Postal Service Woes, Lost Barrel

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BriarpatchMtn

BriarpatchMtn

Member
Jul 28, 2024
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Fries, Virginia, USA
Really just posting to vent, so apologies if I ramble. Most of this had been post in scattered threads.
Ok. I got a Challenger Elite .457 from Fox Air Power, February 2024 not long after they were released.
There's been many minor issues and they've provided excellent customer service. They replaced 2 regulators, one I damaged the 1st day shooting, the 2nd I damaged because original owners manual didn't have the instructions to degass before lowering regulator pressure. And they replaced a collapsed hammer spring.
Accuracy and leading were problems from the beginning which I tried resolving with different ammo's, casting my own slugs, different alloys, powder coating, fire lapping, polishing. I tried everything. Made it a little better for deer season last year and dropped 2 deer. But had a back injury cleaning up after a hurricane and the gun got put on the back burner.
Got a bore scope this spring and found I'd gotten an AEA crap barrel, totally unfixable.
Unfortunately it was just outside of warranty at that point. Contacted Fox Air the end of March about purchasing a new barrel. Sent pictures, we had several emails, and they went about trying to get me a new one.
Took what felt like forever for AEA to send the new barrel from the factory. But finally Fox Air received it and put it in the mail to me on July 11th. And they did it as a warranty, which I absolutely wasn't expecting. So I was overjoyed it was coming and wasn't having to sink more money into $1000 gun. Plus they said it was a Beefier barrel, not sure maybe they've been upgraded.
Now the US Postal Service has lost it. Disappeared from tracking as soon as they picked it up. WTF!!!!
Everything's been done by Fox Air and myself that can be, now it's just wait and see what happens. They did send it insured so that's a plus. But the suspense is killing me. Deer season could be come and gone if they have to file a claim and get 2nd barrel from China.
I've never mentioned Fox Air Power in relation to this gun because everyone has different experiences and opinions no matter which company is named. For me they've stood behind this gun since day one, done all they can for me to be happy with it and enjoy it.
As for the Postal Service, 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬!!!
 
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I wish I could pass along one good piece of shipping advice and have it stick.
DO NOT USE GROUND ADVANTAGE
If it's not something trivial, then go for Priority Mail. Use pirateship.com and it'll be much cheaper.
Even better, don't use USPS at all, use UPS ground on pirateship.com.

Wanna save hassles? Hard feelings? Worrying? Follow this advice.
 
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bchannell said:
I wish I could pass along one good piece of shipping advice and have it stick.
DO NOT USE GROUND ADVANTAGE
If it's not something trivial, then go for Priority Mail. Use pirateship.com and it'll be much cheaper.
Even better, don't use USPS at all, use UPS ground on pirateship.com.

Wanna save hassles? Hard feelings? Worrying? Follow this advice.
Click to expand...
I'm just the recipient and since they surprised me replacing the barrel under warranty I didn't get any options on the shipping.
But they did use the Ground Advantage.
I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that it will be found and arrive eventually.
 
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I was simply venting. Been waiting since April. Got excited that it finally arrived and was in the mail. Then pow, my bubble got burst by the postal service. My post office got back with me that there had been some problem with the packages barcode and they'd got it corrected. Plus Fox Air put in a missing mail search. That was all Wednesday.
It's just been a very long wait for a manic-bipolar with little patience.
 
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I've shipped and/received thousands of packages with usps over the last 20 years. This last year had been the worst I've seen, I've tracked packages for months all over the country numerous times when it originated in my state 100 miles away. Sometimes they sit for awhile before I see movement as well.

I will say only one package was lost in the last 20 years. I had a few show up 6 months later, but only one never was found.

Id go with UPS until they get back on track.
 
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BriarpatchMtn said:
I'm just the recipient and since they surprised me replacing the barrel under warranty I didn't get any options on the shipping.
But they did use the Ground Advantage.
I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that it will be found and arrive eventually.
Click to expand...
I'm in Hawaii, everything I get ground advantage gets lost as soon as it leaves San Francisco, most of it will show up after 3 weeks. Sometimes it sucks living in paradise
Click to expand...
 
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You are still well within the receiving window. I know it stinks but place nothing in what you see on usps tracking. There was a time their tracking was good but that time isn’t now. Once in awhile it is good but often today it is utterly useless and will show nothing as far as details in the middle of the shipment. Be patient and in the future demand companies avoid usps. People can say all they want about fedex and ups but they are just better statistically.
 
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BriarpatchMtn said:
Really just posting to vent, so apologies if I ramble. Most of this had been post in scattered threads.
Ok. I got a Challenger Elite .457 from Fox Air Power, February 2024 not long after they were released.
There's been many minor issues and they've provided excellent customer service. They replaced 2 regulators, one I damaged the 1st day shooting, the 2nd I damaged because original owners manual didn't have the instructions to degass before lowering regulator pressure. And they replaced a collapsed hammer spring.
Accuracy and leading were problems from the beginning which I tried resolving with different ammo's, casting my own slugs, different alloys, powder coating, fire lapping, polishing. I tried everything. Made it a little better for deer season last year and dropped 2 deer. But had a back injury cleaning up after a hurricane and the gun got put on the back burner.
Got a bore scope this spring and found I'd gotten an AEA crap barrel, totally unfixable.
Unfortunately it was just outside of warranty at that point. Contacted Fox Air the end of March about purchasing a new barrel. Sent pictures, we had several emails, and they went about trying to get me a new one.
Took what felt like forever for AEA to send the new barrel from the factory. But finally Fox Air received it and put it in the mail to me on July 11th. And they did it as a warranty, which I absolutely wasn't expecting. So I was overjoyed it was coming and wasn't having to sink more money into $1000 gun. Plus they said it was a Beefier barrel, not sure maybe they've been upgraded.
Now the US Postal Service has lost it. Disappeared from tracking as soon as they picked it up. WTF!!!!
Everything's been done by Fox Air and myself that can be, now it's just wait and see what happens. They did send it insured so that's a plus. But the suspense is killing me. Deer season could be come and gone if they have to file a claim and get 2nd barrel from China.
I've never mentioned Fox Air Power in relation to this gun because everyone has different experiences and opinions no matter which company is named. For me they've stood behind this gun since day one, done all they can for me to be happy with it and enjoy it.
As for the Postal Service, 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬!!!
Click to expand...
It will probably turn up. I run a small business that depends on USPS for shipping and something changed with tracking around April / March. A new set of regulations regarding the way packages are binned and scanned was introduced, and my postmaster told me they are no longer updating tracking when the shipping containers are scanned, only when the individual package itself is scanned. This results in most of the updates I used to get no longer happening and sometimes a week or more without tracking updates in spite of 100% of my packages getting to their destination eventually. USPS has been struggling to meet their service windows for me since they started this new policy, but I live in a pretty remote area so everything is worse where I am. USPS is the only option, though and I am grateful… the private courier companies want nothing to do with serving small rural communities like the one I live in.
 
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Ackley786 said:
Go see your LOCAL postmaster and demand a replacement!! Demand to fill out a written loss report, and keep hounding them about it. Find out who your local postal inspector, and speak with him or her. I was getting only the cover of Boar and Boar Hunting magazine. I raised a stink and it quit happening.
Click to expand...
Actually starting a claim and hounding people is a great idea. I remember doing this a few times in the past. One was a money order that was taking forever. Lo and behold once the claim process was rolling it magically got to its destination the next day.
 
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@BriarpatchMtn - The USPS is the worst possible method to ship anything, anywhere, any time. I absolutely detest the USPS.

My last order with the USPS was from Georgia. It took NINETEEN days to go from Georgia to Michigan via Florida, Colorado, back to Georgia, back to Colorado again! And it finally showed up. Complete and utter incompetence.

Go to your local post office and file a claim with the Inspector General. Keep filing claims with the Inspector General until it shows up. Each claim is a strike against the USPS.

I really hope they privatize the USPS and get rid of the hires that do nothing.
 
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I had a barrel disappear and then show up. Had a gun disappear and then show up. Sold some scuba gear and it went to Limbo and then arrived late. Bought a electronic item from the country of Georgia and it tracked to the USPS where it then disappeared for 4 months and then was delivered after the seller sent another via other means that arrived in a week.

Odd shaped or larger packages or very small ones seem to do this more often. Any package that does not fit inside the bins seems to go around in circles. That is because it is checked into a bin but does not fit in the bin so everytime the bin is scanned your packages appears to be going back and forth! Then your package shows up a week or so later.
 
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3Crows said:
I had a barrel disappear and then show up. Had a gun disappear and then show up. Sold some scuba gear and it went to Limbo and then arrived late. Bought a electronic item from the country of Georgia and it tracked to the USPS where it then disappeared for 4 months and then was delivered after the seller sent another via other means that arrived in a week.

Odd shaped or larger packages or very small ones seem to do this more often. Any package that does not fit inside the bins seems to go around in circles. That is because it is checked into a bin but does not fit in the bin so everytime the bin is scanned your packages appears to be going back and forth! Then your package shows up a week or so later.
Click to expand...
This one just disappeared immediately after picked up. Not one single scan since. Missing/lost package has been filled. Can only continue waiting. Have had packages bounce around and be late, but always had tracking to at least follow where the went. The total lack of info is the frustrating part. Went thru 4 months of that waiting for AEA to send it over from China.
I'm just not very good with patience being a get it done now type person. Seems younger generations have lost that. See it at work every day, walking in the door at the buzzer. And it drivers me nuts when someone says, "It's not my job." I'm an hour early waiting on them to unlock the door, and getting things prepped and ready before punching in. Of course they don't know that I'm the highest payed person besides the supervisor because of how I work.
Anyway I know I'll eventually receive it, even though "Eventually" sucks.
 
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BriarpatchMtn said:
This one just disappeared immediately after picked up. Not one single scan since. Missing/lost package has been filled. Can only continue waiting. Have had packages bounce around and be late, but always had tracking to at least follow where the went. The total lack of info is the frustrating part. Went thru 4 months of that waiting for AEA to send it over from China.
I'm just not very good with patience being a get it done now type person. Seems younger generations have lost that. See it at work every day, walking in the door at the buzzer. And it drivers me nuts when someone says, "It's not my job." I'm an hour early waiting on them to unlock the door, and getting things prepped and ready before punching in. Of course they don't know that I'm the highest payed person besides the supervisor because of how I work.
Anyway I know I'll eventually receive it, even though "Eventually" sucks.
Click to expand...
Like you I was raised with accountability in mind and I expect that from myself and hopefully others.....
 
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maxtrouble said:
@BriarpatchMtn - The USPS is the worst possible method to ship anything, anywhere, any time. I absolutely detest the USPS.

My last order with the USPS was from Georgia. It took NINETEEN days to go from Georgia to Michigan via Florida, Colorado, back to Georgia, back to Colorado again! And it finally showed up. Complete and utter incompetence.

Go to your local post office and file a claim with the Inspector General. Keep filing claims with the Inspector General until it shows up. Each claim is a strike against the USPS.

I really hope they privatize the USPS and get rid of the hires that do nothing.
Click to expand...

I live in a small rural town and the for profit shipping carriers want nothing to do with serving us, we need USPS. If anybody expects that millions of people can be shipping things every day without occasional mishaps they are delusional.
 
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