What would YOU do in my position?

[Koosh]

Here is my current problem...

About 1 month ago I made a deal to trade my Race framed Cocker for a SFL E-Mag... Everything went great, and I got the SFL about 2 weeks later. I am in the US, and I was shipping the Race to Canada, and he was shipping the SFL from canada... Anyhoo, for part of the deal we agree not to insure our guns for very much to cut off the duty tax.

It has been over a month... the Race hasn't gotten there yet. I shipped it USPS, while he shipped the SFL UPS, so is it normal for it to take 4+ weeks?

I have one shipping reciept, but basically all it says is that I paid $35.00 on September 26th... nothing about where the package was going, or what was in it... I said I wanted $100 insureance on the package, but I recieved no reciept to prove it... So basically I'm screwed if it never gets there... I shipped through some packing place, not the post office itself, so I think I got screwed when I went there...

If it never gets there, then I don't know what to do. I mean, it wouldn't be fair for him to not get any gun, and it wouldnt be fair for me to ship his back to him. The best thing I can think of would be to just sell the SFL, then split the money between the two of us, so we are out around $500 each, instead of $1000 for one person...

Any ideas?

[darklord]

USPS priority, or the crappy standard mail? 4+weeks seems too long for me, but I've never shipped outside of the US. You should read up about the USPS's outside-of-US-shipping policies, if they have any. Do you have any receipts at all? The receipt from when you bought the insurance and stuff? Where did you ship it out of, Mailboxes Etc.?

[Koosh]

Crappy standard mail I am guessing... I honestly can't remember (hey, it was a month ago!)

I have one receipt on it, it says:

USPS Meter: 34.50 then etc, etc, etc...

I'll look into the policies, and I shipped it out of a place called "Pack@nMail" (Pack and mail without the crappy @)

[dcmander]

I just sent off my sonic bushmaster about a month and a half ago. It didn't get to the guy for 35 days. I sent the cheapest USPS and the guy was in the airforce so it bounced around from place to place. I only insured it 800$ (sold it w/ conquest and cp pro kit..so probably worth $1600+) and the guy still hadn't gotten it after 35 days or so..because USPS wont help you w/ an insurance claim enless its been atleast 30 days. It made me so nervous, knowing I only insured 800$ of it and I would have to take the burn of 400$ that I didn't insure. I was just about to go the PO and make an insurance claim when he emailed me back saying it was worth the wait and the gun looks great. YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW RELIEVED I WAS!

Lesson: ALWAYS INSURE! ;) It's too big of chance...and it gives you SO much stress without that assurance. I know it stressed me out!

So basically I'm saying.. Give it another week. If its not there by then, I would probabably talk to the post office and make a claim EVEN IF YOU ONLY INSURED IT 100$. The PO will try their best to locate and track the package (hey, they dont wanna lose 100$ for their own mistake) and then they might find it. If they don't, good luck.

If you both agreed to pay only 100$ insurance then I would say your idea is fair. If the deal was to pay your own, then you should send the gun back to him and keep the insurance money.

[Creative Mayhem]

It's not unheard of for a gun to be held up at the border. It can be quite a while sometimes. I bought my purple stickies from paintballgear.com. I placed my order over the phone and it was sent out that day, if I recall it took close to two and a half, maybe three weeks. So I wouldn't be worried yet, however if it goes on any further, you should try to track the package from that mail center/office that you sent it from.

As for the issue of money, I don't know what to say, from his point of view it's your problem meaning you either take the monetary hit, or you send the SFL back. I use his point of view because his end of the bargain was upheld. I think your only course is to track the cocker from you to where it is now. Sorry but that's how I see it.

Did you not get a tracking number when you shipped it?


C Mayhem
AKA Purple Wang

[Shirow]

I'd go to the Post Office and try to track it.


If it never gets there, then I don't know what to do. I mean, it wouldn't be fair for him to not get any gun, and it wouldnt be fair for me to ship his back to him. The best thing I can think of would be to just sell the SFL, then split the money between the two of us, so we are out around $500 each, instead of $1000 for one person...

Doesn't sound very fair to me.. it's not his fault that you didn't send it UPS or Fedex, or that it got lost - I'd give him the SFL back. I know, it sucks to be you, but it doesn't seem fair any other way.

[dansim]

two of the most imprtant things when mailing highed guns are


INSURANCE

DELIVERY CONFORMATION

get em both the DC will let you track the gun, and insurance incase it gets lost or damaged insure for teh whole amount too, next time take it to a real post office but get iot paced at packNmail or whatever, if you dont want customs to see what the insurance amount is just ask for the stamp

[Jonno06]

woah..that sucks...ide wait a little longer though,just to make sure there wasnt some sort of delay or some gay USPS related thing like there always is...

[hostage]

A guy paid me 300 for a gun, I sent it Priority, w/ sig required and insured for 300. Better to be safe than be sorry, ESP when you are selling something over 500.
-Hostage

[Mossman]

Too bad for you guys, but I just learned from Roguefactor that if you ship through USPS you can insure it w/o paying taxes. Since USPS is part of the government (kinda), they give the canadian government breaks, and the canucks return the favor.

I recently sent my shocker to canada with 500 bucks insurance and it was 32 bucks and change to ship. 10lb package...not too shabby.

Hope your situation works out, its a morals call, not a legal one I dont think.

[Kevmaster]

yeh, you definitly have to send him his gun back if your gun never shows. its crap, but thats how it works.

the MOST IMPORTANT THING IN SHIPPING GUNS IS INSURANCE AND DEL CONFIRM!(or go through a 3rd party trader) id start going down to the pack place and raising hell for your package getting lost while you had insurance on it. you should have gotten a USPS Recept for just the insurance, yet you didnt.

[Koosh]

Dammit dammit crap dammit!

well, thanks for the help. I'll give it this week to show, then I'll got to the packing place and raise a little hell;)

I do NOT want to send this gun back, or sell it! Its so beautiful! But I guess if I have to I will...

[RRfireblade]

First off,I ship fairly reg to canada and back and rarely ever recieve from there in less than 3 to 4 weeks so I wouldn't sweat yet.I have on occasion waited 8 WEEKS! Believe it or not.Canada's customes are somewhat of a crap shoot so it seems to me.

Second,if you BOTH agreed to not insure(bad idea anyway)I guess it's not really your responsibility.The problem is if you want to maintain good relations with that person.You may want to see what he expects you to do and see if there is a solution that seems fair.

Third,as everyone one previously stated ALWAYS INSURE!Not only to protect the buyer but for you to.Perhaps he recieved your package and is trying to get 2 for 1 or maybe some cash AND your gun.You have no way of verifying if he recieved yours or not.

Anyways,I hope it works out for the best.

If not, the better the lesson learned the more it usually costs.

Jay.

[aaron_mag]

Originally posted by TheFlamingKoosh
I do NOT want to send this gun back, or sell it! Its so beautiful! But I guess if I have to I will...

If he doesn't get the marker then you HAVE to. There is no IF about it. I'll bet, however, they deliver it soon. Go down to the packaging place anyway and start the process. Once you spend a couple of stressful days trying to track the package it will mysteriously get delivered:D

Always works out that way.