClientError, FetchError) as err:
+            raise ExpandingError('There was an error expanding the url "{}": {}'.format(url, repr(err)))
+
         if 'longUrl' in response:
             return response['longUrl']
-        raise ExpandingError('There was an error expanding this url: {}'.format(response))
+
+        raise ExpandingError('Detected an api change for Google')