BEWARE OF FEDEX AND COLLECTING TEXAS.

[Steveoko922]

Has anyone ever successfuly filed and won a claim against fedex? This is what happens when you order from Collecting Texas and use fedex. I've never seen such a devastating injury to a rifle.....loss of words. Word to the wise, USE STIFFENERS IN YOUR PACKAGE!

 

[t_carlyle]

Ooof that is a painful sight! Really hope the best for you in getting your money back on that one

 

[chorizo]

Short answer is no. They will claim that authorized and approved packing materials were not used.

The only way to win with those guys is to NOT accept a damaged package (refuse delivery) and have it returned to shipper. Then it becomes the shipper's problem and you can recover from whatever means you used to pay for an item you didn't receive.

I learned the hard way on a couple of hundred dollars item but ended up saving me thousands in a later transaction.

 

[64Springer]

That right there is about a company whose sole purpose for being is to take your hard earned money.

Everything that transpires after that is tertiary at best.

To include packaging what they sold.

Good on the OP for calling them out by name.

 

[BigSkyRambler]

That is why I call them FedWrecks. Much worse than Oops!PS. I ship exclusively USPS. They have honored about half a dozen claims in my 20 years of buying and selling guns. Just keep every conceivable record of Item, transaction and shipping, as well as the packaging. Take LOTS of pictures.

 

[#BPBReloadingFFL]

I tell people as soon the driver hand you that package you need to file a complaint that it's damaged. Make sure the driver notes it.
Refuse the delivery

 

[chorizo]

And ask to take pictures before the driver departs

 

[TDM]

Try your best to stop payment if you can. That's really a shame.

 

[Steve Martin]

Considering what shipping with FedEx cost these days, there is just NO excuse for damaging packages like that!

 

[chorizo]

Try having a $6000 hunting ebike with a forklift tine run through and through the crate and have some bike parts jammed out the far side. This was after LOSING one previously shipped. Didn't let him take it off of the truck. FedEx is a nightmare

I specifically ask not to ship FedEx and if they insist I just don't buy from them

 

[lexington1]

It's always a gamble. I had a longrifle broken that was encased in foam in a wooden crate. There were tire marks over the box and USPS refused to pay. I tried to sue them but apparently there is a clause that the USPS can't be sued. How's that for bs. Some of the most expensive guns I have bought have been the most shoddily packed. Then again I sold a Sharps to a fellow once that was broken in shipment. It was a good packing job too. Anyway the fellow refused it, and I don't blame him one bit, so I turned the claim in and was given full value for it and was allowed to keep it. So you just never know. I think USPS, Fedex, and UPS and all about the same.

 

[Steveoko922]

Good to know everyone. Next time I will refuse the package if there is any damage to it.

 

[vintovka]

I use a length of wood strapped to weak or really fragile stocks. Stock is bubble wrapped then taped tightly to wood. Wrap protects stock finish. I always take pics of it before being boxed. Since shipping Fedex is automatically asking for trouble and USPS has priced itself out of the running, am left with UPS.

 

[jimdvan]

Before we met, my ex-wife dated a guy who loaded trucks for UPS. He told her they had competitions to see who could throw the fragile packages the hardest.

I've had broken guns and stocks delivered by all three carriers mentioned and they all looked like intentional damage.

 

[Ames]

I've said it before. Pay by credit card only. It's your best protection for the money end of it.
As far as packing, take it to a UPS store (shipping center). In an open wooden crate with the lid. THEY pack it with their materials, and their guidelines. If it breaks, they can't claim you did a darn thing in substandard packing of the box.
Their materials. Their packing. Their handling 100% of the way. They have no recourse but to pay. Thats how I got reimbursed for the snapped neck of a 5K banjo.

 

[erhunter]

I worked in the warehouse industry for over 30 years in shipping. What people don't realize is the outrageous numbers you need in some warehouses to keep your job. One warehouse I worked in you had to throw 300 cases an hour. If you worked 10 hours that day you had to throw 3000 cases and they were hand loaded! The saying there was "Don't think throw!"! It was the only way to keep your job. Every 2 weeks you got reviewed and if you didn't meet you quota you had 45 days to bring it back up or you were fired. I am not saying this is an excuse for such damage but this is how it happens. The warehouses want robots not people to work there. You had to throw 5 cases a minute and breaks and lunch weren't forgiven so it came out to 325 cases an hour!

 

[Don Steele]

Coupla thoughts here.
1.) Discuss packaging and shipping with the seller. I purchased a custom built "Southern Mountain" rifle from a known, reputable builder a number of years ago and never discussed the details of how it would be packed and shipped. When the rifle arrived...I came home from work to find a long cardboard box leaning on my front door. The rifle inside was wrapped in what looked like a couple of old T-shirts with a handful of foam peanuts tossed in "for luck". No reinforcing or "stiffeners" were used. Fortunately for everyone involved...there was no damage.
2.) DO NOT allow anyone else to open the package for you. Upon arrival...examine the unopened package yourself, open it yourself. I shipped a part to a guy across the country. He contacted me to tell me it had a fresh "gouge" in it when he picked it up. Turns out his buddy opened it for him. He never saw the package when it arrived. I had it very well packed and bubble wrapped. There would have had to be severe external damage to the package for that fresh gouge to have been made...but he never saw it.
3.) Have these expensive items shipped with the specification "HOLD at the terminal for customer pickup".
That will allow you to examine the package for damage BEFORE you leave the shipper's terminal. If you don't like how it looks...refuse delivery and notify the seller...HE has a problem. Open the package before you leave the terminal and verify conditions of the contents. Sounds like a P.I.A., I know but it's nothing compared to dealing with a cracked rifle stock after the fact.
4.) Finally...If you're not familiar with how Jim Kibler ships rifles...I recommend you look into it. I have several friends that have received his rifle kits and none of them have had any issues with damage.
Hope this helps.

 

[Notchy Bob]

There's a lot to process here.

Where I live, UPS will not accept any kind of firearms or ammunition for shipment. They will deliver, if it comes from somewhere else, but they won't ship. I tried discussing this with them one time and ended up speaking with a local manager who said it was a decision made by regional UPS management and that was that. I'm not familiar with USPS rules regarding shipping. That leaves FedEx.

I shipped two long rifles to Track of the Wolf via FedEx for consignment sale 4-5 years ago. One arrived broken. I had taken pictures of the guns to send to Track, so that was fortunate, and the people at Track were great. They did tell me I could have done a better job packing, but said the packaging I used should have been adequate. Also, the local FedEx manager was really good. The upshot was that FedEx awarded me a settlement amounting to about 2/3 the value of the rifle. I took it, and they kept the rifle. Lord only knows what they do with the stuff they keep, but they would not award repair costs and return the rifle to me. It was all or nothing.

This spooked me. I have several guns I would like to sell, and I now know better how to package them, but I've been put off by the costs and hassle. My hat's off to those folks who pack and ship frequently... I guess the more you do it, the easier it gets.

To the OP, thank you for naming that seller. They could and should have absolutely done a better job. If you are a buyer, you are at the seller's mercy. A couple of things I would suggest would be to speak with them before shipping and express your concerns. Get full value insurance. Request photos before shipping, or save photos from the seller's website. Try to avoid the pre-Christmas season.

Specifics about packaging have been covered here many times. Take photos of the gun before shipping, insure for the full value, and be truthful about the package's contents. Try to avoid the pre-Christmas season.

Good luck!

Notchy Bob

 

[blackeagle]

I have a recurring issue with Fedex leaving packages at my garage door, blocking entry exit of vehicles. Had several packages run over backing out. I'm disabled and need access to my garage to get out of the vehicle. I've posted signs to not leave packages in front of the garage door but that hasn't helped.

I've complained through Better Business Bureau and the federal Americans with Disabilities Act complaint website. Fedex customer relations gets a call from me several time a month after a delivery. Many apologies and replies that the local dispatch was notified and drivers were advised, but no change in behavior. They never stick around long enough for me to refuse a damaged package and finding a Fedex storefront where I live in order to return something is like trying to catch a fart in the wind.

Most recently they left a $400 electronic gadget I ordered sitting at the garage directly under the do not block sign...in the rain . Shipper sent me a return label through UPS, insurance claim was filed, and a new item was dispatched...through Fedex. Sure enough they left it in front of the garage door on New Years eve...and it was raining again

I am not a fan of Fedex.

 

[Ames]

I'd be sitting in a lawn chair waiting for the next box once notified. And let the driver hear it!