FedEx Stolen Ammo, Brownells Terrible Customer Service

6AYoteHunter said:

Had nearly half of an ammo delivery stolen by a FedEx worker. They said me or Brownells were likely the cause. Luckily had pictures and security video showing package had all original tape torn and cut off and then poorly retaped prior to arrival.

Currently Brownells and I have an open case with FedEx after spending hours explaining to them they are to blame. FedEx still claims it will be at least 5 days before they make a decision.

Best advice is to video everything that is shipped to you.

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Did you use a credit card? If so, it might possible they can fight this for you and get you your money back.

Tell them your lawyer will have a decision for them way before 5 days....

Does the shipper have package camera's before the truck?

Police Report?

Any signs it could have been good old fashioned shipping damage that was re-taped somewhere in transit, and not a worker with sticky fingers that opened the box?

Happens to me a couple times a year, often with bullet orders. Midway and Brownells are both bad about packing heavy stuff like bullets in boxes that are too large combined with inadequate filler, so the heavy stuff slams around all that open space and punches its way out of the box or pops the tape open, and the shipment arrives missing a few things. Powder Valley on the other hand usually uses an outer box that's just barely big enough to hold the bullets and then tightly stuffs any open areas with folded and layered cardboard so there's virtually no movement inside and nothing can get a "running start" and punch through the box or tape.

When a package gets trashed with USPS they've always been nice enough to put a big tag on the box saying "Package Damaged in Transit"-- they've delivered totally destroyed empty boxes to me just to prove that while they lost the contents, they didn't lose the box... LOL. Makes the insurance claim easy!

FedEx or UPS on the other hand will usually just drop damaged boxes off with no notice about the damage other than the driver telling me it was already damaged when the truck was loaded that morning, and it's up to me to take pictures and find what's missing or broken.

Good luck. Brownells should make good on it if FedEx won't, I've had nothing but excellent service from Brownells over the years if something isn't right. Ideally Brownells should ship you the missing ammo and then they can go after FedEx for the insurance claim.

Jgunner said:

Tell them your lawyer will have a decision for them way before 5 days....

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Have you ever sued anyone?
Ain't no way I'd an attorney unless there was 100k at stake.
That box of ammo will cost 10k by the time the attorney gets done jacking off the bill.
FedEx and Brownells will make it right and the driver will probably be charged but they will never tell you that.
Good luck

Call ATF. Interstate shipment of ammo stolen... nothing will make Fedex stand up and take notice like feds in ATF raid jackets showing up at their facility.

Cheers, Sirhr

Somehow I think that the odds of them showing up at a residential address in kit is more likely than not. But for a major shipping service I have a feeling that a phone call will be placed and Joe manager is not currently available. A follow up? Doubtful.
I could be wrong though. Maybe if there's been other complaints from a certain shipping terminal.

sirhrmechanic said:

Call ATF. Interstate shipment of ammo stolen... nothing will make Fedex stand up and take notice like feds in ATF raid jackets showing up at their facility.

Cheers, Sirhr

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I just had a debacle with FedEx and a powder shipment from midsouth shooter supply. Luckily the package was "found" 4 days after I filed with them. The loss prevention guy was good. He immediately pulled all the camera footage while I was there and found the driver who "mistakenly" forgot to deliver it. Called him in and I got my package.

Yeah, I just had an unmarked box from Target Sports arrive two days ago. Beat to shit but still intact. Too much for one box. I had to open the box on the patio to get the boxes within the boxes out.

Had ammo via FedEx. They shipped it in a tyvex bag. You could hear and feel the pieces moving in the bag. I opened it with the FedEx guy standing there and one box had busted open and everything was free floating around. It was all there, just loose in the bag.

So far.............
My FedEx route driver has stolen one DJI Drone and one box with two Moultrie trail cameras....

So, somewhat, VERY angrily, I went to the hub, through their security apparatus, and sat down with the hub manager.

He realized he had a ticking nuclear device sitting before him. I told him what didnt get delivered and what tracking showed, as well as what my security camera showed.

I also had their 'retired ATF agent' FedEx loss prevention officer's business card, from when I was working. Told them I could have called him first, but preferred to deal with them, where my packages were last tracked to.

Two hours later, I had all paperwork that got me refunded in full.

I thought maybe I would hear something from their investigators. Not...

I got my last deliveries just fine...

FedEx is the only shipper I have had that kind of trouble with, and it was the shipper I worked the most cases on.
I dont like them. Especially the hub in Columbus GA...

Something about their union....

Best to you on recovery.

Doc68 said:

I just had a debacle with FedEx and a powder shipment from midsouth shooter supply. Luckily the package was "found" 4 days after I filed with them. The loss prevention guy was good. He immediately pulled all the camera footage while I was there and found the driver who "mistakenly" forgot to deliver it. Called him in and I got my package.

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The same exact thing happened to me, except with Midsouth and UPS. They “lost” it. Called my driver and it was there the next day after filing a claim

cattleman99 said:

The same exact thing happened to me, except with Midsouth and UPS. They “lost” it. Called my driver and it was there the next day after filing a claim

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Glad it worked out for you. Funny enough UPS is the one shipping company I've never had issues with......knock on wood of course.

On my latest podcast episode, i talk about my barrel getting stolen from someone in USPS. the box was clean cut open and an empty box delivered to PVA. Ive got a case opened up and had the post master from PVA's town call me yesterday. Shit is getting out of hand. I hope the person who stole it some how threads an AI barrel onto whatever gun he has and shoots a different caliber in it.

Along with his issue ^^^^^^

just the other week another guy shipped 2000bullets back to the vendor for a return and only half of them showed up. The other 1000 were missing from the box
Wtf is going on lol

I never thought about it, but photographing everything you ship is a great idea. I doubt any of the carriers have anything but their warehouse cameras. The shipper has to file a claim, so your photos provide proof. If you are shipped something and it is lost, stolen, or destroyed, the onus is on the shipper to get you the item you paid for and deal with the carrier. Using a credit card can be beneficial in these cases.

I was one shipped a compressor( marine AC business) and somewhere the box was dropped, the compressor tore it's way out of the box. No one pick3ed it up and I was delivered an empty box.
Keep in mind the first thing the shipper is going to do is deny the claim. They have people who get paid to do that. If you have a legitimate claim, they will eventually wear down.

BLKWLFK9 said:

On my latest podcast episode, i talk about my barrel getting stolen from someone in USPS. the box was clean cut open and an empty box delivered to PVA. Ive got a case opened up and had the post master from PVA's town call me yesterday. Shit is getting out of hand. I hope the person who stole it some how threads an AI barrel onto whatever gun he has and shoots a different caliber in it.

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It's either a person who has no clue what they stole or they know what it is and they are just a fucking douche nozzle.

A couple of years ago, I had a package of 6 pocket knives that I had ordered from Cabelas as Christmas gifts show up empty. The box had been cut open. Then I had carbon fiber paddle go missing and lastly an empty box that was supposed to be a camera lens. I talked to UPS about it and a couple of weeks later my UPS driver told me they had uncovered a theft ring at the main hub. It seems they were targeting anything from outdoor related businesses.

I was refunded all my money by the sellers and I assume they were reimbursed by UPS.

Most Fedex drivers are not Fedex employees. They contract with someone for a specific turf and that person does a lease on vehicles from Fedex. That person hires drivers and those drivers work for him. Most of them are good people but there are bad apples. A lot depends on the ethics and attitude of the guy who hires those drivers. My experience dealing with lost packages is that the guy who runs that contract operation told me that he wasn't going to try and track down my package because it cost him less to have me turn it over to Fedex insurance claims.
The usual MO is for Fedex/UPS both to stonewall you when you try to get satisfaction or file a claim. Luckily, the last time I went thru this the package was insured by the shipper and they took care of the claim. Fedex will take care of a big account much faster than they will lift a finger to help any individual.

@shoot4fun , I get what you're saying and am not questioning your accuracy... but that premise by 'the process' is just WRONG.

As in, it is WRONG of them to operate like that. Pathetically wrong.

Ravenworks said:

Have you ever sued anyone?
Ain't no way I'd an attorney unless there was 100k at stake.
That box of ammo will cost 10k by the time the attorney gets done jacking off the bill.
FedEx and Brownells will make it right and the driver will probably be charged but they will never tell you that.
Good luck

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usually the threat of getting lawyers involved makes them realize you are serious. Sometimes a drafted letter is all it takes.

Sean the Nailer said:

@shoot4fun , I get what you're saying and am not questioning your accuracy... but that premise by 'the process' is just WRONG.

As in, it is WRONG of them to operate like that. Pathetically wrong.

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I totally agree. Fedex seems to be shirking responsibility for what "contractors" do. I got absolutely no help in two weeks of head-butting but the large account shipper got a refund and had it to me inside another two weeks.

I have spent a lot with Brownells over the years and they are awesome. Back when I could have ammo delivered to Cali I had some issues with anti-2A drivers who would make me sign of things when no signature was required or sometime they would leave a package in the middle of my driveway instead of my porch... Such is life behind enemy lines

sirhrmechanic said:

Call ATF. Interstate shipment of ammo stolen... nothing will make Fedex stand up and take notice like feds in ATF raid jackets showing up at their facility.

Cheers, Sirhr

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A buddy of mine had an MP5 Stolen by a FedEx driver.

FedEx told him to get bent... and now all of them that used to work for FedEx are pretty unhappy... and one is rotting in prison

I had 5 complete uppers stolen in transit. I think UPS, but not sure. May have been Fedex. They were for the PD... and were fortunately insured and from a reputable seller. Who replaced all five.

NEVER ship things that are long and thin... in a box that says "Tactical" on it. The shippers are full of scumbags who are there to steal them blind for gangbangers, drug lords, etc.

Cheers,

Sirhr

Yeah, I was pretty surprised.

The MP5 was select fire... and not in any sort of obvious package. Nevertheless the guy tried it.

Man, the ATF and FBI were all over that and fast.

post office is full of thieves

Scopes thrown in the bushes, left on side of road in the rain (I used to have a long driveway so sometimes they sat for days). Even threw my goddamn brand new NODs in the fucking rainy brush. Luckily none of that stuff got stolen. Then there was the time they left an FAL on the front porch, knocked and walked away (it was a signature item of course). Another time they shot putted a case of BMG primers over the porch.

THAT time I'd had it and told him just because he didn't give a fuck about my property or doing his job right, he oughta give a fuck about not blowing himself up and me and mine in the process.

That's just to scratch the surface.

I now have all UPS and Fedex packages sent to USPS and I pick 'em all up there. There are limits to it but most stuff can be sent there. It's a lot harder for 'em to fuck up that way but can pose problems sometimes with misdeliveries, etc., because they'll say "so and so signed for it at USPS" --and you then get to explain to them how the system works and how a delivery isn't complete until it's the hands of the purchaser, that USPS is a middle man based on a program their CEO's agreed on a while back (don't even need to apply at USPS for it now, it's automatic, if you have a PO box it's just the PO's address plus the box number).

jinxx4ever said:

post office is full of thieves

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You're kidding, right?

shoot4fun said:

Most Fedex drivers are not Fedex employees. They contract with someone for a specific turf and that person does a lease on vehicles from Fedex. That person hires drivers and those drivers work for him. Most of them are good people but there are bad apples. A lot depends on the ethics and attitude of the guy who hires those drivers. My experience dealing with lost packages is that the guy who runs that contract operation told me that he wasn't going to try and track down my package because it cost him less to have me turn it over to Fedex insurance claims.
The usual MO is for Fedex/UPS both to stonewall you when you try to get satisfaction or file a claim. Luckily, the last time I went thru this the package was insured by the shipper and they took care of the claim. Fedex will take care of a big account much faster than they will lift a finger to help any individual.

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Getting on with FedEx, even with an outside contractor is not so easy. I worked for them as a seasonal driver and the background check and rigamarole you had to go through was deep. Most everyone I met was 100% above board.

Strykervet said:

Then there was the time they left an FAL on the front porch, knocked and walked away (it was a signature item of course).

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UPS always does that with my stuff. Forges a signature, leaves it on my porch. Even if it says Hazmat Explosives on it. Because I really want to deal with stolen smokeless powder, bullets, and primer or have someone call the cops because there's explosives sitting on a porch.

A guy I work with used to be a supervisor at a FedEx local to us and his wife is still a manager there currently.

Said they had drivers that would steal once in a while but most of the issues were with the package handlers. Guys that load the trucks in the morning.

He said the drivers had background checks etc but fedex didn’t even drug test for the handlers.

They would tear boxes partially open to see what was in them. They would also recognize people/addresses that ordered things of interest to them and would target them.

Some get caught usually only due to the complaints stacking up against the driver. Some drivers prefer to load their own trucks to a avoid stolen or damaged items

I always use UPS and never had an issue. They sent a new guy this week and twice he left my package on my garbage can by the road. With the virus stuff I’m sure that has something to do with it. He did bring the last one to the door tho

View media item 1978Nuff said.
perfect covered porch three steps further.

One thing I'd like to point out: if we make a big deal out of this (make no mistake, it is a big deal), how long before the media and politicians push to ban all online sales of ammo, reloading supplies, etc.?

Well, at least mine was coffee.

I placed an order on on the 16th from Tennessee. Shipped via UPS on the 17th. Estimated delivery on the 19th. I Thought fantastic! (I live in central Illinois). Estimated delivery removed on the 18th. Shows up in Cerritos, CA on the 24th. New delivery date on the 26th. That then changed to the 30th. Needless to say, I have no confidence that I’ll be seeing it on the 30th.

Wife had some winter coats that were purchased for a ski trip “lost/stolen” through Fedex last month.

I’ll never knowingly choose them for shipping going forward

My barrel got stolen from USPS a while back. They suck.

I am worried these days my online toilet paper delivery is going to get stolen
Amazon needs to repackage into a box that doesn't say Charmin on the outside


The best story I have on delivery driver theft was one that took high dollar packages. Shippers mark high value packages so they know which ones to worry about. The driver knew which boxes to steal and his plan was pure genius, I am not going to share the idea, it was that good. He had figured out a way to make us sign for packages that he stole, no joke.

After he stole about $25,000 worth of laptops that were being delivered to my company in less than about 3 months, we knew something was up and this wasn't just 'lost packages'.

We had a discussion with the internal theft department of the shipper, they came and spoke with us in person that is how bad this was. We had the ability to set a trap, multiple traps actually, and the stupid driver bit on one of them. Got caught red handed at a storage unit not far from our office with a $100k of stolen packages inside. I am sure his asshole puckered

Greed is what took him down, he probably could have stolen 2-3 laptops a year and done that for forever without being caught, but he was trying to make a retirement size score and move on, that was his mistake.

6AYoteHunter said:

Brownells is still refusing to reimburse me the $ that the FedEx letter (3/13) stated I was owed by the shipper. Will be on the phone with credit card company tomorrow if not resolved.

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Did you see Brownells now has "shipping insurance" available at check out now? I think it's like $3.00. So, I asked them if my package doesn't show up it's not going to be their problem? Never heard back. I think thats a bunch of b.s. it's their job to get the stuff to me now I have to give them $3.00 to give a shit if it actually gets to me in one piece?

Recently, I had a ammo shipment due we had the worst flooding I have ever seen in this area, major routes cut or flooded roads closed.
I expected the shipment to be delayed,
FEDEX delivered how they got to me IDK.
No problems with the postal service either fine job.
Ups in my area sucks, that about all I will say. Depending on drivers , that's what it boils down to, probably goes for all.