Rant: UPS! :(

[Steele]

I shipped a stainless P-14 back to Para Ordnance last week because of repeated and endemic failures to feed. Otherwise a beautiful gun, but when 15 out of 50 cartridges do not chamber themselves, there's something very wrong.

They shipped it back to me using UPS.

Right now, I'm working from 7AM to 6PM, and I will be for the next couple weeks. My wife works from 8AM to 4:30PM. Keep that in mind.

UPS attempted a delivery of my pistol yesterday, at about 4:30PM, and of course, no-one was home to sign for the shipment.

So, this morning, I went to the local office of UPS, which, either by outright stupidity or some desire to alienate customers, is only open for TWO HOURS PER DAY! That's right. The local office is open from 10:30AM to 12:30PM. Now, my work schedule has me out of town much of the day on various road projects (I'm an engineer).

So, today, I drove to the local UPS office at about 10:30, a half hour drive, to pick up my pistol. Unfortunately, as I learned, the UPS office being "Open" doesn't actually mean there's anyone there. At least, anyone willing to help.

After waiting HALF AN HOUR, along with five other folks, someone finally came out to help. I presented my pickup slip, only to learn that, while I'd been patiently waiting to pick up my pistol, THEY HAD BEEN LOADING IT ONTO A TRUCK! :banghead:A truck, of course, that had driven out of the warehouse, literally, two minutes before!

Can they call the truck back? No.
Can I arrange to meet the driver somewhere--anywhere? No.
Can I arrange for him to drop the package off at my office where someone can sign for it? No.
Can I arrange for him to drop it off at my wife's office? No.

Eventually, it transpires that the driver will attempt another delivery sometime after 5PM, and be back at the warehouse by 6:30PM that evening, and they'll leave the door unlocked for me to come in and pick it up after 7PM or so. Oh well. No big deal. I can't shoot it between now and then anyway.

So I drive 30 minutes back to work, having been gone over an hour already.

Meanwhile, I called my wife to explain to her what was going on, and since she had to leave work early, could she run home and wait for a possible delivery attempt. Sure she could. Unfortunately, when she arrived home at 4PM, there was a delivery notice already there, waiting for her. Apparently, the driver is on Pacific Time.

At 6PM, when my crew was finished for the day, I headed back to the office to wait for 7PM, instead of simply going home. At 7PM, hungry as heck, I went to the UPS office again, and was looked at like a criminal.

"What are you doing here? We're closed!"
"Oh, but the guy here this morning said to come by and get a package tonight when the truck would be back."
"That truck's not back until 11PM!" :banghead::banghead:

So, now I have to drive to the local office AGAIN tomorrow morning, missing yet another hour or more of work. :banghead:

I HATE UPS!!!!!

On the plus side, Para has assured me that they fixed a broken something-or-other, and my pistol now feeds flawlessly. Of course, I can't confirm that for myself.

 

[GunFun]

Well, it sounds like you ran into the problem I did with a couple of keyboards a few years ago.

Let's hope the firearm company is true to its word. However, it's a bit scary that you didn't make them specify what they fixed. :|

I'm not familiar with a "something-or-other".

 

[GunFun]

Sorry I don't want to appear to be bashing your post, but I'd be more concerned that my weapon was properly fixed. I know how frustrating UPS, FedEx, USPS and other mail services can be at times.

 

[franconialocal]

Because we are in such a rural area UPS, FedEx, etc. will often just LEAVE our packages RIGHT OUTSIDE THE FRONT DOOR!!!...no signature or anything. I asked the local driver (who delivers to our PD) what the situation was with this and he acted like I was from Mars. He didn't understand "what the big deal was" Yeah...maybe I'm biased about crime (being an LEO) but c'mon......expensive computers (my roomates), ammo, my return from Walther (a P-22 I was having problems with). Needless to say I have everything sent to the PD now instead of my home...at least they get a signature at the PD.

VERY frustrating post that I can absolutely agree with.....

 

[GunFun]

Well that's disturbing.

You know you can have stuff sent where it requires your signature to be dropped off right?

That's also disturbing, with you being a LEO and all. :|

Alternatively you can opt to pick it up at the local dropoff point instead of being delivered, especially with drivers like that.

Wake up, especially if you are an LEO. You didn't have to have it dropped off at the PD but that's another alternative to not paying attention, I suppose.

 

[Steele]

No sorry needed.

Para did tell me what the problem was and what they fixed, on the phone. I just forget. Something to do with the extractor, but I can't be more specific. You know, CRS.

What pisses me off the most about this is compound effect. I fully expect to go there tomorrow morning and be told they cut my package into small pieces, fed them to a lizard, attached the lizard to a rocket, and delivered it to the Sun.

 

[mongo4567]

You can have the package held for pickup at the local office, if you do this they do not attempt delivery again. Call their 800 number with the tracking number.

 

[GunFun]

Thanks Mongo I just suggested the same thing, lol.

If you are concerned about a delivery most of the companies will hold it for you so you can go pick it up.

 

[GunFun]

I do find it disturbing however that a Law Enforcement Officer (or so he claims) is having rural delivery drivers deliver said gun to his house without knowing how it works. :|

 

[Steele]

I've asked them to hold it already, which failed, but I just called the 1-800 number and they assured me--again--the package would be held and not loaded onto any trucks or rockets or dogsled caravans.

Cap't Mac, you're exactly right.

 

[mustang_steve]

Your experience sounds like what I have with FedEX air out here. My problem is the driver refusing to deliver. He will just run up to my door and slap a tag saying I wasn't home on the door (or on myself as he did once), then jet, claiming it wasn't safe to drop off. I couldn't pick them up at the depot since they have no idea what they are doing.

To make it worse, they had the nerve to blame me for it. I eventually told them to send it back to the sender. The store I bought it from wigs out, I tell them to get them to deliver it then, faxing them the door slips, and emailing them the video I got of the guy without package in hand filling out slips while I'm at the window. FedEX still insists it's my fault.

After experiencing that mess I decided to never shop anywhere that uses FedEX exclusively. I now hold a UPS and a USPS account that I can let a company's shipper use if allowed to schedule a pick-up at their locale and ship it to me without using FedEX.

Of course knowing Para uses UPS just gives them another plus in my book.

UPS in this area is pretty darn good. Our delivery lady tries to space out her shipments so she's where she needs to be at the same time every time. It's been 3 years and she shows up between 4 and 4:15pm every time.

 

[Steele]

I've come to the same conclusion about UPS. I will refuse to deal with a business that ships only with UPS. Maybe the folks who ruin my local UPS office are also in charge or your FedEx?

All of this hassle could have easily been avoided had I simply taken the gun to an FFL friend to ship using USPS.

 

[ole farmerbuck]

I guess UPS has me spoiled around here. I have the drivers cell number. She calls me or I call her and decide where i want stuff dropped off. Good driver.

 

[Sav .250]

If and when you finally get your "package", all will be forgiven. Not!

 

[rogertc1]

I simply use their tracking system and remain at home (take time off). It has worked just well for me. As a matter of fact that is how I got my Saiga-12 back recently. No Issues. When I had my FFL 10 years ago I'd hate it when the UPS guy would just drop the guns at my front door when I wasn't home. Finally worked it out the tossed it behind my privacy fence.

Sad to say but UPS is it for hand guns thanks to lanti- attitudes towards guns. They have always worked with me.

 

[rbernie]

So, now I have to drive to the local office AGAIN tomorrow morning, missing yet another hour or more of work.

This has happened to me a few times, and I feel your pain.

The lesson learned is simple - do not rush to the delivery hub to pick up your package because it's almost certainly caught in the shuffle of loading/unloading the trucks. The UPS web site has an option for you to indicate that the package should be 'held for pickup', and you should hit that web page the minute that you see the little slip on the door. You can then call the next day and ensure that the package is there, and if so go get it. If you missed the loading cycle, then you pick it up the following day.

It saves a lot of stress.

 

[DHJenkins]

I've never had a problem getting a package redirected. You just need the "We tried to deliver your package" slip before they can redirect it (according to the live CS rep I talked to).

It's even on the website.

http://www.ups.com/content/us/en/resources/sri/glo_rdrpak.html?srch_pos=2&srch_phr=redirect+package

 

[AR-15Nutt]

i thought all "guns" had to be shipped to an FFL and not to you directly...., something is very wrong here

 

[GoWolfpack]

OP: make friends with somebody who stays at home. Wife who doesn't work, stay at home mom, somebody who works from home, that kind of deal. Anything important you want signed for or secure after delivery, ship it to them.

My mother stays at home; I have important stuff shipped to my parents house so she can sign for it and hold it until I come pick it up. I can't trust one of those mailbox places, and this service is free.

Ran into delivery problems often when I lived in an apartment. I'm not home (because I have a job), driver drops package at the apartment office for me to pick up. Office closes before I get home from work. I get my package on saturday. If I'm home.

 

[sharkman]

I'm a pilot. Several times after being away for a week I've come home to find packages from CMP, signature required, sitting on my front porch. So I got a mail box at one of the local commercial mailing businesses. No more problems. Not the solution for everyone but it works for me

 

[Warhawk83]

Fed ex is the crappy one here. UPS is here between 3:30 and 4:00 every time something is delivered. If it has to be signed for and you miss it, they'll actually give you the driver's cell number and he'll come back or you can meet him somewhere. Pickup at their hub is no problem either.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

I've never had a problem with UPS delivering but I'll never try to ship ammo with them again. AR-15Nutt; wrong ,you need to research the law as it pertains here.

 

[rbernie]

i thought all "guns" had to be shipped to an FFL and not to you directly...., something is very wrong here

Yes, but in this case it's probably your understanding of the law.

Shipments that cross state lines and that involve a change in ownership of the firearm must go through an FFL, according to Federal law. State law may add additional restrictions onto that.

Since this shipment did not involve a change of ownership, it is legal to not use an FFL according to Federal law. Again, the only exception to this might be in those cases when the state mandates that all firearm shipments be conducted by an FFL. But in most states, it is very legal (and very common) for the owner to directly ship a gun to a repair facility and accept delivery of the fiream in return.

I live in Texas. When my Sig P226R needed to go back to Exeter, they mailed me a prepaid FedEx label and I dropped the pistol off at the FedEx facility. When it was done, FedEx dropped it straight back to me.

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ETA - this thread is about shipping guns, not textbooks or sex toys. So long as it remains topical, it remains open. If y'all continue to clog it with off-topic posts, I'll shut it down and give the miscreants a temporary vacation from THR.

 

[spikehunter]

Yea FedEx is not much better. They LOST my cw9 for TWO weeks. What was overnight shipping was more like someone could have walked faster.

 

[Mt Shooter]

When you positively must have it they will put it in there truck and drive around with it for a few days.

I always have it "shipped" to my wifes place of work with her or my or both on it. end of problem