TNT delivery charge increase and the effects to the hunting/shooting industry

Hunting and sport shooters may or not be aware the majority of firearms, shotguns, ammunition and associated explosives have been shipped around the UK by TNT under an agreement by the Gun Trade Association. This agreement was arranged to help move such restricted items from importers/suppliers to registered firearms dealers in order to provide a smooth reliable service to its customers. 

Initially the system was set up where Section 1 and 2 items could be shipped from one registered business to another for as little as £15. This covered items such as rifles, shotguns and air weapons. There was also a special service provided only by TNT in the UK to carry such items such as ammunition, reloading powder, primers, percussion cap etc. The charge for this service was usually around £25. In most cases suppliers and registered firearms dealers absorbed these costs to try and keep retail prices down. What now has happened since January 2016 is that TNT has made dramatic changes to these special delivery services with huge increases to its charges. In most cases the suppliers are unwilling to absorb these additional costs and no doubt the extra cost will feed its way down the system unfortunately at the customer’s expense.

A letter received by TNT in January explained the following circumstances “As we continue to operate our businesses through a period of heightened security and risk we must all consider how best we can support our local communities through effective mitigation, measures and control”

Some of the charges that TNT have outlined that will affect business an

• £47.40 per consignment up to 30kg and £0.60 per kilo after
• Collection and delivery service must be within 60 miles of the 24 TNT UK depots. Outside of this there is a £1.26 charge per extra mile.
• Deliveries to Islands and weekend services are by special arrangement and will attract additional charge on a consignment by consignment basis.

In the meantime Northern Optics & Accessories has been working very closely with its suppliers to ensure that any costs that are passed on are minimal to our customers. We already have an account set up with Parcelforce through the help of BASC which enables us to send Section 1 and 2 items to other registered firearms dealers for only £20. The only thing that is out with our control is the cost of shipping reloading powder, ammunition, primers etc. This at the moment is still only been shipped via TNT until another reliable cheaper service can be found by us and our network of UK suppliers.