Midway Packing

[ColColt]

I thought I'd rant a bit about an order I placed online a few days ago and received today. I recently placed an order for two magazines, several inner and outer springs for a 457 S&W and a box of Speer 200 gr GDHP's. I was rather taken back when UPS came up to the door with a white bubble bag with all this inside the bag. I expected he was delivering my meds as that's what they usually come in but it was my order from Midway.

There was no bubble wrap around the magazine to protect it and everything was just thrown in this bag-no protection for the magazine at all and the box the bullets were in was a bit askewed from impact at some point. This is not good PR and I'm going to write them. Am I being unreasonable about this or would that be justified? Enclosed is a couple of pics of the goodies I ecieved.

 

[Hunt200]

I have never received anything from Midway packed like that. That would not be acceptable to me.

 

[ColColt]

I was NOT a happy camper The Speer box was so messed up it wouldn't close and I'm surprised the mag wasn't dented but, I looked it over carefully. There's no excuse for packing like that. I feel a letter will be necessary.

 

[snw19_357]

Call their customer service.

I agree with you that their shipping department has recently taken a turn for the worse but their customer service is still pretty good. They have promptly taken care of any issues I have brought to their attention.

 

[Grayfox]

I've been doing business with Midway for years and never seen anything like that. By all means, contact customer service.

 

[mwtdvm]

Remember the days of "free shipping"...

Now at Midway, it is supposed to reflect actual costs.. Maybe so... I have looked at the price differential between Graf's and Midway and if you figure Graf's free shipping.. although there is a modest charge for handling and insurance. I usually come out ahead with them.

Open two windows in your browser, and comparatively shop at both places. Get ready to check out and whichever is the best deal, gets the order.

I have some customer loyalty, but when I got stuck for 14 bucks for shipping ~30 bucks worth of NBT's I rethought that. Nothing gets back ordered from Midway now!

YMMV

 

[ColColt]

Shipping, handling and insurance for this meager order was $8.89. You'd think a cardboard box could have been used at that price. I fired off a message and pics to them so, I'll be anxious to see their response. This was totally ridiculous.

 

[Bullseye 2620]

Shipping, handling and insurance for this meager order was $8.89. You'd think a cardboard box could have been used at that price. I fired off a message and pics to them so, I'll be anxious to see their response. This was totally ridiculous.

Please post their response, or lack of one. It will be instructive to see how seriously they take this. Both pieces should have been bubble wrapped inside a rigid cardboard box. One big enough to securely hold this order would be on the order of 20¢ or less for an outfit like Midway.


Bullseye

 

[rags]

I have never received anything from Midway packed like that. That would not be acceptable to me.

Well said!!!

rags

 

[NFrameFred]

Looks like the opposite extreme from my experience . . . if I remember correctly I once received a box from Midway containing a few small 1911 parts, a set of scope rings and something or other smaller than a can of Coke . . . in a box that was at least 14 " wide by 18" long by 12" deep - filled with the inflated plastic 'balloons', the giant 'bubble wrap' type.

Not to be insulting to anyone in particular at such a job, but if they were qualified to perform brain surgery they wouldn't be packaging things in the mail room for a living . . . . just saying . . . .

 

[Beemer-mark]

I've recieved a number of packages packed the same one as your descriped. Gigantic box with bubble wrap and everything loose inside. A number of items had broken out of thier individual packaging and were scattered. I had to spill everything out on the garage floor to find some of the pieces. A couple of the Lee aluminum molds had came out of the cardboard boxes and smacked agaisnt each other, fortunatley the faces were OK.

 

[setxn]

If you will go to the Long Gun Forum and read post #23 & #24 in my thread on Older S&W Long Guns there is a horror story about shipping and UPS.

 

[Skeeziks]

Oh! I see you got the same packer that I've been getting....

My order from May 20th (Black Hills .45 Colt ammo) arrived in laughable shape. When the UPS man handed me the box, I just kept looking back & forth between him & the box with my jaw hanging.
I swear to you...it looked liked elephants had used it to play soccer! When I opened the box, the box of ammo was just thrown in with one of those inflatable plastic things sitting on top. There was nothing between the ammo box and the bottom & sides of the shipping box - which was where it was crushed in and the tape was just barely holding.
I called up right away and complained incessantly about the way my order was shipped and, also sent Larry P. an e-mail telling him that something needs to be done with his packing dept.

I've had 2 more deliveries since then and they were both packed real bad as well.
I'm expecting another Midway shipment Thurs. I'll post the results when (if) it gets here.

 

[ColColt]

What puzzles me is that the last order was packed near perfection and I was given one of their thick catalogs as well. You couldn't have asked for better packing. The opposite was true this time. I was going to order some Gun Butter and several other things I had forgotten on this last order but that's not going to happen now. It wasn't UPS that made this blunder in packing-it was Midway and someone who could have cared less about how he sent it out. I'm still amazed in light of the way the bullet box looked the magazine wasn't dented.

 

[chief38]

See if there is a signature, initials or packing ID number on the papers that came with the order. I would write a letter to them expressing your displeasure and disappointment, and state that this kind of packing procedure will only cost them more in the long run.

 

[Skeeziks]

See if there is a signature, initials or packing ID number on the papers that came with the order. I would write a letter to them expressing your displeasure and disappointment, and state that this kind of packing procedure will only cost them more in the long run.

I checked all my invoices, but I don't see any "packer ID #" or anything like that.

As for writing a letter...as I said, I already e-mailed Larry Potterfield, the president of the company. Maybe he needs to hear from more of us before he'll do anything about it?

 

[scoutsdad]

I wonder if UPS repacked a box that came apart?

 

[ogilvyspecial]

I wonder if UPS repacked a box that came apart?

That was my initial thought.

I have received quite a few packages from Midway so do have some experience with their shipping dept.....

 

[nostraDONus]

Could it possibly be from different warehouse locations? Sometimes one location is staffed with thinking employees while the next may be staffed with idiots. I've seen it many times.

 

[deanodog]

I have recently ordered two different times for magazines and they both came in the white bubble bags but they were in good shape. Midway has always been my favorite vendor for shooting supplies though.

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

Have had great service from Midway over many years. When there is an issue I am sure Midway wants to know about it.

 

[Rule3]

I am glad someone posted this.

I have been dealing with Midway for years and always found them to be first class. I recently placed an order and a few days later I received their flyer. Two of the items I had just ordered were now on sale for a couple of dollars cheaper.In fact the regular price had been lowered before it even went on sale. All within 30 days or less,

I called customer service to ask for a price adjustment in Midway Money (credit) the CS rep acted like I was asking for the world, I asked to speak to a supervisor and she was pretty short and snippy. I said fine, credit me the $4-$5 or you will be losing a customer. She then said she will have to check and get back to me. I told her I could just return the product and get a credit and re order and they would do that, so what's the big deal? So after thinking about it, I wrote Mr Potterfield directly, he wrote back a long song and dance on how long they were in business, and they do not match prices (didn't ask him to) and as a Courtesy) they would credit my account.

Midway never has had the lowest prices, but their service was always very good, and pretty much no hassle returns. But after this much to do about nothing, I am looking elsewhere for my shooting needs.

I have also received orders in "the bag" both UPS and USPS.

 

[hobby-gunsmith]

I have been dealing with Midway and Brownells for quite some time. I have never received any of my orders in the condition you described. Contact the customer service department and I know they will rectify the problem. They try to cut the cost of shipping down but standard shipping should include a box since the contents are ammo and a magazine both fragile and need of protection.
Nick

 

[Fishslayer]

I'm new to Midway, but the few orders I've received, including boxes of boolits, were packaged WAY better than that.

I'd be polite, but yeah, I'd let them know about it. Probly a new guy.

 

[Uncle Larry]

My last two orders from Midway also arrived in a bag..at first sight, I thought it was a meds order I placed with my companies mail order pharmacy...it seems Midway is getting cheap and greedy as far as shipping/packing is concerned.

Don't get me started on their back order "policy"...I just received an item that was ordered in March and finally delivered the 2nd week of June...no notification that they couldn't/wouldn't deliver the goods anywhere near the date shown on the order status page...
AND to add insult to injury, el dumbo (me) ordered some brass from them and guess what??? Back ordered ; the delivery date was getting close (last week), so I checked the status..woo hoo!!! the delivery guestimate is now the 3rd week in September...no notification, email or even getting kissed as I got screwed with this order.

I'm beginning to think my relationship with Midway is about to end..by the time they add S&H along with bogus delivery times, I can order/get what I'm looking for locally at the same or lower cost.

I vote no on Midway.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

I was NOT a happy camper The Speer box was so messed up it wouldn't close and I'm surprised the mag wasn't dented but, I looked it over carefully. There's no excuse for packing like that. I feel a letter will be necessary.

To heck with the letter-I think in this case a missive is necessary

 

[Alpo]

Some years back I ordered several thousand 45 bullets and 5 of the MTM plastic shotshell boxes. Order arrived (at work) in two large boxes. Opened one and discovered that the load had shifted and the large box of 45 bullets had broken one of the shotshell boxes (two were in that box). Emailed Midway right then, and within a half hour got a return email that said a replacement box had already been shipped.

Couple of hours later, work was over, went home and opened the other box. The other 45 bullets had shifted here, also, and two of the three shotshell boxes were broken. I again emailed Midway, telling them that two more, for a total of three, boxes were broken, and their packing skills needed work.

Within the hour received a reply apologizing and telling me that three replacement boxes had just been shipped. I wrote back and said, basically, "At 1PM I complained that a box was broken and you said you shipped a replacement. At 6PM I complained that two more, for a total of three, were broken, and you replied that you shipped three replacements. Is that the one that went out earlier, and now two more, for a total of three, or did you send three this time, for a total of four?" They said that, apparently it was a total of four (which is what it turned out to be), and not to worry about it, but to just keep the extra, and they were sorry about the crappy packing job.

That's the only problem I've ever had with Midway packing, and I've been buying from them for 20 years or so. And they immediately made it good.

 

[perrazi]

glad brownells have grown over the years. absolute top notch people to deal with and i only live 45 miles away.i never buy from midway if there it any other source. sort of like wally world.

 

[ColColt]

Just an update on this fiasco. I received an email from them today, believe it or not and this is what was written...

"Thanks for your e-mail. I apologize for the inadequate packing of your order. I have documented this on your account and passed it on to our shipping supervisors for their consideration and to help insure this does not happen in the future. Thank you again for this invaluable feedback."



Thanks for Your Business!

Justin
MidwayUSA Customer Service

Sort of short and matter of fact to me. What does"for their consideration and to help insure this does not happen in the future." suppose to mean? It seems to me from reading reports here, it happens quite frequently. Invaluable feedback is all for naught if someone doesn't do something about the several individuals who are taking their job and their company most lightly.

We did not hit it off very well it seems and I think the time is now that I find another source of orders. I've ordered from Brownell's twice and they've always been first class but they don't have all I may want to order unfortunately and that's mostly why I ordered from Midway-not again.

 

[Skeeziks]

Just an update on this fiasco. I received an email from them today, believe it or not and this is what was written...

"Thanks for your e-mail. I apologize for the inadequate packing of your order. I have documented this on your account and passed it on to our shipping supervisors for their consideration and to help insure this does not happen in the future. Thank you again for this invaluable feedback."



Thanks for Your Business!

Justin
MidwayUSA Customer Service

Sort of short and matter of fact to me. What does"for their consideration and to help insure this does not happen in the future." suppose to mean?

ColColt...I got the exact same letter. So, evidently "for their consideration" means "I (Justin) have passed the buck on down to the shipping dept. and they can take it from there and I (Justin) don't care what they do about it, just as long as I (Justin) don't have to deal with it anymore."

Mr. Larry needs for a couple of us to barge right into his office and plop a few of these shipments right on his desk and then ask him "Larry...would you be happy if you recieved an order that was packaged this way?"