A UPS store p*sed me off

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  • amboy49

    Master
    Rating - 83.3%
    5   1   0
    Feb 1, 2013
    2,293
    83
    central indiana
    I accepted an offer from a fellow in Virginia to purchase a Winchester shotgun barrel. The buyer sent me a personal check ( no worries) and yesterday I packaged the barrel securely and went to a local UPS “retail” store to ship it. All was going well until the clerk asked what was in the box. I replied “a shotgun barrel.” Things came to an immediate halt. Heads snapped upright and a different store employee ( I guess he was an employee since he was wearing the same shirt as the guy that was “helping” me) piped up and said “We won’t ship that. We don’t ship guns.” I then attempted to explain it was a gun part, not a gun. The back and forth continued for a short time but it was obvious the employeeÂ’s position wasnÂ’t going to change.

    I guess I brought this on my self as several years ago I tried to ship an all wood shotgun stock and was told they didn’t ship gun parts. At that time, to no avail, I explained it was just a piece of wood. When asked today what was in the box I briefly thought of replying it was “sporting goods.” I don’t know if that would have satisfied them or not. It occurred to me, however, that if the barrel was damaged and I pressed them for an insurance claim on a damaged shotgun barrel they would have quickly denied the claim citing false statement on my part of the package contents.

    I have personally taken shotguns on several occasions to a UPS hub that is located several miles away. I feel certain a UPS truck picks up the store shipment items on a daily basis and transports them to the hub for shipping to destination. The store clerk couldn’t or wouldn’t produce the store policy. He dismissed my request to produce the policy and stated it’s on the website. I’m trying to project any form of logic why the retail store won’t accept guns or gun parts but the hub will, but I’m not come up with an answer.

    Suffice to say I don’t think I’ll be patronizing the local UPS store.

    End of rant
     

    Clay Pigeon

    Shooter
    Rating - 100%
    6   0   0
    Aug 3, 2016
    2,740
    12
    Summitville
    The stores are privately owned franchises, the hubs are owned by UPS..
    When a business has a contract with UPS to pickup packages they receive a cheaper rate than a regular Joe, and with having a contract how much tonnage the business ships determines the pricing.
    With you going to the UPS store you not only paid ups to ship you paid the store owner on top of that.

    You easily can get on UPS online and get a shipping label yourself and drop it off at the hub or to any UPS truck you see or have it picked up at your home.. Or box it up and bring it to your local hub and get a label there.
     

    Hkindiana

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    8   0   0
    Sep 19, 2010
    3,175
    149
    Southern Hills
    The UPS stores are independantly owned, and cannot/will not ship firearms, ammunition, or firearm parts. To ship any of those items you need to take them to an ACTUAL UPS hub, OR arrange for a UPS driver to pick them up. It has been that way for years. Sometimes I meet the UPS driver at the back door of the hub so my package never goes into the hub.
     

    churchmouse

    I still care....Really
    Emeritus
    Rating - 100%
    187   0   0
    Dec 7, 2011
    191,809
    152
    Speedway area
    The UPS stores are independantly owned, and cannot/will not ship firearms, ammunition, or firearm parts. To ship any of those items you need to take them to an ACTUAL UPS hub, OR arrange for a UPS driver to pick them up. It has been that way for years. Sometimes I meet the UPS driver at the back door of the hub so my package never goes into the hub.

    Interesting. Learn something new every day.

    This would explain why you run into the occasional "Dick" behind the counter in those stores.
     

    Sniper 79

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    19   0   0
    Oct 7, 2012
    2,939
    48
    I have a huge long story somewhat similar. If I got to ship something now I say its machine parts and don't worry about it.
     

    venenoindy

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    70   0   0
    Jul 14, 2009
    2,203
    83
    Noblesville
    I even had a problem at UPS huh one time shipping gun parts, I had to go home and print their own policies and show ignorant employee, I had good luck with FedEx especially in the Castleton hub where they been very helpful.
     

    Ggreen

    Person
    Rating - 100%
    49   0   0
    Sep 19, 2016
    3,686
    77
    SouthEast
    Ups stores are not allowed to knowingly handle shipping of gun parts, you have to go to the hub. This is an internal policy.
     

    mrproc1

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    13   0   0
    Oct 25, 2012
    537
    18
    Indy
    I too am for the term machined parts, or I use the term finished goods. I work for a major competitor to the brown company, and have never had an issue when shipping thru my employer.
    If you have any more issues let me know and I’ll see if I can help*** maybe even a little cheaper :):
     

    GIJEW

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    8   0   0
    Mar 14, 2009
    2,716
    47
    You'd expect that the UPS store employees could tell you that you have to go to the UPS hub instead of learning that on INGO. Then again, it's hard to find good help...especially in retail. I've had similar experiences with FedEx, where an employee would get squirelly about shipping a firearm--even a SIRT pistol--but the manager always set them straight. FedEx gets my business
     

    shootersix

    Master
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Mar 10, 2009
    4,280
    113
    my company ships ups and has for over 30 years (all but 5 years that they made us ship fed ex ground), and I've gotten to know my delivery/pick up drivers very well (we've only had about 3 or 4 regular drivers in that time), and heres what they tell me

    as has been said before, ups stores, staples, office depot, and so on, are franchise locations, the people who work there are not ups employees, they work for the franchise owners.

    air packages (handguns ship that way) are picked up by the driver's and put in a certain spot on the truck, and at the end of the day, the driver takes them to a certain spot at the hub, and the driver puts them where the package is supposed to go(then they get taken to the airport), then the driver takes his truck to the normal unloading spot, and the part timers unload the other packages (ground).

    the drivers have told me, that way, less hands touch air packages, and are more "accountable" for the boxes, and less damage (in most cases)

    now fed ex ground routes are "franchise's" also, contractors "buy" routes, hire drivers, maintain their own trucks, buy their own trucks, and can have their routes "taken away" from them, I talked to a driver making a delivery here (in a ryder rental truck) and I said you guys must really be busy, he told me he was from Nashville working the Evansville area as a temp driver, that fed ex fired a route owner who "owned" 5 routes (but he was making 1500 a week, and got his hotel and food expenses paid)

    I shipped a gun back to American tactical, they provided the label, fed ex air, even though we had a fed ex ground pick up, I had to call fed ex to have air pick the box up, because in Evansville air and ground operate out of different buildings!
     

    JettaKnight

    Я з Україною
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    6   0   0
    Oct 13, 2010
    26,517
    113
    Fort Wayne
    Next time package your "machine parts" at home, pay & print online at ups.com. Then drop off the complete & labelled box at the UPS Store.

    That way, the only words exchanged should be "thanks".


    I also believe that Office Depot accepts pre-labelled boxes for UPS.
     
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