Shipping Problems
 

I have encountered problems getting FED EX and UPS to ship guns to dealers and repair shops. They won't take them! Unless, unless they have a pre-printed label already attached to them. Then it's NO PROBLEM. This work around would require the dealer (some already do this) and or the repair shop to provide a pre-printed label to the customer via email to put on the package. Of course, the customer would pay all shipping cost. I would encourage all of us to discuss
this with the folks we do business with and encourage them to have the ability to provide this service to their customers. I know, you can use USPS. But, that is not a great option. Your thoughts on this are welcome.

Just print your own label. That's what I do. Then I apply the label to the package and drop off at the UPS store. They simply scan the label and hand me a receipt. No questions asked.

-Victor

This has been the case for a few years now. Victor has a great work around. I do not have any issues with the USPS in shipping. I simply show them a copy of the FFL that I am shipping to and have never had an issue. I know some will tell me that I am not required to show an FFL, but that makes the clerk happy and it easy for me to do.

Victor,
I was not aware I could print my own label. How do I go about doing this?
Thanks,
Buddy

sometimes I get harassed by the UPS employees about what is in the box - I am guessing they are trained to look for things that could be guns. The pre-paid label method works 90% of the time no questions asked, the remaining 10% I just tell them it's an antique harvesting tool so no one can tell me I lied for insurance purposes.... should it ever come to that.

In any event, as far as I understand, UPS and FedEX can choose not to ship anything they desire. USPS should take it, if you follow the rules.

This is one of those situations where it seems like how difficult it is for you depends entirely on who is running the counter that day. With any of the three carriers...

Shipping has become a bit more problematic over the years, but then what hasn't.

Pre-printing a label does seem like the way to go for UPS because most UPS stores are privately owned & won't take gun shipments if their policy prevents it. I also try to avoid these stores due to their add-on fees for being a private business rather than an actual UPS terminal.

I've used USPS for years simply because the post office is close by and doesn't hassle me about what I'm shipping other than the normal questions about hazardous materials.

Buddy:

Order some labels, like those shown in my photograph. Then go to the UPS website (https://www.ups.com/us/en/home), click on the shipping tab (near top left), and click "Create a Shipment." You will most likely need to create a UPS account. (When checking out, try using the discount code DELIVER. It worked the other day.)

When asked about what is being shipped, you can be very specific. Or not. For example, I use "mechanical apparatus." I also like Dylan's suggestion: "harvesting tool."

-Victor

My issue with the USPS isn’t whether they’ll accept the gun, that’s never been a problem. It’s how long they take to get the package delivered. Three day priority mail turns into three weeks as the gun makes a tour all around the country and it disappears from tracking.

Right John; It took 28 days to get a money order to Houston Texas. Un acceptable.

there is a site called "Pirate Ship"

sounds goofy, but it's for real, i have been using it for a couple years -

you get the discounted rates from USPS, UPS and Fedex compared - select your option and print the label-

around here - the only way to ship UPS is a drop off location (the nearby "customer service" office is now a small drop box outside the truck garage) - like a CVS pharmacy - or a UPS store- not sure what the limits are on package size. Fedex has a real service site, I set up an business account, and they are okay to deal with, but I actually rarely use them

i have mostly used USPS Priority for shotguns and have not had any issues -

I don't ship a lot but I use USPS. Can be slow, but I've not had any other issues.

I have used PirateShip.com for two years and it saves a lot of $. Almost $1000 since using them. I always have used USPS by printing a ship label and sit on pins and needles as John Davis pointed out waiting for the delivery.

I am going to try Victor's method but also thought that UPS would not take any firearm, pre-printed or not.

Victor, do you take your shipments to a UPS designated shipper? Or to an "Official" UPS center?

We used to swear by UPS . We’d print our labels have everything packaged and they’d come by the shop and pick up . However …………… , the bill at the end of the month was always greater than what was quoted on the PC sometimes over the course of a month as much as 1k . So we’ve pretty much gone to as much as it pains me USPS and yes they deliver packages using a turtle I think . I sent some cartridge brass to someone in CO and the package left VA went to Puerto Rico then Miami then Boulder ! I shipped a gun recently priority USPS to someone on the west coast and it took just about three weeks go figure !

I have had no issues with UPS Ground and just printing my own postage at home and dropping off my packages at a local drop off at a grocery store. It has also worked out like the other day where I had a UPS package coming to me and I was sending out a gun so I handed the package right to my UPS driver. He told me he is willing to stop by anytime to pick up packages if I request that from the UPS website when printing out the postage.

Just as a side note, as it is the Christmas season, it never hurts to have a gift card for your local UPS and USPS carriers. I find a little thing like that results in great service the rest of the year.

I bought a Contemporary Longrifle from a guy on another forum . Unbeknownst to me the day I put my check in the mail priority he sent the gun to me . I think he sent it second or third day . This guy lives in Fairbanks or Anchorage I I've forgotten which . Anyway I had the gun in three days and it took three weeks for a USPS Priority envelope to reach AK !

Kinda makes you feel like a fool when you’re money doesn’t reach the seller promptly :whistle:

I have both UPS and FedEx Gun and Gun Parts "Shipping Authorization" based on my C&R FFL. But I still prefer shipping USPS!
Bob Jurewicz

The UPS Stores are franchises, not UPS therefore they should not be shipping firearms even though UPS is the carrier.
If you ask the clerks at the store they will probably tell you the aren't allowed to accept firearms for shipping.
My regular UPS driver is a hunter, pistol shooter, bird dog guy- ya know a GOOD GUY and I'm sure he would not hesitate to take a gun box with a label.

Yeah, pirate ship is great. They only to usps and ups. Not fedex. But the rate savings are worth it alone. I started using it in march or april of last year and my shipping savings by the end of the year was over $700.

UPS ships hundreds of firearms everyday, literally.

CompNChoke, near me, is a machine shop that makes screw-in choke tubes and does barrel threading for them, and makes and install muzzle brakes on rifles. The owners are my close friends. They use UPS entirely to ship, and have for over 20 years.

I am fortunate that they're happy to receive firearms for me, or ship them for me from their facility. They print the label if I ship, and there's never an issue.

They may get special rates from UPS because of the volume they ship and receive, but I've never heard them say.

Good to know about Pirate Ship, if this avenue (CompNChoke) ever closes for me.

Can you purchase insurance on Pirate Ship?

In reply to an earlier post, "I'm not leaving my gun at a grocery store."

I shipped a gun to Josh a while ago on FedEx. It reached his town but not his business and appeared to be headed down a rabbit hole. Thanks to the intervention of Josh and Molly the gun was recovered. Shipping always makes me nervous.

As previous posters have pointed out, so much of this depends on the humanistic aspect of the service industries; attitudes of clerks, delivery drivers, the acumen of small business owners, etc. Some years ago a USPS mailman left a fully restored BHE 16 gauge on my brother's doorstep in the dead of winter in the standard cardboard box the Del Gregos used for shipping guns. As usual it was shipped registered mail, required signatures every time it changed hands and upon delivery, but the mailman left it in full view of the street, no plastic bag in case of rain, or other precautions taken to ensure it would not be damaged or stolen. It was discovered after dark when he got home from work; I often think of what could have occured had a "porch pirate" seen it.

Absolutely. Anything offered by either USPS or UPS is available on Pirateship. It is very straightforward and easy to use. Of course you need to be able to weigh your package and submit the dimensions on the form, choose how much insurance you wish and the software adds it all up. Then you "buy" the label, which is charged to your credit card on file. Once paid, you then "print label" and you need to have a printer to do that. Your return addresss and the address you input on the form is already on the label.

I just print the label out on regular paper, cut away the excess and tape the ship label to the box. Then drop it off at the shipper.

I never use the shipper's insurance because getting them to pay is a real hassle and usually a lost cause. I have private insurance. My main complaint with USPS is how poor their tracking has become. Theoretically an item is scanned in at each location and then tracking should show where it is, but usually all you get now is something like "in transit to next facility" which could mean it's currently in Timbuktu or headed there.