ATTN! MidwayUSA NO LONGER WANTS OUR BUSINESS ?

[Flashole]

SORRY GUYS IF THIS SOUNDS HARSH..
What took Midway so long to catch on.  Sounds like they were feeding the compition and they did not know it.  I have no idea what percent of your sales were based on  $70,000 of a   "dealer discount " by your reaction it sounds like a lot.  Unless  you had an some type of agreement with Midway   you got treated like every other competitor would in the business world.  How many of you guys spend money at  WM ?


=FLASH=

[Bullseye]

My biggest gripe with Midway is that they used to (and maybe still do) advertise their shipping charge as "Fair and Honest", you pay the actual shipping charge.  When I UPS stuff from work that is similiar in weight to stuff I used to get from Midway is is usually about half the price.  That is not "Fair and Honest".
I give my business to Graf's unless Midway just has what I need at a great price.  Need to try Midsouth if I ever find another job and get my kids out of college so I can once again get aquainted with my guns and ammo.

[41 mag]

Haven't done business with Midway for quite sometime but this shows up in todays email. (the names were changed to protect the innocent)
   
   
Hello Mr.carbineman,

Today is the anniversary date of your becoming a MidwayUSA Customer. Just wanted to drop you a note to say how much I appreciate great Customers like you.


Thanks for Your Business,

Larry Potterfield
Founder and CEO of MidwayUSA
 
 Yea I got this the other day, and responded back with,

Hey thanks for thinking of me. I have been a customer since you all were a one page add in the gun rags.

If your so appreciative of my 20 something year business dealings, how about sending me some Midway Bucks as an anniversary present.

Didn't get anything back from them on that, but did get another one in yesterday that was a timed sale add that expires on my birthday, giving some percentage off my next order as long as it is used before midnight on my birthday. LOL

Over the years I have gone round and round with them on various orders. A couple of years ago I purchased a fairly large quantity of cast bullets form them. When they arrived the UPS fellow said, "hey something was falling out of this box  as I hauled this up to the door". Well I grabbed a flashlight as it was after dark and headed down the drive, there about every three or four feet was a cast bullet laying on the concrete like bread crumbs. I opened the box and man what a mess. There were three calibers of bullets in quantities of 500 with a couple duplicate orders, all mixed up in the bottom of the box, and only a few thousands difference between them. All in all about 4500 bullets. Took me several hours of picking and sorting to get to the point I could even count what might be missing. I called them immediately and sent pictures of the mess. The next day I got a call form a lady in Customer service that said my replacement order was on it's way no charge and to call when it arrived. The next day the brown truck showed up with my package. It took me almost half an hour to cut through all of the wrapping and tape, but the boxes were all secure. I called and asked about returning the others and they said keep them.

This all said, like most I shop for the lowest prices on everything, and if one particular place has everything I want at the time, I will order from them rather than making several orders. Midway has of late been the last place I have been looking, and their prices are for the most part, worth waiting on the other folks to get things in stock before placing the order.
 

[Land_Owner]

I try to assess the shipping charge prior to making a purchase, regardless of the retail outlet.  On orders below $50.00 shipping used to run 15% to 20%; $50 - $100 about 12%; $100-$200 about 10%; some were zero if you purchased more than (say) $250.

So the percentage scale of shipping slid to the left (being zero) the more you purchased on a single order.

With back ordering, the shipping can almost EQUAL the total order!

I do not want to support shippers, particularly FEDEX and UPS, that "eat our reloader lunch" for HAZMAT charges on powders and primers, and have an apparent (or imagined) underlying adveristy to guns, gun parts, ammunition, and reloading components.

[Land_Owner]

They kinda made me mad long ago the way they said no to my request to advertise here. Saying no is certainly not a problem and doesn't make me have hard feelings toward the companies that say no when I ask. They too have to decide where to spend their hard earned advertising dollars but they don't have to insult and put down the way Midway did. After that they stopped being a regular source of anything for me.

WT...  Huh???   

I just saw a Midway advertisement on the GBO banner.  When did they change? 

[30-30man]

Midway and Cheaper than Dirt are owned by the same company. Potterfield or something like that...  I refused to buy anything from them. They would not honor back orders on ammo...Instead they canceled orders and wanted to sell at the new higher price during the Obama scare.. Cheaper than Dirt are the biggest bunch price gougers on th planet....  They're the ones who wanted $17 box for Wolf 7.62x39 during the Obama scare.  The prices of their catalog are about half what they really are charging when you call them and they have the same ridiculous shipping charges.  Cheaper than Dirt is infamous for this bait and switch tactic.  When I told people about this all I got was they are two different companies. They are one in the same to me. I wouldn't order from either of them if they were giving it away.  There are just too many other honest,fair companies I'd rather do business with.  Natchez, Wideners, Ammo to Go, Graf and Sons etc..

[Graybeard]

They kinda made me mad long ago the way they said no to my request to advertise here. Saying no is certainly not a problem and doesn't make me have hard feelings toward the companies that say no when I ask. They too have to decide where to spend their hard earned advertising dollars but they don't have to insult and put down the way Midway did. After that they stopped being a regular source of anything for me.

WT...  Huh???   

I just saw a Midway advertisement on the GBO banner.  When did they change? 

The spot you saw that ad in is purchased by an advertising agency. They in turn resell the space to a lot of different companies. They have similar deals with well over a hundred sites like this so they represent quite a huge audience to advertisers and have as a result gotten business from a lot of firms that formerly refused to advertise on the internet.

We have no control over what ads go in that space as they pay us a fee monthly for the rent of that space on our site and then sell that space to whomever they want which includes some outfits I'd really rather they didn't but our contract with them says they can sell to whoever they wish so long as the companies sell products related to the content of this site.

[MZ5]

Midway and C-T-D are owned by the same people?  I did not know that.  C-T-D and the Sportsman's Guide look like they're the same outfit, though I don't know that for sure.  Are all 3 owned by the same person/people?

[30-30man]

No, Potterfield owns CTD and Midway or at least use to.  Their policies are one in the same.  I advise everyone to make them pay where it hurts...Don't order anything from them until their policies change...They've been screwing customers for years with shipping and bait and switch tactics...Just look at what they repeatidly advertise in their catalogs and what they actually charge when you call them....It's bait and every month one comes out...The only thing I get from Potterfield is his free youtube videos...The rest of it he can keep.  There are just too many honest companies to buy ammo/gun stuff from without putting up with the crap you get from Midway and CTD...

[Uncle Harry]

I've bought a fair amount from Midway and have never had a problem. If they're out of stock on something I want/need, I look elsewhere.

That being said, I USED to get pretty much everything at Widener's until the past year or so when they closed their retail store and didn't have very much of anything is stock. (They're local to me.)
You can only order on-line but they do have local pickup on Thuedays and Thursdays from 2-4 PM or something on that order. Since they rarely have primers, powder or much of anything else in stock, I just don't bother.

Mid-South seems pretty good so far though I haven't ordered much from them yet. I do check there first now though. Natchez doesn't deliver inside TN for some reason (at least they didn't last I checked. Too bad cause I live in TN).

I prefer to shop/buy locally when I have the time though. But, in this small town, small selection is the biggest problem. The mom & pop's keep very little stock on things that move slowly so they're chock full of AR's and not much else.

[saddlebum]

I started having similar issues years ago. It really started when they came up with an excuse to jack-up shipping rates higher than anyone else. Not a problem, I buy somewhere else. Total in the shipping rates with the cost of item and I can get it cheaper somewhere else. Midway has been a last resort for me for about 15yrs. If nobody else has what I want but Midway, then I go there. Mid-South is the first place I look. If they don't have it I go to Brownells. Same deal with Cabela's. I use to order alot from them 20yrs ago when they only had 2 or 3 retail stores. Now they cater mostly to people with more money than brains and sell alot of cheap crap. I have a problem with retail stores that charge hundreds of dollars over blue book for used guns, like Cabela's does. Use to be mail order was less expensive than stores. Not so much anymore.

[Dand]

I have done quite a bit of my business with Midway with good success. Yep shipping went up about the time it went up for all the other outfits I dealt with. My criteria is who will ship to my bush Alaska address at all or affordably? Sears wanted to charge $25-$30 to send me 5 screws I could fit in my hand. Other places promise free or cheap shipping then when it sees I have a PO Box in rural Alaska they refuse to do business with me. Or charge huge rates to ship UPS or FedEx. Often WAY more than the cost of the items. Fedex gets their stuff to Anchorage fast then mails it to me - I pick it up at the post office. Fedex stuff comes at a lower priority than US Mail - so net effect is (if I do business with Fedex) I pay EXTRA for slower shipping. I avoid Fedex at almost all costs.

But stuff reaches me fast at a "fair for my location" price if I deal with Midway, Cabela's, LL Bean. I have had good luck with Midsouth too. But I don't buy cases of bullets or big heavy stuff from anybody.

Since Midsouth supports GB I try to shop there first. But I still get a fair bit of stuff from Midway and will continue as long as it seems fair to me.  Sure sorry to hear of their rough treatment of Reeds but I think all business are having to make hard decisions these days - of course its all in the delivery of the message too.

[George Foster]

I have purchased items from all the vendors but most of my orders go to either Grafs or Wideners.  I always compare what my order is going to cost me all together with the shipping.  In most cases I have found that I am best off ordering from Graf or Wideners.  In a lot of orders I look over the shipping from Midsouth seems high to me.

[Graybeard]

I think the bottom line is everyone needs to decide for themselves based on factors important to them what company to do business with each time you need to make a purchase. I do and expect others to do the same.

I keep a Midsouth catalog here by my computer and one by my recliner in the living room. I use it constantly to compare prices I see listed in the classifieds and in threads where folks talk about what they have bought or when they are seeking advice on what/where to buy. I often quote Midsouth's prices in my posts that's partly cuz they are a sponsor and partly cuz the catalog is always at hand.

Midway used to put out monthly catalogs which they sent to me as I bought enough from them they felt I justified that expense on their part. Mostly what I bought tho was from their bargain pages of it and at times those close out deals of theirs were really good deals even with shipping but of course far more so in the days of free shipping (actually just shipping figured into the base line prices of items). I guess those monthly catalogs and special sales prices are gone or at least I've not seen one in a long time. I do get flyers from them from time to time but mostly they seem to just be a small snipet of the larger master catalog and seldom have many reduced prices tho admittedly on occasion they do list a special that really is a good price and I'd not blame anyone for jumping on such special pricing. If I needed the items and had the money I likely would myself.

I think my last order from them was last year when AR mags were nearly impossible to locate and folks were charging scalper's prices mostly. They listed them for $10 and took back orders on them. It took forever but I got the mags I ordered at that dirt cheap at the time price. I got some Glock mags the same way after a long back order but at a decent price. I think some of the Glock mags came from them but some from other vendors as well.

There is not much I buy from Midway but there are a few items they carry I just don't see other places at least not in the catalogs mailed to me and that is as I've said how I buy. If a catalog doesn't come to me I likely won't be buying from that place. I mostly just circle items in their catalog or flyer I'd like to have but seem not to get around to placing the orders as money is tight these days and just cuz I want it doesn't mean it's coming to my house as it would have back in the days when I had a job and more than double the income I do today.

Ron is in a different situation than most of us here. He is in the ammo making business and buys a lot of reloading supplies to support that business. Since he is a business not a recreational buyer he has to buy where he can get products at a price that allows him to assemble the ammo and sell it to folks like us at a price that is competitive enough for folks to want to buy from him and yet still turn a profit for him.

At one time long ago Midway wanted the business of folks like Ron and offered them a discount due to the fact they held an FFL. Most all wholesalers in the gun industry offer discounts to FFL holders recognizing that they must in turn clear a profit on the items they buy to stay in business and generally folks with FFLs buy more product per year as well as per order than those of us who don't have FFLs.

I believe all Ron is trying to say here is that Midway has at least effectively told him they no longer want his business and I believe that's correct they have changed directions and now no longer want to offer discounts to FFL holders or to offer volume discounts. That might be a good or a bad financial decision for the company I guess time will tell. I think tho it's a decision they will eventually regret. When supplies eventually catch up with demand again which they are beginning to now then the retail market is gonna shrink from what it is today and they are gonna be wishing they still had those FFL holders as customers but they will have by then pissed them all off and they'll be gone and likely won't return.

Just as Ron has made his decision to not deal with them for his own reasons each of us must decide for ourselves if we do or do not want to deal with Midway or any other firm for that matter. Our reasons for buying or not buying from them have to be our own.

I boycott McDonald's restaurants in the same way Ron is now doing Midway. In my case it's because I don't like their corporate policy of trying to run other smaller companies out of business when they move into a new area. It's not something I try to convince others to do but still it's my own personal reason and I refuse to do business with them for my own reasons. It's no different than the deal we're talking here with Midway. It's a personal decision each of us is free to make.

[Gene R]

I see Midway advertisements on here also, are they mot a sponcer?

[spinafish]

GeneR, start at the front of the thread, GB addresses this earlier..

[Grumulkin]

I've placed many orders with MidwayUSA and have never experienced "bait and switch."  If I don't like their prices + shipping charge I shot somewhere else.  I get enough discount codes from MidwayUSA so that it essentially cancels out the shipping charges.

I shop for pretty much anything I buy and when all is considered, for a lot of items MidwayUSA is very competitive in their prices and shipping charges.  What ya'll need to do, is shop some and you'll find that occasionally you even get excellent deals from usually grossly overpriced Cabela's.

[sk330lc]

Why does Midsouth, and Powder valley Require an Id. On file to buy Powder primers, and ammo?    This is a Big turn off to me and the one reason I have never bought from Midsouth or Powder Valley. 
I try My best to Buy everything at Local shops. After that, It's whoever has it instock at a good price.

[Graybeard]

Why does Midsouth, and Powder valley Require an Id. On file to buy Powder primers, and ammo?    This is a Big turn off to me and the one reason I have never bought from Midsouth or Powder Valley. 
I try My best to Buy everything at Local shops. After that, It's whoever has it instock at a good price.

The law requires you to be 21 or some such age to buy them. It is their way to assure you are. Anyone selling without it on file is gambling with their FFL.



It seems that as of today we have a MidwayUSA insider among us. I guess they heard of these discussions and have sent someone to check up on us. We once had someone who claimed to be posting as Potterfield himself here but I never did believe it was actually him but one never knows I guess.

[Tommyt]

I may  have the reason they Have Changed their Policy
My Local Loader supply 40 years in it
He was complaining to me about all the cops and many many
more all getting FFL's so in the conversation I asked what made him so
Upset He goes on too tell me they ALL have done it for the reason Of
Buying Discount he said they may not buy cheaper than me Until they Group
Up all there friends and family he says the discount maybe minimal but
they do it
So maybe Just Maybe Midway is putting a Stop to this and unfortunately
Reed and others like him Pay for all the others
Just what I was told

Tommyt reporting from TampaBay Florida
That's my story Good Day!!    

[dakotashooter2]

I've pretty much given up on Midway. When I did order I tried to make it large enough to justify their shipping costs. The problem with that was 1/2 the stuff I wanted always seemed to be on back order and the stuff that was available I could just drive 40 miles for (gas would about equal the shipping cost).

[Ten Ring]

What turned me off Midway was about a year or so ago I odered quite a lot of reloading supplies and two Lens pens. I received the order less the lens pens, with a backorder note on these items. About a week later I received the pens and they charged the same freight as the original order. The freight was more than the pens that were on sale. I complained via phone and the charges were creditrd to my credit card. It left a bad taste and I will never accept a backorder from them
again.
Jim

[revbc]

If I spent the kind of $$ Reed1911 spends per year at one supplier, I would expect preferential treatment or would find another supplier.  I think that's what his intentions are.  For you and me, where we spend our hard earned $$ is our business, but I for one appreciate being informed of these kinds of business practices.  Looks like to me if they were fair, they would have grandfathered a long-time wholesale customer in and made the changes as others came on-board.

I posted this reply earlier in the other thread, and still believe this is how Midway should have handled these "long-time proven customers".  If they didn't know who they were, then they were not taking care of business.

[sk330lc]

Why does Midsouth, and Powder valley Require an Id. On file to buy Powder primers, and ammo?    This is a Big turn off to me and the one reason I have never bought from Midsouth or Powder Valley.  
I try My best to Buy everything at Local shops. After that, It's whoever has it instock at a good price.

The law requires you to be 21 or some such age to buy them. It is their way to assure you are. Anyone selling without it on file is gambling with their FFL.



It seems that as of today we have a MidwayUSA insider among us. I guess they heard of these discussions and have sent someone to check up on us. We once had someone who claimed to be posting as Potterfield himself here but I never did believe it was actually him but one never knows I guess.

I thought that when you Buy mail order. That all they have to do is ask and that released them form Liability? Maybe wrong.


Whats this MidwayUSA insiders handle Bill ??   Would like to put some bugs in his ear.

[Graybeard]

Whats this MidwayUSA insiders handle Bill ??   Would like to put some bugs in his ear.

Unless and until they decide to reveal themselves openly I'll respect that and not mention any usernames. I keyed in on the e-mail address when I saw the registration. So far they have not posted so I assume they are here to read only for now. If you have something to say to them you can say it on open forum if it's within the site rules and I suspect it will be seen.

[Hairtrigger]

If you have something constructive to say to Midway call them!

[qajaq59]

Then they changed policy and now charge not only shipping cost but add in a handling charge and a packaging fee. How the heck do  you expect to do mail order business without packaging and handling your items and really how do you do business period without handling the items. Those should be built into your pricing structure not added at time of order.

I still order from them, but not until I check to see if anyone else has what I need first. That add-in charge and packaging fees are only a couple of bucks, but they just irritate me.

[sk330lc]

I have called them.   It all falls on deaf ears!!!   

[30-30man]

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: POTTERFIELD
As far as their bait and switch tactics that Potterfield allows to go on in his businesses, just look at a catalog and then try to call in an order. Cheaper Than Dirt is the worst.  The prices will almost always be different and almost 99% of the time the current price is higher. They are preying on individuals without computers, and don't know any better. They claim that prices fluxuate, but the prices on their website have never matched what they advertise in their catalogs.  I keep very detailed records on ammo prices and when CTD sends out a catalog, the prices on the internet haven't matched those prices in months, their story doesn't hold water.  CTD was so bad, it was almost humerous.  When I finally had enough and called them to question their catalog prices, they hung up on me. You can't claim that prices fluxuate when you never sold these items at the printed price to start with.  This was not a typo or a misprint, but about a years worth of catalogs.  I'm done with anything related to Potterfield.

[AtlLaw]

I have done a lot of business with Midway.  They usually have what I want and ship very quickly.  Those are the good points.  Unfortunately the bad points as enumerated here out weigh those good ones.  I am weaning myself off Midway.  Too Bad... 

Calling may work, emailing doesn't.  They could save a lot of business just by pretending to care about their customers...