| Garth Gustafson |
01-31-2015 12:07 PM |
I recently sent my GH project gun to Brian for a new stock. I sent it USPS, priority (2nd day delivery), registered and insured. I wrapped the hell out of it in bubble wrap and carefully shipped it in a cardboard box. An interesting side note -USPS has an archaic rule about shipping registered mail items - you need to put paper wrapping tape over the seams (ie on top of the plastic shipping tape we all use). Then they rubber stamp all along the side of the tape. This is so they can tell if the package was tampered with. Also when you send it registered mail, the item has to be signed for at every transfer point and locked up overnight for safekeeping. I liked that.
So 2 days later I logged into the website to track the package. Package had made it as far as Jamaica Plaines, the USPS transfer facility at JFK. For the next 5 days the gun fell into a black hole and there was no further information available. Fearing the worst, I called USPS to report the loss and told them it was a firearm. That got their attention and I started receiving phone calls from postal workers along the route and even from the postmaster in Spencerport! The prevailing attitude throughout this ordeal was typical USPS- don't worry, it'll turn up-we're working on it. So much for 2nd day delivery.
Brian finally got the gun a week late, it arrived safe & sound, no damage. Moral of the story- If you use USPS, be prepared to be patient. And if you send it registered mail, don't pay extra for faster delivery. AS we all know, the USPS operates on their own timeframe.
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