UPS damaging pistol?

[mikewriter]

I sent a Para 1911 to Bar-Sto to have a threaded barrel fitted. Sent it by UPS. Today Bar Sto sent a message that they received it, but it evidently suffered rough treatment - parts that were tightly packed when the package left were loose in the box and there was finish damage to the frame. This was not a high-dollar 1911, but I think I am going to ask UPS to compensate me for the damages. Bar-Sto took pictures, and sent them to me.

I don't like dealing with UPS on gun shipments to begin with, because I usually have to argue with them, will go back to Fed Ex in the future!

Mike

 

[hittman]

I've never once had a problem with USPS ...... the private carries on the other hand ...... not-so-much.

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

I've never once had a problem with USPS ...... the private carries on the other hand ...... not-so-much.

I've never heard of USPS paying a claim. I had a clerk ask me if I wanted insurance, I said, "why you guys won't pay it anyway." She didn't argue or rebut it.

 

[warren5421]

Have Bar-Sto send you an itemized bill for fixing so you have a value to ask UPS for. You do not have to have them fix it but you need a estimate

 

[dougader]

I had 3 bullet orders that looked like they were intentionally screwed with by USPS... and a cigar stolen out of a package as well (that one was about 17 years ago; don't smoke cigars anymore). To be fair, I've had mishaps with UPS and FedEx, too, but nothing like this.

USPS paid me quickly with a check for my loss, within a week IIRC, and they reimbursed the cost of shipping, too. It was funny that all 100 loose bullets that had been solidly taped up in multiple layers of plastic wrapping were still in the completely destroyed box (rolling around loose, no less), but a pristine, sealed box of Nosler .308 Ballistic Tips was missing from my shipment.

I know a woman that works the counter at the local post office, and I talked to her about the problem and asked if I needed to file a general complaint with the Post Master about it. She said it was very strange that 3 boxes in a row were tampered with like that, but suggested I wait one more time to see what happens and guaranteed me the problems did not happen at her office. I don't know if she raised hell or not, but everything has been ship-shape since.

UPS has been great for me except when my usual driver is on vacation. FedEx and UPS both delivered Starline brass to a burned out (and boarded up with No Trespassing signs!) house next door. I couldn't believe it, and neither could my UPS driver.... then her substitute did the same thing. Go figure.

 

[dougader]

The thing that makes me mad about your situation is that UPS makes you ship handguns 2nd day air because they can't control their thieving employees... then they damage your gun like this. Totally unacceptable!

 

[Kevin]

I received a UPS package this week, the outer box looked like it got thrown around and then kicked all over the warehouse. It was a pair of shoes, and luckily the shoe box inside wasn't damaged. Yep! They fit too.

Come to think of it, I've gotten several boxes from UPS lately that have been really beat up.

 

[wiz1997]

A few years back I was buying large quantities of reloading projectiles and breaking them down into smaller quantities to sell over on the auction side.

I often shipped using the small priority boxes and wrapped them with fiberglass tape.

I shipped from two different post offices depending on the day..

One I used on the way home from work because it was between work and home.

The other I generally used on Saturday because it was closer to home but not between work and home.

I had three packages, shipped from the first PO, arrive at their delivery point missing the contents.

Buyers sent pictures of boxes which, obviously showed they had been cut open.

Items shipped from the second PO all arrived intact.

So someone at the first PO was obviously tampering with the boxes.

I filed for lost items, the first was approved and I was reimbursed, but the other two I recieved nothing for because you can only be reimbursed for lost items once a year.

I ended up replacing the bullets to the buyers at my cost.

 

[hdxr750]

Did you buy insurance above $100.00? I hope so.

 

[pisgah]

If you did not buy the insurance, forget it. If you did -- good luck. They are notoriously reluctant to pay claims, and even if they end up paying it will be only after a long and maddening battle.

 

[DeletedMember275]

I've never once had a problem with USPS ...... the private carries on the other hand ...... not-so-much.

I've never heard of USPS paying a claim. I had a clerk ask me if I wanted insurance, I said, "why you guys won't pay it anyway." She didn't argue or rebut it.

I had a pistol stolen while in-transit through UPS, and they did ultimately pay.

 

[mikewriter]

Thanks for the suggestions - all are welcome.

Mike

 

[AJGUNNER]

I've never once had a problem with USPS ...... the private carries on the other hand ...... not-so-much.

I've never heard of USPS paying a claim. I had a clerk ask me if I wanted insurance, I said, "why you guys won't pay it anyway." She didn't argue or rebut it.

I had a good source for nickle 9mm brass. I had bought several small flat rate boxes from him with no issues. Then I get delivered an empty box with an obviously neatly cut open corner. I went through all sorts of crap with the PO to recoup my 20 or 30 bucks. I was lucky because my local very small town gal worked with me on it. When all was said and done she had over 3 hours into my claim---I know this because I stood there and listened to her make call after call trying to get me paid off and out of her hair. It took 14 weeks and I actually did get a check for the missing goods and the cost of the flat rate box shipping. I have no idea what this gal makes after 30 years with the PO, but I figured $25 an hour for a nice round number. So they dished out over $75 to pay me 20 or 30 bucks on my claim. This does not cover the labor cost for all the other PO people she spent time on the phone with. She was so frustrated with their entire system and the process she went through, she was close to just paying me out of the petty cash fund.

The questions still remains----where and how does a postal employee get away with a box full of now loose, nickle 9mm brass??? If it was in a PO, did they sneak it out--- in their purse??? If it was in the delivery truck, did they hide it under the seat??? Who in their right mind would risk a cushy well paid guberment position for 20 buck in brass???

I also continued to buy from they same seller and always in the small flat rate boxes. No problems since this one.

A little tip I have learned with shipping USPS:

Anything that I send in a small flat rate box, is first wrapped in one of their tyvek envelopes with a fully addressed label on it. Thinking if they cut a corner to try to empty contents, it will certainly be more difficult. If the box is somehow destroyed, hopefully the tyvek envelope will survive and still get delivered.

If I send brass or anything that will require 2 or more small flat rate boxes, I send 6 of them. I package in 2 to 6 of the small boxes, and them put all six into the medium flat rate box. I also put fully addressed labels on each box---all 6 of them. I figure if the medium box gets destroyed, hopefully the 6 small boxes will make it. Even if 4 of them are completely empty, they are still used for ballast/cushion for the 2 full boxes.

 

[mikem2]

Sore subject.

Fedex broke the stock on an 1985 winchester 405 that was in a box in a the box, in a plastic case that was in a box. All wrapped and secured. Looked like it was dropped from two stories. Stock at the lever broke in half. Buyer sent me pictures and the FFL on the receiving end could not believe they even delivered it. Shipped through an FFL that handled the claim including sending to Winchester for repair. That was about eight months. And the Ammo was opened, boxes stolen and sent to the damaged box area until an employee physically walked the terminal to find it.

USPS broke the bezel on a leupold scope on a 1A in 257 the buyer pursued the insurance claim.

UPS just loses packages and has no tracking system. Deliveries to the wrong address with signatures. Slowest west coast to east coast shipping. Worse customer service. Even worse counter service.

Interesting point of ownership and law to consider. When is ownership conveyed, when payment is received, when it's turned over to the shipper, or item is received by the buyer. Filing claims can be a complex process.

Just some points to ponder for shipping.

Take pictures of pre-packaged item, many and packaged item.
And buy insurance.

 

[Boxhead]

I recently sold a $3,500 custom Bisley and used these guys to get a shipping label. They use FedEx and cover the insurance FedEx doesn't. I shipped to a SoCal FFL. All went very well and I saved a fair bit of money.

https://www.shipmygun.com/go/

 

[Spleenless Dave]

I bought a stainless steel Beretta 92FS online last year and when I opened the box, the spare magazine had jammed up against the trigger guard and gouged the finish through the plastic bag the pistol was in. I figured it had been tossed around in shipping and caused the magazine to slide pretty hard to do that, and the seller, though not at fault, discounted the shipping to me, giving me back just over $40, and Beretta had me ship it back to them and they refinished the lower for free. It took a few months to get it back, since they put it in with their regular run of guns to be finished, but it didn't cost me a dime and it looks as good as new. Now I'm more apt to buy a gun I can see in person and not deal with having something shipped in case it gets tossed around in shipping.