UPS Stores

[6ShotsOr5?]

I realize business need to make money but the UPS "stores" charge two to five times more than just taking it to a UPS depot and shipping it. USPS flat rate is the cheapest I've found.

Didn’t know about the price kicker, thanks for sharing that. I ran into this issue only yesterday while shipping a scope to another forum member. No go at the “UPS Store”. USPS was easy.

 

[IdahoSharpshooter]

the creative contents thing is funny. I had a friend who was the importer for a Swedish ammunition and components company. One year, at the SHOT Show he and I are manning the Precision Shooting booth, and the company had sent reps over to introduce the 6BR brass stopped by to take us to lunch. At the lunch we start talking about the new brass. My friend told me about this company's testing procedure. They needed half a dozen barrels in 6mm to work with. Tariffs are nearly 200%. He boxes barrels by Krieger and Shilen and takes them to UPS Intl Shipping hub.
He had labelled the paperwork "internally threaded, high helix tubing", iirc. About ten bucks duty per blank.

Funny aside: when they found out I had my vehicle there, they invited me to dinner. And... a trip to the nearest country-western store to buy Levis. They shipped all of their show clothing home, and stuffed their suitcases with jeans and jackets.

 

[hogpatrol]

the creative contents thing is funny. I had a friend who was the importer for a Swedish ammunition and components company. One year, at the SHOT Show he and I are manning the Precision Shooting booth, and the company had sent reps over to introduce the 6BR brass stopped by to take us to lunch. At the lunch we start talking about the new brass. My friend told me about this company's testing procedure. They needed half a dozen barrels in 6mm to work with. Tariffs are nearly 200%. He boxes barrels by Krieger and Shilen and takes them to UPS Intl Shipping hub.
He had labelled the paperwork "internally threaded, high helix tubing", iirc. About ten bucks duty per blank.

Funny aside: when they found out I had my vehicle there, they invited me to dinner. And... a trip to the nearest country-western store to buy Levis. They shipped all of their show clothing home, and stuffed their suitcases with jeans and jackets.

High pressure tubing works too. Don't ask me how I know.

 

[shortgrass]

I have recently had an insurance claim with FedEx, a barrel blank lost in Colorado some where. You have to supply LOTS of information about what you shipped before they will even consider any compensation for your insurance claim. I had to supply the URL for the barrel maker to prove that there was such an item as a barrel blank, along with a copy of the receipt for the sale of the blank, along with a copy of my receipt from the barrel maker for the blank. I sold the blank on GunBroker, had to attach a page showing the blank had "sold". Must be lots of fraud in shipping insurance these days. Many looking for "easy money". Had the same 'run around' with UPS a few years ago, plus about an hour of my time with one of their insurance investigators. That one was a claim for an expensive stock shipped into my shop. I am readying another shipment, should go out today (what's considered a "high value", insured shipment). Run the "numbers" 2 ways, UPS and USPS. UPS being $6 lower in this instance. FedEx won't get any of my business until the insurance claim is paid. I am a FFL and do all of my shipping on-line. I can hand a firearm shipment across the counter at the local shipping store (Not a UPS Store, an independent) if shipping by FedEx or UPS unless it has a "high value" and then UPS says you have to hand it to a UPS employee only. So, making up a fictitious description of what you are shipping may not be the best idea if your package becomes lost and you would want to make an insurance claim. I can just about guarantee that shipping about anything gun related will be getting more 'complicated' with all that is going on these days. The Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States only guarantees the "Right to keep and bear arms", not to ship them. Companies can refuse to provide service, as long as its not to refuse making a wedding cake.

 

[Kevin Taylor]

What ever happened to saying it's a piece of metal tubing or it's glass that has been well packed.

I usually tell them it is a “precision ground metal tube”

 

[Chocdawg]

'UPS' is a different entity from "The UPS Store". The former has employees that are trained on hazmat handling, etc. The latter has retail office clerks. Hence their understandable, but regrettable, corporate policy about anything involving guns, ammo, powder, primers. In the OP's case, a telescopic sight is kinda stretching the 'gun parts' language way beyond what it was probably intended to cover - but again, retail office clerks. They have no idea what part of a 'gun' is regulated and what are not.

Yes, where I live the local UPS stores refer me to the ‘UPS Hub Depot’ to ship firearms. Fortunately a hub is only 35mins away.

 

[RustyPin]

I once had a similar problem. I sold some HBPT 220 Grain Bullets on F-Book through PayPal. My 1st mistake was re using a box from Midway that had shipped some Ammo. The Mgr read the old label and said she could not ship explosives. I explained I was re using the box and then she stated they were not allowed to ship Ammunition, even after I told her these were merely "Lead Pellets". After a couple go rounds it became obvious she had an agenda.

Well I tell you what I was getting a little upset after the way I was treated I got flustered and was even asked to leave. I left her with a few words about her Agenda she was making so obvious and My Rights she was so cavalier to deny. I drove home and regathered my senses as I really have never came across anyone like this before. While I sat in my Truck in my Driveway contemplating what to do next, I called Corporate, after a few channels,,, the very nice and knowledgeable lady explained the difference between shipping Live Ammo and Bullets with no powder or Live Primers. She went on to tell me UPS has zero problem shipping Bullets or even Ammo, only that Ammo has a different type of shipping and costs. It really chaps my rear when a Liberal takes it upon themselves to force their Agenda. I headed the advice of corporate, blacked out all previous shipping labels and went down to the next "Privately Owned" UPS store and shipped the Bullets with Zero Problems.

 

[dickn52]

I have recently had an insurance claim with FedEx, a barrel blank lost in Colorado some where. You have to supply LOTS of information about what you shipped before they will even consider any compensation for your insurance claim. I had to supply the URL for the barrel maker to prove that there was such an item as a barrel blank, along with a copy of the receipt for the sale of the blank, along with a copy of my receipt from the barrel maker for the blank. I sold the blank on GunBroker, had to attach a page showing the blank had "sold". Must be lots of fraud in shipping insurance these days. Many looking for "easy money". Had the same 'run around' with UPS a few years ago, plus about an hour of my time with one of their insurance investigators. That one was a claim for an expensive stock shipped into my shop. I am readying another shipment, should go out today (what's considered a "high value", insured shipment). Run the "numbers" 2 ways, UPS and USPS. UPS being $6 lower in this instance. FedEx won't get any of my business until the insurance claim is paid. I am a FFL and do all of my shipping on-line. I can hand a firearm shipment across the counter at the local shipping store (Not a UPS Store, an independent) if shipping by FedEx or UPS unless it has a "high value" and then UPS says you have to hand it to a UPS employee only. So, making up a fictitious description of what you are shipping may not be the best idea if your package becomes lost and you would want to make an insurance claim. I can just about guarantee that shipping about anything gun related will be getting more 'complicated' with all that is going on these days. The Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States only guarantees the "Right to keep and bear arms", not to ship them. Companies can refuse to provide service, as long as its not to refuse making a wedding cake.

Offf trend but on topic. Had a guy from Italy import some medical equipment into the US. Three special made tube within a tube containers. Declared them as pipes worth $5.00 each. So we cut one in half to look inside for narcotics. They are about 4 ft long and 12 inches across BTW. Passed the other 2 and he filed a tort claim against the US. We agreed and gave him $5.00. The actual cost was like $4,000 a piece.

 

[spclark]

I can hand a firearm shipment across the counter at the local shipping store (Not a UPS Store, an independent) if shipping by FedEx or UPS unless it has a "high value" and then UPS says you have to hand it to a UPS employee only.

Odd, that.

I work in a hardware store, we ship UPS daily for customers. Items considered as ‘high value’ only add extra paperwork & require driver’s signature when picked up (maybe that’s the ‘UPS employee’ part?) to the transaction. Never refused to ship a long gun either, as far as I know.

 

[shortgrass]

Odd, that.

I work in a hardware store, we ship UPS daily for customers. Items considered as ‘high value’ only add extra paperwork & require driver’s signature when picked up (maybe that’s the ‘UPS employee’ part?) to the transaction. Never refused to ship a long gun either, as far as I know.

That is the "employee" part. If I carry my 'high value' package to the UPS hub 16 miles away, and put it across the counter there, the person I am handing it to is a UPS employee, not a UPS driver, and the same paper work gets their signature. Lie about what is in the package you are shipping, have it get lost somewhere, and then file a claim for the insurance may get you denied for your claim. As a FFL, with a legit business, I have had few problems shipping until recently where a few packages have been lost by the shipper. Thankfully, none lost have been firearms. I am not "new" to shipping or properly packaging or labeling. I create my shipments on-line with through my USPS/FedEx/UPS accounts. The instructions on the UPS shipping pages say, "Hand your package to a UPS Employee. Keep the copy of the receipt that was signed. No claim can be processed without the signed receipt"., or words to that effect.

 

[amboy49]

I once tried to ship a wood shotgun stock and forearm at a UPS retail store. They refused to ship it. Had I said it was simply a piece of wood I suppose they would have taken it it. My fear was something happening that I would need to make an insurance claim and they would then refuse to honor the claim because it was a gunstock.

Yes, pure bravo sierra - luckily there is a UPS hub about 4 miles from my house. However, most often USPS is more user friendly and as cheap or cheaper.

 

[urbanrifleman]

I only use Fedex and never had a problem. Not once.