I live a block or two away from the post office and send a lot of things out regularly. Today I was going to send out my Tipton Best Gun Vise still in the retail box, never opened. Same way UPS sent it to me, they just stuck a label on it and delivered it.

Well the USPS ladies say because it has the word "Gun" on it, and a picture of a rifle in a vise (along with a nice looking old man holding it in the vise) they wont accept the package. I stated that I've shipped firearms through them before with no issues and they have no policy against it, but they said sorry it says something relating to firearms on the outside so it "might be a gun inside instead" so they wont accept it.

I got pissed but decided to not argue it and said "Ok, you don't want my money? Guess UPS does", and proceeded to go down the street to the UPS store.

Bastards and their stupid rediculous rules.

They also mentioned they won't ship packages that use former liquor/alcohol boxes either. Why? Because it might actually contain liquor.

Isn't it fuckin rediculous? You could ship plutonium in an unmarked box but if the side says "gun vise" or "gun cleaning kit" or "jim beam", regardless if it actually contains giant cotton balls or a large shipment of napkins, they won't take it.

ETA: And what really pisses me off about the whole experience was how excited they were to tell me they wouldn't ship it because of the word "gun" on it, and how loud and obnoxious they acted over the whole thing, like I was shipping a bunch of people naked having an orgy... like some forbidden taboo word: "Gun".


- rem

I really hate the USPS.

On the how to ship posted at my post office it shows the liqour box is ok as long as its contents like "VODKA" is marked out.

Just box it up

I didn't want to have to spend a bunch of money on a box to go around my perfectly good, thick, retail box that simply had pictures and labels on it. I could have duct-taped the entire thing or put paper around it but laziness got the best of me.

- rem

I have had this problem numerous times in different post offices, all I do is ask for the HMFWIIC, then ask him or her to get the big postal regulation book out and look up their policy on firearms.  When they find the appropriate paragraph that states it is perfectly legal to ship firearms, they tell the cashier "it's ok" then check to see if it is loaded.  Problem solved.

Quoted: I live a block or two away from the post office and send a lot of things out regularly. Today I was going to send out my Tipton Best Gun Vise still in the retail box, never opened. Same way UPS sent it to me, they just stuck a label on it and delivered it. Well the USPS ladies say because it has the word "Gun" on it, and a picture of a rifle in a vise (along with a nice looking old man holding it in the vise) they wont accept the package. I stated that I've shipped firearms through them before with no issues and they have no policy against it, but they said sorry it says something relating to firearms on the outside so it "might be a gun inside instead" so they wont accept it. I got pissed but decided to not argue it and said "Ok, you don't want my money? Guess UPS does", and proceeded to go down the street to the UPS store. Bastards and their stupid rediculous rules. They also mentioned they won't ship packages that use former liquor/alcohol boxes either. Why? Because it might actually contain liquor. Isn't it fuckin rediculous? You could ship plutonium in an unmarked box but if the side says "gun vise" or "gun cleaning kit" or "jim beam", regardless if it actually contains giant cotton balls or a large shipment of napkins, they won't take it. ETA: And what really pisses me off about the whole experience was how excited they were to tell me they wouldn't ship it because of the word "gun" on it, and how loud and obnoxious they acted over the whole thing, like I was shipping a bunch of people naked having an orgy... like some forbidden taboo word: "Gun". - rem

Yes, it's just another groundless rule - however you handled it perfectly.  No sense in having a coronary over something you can't change/control.  

You simply told them you'd take your business elsewhere, and did.

I'd turn this into a hobby. next week go down with a box marked "grease gun".  Then try "nail gun" or "heat gun" or "glue gun".

Have some fun with it. Take a video camera.

On a side note: My brother-in-law is also my mail man.  He was walking up the driveway one day and didn't know that there was a military funeral going on at the church across the street.  He was halfway up when the "21 Gun Salute" was fired.  After the first blast he ducked behind a tree.

I asked him, "Jeez, man, what did you think was happening?"

He replied, "I though the Post Office was hiring again."

wow. your post office blows chunks.  Mine has even let me mail out a shotgun and a rifle (seperate packages) to FFL's in other states so long as I showed them there was no ammo in the box, the bolt was back, and a copy of the FFL being shipped to was in the box and that the FFL address and the shipping address on the box matched.

My Post office has nice people and great customer service.

This sort of story makes me feel bad for the rest of you.

Chris

Quoted: I'd turn this into a hobby. next week go down with a box marked "grease gun".  Then try "nail gun" or "heat gun" or "glue gun". Have some fun with it. Take a video camera. On a side note: My brother-in-law is also my mail man.  He was walking up the driveway one day and didn't know that there was a military funeral going on at the church across the street.  He was halfway up when the "21 Gun Salute" was fired.  After the first blast he ducked behind a tree. I asked him, "Jeez, man, what did you think was happening?" He replied, "I though the Post Office was hiring again."

Quoted: I got pissed but decided to not argue it and said "Ok, you don't want my money? Guess UPS does", and proceeded to go down the street to the UPS store.

That's ok, they will just jack up the rates of their regular postage to get it out of you.  BTW, get ready to bend over on Januray 8th that's when postage goes up to $0.39 a stamp.  See I told you they would get it one way or another.

They were just pissed because it was shipped ups then you want to return it usps, they dont like the competition.

Actually the one "manager" i think she was, saw the old UPS label that I partially pealed off and markered X over and said "well UPS took it, maybe we can..." then debated it with the other woman in front of me, both turned to me and said "look, it's not our call and we don't want to have it returned to you once it's out of our hands" so at that point I just took it off the counter and to myself said "fuckit".

- rem

There full of it they take all every non Ord-D thing we(midway) has.

My bet is the real reason is that they know their own stupid employees will be tempted to rip off stuff with those labels. See if "cash" , "nike", or "heineken are allowed.

Maybe they were afreaid their own employees would steal it?

www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=421878

Complain to the postmaster. You should have recorded names of employee & supervisor and complained that postmaster had not trained them adequately and deman the Domestic Mail Manual passage (Bible of the Postal Service) demonstrating your package was not acceptable.

Just turn the box inside out... easy, peezy lemon squeezy.

Quoted: That's ok, they will just jack up the rates of their regular postage to get it out of you.  BTW, get ready to bend over on Januray 8th that's when postage goes up to $0.39 a stamp.  See I told you they would get it one way or another.

Yeah and starting price for Priority goes from $3.85 to $4.05!  They say it's fuel cost related, Gas and Diesel.

I shipped a rifle once using USPS just to see if I could do it.
The postmaster got out the regs, made me sign that the gun was unloaded, and away it went!

Quoted: I shipped a rifle once using USPS just to see if I could do it. The postmaster got out the regs, made me sign that the gun was unloaded, and away it went!

Hope you thanked the postmaster for doing their job correctly!   Some people in authority get set in their ways and act like they know all the rules.  This person admitted not knowing and looked through the regulations.  Good on them.

No BS story here...

I took a cassette sized USPS Priority box I received via the USPS. Folded it inside out to ship a flash suppressor ordered by one of you dudes.

Clerk:'' Is this a USPS Priority box?"

O_C: "Yepper"

Clerk: "We can't ship this as it's an abuse of the postal system".

O_C: "Whoa, I'm trying to protect the environment by re-cycling".

Clerk: "We can't ship this as it's an abuse of the postal system".

O_C: (turning to the line behind me) "Ever wonder where the phrase 'going postal' originated? (turning back to the postal clerk) Tree killer!" (Storrming out as a small smattering of applause broke out)...

Sent the package from a contract postal office in a mall. No issues.