Midway and shipping extortion!

[TES]

Needless to say I don't think I will be doing much more business with them. Twice now I have received notifications on Items that I ordered back in February. Once I logged in to get it shipped 2 days after my E-mail only to see that it was gone from my list. I called and they said that it was an error and that it was never in. So I asked how it works. I told the guy that I don't want to pay the high shipping costs every time a 5.00 part comes in and that I would like to wait for several items to come in and pay one shipping charge. He said that it would be OK to do that and that he was sorry for the bad info. So I got two more notifications about 5 days ago and checked to see if they were in fact in my list and they were. Now, today they are gone. So to those of you that are thinking about ordering things through their site I would just buy it at inflated prices on Ebay. You will get your stuff at about the same price. So far I have nearly paid in shipping what my entire order was initially going to cost me. You are forced to buy the item with a steep shipping cost or loose your order. Personally I think it's the stinky stuff coming out of a cows rear.

[willie_pete]

I've only had good service from Midway; nothing like what your've gone through.

WP

[Boyscout]

Generally happy with Midway but I been burned twice by backorders.

[bgoff_ak]

I've had the same issues with back orders and shipping but their slow boat shipping is about the cheapest around. I ordered a model b tumbler a few years back and it was on a few bucks to send it, every one else wanted 60.00 as it was "oversize". The problem is I think they are one of a few games in town.... But... If you build it, they will come...

[TJF1]

i do not do back orders for that reason
terry

[41 mag fan]

I've never had a problem with Midway, but I've never had a backorder either. I figure if it's not in stock I'll order it the next go around, and put it on my wishlist to be notified.



I've had the same issues with back orders and shipping but their slow boat shipping is about the cheapest around. I ordered a model b tumbler a few years back and it was on a few bucks to send it, every one else wanted 60.00 as it was "oversize". The problem is I think they are one of a few games in town.... But... If you build it, they will come...

Think their shipping is slow, try Natchez and pay either high UPS charges or the cheaper DHL mail prices. DHL mail is cheap, and real slow. What takes 2 days thru normal mail from there to get here, takes over a week with DHL.

[RP]

Try Midsouth I changed to them for shipping reason years ago.

[DHurtig]

You guys might want to take a look at Graf's. I got a new Lubamatic II from them a while back. They had the best prices, the best shipping and shipped faster than anyone I have bought from before.

[imashooter2]

i do not do back orders for that reason
terry

An elegant solution that I have employed as well.

[oldred]

I too got burned out on Midway and their ridiculous shipping policy and with so many items out of stock/back-ordered it was impossible to order everything I needed at once (this was well BEFORE the panic). While they would definitely make the customer aware of the back-ordered items they would conveniently neglect to mention the full shipping charges on each item as it became available and if several items were back-ordered the costs to ship got to be ridiculous. Of course the solution was to never order anything that was not in stock and wait until it is before ordering BUT, I ran into problems trying to do that when some of the items that were in stock were not when the ones I was waiting on finally were. Midway is not the only game in town and I have not missed them one bit nor have I had the shipping/back-order problems with Brownells, MidSouth, etc.



Also I had another little beef with them that finally did me in, I did a product review on some stock inletting black, I followed the rules and was polite but I pointed out that the tiny bottle was less than half full and contained less than 1/2 of the ounce it claimed -which was a very stingy amount in the first place but I never mentioned that. I was not the only one and a couple of others made it plain they were unhappy with the VERY tiny amount of product received however these reviews, including mine were posted. About two weeks later while looking for another product I noticed that the review count on the product I had bought was smaller than before so I checked and sure enough ALL the negative reviews had been deleted and nothing was left but glowing reviews from satisfied customers! For someone who checked the reviews it looks as if everyone loves this product but that's total BS and smilin Larry's crew have doctored the reviews to eliminate anything negative. If they do that with something that costs less than 15 bucks how can ANY review there be trusted?

[44Vaquero]

Sadly, as Midway has grown certain things have changed. Bigger is not always better! I find myself ordering more often from other vendors mainly due to the fact that I do not always have $50.00 and $100.00 orders and $10.00 orders from midway are cost prohibitive. So in the spirit of American capitalism Midways loss will be Midsouth, Grafs or Natchez's gain.

What Midway is really saying to me as a customer is thanks for all your business back in the day but, now you are just a nuisance. And please don't anyone say it's economics of scale, I can order a $1.50 fitting from McMaster and it will on poach tomorrow for under $5.00!

I still think Midway is an upstanding and fine company to do business I just happen to not have any big orders recently and as such they no longer fit my needs.

[Chili]

If it's not in stock, I don't order it. Too many things can go wrong.

[Guesser]

I only deal with"in stock" items. Back order shipping it to expensive.

[Riverpigusmc]

Midway is the FASTEST shipping company ( on instock items) I've used. Graff's is reasonable, but slow. Natchez? I'll never order from them again. Their shipping was 75% as much as my total order

[cja245]

I've never had a problem with Midway. I always price shop everything. If i can get a better deal from Amazon Prime, Grafs, Natchez, etc., thats where my money goes. I find that most of the time Midway is cheaper especially if the item has a dealer discount. I also find that Midway's order processing is faster than the others, so you end up getting the package a day or so sooner. Most of the time I end up buying from Amazon Prime or Midway based on the price.

[462]

Midway's shipping calculator gives costs for both in-stock and back-ordered items. Regardless the company, I, too, only order what is in stock.

My last Midway order shipped for $3 less than what Midsouth was going to charge. One of the items arrived damaged, and I sent an e-mail explaining the damage. A fast response said a new one would ship the next day. A few days later, the new item arrived undamaged.

When it comes to gun-related businesses, I've not found any that surpass Midway or RCBS.

[Love Life]

Oh well. One less person to deplete Midway's stock. Mr. Potterfield has earned my business.

[km101]

I usually deal with Midway because they have the best price and since they overhauled their shipping prices they are not too bad either. But dealing with their backorder process was a nightmare and something I will not do again due to shipping costs. If it isn't in stock I wont order. No more backorders. I cant afford 'em.

[lka]

Midway has been great for me, I only order stuff that's in tho, I set alerts for stuff I want and buy it when I get the notification, I'm sure it hell over there these days ;)

[otter5555]

2 weeks ago i order a set of dies (in stock) from midway. paid the bill.
an hour later i remembered i needed something else (also in stock). i called, asked them to add it to my other order.
they said NO. i asked if my first order was shipped or being packed. they said no. i asked why they couldnt add to an order that was not shipped or being packed. they said they didnt combine orders. i told them to cancel the first order and refund my money.

i have bought from midway ever since there has been a midway. i wont pay double shipping for an order that will easily fit into one small box. i wont spend another dime with them.

[Recluse]

I've never had a problem with Midway, but I've never had a backorder either. I figure if it's not in stock I'll order it the next go around, and put it on my wishlist to be notified.

Yep, I don't play the backorder game and I do the same exact thing. If I need something THAT bad, I'll get my local gun store to order it for me and I'll pre-pay. Otherwise, with the online retailers, I just put it on my wish list and wait.



Think their shipping is slow, try Natchez and pay either high UPS charges or the cheaper DHL mail prices. DHL mail is cheap, and real slow. What takes 2 days thru normal mail from there to get here, takes over a week with DHL.

Natchez has THE highest shipping I've ever seen. A young man I'm getting started on reloading bought ONE box of primers from Natchez (that's all he wanted) and aside from the $27.50 HAZMAT fee, which is preset, paid $15.80 for "shipping and handling."

I've never ordered from Natchez, but that right there ensures that I never will.

In the past few years, I've seen Midway's shipping actually seem to come down while their shipping speed has increased. But mainly, I like Potterfield's stance on not gouging, not jacking up prices and not doing business with LE/gov't agencies in communist states. That alone will keep a healthy portion of my online business going to Midway.

:coffee:

[smokemjoe]

They send my order one time and a extra package on back orderer, they could of put it all in one box and saved me alot on shipping also. Joe

[crowbuster]

Wow, sorry some of you had bad dealings with midway. Been great to many over the years. got 4 bags of new 204 brass several years ago. Had 5 or six with split necks right out of the winchester sealed bag. called up and expained, she was as nice as could be as they alwys have been and told me she would take care of. A few days later 4 new bags, called em back and talked to a different gal, told her there must have been a mistake as I only lost 5-6 cases, she said they did that for my trouble and to account for any more that i might have missed, that is what I have come to expect from them and they have yet to disapoint. Hope some of you might give them another chance.

[cavalrymedic]

I love Midway. Their website is the easiest to use and find what I'm looking for. The notification feature is extremely handy. I never backorder. If it's not available, I look elsewhere, but I always come back.

[Gliden07]

This is gonna sound lousy on my part but with all the shortages?? I've been going to multiple sites putting in multiple lists of the same items for notification and whoever gets the notifications to me first is who I order from! I have to admit right now I'm just about set and only need a few odds n ends, so it is gonna get more difficult!! I really only need a 22 cal pilot bit and a #1 arbor for my Forster trimmer and maybe a power adapter... oh and this Remote control thats all I need Oh I need this....

[Wis. Tom]

The way things are going in the shooting world, I don't think they are going to miss a few of you worried about shipping cost, as there are hundreds waiting in line for that same item. I haven't found anyone any better to deal with, than them, but at least we are still able to go where we want in America, to buy what we want... for now.

[Blacksmith]

I keep a wish list at all the major dealers tracking my current desires and when I have the money I make a test order of what is in stock including shipping then order from the least expensive. I will also build an order and watch the shipping, it goes up in increments, and when it jumps just knock off the last item and order it next time. Retired I have more time than money. I never back order unless it is to lock in a sale price and worth the shipping for a stand alone order. If I really need something I just bite the bullet and buy it and pay shipping but most things can wait until I have an order that is economical.

[x101airborne]

Midway also cuts the throats of the little manufacturers. They copy everything in their own plant regardless of patent rights or ethics. When I complained about this, the man right under Larry himself tells me "I am sorry you feel that way, but we will do what we like to make money."
That ended it for me. Never again.

[Kull]

Never had a problem, also never used backorder. I put things in my wish list, wait for the notification, then buy.

[historicfirearms]

Grafs usually gets my business if they have what I need. Midway has a pretty good site, but they never seem to have everything I need in stock, even before the recent panic buying. Grafs has excellent customer service too.

[contender1]

I too have been a very happy customer of Midway. Of course,, I prefer to place an order on only things in stock. Plus, I do not place an order for just one little item, as the shipping can negate the value of the item. I plan my orders. I'm a patient soul who understands it's hard to keep the doors open for business when you rely upon other companies to keep you supplied.
As for shipping.
I recently posted some items for sale on a Forum. A few sets of reloading dies. I figured it would only take about $5 or so to ship them USPS. They went from NC to Utah. It cost me almost $13 to ship them, and I had collected a total of $22 shipped. So, I pocketed a lot less DUE TO SHIPPING expenses.
Lets face it folks,, it costs to ship items, and the costs have risen lately. When you order a small single item or only a few items,, it still costs. I have found it is much easier to combine orders on stuff & be prepared to wait on items until I can get more stuff in one order. Now add in the fact that a company has to pay an employee to package items,,, lets not forget that expense. It may seem simple, & would appear that it should be "cheap" but it isn't.
Next,,, lets add in all the good Midway does by donating to the NRA, the RMEF, etc. The Potterfields put BACK into the very community that has made them successful.

So,, if you are a bit disgruntled by shipping fees,,, I CHALLENGE you to go into business yourself & offer a similar product, at competitive pricing, and cheaper shipping. I bet you can't do it.

Remember,, Midway, Grafs, Natchez, MidSouth,,,& all of them are companies in the business to make MONEY. The product is the route to making money. And they have to compete with each other. And when you have ANY company that employs more than a few people, you have labor laws, minimum wage laws, insurance laws, & other things known in business as "overhead." You have to pay that overhead AND be competitive. It's not as simple as people think.
Business is business,,, and yes, some people make mistakes.
Yes, you can get notification of an item in stock,, as do a thousand other people. The ones who order the available items the quickest, get the service. If they have 1000 people wanting XYZ product, and the supplier sends them 100 of them, then you can only sell 100 & the other 900 people have to wait again until the next shipment of XYZ.
It's business.
Until you own your own business, and deal with hundreds or thousands of customers daily, only then can you understand how hard it is to even stay in business.

[Boerrancher]

Having to go to the VA medical center in Columbia MO several times a year I am right there by Mid Way and my drive takes me within 10 miles of Grafs. I have done business with both but overall I prefer Grafs. If I want something from Mid Way I have to call several days ahead of time and pull it from stock. They have no showroom and even will calling ahead they may or may not have it ready when I get there. Grafs on the other hand there is no need to call and I just go into the showroom and pick up what I want. If it is something that is low in stock I will call ahead and ask them to pull it for me and have it waiting and tell them when I will be there. I was shocked the first time I offered to pay for it over the phone and was told I could pay for it when I picked it up. Each time I do have to call in an order I have offered to pay right then and there. I have always been told to pay for it when I get there and I have never had the item or items I was wanting not be there when I arrived.

Best wishes,

Joe

[x101airborne]

Contender1... This is a friendly request. Lets keep this civil. Some of that could be taken pretty pointedly. If you disagree, ok, we are all entitled to our opinions. If you would like to go through a Mod on this, I will be happy to accomodate.

[dakotashooter2]

If it's not in stock, I don't order it. Too many things can go wrong.

Problem is, then I can't get enough stuff to justify ordering................. Thats pretty much why I quit buying from midway.........

[H.Callahan]

Grafs usually gets my business if they have what I need. Midway has a pretty good site, but they never seem to have everything I need in stock, even before the recent panic buying. Grafs has excellent customer service too.
+1 on this. My only complaint about Grafs is that I wish they carried more. But, if Grafs has it, I will usually end up ordering from them.

[wallenba]

It seems like everytime I have an item on 'notify', I will get the notification it's in, right AFTER I place an order. Whas up wit dat?

[M-Tecs]

Contender1... This is a friendly request. Lets keep this civil. Some of that could be taken pretty pointedly. If you disagree, ok, we are all entitled to our opinions. If you would like to go through a Mod on this, I will be happy to accomodate.

What did I miss? Maybe a deleted post but Contender1's post #31 is spot on.

[x101airborne]

Maybe I read into it, but it seemed quite challenging. I am not fussing, but I have seen these conversations turn ugly quick and we have lost quite a few good members lately because no one would just say, lets keep this civil. I don't want to lose Contender1 as a member or anyone else for that matter. Even I have had to close and delete a couple threads because someone started off a comment and then it turned into a witch hunt. I don't want to see it happen again to anyone. Everyone here who has seen the bad threads knows what I am talking about. We have even lost a couple Vendor Sponsors here due to ugly comments and such and that hurts us all. When we lose members, we lose family. Family buy products and share good information. Family donate to keep this site going. Vendor sponsors make money and pay to be sponsors that fund this site. We need all the folks we can get and I will not just let something simple and innocent snowball into a catastrophy when it could be advoided with a simple reminder.
Further discussion about it can go to my PM's so as not to take away from this fine thread. We also need to stay with the conversation INCLUDING me.

[LC Press]

I just don't backorder. Seems to be the answer for me. They are usually too expensive to order from anyway compared to Wideners, Natchezs, Grafs and Powder Valley.

Midway has earned my respect for their support of our 2a rights and that means something....and costs something.

[oldred]

Problem is, then I can't get enough stuff to justify ordering................. Thats pretty much why I quit buying from midway.........


Exactly my point earlier they are out-of-stock on way too many common items so it seems I could never place an order without having part of it back-ordered, if I put the items on "notification" then more often than not by the time it was in stock one or more of the other items was no longer in stock so I just gave up on them. Of course with today's situation out-of-stock merchandise is the rule rather than the exception no matter where a person shops but Midway had a good head start on the panic!


To be fair Midway's shipping RATES are decent and probably among the lowest in the business it's their shipping policy that grips me.

[Gliden07]

I've ordered from all of them I really like Natchez and FS Reloading, but I have not had problems with any per say? I usually decide I want a "larger" item and add the smaller ones to it. Problem is with all the shortages lately its hard to get all the small items to fill out the loading bench!!

[41 mag fan]

Natchez has THE highest shipping I've ever seen. A young man I'm getting started on reloading bought ONE box of primers from Natchez (that's all he wanted) and aside from the $27.50 HAZMAT fee, which is preset, paid $15.80 for "shipping and handling."

I've never ordered from Natchez, but that right there ensures that I never will.

In the past few years, I've seen Midway's shipping actually seem to come down while their shipping speed has increased. But mainly, I like Potterfield's stance on not gouging, not jacking up prices and not doing business with LE/gov't agencies in communist states. That alone will keep a healthy portion of my online business going to Midway.

:coffee:

Recluse, I agree with you on Midway getting most of my business. It has been 5-6 years, but Natchez was cheaper back then than Midway was on shipping. Only thing that really irritated me back then with them, is if you placed an order over the internet with them, they wouldn't ship till after 3 days...it was like WTH??
But if you called and ordered, they'd either ship that day or the next....really a screwy policy in my book.

But I quit ordering from them for quite awhile, just due to that 3 day policy. Now with the shortages and buying frenzy, I'm forced to order where I can get it. I about croaked when I seen their cost for UPS. Back then they didn't offer DHL shipping, just UPS or USPS.
So I've ordered twice now using DHL, and if I can get it somewhere else, I'll go somewhere else.
When it takes a week to get here, due to it taking a tour of the south, then going clear over to St Louis, then back over to Louisville Ky, and finally arriving at my mail box, which is smack dab between those 2 cities....I say screw them!

Midway might be higher than Natchez, but Mr Potterfield does alot of sponsoring of the shooting industry and hunting industry, so it's worth the extra money to me, to use them.

People can have alot of gripes about Midway, about this, that or the other, but you don't see to many other in the industry give back like Midway does.
I think the good they do far outweighs the bad in my book.

[nightal]

I received a e-mail last Thursday,5-16 that the 10mm. dies I had on back order were in stock, I replied, and ordered them online, $8.68 shipping.I got a thank you and your order is on the truck,that was Fri. 5-17, today is Tuesday 5-21, they are not here yet. I only live 125 miles from them, maybe tomorrow???

[Newtire]

I had the same thing happen to me from Ballistic Products on a thin little book. Got charged a giant shipping price just for this book. I called and the lady said to just call the next shipping charge on them and that I could specify USPS flat rate and save a bundle over UPS. Also, the Curmudgeon was good enough to send me some great 10 gauge loads using ITX shot since there were none in the "Mighty 10 gauge" book. I will be ordering more shot from them again this year.

[abunaitoo]

I stopped ordering from Midway long ago.
They used to ship UPS blue lable or USP surface to us for a really good price. Then they, or UPS, changed their shipping rates. It went up at least three times the old rates.
When USPS flat rate box came out, I emailed them to find out if they are using it. I got a reply that their computer system was not set-up for USPS flat rate box.
Afew years later a friend told me they were now using USPS flat rate box. BUT, they charge for packing and handling.
Just a few months ago I was going to order something from them. They were the only one's that had it in stock. Even with the USPS flat rate, the shipping was almost as much as the merchandise. I didn't put in the order.
I emailed to find out why the shipping cost was so much higher than what USPS flat rate is. They replied that it was the cost for the packing materials and handling.
I give up on Midway.
I sent them my C&R a while back, so I emailed them if they still had it on file, and if I still got dealer pricing.
They said the still have in on file and I still get dealer pricing.
I wish they had something like dealer shipping pricing.

[HangFireW8]

I've been ordering from Midway before they were "USA" back in the mid-90's. Got my Rock Chucker there and most of my original reloading equipment, most of which I still have.

Since then they've been through a series of changes. They went big on the web with one of the best early e-commerce sites. They eliminated "free" shipping. They brought in outside investors (immediately after that Larry went on Safari). They changed their backorder policy. They implemented Just In Time inventory.

Every step along the way, forums and board members swore "never again". I always said "I'll use them if it is in my best interest". I still do. However I use them less then ever. (I bet a lot of those "never again" types ended up ordering from Midway again.)

Of all the changes, though, the JIT inventory burns me the most. As their catalog gets bigger, the holes in their inventory get bigger as well. However there's a flip side to all that.

Remember when Midway got in some brand name that only a few have heard of but love, like Bertram Brass or Conetrol mounts and rings? And then a few years later they closed it all out at blow-out prices? Such antics endeared a lot of gun owners who were able to get rare stuff at close-out prices. However it nearly put some of these small (but important) companies out of business. Midway would make some huge order that they would struggle to supply. Once filled, volume would not meet their standard to continue stocking them, so they'd close out, leaving the now-enlarged manufacturer with an engorged customer base and without their biggest retailer.

After angering most of the industry this way, Midway switched to Just In Time inventory, and huge amounts of items went to Special Order or Back Order status, and stayed that way. Over time a lot of those catalog listings got out of sync with the manufacturer's actual offerings, since discovering this is only trigged by a restocking event (which in turn is only triggered by a customer back-order, instead of a standard re-stock order like they did previously).

So now, Midway is a lot easier to deal with for manufacturers, and more frustrating for customers like us.

Having said all that, I still use them, but only for in-stock items, over the minimum order amount, and only if less than everyone else (Graf/Natchez/MidSouth et al). That means I use them a lot less, but I still use them.

HF

[Gator 45/70]

No problem's to report here with Midway.
On time and product is as stated, Shipping is a bit stiff, However the order has alway's been on time.

Thread look's like a 50/50 split !

One thing is for sure, I will never order from Cheaper Than Dirt,Ever!!!...Later

[Ickisrulz]

MidwayUSA is a great company...as is Grafs...Palmetto State Armory...Optics Planet...and HiTechAmmo. These are the five I order from and have been pleased 99.99% of the time. I shop around, make sure I consider shipping fees and try to avoid small orders. Everyone should do this in my opinion.

[TenTea]

Midway has been a favorite for a long time.

Anyone notice they stopped emailing the coupon codes for 10% off $100 and 20% off $200, etc.?

I wanted to order a small gauge and a single die from them last night and was wishing for one of the coupons...I haven't ordered yet, but I have not found another source for both items yet so comparison is tough.

[Bad Water Bill]

Things have sure changed with Midway. I USED to get a birthday discount notice EVERY year,get discount codes from time to time and 3 day or less delivery to my house

ALL gone now.

I placed an order Late Sunday eve and was shortly notified it was packaged and ready for shipping. Monday I was notified it had been shipped and would be at my door today. Typical service for a business that wants to keep customers.

This mourning I checked on the progress and found out that my package is still sitting in Kansas City and is now EXPECTED to reach my home NEXT Tuesday.:twisted:

In the many years I have purchased from them I have NEVER had even one package go to K C on its trip here and NEVER had a package take more than 4 days to get here.

Guess they have just lost ANOTHER old time customer.[smilie=b:[smilie=b:[smilie=b:

[Kull]

The only thing lately that has me bummed with Midway is the lack of coupons. Seem to start last winter when the panic was in full swing. Things finally settle down I'm sure they'll be back.


What did I miss? Maybe a deleted post but Contender1's post #31 is spot on.

Agree.

[MBTcustom]

Wow, you guys call paying honest shipping charges for items that you chose to back order, "extortion"?

LMAO!

Let me tell you what extortion is: When the US government decides you need to pay taxes to the state you bought the stuff from, on top of shipping. That is extortion, and that is exactly what our lawmakers are passing through right now.
You may miss the "good ol days" where shipping charges was all you had to wine about. Just tack on another 10% for poor 'ol Uncle Sam.
Enjoy.

[nightal]

After yesterday,my order had not come,I contacted Midway, I was told my order had not shipped, I explained that I had been told it had been shipped, they said that some E-mails had been sent in error. My order is still on back order they will E-Mail me when it comes in. that's what they did this time, E-Mailed me it was in???

[ph4570]

They have all changed over the years. I have been ordering reloading stuff since the early 80s. Natchez used to be one of my regular suppliers. Now their shipping cost and delivery time is horrible (even before this latest "shortage"). These days it is Midway, Powder Valley, Grafs and Wideners for the most part. My last purchases have been in recent weeks for small items from Midway. I was pleasantly surprised by the relatively low shipping cost. The most recent items were a spring kit and a sizer die. Shipping AND handling was $4.32. They used a shipping method where UPS gets it most of the way and USPS makes the final delivery. Total time from order to receiving the items quick.

Opportunistic feeders like "Cheaper than Dirt" will never see a dime of my money. Yes it is a free market and I will freely never purchase from them.

[olaf455]

Oh well. One less person to deplete Midway's stock. Mr. Potterfield has earned my business.

Mine too. I order from others only when Midway is out of stock, as I don't care to back order anywhere. Midway broke one million dollars last year on the NRA round up, to which Larry donated another million of his own money...

I will save my complaining for the left...

[Love Life]

I ordered the whole kit and kaboodle in wilson case trimming equipment on Saturday morning. I got a shipping notice Saturday evening. My stuff is currently on the truck headed my way.

I love me some Midway USA.

None of that "Due to high demand shipping will be delayed 3-4 weeks" garbage you get elsewhere.

[Smitty's Retired]

Wow, you guys call paying honest shipping charges for items that you chose to back order, "extortion"?

LMAO!

Let me tell you what extortion is: When the US government decides you need to pay taxes to the state you bought the stuff from, on top of shipping. That is extortion, and that is exactly what our lawmakers are passing through right now.
You may miss the "good ol days" where shipping charges was all you had to wine about. Just tack on another 10% for poor 'ol Uncle Sam.
Enjoy.

Ain't that the truth. I figure before long, the government will be trying to figure an angle to tax individual sales in local sales papers as well as online sales sections of forums.

[TES]

Wow, you guys call paying honest shipping charges for items that you chose to back order, "extortion"?

LMAO!

Let me tell you what extortion is: When the US government decides you need to pay taxes to the state you bought the stuff from, on top of shipping. That is extortion, and that is exactly what our lawmakers are passing through right now.
You may miss the "good ol days" where shipping charges was all you had to wine about. Just tack on another 10% for poor 'ol Uncle Sam.
Enjoy.

I think some have missed my point...

I was told by a Midway rep that they would hold my back ordered items until the order was filled and ship it all together.

So...I let items come in and I did not have Midway ship them.

Then the items disappeared from my list because they took them from me and then sold them to somebody else.

So out of the 15 or so things in my list if I want them I have to purchase and pay shipping on each item as they come in or I lose my item.

This is not what the guy on the phone said.

^This is my complaint and why I wont do much business if any in the future.

On another note I back ordered a mould in February and still have not gotten a notification. Another guy on this forum ordered the same mould in April. His is in the mail. Where in the heck is mine?

I will say that up until this happened I was pleased with Midway.

[ph4570]

I have had misfortune with back orders from several suppliers. I do not do back orders anymore.

[MBTcustom]

Backorders are for folks that need it, and need to be first in line for it, regardless of shipping costs. I use the backorder function on occasion for this reason.

Seems some can't resist the temptation of looking at cool do-dads that are out of stock and blaming the company that posted all the pretty pictures for not being willing to gather their stuff from the four corners of the earth, package it into a nice box (MFRB only) and deliver a years worth of goodies for $12.95.

Just do what I do. If I'm not looking for something very specific, I modify my search by telling it to "show only instock items". This removes the temptation to.....click....the....backorder.....button! Aaarrrrggghhh!!!
Most times, if they can't sell it to me, and ship it to me now, I don't even want to know that it exists.
I'm an impatient cheapskate, and I admit it, but I don't blame Midway for not catering to my shortcomings.

Impatient people get stuck with mcdonalds dollar menu. Those who wait get T-bone steak and a glass of wine.

[doctorggg]

I backordered a couple of AR 15 uppers from Midway back in late December. What I appreciate about Midway is that even though their prices had gone up $20-30 on the uppers, they charged me the original prices. Not all companies are doing that.

Natchez just burned me good. I recently bought a single shot Rossi in 7.62x39. Natchez had received a shipment of Federal American Eagle ammo. Purchase was limited to 5 boxes at $24 a box. $120 plus $18.40 shipping from TN to VA. The have gone crazy on shipping. I needed the boxer primed brass is the only reason I bought them. If I could have found once fired brass I would have never purchased this. I want to shoot boolits in this gun. I have been cleaning copper out of it for a week.

[nightal]

UP Date
received a E-mail at 4:30pm today, saying my backorder was processing, got another one at 9:15pm today that my order was being shipped,Inc. tracking # so it must be the way....should be here on fri.

[nightal]

I just looked at my order from Midway, the first E mail I received from them this afternoon, the invoice says Dies,
$40.99
shipping $ 8.53
sub total $49.52
Tax.........$2.30
Total........$51.82

the E-Mail I received tonight, saying, my order had shipped, shows the same numbers except the total is now $52.29 . over charge of $00.47 do they make these kind of mistakes all of the time? business must be bad, L.O.L I will call them tomorrow, I need the $00.47 more than they do.......

[Bad Water Bill]

Well I just looked at my wandering package.

By the time it gets to my house using their new system it will have traveled OVER 740 miles and taken 6 days longer. The normal trip is 375 miles in 3 days.

Also it will have passed my house 5 days ago.

No I was not offered any options and No I was not asked to donate the whole .24 to the N R A.

Their choices not mine.

Yes I DID save about $4.50. But missed out on using the items over the Memorial Day weekend.

Their ORIGINAL promised delivery date WAS yesterday.:twisted:

[41 mag fan]

Backorders are for folks that need it, and need to be first in line for it, regardless of shipping costs. I use the backorder function on occasion for this reason.

Seems some can't resist the temptation of looking at cool do-dads that are out of stock and blaming the company that posted all the pretty pictures for not being willing to gather their stuff from the four corners of the earth, package it into a nice box (MFRB only) and deliver a years worth of goodies for $12.95.

Just do what I do. If I'm not looking for something very specific, I modify my search by telling it to "show only instock items". This removes the temptation to.....click....the....backorder.....button! Aaarrrrggghhh!!!
Most times, if they can't sell it to me, and ship it to me now, I don't even want to know that it exists.
I'm an impatient cheapskate, and I admit it, but I don't blame Midway for not catering to my shortcomings.

Impatient people get stuck with mcdonalds dollar menu. Those who wait get T-bone steak and a glass of wine.

But...But Tim....McDonalds dollar menu is my t-bone steak and wine!! It's called 2 McDoubles for my t-bone steak, Med fry for my baked potato, and a large glass of sweet tea is my wine!!! :bigsmyl2:

[MBTcustom]

LOL!
My point is, if you pull into a big steak house with your wife and 3 kids, are you going to tell the waiter how ridiculous it is that you had to wait ten minutes for your 32oz ribeye? I've seen folks do this! Their argument was that it only took them 8 minutes to cook a steak that thick on their home grill, and dad gum it, now its been 15 minutes! LOL!

My point is that there may have been a shining moment in history where midway was up and coming, where you could buy a boatload of stuff for so cheap you couldn't believe it, contribute to the NRA roundup, and still come out ahead (yeah I remember it too).

I have written cordial (albeit sometimes pointed) letters to Larry asking him to do what he can to fix certain things, but the truth is, He's reached the point where the business is bigger than he ever intended it to be. There is a point where you have to ask yourself: How big is big enough? More importantly, how do you put the breaks on momentum like that?
He's doing it right now.
That's his choice and I respect it.

I just hope that one of you fellers will decide that you can do better and open up your own accessory business. If you can do it as good as Larry has you will come up very fast, and you can set your business up to include free shipping.
I don't say that as a snide remark at all, I really wish somebody could do that. It would be better for Midway, better for us, and better for the shooting community.

[LuvMy1911]

Wow, you guys call paying honest shipping charges for items that you chose to back order, "extortion"?

LMAO!

Let me tell you what extortion is: When the US government decides you need to pay taxes to the state you bought the stuff from, on top of shipping. That is extortion, and that is exactly what our lawmakers are passing through right now.
You may miss the "good ol days" where shipping charges was all you had to wine about. Just tack on another 10% for poor 'ol Uncle Sam.
Enjoy.

That's the best post in this thread I've seen... Polititians always seem to hose-up anything that I like and use.

I've ordered from several places, had good & not so good experiences from all. I have switched from backordering anywhere to ordering in-stock only.

[LuvMy1911]

Oh, and also... I HAVE to order stuff on-line... very little is available locally anymore.

When I ask the local fellas about keeping more in-stock, they have very good & valid reasons why they are low on stock or cannot order items that casting folks use (I know NO-ONE within 30 miles of my home that casts their own). Most locals are older guys that are just hanging in there and trying to survive the economy, paperwork, regulations, etc.

So I HAVE TO order on-line!

Jim

[Four-Sixty]

FS Reloading will backorder anything, then hold your order until it is complete. Their shipping is high, but they'll only charge you once.

If you order an optic from midway, they have free shipping on many of them. Add on other items and the additional shipping is very, very cheap. I got an $80 order shiped for under $2 cause I did this. They have some optics with the free shipping for around $20 IIRC.

[TES]

Anything anyone says is "free" means it's not listed on the invoice! :kidding:

[Petrol & Powder]

I had experienced good service from Midway USA until my last order. I placed an on-line order late in the evening and paid for the 2nd day air option. (the shipping was twice the cost of the actual item but I needed it in a hurry) I got the order 4 days later, five days if you count the evening I placed the order. I complained and got a lame excuse that included bad math. The delay wasn't due to UPS, they just sat on the order for a couple of days before it went out. Bottom line, I'll continue to deal with Midway but I'll never pay for expedited shipping again. Why pay extra for fast shipping when standard shipping costs less and results in the same transit time?

[MBTcustom]

Anything anyone says is "free" means it's not listed on the invoice! :kidding:

Ha! I love it! That's a good one! LOL!

[JWFilips]

I have been ordering from Midway for many years & never any problems! If it is back ordered just cancel that part of the order and register for "notify me when in stock" otherwise you may end up like what is being talked about!. Order the cheapest way for delivery!!!! You will be surprised at how fast you get it ( save some cash & aggrivation of ordering express!) These guys are a fair & reputable dealer in MHO

[TES]

To Tim's point about going to the restaurant. I expect to go and get good service and tip the server at the end of a meal. I don't go to a restaurant and tip the server for bringing my meal to me one bite at a time. Other wise I'd look her longingly in the eyes and ask her to twist my pepper shaker!

[MBTcustom]

Yeah, kind of depends on the waitress doesn't it? LOL!

TES, do you mind if I ask what items you are looking for that midway never seems to have in stock all at once? Just wondering.

[TES]

I have gotten just about everything to date. The .401-175-TC 6 cav and a 3 hole for my lee pro 1000 are the two items that have gotten on my list and disappeared twice now.

[TES]

Update....waiting on a lawnmower part to show up today and UPS arrives with my part ...wait...and a baggie from Midway. Now mind you I have not received a notification nor have I added it to my cart or clicked the order button or picked a fricken shipping option. So my lee 3 hole shows up with a 20.00 shipping fee with out my consent! What is going on? YGBSM I started pulling back ordered items as they were becoming available on other sites. Is this their way of forcing a sale?

[Dale in Louisiana]

Back orders on Midway: I've done 'em! I have gotten emails that my backorders were partially available and did I want them to ship what was in or wait for the whole thing. I've also gone in and cancelled items I've had on backorder after they showed up as available elsewhere.

I am in a bit of a hole down here in SW Louisiana. Most of the local gunshops don't have much, so the internet is a window on the world. yes, I pay shipping. But if I didn't pay shipping, I'd pay for my gas and the time spent driving back and forth, and shhhh! sales tax.

I've dealt with several on-line companies, among them Graf's, Wideners, Midsouth, and whoever's connected with Amazon. Amazon is neat because as an Amazon Prime member, a lot of the shipping is free, but selection might be spotty.

I'm not writing anybody off. You guys pop up here and say 'powder's available' and I know that the local shop hasn't seen powder since what's'er name changed a baby on the sales counter, so I'm keeping an open mind. If you want to talk about customer service, ask me about the people who sold me three 9,000 horsepower motors and how THEIR customer service is. Folks, we're shi**ing in tall cotton in comparison.

dale in Louisiana

[MBTcustom]

Update....waiting on a lawnmower part to show up today and UPS arrives with my part ...wait...and a baggie from Midway. Now mind you I have not received a notification nor have I added it to my cart or clicked the order button or picked a fricken shipping option. So my lee 3 hole shows up with a 20.00 shipping fee with out my consent! What is going on? YGBSM I started pulling back ordered items as they were becoming available on other sites. Is this their way of forcing a sale?

You gotta quit backordering stuff TES! LOL!
Take the time to see if it's in stock, and if it's not, don't click on it! When you backorder something, you are agreeing to pay for it when it becomes available hence "backorder". If you ordered it, they will send it, and UPS is going to get their money for hauling it to your domicile and dropping it on your doorstep.
If somebody asked me to drive across three states to hand deliver a doodad the size of a paper clip, you can bet your life I would charge more than $20 LOL!

[Matt85]

midway is great as long as its not back ordered item. they will also not hold items for you, for example you buy two items and one is back ordered. they will not hold onto the one in stock item till the back ordered one is available. instead they will charge you to ship each item separately. I will not back order items from them.

-matt

[Dale in Louisiana]

All I know is that I wanted a 'Little Dandy' powder measure and nobody within a hundred miles of here had one. I hit Midway's site on Thursday and it was in the mailbox today when I got home.

I like that. Perfect? Maybe not. But still darned good.

dale in Louisiana

[shoot-n-lead]

I know that I am done with them as of today and this is after many years of buying from them.

I went to checkout an order this morning that consisted of a single die and 3 Midway hats...shipping and handling fee was $19.00.

I will not be robbed by Midway or anyone else, for the opportunity to spend my money with them.

[44Vaquero]

Dale, now you need to get the adjustable rotor from this guy, it is very clever:

Here is a post of his from 2009
http://www.handloadersbench.com/forum90/9338.html

Here is a post from 2011 regarding him.
Here's the phone # he gave ... B.A.(Bill) White 704-608-4633.

Bill White
2430 Forrestbrook Drive
Kannapolis, NC. 28083

[Jammersix]

I'd rather pay a few extra pennies in shipping than wait until every last little item is in before they ship my order. It's one of the reasons I shop there.

[Bad Water Bill]

One thing I REFUSE to do is pay for anybodies hat,shirt or jacket with their name on it.

You want me to show your place of business the least you can do is GIVE me the STUFF advertising your wonderful company.

Yes I proudly wear a CABELAS hat. Yes it was free along with a full shopping cart of goodies for our BEGINNERS DAY shoot.

Yes they did that for several years

[NHPaul]

I have had excellent results from Midway but their shipping dept is Wanky . I got a single 1911 Barrel link in a box the size of a mediumflat rate box , how is that cost effective

[9-toes]

One thing I REFUSE to do is pay for anybodies hat,shirt or jacket with their name on it.

You want me to show your place of business the least you can do is GIVE me the STUFF advertising your wonderful company.

Yes I proudly wear a CABELAS hat. Yes it was free along with a full shopping cart of goodies for our BEGINNERS DAY shoot.

Yes they did that for several years

+1 If I wear something like that you can be sure it's because the business EARNED that honor. The guy at the car dealership twitched a little when I told them to remove their sticker.

[TXGunNut]

I've been dealing with Larry Potterfield since before Al Gore invented the internet, if he's willing I'll continue to do so. I understand logistics and in these crazy times I'm just amazed that he can get product in from vendors and out to customers. I've also read and understand his backorder, small order, and wish list procedures. If I elect to do something that costs me a small order charge or additional freight it was my call to make and Larry and the gang made it happen for me.
Only gripe I have is the birthday discount. Last year when my birthday rolled around I placed a large order of staple products and a few items on my wish list that never seem to be on sale. Pretty awesome!
This year when my birthday rolled around everything I wanted was unavailable. OTOH that wasn't Larry's fault, neither was the supply chain silliness. But my gripe makes as much sense as some I've seen here and on other forums.
I also get excellent service from Track of the Wolf, Buffalo Arms, and Colt. Bet most of you didn't know Colt has an awesome parts website! Great catalog, very fair prices along with prompt and reasonable shipping.