My letter to FedEx

[M1911]

I had lots of fun shipping a gun back to SIG on Saturday. Here's the letter I'm sending to FedEx (one copy to the local supervisor and another to customer relations in Memphis):

Dear Mr. <Supervisor>:

On Saturday, July 15, 2006, at approximately noon, I came to your facility to ship a firearm back to its manufacturer for warranty service. The board on the wall indicated that the clerk on duty was named <Clueless>. The tracking number for this package was XXXX XXXX XXXX.

I packaged the unloaded firearm in a robust industry standard firearm container prior to arriving at your facility. I placed that container inside a cardboard FedEx box. <Clueless> told me that 1) firearms cannot be shipped inside cardboard FedEx boxes (even though the firearm was inside a sturdy container) and 2) that the firing pin had to be removed from the firearm prior to shipping.

I told <Clueless> that she was mistaken and asked to speak to a supervisor. After <Clueless> insisted that she was correct, and I insisted that she was not, she used the phone to contact another FedEx employee. After I insisted to that employee that <Clueless> and she were both mistaken, the other employee researched the issue. After approximately 10 minutes on hold, the clerk on the phone finally agreed that I was correct. <Clueless> then accepted the package. <Clueless> still insisted that FedEx policy prohibited the use of FedEx cardboard boxes, for reasons that <Clueless> was unable or unwilling to explain – her logic defies any common sense.

Here is the appropriate text from the FedEx US Terms and Conditions:

FedEx Express can only accept and deliver firearms between areas served in the U.S. under the following conditions: (1) you agree to tender shipments of firearms to us only when either the shipper or recipient is a licensed manufacturer, licensed importer, licensed dealer or licensed collector and is not prohibited from making such shipments by local, state or federal regulations; (2) the shipper and recipient must be of legal age as identified by applicable state law.

Firearms must be shipped via FedEx Priority Overnight service. FedEx cannot ship or deliver firearms C.O.D. or with a signature release. Upon presenting the package for shipment, the person tendering the shipment to FedEx is required to notify the FedEx employee who accepts the package that the package contains a firearm. The outside of the package must not be marked, labeled or otherwise identify that the package contains a firearm. Firearms shipments cannot be placed in a FedEx Express Drop Box.

You also agree not to ship loaded firearms or firearms with ammunition in the same package. Ammunition is an explosive and must be shipped separately as dangerous goods. The shipper and recipient are required to comply with all applicable government regulations and laws, including those pertaining to labeling. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives can provide assistance.

As you can see, there is nothing in your terms and conditions that states FedEx boxes cannot be used. Furthermore, there is nothing in your terms and conditions that states that the firing pin must be removed. As a firearms safety instructor certified by the Massachusetts State Police, I can reliably inform you that for many firearms removing the firing pin requires specialized knowledge and tools that the average gun owner may not possess. Every day FedEx and UPS ship firearms from manufacturers to distributors and retailers; those firearms are not disassembled prior to shipping.

As a customer, I must say that in this case FedEx did not live up to my expectations. I trust that you will respond in writing with details of the remedial training you will provide to your staff to prevent such an incident from occurring in the future.

Sincerely,

M1911

 

[03roushs1]

I shipped my S&W 1911 back to Springfield. I had no trouble with the clerk, other than the look on her face when I told her it was a firearm. totally distraught. But she took the time to look in her regualtion manual, and found that I had followed all the rules while packaging. All in all my shipping went without a hitch. I also sent a glock to smyrna, GA for some warranty work throught UPS, not trouble there. It seems that you just got a ignorant clerk. Hopefully your letter will result in some training for said employee and others like her.

 

[Lugnut]

I had one problem with FedEx... I think the woman told me the firing pin would need to be removed from the gun as well! I packed the box with the slide/barrel off the frame and shipped it. She also told me it had to go to a specific person at Sig not just a dept with an RMA! I don't recall any problems with the box though. The next time I went to the same place and had no issues. No problem with UPS either. Of course all three times the gun was sent back complete without any problem. Once someone even left it without someone here!! I guess is depends which <Clueless> you get!

PS I've shipped 2 Sigs back so far. 226 with a horrible trigger- which they promptly fixed. 228 was shooting 6" high at 25 yds... they sent it back saying it was fine. I bought new sights and had to install them myself.

What are you sending yours back for?

 

[Len-2A Training]

Don't hold your breathe!

FedEx seems to only hire morons these days!

- Box allegedly delivered, but not here. Can't get them to check on what happened! 2 Weeks later a PT neighbor (only lives here ~2 months/year) calls me to tell me it was delivered to her house. Same street, I only have 2 large brass sets of street numbers on my house!

- Delivered legal papers for me to serve, placed envelope on lower steps against house instead of on covered deck of small porch. Found it hours later, semi-soggy due to rain!

- Delivered legal papers to another door, similar to above. Didn't expect them, so I didn't find them until a day later when I chanced to look out there.

- Today delivered legal papers as above, did not ring doorbell just above where they dropped them or leave them inside porch. I heard noise and checked it out as my desk is 15' from that doorway.

I have posted signs to ring doorbell, put all small packages (most are 9x12 flats) in mail-drop. FedEx universally ignores all the above instructions! No uniformity as to which door they drop stuff at, never put a sticky label anywhere to let me know to look for a package/envelope, never cover any boxes or envelopes when it's raining and almost always choose to leave it where it will get wet instead of a covered deck or enclosed porch.

On the other hand, UPS folks know how to read and usually ring the doorbell, always put things in plastic bags if raining or threatening to rain, put small items in drop slot, etc.

My letter will be to the President of FedEx when I get the time to do it. I'll also be telling the law firm and other process server clients to use UPS and NOT FedEx if they want to be sure it gets here on time and undamaged!

I'm fed up with FedEx!

 

[henchmen77]

Oh I had the same thing here in Mass with shipping ammo to a buddy in NC, I go in with it already in the box with ORM-D on the it. I called there 1800 before and the girl was very nice she said your all set you have ORM-D on there.

Well I get in there tell the girl its ammo and she says you can't ship ammo I asked her why?? Say said there a law, I said really so you are a shooter here in Mass and you know the laws?? she said no I don't shoot

well I said that's strange I have been shooting for 18yrs and have a LTC for this state so who would know the law better me or you?? She had no answer for that.

Then she said she had to talk to the Hazmate guy but he was not there. I said why she said well if we could ship it it would have to go hazmat. I said no hazmat is powder and primers go that way not loaded ammo.

I finally tell her to call there 1800 # and ask them well 10min later WOW was I right and she was wrong and at the end she say wow there should be a law about shipping ammo I just laughed and walked out.

You are going to have trouble like that at UPS or fedex they never know what they can ship.

 

[Len-2A Training]

ALWAYS print out their own Tariffs on shipping guns/ammo/etc. and bring it with you to the depot. When they start slinging BS, just show it to them in black and white!

 

[rscalzo]

I've shipped FedEx from the Portsmouth, NH location a few times. The staff was helpful and the process took no more than a few minutes. With all the CMP items they ship, they shouldn't have a problem.

 

[dreppucci007]

I only use UPS, and have never had a problem, including shipping firearms.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

She also told me it had to go to a specific person at Sig not just a dept with an RMA!

Perhaps R.e.pair

 

[FPrice]

I ship through my FFL who uses the USPS. Cheaper and so far (knock on tupperware) no problem.

 

[M1911]

228 was shooting 6" high at 25 yds... they sent it back saying it was fine. I bought new sights and had to install them myself.

What are you sending yours back for?

It's shooting about 6" high at 50'

 

[Buffalo Bill]

I have shipped a pistol via Fedex with no problem, but I completely agree with FPrice. Ship firearms through your FFL dealer. It is much cheaper through the Postal service. $10-$15 tops plus your FFL's fee. $20-$25 is better than the $60-$65 plus the BS factor to ship Fedex. I ship everything through my Fish & Game club which has an FFL. I also order all my firearms through it for wholesale, plus shipping($10-$12) and a small club fee($10-$15)I save at least $100-$150 a pistol. I'm ordering A Taurus Raging Bull 444 in stainless. $643.00 retail. My cost is $429.90. You do the math.

 

[Cross-X]

Solve the problem.



















































Sell that troublesome gun and buy a Glock!

 

[FPrice]

Solve the problem.

Sell that troublesome gun and buy a Glock!

Unfortunately for my ass-tute young friend here, two of the pistols I have had to send out went back to Smyrna, GA.

The rest went to buyers.

 

[M1911]

Sell that troublesome gun and buy a Glock

I've already got 3 Glocks. Don't need another right now.

 

[Cross-X]

...two of the pistols I have had to send out went back to Smyrna, GA.

The rest went to buyers.

Lucky buyers!

 

[highlander]

I've only dealt with UPS and only once did I have a problem
"you can't send a pistol to X" politely told clerk I can as long as the firearm is going back to manufacturer or licensed gunsmith for repairs. after that no problems oddly enough they seem glad to see me or is it that I bring 2 very cute shelties when I go?

 

[MrsWildweasel]

Fed Ex, can even deliver to our house correctly. They assume South Rd and Southampton Rd are the same. Thankfully the people at that house call us up and tell us. Just a PITA, though.

 

[Nickle]

Sell that troublesome gun and buy a Glock!

Or do what I'm doing.




Divorcing the Glock owner.

I'm using an M9 Beretta for CCW these days. The G19 was hers, and she has it.

 

[JuergenG]

In my household it's her who owns the Tupperware, too.
No Glocks, though

 

[Nickle]

Well, she now lives in Arkansas, I'm still in Vermont. She took her Bersa 22 and the G19, I've got the rest of the guns (they were mine anyways).

 

[M1911]

Divorcing the Glock owner.

My wife works with many of the top law firms in town. If I ever get divorced, I'll be lucky to afford a Raven...

 

[Scrivener]

My wife works with many of the top law firms in town. If I ever get divorced, I'll be lucky to afford a Raven...

We were at a family dinner shortly after my wife's sister had obtained a divorce from her restauranteur husband. This required a mega-buck Boston attorney and a forensic accountant.

My wife, teasing, said she would hire that attorney if she were to divorce me. I responded with a paraphrase of the then-popular Smith-Barney tagline:

MY law firm is Sturm, Ruger. If they speak, it's TOO LATE to listen!

 

[Admin]

MY law firm is Sturm, Ruger. If they speak, it's TOO LATE to listen!

I like it!

 

[flotter390]

My wife says her attorneys are Mr SMITH & WESSON.
Fred

 

[Nickle]

Needless to say, when I gave her her guns back, she didn't get any ammo or mags.

I didn't want to see her attorney, Gaston Glock.

Of course, I'm represented by Sam Colt, John Browning and Pietro Beretta, not to mention Mikhail Kalashnikov.

 

[JuergenG]

Mine are Mr. Sauer, Heckler & Koch
The law firm's secretary is Ms. Walther, and their housekeepers' name
is Mr. Mauser.

 

[Nickle]

I forgot to mention Evgeniy Dragunov and off course, old JC himself (John C Garand).

 

[M1911]

Send in those complaint letters

When I hadn't heard from FedEx, I assumed that they had simply blown off my rant. Here's the letter I received from FedEx:

Dear Mr. <M1911>:

Thank you for your letter bringing our attention to the problem encountered with the shipment of a firearm on July 15.

I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused by this incident. We are certainly aware that our customers expect only the best possible service, and we are concerned that the service agent at our Framingham office was not up-to-date on the policy and procedure applicable to the shipment of handguns. Policy regarding the use of FedEx packaging for shipping was changed within the last few months, and the issue of the firing pin should not have been addressed at all. Management has been alerted to ensure appropriate review and corrective action. As a gesture of goodwill, arrangements have been made to delete the charges for package tracking number <XXXXX>.

We value the trust our customers place in us to handle their priority package needs. I hope that you have found our efforts in the past to be satisfactory in every other respect.

Sincerely,

<Mr. Customer Relations dude>

cc: <Manager Dude>, <local FedEx office>

That's acceptable to me. Since I bashed them when I started this thread, I owe it to them to post their response.

So the next time the clueless agent at UPS or FedEx messes up, send in a letter. Maybe management will use this as a "teachable moment" for their staff and/or maybe they'll make a gesture like FedEx did this time. Management can't fix it if they don't know about it, so send them a letter to tell them.

M1911

 

[FPrice]

So the next time the clueless agent at UPS or FedEx messes up, send in a letter. Maybe management will use this as a "teachable moment" for their staff and/or maybe they'll make a gesture like FedEx did this time. Management can't fix it if they don't know about it, so tell send them a letter to tell them.

Very good advice. And thanks for posting the rest of the story. It's nice to know that someone listens (reads?).