Rifle Lost in Shipping - Who Eats It?

[zog]

It is starting to look as if a rifle on its way to me is lost. Tracking just says "In Transit" for six days now and it's last scan was only 200 miles from me.

The seller and I are quite friendly about it all and we'll probably land on a compromise - neither of us wants the other to get screwed.

It is insured but as a used custom rifle that has exchanged hands a few times, receipts for a claim are going to be sketchy.

My question for those who sell/buy and ship a lot - what is your accepted or suggested protocol - which party eats the $$ if the rifle is truly lost in shipping and insurance fails to pay? Sender or recipient? I know there are no forum rules and I'm not looking for a rule. I'm looking for any consensus.

Hoping it's just covid understaffing delays or something and it will turn up, but it's not looking good.

 

[WCB]

How was it sent...what carrier?

 

[kickemall]

Sender

 

[007hunter]

I’d be patient. I thought the same thing last week with a package. I was just about to contact the seller, I figured I’d check the tracking one more time and sure enough it was on the move again. Shipping is definitely taking more time than usual right now.

 

[parkj5]

The sender is responsible.Sucks on both ends for sure.

 

[Billy Goat]

Was it insured for a proper amount?

When I ship USPS I can declare any value I want. Receipts don't matter. You pay for the increased coverage. I haven't had it be an issue yet, however I always figured that if it went missing and was undelivered the insurance would make payment and it would go to the purchaser, since I had my money for it already.

Maybe I'm ignorant to the way insurance works with shipping, I have never intended to need to show any proof of item value, I did that when I purchased the additional insurance when it was shipped.

 

[07yzryder]

if the seller has a shippers account, have the seller contact them, other wise call and ask, if they give you crap let them know that you will be contacting the FBI and ATF to let them know there was a rifle that was lost by *carrier*.

Usually they can ping it and find the package, esp when its something that a 3 letter agency would investigate.

 

[Werty]

Personally if I don't get it I'm not paying for it, as a seller, I put insurance on everything.

 

[Howell81]

you won't need a receipt. Just a statement from a gunsmith on what it would cost to rebuild that exact rifle. Hopefully the insurance is/was enough to cover. the process needs to be started by the shipper.

 

[Dustin the wind]

If you contact the carrier they should be able to get a hold of the last facility it was scanned at. Could be stuck because someone shoved it in a corner or couldn’t scan it. Had this happen a couple months ago.

 

[87TT]

I am waiting for a USPS shipping on a Black Powder rifle kit and it has been "in transit" for four days with out any other updates. I think things are just slow right now.

 

[dukhunt]

Sender is responsible. I also had something not move recently for over a week. Then all of a sudden it reappeared.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

I had scope flounder around for 5 days last week in the USPS system...on day 7 I called and open a ticket...that day it showed up at the house...with the wuflu you cant count on tracking anymore.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Depends on if it the shipment was insured or not. That’s why as a seller I always ship via UPS with insurance and declared value every time. The seller is responsible here.

 

[zog]

How was it sent...what carrier?

USPS

 

[zog]

you won't need a receipt. Just a statement from a gunsmith on what it would cost to rebuild that exact rifle. Hopefully the insurance is/was enough to cover. the process needs to be started by the shipper.

Billy Goat - "Maybe I'm ignorant to the way insurance works with shipping, I have never intended to need to show any proof of item value, I did that when I purchased the additional insurance when it was shipped."

I hope you are right. I have never used the insurance; I just assumed they would make collection as difficult and time consuming as possible, asking for documentation and receipts until they wore you down. Insurance amount is enough to cover the rifle if they accept it.

 

[FLAK]

its called snail mail for a reason.

 

[carter33]

I had a smaller package sent to me USPS express that should have taken roughly 4 days to arrive. The item was shipped on the 14th and I still don't have it. It took 5 days before I got an update on it, just said "in transit" like your rifle. Thought that might give you a little peace of mind or hope that it'll still arrive.

 

[zog]

Looks like everyone agrees that sender is liable. Which seems at odds with the almost universally accepted protocol to get paid before shipping a good.

 

[zog]

I much appreciate everybody's delay stories - it does give me a little comfort it happens more than I thought but usually turns out good in the end. I have never had a problem like this before; I figured it was as good as lost or stolen by now.