There's been a bunch of complaining about the Midway shipping prices in the "Anyone else fed up with MidwayUSA?" thread. I mentioned in that thread that I had an order on the way and would check the Midway shipping charges against the UPS commercial rates traveling to the same loctions when the package arrived and I had a chance to weigh it. Here are the facts:

Time from order placement to delivery: 5 working days

Package Weight: 48 pounds

UPS Commercial Rate

Shipping Point Zip Code: 65203
Destination Zip Code: 97006

UPS Rate: $29.05

MidwayUSA "Fair & Honest" shipping was $29.54

The $0.50 difference equates to the additional shipping cost of an 49 pound package verses a 48 pound package.

If you don't see this as being "Fair and Honest" I think you're fooling yourself.

This is only one data point, your results may be different. Also remember that when you place an order with Midway you can view the shipping charges before the order is entered. You have the option at this point of canceling the order before it is placed if you think the shipping charges are excessive.

quote:

Originally posted by Johnly:
Also remember that when you place an order with Midway you can view the shipping charges before the order is entered. You have the option at this point of canceling the order before it is placed if you think the shipping charges are excessive.

Thanks for the post, I think it helps to clear things up. And for the record, I think MW has the best site layout, great descriptions, good pics, and they even provide "details" about items, such as velocities of ammo, that other sites never even consider.

For now, they are the only site I order from. Good prices, and not bad on shipping, unless you only order a couple of items. But $23 for shipping on a $300 order... I will do it again!

F6

I agree, shopping online at MidwayUSA is as easy as buying dinner at McDonald's.

Can't complain about that shipping charge. I sent a 1-oz certified mail letter from PA to Albany NY last week that cost $4.27 to certify it, pay postage, and get a return receipt. Also sent a 1.75X-5X scope to Burris in CO for repair. USPS $7.40!! I think that shipping costs have escalated a lot while many of us weren't looking, so present charges are a surprise!

I at one time dealt with midway exclusively until their change in shipping, since then I switched to Mid South or Natchez. I still check midway since at times they have a better price which offsets the extra shipping.
As with any mail order it is better to accumulate items and buy at one time then to buy when the need arises

That sounds really good.
I would like to know, however, what dimension the box was that you received.

-Spencer

my recollection of midways old policy of "free" shipping is i almost never bought from them because they were higher on essentially every single item. the shipping was simply not free; nothing is free. that's a cost and that cost gets passed on to the consumer as either visible in a separate line item or invisible in higher markup. after they changed their shipping policy to "per package" their prices went down pretty much across the board.

business that are in business to stay in business do not and can not do things for "free". they may try to pass off that illusion but you're paying shipping whether you realize it or not.

It's like everything else, it pays to know what things cost. Shopping @ Costco isn't always a bargain either, you need to know what things cost & shipping is part of that. I've been happy w/ Midway for certain things, my local shop for others, etc.

My box shipped via UPS for $21.52, and it is 51.6 pounds. That's 42¢ per lb, I think that is a fair price to pay! As I said before, order more, save more. Same with the hazmat fee on powders & primers.

Now compare this to a lead shot order I wanted to place... 50 lbs of shot, $19.50 to ship via FedEx. The same package via the USPS? $7.70. But the company refused to ship USPS. And I did not buy from them. I am hoping that SOMEONE out there is willing to use the USPS, even though it is typically more inconvenient for most companies vs. an individual.

This is what i was getting at in my previous post.
Sure, 42 or 50 cents or whatever per pound sounds great, but when I only charge my customers $7.70 for their orders, who would you rather buy from?
That is a difference of over $10 just for the shipping, let alone the money you save just because my prices are cheaper.

I'd rather not just plug my store, but if it were me, I would look more towards the independent retailers on the internet because it has been my experience that it is easier to work with an individual rather than a nameless, faceless corporation.

F6Hawk,
I would be more than happy to help you out with Shot or any other heavy items you can stuff into the Flat Rate Box.

-Spencer

If I look at 500 .458" cast bullets with one lube band shipped to my house:

Midway $40.62 bullets on sale
$29.65 shipping @ $1.02/ pound half way across the country [more than retail shipping]
----------------
$70.27


National Bullet 500 .458" cast bullets with one lube band shipped to my house:
$67 bullets
Free shipping


Carrolsweb
$67 free shipping

yes, there's always times where two scales will conincide.. for example, the temperature "-40" is the ONLY point where C and F are the same.

29 bucks in shipping is a large order...

let's get more reasonable.

midway's MINIMUM shipping is "fair" shipping AND $3... assuming you ordered a spring.. (it's $4 for license holders and a highe minimum)

also, with USPS "one rate" boxes, weight is a non-issue (a friend recently saved over 90 bucks on shipping lead bullets)

Fair and Honest, my ass. Of course, I had a long dialog with larry on these when the changes came in.

Midway's bullets were always "about" what my local stores wanted for them... say midway was 12bucks for 225gr 358 bullets, and carters was 11.95... but with free shipping, AND unlimited supply, i would buy from midway, as I already beat tax.


here's the point.. your retail store is paying shipping TOO... don't think it's not being passed along.....

when midway's prices became the same as my retail store, plus a minimum order, plus shipping, they went out of the affordable range for me...

if i can get it at carters (that means shipping is ALREADY included) then midway's price should be FAR less as they get these shipments in from the makers in semi's, OR the price should include shipping..

jeffe

The way I like to think of it is....
Someone has to pay for those safaris with collector guns.

I take into account the shipping charges with my order. If they are out of line, I let the girl know it and tell her I'm not intrested and order elsewhere. That doesn't happen too often. My last order was recieved just this week. 400 cases of .500 S&W Brass from Hornady delivered to my door for $161.00. When I ordered it they told me it was backordered and they would be recieving it on or about the 8th of Feb. It was delivered on the 9th. Can't beat that. Like everyone else, Midway is good on some things, bad on others. I've never had a problem with a single order from them. billt

I don't have a problem with Midways shipping charges. I remember seeing their prices drop after they started charging for it. A few orders after,I received a notice in the mail that said on reveiw they'd over charged me for shipping & would I like a check or have that credited to my account? I have had problems with Natchez,actual shipping coming to $6 and $9 more than I was estimated. That happened on the only 2 orders I placed with them,and I won't deal with them again.