USPS firearm theft.

[Member 38805]

This irritates the heck out of me!
I sold an 1885 vintage pistol gripped Ballard to a friend in Montana. Sent it USPS Priority Mail on Sept. 1st, and it went from my local station to the Portland, Or. main distribution center. At that point it seemed to vanish, and no sign it ever left the center legally. So someone inside the USPS stole the package, and the Ballard is gone.
Numerous attempts to get answers from USPS have resulted in one single reply from USPS in Montana stating it never got there. Other complaints or requests have been ignored, so heading to USPS today to file an insurance claim and see how they handle that.
It's the lower gun in these pictures. Maybe the thief at USPS will attempt to sell it locally, and hopefully someone might spot it. It's very unique with the high grade pistol grip stock, and one of a kind lever, and steel checkered buttplate.

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[Val1884]

Good luck..Had an Ak stolen by a USPS delivery driver..He was on camera stopping at the ffl never getting out of the vehicle and putting "delivered" ATF and Postal inspector did an investigation which resulted in them stating i should refund the customer and they couldnt prove anything.

 

[Howard1955]

Since it's lost/stolen, it seems to me that you need to report it to the police. Might spare you from further grief later on.

It is a pretty thing.

 

[Alexx1401]

The SCUM will of course sell it. Have to hope he is caught when he does

 

[Member 38805]

Since it's lost/stolen, it seems to me that you need to report it to the police. Might spare you from further grief later on.

It is a pretty thing.

Since this is a Federal entity, I'm not sure local police have any jurisdiction? And being a "antique" 1885 vintage, it's considered a "non firearm" by ATF.

 

[Member 38805]

The SCUM will of course sell it. Have to hope he is caught when he does

That's my only hope that the dirtbag happens to bring it to a collector gun show here locally, and I see it.

 

[Howard1955]

Hopefully the gun is simply lost in the system, and will eventually show up in Montana.

 

[Member 38805]

Hopefully the gun is simply lost in the system, and will eventually show up in Montana.

I just got off the phone with the first actual real person from USPS, and she said something similar. She told me of several incidents with the Portland Distribution Center recently where packages left there and took a month to reach their destination. In one case the man got his insurance paid, and the item landed two days afterwards.
She told me to go ahead and file a claim tomorrow, just in case. But said not to give up yet, as it may be taking the scenic tour.

 

[titsonritz]

This is why you insure it for twice its worth.

 

[CountryGent]

In the last couple years my attempts to get through to any human being, let alone a passingly competent one, at USPS has been an exercise in futility. So, I'm not surprised by OP's experience. (In fairness to the postal service, they aren't alone in this. Dealings with FedEx, including a revolver they lost at one point in time, actually managed to be worse than the DotGov crew.)

That said, have to echo the others: file an insurance claim as best you can and something with law enforcement. Even though not a "firearm" as far as BATFE is concerned, if it can go "pew", probably best to document it has left your custody. So sorry you lost the Ballard; she is a beauty.

P.S. I had a a Mini-14 I sold to an FFL in Kansas take damn near two months to get there. Here's hoping, as bad as that is, that is something like that, rather than a postal employee with sticky fingers. (Can't pull off Pony Express delivery times: well done postal system! )

 

[3MTA3]

I just got off the phone with the first actual real person from USPS, and she said something similar. She told me of several incidents with the Portland Distribution Center recently where packages left there and took a month to reach their destination. In one case the man got his insurance paid, and the item landed two days afterwards.
She told me to go ahead and file a claim tomorrow, just in case. But said not to give up yet, as it may be taking the scenic tour.

USPS tracking SUCKS. I always cringe when I make a purchase and find it was sent to USPS for delivery. My experience is that tracking will only show they have it, then will not show any updates until a few hours after it's delivered.

I'm always grateful when the delivery makes it to the correct house or mailbox as well. I've gotten to know most of my neighbors by swapping misdelivered mail and packages. This includes things like pharmaceuticals including my wife's pain meds.

 

[gmerkt]

These days, claims are filed online. It may be different for firearms losses, however. I seem to remember seeing something about such losses being referred to the Postal Inspection Service.

Yes, it's possible that it may still be delivered. I've had a few, none lately, that were seriously delayed yet showed up eventually. Most of these were during the early Covid era when commercial air transportation was greatly curtailed. My worst experiences have been with Fed Ex, more than one boomerang job where, for example, the package was sent to Wash. from Calif., first went to Florida, then back around to Wash. with many reversals and stops in between.

There probably are a few crooks in the system who look for longish boxes in particular. Postal employees have long been subject to surveillance by the Inspection Service. For decades, they had observation galleries built into their facilities so inspectors could physically watch workers. Now I suppose that most of this kind of work is done electronically.

My experience is that tracking will only show they have it, then will not show any updates until a few hours after it's delivered.

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Many in my experience are real time tracking. However, others have no in transit tracking, only an acceptance scan and a delivery scan. Since these packages usually ship in stages, I wonder how they miss scanning at multiple facilities. One package I sweated out failed to get an acceptance scan from my driver, go zero scans in between, and failed to get a delivery scan. I never heard from the buyer so I guess it got there.

 

[Alexx1401]

I just got off the phone with the first actual real person from USPS, and she said something similar. She told me of several incidents with the Portland Distribution Center recently where packages left there and took a month to reach their destination. In one case the man got his insurance paid, and the item landed two days afterwards.
She told me to go ahead and file a claim tomorrow, just in case. But said not to give up yet, as it may be taking the scenic tour.

I hope the damn thing does turn up but as another poster mentioned INSURE the crap out of anything important.

 

[xtratoy]

I used to think that paying for guns or other gun related stuff when buying over the internet was best paid for by USPS Money Order if not using a credit card. A FFL recently told me the the Post Office will blow you off if the amount is under $10,000 and you or the recipient doesn't get the item shipped. Now I just get a Cashiers Check from my Credit Union. I do prefer USPS Money Order when getting paid since I can go to Post Office and cash the MO same time I ship the item.

 

[Alexx1401]

I used to think that paying for guns or other gun related stuff when buying over the internet was best paid for by USPS Money Order if not using a credit card. A FFL recently told me the the Post Office will blow you off if the amount is under $10,000 and you or the recipient doesn't get the item shipped. Now I just get a Cashiers Check from my Credit Union. I do prefer USPS Money Order when getting paid since I can go to Post Office and cash the MO same time I ship the item.

If you pay with any kind of money order and the person does not send the item you're only recourse is going to be court. The bank is not going to take the money back for you.

 

[Member 38805]

This is why you insure it for twice its worth.

No you don't. Every carrier will require you to show proof of what it cost, or what it's worth. They will never pay a claim for twice the value, and could charge you with fraud for trying to claim twice it's value.

 

[ma96782]

YES....your firearm is a legitimate antique. So no problem with shipping via USPS.

BUT, But, but.......
YEAH, it's the USPS. LOL.

Then......
YEAH, those people who want to ship firearms in the mail declaring them/claiming them as:

"Machined Parts."

Hummmmmm?

Aloha, Mark

 

[Member 38805]

I used to think that paying for guns or other gun related stuff when buying over the internet was best paid for by USPS Money Order if not using a credit card. A FFL recently told me the the Post Office will blow you off if the amount is under $10,000 and you or the recipient doesn't get the item shipped. Now I just get a Cashiers Check from my Credit Union. I do prefer USPS Money Order when getting paid since I can go to Post Office and cash the MO same time I ship the item.

False. If it's over $5,000 USPS wont even insure it. I shipped a gun USPS that was a gorgeous minty original Alexander Henry engraved rifle. Cost was $9500, and USPS told me tough luck over $5k. So I went back home and put the stocks in one package, and barreled action in another. Shipped and insured them for $5k and $4.5k and no problems.

 

[Member 38805]

YES....your firearm is a legitimate antique.

BUT, But, but.......
YEAH, those people who want to ship firearms in the mail declaring them/claiming them as:

"Machined Parts."

Hummmmmm???????

Aloha, Mark

You don't declare what's in a USPS box at all. Simply that it's not hazardous, liquid, or whatever the other two questions are.
Only if the contents are lost or damaged does USPS want to know a description of what was inside, and proof of it's value for insurance.

 

[titsonritz]

No you don't. Every carrier will require you to show proof of what it cost, or what it's worth. They will never pay a claim for twice the value, and could charge you with fraud for trying to claim twice it's value.

No... you're wrong, unless something has changed very recently, when your ship a package you choose the amount you wish to insure your package for and they charge you accordingly based on that amount. If you're relying on the "standard" insurance that comes with it that is only for like 50 bucks or something stupid in which case you are screwed.