doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com USPS tracking is the worst.

Gun came in today. Package bent but not destroyed. Gun was in decent shape and had been packed in five layers of bubble wrap. USPS still has no current location for this package. Figure it was never in their system in the first place if the clerk never scanned it is my best guess. I will not use USPS if given other choices but understand why others see the need or even have no other real choices. So one more project gun goes on the rack.

How was it shipped? Parcel post? Priority? Was it insured?

I have a separate insurance policy for shipping, has a $1k deductible so I only insure with the carrier for $1k and I am required to have a adult signature. It will not cover any loss if I use USPS, I must use FedEx or UPS. Sent 2 guns this week worth $50K from PA to TX with FedEx for $30.
For most long guns I am using FedEx, the exception is guns going to AK & HI then I use USPS & pay for the insurance.
Handguns generally go USPS Priority to a dealer & I pay the USPS insurance.
If you have to file a claim, UPS has been by far the worst (It has been awful!), USPS not as bad, FedEx was much better/easier. Thankfully I have very infrequent claims.
USPS tracking does suck although it has gotten a little better in the last few years. Had a slow delivery to a remote location in CA, one email & phone conversation with my FedEx sales rep and had everyone at the CA location straightened out & running to make the delivery...try that with USPS.

This is why I will never use USPS for long guns again:





Fortunately I had two more layers under the outer box, or my sidelock would surely have suffered. You can't fix stupid, but I sure don't have to give them any more of my business either.

My insurance will only insure in transit with USPS or FedEx. So I guess it is pick your poison even the insurance companies don't seem to agree on who is the worst.

i'll have to go out on a limb here and stick up for the post office. in the last 10 years I've sent over 2000 packages from ebay and gunbroker items and at least 90-95% of those were USPS and with only one exception in the US (ignore a package to South Africa that was "lost) there has never been one single package that was damaged or lost. some were slow, maybe slower than they should have been. and usps tracking is totally dependent on the post office staff/mailmen actually scanning the package and I've likewise had some that never showed a tracking history but it has been RARE.

the one package that was "lost" in this country was delivered to the wrong address on the correct street. usps customer service was able to determine the mailman who delivered it from his ID associated with the tracking scan and the buyer of the item got the address from the mailman and got his package from the people who received it. personally I thought that was just friggin awesome service.

it's bad when things do go wrong and just like every other business in the world, results are due to the responsibility of the personnel and EVERY company has some bad staff. but i'm going to have to go with the average I've had. 10 years, 1900 packages at least and not one lost or damaged.

Just sent one out yesterday (Priority/insured),seems to be tracking fine-shows last location @616 am this morning.

For me,its the most cost effective,easiest (I am almost and hr from the UPS or Fed Ex hub were you would have to take guns)and I have never had any issues.

I had a first time snafu with a local UPS store shipping a gun today. New guy was at the counter and when I asked for additional insurance, he inquired what it was. When I told him, he said he would insure as machine parts. I said "no", I don't want an insurance defense of misrepresentation in case of loss. He said only the hub could ship guns and that the stores shipped guns as a courtesy but couldn't insure it as a gun. I hot-footed it to the USPS and shipped it registered. Gil

That is correct,only hubs of both common carriers can be used to ship guns-there may be a way to have Fed Ex p/u a gun at a business account.And you were right,GLS to insist it be declared a gun-not only for insurance,its a federal law !

May a nonlicensee ship a firearm by common or contract carrier?

A nonlicensee may ship a firearm by a common or contract carrier to a resident of his or her own State or to a licensee in any State. A common or contract carrier must be used to ship a handgun. In addition, Federal law requires that the carrier be notified that the shipment contains a firearm and prohibits common or contract carriers from requiring or causing any label to be placed on any package indicating that it contains a firearm.

My USPS Priority-handgun shipped out Monday, arrived without an issue,and the tracking was fine.Certainly not perfect but its my only choice as both hubs are an hr away.

Sadly, it appears that we can't draw any solid conclusions from this thread. Everyone seems to have their favorite parcel shipper for their own good reasons. I've had maybe 50-60 guns shipped by either USPS, UPS, or FedEx. Personally, I cringe when I'm told a gun will be shipped to me or my FFL by FedEx. The majority have been shipped by USPS and I never had any delay, damage, or tracking issues. Every long gun shipped to me by FedEx has shown signs of rough handling. Two guns were broken through the wrist, and one had the barrels poking through the box. The YouTube video of the FedEx guy tossing a Plasma TV over a 7 foot iron fence is troubling.

Admittedly, part of the problem is how the gun is packaged by the sender. I don't know why anyone in their right mind would ship a double assembled and full length. The long skinny box is much more prone to damage, and it just screams that there may be a gun inside.