Sending RIFs in UK. Should you purchase the extra insurance?

[ParHunter]

Hi,

I need to ship my Krytac in the UK. The shipping is not that expensive (less than £10) but if you want to insure it the price jumps up by £25. 

Are Airsoft RIFs actually covered under the insurance (I wouldn't be surprised if they are not) and do you really need the insurance?

Which parcel company would you recommend and would you take the insurance or risk it?
The gun just received some upgrades and the replacement price would be somewhere around the £500-600 mark.

 

[Cannonfodder]

Iirc the only courier who will carry rifs (at least sent by Joe Public) are parcelforce using the 48hr service.

As for whether the extra cost of insurance is worth it, unfortunately that's down to how much of a risk you're willing to take. Having worked for a courier company in the past and seeing how parcels are treated along with how much stuff goes walkies I'd probably pay the extra for the piece of mind that if something does go wrong I'm not several hundred quid out of pocket 

 

[Rogerborg]

It's a total shitshow. Every courier that I've looked at except for Parcel Force expressly prohibit imitation firearms and airguns. That's not to say that they'll actually reject them - plenty of retailers use them. BBGnus4less, for example, explicitly recommend using Evri to return goods, even though Evri explicitly refuse "Weapons and replica weapons – including decorative, deactivated or air powered weapons". ?‍

I see Parcel Farce have recently updated their restrictions, and have pulled all firearms related items out into their own section

https://www.parcelforce.com/help-and-advice/account-customers/account-prohibitions-and-restrictions

Annoyingly, it's all still rather vague and contradictory, but they will take both "low powered air weapons" and "imitation firearms".

They used to say that they wouldn't offer enhanced compensation on anything shooty-like, but I can't see that any more.

tl;dr version - if I were sending something £500+ I reckon I'd use ParcelForce 48, sent from a Post Office counter, and paying for enhanced compensation. Worst case, that forms a contract with the Post Office that you could argue later.

 

[Cannonfodder]

plenty of retailers use them. BBGnus4less, for example, explicitly recommend using Evri to return goods,

I could be wrong but I've always assumed these shops have business accounts and would have different terms and conditions allowing them to ship rifs

 

[Speedbird_666]

I see Parcel Farce have recently updated their restrictions, and have pulled all firearms related items out into their own section

https://www.parcelforce.com/help-and-advice/account-customers/account-prohibitions-and-restrictions

That's for PF account holders.

Joe public gets this:

View attachment 119140

I don't recall them specifically calling out 'Air Rifles, Air Guns and Air Pistols' previously - just 'low powered air weapon for sporting use' which is what I tell my local post office lady when sending a RIF. Looks like a loophole that's been closed.

PF48 minimum compensation is now £150. But I wouldn't hold my breath for a claim against them relating to a RIF based on the guidance above.

 

[Tackle]

As a wiser man than me once said, "only risk what you can afford to lose" 

While he was referring to payment options when buying kit s/h, the same should be applied to shipping kit. 

 

[Rogerborg]

That's for PF account holders.

Joe public gets this:

View attachment 119140

Urgh, thanks, but this does my head in. If you go to https://www.postoffice.co.uk/mail/what-can-i-send and check the PDF there, you get:

View attachment 119143

Not a word about imitations, or compensation.

That PDF tells you to go to the RoyalFail to get the "full list".  So let's look there.

https://personal.help.royalmail.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/96/~/prohibited-and-restricted-items---advice-for-personal-customers

But the "full list" page has not a word about firearms, or imitations, except to say that Section 5s are a no-no.  It links back to the "brief overview" PDF above.

I honestly don't think there is a single, clear, absolutely definitive list that you could use if push came to shove in a court. It's not even clear who you even have the contract with, and whose terms apply, if you were to (e.g.) send and pay for ParcelFarce delivery at a Post Office counter, versus getting a ParcelFarce pick up directly.

Good to hear that standard compensation is up to £150, mind.

I could be wrong but I've always assumed these shops have business accounts and would have different terms and conditions allowing them to ship rifs

Maybe, but I can't find a reference to them.  In any case I'm talking specifically about what BBGuns4Less say about posting back to them.

https://bbguns4less.co.uk/pages/Posting-back-to-us.html

Of course, it's not their problem if it goes missing or gets destroyed or seized on the way back.

Except maybe it is, since they 1) recommend Evri, and 2) say they won't compensate RoyalFail / ParcelFarce fees, only Evri fees.

What's the truth here?  It's enough to drive a Borg to drink.

View attachment 119145

 

[Cannonfodder]

It's BBGuns4less so I'm not surprised they're recommending dodgy stuff

 

[Rogerborg]

It's BBGuns4less so I'm not surprised they're recommending dodgy stuff

You say that like there's such a thing as a reputable airsoft retailer.  

 

[Cannonfodder]

Relatively speaking 

 

[Tommikka]

I could be wrong but I've always assumed these shops have business accounts and would have different terms and conditions allowing them to ship rifs

Correct - ‘retail’ postage and business contracted postage can differ.

It would of course depend on the business selecting their carriers, methods and cover accordingly 

Urgh, thanks, but this does my head in. If you go to https://www.postoffice.co.uk/mail/what-can-i-send and check the PDF there, you get:

View attachment 119143

Not a word about imitations, or compensation.

That PDF tells you to go to the RoyalFail to get the "full list".  So let's look there.

https://personal.help.royalmail.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/96/~/prohibited-and-restricted-items---advice-for-personal-customers

But the "full list" page has not a word about firearms, or imitations, except to say that Section 5s are a no-no.  It links back to the "brief overview" PDF above.

I honestly don't think there is a single, clear, absolutely definitive list that you could use if push came to shove in a court. It's not even clear who you even have the contract with, and whose terms apply, if you were to (e.g.) send and pay for ParcelFarce delivery at a Post Office counter, versus getting a ParcelFarce pick up directly.

Good to hear that standard compensation is up to £150, mind.

Maybe, but I can't find a reference to them.  In any case I'm talking specifically about what BBGuns4Less say about posting back to them.

https://bbguns4less.co.uk/pages/Posting-back-to-us.html

Of course, it's not their problem if it goes missing or gets destroyed or seized on the way back.

Except maybe it is, since they 1) recommend Evri, and 2) say they won't compensate RoyalFail / ParcelFarce fees, only Evri fees.

What's the truth here?  It's enough to drive a Borg to drink.

View attachment 119145

Facepalm moment 

It would be a different matter if they generated labels under a contract with Evri etc, as opposed to directing individuals to use a method that excludes the most common thing that is likely to be sent back by a customer 

https://www.evri.com/send/what-i-can-and-cannot-send

• Prohibited items:
  
• Weapons and replica weapons – including decorative, deactivated or air powered weapons
  

 

[ParHunter]

Looks like I am going to use my own 4 wheels to do that. It is just a 3 hour round trip, could have been worse.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Looks like I am going to use my own 4 wheels to do that. It is just a 3 hour round trip, could have been worse.

I've come to the conclusion that a short to medium drive (by my standards) is worth the reduced hassle of postal fuckery.

 

[Tommikka]

Looks like I am going to use my own 4 wheels to do that. It is just a 3 hour round trip, could have been worse.

I've come to the conclusion that a short to medium drive (by my standards) is worth the reduced hassle of postal fuckery.

Just make sure you’re aware of what you are achieving by driving there

It is often a lot better to be there in person and able to speak to a person behind the counter 

If an item is lost in the technical terms of finding that tracking number then it may or may not work to be there - a package of approximate size that ought to be somewhere in a depot is potentially invisible - it’s just as likely that a helpful person still won’t find it on the system nor be able to see in when looking out back 

For expectation management, before heading off on a trip consider the risk of still not turning up the package.

It could have left it’s last tracked point and moved from a depot without being scanned through and ended up somewhere else

But it could also be sat there and your presence changes the effort level of system checking / eyeball visuals and you do end up with it in your hands

 

[ParHunter]

I am definitely going to drive! I was expecting a delivery today from pdp and the app told me it was delivered. However the picture that they’ve uploaded as proof of delivery showed a door I did not recognise. I walked up our street to check but could not find the door. No idea where they’ve delivered that parcel.

 

[BigAl]

Parcel Force 48 Hour and Royal Mail afe the only UK companies that will take airsoft guns from Public.

Do not include loose batteries and remove valves from gas magazines.