doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Bad packing by shipper.

I can go on this for hours. I was fortunate enough to have provided the UPS shipping label prepaid for a gun that was destroyed last year. As the shipper and the receiver, I was at no one else's mercy,and I was able to provide all proper documentation from both sides. ( the seller would not take the gun back and said there was no way it could have been damaged with their packing job- it was average at best) However it took 3 months and a full time shipping claims guy in my office to get them to pay. I was foolish enough to only insure a 4k gun for 2k though so I did still eat it, but getting the full 2k was some victory.
$30 case ??? I received a once beautiful Kimber 82 22 this fall in a plastic hard case stock broken clean in half at the bolt.
It takes effort to pack one well enough to combat transit abuse.

Here's a real piece of divine intervention though. Two years ago when I found the crown jewel of my collection, I asked the shipper to please disassemble it and send barrels not attached to the frame.
The gun arrived assembled sleeved in an old canvas sock in a 60x12x5 box with ONE PAGE of newspaper floating in the box with the gun. The box barely held its shape, the barrels had poked through but miraculously the gun sustained no damage.

Here's an example of the creative powers of a shipper to overcome a hard case to break a stock. When I buy a gun, I email this photo to the seller to encourage him to remove barrel from action or receiver and to pack carefully:

United Parcel Service is the worst shipper out there by a very large margin in my opinion. Anyone who ships/and or receives a gun via UPS is taking a big chance even if packaged well.

IF YOU are the buyer THEN you are paying the shipping cost and you should specify which method is acceptable to you, i.e. Fed Ex and or The United States Postal Service without exception. If the seller will not accept these terms, then NO SALE. For Auction Purchases, ask about shipping before you buy, just like you do when you question a seller about the guns condition, via phone or email etc.

For guns or parts, including ORMD shipments of any kind I always specify Fed Ex or USPS (priority mail usually for guns), since I am the one paying for it. I have had zero problems with Fed Ex and USPS.

With Fed Ex the boxes always arrive clean and undamaged, even the bottoms of the boxes are clean (poorly packaged boxes arrive sound as well), so Fed Ex must clean their trucks often and use some care in loading and unloading...?

Many auction sellers use UPS because they don't know (or too lazy) how to use USPS Click 'N Ship where they can print the label and specify a pick up time and the type of USPS service desired for the Postal truck to pick up the shipment. USPS Priority Mail Insured is about as safe as it gets, which is the same as Registered Mail.

Best,

It's always nice to read and share gun shipping horror stories when one has a gun in shipment, undelivered. I have one at this moment heading cross country.