Why is Midway's shipping so high?

[LRHChinook]

Lot's of people buy from MidwayUSA but I can't figure why. I've gotten orders ready several times and I've always stopped when the shipping seemed so unreasonable. Tonight, I had an order of 3 barrel cleaners; total weight about 1.5 lbs; say 3 lbs in the box. Total cost of cleaners $30 and cheapest shipping offered by Midway was $16.

Maybe I'm spoiled by Amazon's free shipping but Midway is just ridiculous...

Just wondering if anyone else feels the same way.

 

[FEENIX]

LRHChinook,

Welcome to LRH and enjoy!

Did you try if you can get them in Amazon then?

 

[Gary Kaney]

I'm with you all the way. I had a run in with shiny nose Larry Potterfield about 4 yrs. ago and havn't bought from Midway since. His Fair Rates was one of the issues. A shooting partner of hasn't used for about the same time frame.

 

[T3-OleMan]

Also, the product price is normally a few $$$ less from places like Midsouth Shooters Supply, Cheaper than dirt, etc., Etc.gun)

 

[etisll40]

Once I pick something or a group of things, I tally it up and compare it to Natchez, cheaper then dirt and pick the cheapest. Midway often gives free shipping with orders over $100., if that helps.

 

[Hunter2678]

Rarely do I buy from there...only as a last resort. Too many other places that get my business.

 

[MTBULLET]

shipping is often treated as another profit center.
Will continue until MORE of us stop
doing business with midway.

 

[Mike 338]

shipping is often treated as another profit center.
Will continue until MORE of us stop
doing business with midway.

Well said. I buy from other vendors that over estimate weight per unit and the more you buy, the greater the error (which is not really an error at all). I try to buy components locally. The base price is often a little higher but no shipping and those guys gotta eat too. The rest I get from Midway (when in stock). At Midway, I'm buying convenience and that's worth a little something extra.

Just a thought... if you buy five dollars worth of lightweight stuff and drive it across the continent, shipping will always be the most expensive part.

 

[etisll40]

I shop but sometimes they are the only one that have what I want. I don't fault them for profits, we all have to make money, let's face it. When they don't it's one less company, one less job and then eventually there's only one company left and they charge even more as they then set price. Unless you live off the land or Social services you fail to see my point. Shopping is good, but competition always thins down profits margins so that one company doesn't own the market. It doesn't stop me from shopping around. Midway is typically pretty competitive, let's keep em that way.

 

[LRHChinook]

Some more info and thoughts:

1. I was trying to get KG-12, Kroil Oil and Butch's Bore Shine

2. I tried MidSouth, Natchez, Brownells and Cheaper than dirt

3. Only Midway and Brownells had the KG-12 (or the search's in the others did not find it)

4. Midsouth's shipping was $12 (FedEx ground)

5. Natchez shipping was $18 (UPS)

6. Brownells shipping was $13

7. Cheaper than dirt shipping was $15 (they only had the Butch's Bore Shine)

I agree with the concept of buying locally and supporting your local gun dealer. But I have to drive 60 miles to get to a dealer who has these items.

Bottom line for this little experiment... Brownells had all the items with the best shipping cost. Midsouth had a marginally better shipping cost but not all the items. Shipping is not free... :-(

BTW, Amazon has a very limited stock of gun cleaning supplies...

 

[etisll40]

Hopefully everyone chimes in, I like to add suppliers to my list, sometimes stuff's hard to find.

 

[Festus]

He's Larry Potterfield with Midwayusa, and that's the way it is.

Festus

 

[Aldon]

In addition to the options thus far listed I occasionally use Graf and Sons.

 

[FEENIX]

Some more info and thoughts:

1. I was trying to get KG-12, Kroil Oil and Butch's Bore Shine

BTW, Amazon has a very limited stock of gun cleaning supplies...

Amazon has two our of your list!