UPS Going Even More Anti-Gun with latest contract changes

[J.Baker]

From AmmoLand.com

https://www.ammoland.com/2022/10/new...hippers-books/

NOTE: Anyone dragging politics into this will have their post removed.


Seems UPS is doing everything they can to alienate the firearms industry. The question though is why? There's a couple possible (and plausible) reasons that fall a little on the conspiracy theory side of things, but they're worth mentioning as even if they're not the primary reason they probably played a role to some degree.

1. UPS is heavily vested in the World Economic Forum (WEF), which as we all know is staunchly anti-gun.
2. Could this have been the result of pressure from the DOJ in some form similar to what we saw with "Operation Choke-Point" and the banking industry during the Obama administration?
3. Or is it just UPS covering their six after the media circus of the past year or so surrounding so-called "ghost guns" and not wanting to risk the possibility of somehow being sued in the future for facilitating the transportation of a firearm or component that was used in a heinous crime?

Your guess is as good as mine at this point, but it wouldn't surprise me that if we find out in the next couple of years that the DOJ was putting pressure on UPS just like they did with Operation Choke-Point.

More importantly though, what's this mean for us, the consumer?

First and foremost, it means any company shipping guns, ammo or associated accessories via UPS will be subject to these new rules in the contract. That means going forward any time you order something and have it shipped to you via UPS your personal information could find it's way into their (UPS's) hands and what they will do with that personal information is a HUGE unknown at this point. Will they foreword it to agencies within the DOJ? Will they market and sell that data to interested parties (marketing groups, private companies, activist organizations, etc)? There's zero language in the contract changes addressing how that information will be handled, protected, stored or used by UPS.

As you can imagine, this is likely going to have a significant effect on online buying/selling of firearms and related parts and accessories. What company is going to be willing to open their records books and give UPS carte blanche access to whatever documents and records they want? UPS doesn't even have to provide a reason to justify requesting said records, but if a business doesn't comply with said request within 5 days their UPS account will be suspended.

How this will affect we simpletons (you and me) wanting to ship something as an individual is another big question.

[Dave Hoback]

I don’t understand. Why post this at all, but have the no politics comment? This entire dilemma IS political. If we pretend it’s not is either naivety or simply disingenuous. I understand you don’t want arguments Jim, I get that. Unfortunately there is a GIANT elephant in the room. I doubt there is a single firearms enthusiast who is just now learning about shipping companies & other entities involved in, at least, highly unethical/unprofessional & bias, or (and more likely), illegal practices.

[Blue Avenger]

suppose shippers will give us a "No UPS" option? LOL You know there will be an Up Charge for it if they do.

[J.Baker]

I don’t understand. Why post this at all, but have the no politics comment? This entire dilemma IS political. If we pretend it’s not is either naivety or simply disingenuous. I understand you don’t want arguments Jim, I get that. Unfortunately there is a GIANT elephant in the room. I doubt there is a single firearms enthusiast who is just now learning about shipping companies & other entities involved in, at least, highly unethical/unprofessional & bias, or (and more likely), illegal practices.

The changes by UPS were a business decision, not a political one. Yes, it's likely that they (UPS) were in some way politically manipulated or motivated, but at the end of the day it's still a business decision. No law was passed forcing them to change their policies - they chose to do so of their own accord at the corporate level and thus it's non political. Now naturally I can't speak to the politics of those involved in making said decision, nor can I speak to what might have motivated them to make said decision other than knowing that a handful of anti-gun Senators sent out a letter to the major common carriers with concerns about how firearms were being shipped earlier this year.

I know it's hard to believe in this day and age, but one can still discuss issues of many types without dragging politics into the discussion. In fact most of the issues that are considered highly political aren't political at all, but have only been made so because the political parties have decided to make them such to divide us so we're easier to control and suppress. As the old saying goes, "United we stand, divided we fall." Don't be fooled and get entangled in their rigged game - it won't end well for any of us.

On another note, here's a couple videos outlining some of the changes and how it's impacted how we common gun owners can ship firearms.

[gbflyer]

Glad we get great US Postal service here in Alaska. I have sent out 2 long guns this month, both delivered within 4 days of shipping using Priority. No hassles. For nearly 30 years I have avoided UPS and FEDEX at all costs. Now if we could just get USPS to change their doggone ORM-D shipping policy so they could bring us ammo and components, avoiding the 3rd and 4th party LTL shippers.

[Alabama F Class]

Timely post as I just went through this. I needed to ship a rifle to a dealer. NEITHER UPS OR FED EX would do it. I was forced to take it to a dealer for shipping, paying more + a $25 transfer fee.
3 years ago I sent a new handgun back to Sig for Warranty. They provided a label so I just took it to UPS and it was done. It came back straight to my house repaired.
My dealer said things changed 6 months ago. Not the law but UPS & FEDEX policy.

[J.Baker]

This video was posted about 2 weeks ago. Looks like UPS was feeling the blow back.

[kmmoran]

UPS Terms of Service, effective Dec 27, 2022.


References: ​https://www.ups.com/assets/resources...service_us.pdf
​https://www.ups.com/us/en/support/sh.../firearms.page


From the UPS "How to Ship Firearms" page above:

Shipping Firearm Products


Definitions:
“Firearm” will have the same definition as set forth in Title 18, Chapter 44, and Title 26, Chapter 53, of the United States Code.
“Firearm Part” is any part or component of a Firearm that does not by itself meet the definition of a “Firearm.” By way of example only, Firearm Parts include, but are not limited to, barrels, stocks, grips, firing pins, sights, and magazines/clips.
“Firearm Products” means Firearms and Firearm Parts. The term Firearm Product does not include scopes.
UPS accepts packages containing Firearm Products for shipment 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 authorized recipients, as outlined in the approved UPS agreement for the transportation of Firearm Products.
To transport packages containing Firearm Products, the Shipper must enter into an approved UPS agreement for the transportation of Firearm Products.
The shipper must comply with and must ensure that each shipment containing Firearms or Firearm Parts complies with all federal, state and local laws applicable to the shipper, recipient, and package, including, without limitation, age restrictions. All Firearms and Firearm Parts shipments must also conform to the terms, conditions, restrictions, and prohibitions set forth on this page at the time of shipping, in the UPS Tariff/Terms and Conditions of Service and UPS Rate and Service Guide in effect at the time of shipping, and in the approved UPS Firearm Products agreement.

I've bolded what I consider the problematic parts from UPS's new terms of service. As I read it, an individual who has not obtained a C&R/FFL03 and entered into an approved UPS agreement for the transportation of "firearms products" can't ship gun parts through UPS. I have one of those two things, I suppose. Anyone seen any signs of this in the last week? I haven't checked FedEx to see if they've also jumped this way. There are also specific packaging requirements listed in the references to keep in mind.

I predict "never tell UPS what's in the box" will be a popular, if riskier option.

[nksmfamjp]

We used to have an SEC to break up big companies that put themselves the common people. With the shippers all working together to infringe our rights, I have to believe there is some anti-trust fair competition rules being bent. Break them up like Bell telephone I say.
….or people could sit in around UPS warehouses…..even a few hours of shipping blocked could hurt their bottom line!

[gbflyer]

Easy. Take it to the post office.