Good until it isn't - Gun shipped to FFL via FedEx missing

[MGW]

I have a dumb question. Why couldn’t this be a a police report for a stolen firearm?

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I have a dumb question. Why couldn’t this be a a police report for a stolen firearm?

It could...but the seller has all the info and the carrier was contracted to transfer the firearm for him from another state. My FFL never took receipt of the firearm and it was never transferred to me. Additionally, I don't have anything to really indicate that it was stolen, other than a suspicion...it's a 'he said, she said' grey zone issue right know. I don't even have real evidence there was a 'body' outside of the FFL chain. So contacting the County Sheriffs department really doesn't do much for me or them. They'll take a report, but there is little reason to follow up for them and use time and resources on this potential case.
It's really up to the seller...he is the one who has to file a claim with FedEx and a missing gun report with the ATF, since the gun hadn't been received by my FFL and transferred to me. From my angle, without clear indicators of something criminal, my recourse for redress is through the seller and GunBroker. It sucks for me since, like I said in the thread title, buying on GB is good until it isn't. Until I get reimbursed, I'm in the hole since I paid for the purchase. All that said, if I start to get the 'bad feelings', my first shout will be to the ATF since the issue concerns a registered firearm and the investigatory chain is multi state.
I'm not LE, but I have done investigations in other venues and I think I am on point from a practical perspective. We've got LE and FFL experts in here who can chime in if I am being naive or worse.

[MGW]

It could...but the seller has all the info and the carrier was contracted to transfer the firearm for him from another state. My FFL never took receipt of the firearm and it was never transferred to me. Additionally, I don't have anything to really indicate that it was stolen, other than a suspicion...it's a 'he said, she said' grey zone issue right know. I don't even have real evidence there was a 'body' outside of the FFL chain. So contacting the County Sheriffs department really doesn't do much for me or them. They'll take a report, but there is little reason to follow up for them and use time and resources on this potential case.
It's really up to the seller...he is the one who has to file a claim with FedEx and a missing gun report with the ATF, since the gun hadn't been received by my FFL and transferred to me. From my angle, without clear indicators of something criminal, my recourse for redress is through the seller and GunBroker. It sucks for me since, like I said in the thread title, buying on GB is good until it isn't. Until I get reimbursed, I'm in the hole since I paid for the purchase. All that said, if I start to get the 'bad feelings', my first shout will be to the ATF since the issue concerns a registered firearm and the investigatory chain is multi state.
I'm not LE, but I have done investigations in other venues and I think I am on point from a practical perspective. We've got LE and FFL experts in here who can chime in if I am being naive or worse.

Makes sense to me.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Told this before. Coming back from the NTI in Pennsylvania, the gun case never made it to San Antonio. Told the baggage agent at the airport I wanted to file a police report. Two days later they came up with the case and several guns all in them. Told me that my flight was overweight so they decided to put the dangerous cargo (what?) on another plane (so that one would blow up due to unloaded guns?).

Did the OP pay with a credit card? They should cover such.

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Update: So, the seller has filed a claim with FedEx and also filed a missing/stolen firearm report with ATF. That is good since it will make the serial number radioactive and supersedes filing with local LE as previously discussed. My FFL says he has the footage of the alleged delivery time; it apparently doesn't show any delivery and contradicts the driver's account. Here is the pi**er: my FFL states no one, FedEx or LE, has contacted him. I know the inquiry/investigation wheels turn slowly, but that seems odd. In any case, I am taking all parties at face value and keeping an eye on what I can verify. The seller states FedEx says 10-15 days to process his claim and reimburse him.

To answer Glenn's comment, no, I didn't pay by credit card. Seller had a decent profile, I knew the risk, and paid as the seller preferred. If I was stretched for funds and couldn't tolerate the deal going sour, I would not have done so. I've run across verified seller's who prefer payment by check or MO in the past with no problem - everybody's favorite Galil smith in TN doesn't take American Express (or any credit card). For what it's worth, I think the seller is unhappily smoking a cat turd on this affair as much as I am.
On the bright side, had an excellent training session yesterday with Gen5G17 and Shadow 2, with no 2019 Staccato P to get in the way.

[Basher]

I have nothing to add here with regards to FedEx, but several years ago I had a very nice CZ Satin Luxe rifle go missing via USPS. It never showed delivery, but it just stopped moving in the system after hitting the destination post office. No updates, no status change, nothing. The FFL confirmed they hadn't received anything, so I called USPS and poked around. They claimed they couldn't find anything, so I escalated things to their regional postal inspector/investigator and had a nice phone chat with them, letting them know that it was a rifle and that I'd be contacting the ATF at the end of the week to report a lost/stolen firearm if it wasn't located somehow.

Magically, it arrived at my FFL the next day. Sometimes people just need a fire lit under their ass to get their act together. Hopefully a similar turnout happens for you and everyone can end the story on a happy note!

[Hambo]

If you don't know how Fedex operates routes, read this: https://fitsmallbusiness.com/fedex-routes-for-sale/
Quality of employees varies greatly. It's easier to scribble a signature on the electronic pad than to get a signature.

For the OP, your seller should be sending you money now, not waiting for his shipping problem to get resolved.