Whats up with Midwayusa

[aarolar]

Seems every time I get on there to order something its all out of stock. What gives with that lately? Im not just talking reloading supplies but gunsmithing tools and gun parts as well.

[6bg6ga]

Its probably JIT "Just In Time" ordering. When you order they order and thus they don't have to pay for a part sitting on their shelves that they will have to pay tax on. Anymore its a common practice.

[oldred]

Careful I got flamed pretty heavily some time back for asking the exact same thing, but you are right. I would expect to see odd and/or slow moving items to be kept short stocked with a long lead time to replacement but even common items are so often out of stock I just found it nearly impossible to complete an order without having it shipped (at my extra expense) in multiple shipments.

Woe be on to those who would complain about his highness Larry but it got me to shopping around and I find that there are several places who can supply my needs without nearly the frustration of trying to order from Midway. The real deal breaker was when I posted a negative product review, the product was in a tiny bottle of inletting black that was only half full (less than 1/2 of the one ounce claimed) and I pointed that out. I was polite and pointed out the other attributes and plainly said it was a good product but the small 1 oz bottle was only half full, one other person had pointed out the same thing but rated it three "stars" anyway. I gave it a one star rating due to the tiny amount (basically 1/2 oz of lamp black mixed in a heavy mineral oil but I didn't say anything like that) but otherwise gave it a good review, they posted this review after the verification period along with one other new review of three "stars". About a month later I was looking for some other items and I noticed the high rating on the inletting black so I checked it out, my review had been removed along with the others that were not overly impressed! There was nothing left but glowing reviews that indicated everyone loved this stuff and any trace of complaints about the tiny amount had been deleted even the three star ratings! This ticked me off to no end and I immediately complained about it, I got a reply the same day explaining that they don't do such a thing as that and they would check into it to find out what happened. A few days later I got an Email explaining that I must have been mistaken that they could find no record of my ever posting a review but that's pure 100% USDA certified BS because I saw it posted right there on the web site! They DO doctor those reviews, at least they certainly did that one because now it shows nothing but glowing satisfaction with all 5 "star" reviews except for one and it's 4 "stars" but curiously enough while just now checking the reviews I see this rave product has been discontinued.

[Screwbolts]

Seems every time I get on there to order something its all out of stock. What gives with that lately? Im not just talking reloading supplies but gunsmithing tools and gun parts as well.

As someone that helps run a small business, I can say first hand that the world economy is Greatly Stressed.

THE LANGUAGE I WOULD LIKE TO USE TO DESCIBE THE WORLD ECONOMY WOULD GET BE BANNED.

IMHO, unless someone has their head buried in sand, it should be very self evident why companies are keeping minimum stock on hand.

Ken

[Handloader109]

At least they have an active stock system. You can tell hen they have an item in stock. One Major supplier does NOT, you order and then get an out of stock email a week later.......But I'm not complaining, just stating differences.

[nekshot]

I hear you loud and clear! It is mind blowing the volume of gun stuff now moving thanks to the dude in the big house. One thing thing about ole grinning Larry they have a exellent backorder policy and they do come thru when the goods come in. I waited 7 months for some Savage bolt head parts but finally they came

[lefty o]

just one of the multiple reasons i rarely use midway anymore.

[gpidaho]

I buy from Midway but have found Mid-South to be a couple bucks cheaper on most items and Brownell's pays the shipping on back-orders if products can't be shipped when ordered. GP

[MBTcustom]

Careful I got flamed pretty heavily some time back for asking the exact same thing, but you are right. I would expect to see odd and/or slow moving items to be kept short stocked with a long lead time to replacement but even common items are so often out of stock I just found it nearly impossible to complete an order without having it shipped (at my extra expense) in multiple shipments.

Woe be on to those who would complain about his highness Larry but it got me to shopping around and I find that there are several places who can supply my needs without nearly the frustration of trying to order from Midway. The real deal breaker was when I posted a negative product review, the product was in a tiny bottle of inletting black that was only half full (less than 1/2 of the one ounce claimed) and I pointed that out. I was polite and pointed out the other attributes and plainly said it was a good product but the small 1 oz bottle was only half full, one other person had pointed out the same thing but rated it three "stars" anyway. I gave it a one star rating due to the tiny amount (basically 1/2 oz of lamp black mixed in a heavy mineral oil but I didn't say anything like that) but otherwise gave it a good review, they posted this review after the verification period along with one other new review of three "stars". About a month later I was looking for some other items and I noticed the high rating on the inletting black so I checked it out, my review had been removed along with the others that were not overly impressed! There was nothing left but glowing reviews that indicated everyone loved this stuff and any trace of complaints about the tiny amount had been deleted even the three star ratings! This ticked me off to no end and I immediately complained about it, I got a reply the same day explaining that they don't do such a thing as that and they would check into it to find out what happened. A few days later I got an Email explaining that I must have been mistaken that they could find no record of my ever posting a review but that's pure 100% USDA certified BS because I saw it posted right there on the web site! They DO doctor those reviews, at least they certainly did that one because now it shows nothing but glowing satisfaction with all 5 "star" reviews except for one and it's 4 "stars" but curiously enough while just now checking the reviews I see this rave product has been discontinued.

Actually Red, it was me that "flamed you pretty heavily" because you chose to make your opinion known in a thread that a guy had started, praising MidwayUSA for doing him a favor on his birthday, and that just rubbed me wrong.
First of all, Midway's propensity for showing me pictures of things they will not sell me hacks me off just as much as anyone else, and I have written them about it.
Second, at the time I didn't know you from Adam, and if I had, I wouldn't have gotten up in your grill so heavily, and I apologize for any disrespect.

I still like doing business with MidwayUSA when they make it possible to do so, but I'm not too tore up about it one way or the other.
At the end of the day, when I need something, I'm going to get it one way or the other, and sometimes Midway has cast their net in my part of the river, and when they do, I patronize them. If they don't, then I give the benefit of my business to someone smart enough to help me.
No big deal.
I too miss the days when MidwayUSA was my one stop shop for Gunsmithing, reloading, and casting, but I'm afraid those days are over. At least till somebody else steps up with the fire in the belly to service the shooting community so broadly.

[texassako]

I still like doing business with MidwayUSA when they make it possible to do so, but I'm not too tore up about it one way or the other.
At the end of the day, when I need something, I'm going to get it one way or the other, and sometimes Midway has cast their net in my part of the river, and when they do, I patronize them. If they don't, then I give the benefit of my business to someone smart enough to help me.
No big deal.
I too miss the days when MidwayUSA was my one stop shop for Gunsmithing, reloading, and casting, but I'm afraid those days are over. At least till somebody else steps up with the fire in the belly to service the shooting community so broadly.

I like this description of how it is these days. It has been a long time since I could save a bit of shipping by finding everything in one spot, whether at Midway or any of the other online stores.

[rbertalotto]

Yup....I've tried to order at least two dozen times over the past couple years and more than 50% of the stuff I want is out of stock. The shipping gets way too expensive if I just order half the stuff. I want to buy from Midway, because I think the Potterfields are the real deal and really support the game, but I can't if they don't have what I want. What amazes me is Amazon usually has what I need! And as a Prime customer I get everything in two days with no shipping charge. Can't be beat!

Brownells has a new "Prime" customer deal where if you join and pay something like $49 a year, shipping will be free or greatly reduced. But I don't see any info on this on their web site.

[oldred]

I think I got ticked off over that review deletion more than anything else, and then they tried to tell me I hadn't even posted a review after I saw it right there on their site! To ad insult to injury mine was apparently not the only one that was eliminated but somehow all the glowing reviews of that particular product missed the delete button, maybe my timing was off on that post but doing what Midway did with that review is a rotten way to do someone. If they had of looked at the review and decided it was out of line and had never posted it in the first place I probably wouldn't have thought much of it but they posted the darn thing days after it was submitted so obviously it was approved but THEN removed a couple of weeks later!

[Rick Hodges]

I won't deal with Midway, period. I had a couple of dealings with them and consider their business practices deceptive and predatory, even if legal. Smiling Larry can service anyone who wishes to be bent over...fool me once shame on you....fool me twice???? Nope! I am done.

[MBTcustom]

Rick, if I had that perspective I would just get my stuff elsewhere.

Red Personally, I haven't had the experience of having my reviews of products edited or deleted of course, I can't remember a time I felt so poorly about a product that I would give it a bad review. Also, if I had given something a bad review, I would fully expect and appreciate them deleting my review in the event that my complaint was dealt with in a satisfactory manner. In the case of your layout black for instance, if Midway went to the trouble to investigate, forwarded my complaint to the vendor, and received a satisfactory appology along with replacement product, would you want your bad review to stand? I want a satisfactory product, but I would never want to permanently damage a vendors reputation because they made a mistake and sent a run of bottles out under filled.
Now it would give me all kinds of warm fuzzies if Midway sent me another half full bottle of product with a letter of apology before deleting my review, but that's realistically not likely to happen.
Maybe I'm too nice though. I always try to give people the benefit of the doubt.

[freebullet]

Don't sound like they made it right.

I don't buy much from them anymore. Lackluster stock, prices, and sometimes even products. When it's right I will still order from them, it just happens less and less anymore. The clearance section is still worth a look from time to time.

[Bad Water Bill]

Is Larry still running the show or have others taken over and put Larry in a retirement rocker?

His new shipping program has my stiff passing my house on day 3 and finally arriving on day 5-6 .

Also keep in mind that he sold off most of the folks that make many of the items he offers for sale.

[500MAG]

I pretty much give all my business to Natchez. If they are out of stock I put my info in to notify me when it comes in. I get the email hit the link and order. I'll normally hold off on some other things to throw in to help wash out the s&h charges. I've been pretty happy with them.

[Col4570]

I see that Midway UK business has been taken over by Brownells and has a new Web Site.

[Steve77]

I order a lot online and am aggravated when they let me complete my order before letting me know something is backordered. Optics Planet has done this to me several times too.

[oldred]

Rick, if I had that perspective I would just get my stuff elsewhere.

Red Personally, I haven't had the experience of having my reviews of products edited or deleted of course, I can't remember a time I felt so poorly about a product that I would give it a bad review. Also, if I had given something a bad review, I would fully expect and appreciate them deleting my review in the event that my complaint was dealt with in a satisfactory manner. In the case of your layout black for instance, if Midway went to the trouble to investigate, forwarded my complaint to the vendor, and received a satisfactory appology along with replacement product, would you want your bad review to stand? I want a satisfactory product, but I would never want to permanently damage a vendors reputation because they made a mistake and sent a run of bottles out under filled.
Now it would give me all kinds of warm fuzzies if Midway sent me another half full bottle of product with a letter of apology before deleting my review, but that's realistically not likely to happen.
Maybe I'm too nice though. I always try to give people the benefit of the doubt.

They simply denied my ever having posted a review. This review was favorable as far as the product itself and I was polite and to the point, I then stated that I could only give it one "star" due to the tiny amount of product in the half filled jar and this jar was only a tiny 1 oz jar to begin with. The size was clearly stated and I felt that $13 for such a small amount was acceptable but then I find this tiny jar to be half filled, I was not really upset over such a trivial thing although I felt it to be a bit dishonest because there simply is no way that stuff is expensive to produce and you have to admit $13 for a thimble full of the product is being kind of stingy! So when I rated the stuff there was another review who also was miffed a bit at the half empty jar so I wanted to make sure anyone who reads the reviews would be aware that they can expect very little product for the money, although abiding by the rules I did not talk about money only the amount of the product received. I didn't get upset over the product itself, I got upset when my review and the other one letting people know about the short filled jars got deleted and then they denied I even submitted the review! They DO doctor those reviews and that's what I got upset over not the small amount of an otherwise good product, the bottom line is that most people who saw that (and the other) review probably would not spend the $13 for such a small amount and who can blame them? Instead of Midway addressing the problem they tried to hide the information and then denied I even submitted it when they got called out on it! Now mysteriously this product has been discontinued even with rave reviews, could it be there were a lot of complaints of half empty bottles? If they did this with such an insignificant instance as this one what else would they hide? For this trivial amount of money it's not really important but what about someone buying expensive optics or electronics for instance? That's what had me ticked off not the fact I paid $13 for a thimble full of inletting black!