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UPS **ROTS**

IconoclastIconoclast Member Posts: 10,515 ✭✭✭
edited July 2002 in General Discussion
(several obscenities deleted!).

I ship a lot of ammo, mostly collector items. About three years ago, the local terminal manager refuse to accept packages, claiming it was no longer legal for individuals to ship live ammo . . . no matter that he couldn't cite the law / reg, company HQ stated it was perfectly legal and I routinely receive packages shipped by private individuals containing small arms ammo & so marked. Took my business to RPS, which became FedEx Ground. There are problems with them, but at least I can ship through them.

Some customers request UPS for whatever reason and until this week, I handled that by going to a UPS agent locally who would tack on a $5 fee and send it on its way. Tuesday, I took a package in, paid $13 to ship the thing and had a call the next day that is was returned for
'improper markings.' WTF? For some reason yet to be determined, this same damn terminal returned it because they won't accept "ORM-D Small Arms Ammunition" as a proper label. Never mind that this is the label specified by the regs and by the company rules.

So at this point, I'm out the shipping expense, my customer does not have his ammo and I'm about ready to go rip out the throat of the terminal manager.

What this country's shooters need is a competent carrier for their materials. Certainly the USPS, UPS and FedEx do not qualify.

Comments

  • He DogHe Dog Member Posts: 51,593 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    DOWN WITH UPS

    A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand
  • offerorofferor Member Posts: 8,625 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I just sent an item UPS, a 12 pound item and used the "one time pick-up" service. The item, going from here to California, only cost me $14.75, even though insured for $400. The same item going US Priority would have been over $26. They even came to my door and slapped the shipping label on for me. I have a hard time disliking them or their prices at the moment. After all, the choice is somewhat limited.

    - Life NRA Member
    "If cowardly & dishonorable men shoot unarmed men with army guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary...and not by general deprivation of constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
  • MercuryMercury Member Posts: 7,842 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Icono,
    Sounds like you need to go over this dork's head. Call UPS' 800 number, and talk to them. Get all the info you need, and the contact name/number of who HE can talk to. Then go tell him they said "ok" and proceed from there. Sounds like a little fish in a big pond syndrome (the manager). Good luck.

    Merc



    NO! You may not have my guns! Now go crawl back into your hole!

    ****************************************

    "Tolerating things you may not necessarily like is part of being free" - Larry Flynt
  • joeaf1911a1joeaf1911a1 Member Posts: 2,962 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Ironclast: Had the same problem in Apr. 2001 when the UPS counter
    refused to send ANY ammo out. Got hold of UPS Hazmat on the phone
    (800-554-9964) and talked to Christina Jacobs who within 15 minutes
    E mailed me a nice letter with complete instrucions, including making
    the proper "ORM-D and "Small Arms Ammunition" labels and wrote for
    the UPS manager to call her if any more problem. Since then, no
    problem. But on each trip I still bring the letter, just in case of
    a new employee who dont know the facts.
  • nunnnunn Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 36,085 ******
    edited November -1
    I never use UPS anymore, since they decided to make me pay for what their own employees steal.

    Trouble is, you can't ship ammo via USPS. So, I don't generally ship ammo.

    SIG pistol armorer/FFL Dealer/Full time Peace Officer, Moderator of General Discussion Board on Gunbroker. Visit www.gunbroker.com, the best gun auction site on the Net! Email davidnunn@texoma.net
  • NighthawkNighthawk Member Posts: 12,022 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I generaly ask for Fed X it doent cost any more,and their reliable.

    Rugster
  • LowriderLowrider Member Posts: 6,587
    edited November -1
    I get freight from UPS every day at the wastewater plant. If there's anything breakable in the shipment, it'll BE broken. Absolutely.

    Lord Lowrider the LoquaciousMember:Secret Select Society of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets She was only a fisherman's daughter,But when she saw my rod she reeled.
  • offerorofferor Member Posts: 8,625 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Trouble is, people pack for normal handling, and apparently these guys throw the packages when they stack 'em. It's why the people like Mailboxes, Etc. have such liberal and expensive packing guidelines. They always tell you you need several inches of padding around your item. I guess it's true. I've got an expensive pre-amp shipped to a buyer this week, so I hope it arrives okay. Luckily, I bought insurance. It's double boxed, but you never know.

    - Life NRA Member
    "If cowardly & dishonorable men shoot unarmed men with army guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary...and not by general deprivation of constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
  • RancheroPaulRancheroPaul Member Posts: 1,459 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I sent some ammo once on UPS. When I got there, it was broken in half! Yes, I said broken in HALF......both Cannon Balls!

    If You Can't Buy a Pair, Get a Spare!
  • IconoclastIconoclast Member Posts: 10,515 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Rugster, normally I use FedEx Ground (I have an account & ship from my home), but they have their own problems - one is billing, another is that virtually any time I send something to someone who lives past where the sidewalk ends, they get lost . . . in fact, I know that in some instances they don't even try to deliver - one of my customers received his package by mail (sent by FedEx!) because the driver didn't wish to travel to some rural area in Nebraska. The receiving Post Office was more than a little upset, since it came in w/ all the proper ORM-D & etc. markings. Now why the originating PO had even accepted the package is a more interesting question. Customer had to drive into town to pick up the package. He wasn't happy, nor was I.

    In point of fact, none of these carriers - USPS, UPS & FedEx - do a particularly good job. In most manufacturing / retailing operations in the private sector (recognizing that the latter two are, nominally), such poor, arrogant service would result in a steep decline in market share, if not bankruptcy. But when there are only one or two players, they have no incentive to do the job right. Another good example of that is Bill Gates' MacroCrap.
  • airborneairborne Member Posts: 1,728 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I've personally discussed this matter with some internal personnel at UPS. After talking to them I think they just don't care if they ever ship any ammo and weapons on an individual basis.

    B - BreatheR - RelaxA - AimS - SightS - Squeeze
  • inspectorknuckleheadinspectorknucklehead Member Posts: 81 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I ordered a case of ammo about two weeks ago. I ordered on a Monday morning and that Wednesday morning the big brown truck rolled into my driveway. Never seemed to be a problem. Maybe the manager in your local depot has a problem with the private use of firearms.

    John Colson

    "He that hath no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one" Luke 2:36
  • thesoundguy1thesoundguy1 Member Posts: 680
    edited November -1
    Inspectorknucklehead hit the nail on the head!I've had no problem shipping ammo with UPS before.But I did ship 3 video monitors once,
    and one was destroyed!If there is some way to break it,UPS will find it!

    www.waveformwear.com
    The new wave in free expression.
  • William81William81 Member Posts: 25,510 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I wrote UPS off a couple of years ago. FedX has taken pretty good care of my needs.

    Guns only have two enemies: Rust and Liberals....
  • inspectorknuckleheadinspectorknucklehead Member Posts: 81 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Offeror is right.
    I've seen the gorillas at the ups terminal throwing packages to each other while standing next to a conveyor belt. It's like they're playing catch. That's one good thing about shipping ammo, It's hard for these people to chuck a 40 lb. package.

    John Colson

    "He that hath no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one" Luke 2:36
  • IconoclastIconoclast Member Posts: 10,515 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    inspector, given his behavior, I rather suspect that to be the case. I'll try the top down approach later this week & see if I can get any satisfaction from the brass.
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