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I will NEVER use UPS again.


Dutch Cassidy SASS 5252

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I tried to ship a Marlin rifle barrel via UPS today and they said that I can only ship a firearm to an FFL dealer. When I told them that the 2"x27" box only contained a rifle barrel they said "that is a firearm". I tried reasoning with them and explained to them what a "firearm" is, but they wouldn't hear of it. I also explained that I have sent and received gunparts via UPS before, but they did not want to hear of it. What a--holes! So I drove another 15 miles to Fed Ex who never even questioned what was in the box!

Dutch Cassidy

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Howdy:

 

I Never ship rifles or anything like that thru UPS - However; machine parts occasionally get shipped. I think a barrel is officially a part of a mechanical device and would qualify as a machine part. Yes?

 

STL Suomi

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I've never had a problem with UPS. I set up a corporate account on-line, pay for it, then drop it off at the UPS hub. Don't even wait in line, no questions asked. NEVER have gone to a UPS Store. Much closer but not worth the hassle for anything firearms related.

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I concur on a UPS store, they are total morons, I tried to send a barrel form my SXS to a smith for repair, they wouldn't take it. I took it to UPS hub, no problem. Stay out of the UPS stores, I vowed to never do business with them again. They have no right to ask what you are shipping if it isn't a hazardous substance.

 

TB

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I posted several years ago about a very similar problem with UPS..I first went to a "store", and was told I had to go to the "hub"..Sooo, off I went, and got the same story there..I then had to call the FFL person I was trying to send the guns to, which involved driving down the road from the hub since I couldn't get any dadgummed cell phone reception there-Although it was NOT in a remote location, several trips! The FFL holder got aggravated and told me to tell them if they wouldn't co-operate that I wanted to talk to the head honcho there, I did, and they gave in..Somewhat..They told me they would only ship my guns overnight, at a cost of several hundred dollars! :wacko: I told 'em to forget it, and wound up sending it with no hassle from the Post Office, of all places..Cost me between $20 -$40 I think..I don't remember the exact amount..They had no problem with it either, even after I told them I was sending guns..I did mention I was sending them to a legit FFL holder.

 

I spent over two hours that afternoon after working a long hard day, and had to drive halfway across the county trying to deal with those people, and it wound up being a total waste of time..I have since avoided using UPS to ship anything if I can help it! :angry:

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Don't go to a UPS Store!! They don't know anything!! Go to the Hub, no problem

 

It doesn't matter if it's a hub or a store, if you end up talking the company idiot ( the one that's too stupid to drive a truck) your results will be the same. Some of the employees just don't know the company rules. Most have read where you can't ship a firearm but that's as far as the got. They don't know any of the details are exception.

Go online and set up an account. Even if you take the package down there, you walk in with a package that has a prepaid label on it they don't even look up.

 

Because of the security concerns since 9-11 shipping a gun has got harder to do. Because of the trouble my customers were having on the shippers end, I now offer a drop off service. The way it work is, I send them a Prepaid label on my FedEx Ground account, my customer attachs it to the box and drops it off at the FedEx Ground counter in his area. With my account number on it, the counter people don`t give it much thought, they just send it out.

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A receiver is a firearm (the part with a serial#)...a barrel is not....

 

 

 

but how would a non-shooter know I reckon :rolleyes:

 

 

 

maybe you should of said it's a pipe, tube, or a metallic straw :D

 

 

 

GG ~ :FlagAm:

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I have always shipped "machine parts" or "lamps"; never had a problem that way. I always insured the items to the max; expensive parts or antique lamps.

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Like Nate said, ya can't fix stupid. I once MAILED some dummy rounds I'd made up for a fellow to use for a dress gun belt to do a play in a "gun-free" zone where they were giving him grief about ammo. I had to explain what was and what was not AMMO to a POSTMASTER, who finally took the package, but ya woulda thought I was shipping an atom bomb the way he handled it.

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To make things clear, this was a UPS hub and not a UPS store. I have sent firearms from here with the same clerk (to an FF) and was surprised that I got grief. When I told him what constitutes a fire arm he said "not according to UPS". AND he confirmed this with another clerk.

 

I had considered shipping the barrel as a "machine part" or "metal pipe" or some other description, but if UPS lost it and I made a claim, I'm sure that they would not want to pay $125 for a non-specified metal pipe etc.

 

I even went to the UPS web to try to get an official explaination, but that was fruitless.

Dutch Cassidy

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UPS stores have their heads up in an impossible part of their bodies.I tried going to the HUB,but the elitist idiots only take outgoing items after 4:30pm.So,I went to a Hub.I was sending my disassembled shotgun to Stoeger for repairs.Btw,I have an FFL.They said they UPS can't ship firearms.DUH.....I told them I get guns through UPS all the time,so maybe they'd better re-read UPS rules.I showed them my FFL,and AGAIN explained it is a disassembled firearm.As in taken apart...non-functioning....etc.Finally one of the lesser idiots said it was ok since it's disassembled.Would have used the Post Office,but Stoeger only uses UPS or Fed Ex.

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To make things clear, this was a UPS hub and not a UPS store. I have sent firearms from here with the same clerk (to an FF) and was surprised that I got grief. When I told him what constitutes a fire arm he said "not according to UPS". AND he confirmed this with another clerk.

 

I had considered shipping the barrel as a "machine part" or "metal pipe" or some other description, but if UPS lost it and I made a claim, I'm sure that they would not want to pay $125 for a non-specified metal pipe etc.

 

I even went to the UPS web to try to get an official explaination, but that was fruitless.

Dutch Cassidy

According to the tarriff they operate under, "firearm" is defined as per federal law, and a barrel only is not a firearm, even in Ups world.

 

The $64 question is, why didn't ya MAIL it?

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Years ago I managed to break a bolt handle off my 40xbr - don't ask.

Short story long. Needed to send barreled action back to remington. Went in to UPS tried to insure for $1000 (about cost of a replacement rifle back then).

 

They said I had parts and would only insure for $200. I figured they could not damage the barreled action but they could loose it. Politely said no thank you. Went over to the local gun store in El Paso "Starkey's" they charged about $10 more than UPS and insured the thing for $2500 and shipped it thru UPS.

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I tried shipping empty casings through a UPS store and they didn't want anything to do with "firearms," even when I tried to explain there were no explosives in an empty case. I called the UPS hazmat hotline, and they told me I was right but recommended I go to a main UPS shipping facility. The stores are idividually owned franchises that can basically do whatever they want, and the main UPS offices are the only ones guaranteed to follow UPS standards.

 

-Solo Sam

#91319

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UPS once left 16 POUNDS of gunpowder on my porch. (I wasn't home) and it was supposed to have gotten an adult signature to leave.

 

 

Hey you heard that FedEx and UPS are going to merge didn't ya........they will now be known as......................................................................................................................................................................FED-UP....(drum roll...here)

 

 

good shootin

curley

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This is a indicator of a much bigger problem. We all know the rules about sending a firearm through various methods. But the DFI who is behind the counter, does not know, and in many cases makes up non existent regulations.

 

This does not just happen with UPS. Try a parts Store, where you are holding the old part in your hand, and have the ser#, Mod, Motor #, etc. and the counter person comes up with a totaly different part, which is not even close. Then you spin around the big parts book and look it up, give the number to the doe eyed kid behind the counter and say: "Get this part", and it is the right one.

 

Or a 'mart mart', where you buy a item, then buy a accessory for that item, because the sales person assured you it is the right one, then it does not fit. You Take it back, and they say, "Du, Un, Well the Uh Package, Un says it Uh Fits".

 

Or how about when you buy a lunch, and the bill is 5.39, you hand them a ten, then reach in your pocket and produce .39 cents. Then they stand their with that deer in the headlight look.

 

So how do you fix that? Schooling. Teachers say: "The Parents should teach that". Parents say: "The Teachers should teach that". Reality is, BOTH should teach that. Common Sense !

What do you do?

 

Call or write the store, company, franchise, etc. tell them you are not spending one more cent in their establishment, until they get competent help.

 

Call or write the School board members, and tell them to spend YOUR Tax Dollars, on EDUCATION, Not a pay raise to the assistants, secretary, assistant secretary. Not new lights for the ball field, because the next town over has lights that are one candle power better than yours. Not on a Huge Lighted sign, advertising the school. (What, you don't know which building is the School?)

 

Ignorant people need to be taught. (Now before you get your underwear all in a bunch) Their is a difference between, "Ignorant" and "Stupid".

 

Ignorant, is a person does not know something about something, But, can be taught !

Stupid, is if a person does not posses the capability of learning.

 

I believe the vast majority of those people we encounter, who do not have a clue, are simply ignorant, not stupid.

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It seems like most of the people that work at these places do not know all of the rules and regulations of firearm shipping and would rather err on the side of caution than to mistakenly ship something illegally and possibly lose their job. It makes it very inconvenient anytime you have to ship a firearm or firearm related item, but I can understand where they are coming from. I have never had any problems shipping from the USPS or a UPS or FedEx hub. The satellite stores are always an adventure. The last time that I shipped a gun stock from a UPS store, the kid behind the counter looked at me like I was the unibomber or something. I had to explain to him that it was just a piece of fiberglass.

 

For those that declare an item as machine parts to avoid the hassle, beware that they might not honor the insurance if something goes wrong with the delivery. I've read some horror stories.

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I've got bad news...it's all a matter of who you happen to be dealing with whether it be a UPS location, a FedEx, USPS, or Joe Blow's Express Delivery. I could share bad experiences that I've had with all of them. The fact is many people absolutely freak out when they hear the word gun and stupid goes into high gear.

 

I have a FedEx area terminal literally a few doors down. If a package ships to me ground and it is guaranteed delivered in three days, even though it might have shipped from 50 miles away, it will sit in the terminal for two days and not be delivered until the third day. Regarding UPS, I once had a snotty-nosed supervisor refuse to have pickups done at my business late in the afternoon...even though the business right beside me was picked up at 4:30 each day. He explained to me that not everyone could have late pickups. I TRIED to explain that I understood that and if they were not picking up next door, it would be fine to pick up whenever. I was unable to change his mind. I cancelled my UPS pickups. These days I ship via FedEx (drop it off down the street), but prefer to receive from UPS.

 

Once I shipped myself AND my guns on an airline. Everything went fine on the trip out. When I got ready to fly back, I almost didn't make the flight because I was being boarded (signed in to board actually) by an idiot. Mind you, this was the same airline. The fact that I had flown in with my guns didn't seem to matter. The fact that I could show him his airline's rules...didn't matter. After all, I had GUNS! I ended up only being able to fly because I agreed to leave a box of shotgun shells...that were packed within their guidelines and of course separate of the guns.

 

How many idiot stories do you want to read? :D

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Several years ago I returned a S&W 629 to the factory as part of a recall. Several days later I noticed a small box sitting on my front steps, as I rarely use the front door. There laid my 629 complete with the "must be signed for" stickers all over the box. Almost wish I had been a little more crooked, as I could have received a new 629 for my troubles if I had reported it as never received. UPS office said "these things happen from time to time"...

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This is one of hte reasons I got my FFL a few years back. USPS in the area gives me no hassels (well, until they default and close the place down). I know the UPS and Fed Ex drivers now by name. We have a good raport and they know if they don't catch me at the house on try number one they take it back and do a "hold for pickup" so that we don't have to dance around on meeting up.

 

I bet almost all of you know an FFL holder, be it a small shop or an old friend. I can almost promise that shipping through them will be cheaper and way less hassle than fighting the same battle over and over.

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I sent a rifle last week UPS.Sent it with $700.00 ins.and sent it as western art for 23.75.It got there in 3 days.

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  • 4 months later...

Here is the site for UPS rules on shipping firearms. Print it and take it with you when you go to the hub. I also do this with USPS rules. When faced with their own regs they have always backed down.

 

http://www.ups.com/content/us/en/resources/ship/packaging/guidelines/firearms.html

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I tried to ship a Marlin rifle barrel via UPS today and they said that I can only ship a firearm to an FFL dealer. When I told them that the 2"x27" box only contained a rifle barrel they said "that is a firearm". I tried reasoning with them and explained to them what a "firearm" is, but they wouldn't hear of it. I also explained that I have sent and received gunparts via UPS before, but they did not want to hear of it. What a--holes! So I drove another 15 miles to Fed Ex who never even questioned what was in the box!

Dutch Cassidy

In Columbus, Ohio they have an anti that runs the hub on the west side of town. I had 'issues' with even sending a gun to an FFL for repair. Exactly why---- I don't ship UPS and I do not accept shipments from UPS. If more of the gunowners took this approach, the company would examine policy and the idiots they have hired to run the business.

you people who say educate and train UPS employees with printed policy are part of the problem. The company will not fix it until revenue falls--- then the will be interested in fixing problems to get business back.

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:FlagAm::FlagAm::FlagAm::FlagAm::FlagAm:

 

Being an FFL, I have dealt with all kinds of shipper difficulties.

I have had a UPS driver leave a box of 40 (yes, 40) pistols on my front step ON HALLOWEEN NIGHT and didn't call me.

I have had a FedEx driver leave a dilapidated box of 2 FN FAL rifles behind the door at a local saloon and forge my name.

And of course many of their counter people DO NOT have a clue as to their own rules and gov't regs.

They make their own bu!! sh!+ rules up as they go along. :angry:

 

Over the years, I have had the best luck with a small town PO.

 

Mustang Gregg

WILD WEST ARMS

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