I do agree with dealing directly with H&R and I think H&R should deal with the shipping considering its a faulty gun wh ich is their messup. You shouldnt have to pay shipping for something that was sent to you bad. And I agree with removing the scope. Some places wont even take them in with a scope mounted. Might just be me but I usually have better luck dealing with a manufacturer than I do with the dealer as long as theyre a reputable manufacturer. Now if I did alot of bus. with the dealer youre referring to thenI might let them deal with it to save myself the hassle. Some are harder to deal with than others IMO. Good luck with everything, Ive never dedalt with H&R so I cant say much about theyre customer service.