Shipping long gun private party to FFL.. where did I go wrong?

[BRTreedogs]

Shit 6 days...........
I dont even list an item until its packaged and ready to go.
I strive for 6 hours to scanned in shippers possesion.

One of the hardest things I deal with in life is trying to accept that not everyone is on the same page as me

 

[The Guide]

I won a rifle on gunbroker on the 25th of September. Paid on the 27th when we got to town and had service again. It didn't ship until today. Hopefully UPS is faster than the sellers shipping department was!

Jay

 

[allstajacket]

Shit 6 days...........
I dont even list an item until its packaged and ready to go.
I strive for 6 hours to scanned in shippers possesion.

I typically ship items I sell next-day, or same day.. This sale happened to land in a very tight schedule of days, of which I was very open and honest about. It’s an item that was listed for a while.

Additionally this is an older firearm with original box. I didn’t want to shove it in a box and send it on its way. Picked up extra packing materials and ensured it was VERY well protected.

I’m an idiot for not getting a receipt. Otherwise I think everything went smooth and communication was very good from both parties.

But I posted this to discuss USPS and scanning delays, not about the transaction itself.


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[gman82001]

If you printed the label at home don’t you have an email with all the info like tracking number and such?


Never mind I see you have tracking just no received receipt, sorry about that

 

[Reburn]

I typically ship items I sell next-day, or same day.. This sale happened to land in a very tight schedule of days, of which I was very open and honest about. It’s an item that was listed for a while.

Additionally this is an older firearm with original box. I didn’t want to shove it in a box and send it on its way. Picked up extra packing materials and ensured it was VERY well protected.

I’m an idiot for not getting a receipt. Otherwise I think everything went smooth and communication was very good from both parties.

But I posted this to discuss USPS and scanning delays, not about the transaction itself.


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I can understand and respect that you tried to communicate.

However,
Amazon has F-ed up everyones reasonable expectations to shipping times and delivery times. This isnt rodney482's fault. Just the the way we are as a society now. He was right in ringing your bell and bringing up the fact you didnt have a drop off reciept.

I'm fairly confident that everything will probabaly be ok. I am really pulling that this DOESN'T become a expensive lesson for you.

However I think this has been a good lesson to not even list something until you have a suitable packaging lined out and always get a ticket.

 

[Antares]

My tits are pretty chill. However, I will also add the seller received my $1100 6 days ago. Struggled to find a box even though he knew money was sent on 25th.

Finally ships but gets no receipt and leaves it in a pile and tracking shows “not dropped off”

With that being said, I think the OP is a good guy but got a bit sloppy. He has offered to return my money orders if the rifle doesnt show up (which is fine)

The plot thickens. I'm invested in the outcome now.

 

[Tx_300wsm]

The only thing I have to offer is USPS tracking is terrible in my experience. Often times something will show as “label printed, not in system yet” or something to that effect and will show up on my porch without ever being scanned.

 

[Axlrod]

I’ll go up there tomorrow, they have cameras all over the lobby.. luckily it’s insured.

Lesson learned about the receipt, I literally just did what the employee told me to do.


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I think you will be fine, and you learned to get a receipt. Even then they misplace stuff.

You do understand that doing what the "employee told me to do" is not the same as dealing with ANY other employee on earth right?

 

[rodney482]

I completely understand his frustration. It took nearly a week to get the rifle shipped, and now this happens. Hoping tracking updates tomorrow, but will also go up there first thing. After calling the PO multiple times today I see this particular office has very bad reviews regarding speed and efficiency. It is in a very nice area so I don’t think theft should be an issue. That being said, there will be clear video of my walking up to the clerk, talking to her, and leaving the package where she shows me to.

Lots of good info here, including just taking the rifle to usps and shipping it through them rather than a label at home. Ive shipped many firearms from the gun shop I managed, however this is my first time doing it personally. Tried to follow the book, but I went wrong by not insisting I get a drop-off receipt.


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Keep your chin up. Ive got zero doubts you dropped it off exactly like you said. Lots can be learned here

 

[rayporter]

crooks

they lost a barrel last year and never paid the insurance. the tracking number never left the PO.

a million excuses not to pay.

 

[DangerRanger]

For guns always wait and get the receipt for peace of mind

Now.

Your package is fine. When you leave it in the pile it almost never gets scanned until it’s further down the line. It may take a day or so, but it will get scanned. The likelihood someone walked up in a post office, grabbed the massive rifle box that you spoke to the lady about and walked out with it is almost none. I’ve left some pricey stuff in the pile, it usually gets scanned the next day or so.

 

[jmez]

The only thing I have to offer is USPS tracking is terrible in my experience. Often times something will show as “label printed, not in system yet” or something to that effect and will show up on my porch without ever being scanned.

I was expecting a package a couple weeks ago. I tracked it and it was listed as picked up at post office. I couldn't get there for 2 days, never changed. When I picked it up they scanned it and handed it to me.

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[deerhunter628]

I always have my FFL take care of the shipping. To me it is well worth the few dollars they charge.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

USPS’s system is anything but great. I used to own a very large ecommerce business and about 25% of the packages shipped never showed a scan in their system or any updates until the delivery scan.

You should have gotten it scanned and asked for a receipt when you dropped it off though as proof it was shipped out. Yes post offices are often busy and you have to wait your turn in line. Did you declare it as a long gun when you dropped it off? Because you’re legally required to do that and most post offices make you fill out an affidavit now and for years they’ve made me show them a physical copy of the FFL it’s shipping too and make a copy for their records.

 

[rodney482]

USPS’s system is anything but great. I used to own a very large ecommerce business and about 25% of the packages shipped never showed a scan in their system or any updates until the delivery scan.

You should have gotten it scanned and asked for a receipt when you dropped it off though as proof it was shipped out. Yes post offices are often busy and you have to wait your turn in line. Did you declare it as a long gun when you dropped it off? Because you’re legally required to do that and most post offices make you fill out an affidavit now and for years they’ve made me show them a physical copy of the FFL it’s shipping too and make a copy for their records.

Ive never had to show anything w usps. They dont even ask when I insure it. I do take pics of high end items and keep a paper trail just in case they lose it (which ive had a gun lost and had to do a claim which sucked but I did get fully reimbursed)

They told me had I not had the receipt I would only get like a $100 because it was priority mail.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

Ive never had to show anything w usps. They dont even ask when I insure it. I do take pics of high end items and keep a paper trail just in case they lose it (which ive had a gun lost and had to do a claim which sucked but I did get fully reimbursed)

They told me had I not had the receipt I would only get like a $100 because it was priority mail.

Your post office isn’t following policy then. The only time they don’t require seeing an FFL is if it’s being sent to the manufacturer or a gunsmith for repair. I’ve had discussions with 3 different post masters recently regarding this and they also just started requiring the affidavit for “shipper of firearms” to be filled out.

It’s the government so it’s expected to be anything but consistent but after speaking to the post masters and being shown regulations that’s their official policy.

 

[rodney482]

Your post office isn’t following policy then. The only time they don’t require seeing an FFL is if it’s being sent to the manufacturer or a gunsmith for repair. I’ve had discussions with 3 different post masters recently regarding this and they also just started requiring the affidavit for “shipper of firearms” to be filled out.

It’s the government so it’s expected to be anything but consistent but after speaking to the post masters and being shown regulations that’s their official policy.

Not seeing it.

432 Mailability | Postal Explorer

pe.usps.com

 

[atmat]

Not seeing it.

432 Mailability | Postal Explorer

pe.usps.com

The language is vague here. It does say you may be asked to open the firearm box by the post office. That begs the question of how they would know to ask without you declaring it first?

Additionally, if they need to be able to ask you to open it, I think “dropping it at the counter” would prevent it as well.

With firearms, I always get it scanned and tell the post office person it’s a firearm being legally shipped. They’re always clueless and ask things like “ummm, is the paperwork done?” I just say yes.

I had one post office person tell me when I shipped a barreled action that it didn’t count as a firearm because it was “just parts” . By and large most of those workers don’t know what they’re doing.

 

[Clark33]

My local PO has been great, I asked them about shipping to an FFL. He told me package it up, do not indicate anywhere on the box that it is a firearm (makes it a target for theft). No haz mat, you aren’t shipping explosives or chemicals. Insure it with sig required on delivery. I guess that’s one benefit of the small town PO.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

I love pirateship, but it's really not an appropriate tool for shipping a firearm. Approaching 24 hours now, has the tracking shown anything?