Depending on who you talk to, FedEx can be just as frustrating.
When I was in the process of shipping my revolver to S&W for repair and refinishing, the first driver I asked did not speak too much English.
I found a second one, and had this refreshing conversation:
Me: "Where is the nearest Shipping Center, so that I can ship a firearm for repair?"
Her: "Oh, you can't do that. It's illegal."
Me: "Oh, do tell. I always thought that shipping a firearm to a gunsmith or manufacturer for repair was OK. They can even ship it right back to you."
Her: "That's not right." :banghead:
Me: "OK. Well, say that I get my firearm back for repair, and it is shipped back to me via FedEx. Will it be delivered, or will I have to pick it up?"
Her: "I can't deliver firearms to private addresses. It's a crime, and I could be arrested."
Me: "OK. Well, that sure didn't happen the last time a rifle was returned to me from the factory."
Her: "Well, whoever did it really broke the law, and didn't know what they were doing. Who delivered the rifle to you?"
Me: "The US Postal Service."
Her:
I finally took it to a shipping center, where they accepted it without a blink, and got it properly insured. I should get it back in about 3 weeks.
If you're shipping a handgun, go FedEx, from a shipping center.
Shipping a long gun? USPS all the way, folks. Registered Mail rocks!