like the subject states...

can you guys give me some pointers on how to get these vendors/dealers etc to actually mail to my mailing address of my ffl?

I do understand its like auto standard for everyone to ship to premise address. But no matter how many times i try to ask these online vendors/ffl's to send to mailing address they never do.

Im getting to the point where i think its gonna be more beneficial to go that route. Im getting some random ass deliveries lately with no one saying/sending emails or nothing for that matter. And then next thing i hear is..

"You missed my shipment...sfdsgjfsgj"

I love doing transfers. so i rather have happy 1st time customer than not.

So im asking for some pointers on how to get these vendors to actually ship to my mailing address of my ffl.

Oh and i was planning to try and use an actual mailbox etc/ ups store type place. Any recommendations on which is better ( i think at this point its ups store or fedex office)

thanks!

I've been receiving my firearm shipments at my local UPS Store for ten years. I should have done it since day one.
I have a sign on my front door saying:
For sellers/shippers/dealers/manufacturers/distributors:
1. I mark my FFL with the mailing address circled in red and SHIP HERE, and DO NOT SHIP TO PREMISES.
2. i also send an email with the following:
99.9% follow that request. The other .1% either ignore, don't read, cant read or have a policy to only ship to the premises address.

The email you send. Is that like when you send in your ffl to the vendors etc for when you signed up with them for whatever Or is that like when a customer asks for you to send your ffl or both?

I just renewed my ffl and am waiting for the hard copy so I can mass send a “file copy”  to all the people that have my ffl on file. Should I do it then?

I guess it wouldn’t matter either way if I did the file copy the same way you did yours circled in red etc.

Thank you for your reply

I make it a habit to send my FFL with those shipping instructions for every transfer, UNLESS its a vendor that has consistently shipped correctly.

Why wouldn't you? Emails are cheap.

Sellers love getting an FFL, some think I love getting a copy of my own FFL back. I'm pretty sure I don't need the seller to print mine out and enclose it in the box....but they do.

I'm cheap. I save those up for the rare occasion when I need to send someone a physical copy of my FFL, so I send them the copy that someone else was kind enough to print out and send me

who are you guys using for the Mailbox/UPS store for ur deliveries?  (im actually in NJ)  Do all UPS stores take ur deliveries or will u be given a hard time over the fact its a firearm?

I have been looking at setting up an FFL, but my day job may restrict my receipt of packages.  Anyone have any other options?  -TIA.

The UPS Store is who I've used for over ten years.

UPS Stores are franchisees, meaning they can make their own rules.
My local UPS Store franchise owner refers customers to me. (he owns at least five stores)

How close are you to the local hub?
If I have a work conflict, I text my driver to pull the box off his truck before he leaves the hub for the day, and I pick it up there

That works, except when the shipper puts restrictions on the delivery and it can't be held for pickup.  Yeah, I'm talking about you Sports South.......

I've never heard of such a restriction. To say that a box CAN'T be picked up at the hub? I wouldn't use such a distributor on a regular basis....would they rather have a box sent back to them because you missed your driver for three days in a row?

Not an uncommon restriction, not just from distro's, but dealers as well.
And yes, they would rather have it shipped back.

Palmetto State Armory says they can't hold at the hub.  The guy on the phone started in on the story then said, "i've said too much."

Like others, i have the UPS box and it works in 99.9% of all orders.

I can’t remember our rule at RSR but I had a few shady attempts while I was there. At least one was a diversion directly to a customer.

That’s usually what drives them to have the zero tolerance policies.

Yeah but if it's the dealer themselves asking, I don't see how it can't happen. When I went on vacation this fall I advised my regular drivers to hold anything that came in that week at the hub until I returned. I keep my regular drivers in my phone and routinely meet them at the hub or on their routes to sign and receive packages if I know that I won't be able to make it back home at the regular delivery time

I saw both dealers and end customers trying to divert.

Are you defining the dealer picking up the package at anywhere but the licensed premise a diversion?
Because if the ultimate goal is to get the gun to the customer in a timely manner, it's a pretty normal part of my SOP as I said above.
I get the whole desire to avoid having a box diverted to an unauthorized recipient.

I wanna say like 80-90% of the time when it’s a 1st time transfer customer (1st time for them doing such process) they have tried to pick it up at the hub when I missed the delivery etc

And guess what. It’s happened before. I won’t get into the details beyond that but it was solved immediately. People are ridiculous. No common sense as to why it needs to be shipped to an ffl for delivery but they think it’s ok to go pick it up at the ups hub or someshit. Fuckin asshats

Anyways what I always try to do but it pretty much never happens is that I request that the customer try to use any one of the address fields (address field 2 etc) and tell him to use either my name or make sure my business name is there. Reason being? I been to the hubs of both and local post office and unless it’s one of the clerks who know how the ffl transfer process works it’s always a hassle because like I said, my name isn’t on it and it’s the customers.

I’ve usually handled it with a copy of my ffl or something with the same address and it usually gets released or supervisor gets called and gets an explanation and then it’s released.

But either way, this is another reason I’d like to utilize a ups/FedEx store to get my deliveries.

It works as long as the seller/shipper is an idiot and the counter clerk at the UPS/FedEx customer service center is half brain dead (which means it could happen daily)
Seller ships UPS or FedEx, puts buyers name on shipping label as in:
Joe Public (the buyer)
c/o DogtownTom Tactical Toys & Bait
1234 Dealer Street
Plano, TX 75023

That's not uncommon and extremely stupid. The package should only be addressed to the FFL and the buyers name should be nowhere near the actual shipping label.

Since most sellers give the buyer tracking info, the buyer can follow that package getting updates on its progress through the UPS/FedEx system. Once the package status shows as "held at UPS customer service center".......he waltz's in presents his ID and says "You're holding a package for me. Usually the only shipping restriction is Adult Signature, so he signs and has his gun. UPS isn't on the hook (they will argue), because the person named on the shipping label signed for the package.

I had this happen to me once with FedEx. Customer went to FedEx around 9pm and picked up his gun, brought it to me the next day. When I told him he committed a felony he went white as a sheet. I called the FedEx facility and chewed them out and then called the idiot dealer who shipped the label WITHOUT MY NAME OR BUSINESS NAME ANYWHERE ON THE LABEL. "Uh, I've been doing it like that for twenty years." Click.

Edited to add:
Whelp......today i get a USPS box addressed only to the customer. From a firearms dealer in Anacortes, WA.

Two of the five wholesalers that I got myself set up with will NOT allow it to be held @ the hub, nor will the ship to anywhere other than my "premise" address.  Needless to say, I haven't purchased any serialized items from them and I likely won't.

Another one allows me to divert, if needed (no restriction).  They get 98% of my business for everything except AR-related stuff and specialized products (e.g, Leupold).

One literally puts "hold at hub" on the UPS label so that UPS never even *attempts* to deliver it, but instead holds it there from the get go (I have one that was shipped two days ago that is waiting for pickup right now).

I've never had a customer's name put on the shipping label (not that they wouldn't).  Perhaps the wholesalers and dealers I've settled with with have enough brains to NOT do this.

PSA won't allow diversion, but they will/do ship to my FFL mailing address (street address for a box).

I've often wonder why dealers refuse to leave off the customer's name.  My email directions to them show them how i specifically want the label made, but sometimes they just don't do it.  Do you think it could be something to do with credit card charges?  Could they be afraid to ship something to an address that's not aligned to the card to a name that's not on the card.

Just wondering.  Surely they're not just stupid?

They surely are just stupid.

Use the reference line if you must (why bother?), but don't put:
Customer John Doe
C/O FFL Business Name
1234 Main St
Anytown, Anystate 12345

I ask shipping dealers to include the buyers name and contact information in the paperwork. Some still add it to the label, I'm not sure why. Nothing worse than a gun showing up with no idea who the customer at my end is

I actually work in so jersey, but live up north.  its a 2hr commute one way.  I have hubs approx 20-30min from my house.

Those of you using Sports South and RSR, do they ship to the "mailing address"?  I've just had my FFL since May, but I'm already tired of chasing suppressors all over the countryside since they technically won't let them be held.  If they do ship to the "mailing address" I may have my FFL amended.

Sports South does, RSR does not.