A number of years ago, I read that something like 15,000 firearms (being shipped) are stolen from UPS in a year. So they would then only accept firearms being shipped by one or two day service (I suspect those packages are tracked better). Now this is just a guess, but I suspect people stealing guns are not folks that should have them. Not a good thing!
As a result, for very rare packages, we usually ship only by one or two day. So if a very rare Rene Herse bicycle is being shipped, it goes by plane. Expensive, but keeps things out of the system. And in the past, Fedex overnight was very good (but they don't insure vintage!)
Now, the reverse is true when shipping from France we hear. If you ship by Fedex in France by the fastest method, stressed forklift drivers are likely to hit your bike box and crush the insides. If you go by slower air service, they wait for items to accumulate on a pallate,and things get shipped with less damage.
Such a game, such a pain.
Mike Kone in Boulder CO USA
With absolutely no help from UPS, my Masi was found by the US postal Inspector. Turns out it was stolen from a Philly airport station and abandoned. Someone apparently decided to leave it next to a blue postal mail box, near the airport, along w/ a few other stolen pkgs.
In my last conversation w/ a UPS supervisor, I suggested that they might want to check for theft. She said there was no security problem w/ UPS and that the tracing and security dept had completed their investigation. Case closed! Even though they had no clue what happened to my pkg., they declared their to be no security issues. The US postal inspector said there have been security issues there since December. You'd think UPS would be interested in security!
Anyway, the post office will be shipping my "unopened" Masi box, tomorrow.
I would recommend insuring anything these morons touch. If not for the full value, at least for enough to maybe have them handle it more carefully.
Scott Davis St. Anthony, Minnesota USA
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