Quick MIDWAY question

[Quoheleth]

I'm doing a little window shopping at Midway. A couple of the items I want are "Out of stock - backorder OK". I don't want to pay shipping 2x or 3x, though. Can I request that the order be held until all pieces are availalbe and then ship the whole thing?

Q

 

[Mainsail]

You sure have a lot of faith in luck, since it would be pure luck if someone from Midway Customer Service was surfing the forums and saw your post. It might be faster if you just call and ask them.

I just dropped a backordered item from my order after I saw how much the shipping was going to be. I’ll just wait for it or look elsewhere.

 

[PCJim]

+1 Just call them and ask. I doubt though that they have space to be storing who knows how many customer orders waiting until something comes in. And, you'd have to pay up front for those items being held. Probably not an available service realizing their costs of doing this. Then again, they are very customer service oriented.

 

[ants]

Send an email to Customer Service. Those are fine people. Tell them which items would be BO, and discuss the likelihood of all BO items being held for you until available.

 

[mkl]

When I run into that, I just put the whole order on my "wish list."

The wish list will show in/out stock status.

Check in from time to time and see if all items on the wish list are in stock.

When they are, you can move the entire list to the shopping cart and purchase.

Works well as long as you are not in a hurry to get the other things in your order.

 

[ljnowell]

The last two or three times that I wanted something that was out of stock they held my order, packaged, in the warehouse until the item came in. There were none of these 2 or 3x shipping charges people always complain about. They have changed the way they do that, at least on my orders they did.

 

[wep45]

I'm doing a little window shopping at Midway. A couple of the items I want are "Out of stock - backorder OK". I don't want to pay shipping 2x or 3x, though. Can I request that the order be held until all pieces are availalbe and then ship the whole thing

call midway and ask the question

 

[Quoheleth]

call midway and ask the question

But, you see, that would have made sense. This way, you all had something to do at work besides work.

Honestly, I wanted first-hand experience (thanks, ljnowell). What some people say they will do and what they really do are 2 different things.

Think of this as your good deed for the day.

[ducking behind the desk - at work - for cover while reaching for the phone & Midway's 800-number]

Q

 

[tlen]

I no longer include any out of stock items in a Midway order since they charge you shipping on what is in stock and shipped immediately and then additional shipping on the back ordered items when they ship them individually. The only advantage to including back ordered items in a regular order is to satisfy the $25 minmum order requirement [save $3] for the whole order. Midway will not hold you order until all back ordered items come in.
The best way to handle out of stock items is to sign up for the "email notification" so you will be notified when the out of stock item is back in stock.

 

[ljnowell]

I no longer include any out of stock items in a Midway order since they charge you shipping on what is in stock and shipped immediately and then additional shipping on the back ordered items when they ship them individually. The only advantage to including back ordered items in a regular order is to satisfy the $25 minmum order requirement [save $3] for the whole order. Midway will not hold you order until all back ordered items come in.

Thats wrong. They have done it for me on more than one occasion.

 

[Quoheleth]

Difinitive answer

I called and asked today.

They will not hold in-stock items while waiting for back-order stock to come in. They ship them separately.

The sales rep said shipping "works out" since they ship by weight - i.e., one box that weighs 4 pounds, or two separate boxes that combined weigh 4 pounds.

I answered my own question with a phone call (should'a done that the first time) and thought I would pass the word here.

Q

 

[tlen]

.....The sales rep said shipping "works out" since they ship by weight - i.e., one box that weighs 4 pounds, or two separate boxes that combined weigh 4 pounds....

Where you get hit is the minimum shipping charges for UPS. Midway does have a USPS [snail mail] option for light weight items [maybe up to 2#] but you have to be aware of this option and look for it. It doesn't just pop up for you.

 

[rg1]

I've had 9mm bullets on backorder since mid-December. One style bullet is in house and they are still waiting on the other style to come in. They are holding my order until both backordered bullets arrive and will ship them together. I can't say they do this on all backorders but they are holding shipping on my order until both bullets come in.

 

[ljnowell]

I've had 9mm bullets on backorder since mid-December. One style bullet is in house and they are still waiting on the other style to come in. They are holding my order until both backordered bullets arrive and will ship them together. I can't say they do this on all backorders but they are holding shipping on my order until both bullets come in.

Exactly, they have done this exact same thing for me too. I think maybe it will depend on which rep you talk to. I got a nice guy once and another time got some girl I think her name was latecia or some such, that wasnt worth wasting my time trying to communicate what I wanted.

 

[jjohnson]

Bad Luck

Well, I know I've been hit with the 2x and 3x charges before. From what I've read, there have to be SOME folks that got screwed or there wouldn't be THAT much bitching about it.

I even complained about it in writing and got nowhere. Maybe things have changed. I bought from Midway for at least a decade, as almost the "single source" for all I bought, but after getting nailed more than once, I started looking around - and discovered, among other things, Graf's, Widener's, Powder Valley, and a whole bunch of bullet casters. I even discovered Berry's Bullets when Rainier got too expensive.

I just figured it was part of what I paid for my adult education, though. I don't with them ill fortune - I just don't shop with them anymore.

 

[MetalMan52]

Shipping

I've also been hit with multiple shipping charges from back ordered items. Be expecially carefull when ordering primers or powder. A backordered item can be a killer with duplicate hazmat fees. Midway's shipping policy in a way was a blessing. It ticked me off enough that I really started looking around for other suppliers and have found some that get the bulk of my business now days. Midway refuses to use the USPS bulk shipping packages. These can offer a significant savings over going by weight through UPS, it does not work itself out. You can ship up to 65 pounds for a flat fee. Compare shipping charges when ordering a significant number of bullets by weight or flat rate.
I still buy from Midway on occasion but only if my other suppliers don't have an item, Midway has it in stock and I meet their minimum purchase requirement.
Pat

 

[1SOW]

I just ran into the same thing. They told me a maximum of two separate shipments will be made--- Two shipping charges .

I had 7-8 items (bullets and reloading equipment) 3 items on back-order, and they did come in two shipments with shipping charges greater than if they came as one shipment.