Midway USA discontinuing C&R discount 1/01/2014

[dwnthehatch]

I just received the following email from Midway USA.

Dear Valued Customer,
Thanks for your business! It's really important to us that your experiences with MidwayUSA are not only satisfying, but that you feel like you are a part of our family. We work hard every day trying to make sure you get that experience.
Over time, our industry and business have changed dramatically. In order to offer great Customer service and low prices, we must become increasingly efficient and focused. Therefore, on January 1, 2014, we are inviting all of our dealer Customers to become retail Customers.
While it may not sound like that is a positive change, it really is. As time has passed, the separation between dealer and retail pricing has narrowed to the point where the prices are predominantly the same. Dealer Customers are also excluded from taking advantage of promotional codes and the Free Shipping available on thousands of products. These restrictions are not in place for retail Customers, which frequently makes overall costs for retail Customers lower than those for dealer Customers.
Many of our previous dealer Customers have already recognized the benefits of becoming retail Customers and have made the switch. We're confident you will be pleased with this change as well. The change to your account will be seamless to you on January 1, so there is no need for you to take any action. You will no longer need to update your FFL on file, and if you are tax exempt, we will continue to honor that status.
Please know that everything we do is intended to be in the very best interest of our Customers, and that we really appreciate your business.
Customer Service
MidwayUSA

 

[SRD]

"And that's the way it is."

 

[awajr]

I just got the same email. I guess this means that more of my business will go to Brownells.

 

[dwnthehatch]

I just hope it doesn't start a trend.

 

[Inigoes]

It's happening more and more, the internet retailers are getting squeezed just like everyone else.

 

[cpc1027]

Meh...I got the same email and I was initially disappointed, but he's right, their "discount" has been nonexistent recently and I would have saved more with the coupon codes. So I'll use coupons in the future with Midway and I'll keep my dealer discount at Brownells, and I'll buy from whoever ends up being cheaper.

 

[BeerHunter]

Meh...I got the same email and I was initially disappointed, but he's right, their "discount" has been nonexistent recently and I would have saved more with the coupon codes. So I'll use coupons in the future with Midway and I'll keep my dealer discount at Brownells, and I'll buy from whoever ends up being cheaper.

This sums up my feelings as well. I've always received good service from MidwayUSA and will continue to buy from them when they have what I need at a price I like, which is usually not a problem.

 

[TxAggie]

Meh...I got the same email and I was initially disappointed, but he's right, their "discount" has been nonexistent recently and I would have saved more with the coupon codes. So I'll use coupons in the future with Midway and I'll keep my dealer discount at Brownells, and I'll buy from whoever ends up being cheaper.

Wow, a free enterprise economy at work. I thought this was illegal?

 

[RobSky]

I appreciate everything that they do for our industry, but lately their prices and especially their shipping have been off the charts.

 

[bg71361]

I appreciate everything that they do for our industry, but lately their prices and especially their shipping have been off the charts.

shipping is a money maker for some companies

 

[hodgepodge]

I'm going to have to use this C&R License to buy guns, instead of just using it for dealer discounts.

 

[Half-cocked]

Feel free to copy & paste, this is what I'm going to email to them:

Dear MidwayUSA,

On January 1, 2014, I am inviting you to become a former vendor who I would do business with.

While this may not sound like a positive change, it really is. As time has passed, the separation between your pricing, and what my friends and I like to call "a friggin' joke", has diminished to the point where the two are nearly indiscernible.

I hope you will welcome this new phase in our business relationship!

Signed,
H/C
Former Customer

 

[SRD]

^^ Nice.

 

[Augie]

I've been done with them for awhile,even with the so-called discount I found stuff cheaper elsewhere with less shipping. Kind of a shame as I was a customer all the way back to the early 80's.

 

[Alphabrew]

Wow, a free enterprise economy at work. I thought this was illegal?

I know, right!

 

[Boom Boom]

I appreciate everything that they do for our industry, but lately their prices and especially their shipping have been off the charts.

No dealer discount here. Never bothered. I ordered a bunch of small parts from them for repairs and upgrades two weeks ago. Shipping was a whopping $3.84. Everything showed up three days later.

 

[plumberone]

Midway is a business, their costs of being in business continue to increase.

 

[sleepingdino]

You can't be serious about Brownells!

I'm still backordered from January! I"d rather pay for Midway and get my stuff then wait forever.

 

[somd_mustangs]

I've been a pretty regular customer of Midway's, and definitely noticed the dealer discounts dwindling lately. As far as shipping costs, it's expensive to ship stuff nowadays, period. I don't think Midway is raking in the dough on shipping, their costs have been in line with what I expected, and packages always arrived in a few days. Having sold a ton of stuff on evilBay and GB lately, it's shocking how much money I've had to relinquish to UPS/FEDEX even with discounts.

Just wait til we have to pay taxes for internet sales and then see how much it hurts!

(BTW - just for sheetz and giggles I compared their shipping costs with what it would have cost me to send the same package the same way, and their charge was cheaper).

 

[Machodoc]

I've only got one gripe with Midway, and it's a small one: back before things went nuts, they'd have nearly everything in stock that they had listed on their site. If you placed an order under $40, they tacked on an extra $4 (10%, or more) in addition to the shipping fee. That was fine ... when they had stuff in stock.

But then when stuff was running out of stock all over the map, you'd place an order for, say, $150 worth of materials, but most of it was on back order. As it came in, bit by bit, it would be shipped to you ... with that $4 extra fee tacked on. It was pretty annoying to be charged extra because the company didn't have things in stock when you ordered it.

I'll still order from Midway, but tend to do business more with Natchez these days.