Beware Midway's product reviews!

[oldred]

Another gripe about Midway, I had bought some inletting black there a while back for stock making and the drop or so that was in the container when they sent it was about used up, comparing prices I went to the Midway site and found it had increased in price quite a bit. It's only about $11 so it's not like it's an expensive item but still for what it is and the fact it's promoted as 1 oz when there is actually less than 1/4 ozs in the 1 oz bottle prompted me to read the reviews. Since there was another review that mentioned the 1/4 oz amount I posted a review myself and gave an honest rating to this product. I was polite and simply pointed out that it is advertised as a 1 oz container but, as another person had pointed out, was actually only 1/4 oz of product in a mostly empty tiny bottle. I then said that (I pointed out that IMO for me) it seemed a bit overpriced for the amount of product received and that I guessed I would probably just go back to using the enamel paint I had used successfully in the past. There was no rant nor belittling of the product and I was polite, they must have agreed because after the review checking period my review was posted, fair enough. Now a couple of months later I find that my review and others with negative comments have been deleted and there are only positive reviews with high ratings for the product there now, some a lot older than mine. What good are product reviews if they are unfairly slanted? If I had of been impolite and been on a vengeful rant I would understand but I was not upset with the product I just wanted to point out that, and I plainly said just IMO, the product was too small of an amount for the price and that the buyer should understand that it is actually only 1/4 oz instead of the 1 oz the product description leads one to believe. Smilin Larry puts on a good show but this is just one more reason I will not buy there anymore in addition to his ridiculous shipping policies. He has a good sales pitch and even gets people to donate to the NRA when they order, which is a very good thing and I always did, but then HE gets credit for all that he gives to the NRA and other organizations when it's our money he is donating! Flame away but I am getting more burnt out on Smilin Larry every time I hear anything about Midway.

[41 mag fan]

Might be burnt out on Midway, but lets see or try to find out how much he donates to fight any upcoming legislation. AR products are a big money maker for him, I'd like to see all the gun makers, ammo makers, and any and all business that deals with guns and related products to band together and help fight any new laws the idiots that were elected come up with.

[Love Life]

If they ban the ARs and magazines think about what else will suffer. Metal stampers, plastic molding companies, all the shippers, upper and lower manufacturers, the barrel makers, ammo sales, aftermarket parts makers, etc. I tried to make out a list today of all the different pieces of the AR pie that would be hit, but stopped at a full page. It is pretty mind boggling.


The military would not be able to pick up the slack in the market that a ban would cause. Mucho small shops, and some larger shops would have to hang it up or at least start lay offs.

[shooter93]

All part of the plan Love Life.

[oldred]

but lets see or try to find out how much he donates to fight any upcoming legislation.




HE donates? I'm reasonable sure he probably does donate some, maybe anyway, but those donations Midway is so famous for are solicited from buyers when they place orders. They never fail to ask if we want to make that donation and I am sure most of us do because it's a good thing and I'm more than happy to donate but it irks me just a little when people point out all the money MIDWAY donates without mentioning where at least part, and most likely most, of it comes from!

Midway is doing a good deed by asking for these donations and it's commendable on their part for going to the trouble to help US, their customers, donate to a good cause.

[Bad Water Bill]

oldred
Go to your nearest paint supplier and look for LAMP BLACK. It has worked for me since the 60s. When you match prices you will really get mad at Larry.

[41 mag fan]

HE donates? I'm reasonable sure he probably does donate some, maybe anyway, but those donations Midway is so famous for are solicited from buyers when they place orders. They never fail to ask if we want to make that donation and I am sure most of us do because it's a good thing and I'm more than happy to donate but it irks me just a little when people point out all the money MIDWAY donates without mentioning where at least part, and most likely most, of it comes from!

Midway is doing a good deed by asking for these donations and it's commendable on their part for going to the trouble to help US, their customers, donate to a good cause.

I'm talking about from his own business profits oldred, not from the NRA roundup that i gladly donate to everytime I place an order.
I do know that Midway is a huge sponsor of conventions like the N***, that me and the wife attend every Feb.
But my train of thought originally, is what we might see coming down the pike, all these gun businesses and the offshoots to them need to band together, spend a portion of their profits to fight gun legislation, use some to help fund operation school shield, I believe is what the NRA rep called it just about an hour ago, when I was talking to them.

right now they are all making a huge profit, it's time they help to fight any new laws so their profits wont go down past what they was before all the scares and scared buying frenzy started happening.

[jmort]

Reviews should be sacrosanct and the process should be transparent. If I see some straight-up negative feedback I pay attention. I don't like the idea that the game is rigged. Midway USA just keeps on slipping.

[waksupi]

If you really want to save some money, try plain old motor oil for inletting, rather than the inletting black. I have used it for years. Lots less mess, and marks well. I just use a brush to put on a light coat. I use it on a couple guns a month, with good luck. You can even use old used oil. Once you are done inletting, any small spots can be wiped out with laquer thinner.

[oldred]

oldred
Go to your nearest paint supplier and look for LAMP BLACK. It has worked for me since the 60s. When you match prices you will really get mad at Larry.




Yes Lampblack is what I am using now and before that I used a slow drying enamel paint like Rustoleum, the paint works great but required mineral spirits to remove. Since discovering the lampblack recently I have no need for anything else but the inletting black was, except for ease of cleaning, no better than the heavy black enamel which can be bought by the QUART for less than the inletting black costs for 1/4 OUNCE!


To be clear my complaint here was not about the product, although IMHO (just IMHO) it's a major rip-off, rather it's about the fact that Midway would delete negative product reviews to make a product appear to have a much higher user approval than it does, heck even Harbor Freight is more honest with their product reviews than that! First when describing the product it is clearly described as an ounce but while it is a one ounce BOTTLE the bottle is actually only 1/4 full, that's about a thimble full for $11.49 plus shipping! Others had also mentioned the tiny amount but now there is only one review that mentions it and overall that review was positive so they left it, doctoring product reviews I suppose is a common practice but that does not make it honest.

[oldred]

I'm talking about from his own business profits oldred,



I don't doubt Midway does just that and it's commendable but it does not excuse questionable business practices, Midway seems to be forgetting where their success comes from! This is not a big thing but it was insulting and is stooping quite low to do such a thing, if they had a reason such as if I had been belittling the product and calling the manufacturer names or something to that effect it would be understandable but obviously my review was determined to be acceptable and not in violation because it was posted for a while, apparently negative reviews were deleted leaving only a slanted and phony impression that everyone who reviewed the product loved it which was certainly not the case a few weeks ago. Would they do the same thing for an expensive item? I have no way of knowing but it sure makes reading their product reviews suspect, this is pretty much expected when dealing with an unknown outfit but Midway is supposed to have a better reputation than that!

[41 mag fan]

I don't doubt Midway does just that and it's commendable but it does not excuse questionable business practices, Midway seems to be forgetting where their success comes from! This is not a big thing but it was insulting and is stooping quite low to do such a thing, if they had a reason such as if I had been belittling the product and calling the manufacturer names or something to that effect it would be understandable but obviously my review was determined to be acceptable and not in violation because it was posted for a while, apparently negative reviews were deleted leaving only a slanted and phony impression that everyone who reviewed the product loved it which was certainly not the case a few weeks ago. Would they do the same thing for an expensive item? I have no way of knowing but it sure makes reading their product reviews suspect, this is pretty much expected when dealing with an unknown outfit but Midway is supposed to have a better reputation than that!

I have to agree with you on that oldred. If they're deleting or doctoring reviews, thats not good business practice at all. Maybe a call to larry? I heard he'll take ph calls
and listen to complaints. Might be worth a try at least??

[Boerrancher]

Well the most expensive thing I have bought for in-letting stocks has been a tube of Prussian Blue oil paint from the art dept at wally world for about $3. Oil paints are very slow drying and they are like brill cream, "a little dab'll do ya," a small one ounce tube will make a dozen stocks. Generally I coat the barreled action one time with a thin layer of Prussian Blue and it lasts through the whole in-letting process.

I also like the idea of used motor oil as well. Thanks for that one Ric.

Best wishes,

Joe

[mtnman31]

I have provided a couple reviews after purchasing items from Midway. This was in response to the emails they sent me soliciting for my feedback. I noticed that after a couple weeks my reviews were still not posted. Mine were all positive and I have no idea why they were never posted. It just makes me not want to take the time to do any more reviews on their website. I agree with previous posts; reviews should be left alone and not edited unless they are malicious or profane.

[gandydancer]

I am told. and its more then likely not true. that potterfield keeps a tight grip on the Round Up millions not the NRA and that the NRA collects only the interest from the round up money. any body know for sure??? GD

[Blammer]

I'd email midway and ask why your review is no longer present.

[uscra112]

Had an employee some 6-8 years ago who had previously worked for a company that was supplier to Midway. His opinion of L. Potterfield cannot be posted on this forum, and he was not ordinarily a profane man. The O.P.'s gripe does not surprise me in the least.

When I was learning to scrape machine tools I had to buy tubes of "Prussian Blue" and "Marking Red". It is just oil paint that you can indeed get almost anywhere for a couple bucks a tube. We'd make a dauber out of felt weatherstrip material, and when not overloaded that would give an amazingly thin coating.

[DLCTEX]

It would be illegal for potter to keep the funds and just pay interest without disclosing the process in the solicitation. You are asked to roundup for the NRA, not a Potterfield fund to benefit the NRA.

[Elkins45]

They tell you up front that they don't allow any mention of pricing in their reviews. Your review never had a chance of getting posted.

[MT Gianni]

It would be illegal for potter to keep the funds and just pay interest without disclosing the process in the solicitation. You are asked to roundup for the NRA, not a Potterfield fund to benefit the NRA.

I agree with this 100%. It is far more likely that LP sends the money collected annually and keeps the interest. I think that could be found to be legal. I have not used Midway since the free shipping was dropped.

[oldred]

They tell you up front that they don't allow any mention of pricing in their reviews. Your review never had a chance of getting posted.



Evidently you didn't read my post, it was posted after nearly two weeks which is normal since they review the reviews before deciding if they meet the criteria. The complaint is that after a few weeks it was deleted and now the negative reviews are missing and only positive reviews remain, if they had never posted my review I might have grumbled a bit to myself but I would not have complained because I full well recognize that not all reviews will get posted.

[Boerrancher]

Had an employee some 6-8 years ago who had previously worked for a company that was supplier to Midway. His opinion of L. Potterfield cannot be posted on this forum, and he was not ordinarily a profane man. The O.P.'s gripe does not surprise me in the least.

.

I have met Mr Potterfield, and he ask me to go to work for him back in the late 90's. I will admit he is an A**, and very rough around the edges. I would not say that he is dishonest in any way, he is just an A**. Now the flip side of that is his daughter. She is a sweetheart. Great person to deal with and has a great personality, which she obviously didn't get from her father. I haven't spoken to Larry in years, but did get a chance to visit the rest of the office staff a couple years back when I needed a few items. Over all they are not bad people folks to deal with.

Best wishes,

Joe

[richhodg66]

I really loved Midway when I first started reloading and they were great. I Watched their customer service and pricing gradually go south as they got older then had a really, really bad customer service experience with them when I ordered some stuff from them in preparation for coming home from Iraq in '04. Quite frankly, they treated me like **** and were so extraordinarily stupid that I stopped doing any business with them. Now, when I need something I can't get through forums like this, I go to Graf's or Natchez. Midway turned into a bad business, and it's a shame because they really had it right at one time.

[bradh]

I am 100% with richhodg66 on this one! When Midway started out it sure was a different company then what it is today.
I use Midway as a last choice.

[fishnbob]

I had a hard time stumbling through Midway's new website, couldn't find what I was looking for half the time, and it is so slow. I also felt like Midway overcharged on shipping. I like both Midsouth & Graf and now use them pretty much exclusively.

[Junior1942]

I have started using Graffs because their print catalog is readable. The black print is too dim in both the MidWay and MidSouth cataloges. You need bright lights for sure and a magnifying glass would help.

[pdawg_shooter]

Go to a hobby shop and get a little bottle of black model paint. Mix a little engine oil with it and it will not dry. Remove it with a rag dampened with a bit of mineral spirits. I am still using the bottle I bought about 5 or 6 years ago.

[SP5315]

I am told. and its more then likely not true. that potterfield keeps a tight grip on the Round Up millions not the NRA and that the NRA collects only the interest from the round up money. any body know for sure??? GD

This is from the MidwayUSA site;

The NRA Round-Up program gives you the opportunity to "Round Up" the total of your purchase and donate the amount to the NRA Endowment for the Protection of the Second Amendment.

MidwayUSA Customer Round-Up: $7,781,287.36

Since 1992, we have asked Customers to "Round-Up" the total of each order and donate the change to the NRA/ILA. We send these donations to the NRA/ILA National Endowment for the Protection of the 2nd Amendment. The NRA/ILA doesn't spend your money - they only spend the interest from it - so the Endowment continues to grow each year.

[BeeMan]

This lyric came to mind while reading this thread.

Folks have got to make choices
And choices got to have voices
Folks are basically decent
Conventional wisdom would say
But we read about the exceptions
In the papers every day

Neil Peart

[Elkins45]

Evidently you didn't read my post, it was posted after nearly two weeks which is normal since they review the reviews before deciding if they meet the criteria. The complaint is that after a few weeks it was deleted and now the negative reviews are missing and only positive reviews remain, if they had never posted my review I might have grumbled a bit to myself but I would not have complained because I full well recognize that not all reviews will get posted.

My bad, I totally missed that. That is troubling. Even though I generally don't pay much attention to product reviews anyway, I still want them to be unfiltered.

The problem with taking my business elsewhere is that nobody has the total volume of stuff that Midway has. I needed a baseplate and follower for a S&W 1006 magazine. Even Brownells' didn't have them in stock. I also wanted some Starline 460 Rowland brass--even Starline didn't have any, but Midway did. It's hard to take your business elsewhere when there's nowhere else to take it.

[uscra112]

As for brass, if Huntington's ain't got it, it doesn't exist. I once got 100 cases 6mmx70mm from them - a European round that's so arcane that none of the cartridge survey manuals even list it. OK, Buffalo Arms has good supplies of the obsolete ones, too. Just a few days ago I surveyed sources for a rare case for another CB poster - .25-25 Stevens. Buffalo Arms had it in stock. Searching on Ixquick, I saw that Midway does list it from Bertram, but at a ninety day lead time, and at a price 10% higher than Buffalo Arms.

That's why it never even occurs to me to look at Midway when I want brass.

[Bill*]

This is from the MidwayUSA site;

The NRA Round-Up program gives you the opportunity to "Round Up" the total of your purchase and donate the amount to the NRA Endowment for the Protection of the Second Amendment.

MidwayUSA Customer Round-Up: $7,781,287.36

Since 1992, we have asked Customers to "Round-Up" the total of each order and donate the change to the NRA/ILA. We send these donations to the NRA/ILA National Endowment for the Protection of the 2nd Amendment. The NRA/ILA doesn't spend your money - they only spend the interest from it - so the Endowment continues to grow each year.

Maybe it's time to spend it, Things ain't lookin' so good for gun owners right about now!

[Bad Water Bill]

I have often wondered just what the N R A kitty is worth?

Every month there is a list of folks that have passed on and left ? to them in the RIFLEMAN.

[shooter2]

I am 100% with richhodg66 on this one! When Midway started out it sure was a different company then what it is today.
I use Midway as a last choice.

I agree! I also think they abuse shipping charges.

[o6Patient]

It's bad enough to have dropped the "free" shipping but the shipping seems to be high 'ta boot.

Those reviews are for product quality not for price, however if your comment includes something

about an item being "very reasonably priced" or "great value" you can bet the comment stands.

[oldred]

My complaint when I started this thread was about the fact that suddenly and without explanation negative reviews were deleted leaving only the positive and giving the false impression that everyone who had bought this product loved it! My review dealt only with my disappointment with the miniscule amount (1/4 oz or possibly even less) received and the fact it did not work any better than the enamel paint I had been using, I did not complain about the price or shipping. I have no way of knowing how many, if any, negative reviews have been received about this product or others but I am certain in my mind that a lot of people have been upset to find they bought an already tiny bottle of product that was mostly empty! Since others had mentioned this it was not a case of mine just being accidentally short filled but now the only mention that can be found is little more than a foot note in an otherwise positive review! Again this thread is not about the product or shipping or anything else except for an obvious attempt to hide negative reviews and present a false sense that this product is more highly rated than it is, I can't help but wonder how many other negative reviews on this and other products are unfairly omitted. I know some people will defend Midway in spite of others complaints but IMO their product reviews are a farce and it shows to me just how low they will stoop, it may not be illegal but it is unethical and shows just how much they really care in spite of the front they put on, smilin Larry can take a long walk on a short pier as far as I am concerned!

[leadman]

When I bought the Lee 230gr 30caliber mold for the Blackout it was not as described and there was no picture yet. I was satisfied with what their customer service did about this, but I posted a review on this mold stating the differences like the meplat and boat tail design. My review was also up for a couple of weeks then disappeared.

[Firebricker]

I like Grafs I started ordering from them when they sponsored the site. They have good service and shipping. FB

[Bad Water Bill]

I like Grafs I started ordering from them when they sponsored the site. They have good service and shipping. FB

We take care of those that take care of us.:)

[shooter2]

oldred, you said "it may not be illegal but it is unethical". If you went to the market and paid for a pound of lunch meat, but only got 13 ounces would it be unethical or illegal? Of course it's illegal and there is no other way to put it. At the very least they should make good and do so without having to ask for it. I made a purchase from Midway just before Christmas. Now it's on sale for $28 less. I think anyone buying the product in the last 30 days should get the sale price without asking. Am I being unreasonable?

[oldred]

Shooter, I think you may have mis-understood what I meant when I said that, I meant it was unethical to delete negative product reviews while leaving only positive reviews in a blatant attempt to mis-represent a product. My complaint in this thread has never been about the product itself but rather about Midway's unfair tampering with the product reviews.

[shooter2]

Well, yes and no. I have never used the product so I cannot speak to that nor was that the intent of my comment. Sorry it came across that way. However, if I pay for one ounce and get 1/4th of that, what would you call it? I still think Midway should ante up with the difference, or rebate your money. And yes, all comments should stand unaltered. Anything less is dishonest. JMHO. It would seem that Larry cares little for his reputation. Where I come from one's rep is worth gold.

[KCSO]

IIRR the instructions for the inlettng black say to mix it with vaseline to get an ounce of black. I don't remember as it's been years since I bought any, i have a wood stove and i grind my own lamp black and mix it with oil myself.

[cbrick]

Dunno if it's true but I have heard for the past few years that Larry retired and his daughter(s) are now running it. Assuming that is true it would coincide with the time Midway started going down hill including the web site and the product reviews.

I to have never seen one of my reviews posted that had anything negative about the product, positive reviews show up in a day or two. I use Midway rarely now and never bother reading or posting reviews. The reviews are like reading an article in the same gun rag the mfg. of the reviewed product advertises in, doesn't matter in the least if the product is terrible or not, the article will have it as the best thing since buttered pop corn. Don't read the gun rags much anymore either.

Rick

[oldred]

To be fair to Midway (not that they deserve it IMHO) I never complained about the product, it is what it is and technically was not misrepresented, and they very well may have refunded my money if I had of asked, that is not and never was the subject of this thread. This was a small purchase, at the time actually less than $10, so I just used it and never gave it much thought except to think to myself it was a rip-off and I would not buy anymore. Later when searching for another item I came upon the product in question and read the reviews just out of curiosity, seeing another complaint about the nearly empty bottle simply prompted me to write my own review which was posted a week or so later. I had since decided not to buy anything else there (mostly due to poor inventory and IMO unfair shipping practices) unless absolutely necessary so I had not been back to the site for a while but following an E-Mail ad for a possible sale item I stumbled upon this product again. I then noticed that the negative reviews, including mine, were gone and only positive reviews remained with some being much older than mine. Unethical and unfair? What else can it be?