widners new shipping/odering policy

[abunaitoo]

It seems widners has gotten to big to care about their customers.
They no longer will ship USPS flat rate box. ups only.
They will no longer answer/take orders over the phone. Only on-line orders.
They gave some BS about ups forcing them to use them only.
I would suggest we all stop ordering from them, send them an email expressing any displeasure with their new policies.

We were going to order some head from them.
Wanted it sent flat rate box.
Since they no longer will send flat rate, the new price came out to $60.

[Lance Boyle]

They wideners sold the company. The new management doesn't have the same method of the old family. I liked them, I liked the ladies on the phone when I called in my orders.

I have little reason to shop there now, new high prices, bad shipping policy, and lack of old customer support. Them and Natchez with their inability to protect my CC info are currently off my buy from list.

[DerekP Houston]

That's a shame, I liked the old site and owners. The shipping policies for websites is getting tricky to navigate, gotta take the shopping cart almost to completion now to get a "total price." Used to be I could just use the cart price and gauge where to shop.

[sargenv]

Oddly enough, they must not have negotiated with UPS for a good shipping contract.. Powder Valley's case price is like $20... (19.95) on pretty much everything.. $60? I'll go to PV..

[AK Caster]

I quit shopping at Widners about 10 years ago. Reason? Anything they had I could find less expensive delivered to my door by some other companies.

[g17]

It's too bad they have changed because I ordered a lot of powder from them in the past and always had good service. I feel the same about Bud's gunshop which I seldom go in anymore and ask myself why I did when leaving. Once upon a time before they sold out, in Paris and then Lexington had friendly folks working there with decent prices for used and new guns but don't go there now thinking they'll sell to you a gun for the same price as their web prices and good luck on finding someone to wait on you that has any knowledge or personality. One of the last times I was in there, I asked to look at a vintage S&W revolver and I kid you not, the guy pulled it out and opened the cylinder to make sure it was clear and then flipped his wrist with the hand holding the butt of the gun to slam the cylinder shut....just like in the movies. Now it's just a sterile corporate environment

[Blackwater]

Well, I guess I'm on the other end of the spectrum, at least kind'a. IF I can FIND what I want, I usually just order it. It's getting so hard to get what you want WHEN you want it, that it seems to be the only game in town, really, to stock up, at least with the basic necessities. Wideners was often good about having products I wanted that were hard to find elsewhere, and I get tired of looking in 18 places before deciding to order, and THEN going back to find out the stuff's already sold out while I was looking elsewhere.

I don't know the new folks there, but if they have what I want and need, I'll likely just go ahead and get it. My guns have rather specific tastes, and that controls mine in components. Brass? If you shoot anything that's not really common, like .280 Rem., better get it when it's available or reconcile yourself to doing without, possibly for an extended time.

No, I don't like it being that way, but I'm not dumb enough to miss the point after getting "robbed" by my ol' Scots financial "discipline," either. And if Hillary goes in, I'll be spending all I possibly can muster up to stock up! I really, Really, REALLY hope we're spared that!

[abunaitoo]

That would explain it.
Company sold. New owners jack up the price, hoping customers will still buy.
I'll no buy from them anymore. Unless they change back to how it was.



They wideners sold the company. The new management doesn't have the same method of the old family. I liked them, I liked the ladies on the phone when I called in my orders.

I have little reason to shop there now, new high prices, bad shipping policy, and lack of old customer support. Them and Natchez with their inability to protect my CC info are currently off my buy from list.

[Elkins45]

Prices are up, but shipping is WAY up. I ordered 250 9mm, 500 10mm bullets and 1000 308 brass. The order was about $200 and FedEx ground was another $25. I suspect most times even the sale prices will be offset by very high shipping cost.

Remember what happen to Midway's shipping in the mid-90's? You notice they had to drop back and punt when they started losing business to the others.

[Prospector Howard]

Agreed, I used to buy a lot of stuff from them. The last order, the shipping just killed the overall price. The new web site is a disaster also.

[aspangler]

Won't accept a local pick up order either. I told them to cancel my account. 15 min anway and would have to pay freight and hazmat for one pound of powder. BAH! They can keep thier stuff.

[Handloader109]

I've become picky, I've enough powder for a long while, bought a few pounds I should have held off on, need a few more thousand primers to be comfortable, got plenty of brass and lead.... So I'll do what I did the other day, pick up a pound here and there when local store has something I need at a decent price. Might not be as cheap-obviously one pound will be more than a 4 or 8 per pound, but I have in hand, and don't have to worry about shipping and hazmat costs. Just my opinion, and I have noticed it is almost easy to find my "favorites"

[Cord]

They recently had these in their "Specials"

.40 cal 180gr Speer Gold Dots for $9.75 per box.
.355 115gr Speer Gold Dots for $9.25 per box.
.308 Sierra 150gr Matchking bulk box of 500 for $89.00 per box.

Somebody must have thought those were good prices...They went fast!

[Elkins45]

They recently had these in their "Specials"

.40 cal 180gr Speer Gold Dots for $9.75 per box.
.355 115gr Speer Gold Dots for $9.25 per box.
.308 Sierra 150gr Matchking bulk box of 500 for $89.00 per box.

Somebody must have thought those were good prices...They went fast!

I was one of those people, but accidentally put something something else in my cart that was the incorrect item. That's why I had to order a second time, but I waited until they put some other stuff on sale I also wanted. So I placed two orders within a month, and paid $50 total shipping for two boxes to move one state north. They were the only place that had the particular thing I want d in stock, so I paid willingly--but that probably won't be the case in the future.

[ph4570]

Yup, I am done with them since the changes and sky high prices.

[Screwbolts]

Not disputing any of the above. I can tell you first hand that dealing with some Post offices is a horror story. Example, Cooperstown NY post office rural carrier that delivers my mail basically refused to pick up any 40 lbs boxs of alloy I sold. a district office in Utah returned boxs because he said/told me, he didn't feel that Flat rate boxs should be loaded to 40 lbs. and I was abusing the system. Apost office in MT tried to return boxs but I was able to take the call and asked him to read aload the writing on the package, if it fits it shipps, 70 lbs. I got an apology from him and delivery was made without the additional 64 dollors of postage he wanted.

YES, New management can wreck havick. Unless you have dealt with a post office that thinks they are God and not public servants. You have no Idea what the local post office decreed as regulations.

Ken

[FISH4BUGS]

I worked in a retail gun shop environment my senior year in college and for 4 years after college and also ran the wholesale division (Shawmut Distributors). One of the things the owner (the late Kevin Adams of the Kittery Trading Post in Kittery Maine) taught me was "...always pay attention to written complaints. For every one person that takes time to write you with a complaint, there are 10 that will never come back and badmouth you every chance they get".
Send an email or better yet, a letter to the owners of the business. Put those complaints in writing. The customers CAN change a policy.

[alamogunr]

I unsubscribed from their email list. Don't really care for the direction they have taken the company. I didn't buy a whole lot anyway since Tennessee sales tax added almost 10% to every order.

[Screwbolts]

I worked in a retail gun shop environment my senior year in college and for 4 years after college and also ran the wholesale division (Shawmut Distributors). One of the things the owner (the late Kevin Adams of the Kittery Trading Post in Kittery Maine) taught me was "...always pay attention to written complaints. For every one person that takes time to write you with a complaint, there are 10 that will never come back and badmouth you every chance they get".
Send an email or better yet, a letter to the owners of the business. Put those complaints in writing. The customers CAN change a policy.

Very sound advice here. I would add that to say nothing or do nothing, actually says a lot.

Ken

[Tackleberry41]

I used widners once, it looked like I was saving money, until they piled on the 10% sales tax here in TN. And what I did buy sure took a while to get here, Midway I can usually have it at my door in 2 maybe 3 days, it was nearly 2 weeks from widners. I took them a while to bother to box it up and ship it.

As for the idea they will respond to complaints. A good business will, but most wont. Most places figure its one customer, who cares, plenty more buying stuff. How long did century arms go before they finally cleaned up their act? Taurus/Rossi has gotten worse if thats even possible. I sent an email off to Lowes recently. I had this odd idea that they would carry replacement band saw blades. Drove to town, they had blades, just none I needed. I asked the guy at lowes why they carry the saw, but no blades, just shrugged his shoulders. The email from Lowes corporate was, well you can get them at another store. Yea an hour away, vs the store where I bought the saw. Apparently I was being unreasonable to expect them to have blades for a saw they sold me. A reasonable person would have said, yea that would make sense, we will make sure their stocked. Not tell me, just drive an hour for one. Hmm or save alot of effort and just get them off the internet, and while im at it some other things vs buying at lowes.

[Harter66]

I learned a valuable lesson about shopping around a few yrs ago when I needed a double master cylinder, clutch and brakes , the 1st 3 places wanted 72-82 bucks for a reman and a $60 core charge . The 4th place was $29 with a $20 core charge or and overhaul kits for $18. Short story is it was worth $11 and the trip to pick up the cheaper reman.

I have 2 carts sitting as I type this and decide which item to drop or get on 2 identical orders . 1 will come in about $10 less than the other IF shipping isn't an off set and I can find the last item on both .

[Mytmousemalibu]

I have had good luck buying from Graf's through my buddies mom & pop shop which helps him out too. I live like a 20min drive away from Powder Valley which is needless to say, convenient! Hodgdon is here in Kansas too.

Federal primers, particularly small pistol, have gotten really scarce as of late, local retail and online. My friends shop has been having trouble getting them too. I have a couple comp guns that produce light strike failures on pretty much every primer except Federals. The only online retailer that had anything Federal small pistol was Graf & Sons and it happened to be the small pistol magnums I need! They were the Match primers and they were on sale! Needless to say I had my buddy order me 2 cases that I actually picked up today, another pound of Silhouette and some some Berry's 124gr'ers for the race guns because cleaning lead out of compensators sucks!