fastest45ever
Member
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2012
- Messages
- 142
ebay? between paypal and their fees you are often in 20% over the price.
Again, you have to watch shipping.
Again, you have to watch shipping.
Insane shipping prices
- Thread starter CApighunter
- Start date
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CraigC
Sixgun Nut
I've been buying from Midway for 20yrs. I've heard some complaints about their pricing and shipping but have never found a reason to go elsewhere. My last order for a bunch of magazines and some other stuff totaled $140 and shipping was less than $9. Before that it was $196/$10. Before that it was $111/$9. Before that it was $99/$9. You get the picture. It should be rather obvious that small orders are going to take a bigger hit on shipping. If your order is under Midway's minimum, it's usually better to order from Brownells. I think people just like to have something to complain about.
I order .22LR ammo from them by the case. Even with shipping, it costs me $2 less per 550rd bulk pack than Walmart.
20%??? If you're buying from Ebay, you're not paying PayPal fees. Only shipping.
22-rimfire
Member
I also order from Cheaper Than Dirt. I pay attention which "warehouse" the order is being filled and try to have the entire order come from the same site. I understand that it would cost them a lot to ship separate pieces of orders rather than the entire order and charge for shipping based on one source location.
Champions Choice
I bought a magazine from CC for my Anschutz 1517 and it cost $9 to ship. The price was around $70. The item is the size of a thick match book. When I complained they said the cost had to do with UPS, not with the cost of the item. Due to past problems, they said they refuse to use USPS which would have been about $3. It was packed in a 3" x 12" x 14" box. Seems to me they could have slipped into a small padded USPS envelope for $3. Oh well, I'm gald to have it and will order from CC again since they have Anscutz items that no one else has..
I bought a magazine from CC for my Anschutz 1517 and it cost $9 to ship. The price was around $70. The item is the size of a thick match book. When I complained they said the cost had to do with UPS, not with the cost of the item. Due to past problems, they said they refuse to use USPS which would have been about $3. It was packed in a 3" x 12" x 14" box. Seems to me they could have slipped into a small padded USPS envelope for $3. Oh well, I'm gald to have it and will order from CC again since they have Anscutz items that no one else has..
22-rimfire
Member
I like Champion's Choice as well. But I usually just drop by when I am around Nashville on business.
Sometimes shipping will surprise you from them. I believe that their website/database is not sophisicated enough to reliably calculate shipping. Hence, you get this add on that you really have no idea what is going to be to your order cost.
Sometimes shipping will surprise you from them. I believe that their website/database is not sophisicated enough to reliably calculate shipping. Hence, you get this add on that you really have no idea what is going to be to your order cost.
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mgmorden
Member
I've noticed a lot of sellers gouging on shipping lately. If they publish it up front its one thing, but tacking them on later really gets under my skin.
Two months ago I ordered 4 used pistol magazines from Southern Ohio Gun. Shipping was to be calculated and added to the order later. I should have known better, but I generally assume that most companies will treat the customer fairly on matters like that.
For 4 mags the added shipping cost was $17. Not to mention that the shopping cart total that had previously added up to $39.80 was for some reason $41 instead. So really it was over $18 added to my original order.
I let it go as $10 isn't going to kill me (I would have expected about $8 as fair anyways), but it certainly diminished my faith in that company.
Two months ago I ordered 4 used pistol magazines from Southern Ohio Gun. Shipping was to be calculated and added to the order later. I should have known better, but I generally assume that most companies will treat the customer fairly on matters like that.
For 4 mags the added shipping cost was $17. Not to mention that the shopping cart total that had previously added up to $39.80 was for some reason $41 instead. So really it was over $18 added to my original order.
I let it go as $10 isn't going to kill me (I would have expected about $8 as fair anyways), but it certainly diminished my faith in that company.
What on earth are you talking about?
FWIW, I actively sell tons of gun accessories on there, and I have yet to find an instance where the prices weren't cheaper than the major retailers. Ebay/Paypal fees are just the cost of doing business to have the luxury of an efficient national forum to peddle goods.
An idiot (yes, idiot) last night offered me $22 on a Kahr mag I was selling. I was asking $29 shipped (with no best offer provision, I might add, which always ticks me off when people do that). I declined his offer and sent him the completed listings link to show him that I was already cheaper than what they're going for.
He wrote back and said he wanted to make the offer because Cheaper than Dirt had them for $27. I checked them out, and lo and behold, shipping was $12.
His logic was......interesting. Somebody else bought my mag in between our messages.
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Hopkins
Member
Over the years I have spent thousands with Midway and due to their shipping scam have taken that business elsewhere.
On a positive note, I believe Brownells/Sinclair&co.s and a few other of Midway's competitors have taken note of customer dissatisfaction over shipping and handling policies and responded positively.
On a positive note, I believe Brownells/Sinclair&co.s and a few other of Midway's competitors have taken note of customer dissatisfaction over shipping and handling policies and responded positively.
oneounceload
member
My gun club orders from Gamaliel - and it comes in on their truck, so I have no hazmat or shipping. Since the club gets a wholesale price break, I pay the regular listed web price and still save as that includes everything including tax
For bullets, I go to several other places. Midway is like going to Best Buy - you look at stuff in their catalog and find it elsewhere cheaper - same for CTD - yep, both will once in a blue moon have a great deal, but it is rare.....
OilyPablo
Member
Supporting ebay and Paypal for gun stuff is just nuts. These companies are decidedly antigun. I use them when forced, but never for gun stuff.
TITAN308
Member
Oh I know why shipping is so high at Midway. I want all of you to think back to when you ordered stuff. Think very hard and try and recall from memory.
I quickly noticed anytime I ordered from Midway that the box that arrived always seemed massive for what I had ordered.
Sure enough, when I open the main "big" box - my smaller contents were inside safely packed away by a ton of shipping material, like those big air cushion pillow things.
Lots of the stuff I ordered and they sent in a massive box could easily fit in a box half that size and still be protected with material.
How do I know? Cause one day out of boredom I did just that. I had a bunch of USPS flat rate boxes I keep around for shipping and managed to fit the entire order they sent me, with pack peanuts and bubble wrap into a box HALF the size.
It is not the weight in my opinion they are charging you for, its the dimensions and the material that stuff in it. You'll notice they use their own labeled boxes. When was the last time you saw a small midway usa box? If its really small they send it via padded envelop, but the smallest box I've seen was the size of a USPS flat rate medium box for contents that would have fit in a small.
It only gets worse the larger your order.
Edit: Even when I order a 4oz bottle of DuraCoat color, the box it comes in could hold like eight of the 4oz bottles. The empty space is filled with those air pillows they seem to love.
Guess what happens if I order two 4oz bottles? The shipping is the same price. Imagine that....
I quickly noticed anytime I ordered from Midway that the box that arrived always seemed massive for what I had ordered.
Sure enough, when I open the main "big" box - my smaller contents were inside safely packed away by a ton of shipping material, like those big air cushion pillow things.
Lots of the stuff I ordered and they sent in a massive box could easily fit in a box half that size and still be protected with material.
How do I know? Cause one day out of boredom I did just that. I had a bunch of USPS flat rate boxes I keep around for shipping and managed to fit the entire order they sent me, with pack peanuts and bubble wrap into a box HALF the size.
It is not the weight in my opinion they are charging you for, its the dimensions and the material that stuff in it. You'll notice they use their own labeled boxes. When was the last time you saw a small midway usa box? If its really small they send it via padded envelop, but the smallest box I've seen was the size of a USPS flat rate medium box for contents that would have fit in a small.
It only gets worse the larger your order.
Edit: Even when I order a 4oz bottle of DuraCoat color, the box it comes in could hold like eight of the 4oz bottles. The empty space is filled with those air pillows they seem to love.
Guess what happens if I order two 4oz bottles? The shipping is the same price. Imagine that....
rskent
Member
The shipping at midway is a bit high. But I still shop there regularly. For bullets and powder/primers I have to shop around the net for the best price.
For most everything else they seem to have most of what I need in stock most of the time at a decent price and they do ship fast. They also almost
always have good coupons on retailmenot.com. I cant remember the last time I didn't get at least ten bucks off or free shipping.
For most everything else they seem to have most of what I need in stock most of the time at a decent price and they do ship fast. They also almost
always have good coupons on retailmenot.com. I cant remember the last time I didn't get at least ten bucks off or free shipping.
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
They do not have a surcharge for small orders and ship them cheaply. Not an option at Midway.
I see it from both sides. As a customer shipping cost can sting. If you ever have to ship something you see what cost are involved. Same sting. These cost go beyond materials. You have to watch the shipping every time you order. Hazmat fee is a killer too.
OilyPablo
Member
Not sure why more gun related places don't use Priority Mail Flat rate and charge the actual rate. (and the boxes are FREE) It's what my business does and some of our kits weigh 15+ pounds. Fairly rapid and reliable. Just go $6 (small) $11 (medium) and $15 (large)
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22-rimfire
Member
I suspect that it's because on average there is something in the order that they often can't ship via USPS and hence just settle on one shipper (UPS). But I agree with you in terms of shipping. Even Amazon uses USPS for some kinds of orders. Most seem to use UPS and it is more flexible for them. Some use FedEx, but not many. That should tell you something about ground rates. Also UPS and FedEx give preferred or discounted rates to shippers who do a lot of business with them and I don't think the USPS does this. Again, the flat rate USPS boxes are quite handy.
There is sometimes a "handling" charge built into the price. After all they are paying for the box, padding, packing, and physically mailing it. That costs money. The ones that don't have such a charge only do it because of the competition. But they would like to.
There is sometimes a "handling" charge built into the price. After all they are paying for the box, padding, packing, and physically mailing it. That costs money. The ones that don't have such a charge only do it because of the competition. But they would like to.
MachIVshooter
Member
I order from Midway, Grafs & Buffalo Arms. All said and done, they're usually within a few dollars of each other, so it comes down to who has what I want on that day (And it's usually midway with larger orders)
The key to it is increasing the order size. If you order a box or two of bullets, you pat through the nose for shipping. If you order a dozen things at once, though, the shipping is reasonable.
Hazmat stuff I generally do not order online at all, though, unless it's going to be a sizeable quantity. Hazmat is too expensive.
The key to it is increasing the order size. If you order a box or two of bullets, you pat through the nose for shipping. If you order a dozen things at once, though, the shipping is reasonable.
Hazmat stuff I generally do not order online at all, though, unless it's going to be a sizeable quantity. Hazmat is too expensive.
MilsurpShooter
Member
$75, 56 inch drag bag. Not heavy, somewhat bulky but not hard to stuff in a box. $15.50 to ship it and will take over 7 days to arrive. Really need the bag but no thanks lol.
DurangoKid
Member
I refuse to support antgun proleft wing Orgs. I will not use Amazon which is a very antigun proleft Org.
MachIVshooter
Member
Source?
I'm not saying it isn't possible, but I've never seen any verifiable evidence of it. That, and they sell pretty much every gun related accessory you can imagine. I have saved a lot of money ordering scopes, stocks, tactical lights, etc. on Amazon.
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
You don't believe in the American way of life? That a man can begin with nothing and through diligent hard work make a better life for himself and his family? Sounds more like envy to me.
Prove it.
Caliper_Mi
Member
Seriously? A 56" drag bag, add packaging and a box and you have a five foot long box. ANY shipper is going to tack an oversize charge on that. That's not Midway, it's just the reality of shipping. Besides, are you going to find it for $90 locally?
Only once have I ordered just one item from any of these places. Yeah, the shipping was expensive but that's life. It's easy enough to use the wishlists on Midway or Brownells and grab one or two more items that I want to avoid the small purchase surcharge and not change the shipping cost more than a few cents or a dollar.
22-rimfire
Member
I bet if Amazon got into the ammunition business, they would cause some heads to turn and pay attention.
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