FedEx Refusal

[bg1111]

Hello,

I took my S&W pistol to FedEx Shipping Center to send back for repairs (2nd Time) recently. S&W's instructions said:
"For Express handgun shipments, use a FedEx Box (free of charge from a FedEx Customer Center) or a
sturdy shipping box"

When I asked for a FedEx Express box the girl told me they could only ship Priority Overnight. I showed her my 2Day Express label and she said sorry, no go. I asked to see her supervisor and she told me they would accept it but I had to buy a generic brown shipping box from them. The box can't say FedEx anywhere on it. I showed them the S&W instructions telling me to use a FedEx Express box. They said sorry, their FedEx instructions is what they go by and don't care what S&W says.

S&W either needs to give customers correct instructions or they need to get with FedEx and provide correct instructions to their shipping agents. We already have a firearm that doesn't work and then to have to go thru an altercation with the shipping agents trying to send it back is uncalled for.

 

[90crvtec]

Most likely, S&W has the "correct" instructions and the local UPS/FedEx location that you were at was misinformed. Or, FedEx decided to change their shipping requirements and did not notify S&W.

Many moons ago I had to send a 1911 back to Sig for warranty repair. They sent me a prepaid, overnight UPS shipping label. I went in to a UPS shipping warehouse (not a street corner UPS store), declared the firearm was in the box, and handed the box to the clerk behind the desk. The clerk flat out refused to take the package. I asked for a manager, who became very aggressive and also refused to take the package. He asked me to leave the location and I did. I then called UPS corporate, who agreed that I should not have been asked to leave the premises and that I had all the necessary items needed to be able to legally ship the firearm. I came back the next day, there was a different clerk and I didn't declare the firearm. Imagine that, they accepted it like every other package.

I learned that from there on out, what they don't know won't hurt them. If you're sending a firearm back to the manufacturer for warranty work, I NEVER declare it. It's just too much hassle when some ninny behind the counter decides that your package needs some "special" treatment.

My advice for next time is, don't declare it. Just drop the package off and you're on your way. If you ever catch any grief over it, you can always say you declared it and the clerk failed to notate your request.

 

[coltle6920]

Don't feel there was any reason to get in a snit over it.Ultimately the shipper makes the rules even if they don't seem correct from what you've been told.If the employee and/or manager were wrong S&W could've easily told them they would take their business elsewhere.

You don't argue with fools...You hit them where it hurts!

 

[coltle6920]

Most likely, S&W has the "correct" instructions and the local UPS/FedEx location that you were at was misinformed. Or, FedEx decided to change their shipping requirements and did not notify S&W.

Many moons ago I had to send a 1911 back to Sig for warranty repair. They sent me a prepaid, overnight UPS shipping label. I went in to a UPS shipping warehouse (not a street corner UPS store), declared the firearm was in the box, and handed the box to the clerk behind the desk. The clerk flat out refused to take the package. I asked for a manager, who became very aggressive and also refused to take the package. He asked me to leave the location and I did. I then called UPS corporate, who agreed that I should not have been asked to leave the premises and that I had all the necessary items needed to be able to legally ship the firearm. I came back the next day, there was a different clerk and I didn't declare the firearm. Imagine that, they accepted it like every other package.

I learned that from there on out, what they don't know won't hurt them. If you're sending a firearm back to the manufacturer for warranty work, I NEVER declare it. It's just too much hassle when some ninny behind the counter decides that your package needs some "special" treatment.

My advice for next time is, don't declare it. Just drop the package off and you're on your way. If you ever catch any grief over it, you can always say you declared it and the clerk failed to notate your request.

Not a very smart move IMO.You should've gotten the clerk's and manager's name for when you called UPS and let them handle the need for an attitude adjustment at their depot.To think you wont eventually get caught for not declaring something like a firearm is foolhardy at best.

 

[hoc9sw]

I had one clerk refuse to let me use the Fedex box as I was told to. I took one, went to the car, split it open, turned it inside out, taped it all together, and took it back in.

Next trip they had no issues.

Local clerk knowledge level is all over the scale.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

FedEx srvc.

"For Express handgun shipments, use a FedEx Box (free of charge from a FedEx Customer Center) or a sturdy shipping box"

When I asked for a FedEx Express box the girl told me they could only ship Priority Overnight. I showed her my 2Day Express label and she said sorry, no go.

I've sent guns back twice & used the Express box both times, with the provided S&W shipping label. If I recall, the S&W contract with FedEx negotiated Express service (to minimize handling) but at 2nd Day rates. If you were shipping it, as an individual, I believe their rules require Next Day service of a firearm, but S&W has negotiated 2nd Day service with FedEx. That office obviously didn't know, or take the time to verify that.

 

[regalsc]

Fedx is picking one up from me today. I had a box from the same size gun that I had shipped to me left over. After reading this I see I have accidentally used the right unmarked brown box. It is a pia to ship a new gun back but unfortunately for me its not my first time. So far fedx has been accommodating to me.

 

[bfm]

From ATF.gov, I would not risk not declaring it.



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.

[18 U.S.C. 922(a)(2)(A), 922(a) (3), 922(a)(5) and 922(e), 27 CFR 478.31 and 478.30]

 

[MichiganScott]

I've always scheduled a FedEx pickup from my house and used whatever brown box I may have. Never had a problem.

 

[photoman]

From ATF.gov, I would not risk not declaring it.



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.

[18 U.S.C. 922(a)(2)(A), 922(a) (3), 922(a)(5) and 922(e), 27 CFR 478.31 and 478.30]

I always cringe when I see the internet "legal advice" to ship a gun and not declare it.

 

[RalphMP9FS]

If you ship a gun and don't declare it, Fedex and UPS will not pay an insurance claim if the gun lost. I have no idea if SW would replace the gun if it is not delivered.

 

[Arik]

These things are always all over the place. I use UPS. It's easier to use the local corner UPS store because it 3 miles from my house but I always have to argue with them, even for ammo shipment. On the other hand when I go to the UPS main hub they don't even bat an eye. I come in and say I'm shipping this rifle. They ask if it's loaded, I say no and it's on its way. The problem is its a but out of the way. I have to drive an extra 10 miles past my house in rush hour traffic. Normally it's a 10 min drive, no big deal but in traffic it sucks

 

[deanodog]

I sent one back to S&W and fed-ex was sent the shipping label and they picked it up at my house and placed the label on it. I did declare a firearm it was in a plain box as instructed.

I was refused by UPS on shipping ammo at their main hub and asked them to call their own haz-mat help desk. They were told no problem shipping. I had ormd tags on the package. All clerks are not informed on their rules.

I no longer use fed-ex or ups to ship anything since they rob us on overnight shipping on handguns.
I use FFLs and ship USPS. Only when I have no other options.

 

[RalphMP9FS]

When S&W creates the shipping label, maybe they have declared it as a firearm?

 

[N4KVE]

I always ship UPS from work. The driver doesn't give a **** about what's in the box, & is only concerned that he picks up the packages, & is back in his truck in 30 seconds, or less. GARY

 

[NJM15]

Most likely, S&W has the "correct" instructions and the local UPS/FedEx location that you were at was misinformed. Or, FedEx decided to change their shipping requirements and did not notify S&W.

Many moons ago I had to send a 1911 back to Sig for warranty repair. They sent me a prepaid, overnight UPS shipping label. I went in to a UPS shipping warehouse (not a street corner UPS store), declared the firearm was in the box, and handed the box to the clerk behind the desk. The clerk flat out refused to take the package. I asked for a manager, who became very aggressive and also refused to take the package. He asked me to leave the location and I did. I then called UPS corporate, who agreed that I should not have been asked to leave the premises and that I had all the necessary items needed to be able to legally ship the firearm. I came back the next day, there was a different clerk and I didn't declare the firearm. Imagine that, they accepted it like every other package.

I learned that from there on out, what they don't know won't hurt them. If you're sending a firearm back to the manufacturer for warranty work, I NEVER declare it. It's just too much hassle when some ninny behind the counter decides that your package needs some "special" treatment.

My advice for next time is, don't declare it. Just drop the package off and you're on your way. If you ever catch any grief over it, you can always say you declared it and the clerk failed to notate your request.

I may be wrong, but one time I returned a rifle for repairs they said if you disassemble it could be shipped as parts I did through USPS with no problems

 

[Simson-Suhl]

I sent a model 19 to S&W for repairs last month using S&W's prepaid label. The instructions stated that I must ship the firearm from a World Shipping Center and not a drop box or a standard Fed Ex /Kinko outlet. The Yellow Pages telephone book listed two World Centers, one in California and the other in another state. Stopped by the standard outlet, explained I wanted to ship a firearm by prepaid label, they stated they could not receive it, however, they gave to me a Google map to the OKC main shipping terminal which is the WSC. Huge center, small office. The clerk on duty boxed my Smith, placed the label on the box. and gave to me my copy of the paperwork.

 

[Maximumbob54]

This is my understanding so it doesn't mean I'm right.

If YOU ship it then it must go overnight and into the locked cage between movements. S&W should have sent YOU the correct shipping label to do this. I know they did for me a year ago or so.

If your FFL ships it then it can go much cheaper to include USPS. It sounds like they gave you the shipping label that should have gone to an FFL since they have different shipping ability than you ever will.

Once again, I may be wrong.

 

[44wheelman]

I agree with the original post; S&W needs to update their instructions.

Both Fed Ex and UPS corporate rules state guns can only be shipped overnight/next day. It is not a law, it is just company policy. Some clerks will let you get away 2 day shipping... others won't touch the evil package.

As stated, it is a violation of federal law to ship without declaring the firearm.

Disassembled or not, serial numbered frames/receivers must be shipped and declared as firearms.

Me and the local Fed Ex people get along real well, I know their rules, and they follow them. I have educated more than one clerk (okay two); but I was patient & did it politely.

 

[photoman]

I agree with the original post; S&W needs to update their instructions.

Both Fed Ex and UPS corporate rules state guns can only be shipped overnight/next day. It is not a law, it is just company policy. Some clerks will let you get away 2 day shipping... others won't touch the evil package.

As stated, it is a violation of federal law to ship without declaring the firearm.

Disassembled or not, serial numbered frames/receivers must be shipped and declared as firearms.

Me and the local Fed Ex people get along real well, I know their rules, and they follow them. I have educated more than one clerk (okay two); but I was patient & did it politely.

Interesting. I have shipped many handguns with FedEx and was never required to ship overnight.