https://www.thetruthaboutguns....in-transit-packages/



By Lee Williams

United Parcel Service is terminating the accounts of gun dealers across the country. Any packages currently in the UPS system may be “seized and destroyed.”

In a letter sent to one Florida gun dealer, Ghost Firearms, UPS said they were terminating the account because they “may be violating” laws concerning homemade firearm parts.

“We write to inform you that UPS has learned that your company may be violating applicable laws concerning the shipment of “ghost guns” to unauthorized locations,” the letter states. “In light of our concern, UPS has determined that it will cancel your account, effective immediately.

Ghost’s owner, Joe Zatar was told all scheduled pickups will be cancelled, and that he cannot reopen another UPS account or ship anything from a UPS store or website.

He is most concerned about the packages already in the UPS system, which he may have already lost.

“Please note that any package found in the UPS system determined to have been tendered by GHOST FIREARMS may be seized and destroyed,” the letter states.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: RichardC,

https://www.thetruthaboutguns....rs-to-be-serialized/



United Parcel Service has issued new rules for shipping firearms and firearm parts, but the announcement comes a week after UPS cancelled the accounts of gun retailers who may have violated the rules that weren’t yet made public or even in effect.

In a story published July 1, we revealed that UPS was terminating the accounts of gun dealers, and that any packages currently in the UPS system could be “seized and destroyed.”

In a letter sent to one Florida gun dealer, Ghost Firearms, UPS said they were terminating the account because they “may be violating” laws concerning homemade firearm parts.

“We write to inform you that UPS has learned that your company may be violating applicable laws concerning the shipment of “ghost guns” to unauthorized locations,” the letter states. “In light of our concern, UPS has determined that it will cancel your account, effective immediately.

In a follow-up story published July 5, we revealed that five Democratic Senators recently sent ominous letters to UPS and 27 other carriers, blaming them for escalating violent crime rates.

“We are concerned that lax shipping security measures are contributing to the epidemic of gun violence in this country by allowing criminals to use stolen firearms to commit crimes,” the letters each state.

They were signed by Senators Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory A. Booker (D-N.J.), Christopher S. Murphy (D-Conn.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).

In their letters, the Senators peppered the shippers with 20 questions and document requests. They were sent May 19 to UPS, FedEx, the U.S. Postal Service and trucking and rail carriers located in the United States and Canada.

UPS media relations personnel did not respond to calls or emails seeking comment for either story.

Now, UPS has quietly updated their rules for shipping firearms on their website.

Now, they require a serial number on any frame or receiver, as required by a federal rule that hasn’t yet taken effect.

Any item that meets the definition of a firearm (including firearm mufflers or silencers) or a “frame” or “receiver” under federal law (including any partially complete, disassembled, or nonfunctional frame or receiver as defined by 27 CFR § 478.12) must be identified and bear a serial number in satisfaction of the requirements for identifying such items under federal law, including 27 CFR § 478.92 and/or 27 CFR § 479.102, regardless of whether any such items are otherwise exempt from or not subject to identification requirements under applicable law. This prohibition applies even before the effective date of 27 CFR § 478.12.

quote:

“Please note that any package found in the UPS system determined to have been tendered by GHOST FIREARMS may be seized and destroyed,” the letter states.

For something that's already in UPS' pipeline, wouldn't that constitute theft?

quote:

Originally posted by Expert308:

quote:

“Please note that any package found in the UPS system determined to have been tendered by GHOST FIREARMS may be seized and destroyed,” the letter states.

For something that's already in UPS' pipeline, wouldn't that constitute theft?

Given the sentence before it asks the shipper not to try to end run the account cancellation and continue shipping UPS via other means, I take it as anything determined to have been shipped surreptitiously AFTER the cancellation would be subject to seizure/destruction.

A while back UPS got schwacked for $247 million by NY because tobacco products were being shipped into NY without paying NY tax. All of this allegedly without UPS's knowledge or approval. I think they eventually appealed or settled for about $100 million. I'd imagine they'd like to avoid a similar situation.

Full disclosure though, I've worked at UPS for 20 years.

Wow

I bet there's fine print in their TOS (or whatever it's called that a shipper agrees to in order use UPS), that allows it.

quote:

Originally posted by Expert308:

quote:

“Please note that any package found in the UPS system determined to have been tendered by GHOST FIREARMS may be seized and destroyed,” the letter states.

For something that's already in UPS' pipeline, wouldn't that constitute theft?

I still don't understand how they can call a thing that is not yet a thing, a thing.

I'm still confused about this. Is UPS stopping delivery of all firearms & parts completely or just not from companies that sell 80% parts & receivers?

UPS has not said a word to legal Firearm shippers

I just sent three packages to FL, one of which included my barreled M14 receiver.

Two made it on Friday. Guess which one didn’t?

The receiver is serialized, plus I declared it when I shipped. I’m going to curb stomp at least one UPS employee if it doesn’t make it to its destination on Monday. According to tracking, it at least made it to Jacksonville.

Has it been found?

Just got off the phone with UPS. Their tracking guy said that I need to open a claim to begin a tracing process, but the claims department he transferred me to said it has to be MIA for five days before I can start a claim.

I hope it shows up soon, as in <5 days.

UPDATE: it made it!!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: flesheatingvirus,

Hot damn dog, flesheatingvirus! Best news all week!

Other than Liz Cheney getting humiliated.

Wow, this is so frustrating.

https://www.ups.com/assets/res...terms_service_us.pdf

https://www.thetruthaboutguns....m-anti-gun-senators/

UPS Institutes Strict New Rules for Shipping Firearms After Pressure From Anti-Gun Senators
By Dan Zimmerman -September 1, 2022

"UPS has released strict new rules for shipping firearms just months after cancelling some gun dealers accounts and destroying packages in transit.

The new rules came in response to a letter sent by five anti-gun senators, who blamed UPS and 27 other carriers for escalating violent crime rates.

The rules are contained in three documents: A shipping agreement between UPS and a licensed firearm dealer, the new 2022 UPS Tariff/Terms & Conditions of Service, and UPS’s How to Ship Firearms” webpage.

3.7.1 Firearms
Packages containing firearms (as defined by Title 18, Chapter 44, and Title 26, Chapter 53 of the United States Code) and firearm parts that do not constitute firearms as defined by federal law (together, “Firearm Products”) are accepted for transportation only as a contractual service and only from Shippers who are licensed importers, licensed manufacturers, licensed dealers, or licensed collectors (as defined in Title 18, Chapter 44 of the United States Code). To transport Packages containing Firearm Products, the Shipper must enter into an approved UPS agreement for the transportation of Firearm Products.

The Shipper shall comply with and shall ensure that each Shipment containing Firearm Products complies with all federal, state, and local laws applicable to the Shipper, recipient, and Package, including, without limitation, age restrictions.

– The Shipper must use Adult Signature Required and Direct Delivery Only services for each Package containing a firearm (including handguns) and affix a label requesting an adult signature upon delivery.
– The labeling and outer box markings on all Firearm Products shipments must not identify the contents as containing Firearm Products.
– Additional terms and restrictions on the shipment of Firearm Products are contained in the UPS agreement for the shipment of Firearm Products and at ups.com/firearms, which is incorporated here by reference.

How to ship firearms
According to UPS’s “How to Ship Firearms” webpage, nearly everything must have a serial number.

Any item that meets the definition of a firearm (including firearm mufflers or silencers) or a “frame” or “receiver” under federal law (including any partially complete, disassembled, or nonfunctional frame or receiver as defined by 27 CFR § 478.12) must be identified and bear a serial number in satisfaction of the requirements for identifying such items under federal law, including 27 CFR § 478.92 and/or 27 CFR § 479.102, regardless of whether any such items are otherwise exempt from or not subject to identification requirements under applicable law.  This prohibition applies even before the effective date of 27 CFR § 478.12.

In addition, the carrier is making homemade gun parts more difficult to ship as well as requiring serial numbers on the parts.

UPS does not accept Firearm Products for shipment domestically unless (1) such shipments are in full compliance with all federal, state, and local laws, including, without limitation, age restrictions; (2) such firearms, including any partially complete, disassembled, or nonfunctional frame or receiver (as defined by 27 CFR § 478.12), have been identified and bear a serial number in a manner that complies with federal law; and (3) such firearm parts within a package cannot be assembled to form a firearm.

Shipping agreement
By far, the strictest document is the shipping agreement between UPS and a licensed firearm dealer.

Before making any Firearm Products Shipment under this Agreement, Shipper must submit to UPS, by email to customercompliance@ups.com complete, current and accurate licensing documentation of Shipper’s federal firearms license, as well as satisfactory completion of, and compliance with, any other applicable licensing requirements, including any applicable state requirements. Shipper may not tender Firearm Products Shipments to UPS unless and until UPS has confirmed receipt in writing of Shipper’s licensing documentation.

The agreement holds the dealer responsible for complying with all applicable laws, as well as developing their own “shipper compliance program.”

The compliance program must “include: (1) training for sales and marketing employees regarding lawful recipients, possessors, and purchasers of Firearm Products; (2) due diligence regarding customer licensure or authorization to receive, possess, and purchase Firearm Products under applicable federal, state, or local law; and (3) self-assessments of the Shipper Compliance Program to guarantee its effectiveness.” "

Ugh. And now I have to get my rifle shipped back to me. Screw UPS. I worked for those asshole for 5 years when I was an undergrad; I don’t recall them bowing to political pressure on something like this before.

Whoever wrote the article RichardC linked and quoted needs to work on reading comprehension.

This:

quote:

How to ship firearms
According to UPS’s “How to Ship Firearms” webpage, nearly everything must have a serial number.

Is not what this says:

quote:

Any item that meets the definition of a firearm (including firearm mufflers or silencers) or a “frame” or “receiver” under federal law (including any partially complete, disassembled, or nonfunctional frame or receiver as defined by 27 CFR § 478.12) must be identified and bear a serial number in satisfaction of the requirements for identifying such items under federal law, including 27 CFR § 478.92 and/or 27 CFR § 479.102, regardless of whether any such items are otherwise exempt from or not subject to identification requirements under applicable law.  This prohibition applies even before the effective date of 27 CFR § 478.12.

Nor is this:

quote:

In addition, the carrier is making homemade gun parts more difficult to ship as well as requiring serial numbers on the parts.

What this says:

quote:

UPS does not accept Firearm Products for shipment domestically unless (1) such shipments are in full compliance with all federal, state, and local laws, including, without limitation, age restrictions; (2) such firearms, including any partially complete, disassembled, or nonfunctional frame or receiver (as defined by 27 CFR § 478.12), have been identified and bear a serial number in a manner that complies with federal law; and (3) such firearm parts within a package cannot be assembled to form a firearm.

None of that is UPS requiring anything more than what federal, state, or local law requires. If federal law requires a part to have a serial number, then UPS’s policy is that the shipper needs to comply with that law before shipping that part UPS.

What shipping company has a policy that says they will accept your illegal products for shipping?