UPS Store "doesn't ship guns"

[grousemaster]

I stopped by the E.P. UPS Store to ship a pistol down to Missouri today. After reading the name of the recipient they asked me for a "brief description of what's in the box". I told them a firearm and the worker looked at me like I was from another planet. She said "we don't ship guns, and it has to be FFL to FFL anyway!"(not true, and not the first time I've heard this myth). I told her I was an FFL and it was going to an FFL (didn't want to argue all day), she then told me the owner doesn't want them shipping guns. I explained that I receive guns regularly from UPS and I assured her that it's no problem.

She insisted that the owner didn't want to ship guns. I asked her if he would also refuse service to a gay person or some other group he didn't approve of. She nervously said she wasn't sure of the process of shipping a gun. I told her to do it like she was shipping any other package and she did. I took my receipt with tracking info and left. I'm not sure where to go from here....but I felt like they definitely showed strong discrimination against "gun people". I won't be going back.

[rockcreek]

Yep, UPS and Fedex both require handguns to go next day air unless you are an FFL, and no firearms at all can be shipped from their retail locations. You can hand it to a driver if you have a regularly scheduled pickup, or drop it off at their hub. It is far cheaper to have an FFL ship it Priority Mail for you.

[JoeH]

To my knowledge, there is not a UPS Store in the country that will ship a firearm. It's UPS policy. There is a UPS Customer Center near me. That's where I ship guns from. They are very familiar with it and never have an issue. Find one near you and you won't have a problem.

[Hmac]

UPS corporate policy specifically prohibits UPS contract shippers and UPS Stores from shipping firearms. Pistols can go via UPS (only via Next Day Air) if taken to an actual UPS shipping center, but your local hardware store or UPS Store can't accept them. You're required by law to inform a contract shipper that the package contains a firearm, but they are prohibited by law from labeling the package as such. If you are indeed an FFL, you can ship out of state via USPS.

Anytime I ship a pistol, I have to have my FFL ship it via Post Office.

[rockcreek]

I read your post too fast, I didn't see you are an FFL. Don't you have a UPS account? Even with one, it is at least half the price to use USPS for handguns.

[JoeH]

You can find info on shipping guns here.

[grousemaster]

I read your post too fast, I didn't see you are an FFL. Don't you have a UPS account? Even with one, it is at least half the price to use USPS for handguns.

I didn't know UPS Retail location policy, now I know. I figured they would just abide by local laws and serve paying customers.

[JoeH]

I read your post too fast, I didn't see you are an FFL. Don't you have a UPS account? Even with one, it is at least half the price to use USPS for handguns.

I didn't know UPS Retail location policy, now I know. I figured they would just abide by local laws and serve paying customers.

I wonder if it's a matter of UPS not trusting the UPS Store employees. If the stores are franchised, maybe they want the guns handled only by UPS employees. I'm not sure, just guessing.

[Squib Joe]

If the stores are franchised, maybe they want the guns handled only by UPS employees. I'm not sure, just guessing.

Yep, that's about it.

FedEx stores will often accept guns, but they require that the receiving FFL fax a copy of their license before shipping. Most of those are also franchises, however, and not required to do so.

My best advice is to ship from a UPS hub, not a store.

You could also look into getting the receiving FFL to send a call tag for the gun and have it picked up at your home, but not all gun shops will do that and there would of course be an additional charge for the service.

[grousemaster]

I usually have them pick up. No time today, was headed out and had to get this shipped. Lesson learned!

[arizona98tj]

Not all of the clerks/counter people at the hubs are even up on their own company's policies.

This past Monday, I shipped a rifle back to FNH. Long story short, the lady behind the counter stated that ALL firearms have to go overnight express. I told her only handguns met that criteria. "NO....ALL firearms", she said. I paid it, she shipped it, and that evening after getting home, I contacted FedEx customer service. The following morning, I spoke with a nice person in their billing department who processed the claim to refund my card less the cost for shipping a long gun via FedEx ground. Customer service was very apologetic. Hopefully they will coach/train their employee who caused the problem.

So....my rifle arrived at FNH just 22 hours after it left my hands. Pretty fast ground service.

[45Badger]

If you are an FFL, absolute bestest, cheapest, coolest, whateverest method to ship a handgun is to ship via USPS. Word.

[whiteox]

She insisted that the owner didn't want to ship guns. I asked her if he would also refuse service to a gay person or some other group he didn't approve of.

The fact that people confuse discrimination over who someone is opposed to an individual's actions never ceases to amaze me. She wasn't refusing you service because of who you are but rather she was refusing you service for what you wanted to do.

I sincerely hope your package makes it to its destination undamaged. If it is lost, stolen or damaged and you make a claim for your damaged property this poor woman will very likely lose her job when they track the origin of the package (and they will).

[grousemaster]

She insisted that the owner didn't want to ship guns. I asked her if he would also refuse service to a gay person or some other group he didn't approve of.

The fact that people confuse discrimination over who someone is opposed to an individual's actions never ceases to amaze me. She wasn't refusing you service because of who you are but rather she was refusing you service for what you wanted to do.

I sincerely hope your package makes it to its destination undamaged. If it is lost, stolen or damaged and you make a claim for your damaged property this poor woman will very likely lose her job when they track the origin of the package (and they will).

Since it was store policy, she should have let me know said policy and I could have gone elsewhere. I just thought it was the owner frowning on guns, as she stated. She also seemed to agree and understand my point of view. If I would have known, or she would have known (shouldn't she have?) I would have walked out. Sounds like she didn't know the company policy, and neither did I until now.

[The Lance]

Well you learned something new today and will know better next time.