USPS Shipping Question

[San Jose Gun Trader]

I recently cleared out my off roster inventory via Gunbroker. I went to the same USPS location I've gone to many times before. Questions at the bottom of the thread. Story first.

Scenario-
30+ people in line behind me.

Dialogue:
USPS #1- What is in these and what is this form?

Me- This is the USPS 1508 Form. Could you please sign and post mark it. These are firearms, I am an FFL and they are not loaded.

USPS #1- I don't know what this is... I don't want to sign this....

Me- It's your form, it is required for me, a dealer, to ship firearms to another dealer.

USPS Person #2- (from 4 booths away and yelling) what kind of guns are they? You need to send gun registered mail!

Me- That is incorrect. And you've just identified these parcels as firearms to everyone here.

USPS Person #1- I don't know... I've never seen these before. How do I know they're from a dealer.

Me- Because I am the dealer....

USPS Person #1- I better get the manager...

Me- Great!

Manager- (still in full view of the now grumbling crowd in the hearth of liberal mania). We need to talk in the back....

Me- No problem.

-In the back-

Manager- I need you to open all these packages up so I can inspect them.

Me- Why?

Manager- So I know they're not loaded.

Me- I assure you they're not loaded, can you please cite the code section that requires you to search my parcels without a warrant because you feel like it? And if I did open the packages, would you even know what you're looking at?

Manager- I don't know the code section. But these are going on airplanes.

Me- ok.....? Can you tell me the code section or not?

Manager- I will have to look it up. It will take a while.

Me- I've shipped hundreds of guns through this post office, why is it an issue now?

Manager- Can you please wait in the lobby?

Me- Who do I make a complaint with about this situation.

Manager- "www.usps.gov" No, I won't tell you my name....

Soooooo.... Maybe I was feeling punchy. But, is there a section that "requires" them to inspect each firearm I intend to ship? If there is, lesson learned. Ship through UPS or FedEx.
I'm still going to complain about the treatment even though I know it wont go anywhere.

[SonofWWIIDI]

Sorry you had trouble performing seemingly legal tasks. A large part of their training (especially managers and supervisors) should be geared toward the shipping of firearms.

Good luck with your complaint.

[Eat Dirt]

I Feel Your Pain Buddy ,,

The USPS system is getting worse every year
As you can see by my Sig line below I move Brass .......
Useing the Flat Rate boxes
Not only here but on a national forum like Cal-Gun
I've shipped from Bangor Maine to Hawaii

Not only do I have to deal with 'Nosey' clerks .
"" Whats So heavy in here .."( One female at the main office is SooooooBumb , I'm amazed she can find her way to work each day

I've had payments take 5 days to reach me from just a few states away

I've recived pictures from buyers of the package when they got it
Looked like Dumbo sat on it

Had one package of .45 Brass go " Missing for 3 months !!!
Then just popped up at the P O here in town

[Mssr. Eleganté]

DMM Section 601.12.2 says that the clerk can make you open up packages containing rifles and shotguns to establish that they are unloaded and not firearms that are prohibited from shipment. It doesn't say anything about handgun shipments though.

[edgerly779]

It is easier to ship longuns to yourself usps or individual to ffl. No paperwork just box properly and ship. No requirement to tell usps what is in shipment just that it is not restricted. Handguns must be shipped second day air and not hru usps unless you are authorized to do so.

[troysland]

Tools, man! I always tell them I'm shipping tools.

[San Jose Gun Trader]

Thanks for the info and comments dudes. We are just going to ship ups from now on.

[kemasa]

UPS/FedEx is MUCH more expensive than shipping USPS. You might try another post office, if calling the National number does not work. Quite clearly they don't know what they are doing and it might be possible to educate them.

One trick might be to use the safety tape since that indicates if the package is opened, then you can say you can't open it unless they have some of the correct tape.

Yeah, they do try to make things up.

[Funtimes]

Is there a consolidated list of all these crazy shipping rules? Just about to get started, so need to figure out who I will be sending guns through.

[GunsAndAmmoGirl]

I had this happen to me at my local USPS (almost verbatim!). Very frustrating and I laughed last week when I saw the news with Staples picking up USPS services. Hopefully the Staples people will be nicer in general. Probably can't ship firearms for us though.

I go to another USPS a city away and they do just fine for us.

Good luck getting them "educated" or getting a response from the main tele number.

[kemasa]

Is there a consolidated list of all these crazy shipping rules? Just about to get started, so need to figure out who I will be sending guns through.

Some is listed through:

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=454280

[Funtimes]

Some is listed through:

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...d.php?t=454280

Thank you!

[thomashoward]

I drop a rifle off at my smith to re-barrel
I ask him to ship USPS signed certified receipt. If I'm not home they will leave a paper that they have it. I go down to the PO they check my I.D. and I walk

UPS will either lose/steal it or leave it on my front porch for someone else's opportunity.
USPS all the way

[San Jose Gun Trader]

I actually got a call back from a manager. He agreed that the other manager was incorrect and I was given the phone number for the district manager. I'll update when I hear something back.

[Eddy's Shooting Sports]

The biggest mistake was getting a human at USPS involved.

Pay the $10/mo. for endicia.com and print out nice prepaid Priority Mail labels with signature confirmation. Use their free boxes that will deliver to your door. Take the package to the post office and plunk it down on the counter and walk away. That or just give it to your carrier.

I got frustrated years ago trying to teach post office employees their job and having to quote the postal manual to get anything done. Keep it simple and you will save big $$$ over UPS/FEDEX.