Midway and shipping extortion!

[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.

[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.