In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.
Sellers: Do You Use UPS? I Have Questions
nunn
Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 36,078 ******
USPS has gone nuts. Surcharges of up to $15.00 for an "oversized" package. Funny thing is, some of those "oversized" packages are provided by USPS.
Recently, a 10 pound rifle, in a box 4" X 8" X 46" cost me over $50.00 to mail with no insurance, and another 10 pound package, 4" X 12" X 42" cost over $60.00. I never buy insurance.
Before the craziness started, these package shipped for under $40.00.
So, how much does UPS charge for such packages? I know where it's going makes a difference, but how about a ballpark figure? And how much trouble is it to set up an account so that they pick up when I have parcels for them?
The nearest UPS customer counter is 35 miles away, so I really would like to arrange pickup here, but not every day.
Comments
UPS here REFUSES to ship guns, have to take it to a UPS distribution hub which is 30 miles away.
Might wanna rethink the insurance thing, I foresee guns magically going missing and ending up in the feds stock pile 🤢
I used to buy insurance. USPS taught me not to, so I don't.
You might want to check with Ricci or Kasey,(Locust Fork). They probably have your answers. Bob
I use only USPS for handguns but use both USPS and UPS for long guns. They both have extra charges for "oversized" boxes and all long guns will be oversized. I pay extra for adult signature (USPS $8.50, UPS $6.70) and insure everything. I am shipping a shotgun right now going from N.C. to VA., about 300 miles. The weight is 15 lbs. and with insurance for $2000.00 and adult signature UPS is $50.65 and USPS Priority is $54.80. UPS shows it will get there in one day and USPS Priority says two days.
Just one more thing to add to this question about shipping. I have found that where you live does make a big difference how you are treated by the USPS or UPS. When I lived in a larger city, I got a lot of hassles regarding shipping guns and had to get a supervisor to straighten out the legalities. It happened a lot and was a real PITA. When I moved to a small town, the same kind of hassles totally disappeared. The workers were all very knowledgeable about the shipping gun laws mainly because they also had the interests in them.
In the last three weeks I’ve shipped three rifles USPS account of UPS won’t ship any firearms unless your an FFL dealer, and then you have to be registered with UPS as an FFL dealer.
All the rifles I have shipped weighed 11 pounds 2 oz. to 11 pounds 6oz. Cost was $19.15, plus $15.00 for non stand size, ( over 30 inches ) total $34.15. Now here is where it gets funny, all mailed from the same location and shipped ground and not registered, ( account of the one lady telling me it will get there quicker not being registered ). All insured for a $1000, cost was $17.60 for one, $23.85 for another, and $14.30.
The lady explained registered compared to stand ground to me like this, if shipped registered they have to check and register each package at each stop, where as sent regular ground it just keeps moving in transit and gets there quicker. She was right, each package sent from central Illinois to east coast arrived and picked up in just over 48 hours.
walter is right about the "registered " mail, PM told me it is a pain in the * to ship and takes longer for each stop. With ALL there taxes, shipping increases and "oversize" mail a person has a lot of tacked on money after a purchase here, really burns my * with the state coffers raking in millions for "internet" sales, there is nothing the states won't do to suck off money off people.
I got a ups account no problem but to have on call pick up since you can't take firearms to the counter anymore cost me 15.00 a week if you have a daily pickup no cost but I don't have items everyday I am trying to get customers for a ship service ,but if you see gb there regular Joe's have gone and now mainly FFL sellers I had to do some account fixing cause after the first day of account the brown truck was stopping every day , o joy in the gun business
Quote__UPS won’t ship any firearms unless your an FFL dealer, and then you have to be registered with UPS as an FFL dealer. end
I've shipped UPS -USPS-FedEx for for 8 years here and before that 25 years at my old place and never heard nor having to be registered with UPS as a FFL.
USPS has a form to use when shipping a handgun you hand that to the clerk & they file it away.
I use ship station or just log into my account then look for the best price which is usually UPS. The box is tagged and the driver takes them when he makes a delivery. If I happen to use FedEX I'll drop it off at the shipping store & pick up a few long boxes.
I also recommended this past summer for dealers to dump their fancy shops name on shipping labels and use acronym's. Like every shipper states, use no identifying markings of what is in the box.
Now with cartridges you use the diamond tags . I ship from the main shop.
You can drop your boxes off at a hardware store if ya get to know the managers and employees.
BPBReloading FFL listings on GunBroker
https://www.gunbroker.com/All/search?Sort=13&IncludeSellers=451047&PageSize=25
This having to be registered with UPS started back in July or August.
I had used UPS in past to ship firearms and I always told them it was a firearm and that the proper paper work was enclosed with the firearm I was shipping, and showed them a copy of the FFL license so they could verify the address to where it was going. When I tried to ship it the last time the person told me, “I wish you hadn’t told me it was a rifle, because now we can’t ship it unless your an FFL dealer and are in a registry”. I wasn’t going to lie and say it was a fishing rod or something else.
"Machine Parts" !!!