one45auto
Member
I went to ship my Glock 36 back to the factory today and since the service representative at Glock had recommended that I transport the gun to them via UPS Next Day Air, I dutifully boxed up the pistol, securely taped the parcel, and filled out the delivery slip so that by the time I entered the store everything was ready to go.
The cut off for deliveries is 6:00pm but when I arrived at 5:15 the courier was already busily loading the truck. I walked in, thankful that there was only one other customer in the store, and proceeded to give them the delivery slip and state my preferred shipping method. I then asked for $600 insurance and everything was going well until the counter clerk asked me what the contents of the package were. The conversation then went like this:
"What's in the package?"
"A handgun."
"Oh, we don't ship handguns."
"Yes, you do."
"No, we don't. You can't ship handguns via UPS."
(A loud sigh on my part)
"Yes, you can. So long as I'm sending it to a licensed dealer or the manufacturer it's perfectly legal."
"Are you su-"
"Yes, I am. I even spoke to the factory rep and they told me to specifically send it UPS Next Day Air. Why would they tell me that if it couldn't be done?"
"Um, hold on....HEY SO-AND-SO!"
(At this point he calls over the freaking UPS driver!)
"What the policy on shipping handguns?"
"I don't know, let me check."
(The driver then picks up the phone to call someone at UPS and we all stand there wasting time as he asks the question at least two or three times to different people going up the chain of command. Finally he holds the phone to his shoulder.)
"Is this going to a dealer?"
"No, it's going back to the factory."
"Okay."
(More waiting, more talking on the part of the driver to the unknown third party. Then he finally hangs up.)
"It's okay as long as he's sending it to the factory. (He turns to me then) What kind of gun is it?"
(Well, by this time I'm past annoyed and well into being ticked off.)
"What difference does that make?!?"
"What kind?"
"A pistol"
"What kind of pistol? Forty-five, three-fifty-seven?"
"Those are calibers, not types"
"Whatever...which is it?"
"Why, are you shopping around for one to steal? It's a pistol. PERIOD."
"Does it have ammunition?"
"WHAT?!?"
"Is it loaded?"
"Why the $^# would I be sending a loaded gun back to the manufacturer??"
"Is it disassembled?"
"What the %$^# are you talking about?!?"
"It can't be shipped so that anyone can take it out and load it."
"Excuse me???"
"It has to be disassembled so that anyone can't just take it out, load it, and fire it."
"That's %#&^%$@. It does not have to be disassembled, and in any case anyone taking this out of the box apart from myself or the factory is guilty of theft. If someone steals it do you really think they're going to care whether it can immediately be fired? You think crooks are going around shaking boxes looking for an assembled gun so they can hold up the nearest 7-11 on time??"
"Well, no, but-"
"Look, everything is in order and I've followed the proper procedures to ship it. Maybe you need to call someone higher up in your company - or maybe I do."
"But it's disassembled, right?"
I'm shaking my head in disgust now.
"Look. Maybe I should send this FedEx instead."
"I can take it so long as it's disass-"
"Yeah, okay - whatever. It's in little pieces, okay? Can we get it on the truck today or do I have to take it elsewhere?"
"Sure, I can take it. No problem."
FINALLY I get to settle the bill and send it. One more minute and I'd have had his name and tag number and filed a formal complaint.
Has anyone else experienced this kind of ignorance? Is this SOP for UPS Stores, or is it just my area?
The cut off for deliveries is 6:00pm but when I arrived at 5:15 the courier was already busily loading the truck. I walked in, thankful that there was only one other customer in the store, and proceeded to give them the delivery slip and state my preferred shipping method. I then asked for $600 insurance and everything was going well until the counter clerk asked me what the contents of the package were. The conversation then went like this:
"What's in the package?"
"A handgun."
"Oh, we don't ship handguns."
"Yes, you do."
"No, we don't. You can't ship handguns via UPS."
(A loud sigh on my part)
"Yes, you can. So long as I'm sending it to a licensed dealer or the manufacturer it's perfectly legal."
"Are you su-"
"Yes, I am. I even spoke to the factory rep and they told me to specifically send it UPS Next Day Air. Why would they tell me that if it couldn't be done?"
"Um, hold on....HEY SO-AND-SO!"
(At this point he calls over the freaking UPS driver!)
"What the policy on shipping handguns?"
"I don't know, let me check."
(The driver then picks up the phone to call someone at UPS and we all stand there wasting time as he asks the question at least two or three times to different people going up the chain of command. Finally he holds the phone to his shoulder.)
"Is this going to a dealer?"
"No, it's going back to the factory."
"Okay."
(More waiting, more talking on the part of the driver to the unknown third party. Then he finally hangs up.)
"It's okay as long as he's sending it to the factory. (He turns to me then) What kind of gun is it?"
(Well, by this time I'm past annoyed and well into being ticked off.)
"What difference does that make?!?"
"What kind?"
"A pistol"
"What kind of pistol? Forty-five, three-fifty-seven?"
"Those are calibers, not types"
"Whatever...which is it?"
"Why, are you shopping around for one to steal? It's a pistol. PERIOD."
"Does it have ammunition?"
"WHAT?!?"
"Is it loaded?"
"Why the $^# would I be sending a loaded gun back to the manufacturer??"
"Is it disassembled?"
"What the %$^# are you talking about?!?"
"It can't be shipped so that anyone can take it out and load it."
"Excuse me???"
"It has to be disassembled so that anyone can't just take it out, load it, and fire it."
"That's %#&^%$@. It does not have to be disassembled, and in any case anyone taking this out of the box apart from myself or the factory is guilty of theft. If someone steals it do you really think they're going to care whether it can immediately be fired? You think crooks are going around shaking boxes looking for an assembled gun so they can hold up the nearest 7-11 on time??"
"Well, no, but-"
"Look, everything is in order and I've followed the proper procedures to ship it. Maybe you need to call someone higher up in your company - or maybe I do."
"But it's disassembled, right?"
I'm shaking my head in disgust now.
"Look. Maybe I should send this FedEx instead."
"I can take it so long as it's disass-"
"Yeah, okay - whatever. It's in little pieces, okay? Can we get it on the truck today or do I have to take it elsewhere?"
"Sure, I can take it. No problem."
FINALLY I get to settle the bill and send it. One more minute and I'd have had his name and tag number and filed a formal complaint.
Has anyone else experienced this kind of ignorance? Is this SOP for UPS Stores, or is it just my area?