Midway USA Shipping Charges

[Shiloh]

Midway shipping has been on the rise for several years now. Bummer about the $12 for $6 woth of bits.

Shiloh

[sig2009]

Midway sucks! I stopped using them a long time ago because of their inflated shipping charges!

[geargnasher]

I have to mention, along the lines of what MC said, that there's a point at which Midway's shipping becomes quite reasonable. I've done a lot of business with them in the past few years, using several of their shipping options. A few months ago I ordered some large and heavy items from them, all coming to me in one big box that was nearly 70 lbs. Shipping if I recall right was about $25 for UPS ground. More than fair IMO. Now I've ordered 5 lbs of stuff in a shoebox sized box that was nearly that much. The fuel is about the same to deliver it either way.

If you aren't paying for it with mail-room add-ons, you're paying for it somewhere else, or the company is working on a lower profit margin. Go to a Cabela's store, or Bass Pro, and you'll understand very quickly how an amped-up retail end affects prices. Small, mostly mail-order companies like PV and Graf's have much less overhead, so can have both low prices and more reasonable (or possibly even zero) shipping markups.

Gear

[kenyerian]

My local gun shop has a delivery every Thursday from his main supplier so I can usually get items from him cheaper and faster than ordering online. if it is something he has to special order I will shop around online . Over the years I should own stock in Midway but I find myself going other directions now.

[Thecyberguy]

I have a "dealer" status with Midway and the other day I received an email saying I had left items in my "cart" and they wanted to know why.

I told them exactly why. After figuring all things in, I bought the exact same items elsewhere a fair amount cheaper. That was even getting my "dealer" price!
I got a reply stating that they feel they are very competitive with pricing and shipping costs.

They asked, I told, they choose not to listen. I just bought 500 bullets from Graf , shipped to my door $8 dollars cheaper than I could get the same thing from Midway. I emptied my cart that time to save getting an email asking why I didn't complete my order.

I shop around and I buy from the place with the best price to my door. If it turns out to be Midway...then I buy form them.
I have purchased 2 AR 15 uppers from them since January, so it is nothing personal...it is bottom line.



TCG

[Papa smurf]

Spent a lot of money at Midway since the 1980's -----not lately. Grafs gets ALL my bucks now . Great people ! ---------------------Good Shooting-----------Papa Smurf

[Revolver]

This morning I had a $100 cart at Midway then saw the shipping charges. Went to grafs instead, product was cheaper and free shipping (Googled a coupon for no handling fee too).

[David2011]

Shipping is a deal breaker at times for me as well. I agree with the gripes about high charges for small parts that don't weigh much and exceed the price of the item.

OTOH, and I'm not defending Midway, we usually ship with a free box from USPS or a scrounged box. Have you BOUGHT a cardboard box lately? Mass merchandisers have to buy everything new. Look at the price of bubble wrap or foam peanuts. Then you have assembly lines where the orders are packed after picking. You have to pay those people and revenue neutral is a loss on the spreadsheet. I can see where the costs to pack and ship far exceed the price of a flat rate box.

I don't like it and will continue to buy from the vendors with the most reasonable shipping charges when buying for myself. If I'm buying parts to repair a gun for a paying customer, the shipping charges are passed to the customer at my cost.

David

[joec]

How about buying two screws that cost about $2 each and shipping costs of $6. Hell the price of a stamp though USPS would be sufficient and cheaper no more than .45 cents.

[dmize]

There is more to shipping charges than most see. I deal with it on a daily basis at my job,LOTS of times a $5 part ends up costing $20 BEFORE it makes it to our dealership.
Also Im not taking sides BUT Midway is a heck of a lot bigger than Grafs'. I think its like 4 city blocks of area.
I do busines with both places, buy from Grafs if I have time to drive to Mexico,but usually order from Midway,since they started allowing customer pick up's and my brother works in Columbia I dont pay shipping charges but still pay tax.
I dont know Larry,but have talked to people that do or have worked for him and said he is one of the best employers there is,they have also been recognised for the same thing by the City of Columbia and Boone County.
And before people start sounding like our commander in chief,as in slamming somebody just because they succeded,like his hunts and TV show. Go out and start your own gun/reloading/outdoor supply store. Manage to keep it liquid and turning a profit for 30 years and then NOT enjoy the fruits of your labor?????
And dont forget about all that he is contributing BACK to our sport and lifestyle,through his support.

[DCP]

In Business today every job must make a profit.

Soon those toll free customer service people will answer the phone.

May I have your CC info so we can continue our conversation.

[garym1a2]

Not sure where the $12.06 quote to ship came from. I just went on their site to see what they where upto latly and used their shipping estimater, they charge $3.84 to ship two of the 896243 bits first class mail.

The bits cost $4.79 each and a $3 special service fee for a shipment under $20.

I don't see the ripoff on this low cost part, you pay someone to stuff the part in an envelope. labor is not free.

Is it just me or has anyone else noticed that Midway has gone into the business of making money off of shipping. I started to order 2 screwdriver bits, the notched ones for the Ruger Blackhawk Base Pin Latch. No biggie, I notched a screwdriver a while back but now I cant find it. I was gonna get these and keep in my box of bits. Thats all I needed, I was gonna pay the $3 extra and forget it.
They wanted $12.06 to ship them. They will fit in a thimble much less an envelope. I was given no options other than UPS and if I was in a hurry I could pay up to $60.28 for next day air. Good Grief!!! I used their customer service chat to see if it was a mistake................nope. I just got the standard shipping is calculated on size and weight explanation. DANG. I went out and notched another screwdriver, job done.

I sent smiling, we appreciate your business Larry an email complaining, I am curious to see if I hear from him.

[Swamprat1052]

The $12.06 came from MIDWAY!!!! I got an email today that they were adding
USPS back into my account and they would ship it for for $3.84. Dont know why it was taken out of my account but thats better. Customer service didnt offer me that option before sending my email.

Swamprat

[sig2009]

Not sure where the $12.06 quote to ship came from. I just went on their site to see what they where upto latly and used their shipping estimater, they charge $3.84 to ship two of the 896243 bits first class mail.

The bits cost $4.79 each and a $3 special service fee for a shipment under $20.

I don't see the ripoff on this low cost part, you pay someone to stuff the part in an envelope. labor is not free.

If I am ordering from your company I refuse to pay a service charge. I don't care how much I order. They have people working in shipping to ship whether it's one item or 10 items. They lost my business. I don't care how much they contribute to the shooting sports!

[HangFireW8]

I won't defend Midway's shipping charges, as others have noted for small orders they rarely make sense, for large orders it may all come out in the wash.

Midway has the best shooting vendor web site, bar none, and their search function actually works, unlike Graf's. They've taken the time to cross index matching parts and accessories. Since most of my recent orders are small orders or molds, Graf's gets most of my business, usually I find their items by starting at Midway and then using Google's site search to find it on Graf's.

Lately MidSouth has their own brand of USA made cartridge boxes, this is the best deal hands down. Unfortunately Midway's version has become far too brittle since moving to China, I won't be buying them again.

For most orders I bring up Natchez, Graf's, MidSouth and Midway and see who has the best deal including shipping. Midway rarely wins except when they have items the others don't. On occasion their specials or closeouts make them unbeatable.

[excess650]

I shop around and compare prices for the items SHIPPED before I order.

The price of shipping continues to rise. Not only is weight a consideration, but dimensions of the packages are as well. Why? The price of fuel is a big contibutor. IF drilling was permitted in the Gulf, on Federal Lands, off the east and west coasts, in the ANWR, supply would be up and prices down. Too, add in the Keystone pipline to decrease the cost of transporting crude (and all the jobs created by drilling HERE and building the pipeling) and fuel prices would decrease dramatically.

Don't blame the suppliers of the goods you're buying or the shippers. EVERYTHING is brought by truck at some point. The current administration in DC is to blame, and YOU can help remedy that. I didn't intend this to become political, but THAT is the root of the perceived problem. <end of rant>

[Jammer Six]

Nope.

Since you were rude enough to bring politics into a non-political discussion, outside of the political forum, I'll say this: the current administration had nothing to do with dumping oil into the gulf, and everything to do with preventing it from happening again. So far.

I intend to vote for the President, since the Romney is the front running opposition.

Anything but him. I'd rather have a vice president who can't spell potato than Mitt Romney.

Now.

Dragging politics, with all it's stink, out of the political forum is bad manners. All it does is stir up bad feelings, and it reminds everyone why we have a sty reserved for the pigs who can't keep their politics, their choice of bed partner(s) and their colostomy bag to themselves.

Back under the stairs, shoo, shoo!

And clean this filth off the floor before you go. Shoo, now!

[wiljen]

Alright, having both had a chance to speak your piece at this point, I suggest any further politics be taken to the appropriate forum.

[Longwood]

Alright, having both had a chance to speak your piece at this point, I suggest any further politics be taken to the appropriate forum.

Facebook,, would be my suggestion.

[Jammer Six]

I'm surprised and a little embarrassed that my post was allowed to stand.

Humbled, I am, by the tolerance shown by the mods.

If I could keep my mouth shut at key times, I'd be rich.

I compare Powder Valley, Midway and Graf and go with the total shipped.

Who wins changes, depending on what I'm ordering and how much of it I'm ordering.

I like to buy my powder locally, I have a favorite shop where the guys remember my name, and in the long drought between buying guns, I use powder as my excuse to go in there, say hi, and chatter with them.

So it ends up being bullets and primers that I buy, and lately, it's been Powder Valley and Midway going head to head, with very slight differences in the price when it hits my porch.

I sincerely apologize to anyone I've offended in this thread, including Excess650.

Please forgive me.

~Jammer